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Photographic 

Sciences 
Corporation 


23  WEST  MAIN  STREET 

WEBSTER,  N.Y.  1458C 

(716)  872-4503 


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CIHM/ICMH 

Microfiche 

Series. 


CIHM/ICMH 
Collection  de 
microfiches. 


Canadian  Institute  for  Historical  Microreproductions  /  Institut  canadien  de  microreproductions  historiques 


Technical  and  Bibliographic  Notes/Notes  techniques  et  bibliographiques 


The  Institute  has  attempted  to  obtain  the  best 
original  copy  available  for  filming.  Features  of  this 
copy  which  may  be  bibliographically  unique, 
which  may  alter  any  of  the  images  in  the 
renroduction,  or  which  may  significantly  change 
the  usual  method  of  filming,  are  checked  below 


L'Institut  a  microfilme  le  meilleur  exemplaire 
qu  il  lui  a  ete  possible  de  se  procurer    Les  details 
de  cet  exemplaire  qui  sont  peut  etre  uniques  du 
point  de  vue  bibliographique    qui  peuvent  modifier 
uno  image  reproduite.  ou  qui  peuvent  exiger  une 
modification  dans  la  m^thode  normale  de  filmage 
Gont  indiqu^s  ci  dessous 


n 


Coloured  covers/ 
Couverture  de  couleur 


D 


Coloured  pages/ 
Pages  de  couleur 


Covers  damaged/ 
Couverture  endommagee 


D 


Pages  damaged/ 
Pages  endommagees 


G 


I    Covers  restored  and/or  laminated/ 
Couverture  restaur6e  et/ou  pelliculee 


G 


Pages  restored  and/or  Ian      ated/ 
Pages  restaurees  et/ou  peiii^ulees 


G 


Cover  title  missing/ 

Le  titre  de  couverture  manque 


C 


Pages  discoloured,  stained  or  foxed/ 
.'    Pages  decolorees.  tachetees  ou  piquees 


r      I    Coloured  maps/ 


Cartes  g6ographiques  en  couleur 


Pages  detached/ 
I    Pages  detachees 


G 


Coloured  ink  (i  e    other  than  blue  or  black)/ 
Encre  de  couleur  (i.e    autre  que  bleue  ou  noire) 


G 


Showthrough/ 
Transoarence 


□    Coloured  plates  and/or  illustrations/ 
Planches  et/ou  illustrations  en  coulen 


G 


Quality  of  print  varies/ 
Qualite  inegale  de  I'impression 


G 


Bound  with  other  material/ 
Relie  avec  d'autres  documents 


G 


Includes  supplementary  material/ 
Comprend  du  materiel  supplementaire 


G 


Tight  binding  may  cause  shadows  or  disto.tion 
along  interior  margin/ 

Lareliure  serree  peut  causer  de  I'ombre  ou  de  la 
distortion  le  long  de  la  marge  int^rieure 


I       I     Blank  leaves  added  during  restoration  may 

appear  within  the  text.  Whenever  possible,  these 
have  been  omitted  from  filming/ 
II  se  peut  que  certaines  pages  blanches  ajoutees 
lors  dune  restauration  apparaissent  dans  le  texte, 
mais,  lorsque  cela  ^tait  possible,  ces  pages  n'ont 
pas  ete  film^es. 


G 
G 


Only  edition  available/ 
Seule  Edition  disponible 

Pages  wholly  or  partially  obscured  by  errata 
slips,  tissues,  etc.,  have  been  refilmed  to 
ensure  the  best  possible  image/ 
Les  pages  totalement  ou  partiellement 
obscufcies  par  un  feuillet  d'errata,  une  pelure, 
etc.,  ont  ete  filmees  d  nouveau  de  facon  d 
obtenir  la  meilleure  image  possible 


G 


Additional  comments:/ 
Commentaires  supplementaireS' 


This  item  is  filmed  at  the  reduction  ratio  checked  below/ 

Ce  document  est  filme  au  taux  de  reduction  indiqu6  ci-dessous. 

10X  14X  18X  22X 


26X 


30X 


\' 


12X 


16X 


20X 


24X 


28X 


32X 


The  copy  filmed  hero  has  been  rHproducod  thiinks 
to  the  gonerosity  of 

Library  of  Conqross 
Photoduplir.ation  Service 


L'exeniplaire  filino  tut  toprodjit  tjracc  .S  la 
g6n<^rosit«^  de 

Lil)fcirv  of  Cotuirnss 

PI)  o  tod  up  Ik  lit  ion  Service 


The  irr)agos  appearing  here  are  the  best  quality 
possible  considering  the  condition  and  legibility 
of  the  original  copy  and  in  keeping  with  the 
filming  contract  specifications. 


Les  ifTiages  suivant(»s  ont  6t6  reproduites  avei;  le 
plus  grand  soin    cfxnpte  tenu  de  !<«  condition  et 
de  la  nettete  de  I  exemplaire  filmt^j,  et  en 
conformity  avec  les  conditions  du  contrat  de 
filmage. 


Original  copies  in  printed  paper  covers  are  filmed 
beginning  with  the  front  cover  and  ending  on 
the  last  page  with  a  printed  or  illustrated  impres 
sion,  or  the  back  cover  when  appropriate.  All 
other  original  copies  are  filmed  beginning  on  the 
first  page  with  a  printed  or  illustrated  impres- 
sion, and  ending  on  :he  last  paye  with  a  printed 
or  illustrated  impression, 


Les  exernpiaires  originaux  dont  la  couverture  en 
papter  est  irnprini6e  sont  film«^s  en  commencant 
par  le  premiet  plat  et  en  terminant  soit  par  la 
derni^re  page  qui  comporte  une  empreinte 
d'impression  ou  d  illustration,  soit  par  le  second 
plat,  selon  le  cas.  Tous  les  autres  exemplaires 
originaux  sont  filmes  en  commencant  par  la 
premiere  page  qui  comporte  une  empreinte 
d'impression  ou  d'illustration  et  en  terminant  par 
la  derni^re  page  qui  comporte  une  telle 
empreinte 


The  last  recorded  frame  on  each  microfiche 
shall  contain  the  symbol  — ♦>  (meaning  "CON 
TINUED  '),  or  the  symbol  V  (meaning  '  END    ), 
whichever  applies. 


Un  des  symtaoles  suivants  apparaitra  sur  la 
dernidre  image  de  chaque  microfiche,  selon  le 
cas:  le  symbole  — •►  signifie     A  SUIVRE",  le 
symbole  V  signifie  "FIN". 


Maps,  plates,  charts,  etc.,  may  be  filmed  at 
different  reduction  ratios   Those  too  large  to  be 
entirely  included  in  one  exposure  are  filmed 
beginning  in  the  upper  left  hand  corner,  left  to 
right  and  top  to  bottom,  as  many  frames  as 
required.  The  following  diagrams  illustrate  the 
method: 


Lbs  cartes,  planches,  tableaux,  etc  ,  peuvent  etre 
filn.6s  ^  des  taux  de  reduction  diff6rents. 
Lorsque  le  document  est  trop  grand  pour  etre 
reproduit  en  un  seul  cliche,  il  est  film6  d  partir 
de  Tangle  sup6rieur  gauche,  de  gauche  ^  droite, 
et  de  haut  en  bas,  en  prenant  le  nombre 
d'images  n6cessaire    Les  diagrammes  suivants 
iilustrent  la  methode. 


1 

2 

3 

1 

2 

3 

4 

5 

6 

VOYAGES  AND  TRAVELS, 


IN  ALL  PARTS  OF  THE  WORLD; 


MANY  OF  WHICH  ARE  NOW  FIRST  TRANSLATED  INTO  ENGLISH. 


DIGESTED  ON  A  NEW  PLAN. 


L 


A  GENERAL  COLLECTION 


OF    THE 


BEST  AND  MOST  INTERESTIN 


BY  JOHN  ^INKERTON, 

AUTHOR   or    MODERN    GEOGRAPHY,   &C. 


ILLUSTRATED  AND  ADORNED  WITH  NUMEROUS  ENGRAVINGS 
,   .  VOLUME  THIRD. 


^"     '  -  PHILADELPHIA:        -'-^'      *   '    '    '        -     "  •'    "  ''''       '^^'\ 

PUBLISHED  BY  KIMBER  AND  CONRAD,  No.  93,  MARKET  STREET,  "  - 

^anlr^of^'XhlTH^TV    HTll'^f "'  ^'c'*"""'**' '  J^™««  ^^*-'""«dy,  sen.  Alexandria  ,  Fitzwhylsona 
wit  am    Co    B?'  ^^*'".^"ff'  Charleston,  South  Carolina,  Henry  fishing,  ProvidencV,  R.  I.  f  John 

MERRITT,  PRINTER,  WATKIN'S  ALLEY.  -V.  * 

1811.  -     .       ^  , 


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■«f,  ■''•. 


CONTENTlii 


OF  THE 


THIRD  VOLUME. 


•    ' 


w 


A  TOUR  in  Scotland,  by  Thomas  Pennantt  -Esg 

Pennanfa  Second  Tour  in  Scotland,  ...___ 

Account  of  the  DrosackSt  from  Qarnet's  Tour^  .... 

Martin's  Description  of  the  ff^estern  Islands,  .... 

Martin's  Voyage  to  St.  Kilda,  -        - 

An  Account  of  Hirta  and  Sona,  by  Sir  George  Mackenzie,  of  Tarbat, 
Brand's  Description  of  the  Orkneys,  and  Shetland, 


*^ 


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171 

570 
572 
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I.IST  OF  PLATES  iN  VOLUME 


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1.  Bass  Isle  and  Loch  Leven, 

2.  £dinburgh, 

3.  Upper  Fall  of  Fyers, 

4.  Paps  of  Jura, 

5.  Grand  Cavern  at  Staffa, 

6.  Pillars  at  Staffa, 

7.  DunstafTage  Castle, 

8.  Doreholm,         •    «.  - 

9.  Nossholm, 


TjA*'  :i'i '  '^f!i-\: 


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\MAR 


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•"^Y. 


A  GENERAL  COLLECTION 


Of 


VOYAGES  AND  TRAVELS. 


A  TOUR  IN  SCOTLAND,  IN  1769. 

BY  THOMAS  PENNANT,  ESQ. 


DEDICATION, 


TO  SIR  ROGEn  MOSTVK.  BART.  OF  MOSTYN,  FLINTSHIRE. 

Dear  Sir, 

A  GENTLEMAN  well  known  to  the  ooUtical  worW  in  »h#»  Yv>(n..»:»«.  «f  *i. 
present  cen.ury  made  ,he  .our  of  Europe,  and  bcCte  Shed  AbtevSello-id' 

vo^lStoL'^?!!"'™"*"^"  ''S'  !»y/^soIution,  with  jour  accustomed  friendship 
IS.iorlh.jTr/*''^'"'  "-"i  «■«•,*»  ''■dy  exeoutio/of  my  enj^men,  S 

ra"f.Se!!Sif''ij  'S^^rr^fP"*""  »nd  of  a  private' nrta«:  to  you  I  owe  a 

^U^S!,!?'™?' "'•*'=  '■tt'e  KniWs  Providenw  had  Bestowed  on  me  •  for  bv 

vidSp«s  J"i^"f|??,  °f  "'"*  "V^  mead,  and  woods,  you  oonne«eral  the  S. 

Vol.  m.      *^     '''""'''*^'°  ""  "y.improvements.  'fiveor  view  I  take  from 


f  1 


g  PENNANT'S  TOUR  IN  SCOTLAND 

my  window  reminds  me  of  my  debt,  and  forbids  my  nileiicc,  causing  the  pleasing  glow  of 
gratitude  todiflfuse  itself  over  the  whole  frame,  instead  of  forcing  up  the  imbittering  sigh 
of,  O  si  anM;ulus  ille  !  Now  every  scene  I  enjoy  receives  new  charms,  for  I  mingle  with 
the  visible  Beauties  the  more  pleasing  idea  of  owing  them  to  vou,  the  worthy  neighbour 
and  firm  friend,  who  are  happy  in  the  calm  and  domc:nic  paths  of  life,  with  abilities  su- 
perior to  ostentation,  and  goodness  content  with  its  own  ic.vard  :  with  a  sound  judgment 
and  honest  heart  you  worthily  discharge  the  senatorial  trust  reposed  in  you,  whose  un. 
prejudiced  vote  aids  to  still  the  madn':ss  of  the  people,  or  aims  to  check  the  presumption 
of  the  minister.  My  happiness,  in  being  from  your  earliest  life  your  neighbour,  makes 
me  confident  in  my  observation ;  your  increasing  and  discerning  band  of  friends  dis- 
covers and  confimrs  the  justice  of  it :  may  the  reasons  that  attract  and  bind  us  to  you  ever 
remain,  is  the  most  grateful  wish  that  can  be  thought  of,  by, 

Dear  Sir,  &c. 
THOMAS  PENNANT. 
Downing,  October  30th,  1771. 


On  Monday  the  26th  of  June  take  my  departure  from  Chester,  a  city  without  pa- 
rallel for  the  singular  structure  of  the  four  principal  streets,  which  are  as  if  excavated  out 
of  the  earth,  and  sunk  many  feet  beneath  the  surface  ;  the  carriages  drive  far  beneath  the 
level  of  the  kitchens,  on  a  line  with  ran^s  of  shops,  over  which  on  each  side  of  the 
streets  passengers  walk  from  end  to  end,  in  galleries  open  in  front,  secure  from  wet  or 
heat.  The  back  courts  of  all  these  houses  are  level  with  the  ground,  but  to  go  into  any  of 
these  four  streets  it  is  necessary  to  descend  a  flight  of  several  steps. 

The  Cathedral  is  an  ancient  structure,  very  ragged  on  the  outside,  fVom  the  nature  of 
the  red  friable  stone*  with  which  it  is  built:  the  tabernacle  work  in  the  choir  is  very  neat ; 
but  the  beauty  and  elegant  simplicity  of  a  very  antique  gothic  chapter-house  is  what 
merits  a  visit  from  every  traveller. 

The  Hypocaust,  near  the  Feathers  Inn,  is  one  of  the  remains  of  the  Romans,t  it 
being  well  known  that  this  place  was  a  principal  station.  Among  many  antiauities  found 
here,  none  is  more  singular  than  the  rude  sculpture  of  the  Dea  Armigeru  Minerva,  with 
her  bird  and  her  altar,  on  the  face  of  a  rock  in  a  small  field  near  the  Welch  end 
of  the  bridge.  • 

The  castle  is  a  decaying  pile.  The  walls  of  the  city,  the  only  complete  specimens 
of  ancient  fortifications,  are  kept  in  excellent  order,  lieing  the  principal  walk  of  the 
inhabitants :  the  views  from  the  several  parts  are  very  fine  ;  the  mountains  of  Flintshire, 
the  hills  of  Broxton,  and  the  insulated  rock  of  Beeston,  form  the  ruder  part  of  the  scene- 
ry; a  rich  flat  forms  the  softer  view,  and  the  prospect  up  the  river  towaixls  Houghton  re- 
calls in  some  degree  the  idea  of  the  Thames  and  Richmond  hill. 

Passed  throu^  Tarvin,  a  small  village;  in  the  church-yard  is  an  epitaph  in  memory 
of  Mr.  John  Thomasen,  an  excellent  penman,  but  particularly  famous  for  his  exact  and 
elegant  imitation  of  the  Greek  character. 

Oclamere,  which  Leland  calls  a  faire  and  large  forest,  with  plenty  of  reddc  deere 
and  falow,  is  now  a  black  and  dreary  waste ;  it  feeds  a  few  rabbits,  and  a  few  black 
Ternst  skim  over  the  splashes  that  water  some  part  of  it.  .-. 

*  Saxum  arenarium  friabile  rubrum.    Da  Costa,  Fosr'ts.  I.  139. 

t  This  city  was  the  Oeva  and  Devana  of  Antonine,  and  the  station  of  the  Legio  vicesima  victrix. 

i  Br.  Zool.  II.  No.  256. 


PENNANT'S  TOUR  IN  SCOTLAND.  3 

A  few  miles  from  this  heath  lies  Northwich,  a  small  town,  long  famous  for  its  rock, 
salt,  and  brine  pits.  Some  yours  ago  I  vitiicd  one  of  the  mines  ;  the  strutiun  of  salt  lies 
about  forty  yards  deep;  that  which  I  saw  was  hollowed  into  the  form  of  a  temple.  I 
descended  through  a  dome,  and  found  the  roof  supported,  by  row>j  of  pillars,  about  two 
yards  thick,  and  several  in  height ;  the  whole  was  illumiuiUcd  with  nun^bcrs  of  candles, 
and  made  a  mo!>t  magnificent  and  glittering  appearance.  Above  the  salt  is  a  IkxI  of  whitish 
clay,*  used  in  making  the  Liverpool  eiU'thcn«ware  :  ajnd  in  the  same  place  is  also  dug  a 
good  deal  of  the  gypsum,  or  plaistcr  stone.  The  fossil  salt  is  generally  yellow,  and 
semi-pellucid,  sometimes  debased  with  a  dull  gR'cnish  earth,  and  is  often  found,  but  in 
small  quantities,  quite  clear  and  colourless. 

The  road  from  this  place  to  Macclesfield  is  through  a  Rat,  rich,  but  un|)leasiint  coun- 
try. That  town  is  in  a  very  flourishing  state ;  is  possessed  of  a  great  manufucture  of  mo- 
hair and  twist  buttons ;  has  between  twenty  and  thirty  silk  mills,  and  a  very  considerable 
copper  smelting  house,  and  brass  work. 

Here  lived  in  great  hospitality,  at  his  manor.housc,t  Henry  Stafford,  duke  of  Buck- 
ingham, a  most  powerful  peer,  the  sad  instrument  of  the  ambition  of  Richard  III.  He 
was  al  once  rewarded  by  that  monarch^  with  a  grant  of  fifty  castles  and  manors ; 
but  struck  with  remorse  at  being  accessary  to  so  many  crimes,  fell  from  his  allegiance, 
and,  by  a  just  retribution,  sunered  on  a  scaffold  by  the  mere  Gat  of  his  unfeeling 
master. 

In  the  church  is  the  sepulchral  chapel,  and  the  magnificent  monuments  of  the  family 
of  the  Savages.  In  thb  part  of  the  church  had  been  a  chauntry  of  secular  priests, 
founded  about  1508  by  Thomas  Savage,  archbishop  of  York,||  who  directed  that  his 
heart  should  be  deposited  here.  On  a  brass  plate  on  the  wall  is  this  comfortable  ad- 
vertisement of  the  price  of  remission  of  sins  in  the  other  life ;  it  was  \*o  be  wished  that 
the  expence  of  obtaining  so  extensive  a  charter  from  his  holiness  in  this  world  had  like- 
wise been  added. 

These  are  the  words : 

**  The  Pdon  for  saying  of  5  Pater  nost  and  5  aves  and  a  creed  is  26  thousand  yeres 
and  26  dayes  of  pardon." 

In  the  chapel  oelonging  to  the  Leghs  of  Lime  is  another  singular  inscription,  and  its 
history. 

Here  lyeth  the  body  of  Perkin  a  Legh, 
That  for  king  Richard  the  death  did  die, 

Betrayed  for  righteouaneu, 
And  the  bones  of  air  Peers  his  Sonne, 
That  with  kin^  Uenrie  the  lift  did  wonne 

in  Paris. 

'  This  Perkin  served  king  Edward  the  third  and  the  black  prince  his  sonne  in  all 
their  wanes  in  France  and  was  at  the  battel  of  Cressie,  and  had  Lyme  given  him  for 
that  service ;  and  after  their  deathes  served  kmg  Richard  the  Second,  and  left  him  not 
in  his  troubles,  but  was  Uken  with  him,  and  beneaded  at  Chester  by  king  Henrie  the 
fourthe.  And  the  sayd  sir  Peers  his  sonne  served  king  Henrie  and  was  slaine  at  the 
battel  of  Agencourt 


*  Arplla  csrala-iinerea.    Da  Costa,  Fossils.  I.  48. 
tDugdale's  Baronage.  1. 168. 

B  2 


t  King's  Vale  Royal  86. 
ij  Tanner,  Notitu  Monast.  1744. 66. 


; 


(  J 


4  t'ENNANT'S  TOUH  IN  SCOTLAND. 

'  In  their  momoric  Sir  Peter  Leigh  of  Lyme  knight  dtsccncUf!  from  them  fuiding 
the  suvd  ould  vcrstcs  written  uixiii  u  Htouc  in  thin  chup{)cl  did  recdific  this  place  un 
dni.  162().' 

After  leaving  this  town,  the  country  almost  instaittly  changes  and  becomes  very 
mountainous  and  barn-n,  at  least  on  tne  Mirface ;  but  the  bowels  compensate  for  the 
external  sterility,  by  yielding  a  Huflicicnt  quantity  of  coal  for  the  use  of  the  neighlx)ur- 
ing  parts  of  Cheshire,  and  for  the  burning  of  lime  :  vast  quantity  is  made  near  Buxton 
and  being  carried  to  all  parts  for  the  purposes  of  agriculture,  is  become  a  considerable 
article  of  commerce. 

The  celebrated  warm  bath  of  Buxton  *  is  seated  in  a  bottom,  amidst  these  hills,  in  a 
mo  It  cheerless  spot,  and  would  Ix*  little  fre(|ucnted,  did  not  Hygeia  often  reside  here, 
ond  dispense  to  her  votaries  the  chief  blessings  of  life,  case  and  health.  With  joy  and 
gratitude  I  this  moment  reflect  on  the  efKcacious  qualities  of  the  waters ;  I  recollect 
with  ranture  the  return  of  spirits,  the  flight  of  pain,  and  rc<animation  of  my  long,  long< 
crippled  rheumatic  limbs.  But  how  inifortunate  is  it,  that  what  Providence  designed 
for  the  general  good  should  be  rendered  only  a  partial  one,  and  denied  to  all,  except 
the  opulent ;  or  I  may  say  to  the  (comparatively )  few  that  can  get  admittance  into  the 
house  v.nere  these  waters  are  imprisoned?  There  pre  other  springs  (Camden  says  nine) 
very  near  that  in  the  Hall,  and  in  all  probability  of  equal  virtue.  I  was  informed  that 
the  late  duke  of  Devonshire,  not  long  before  his  death,  had  ordered  some  of  these  to 
be  inclosed  and  formed  into  baths.  It  is  to  be  hoped  that  his  successor  will  not  fail 
adopting  so  useful  and  humane  a  plan ;  that  he  will  form  it  on  the  most  enlarged 
system,  that  they  may  open  not  solely  to  those  whom  misused  wealth  hath  rendered  in- 
valids, but  to  the  poor  cripple,  ^vhom  honest  labour  hath  made  a  burthen  to  himself  and 
his  country ;  and  to  the  soldier  and  sailor,  who  by  hard  service  have  lost  the  use  of 
those  very  limbs  which  once  were  active  in  our  defence.  The  honour  resulting  from 
such  a  foundation  would  be  as  great,  as  the  satisfaction  arising  from  a  consciousness  of 
so  benevolent  a  work  would  be  unspeakable.  The  charms  of  dissipation  would  then 
lose  their  force  ;  and  every  human  luxury  would  appear  to  Rim  insipid,  who  had  it  in 
his  power  thus  to  lay  open  these  fountains  of  health,  and  to  be  able  to  exult  in  such  pa- 
thetic  and  comfortable  strains  as  these  :  "  When  the  ear  heard  me,  then  it  blessd  me ; 
and  when  the  eye  saw  me,  it  gave  witness  to  me  ; 

'*  Because  I  had  delivered  the  poor  that  cried,  and  the  fatherless,  and  him  that  had 
none  to  help  him. 

*'  The  blessing  of  him  that  was  ready  to  perish  came  upon  me,  and  I  caused  the  wi- 
dow's heart  to  sing  for  joy. 

"  I  was  eyes  to  the  blind,  and  feet  was  I  to  the  lame." 

After  leaving  Buxton,  passed  through  Middleton  dale,  a  deep  narrow  chasm  between 
two  vast  cliffs,  which  extend  on  each  side  near  a  mile  in  length  :  this  road  is  very  singu- 
lar,  but  the  rocks  are  in  general  too  naked  to  be  beautiful.  At  the  end  is  the  small 
village  of  Stoney  Middleton  ;  here  the  prospect  opens,  and  at  Barsley-Bridge  exhibits  a 
pretty  view  of  a  small  'nit  fertile  vale,  watered  by  the  Derweiit,  and  terminated  by  Chats- 
worth  and  its  plantatioiis.     Arrived  and  lay  at 

Chesterfield,  an  ugly  town.  In  this  place  is  a  great  manufacture  of  worsted  stockings, 
and  another  of  a  brown  earthen-ware,  much  of  which  is  sent  into  Holland,  the  country 
which,  within  less  than  half  a  century  ago,  supplied  not  only  these  kingdoms  but  half  of 

*  The  Romans,  who  were  remarkably  fond  of  warm  baths,  did  not  overlook  these  agreeable  w.^rg; 
ihey  had  a  bath,  inclosed  with  a  brick  wall,  adjacent  to  the  present  St.  Anne's  well,  which  Dr.  Sho  s  /.i 
his  Essay  on  Mineral  Waters,  says  was  razed  in  1709. 


lI's  : 


PENMAN.         OUR  IN  SCOTLAND.  5 

Europe,  wiili  that  commndity.  The  clay  in  found  near  the  town,  over  the  bass  or*  chirty 
stratum,  above  the  coiil.  The  steeple  of  Chcsterfu'd  church  iw  u  hpire  covered  with 
lead,  but  by  a  violent  wind  stranu;ely  bent,  in  uhicii  state  it  remains.  In  the  church  arc 
some  fuie  mnnumei'ts  of  the  Foljambes  of  Waiion. 

At  this  place  may  l)e  said  to  have  expired  the  war  of  the  barons,  in  the  rtij^n  of 
Henry  III.  After  the  battle  of  Kvesham,  Robert  eurl  Ferrers,  and  Baldwin  Wake, 
Hanin  of  Chestei  field,  attempted  once  more  to  make  head  a;5ainst  the  royal  power. 
They  rendezvoused  here;  but  were  suddenly  surpri'.^d  by  the  royalists;  Ferrers  was 
taken,  and  Wake  fled.  The  estate  of  the  first  was  forfeited  :  the  fortunes  of  the  last 
were  restored,  after  ceitain  nuilcts.  By  the  marriaf^'  of  a  sister  of  oi\e  of  bis  descen- 
dants  with  Edmund  of  Woodstock,  this  place  and  Bakewell  became  the  property  of  his 
daughter,  the  fair  maid  of  Kent,  widow  of  the  Black  Prince,  and  were  part  ' '  ..-join- 
ture on  his  decease. 

June  27.  On  the  road  side,  about  three  miles  from  the  town,  are  several  pits  of  iron- 
stone about  nine  or  ten  feet  deep.  The  stratum  lies  above  the  coiil,  and  is  two  feet  thick. 
I  was  informed  that  the  adventurers  pay  ten  pounds  per  annum  to  the  lord  of  the  soil  for 
liberty  of  raising  it ;  that  the  labourers  have  six  shillings  per  load  for  getting  it :  each 
load  is  about  twenty  strikes  or  bushels,  which  yields  a  ton  of  metal.  Coal  in  these  parts 
is  very  cheap,  a  ton  ac^d  a  half  being  s  Id  for  five  shillings. 

Changed  horses  at  Worksop  and  I'uxford.  In  the  south  aisle  of  the  church  at  Tux- 
ford,  beneath  a  flowery  arch,  is  a  very  rude  relief  of  St.  Lawrence  placed  on  the  grid- 
iron. By  him  is  u  reno\Y  with  a  bellows  blowing  the  fire,  and  the  executioner  going  to 
turn  him.  The  zealous  Fox,  in  his  Martyrology,  has  this  very  thought,  and  makes  the 
martyr  say,  in  the  midst  of  his  suflPcrings,  *•  This  side  is  now  roasted  ;  turn  me,  O  tyrant 
great!"  Crossed  the  Trent  at  Duiuiam-ferry,  where  it  is  broad,  but  shallow:  the 
spring  tides  flow  here,  and  rise  about  two  feet,  but  the  commcn  tides  never  reach  this 
place.  Dunham  had  been  a  manor  belonging  to  Kdwardf  the  Confessor,  and  yielded 
him  thirty  pounds,  and  six  sectaries  of  honey,  valuable  when  mead  was  the  delicious 
beverage  of  the  times.  From  hence  pass  along  the  Foss-Dyke,  or  the  canal  opened  by 
Henry  I4  to  form  a  commimication  between  the  Trent  and  the  Withani.  It  was 
opened)  in  the  year  1121,  and  ext'ddn  from  Lincoln  to  Torkesey  ;  its  length  is  eleven 
miles  three  quarters,  the  breadth  between  dvke  and  dyke  at  the  top  is  about  sixty  feet, 
at  bottom  twenty-two :  vessels  from  fifteen  to  thirty-fi\e  tons  navigate  this  cunal,  and 
by  its  means  a  considerable  trade  in  coals,  timber,  corn,  and  wool,  is  carried  or  In 
former  times,  the  persons  who  had  landed  property  on  either  side  were  obliged  to  scower 
it  whenever  it  was  choaked  up,  and  accordingly  we  find  presentments  were  made  by- 
juries  in  several  succeeding  reigns  for  that  purpose.     Reach 

Lincoln,  an  ancient  but  ill-built  city,  much  fallen  away  from  its  former  extent.  It 
lies  partly  on  a  plain,  partly  on  a  very  steep  hill,  on  whose  summit  are  the  cathedral  and 
the  ruins  of  the  castle.  The  first  is  a  vast  pile  of  Gothic  architecture ;  within  of 
matchless  beauty  and  magnificence  :  the  ornaments  are  excessively  rich,  and  in  the  finest 
Gothic  taste ;  the  pillars  light,  the  centre  lofty,  and  of  a  surprising  grandrur.  The 
windows  at  the  N.  and  S.  ends  are  very  ancient,  but  very  elegant ;  one  represents  a  leaf 

•  Or  flinty.  t  Thoroton's  Nottinijihamsh.  388.  |  Duptlale  on  embanking,  J  67. 

§  I  make  use  of  this  word,  as  Dr.  Stukely  conjectures  this  canal  to  have  been  originally  a  Roman  work  ; 
and  that  another  of  the  same  kind  (called  the  Cars-dyke)  communicated  with  it,  by  means  of  the  Wilham, 
which  began  a  little  below  Wasiicnbro',  three  miles  from  Lincoln,  and  was  continued  through  the  fens  as 
far  as  Peterborough.  Stukeley's  Carausius,  129  &  seq.  B,  2.  Ejusd.  Account  of  Richard  of  Ciren- 
cester, «0. 


_y 


U  PENNANTS  TOUR  IN  SCOTLAND. 

with  its  fibres,  the  other  consists  of  a  number  of  small  ci  cles.  There  are  two  other 
ancient  windows  on  each  side  the  great  isle :  the  others,  as  I  recollect,  are  modern. 
This  church  was,  till  of  late  years,  much  out  of  repair,  but  has  just  been  restored  in  a 
manner  that  does  credit  to  the  chapter. 

The  prospect  from  this  eminence  is  very  extensive,  but  very  barren  of  objects ;  a 
vast  flat  as  far  as  the  eye  can  reach,  consisting  of  plains  not  the  most  fertile,  or  of  fcns^ 
and  moors :  the  last  are  far  less  extensive  than  whey  were,  many  being  drained,  and  will 
soon  become  the  best  land  in  the  country  ;  but  much  still  remams  to  be  done.  The  fens 
near  Revesby  Abbey,f  eight  miles  beyond  Horncastle,  are  of  vast  extent;  but  serve  for 
little  other  purpose  than  the  rearing  great  numbers  of  geese,  which  are  the  wealth  of  the 
fcnmcn. 

During  the  breeding  season,  these  birds  are  lod^d  in  the  same  houses  with  the  inha- 
bitants, and  even  in  their  very  bed-chambers :  m  every  apartment  are  three  rows  of 
coarse  wicker  pens,  placed  one  obove  another ;  each  bird  has  its  separate  lodge  divided 
from  the  other,  which  it  keeps  possession  of  during  the  time  of  sitting.  A  person,  called 
a  Gozzard,:|:  attends  the  flock,  and  twice  a  day  drives  the  whole  to  water;  then  brings 
them  back  to  their  habitations,  helping  those  that  live  in  the  upper  stories  to  their  nests, 
without  ever  misplacing  a  single  bird. 

The  geese  are  plucked  five  times  in  the  year ;  the  first  plucking  is  at  Lady-Day,  for 
feathers  and  quills,  and  the  same  is  renewed,  for  feathers  only,  four  times  more  between 
that  and  Michaelmas.  The  old  geese  submit  quietly  to  the  operation,  but  the  young 
ones  are  very  noisy  and  unruly.  I  once  saw  this  performed,  and  observed  that  goslings 
of  six  weeks  old  were  not  spared ;  for  their  tails  were  plucked,  as  I  was  told,  to  habi- 
tuate them  early  to  what  they  were  to  come  to.  If  the  season  proves  cold  numbers  of 
geese  die  by  this  barbarous  custom.^ 

Vast  numbers  are  driven  annually  to  London,  to  supply  the  markets ;  among  them, 
all  the  superannuated  geese  and  ganders  (called  here  Cagmags)  which  serve  to  fatigue 
theiaws  of  the  good  citizens,  who  are  so  unfortunate  as  to  meet  with  them. 

The  fen  called  the  West  Fen  is  the  place  where  the  ruffs  and  reeves  resort  to  in  the 
greatest  numbers  ;||  and  many  other  sorts  of  water-fowl,  which  do  not  rec^uire  the 
shelter  of  reeds  or  rushes,  migrate  here  to  breed ;  for  thb  fen  is  very  bare,  having  been 
imperfectly  drained  by  narrow  canals,  which  intersect  it  for  great  numbers  of  miles. 
These  the  inhabitants  navigate  in  most  diminutive  shallow  boats ;  tbey  are,  in  fact,  the 
roads  of  the  country. 

The  East  Fen  is  quite  in  a  state  of  nature,  and  gives  a  specimen  of  the  country  before 
the  introduction  of  drainage  :  it  is  a  vast  tract  of  morass,  intermixed  with  numbers  of 
lakes  from  half  a  mile  to  two  or  three  miles  in  circuit,  communicating  with  each  other 
by  narrow  reedy  straits :  they  are  very  shallow,  none  are  above  four  or  five  feet  in 
depth ;  but  abound  with  fish,  such  as  pike,  perch,  ruff,  bream,  tench,  rud,  dace,  roach, 
burbot,  sticklebacks,  and  eels. 


*  The  fens,  naked  as  they  now  appear,  were  once  well  wooded.  Oaks  have  been  found  buried  in  them, 
which  were  sixteen  yards  long,  and  five  in  circumference ;  fir-trees  from  thirty  to  thirty-five  yards,  and 
a  loot  or  eighteen  inches  square.  These  trees  had  not  the  mark  oi:  the  axe,  but  appeared  as  if  burnt  down 
by  fire  applied  to  their  lower  parts.  Acorns  and  small  nuts  have  also  been  found  in  great  quantities  in  the 
same  places.    Dugdale  on  embanking,  1 4 1 . 

t  Revesby  Abbey  was  founded  1142  by  W.  deRomara,  earl  of  Lincoln,  for  Cistertian  monks,  and 
granted  by  H.  VIII.  an.  SO.  to  Ch.  duke  of  Suffolk.  The  founder  turning  monk  was  buried  here*  Tanner, 
26^'  t  i.  e.  Goose  herd. 

§  It  was  also  practised  l)y  the  ancients.  Candidorum  alterum  vectigal  in  plumft.  Veliuntur  quibusdam 
jocis  bis  anno.    Plinii,  lib.  x.  c.  22.  ||  Br.  Zool.  II.  No.  192. 


«»uaM<unK»w*f«a*«i 


then)) 
is,  and 
down 
in  the 


PENNANT'S  TOUR  IN  SCOTLAND.  -j 

It  is  observable,  that  once  in  seven  or  eight  years,  immense  shoals  of  sticklebacks  ap- 
pear in  the  Welland  below  Spalding,  and  attempt  coming  up  the  river  in  form  of  a  vast 
column.  They  are  supposed  to  be  the  collected  multitudes  washed  out  of  the  fens  by  the 
floods  of  several  years,  and  carried  into  some  deep  hole ;  when  overcharged  with  ' 
numbers,  they  are  obliged  to  attempt  a  change  of  place.  They  move  up  the  river  in 
such  quantities  as  to  enable  a  man,  who  was  employed  in  taking  them,  to  earn,  for  u 
considerable  time,  four  shillings  a  day,  by  selling  them  at  a  half|)ennyr  per  bushel.  They 
were  used  to  manure  land,  and  attempts  have  been  made  to  get  oil  from  them.  The 
fen  is  covered  with  reeds,  the  harvest  of  the  neighbouring  inhabitants,  who  mow  them 
annually ;  for  they  prove  a  much  better  thatch  than  straw,  and  not  only  cottages,  but 
many  very  good  houses,  are  covered  with  them.  Stares,  which  during  winter  resort  in 
myriads  to  roost  in  the  reeds,  are  very  destructive,  by  breaking  them  down,  by  the  vast 
numbers  that  perch  on  them.  The  people  are  therefore  very  diligent  in  their  attempts 
to  drive  them  away,  and  are  at  great  expence  in  powder  to  free  themselves  of  these  trou- 
blesome guests.  I  have  seen  a  stock  of  reeds  harvested  and  stacked  worth  two  or  three 
hundred  pounds,  which  was  the  property  of  a  single  flirmer. 

The  birds  which  inhabit  the  different  fens  are  very  numerous :  I  never  met  with  a 
finer  field  for  the  zoologist  to  range  in.  Besides  the  common  wild-duck,  of  which  an 
account  is  given  in  another  place,*  wild  geese,  garganies,  pochards,  shovelers,  and 
teals,  breed  liere.  I  have  seen  in  the  east  fen  a  small  flock  of  the  tufted  ducks ;  but  they 
seemed  to  make  it'only  a  baiting-place.  The  pewit  gulls  and  black  terns  abound  ;  the 
last  in  vast  flocks  almost  deafen  one  with  their  clamours :  a  few  of  the  great  terns,  or 
tickets,  are  seen  among  them.  I  saw  several  of  the  great  crested  grebes  on  the  £ast 
Fen,  called  there  gaunts,  and  met  with  one  of  their  floating  nests  with  eggs  in  it. 
The  lesser  crested  grebe,  the  black  and  dusky  grebe,  and  the  little  grebe,  are  also  in- 
habitants of  the  fens ;  together  with  coots,  water-hens,  spotted  water-hens,  water-rails, 
ruffs,  redshanks,  lapwings  or  wipes,  red  breasted  godwits  and  whimbrels.  The  godwits 
breed  near  Washenbrough ;  the  whimbrels  only  appear  about  a  fortnight  in  May  near 
Spalding,  and  then  quit  the  country.  Opposite  to  Fossdyke  Wash,  during  summer,  are 
'great  numbers  of  avosettas,  called  there  yelpers,  from  their  cry.  They  hover  over  the 
sportsman's  head  like  the  lapwing,  and  fly  with  their  necks  and  legs  extended. 

Knots  are  taken  in  pets  along  the  shores  near  Fossdyke  in  great  numbers  during  winter; 
but  they  disappear  in  the  spring. 

The  short-eared  owl,  Br.  Zool.  I.  No.  66.  visits  the  neij^hbourhood  of  Washen- 
brough along  with  the  woodcocks,  and  probably  performs  its  migrations  with  those 
birds,  for  it  is  observed  to  quit  the  country  at  the  same  time :  I  have  also  received 
specimens  of  them  from  the  Danish  dominions,  one  of  the  retreats  of  the  woodcock. 
This  owl  is  not  observed  in  this  country  to  perch  on  trees,  but  conceals  itself  in  long 
old  grass;  if  disturbed,  takes  a  short  flight,  lights  ag.iin,  and  keeps  staring  about, 
during  which  time  its  horns  are  very  visible.  The  farmers  are  fond  of  the  arrival  of 
these  birds,  as  they  clear  the  fields  of  mice,  and  will  even  fly  in  search  of  prey  during 
day,  provided  the  weather  is  cloudy  and  misty. 

But  the  greatest  curiosity  in  these  parts  is  the  vast  heronry  at  Cressi-hall,  six  miles 
from  Spalding.  The  herons  resort  there  in  February  to  repair  their  nests,  settle  there 
in  the  spring  to  breed,  and  quit  the  place  during  winter.  They  are  numerous  as  rooks, 
and  their  nests  so  crouded  together,  that  myself,  and  the  company  that  was  with  me, 

•  Br.  Zool.  II  No.  279.  In  general,  to  avoid  repetition,  the  reader  is  referred  to  the  British  Zoology, 
ir  a  more  particular  account  of  animals  mentioned  in  this  Tour, 


9 


PENNANT'S  TOUR  IN  SCOTLAND. 


counted  not  less  than  eighty  in  one  spreading  oak.  I  here  had  an  opportunity  of  dc- 
teciiag  my  oumi  mistake,  and  that  of  other  ornithologists,  m  making  two  species  of 
herons;  for  1  found  that  the  crested  heron  was  only  the  male  of  the  other :  it  made  a 
most  beautiful  appearance,  with  its  snowy  neck  and  long  crest  streaming  with  the  wind. 
The  family  who  owned  this  place  was  of  the  same  name  with  these  birds,  which  seems  to 
be  the  principal  indiicement  for  preserving  them. 
In  the  time  of  Michael  Drayton, 

Here  stalk'd  the  stately  crane,  as  though  he  march'd  in  war. 

But  at  present  this  bird  is  quite  unknown  in  our  island  ;  but  every  other  species  enu- 
meratcd  by  that  observant  poet  still  are  found  in  this  fenny  tract,  or  its  neighbour. 

*°June  28.  Visited  Spalding,  a  place  very  much  resembling,  in  form,  neatness,  and 
situation,  a  Dutch  towli :  the  river  VVelland  passes  through  one  of  the  streets,  a  canal 
is  cut  through  another,  and  trees  are  planted  on  each  side.  The  church  is  large,  and  the 
steeple  a  spire.  The  churches  in  general,  throughout  this  low  tract,  are  very  hand- 
some  ;  all  are  built  of  stone,  which  must  have  been  brought  from  places  very  remote, 
along  temporary  canals;  for,  in  many  instances,  the  quarries  lie  at  least  twenty  miles 
distant.  But  the  edifices  were  built  (n  zealous  ages,  when  the  benedictions  or  niale- 
dctions  of  the  church  made  the  people  conquer  every  difficulty  that  might  obstruct 
these  pious  foundations.  The  abbey  of  Crowland,  seated  m  the  midst  of  a  shaking  fcn^ 
is  acinous  monument  of  the  insuperable  zeal  of  the  times  it  was  erected  m  ;  as  the 
beautiful  tower  of  Boston  church,  visible  from  all  parts,  is  a  magnificent  specimen  of  a 

\^^9.  S'ed  near  the  seite  of  Swineshead  abbey,  of  which  there  a.-e  not  the  least 
remains.  In  the  walls  of  a  farm-house  built  out  of  the  ruins,  you  are  shewn  the  figure 
of  a  knight  Templar,  and  told  it  was  the  monk  who  poisoned  king  John ;  a  fact  denied 
by  our  best  historians.     This  abbey  was  founded  in  1134.  by  Robert  de  Greslei,  and 

'"RerJmedtotgrL^^^^^^^^^  went  out  of  town  under  the  Newport  gate  a  curious 
Roman  work  ;  passed  over  part  of  the  heath  ;  changed  horses  at  Spittle,  and  at  Glan- 
ford  brid^  ;  dined  at  the  ferry-house  on  the  banks  of  the  Humber ;  and.  afu:r  a  pas- 
saS  of  about  five  miles,  with  a  brisk  gale,  landed  at  Hull,  and  reached  that  night  Bur- 
torConstable.  the  seat  of  Mr.  Constable,  in  that  part  of  Yorkshire  cabled  Holderness  ; 
a  rich  flat  country,  but  excellent  for  producing  large  cattle,  and  a  good  ^jed  of  ho^s 
whose  prices  are  near  doubled  since  the  French  have  grown  so  fond  of  the  English 

'''Made  an  excursion  to  Hornsea,  a  small  town  on  the  coast  remarkable  only  for  its 
Mere,  a  piece  of  water  about  two  miles  long,  and  one  broad,  famous  for  Us  pike  and 
eels ;  it  is  divided  from  the  sea  by  a  very  narrow  bank,  so  is  in  much  danger  ot  being 

"Ti^dro^t'cSof  Holderness  are  high,  and  composed  of  olay.  wWch  f*  do»n 
in  vast  franments.  Quantity  ot  amljcr  is  washed  cut  of  it  by  the  tides,  which  the 
coJ«ry  W  Piok  "P  ™d  *11:  it  is  found  sometimes  in  large  masses,  but  I  never 

•  This  monaMorv  «as  rounded  by  Elhelbald,  Uhb  or  Mercia,  A.  D.  ris.    The  ground  being  too 

7S€£s>;otisdrs;^^^^ 

more  sound  foundation. 


PBNKANT'S  TOUR  IN  SCOTLAND  g. 

saw  any  so  pure  and  clear  as  that  from  the  Baltic.    It  is  usually  ol''  a  pale  yellow  coloui 
within,  and  prettily  clouded  ;  the  outside  covered  with  a  thin  coarse  coat. 

July  2.  After  riding  some  miles  over  a  flat  grazing  country,  passed  through  the  vil- 
lage of  Skipsey,  once  under  the  protection  of  a  castle  founded  by  Drugon,  or  Dru- 
gan,  a  valiant  rlandrian,  who  came  over  at  the  time  of  the  conquest.     The  conqueror 

gave  him  in  marriage  one  of  his  near  relations ;  and  as  a  portion  made  him  lord  of 
[olderness.  Drugon  by  some  unlucky  accident  killed  his  spouse ;  but,  having  his  wits 
about  him,  hastened  to  the  king,  and  informing  his  majesty,  that  his  lady  and  he  had 
a  great  desire  to  visit  their  native  country,  requested  a  sum  of  money  for  that  purpose : 
the  conqueror  immediately  supplied  the  wants  of  Drugon ;  who  had  scarcely  em- 
barked, when  advice  was  brought  from  Skipsey  of  the  death  of  the  lady  :  pursuit  was 
instantly  made,  but  in  vain ;  the  artful  Flandrian  evaded  all  attempts  to  bring  him  to 
justice.* 

Near  this  village  b  a  considerable  camp ;  but  I  passed  too  hastily,  to  determine  of 
what  nation. 

A  few  miles  farther  is  Burlington  Quay,  a  smalltown,  close  to  the  sea.  There  is  a 
design  of  building  a  pier,  for  the  protection  of  shipping ;  at  present  there  is  only  a  large 
wooden  quay,  which  projects  into  the  water,  from  which  the  place  takes  its  name.  Iri 
February  1642,  Henrietta,  the  spirited  consort  of  Charles  I,  landed  here,  with  arms  and 
ammunition,  from  Holland,  mtten,  a  parliament  admiral,  had  in  vain  tried  to  inter- 
cept her  majesty  ;  but  coming  soon  after  into  the  bay,  brutally  fired  for  two  hours  at 
the  house  where  she  lay,  forcing  her  to  take  shelter,  half-dressed,  in  the  fields.  Nor 
parliament  nor  admiral  were  ashamed  of  this  unmanly  deed ;  but  their  historian,  the 
moderate  Whitelock,  seems  to  blush  for  both,  by  omitting  all  mention  of  the  affair. 
From  hence  is  a  fine  view  of  the  white  clifl^  of  Flamborough-head,  which  extends  far  to 
the  east,  and  forms  one  side  of  the  Gabrantvicorum  sinus  portuosus  of  Ptolemy,  a  name 
derived  from  the  British  Gyfr,  on  account  of  the  number  of  goats  found  there,  accord- 
ing to  the  conjecture  of  Camden.  Perhaps,  Ei/M/u»®k.,  the  epithet  which  Ptolemy 
adds  to  the  bay,  is  still  preserved  in  Sureby,  or  Sure-bay.f  a  village  a  little  north  of 
Burlington  Quay.  That  the  Romans  had  a  naval  station  here,  is  more  strongly  confirm- 
ed by  the  road  called  the  Roman-ridge,  and  the  dykes  which  go  by  Malton  to  York  are 
visible  in  many  places,  and  ended  here.;}: 

A  mile  from  hence  is  the  town  of  Burlington.  The  body  of  the  church  is  large, 
but  the  steeple,  by  some  accident,  has  been  destroyed ;  near  it  is  a  large  gateway,  with 
a  noble  Gothic  arch,  the  remains  of  a  priory  of  black  canons,  founded  by  Walter  de 
Gant,  in  the  beginning  of  the  reign  of  Henry  I.  In  that  of  Richard  II,  in  the  year 
1388,  the  canons  got  liberty  of  inclosing  their  house  with  strong  walls,  to  defend  them 
from  the  attacks  of  pirates.  I  cannnot  help  mentioning  a  proof  of  the  manners  of  the 
clergy  in  early  times,  by  relating  a  complaint  of  the  f  rior  to  Innocent  III,  against  the 
archdeacon  of  Richmond,  who  calling  at  his  house  with  ninety-seven  horses,  twenty-one 
dogs,  and  three  hawks,  devoured,  in  one  hour,  more  provision  than  would  have  lasted 
the  monks  a  long  time.  The  grievance  was  redressed.  William  Wode,  the  last  prior, 
was  executed  for  rebellion  in  1537.  At  that  time,  according  to  Speed,  the  revenue  was 
6821.  13s.  9d.  according  to  Dugdale,  5471.  6s.  Id. 

This  coast  of  the  kingdom  is  very  unfavourable  to  trees,  for,  except  some  woods  in 
the  neighbourhood  of  Burton-Constable,  there  is  a  vast  nakedness  from  the  Humber, 

•  MS.  at  Rurton-Constable.  t  Camden,  11,  899. 

X  Drake's  Hist.  York.  34.    Consult  also  his  map  of  the  Roman  roads  in  Yorkshire, 
VOL.  III.  C 


10 


PENNANT'S  TOUR  IN  SCOTLAND. 


as  far  as  the  extremity  .of  Caithness,  with  a  very  few  exceptions,  which  shall  be  noted  in 
their  proper  places. 

July  3.  W(MU  to  Flamljoroueh  head.  This  was  the  Fleambiire  of  the  Saxons,  pos- 
sibly from  the  lights  made  on  it  to  direct  the  landing  of  Ida,  who,  in  547,  joined  his 
countrymen  in  these  parts,  with  a  large  reinforcement  from  Germany,  and  founded 
th<-  kingdom  of  Northumberland.  In  the  time  of  f'Ldwird  the  Confessor,  Flamborough 
w  1-:  one  of  the  manors  of  Hcirold,^  earl  of  the  west  Saxons,  afterwards  king  of  England. 
On  his  death,  the  conqueror  gave  it  to  Hugh  Lupus«  who,  in  perpetual  alms,  bestowed 
it  on  the  monastery  of  Whitby.f 

The  town  is  on  the  north  side  ;  consists  of  about  one  hundred  and  fifty  small  houses, 
entirely  inhabited  by  fishermen,  few  of  whom*  as  is  said,  die  in  their  beds,  but  meet 
their  fate  in  the  element  they  arc  so  conversant  in.  Put  myself  under  the  direction  of 
William  Camidgc,  Cicerone  of  the  place,  who  conducted  me  to  a  little  creek  at  that 
time  covered  with  fish,  a  fleet  of  cobles  having  just  put  in.  Went  in  one  of  those  little 
boats  to  view  the  Head,  coasting  it  for  upwards  of  two  miles.  The  cliffs  are  of  a  tre- 
mendous height,  and  amazing  grandeur  ;  beneath  are  several  vast  caverns,  some  closed 
at  the  end,  others  are  pervious,  formed  with  a  natural  arch,  giving  a  romantic  passage 
to  the  boa%  different  from  that  we  entered.  In  some  places  the  rocks  are  insulated, 
arc  of  a  pyramidal  figure,  and  soar  up  to  a  vast  height :  the  bases  of  most  are  solid, 
but  in  some  pierced  through,  and  arched ;  the  colour  of  all  these  rocks  is  white,  from 
the  dung  of  the  innumerable  flocks  of  migratory  birds,  which  quite  cover  the  face  of 
them,  filling  every  little  projection,  every  hole  that  will  give  them  leave  to  rest ;  multi- 
tudes were  swimming  about,  others  swarmed  in  the  air,  and  almost  stunned  us  with  the 
variety  of  their  croaks  and  screams.  I  observed  among  them  corvorants,  shags  in  small 
flocks,  guillemots,  a  few  black  guillemots  very  shy  and  wild,  auks,  puffins,  kittiwakes,j; 
and  herring  gulls.  Landed  at  the  same  place,  but  before  our  return  to  Flamborough 
visited  Robin  Leith's  hole,  a  vast  cavern,  to  which  there  is  a  narrow  passage  from  the 
land  side ;  it  suddenly  rises  to  a  great  height :  the  roof  is  finely  arched,  and  the  bottom 
is  for  a  considerable  way  formed  in  broad  steps,  resembling  a  great  but  easy  staircase ;  the 
mouth  opens  to  the  sea,  and  give.s  light  to  the  whole. 

Lay  at  Hunmandby,  a  small  village  above  Filey  Buy,  round  which  are  some  plantations 
that  thrive  tolerably  well,  and  ought  to  be  an  encouragement  to  gentlemen  to  attempt  co- 
vering these  naked  hills. 

Filey-brig  is  a  ledge  of  rocks  running  far  into  the  sea,  and  often  fatal  to  shipping. 
The  bay  is  sandy,  and  afibrds  vast  quantities  of  fine  fish,  such  as  turbot,  soles,  &c.  which 
during  summer  approach  the  shore,  and  are  easily  taken  in  a  common  seine  or  draj^ing- 
net. 

July  4.  Set  out  for  Scarborough ;  passed  near  the  site  of  Flixton,  a  hospital 
founded  in  the  time  of  Athelstan,  to  give  shelter  to  travellers  from  the  wolves,  that  they 
should  not  be  devoured  by  them;§  so  that  in  those  days  this  bare  tract  must  have 
been  covered  with  wood,  for  those  ravenous  animals  ever  inhabit  large  forests.  These 
hospitia  are  not  unfrequent  among  the  Alps ;  are  either  appendages  to  religious  houses, 
or  supported  by  voluntary  subscriptions.  On  the  spot  where  Flixton  stood  is  a  farm- 
house, to  this  day  called  the  Spital-house.    Reach 

Scarborough,  a  town  once  strongly  guarded  by  a  castle,  built  on  the  top  of  a  vast 
cliff,  by  William  le  Gros,  earl  of  Yorkshire,  Albemarle,  and  Horderness,  in  the  reign 


*  Dugdale,  Baron.  I.  20. 

)  Called  here  Petrels.    Br,  Zool.    No.  330. 


t  Dugdale,  Monast.  1. 73. 
i  Camden,  Brit.  II.  902. 


PF,MV*VT»!8I  Tftim  IV  SftOTT,A\D. 


11 


of  Sfephen.  After  the  resumption  of  this,  9s  well  as  other  crown  lands  alienated  by  that 
prince,  Henry  II,  rebu'.'.t  the  fortress,  then  grown  ruinous,  with  greater  strength  and  mag. 
nificence,  inclosing  a  vast  area.  From  this  time  it  was  considered  as  the  key  of  this  im- 
portant county,  and  none  but  persons  of  the  first  ranic  were  entrusted  with  the  custody. 
Its  consequence  may  be  evinced  from  this  circumstance ;  that  when  king  John  had  grant- 
ed to  his  ubjects  the  magna  charta,  and  placed  the  government  in  the  hands  of  twenty- 
five  barons,  the  governor  of  this  castle  was  to  be  approved  by  them,  and  to  receive  his 
orders  from  them. 

In  1312,  Edward  II,  in  his  retreat  out  of  the  north  before  his  rebellious  nobility,  left 
here,  as  in  a  place  of  the  greatest  security,  his  minion  Peers  Gaveston.  It  was  instantly 
besieged,  and  taken  by  Aymer  de  Valence,  earl  of  Pembroke  ;  and  the  insolent  favourite, 
m  a  short  time  after,  fell  a  victim  to  the  resentment  of  the  earl  of  Warwick. 

In  the  reign  of  Richard  II,  in  1378,  its  trade  received  great  injury  from  a  combined 
fleet  of  Scots,  French,  and  Spaniards,  under  the  conduct  of  one  Mercer,  who  entered 
the  harbour,  and  carried  ofF  several  ships.  The  insult  was  instantly  revenged  by  Phil- 
pot,  a  gallant  alderman  of  London,  who  fitted  out  a  fleet  at  his  own  charge,  pursued 
the  enemy,  and  not  only  retook  their  prizes,  but  made  himself  master  of  the  whole 
fleet. 

Richard  III,  added  strength  to  the  place  by  building  a  bulwark  near  the  shore,  at  the 
south-east  end  of  the  town ;  and  he  also  began  to  wall  in  the  town.^ 

In  the  religious  rebellion,  styled  the  pilgrimage  of  grace,  in  the  time  of  Henry  VIII,  the 
leader,  Robert  Ask,  in  1536,  layed  close  siege  to  the  castle ;  but  was  obliged  to  desist, 
after  its  governor  sir  Ralph  Ewers  and  his  garrison  were  reduced  for  twenty  days  to  live  on 
bread  and  water,  f 

In  1557,  Thomas  Stafford,  second  son  of  lord  Stafford,  with  only  thirty-two  persons, 
came  from  France,  and  surprised  the  fortress.  It  appears  that  they  were  encouraged 
to  the  attempt  by  Henry  II.  It  was,  probably,  only  the  prelude  to  an  invasion. 
Stafford  published  a  manifesto  against  the  Queen ;  and  styled  himself  protector  of  Eng- 
land :  but  the  earl  of  Westmoreland,  collecting  some  forces  (in  two  days)  put  an  end  to 
hisdignity.| 

At  the  beginning  of  the  civil  wars,  the  parliament  committed  this  castle  to  the  care 
of  sir  Hugh  Cholmley,  who  soon  after  revolted  to  the  king.  He  maintained  the  place 
with  great  spirit  for  two  years.  In  1644,  he  was  vigorously  besieged  by  sir  John 
Meldrum,  from  February  till  the  middle  of  May,  when  sir  John,  in  attempting  to  repel 
a  sally,  received  a  mortal  wound.  Sir  Hugh  kept  possession  of  it  till  July  1645,  when 
he  surrendered  it  on  terms  to  sir  Matthew  Boyntor.^  It  is  at  present  a  large  ruin. 
In  the  castle  yard  are  barracks  for  about  a  hundred  and  fifty  men,  at  present  untenanted 
by  soldiery. 

In  this  town  were  three  religious  houses  and  a  hospital.  The  gray  friars,  or  Fran 
ciscans,  began  a  house  here  about  1240,  which  was  enlarged  by  Edward  II,  and  Roger 
Molendarius.  The  black  friars,  or  Dominicans,  had  another  before  the  13th  of 
Edward  I,  whether  founded  by  sir  Adam  Say,  or  Henry  earl  of  Northumberland,  is 
doubtful.  The  white  friars,  or  Carmelites,  were  established  here  in  1319,  by  Edj 
ward  II,  and  the  Cistercians  had  in  the  reign  of  king  John  a  cell  in  this  town  de. 
pendent  on  a  house  in  France,  to  which  was  given  the  church  of  St.  Mary,  and 
certain  lands,  till  the   suppression  of  the  alien  priories  in  the  reign  of  Edward  IV, 


•  Leland's  Itin.  1. 63.  t  Herbert's  Henry  VH. 

$WhUeIock|  83.  133.  146.  147.  163. 

^  c  2 


t  Rapin,  II,  46. 


V^ 


11 

171 

17 

361 

16 

382t 

12  PENNANT'S  TOUR  IN  SCOTLAND. 

Leiand*  describes  this  church  as  very  magnificent ;  with  two  towers  at  the  west  end, 
and  a  great  one  in  the  centre.  It  was  probably  demolished  in  the  civil  wars,  when  sir 
John  Meldrum  forced  the  royalists  into  the  castle ;  for  it  lay  too  near  that  fortress  to 
be  suffered  to  remain  entire,  to  give  shelter  to  the  enemy.  '  The  present  church  (the 
only  one  in  the  town)  rose  from  the  ruins  of  the  former. 

The  town  is  large,  built  in  form  of  a  crescent,  on  the  sides  of  a  steep  hill ;  from 
whence  the  name,  which  shews  it  to  have  existed  in  Saxon  times,  Scarcliurg,  or  the 
Burg  on  a  scar  or  cliff.  Beneath  the  south  side  of  the  castle  is  a  large  stone  pier 
(another  is  now  building)  which  shelters  the  shipping  belonging  to  the  place.  It  a 
absolutely  without  trade,  yet  has  above  ten  thousand  inhabitants,  mostly  sailors^  and  owns 
above  three  hundred  sail  of  ships,  which  are  hired  out  for  freight.  In  time  of  war  go- 
vernment seldom  has  less  than  a  hundred  in  pay. 

In  1359,  the  shipping  of  this  place  was  very  inconsiderable ;  for  to  the  naval  armt- 
tnent  of  that  year  made  by  Edward  III,  Scarborough  contributed  only  one  ship  and  six- 
teen  mariners ;  when  the  following  northern  ports  sent  the  numbers  here  recited : 

Newcastle        •        .        17  ships,  314  -lariners. 

Barton  on  the  Humber         3  30 

Grimsby 

Boston 

Hull 
The  range  of  buildings  on  the  cliff  commands  a  fine  view  of  the  castle,  town,  and 
of  innumerable  shipping,  that  are  perpetually  passing  backward  and  forward  on  their 
voyages.  The  spawj  lies  at  the  foot  of  one  of  the  hills,  S.  of  the  town ;  this  and  the 
great  conveniency  of  sea-bathing,  occasion  a  vast  resort  of  company  during  summer ; 
it  is  at  that  time  a  place  of  great  gaiety,  for  with  numbers  heahh  is  the  pretence,  but 
dissipation  the  end. 

The  shore  is  a  fine  hard  sand,  and  during  low  water  is  the  place  where  the  company 
amuse  themselves  with  riding.  This  is  also  the  fish  market;  for  every  day  the  cobles, 
or  little  fishing  boats,  are  drawn  on  shore  here,  and  lie  in  rows,  often  quite  loaden  with 
variety  of  the  best  fish.  It  is  superfluous  to  repeat  what  has  been  before  mentioned  of 
the  methods  of  fishing,  being  amply  described,  Vol.  Ill,  of  the  British  Zoology ;  yet  it 
-will  be  far  from  impertinent  to  point  out  the  peculiar  advantages  of  these  seas,  and  the 
additional  benefit  this  town  might  ex^rience,  by  the  augmentation  of  its  fisheries.  For 
this  account,  and  for  numberless  civilities,  I  think  myself  much  indebted  to  Mr.  Travis, 
surgeon,  who  communicated  to  me  the  following  remarks. 

'♦  Scarborough  is  situated  at  the  bottom  of  a  bay,  formed  by  Whitby  rock  on  the 
North,  and  Flamborough  Head  on  the  South :  the  town  is  seated  directly  opposite  to 
the  centre  of  the  W.  end  of  the  Dogger  bank ;  which  end  (according  to  Hammond's 
chart  of  the  North  Sea)  lies  S.  and  by  W.  and  N.  and  by  E.  but  by  a  line  drawn  from 
Tinmouth  castle,  would  lead  about  N.  W.  and  S.  £.  Though  the  Dogger  bank  is  there- 
fore but  twelve  leagues  from  Flamborough  Head,  yet  it  is  sixteen  and  a  half  from  Scar- 
borough, twenty-three  from  Whitby,  and  thirty-six  from  Tinmouth  castle.  The  N. 
side  of  the  bank  stretches  off  £.  N.  £.  between  thirty  and  forty  leagues,  until  it  almost 
joins  to  the  Long-Bank,  and  Jutt's  Riff.     ^' 


•f-5M'  »-' 


*  Itio.  I.  62.  f  MS.  Hist,  of  Hull,  in  Lord  Shelbume's  library. 

\  The  waters  are  impregnated  with  a  purgative  salt  (glauber's)  a  small  quantity  of  common  salt,  and  of 
steel.  There  are  two  wells,  the  farthest  from  the  town  is  more  purgative,  end  its  taste  more  bitter ;  the 
9ther  is  more  chalybeate,  and  its  taste  more  brisk  and  pungent.    D.  H. 


I,  and  of 

>r»  *« 


FENNANT'S  TOUll  IN  SCOTLAND. 


13 


**  It  is  to  be  remarked,  that  the  fishermen  seldom  find  any  cod,  ling,  or  other 
round  fish  u|K)n  the  Dogger  bank  itself,  but  unon  the  stuping  edges  and  hollows  con. 
tiguous  to  it.  The  top  of  the  bank  is  covered  with  a  barren  shifting  sand,  which  itf- 
fords  them  no  subsistence ;  and  the  water  on  it,  from  its  shallowness,  is  continually  so 
agitated  and  broken,  as  to  allow  them  no  time  to  rest.  The  flat  fish  do  not  sufl'cr  the 
same  inconvenience  there ;  for  when  disturbed  by  the  inotion  of  the  sea,  they  shelter 
themselves  in  the  sand,  and  find  variety  of  suitable  food.  It  is  true,  the  Dutch  fish 
upon  the  Dogger  bank  ;  but  it  is  also  true  they  take  little,  except  soles,  skates,  thorn, 
backs,  plaise,  &c.  It  is  in  the  hollows  between  the  Dogger  and  the  WelUbank  that  the 
cod  are  taken,  which  supply  London  market. 

"The  shore,  except  at  the  entrance  of  Scarborough  pier,  and  some  few  other 
places,  is  composed  of  covered  rocks,  which  abound  with  lobsters  and  crabs,  and 
manv  other  shell  fish  (no  oysters ; )  thence,  after  a  space  covered  with  clean  sand,  ex- 
tendmg  in  different  places  from  one  to  five  or  six  miles,  the  bottom,  all  the  way  to 
the  edge  of  the  Dogger  bank,  is  a  scar;  in  some  places  very  rugged,  rocky,  and  ca> 
vernous ;  in  others  smooth,  and  overgrown  with  a  variety  of  submarine  plants,  mosses, 
corallines,  &c.  *  Some  parts  again  are  spread  with  sand  and  shells ;  others,  for 
many  leagues  in  length,,  with  soft  mud  and  ooz,  furnished  by  the  discharge  of  the 
Tees  and  Huml)er. 

**  Upon  an  attentive  review  of  the  whole,  it  may  be  clearly  inferred,  that  the  shore 
alon^  the  coast  on  the  one  hand,  with  the  edges  of  the  Dogger  bank  on  the  other,  like 
the  sides  of  a  decoy,  gi«.e  a  direction  towards  our  fishing  grounds  to  the  mighty  shoals  of 
cod,  and  other  fish,  which  are  well  known  to  come  annually  from  the  Northern  Ocean 
into  our  seas ;  and  secondly,  that  the  great  variety  of  fishing  grounds  near  Scarbo- 
rough,  extending  upwards  of  sixteen  leagues  from  the  shore,  afford  secure  retreats  and 
plenty  of  proper  food  for  all  the  various  kinds  of  fish,  and  also  suitable  places  for  each 
kind  to  deposit  their  spawn  in. 

"  The  fishery  at  Scarborough  only  employs  105  men,  and  brings  in  about  52501.  per 
annum,  a  trifle  to  what  it  would  produce,  was  there  a  canal  from  thence  to  Leeds  and 
Manchester;  it  is  probable  it  would  then  produce  above  ten  times  that  sum,  employ 
some  thousands  of  men,  give  a  comfortable  and  cheap  subsistence  to  our  manufacturers, 
keep  the  markets  moderately  reasonable,  enable  our  manufacturing  towns  to  undersell 
our  rivals,  and  prevent  the  hands,  as  is  too  oflen  the  case,  raising  insurrections,  in 
every  year  of  scarcity,  naiu.-al  or  artificial." 

In  addition  to  the  above  I  add  an  extract  of  a  letter  from  Mr.  Travis,  dated  Dec.  21, 
1784,  which  flings  more  light  on  this  interesting  subject.  The  fishery  is  now  on  its  de- 
cline. The  profits  of  smuggling  having  tempted  most  of  the  owners  of  cobles  to  quit 
their  business,  the  number  here  is  reduced  from  thirty-five  cobles  to  seven.  At  Robin 
Hood's  bay  from  forty-five  to  seventeen,  and  in  the  same  proportion  along  the  coast. 
At  Scarborough  are  only  fishermen  to  the  number  mentioned ;  those  serve  a  regular 
apprenticeship,  for  it  is  a  particular  trade,  and  the  ablest  sailors  will  not  venture  in  a 
coble  in  the  stream  of  the  tide,  where  the  best  fish  only  are  taken. 

The  claim  to  the  tithe  of  fish  is  a  great  discouragement ;  the  present  worthy  owner, 
Sir  Charles  Hotham  Thompson,  does  not  demand  it,  but  ai  the  right  has  been  confirmed 
by  the  courts  of  law,  no  one  dare  venture  to  trust  to  what  a  successor  may  do.  The 
cobles  are  not  owned  by  the  fishers,  but  hired  from  the  ale-Iiouse  keepers  at  one  shil- 
ling and  sixpence  per  week,  for  the  fear  of  the  tithes  prevents  people  of  substance  frona 

*  I  met  with  on  the  shores  near  Scarborough,  small  fragments  of  the  true  red  coral. 


;v 


^m 


u 


PENNANT'S  TOUn  IN  SCOTLAND. 


engaging  and  fitting  out  brgc  vessels,  with  which  alone  a  national  fishery  can  be  carried 
on.     j 

At  present  the  Dutch  enj^ross  all  our  Inmprrys  for  baits,  and  once  a  fortnight  a  vessel 
sails  from  the  Humbcr  wiih  a  cargo  to  Holland.  Thus  the  Dutch  supply  Holland, 
Germany,  and  even  London  itself*  with  cargoes  of  excellent  fish.  I  refer  the  readers 
to  my  Arctic  Zoology,  Suppl.  n.  20,  or  Introduction,  Ed.  2d.  p.  Ixxix.  for  an  account 
of  this  valuable  fishery;  and  of  a  very  unjust  attempt  made  by  a  selfish  few  to  exclude 
the  Dutch  from  supplving  our  markets  from  their  own  coasts. 

On  discoursing  with  some  very  intelligent  fishermen,  I  was  informed  of  a  very  singu- 
lar pha:nomenon  they  annually  observe  about  the  spawning  offish.*  At  the  distance  of 
four  or  five  leagues  from  shore,  during  the  months  uf  July  and  August,  it  is  remarked, 
that  at  the  depth  of  six  or  seven  fiuhom  from  the  surface,  the  water  appears  to  be  satu- 
rated  with  a  thick  jelly,  filled  with  the  ova  offish,  which  reaches  ten  or  twelve  fathoms 
deeper :  this  is  known  by  its  ai  icring  to  the  ropes  the  cobles  anchor  with,  when  they  are 
fishing ;  for  they  find  the  first  six  or  seven  fathom  of  rope  free  from  spawn,  the  next  ten 
or  twelve  covered  with  slimy  matter,  the  remainder  again  free  to  the  bottom.  They  sup- 
pose this  gelatinous  stuff  to  supply  the  new-born  fry  with  food,  and  that  it  is  also  a  pro- 
tection to  the  spawn,  as  being  disagreeable  to  the  larger  fish  to  swim  in. 

There  is  great  variety  of  fish  brought  on  shore.  Besides  those  described  as  British 
fish,  were  two  species  of  rays  :  the  whip-ray  has  also  been  taken  here,  and  another 
species  of  weever ;  mt  these  are  subjects,  more  proper  to  be  referred  to  a  fauna,  than 
an  itinerary,  for  a  minute  description.  . 

The  following  is  a  proof  of  the  vast  quantity  of  fish  that  may  be  taken  on  this  coast. 
On  April  11,  1776,  were  taken  in  one  tide,  by  one  coble,  37  cods,  36  lings,  45 
holibuts,  3  turbots,  besides  a  large  quantity  of  skates  and  small  fish ;  which  were  sold 
for  seven  pounds. 

July  10th  left  Scarborough,  and  passed  over  largt  moors  to  Robin  Hood's  bay.  On 
my  road,  observed  the  vast  mountains  of  alum  stone,  from  which  that  salt  is  thus  ex- 
tracted :  It  is  first  calcined  in  great  heaps,  which  continue  burning  by  its  own  phlogi- 
ston, after  being  well  set  on  fire  by  coals,  for  six,  ten,  or  fourteen  months,  according  to 
the  size  of  the  neap,  some  being  equal  to  a  small  hill.  It  is  then  thrown  into  pits  and 
steeped  in  water,  to  extract  all  the  saline  particles.  The  liquor  is  then  run  into  other 
pits,  where  the  vitriolic  salts  are  precipitated  by  the  addition  of  a  solution  of  the  sal  sodae, 
prepared  from  kelp ;  or  by  the  volatile  alkali  of  stale  urine.  The  superfluous  water 
being  then  evaporated  duly  by  boiling  in  large  furnaces,  the  liquor  is  set  to  cool ;  and, 
lastly,  is  poured  into  large  casks,  to  crystallize. 

The  alum  works  in  this  country  arc  of  some  antiquity :  they  were  first  discovered  by 
Sir  Thomas  Chaloner,  in  the  reign  of  queen  Elizabeth,  who  observing  the  trees  tinged 
with  an  unusual  colour,  made  him  suspicious  of  its  being  owing  to  some  mineral  in  the 
neighbourhood.    He  found  out  that  the  strata  abounded  with  an  aluminpus  salt 

At  that  time,  the  EngUsh  bein^  strangers  to  the  method  of  managing  it,  there  is  a 
tradition  that  sir  Thomas  was  obliged  to  seduce  some  workmen  from  the  Pope's  alum- 
works  near  Rome,  then  the  greatest  in  Europe.  If  one  may  Judge  from  the  curse 
which  his  holiness  thundered  out  against  sir  Thomas  and  the  fugitives,  he  certainly  was 
not  a  little  enraged ;  for  he  cursed  by  the  very  form  that  Ernulphusf  has  left  us,  and 
varied  not  a  tittle  from  that  most  comprehensive  of  imprecations. 

*  Mr.  Osbeck  observed  the  same  in  S.  Lat.  35, 36,  in  his  return  from  China.    The  seamen  call  it  the 
flowering  of  the  water     Vol.  II.  73* 
I  Vide  Tristram  Shandy. 


I'ENNANT'S  TOUR  IN  SCOTLANIi. 


1.S 


IS  a 
ilum- 
curse 
was 
and 


The  first  pits  were  near  Gisbon»ugh,  the  scat  of  the  Chaloners,  who  still  flourish 
there,  notwithstanding  his  holineas's  anaihcma.  The  works  were  so  valual)lc  us  to  be 
deemed  a  royal  mine.  Sir  Paul  Pindar,  who  rented  them,  paid  annually  to  the  king 
12,5001.  to  the  earl  of  iMulgrave  16401.  to  Sir  \Villiam  Pennyman  6001.  kept  800 
workmen  in  pay,  and  sold  his  alum  at  261.  per  ton.  But  this  monopoly  was  destroyed 
on  the  death  of  Charles  I,  and  the  right  rcstoicd  to  the  proprietors. 

In  these  alum  rocks  are  frequently  foimd  cornua  ammonia,  and  other  fossils,  lodged 
in  a  stony  nodule.  Jet  is  sometimes  met  with  in  thin  Hat  pieces,  externally  of  the  ap- 
pearance  of  wood.     According  to  Solinus,  Britain  was  famous  for  this  fossil.^ 

The  sands  near  Robin  Hood's  village  were  covered  with  fish  of  several  kinds,  and 
with  people  who  met  the  cobles  in  order  to  purchase  their  cargo :  the  place  seemed 
as  if  a  p;reat  fish  fair  had  been  held  there  ;  some  were  carrying  on  their  bargains,  others 
busied  in  curing  the  fish  :  and  a  little  out  at  sea  was  a  flerr  of  cobles  and  five-men  boats, 
and  others  arriving,  to  discharge  the  capture  of  the  preceding  tidcs.f  There  are  36  of 
the  first  belonging  to  tuts  little  place.  The  houses  here  make  a  grotesque  appearance, 
are  scattered  over  the  face  of  a  steep  cliff  in  a  very  strange  manner,  and  fill  every  pro- 
jecting ledge,  one  above  another,  in  the  same  muiiner  us  those  of  the  peasants  in  the  rocky 
parts  of  China.  Sand's  End,  Rnnwick,  and  Staithes,  three  other  fishing  luwiis  uu  this 
coast,  are  (as  I  am  told)  built  in  the  same  manner. 

The  country  through  this  day's  Journey  was  hilly,  the  coast  high.     Reach 

Whitby,  called  by  the  Saxons,  Streuneshalch,  or  the  bay  of  the  lighthouse,  a  large 
town  oddly  situated  between  two  hills,  with  a  narrow  channel  running  through  the  mid- 
dle, extending  about  a  mile  farther  up  the  vale,  where  it  widens,  and  forms  a  bay.  The 
two  parts  of  the  town  are  joined  by  a  good  draw* bridge,  for  the  conveniency  of  letting 
the  snipping  pass.  From  this  are  often  taken  the  viviparous  Blcnny,  whose  back-bone 
is  as  green  as  that  of  the  sea  needle.  The  river  that  forms  this  harbour  is  the  £sk,  but 
its  waters  are  very  inconsiderable  when  the  tide  is  out.  Here  is  a  pretty  brisk  trade  in 
ship-building;  but  except  that,  a  small  manufacture  of  sail-cloth,  and  the  hiring  of 
ships,  as  at  Scarborough,  like  that  town,  it  has  scarce  any  commerce.  It  is  computed 
there  are  about  270  ships  belonging  to  this  place.  Of  late,  an  attempt  has  been  made 
to  have  a  share  in  the  Greenland  fishery  ;  four  ships  were  sent  out,  and  had  very  good 
success.  There  are  very  good  dry  docks  towards  the  end  of  the  harbour ;  and  at  the 
mouth  a  most  beautiful  pier.     At  this  place  is  the  first  salmon-fishery  on  the  coast. 

In  1394  prodigious  shoals  of  herrings  ap|)eared  off  this  port,  which  occasioned  a  vast 
resort  of  foreigners,  who  bought  up,  cured  the  fish,  and  exported  them,  to  the  great 
injury  of  the  natives.  To  prevent  which,  the  king  is&ued  a  proclamation,  directed  to 
the  bailiffs  of  St.  Hilda's  church,  requiring  them  to  put  a  stop  to  those  practices.| 

On  the  hill  above  the  S.  side  of  the  town  is  a  fine  ruin  of  St.  Hilda's  church.  The 
site  was  given  to  that  saint  by  Oswy,  king  of  Northumberland,  about  A.  D.  657 ; 
possibly  in  consequence  of  a  vow  he  made  to  found  half  a  dozen  monasteries,  and  make 
his  daughter  a  nun,  should  Heaven  favour  his  arms.  At  this  place  was  held,  before 
king  Oswy,  the  celebrated  controversy  about  the  proper  season  for  keeping  of  Easier. 
Archbishop  Colman  supported  one  opinion  from  the  traditions,  which  the  Britons  had 
of  the  example  of  St.  John  the  Evangelist ;  and  Wilfrid,  on  the  contrary,  drew  his  ar- 

*  Gagates  hie  plurimus  opthnusque  est  lapis  :  si  decorem  requiras,  nigro  gemmeus  :  si  naturam  aqua 
ardet,  oleo  resiini^uitur :  si  potestatem  attritucalefactusapplicita  detinet,  atque  succinum.  C.  xxii 

t  From  hence  the  fish  ure  carried  in  machines  to  Derby,  Litchfielil,  Birmingham)  and  Worcester :  the 
townswhich  lie  beyond  tie  last  arc  supplied  from  the  West  of  England. 

\  Rymer's  Fsedera,  vii.  788. 


Id 


PBNNAMT'I  TOUR  IN  SCOTLAND. 


guments  frnni  the  practice  of  St.  Peter,  on  whom  the  catholic  church  was  founded*  and 
to  whom  were  committed  the  keys  of  heaven.  Oawy  demanded  of  Cdman,  whether 
this  was  true  ?  who  confessed  it  was.  "  Then,"  says  his  majesty,  *'  I  will  never  oon. 
tradict  the  porter  of  heaven,  lest  I  sufler  by  his  resentment,  when  I  apply  for  ad> 
mission.'")^  St.  Hilda  founded  a  convent  here  for  men  and  women,  dedicated  it  to  St. 
Peter,  and  became  the  first  abbess.t  This  establishment  was  ruined  by  the  excursions 
of  the  Danes ;  but  after  the  conquest  was  rebuilt,  and  filled  with  Benedictines,  by- 
William  de  Percy,  to  whom  the  lordship  was  given  by  Hugh  Lupus,  earl  of  Chester, 
nephew  to  the  conqueror.  In  less  enlightened  times  it  was  believed  that  not  a  wild 
goohc  dared  to  fly  over  this  holy  ground,  and,  if  it  ventured,  was  sure  to  fall  precipitate, 
and  perish  in  the  attempt. 

Went  about  two  miles  along  the  shore,  then  turned  up  into  the  country,  a  black 
and  dreary  moor ;  observed  on  the  right  a  vast  artificial  mount,  or  tumulus,  called 
Freeburgh  Hill. 

At  the  end  of  this  moor,  about  three  miles  from  Gisborough,'is  a  beautiful  view  over 
the  remaining  part  of  Yorkshire,  towards  Durham,  Hartlepool,  and  the  mouth  of  the 
Tees,  which  meanders  through  a  vci^  lich  tract.  The  country  instantly  assumes  a  new 
face  ;  the  road  lies  between  most  delightful  hills,  finely  wooded,  and  the  little  vales  be- 
tween them  very  fertile :  on  some  of  the  hills  are  the  marks  of  the  first  alum  works,  which 
were  discovered  by  Sir  Thomas  Chaloner. 

Gisborough,  a  small  town,  pleasantly  situated  in  a  vale  surrounded  at  some  distance  by 
hills,  and  open  on  the  east  to  the  sea,  which  is  about  five  miles  distant.  It  is  certainly  a 
delightful  spot ;  but  I  cannot  see  the  reason  why  Camden  compares  it  to  Futeoli.  Here 
was  once  a  priory  of  the  canons  of  the  order  of  St.  Austin,  founded  by  Robert  de  Brus, 
1129,  after  the  dispensation  g^ntedby  Edward  VI,  to  the  Chaloners  :  a  very  beautiful 
east  window  of  the  church  is  still  remaining.  This  priory  was  also  embattled  or  fortified 
in  1375,  by  permission  of  Edward  III.  Its  revenue,  according  to  Speed,  was  7121. 6s. 
6d. ;  according  to  Dugdale,  6281.  3s.  4d.  The  town  has  at  present  a  good  manufacture 
of  suiUcloth. 

The  country  continues  very  fine  quite  to  the  banks  of  the  Tees,  a  considerable  river, 
which  divides  Yorkshire  from  the  bishopric  of  Durham.  After  travelling  109  miles 
in  a  straight  line  through  the  first,  enter  Durham,  crossing  the  river  on  a  very  handsome 
bridge  of  five  arches,  the  battlements  neatly  pannelled  with  stone  ;  and  reach 

Stockton,  lying  on  the  Tees,  in  form  of  a  crescent :  a  handsome  town  ;  a  corporation 
by  prescription,  governed  by  a  mayor,  recorder,  and  six  aldermen  ;  and  b  one  of  the 
four  ward  towns  of  the  county.  The  principal  street  is  remarkably  fine,  being  165 
feet  broad  ;  and  several  lesser  streets  run  into  it  at  right  angles.  In  the  middle  of  the 
great  street  are  neat  shambles,  a  town-house,  and  large  assembly-room.  There  is  be- 
sides a  large  square,  in  which  is  a  handsome  Doric  column  thirty-three  feet  high.  About 
a  century  ago,  according  to  Anderson,  it  had  scarce  a  house  that  was  not  made  of  clay 
and  thatch  -,  but  is  now  a  flourishing  place,  having  rose  on  the  decay  of  trade  at  Yarum. 
Its  manufacture  is  a  small  one  of  sail-cloth ;  and  great  quantities  of  corn,  and  lead  (from 
the  mineral  parts  of  the  country)  are  sent  oflfitom  hence  by  commission.  As  the  river 
does  not  admit  of  large  vessels  as  high  as  the  town,  those  commodities  are  sent  down  to 
be  shipped  about  three  miles  lower.  The  port  is  a  member  of  that  of  Newcastle,  and  has 
its  custom-house  and  proper  officers.  The  town^  ties  at  the  distance  of  six  miles  from 
the  bar ;  and  the  tide  flows  above  eight  miles  above  the  bridge. 


*  Oede,  Hist.  Eccl.  lib.  iii.  c.  25. 


t  Oswy  was  properly  the  founder. 


of  the 
;re  is  be- 
About 
of  clay 
Yarum. 
ad  (from 
the  river 
down  to 
U  and  has 
lies  from 


PEKKAKT'S  TOUR  IN  Sf  OTLAND.  |* 

Stockton  was  anciently  a  chapelry  belonf^inff  to  Norton,  which  by  length  of  time  be. 
came  ruinous^  and  too  hmall  for  the  increasing  nihubitaiitH.  In  1710,  a  new  church  was 
begun  by  subscription ;  in  1713,  it  was  consecrated  by  bishop  Crew ;  and,  in  1713,  the 
place,  by  uctof  patliameiit,  was  made  a  distinct  parish  from  Norton. 

In  1721,  a  charity-school  was  lu-gun  by  voluntary  subscription,  which  succeeded  so 
well  as  to  maintain  ut  present  a  mastir,  mistress,  an()  forty  lx)ys  and  girls. 

On  the  west  side  of  the  town  stood  the  castle,  founded  (as  some  say)  by  king  Stephen ; 
according  to  others,  by  John.  It  is  reported  to  have  been  a  strong  and  elegant  build- 
hig,  havmg  iK'cn  the  summer  residence  of  the  bishop  of  Durham.  Tradition  says,  that 
king  John  was  entertained  here  by  bishop  Poicticrs  ;  and  at  this  place  signed  the  charter 
of  Newcastle.  Bishop  Farnhum  died  here,  in  1257.  Bishop  Kellow  improved  and 
made  great  additions  to  the  castle  ;  and  here  bishop  Morton  took  refuge  when  he  Hcd 
from  trie  Scots,  in  the  beginning  of  the  troubles  of  Charles  I.  It  was  sold  by  order  of 
parliament,  in  1647,  for  61651.  demolished,  and  the  materials  disposed  of:  what  re- 
mained, is  at  present  converted  into  a  barn.  The  demesne  lands  belong  to  the  bishop, 
and  are  set  for  6001.  a  year. 

In  1762,  an  act  passed  for  building  a  bridge  across  the  Tees,  to  form  a  communica- 
tion with  ClcTcland,  which  was  Anislicd  in  April  1769.  Its  breadth  is  eighteen  feet, 
that  of  the  middle  arch  seventy-two  three  inches ;  the  two  next  sixty  ;  the  two  others 
fortv-four.     The  expence  of  building  it  was  eight  thousand  pounds. 

The  salmon  fishery  is  neglected  here,  for  none  are  taken  but  what  is  necessary  to  sup- 
ply the  country.     Smelts  come  up  the  river  in  the  winter-time. 

Norton,  before  mentioned,  lies  on  the  way  to  Durham,  at  a  small  distance  from 
Stockton.  Here  had  been  an  ancient  collegiate  church,  founded  before  the  year  1227,* 
for  eight  prebendaries,  or  portionists,  in  the  patronage  of  the  bishops  of  Durham.  The 
country  from  the  Tees  to  Durham  is  flat,  very  fertile,  and  much  inclosed.  Towards 
the  west  is  a  fine  view  of  its  highlands.  These  hills  are  part  of  that  vast  ridge  which  com- 
mences in  the  north,  and  deeply  divide  this  portion  of  the  kingdom  ;  and  on  that  accou  t 
are  called  by  Camden  the  Appenincs  of  England. 

The  approach  to  Durham  is  romantic,  through  a  deep  hollow,  clothed  on  each  side 
with  wood.  The  city  is  pretty  large,  but  the  buildings  old.  Part  are  on  a  plain,  part 
on  the  side  of  a  hill.  The  abbey,  or  cathedral,  and  the  castle,  where  the  bishop  lives, 
when  he  resides  here,  are  on  the  summit  of  a  cliff,  whose  foot  is  washed  on  two  sides  by 
the  river  Were.  The  walks  on  the  opposite  banks  are  very  beautiful,  and  well  kept. 
They  are  cut  through  the  wood,  impend  over  the  river,  and  receive  a  venerable  im- 
provement from  the  castle  and  ancient  cathedral,  which  soar  above. 

The  last  is  very  old  if  plain  without,  and  supported  within  by  massy  pillars,  deeply 
engraved  with  lozenge-like  figures,  and  zig-zag  furrows :  others  are  plain.  The  skreen 
to  the  choir  is  wood  covered  with  a  coarse  carving.  The  choir  neat,  but  without  or. 
nament 

Tbe*chapter-hou8e  seems  very  ancient,  and  is  in  the  form  of  a  theatre.  The  cloisters 
large  and  handsome.  All  the  monuments  are  defaced,  except  that  of  bishop  Hatfield. 
The  prebendal  houses  are  very  pleasantly  situated,  and  have  a  fine  view  backwards. 

There  are  two  handsome  bridges  over  the  Were  to  the  walks ;  and  a  third,  covered 
with  houses,  which  join  the  two  parts  of  the  town.  This  river  produces  salmon,  trout, 
roach,  dace,  minow,  loche,  bulhead,  sticklebacks,  lamprey,  the  lesser  lamprey,  eels, 
smelt,  and  samlet.    The  last,  before  they  go  off  to  spawn,  are  observed  to  be  covered 


•  Tinner  Us. 

VOL.    III. 


t  Begun  in  1093,  by  bishop  William  de  Carilepho. 


18 


fKNNANrit  TOim  IH  HCUTLANI). 


with  a  white  shme :  they  are  called  hciT  rack-ridcrs,  because  they  appear  in  winter,  or 
bad  weather  :  rack,  in  the  Kiifjrjiiih  of  Shukcspcarc's  da)s,  bignifying  the  driving  uf  the 
clouds  by  tempests,  u  word  btiU  retained  here. 

1'hat  which  U  now  a  horae,  even  with  •  thought 

The  riickih«hmn«,  and  makes  it  ii)di»tiiict 

Aa  water  is  in  water.  ylnionff  and  Cleofiaira,  Jet,  tV* 

There  is  no  inconsldornble  manufacture  at  Durham  of  dhallnons,  tammies,  stripes, 
and  callemancoes.  I  had  heard  on  my  road  many  complauUit  of  the  ecclesiastical  go< 
vernmcnt  this  country  is  subject  to ,  but,  from  the  general  face  of  the  country,  it  itcems 
to  thrive  wondcrfnilv  under  it. 

July  21.  Saw  Coken,  the  seat  of  Mr.  Car ;  a  most  romantic  sitiiutinn,  layed  out  with 
great  judgment :  thl^  walks  arc  very  extensive,  principally  alonc^  the  sid<^  or  at  the  bot« 
tom  of  deep  dells,  bounded  with  vast  precipices,  Anelv  wooded  ;  and  many  parts  of  the 
rocks  ore  planted  with  vines,  which  I  was  told  bore  well,  but  late.  The  river  Were 
winds  along  the  hollows,  and  forms  two  very  6ne  reaches  at  the  place  where  you  enter 
these  walks.  Its  waters  arc  very  clear,  and  its  bottom  a  solid  rock.  The  view  towards 
the  ruins  of  Finchal-ubbey  is  remarkably  great ;  and  the  walk  beneath  the  cliflT  has  a  mag- 
nificent solemnity,  a  fit  retreat  fur  its  monastic  inhabitants.  Tius  was  once  called  the 
Desert,  and  was  the  rude  scene  of  the  austerities  of  St.  G  >dric,  who  carried  them  to  the 
most  senseless  extravagance.*  A  sober  mind  mav  even  at  present  be  uiTected  with 
horror,  at  the  pros|)ects  from  the  summits  of  the  cliR'i  into  a  darksome  and  stupendous 
chasm,  rendered  still  more  tremendous  by  the  roaring  of  the  waters  over  its  distant 
bottom. 

Passed  through  Chesterle-Strect,  a  small  town,  near  which  is  Lumley-castle,  the  seat 
of  the  Earl  of  Scarborough.  The  tract  from  Durham  to  Newcastle  was  very  beautiful ; 
the  risings  gentle,  and  prettily  wooded,  and  the  views  agreeable ;  that  on  the  borders 
remarkably  fine,  there  being,  from  an  eminence  not  fiir  from  the  capital  of  Ngrthum- 
bcrland,  an  extensive  view  of  a  rich  country,  watered  by  the  coaly  Tyne.  Go  through 
Gateshead,  cross  the  bridge,  and  enter 

Newcastle,  a  large  town,  divided  from  the  former  by  the  river,  and  both  sides  very 
steep  :  the  lower  parts  very  dirty  and  disagreeable.  The  sides  of  the  river  are  inhabit, 
ed  by  kcelmen  and  their  families,  a  mutinous  race ;  for  which  reason  this  town  is  al- 
wavs  garrisoned  :  in  the  upper  parts  are  several  h;indsome  well-built  Greets. 

The  great  business  of  the  place  is  the  coal  trade.  The  collieries  lie  at  difierent  dis< 
tanccs,  from  five  to  eighteen  miles  from  the  river ;  and  the  coal  is  brought  down  in 
waggons  along  rail  roads,  and  discharged  from  covered  buildings  at  the  edge  of  the 

*  St.  Codric  was  born  at  Walpole,  in  Norfolk,  and  being  an  itinerant  merchant,  i;ot  acquainted  with 
St.  Cuthbert  at  Farn  island.  He  made  three  pilirrimaf^es  to  Jerusalem ;  at  length  was  warned  by  a  vi- 
sion to  settle  in  the  desert  of  I'inchal.  He  lived  an  hermitical  life  there  during;  63  years,  and  practised 
unheard-of  austerities:  he  wore  an  iron  shirt  next  his  skin  day  and  nig;ht,  and  wore  out  three  :  he  min- 
gled ashes  with  the  flour  he  made  his  br<ad  of;  and,  lest  it  should  then  be  too  good,  kept  it  three  or  four 
months  before  he  ventured  to  eat  it.  In  winter,  as  well  as  summer,  he  passed  whole  nights,  up  to  hit 
chin  in  water,  at  his  devotions.  Like  St  Antony,  he  was  often  hunted  by  fiends  in  various  shapes ; 
sometimes  in  form  of  beautiful  damsels,  so  was  visited  with  evil  concupiscence,  which  he  cun:d  by  rolling 
naked  among  thorns  and  briars :  his  body  grew  ulcerated  ;  but,  to  increase  his  pain,  he  poured  salt  into 
the  wounds:  wrought  man^  miracles,  and  died  1170  Britannia  sacra,  304.  About  ten  years  af- 
ter his  decease,  a  Benedictine  priory  of  thirteen  monks  was  founded  there  in  his  honour,  by  Hugh 
Fudsey,  bishop  of  Durham. 


nted  with 
.  by  a  vi- 
practiMd 
he  min- 
•e  or  four 
up  to  hit 
t  thapeti 
by  rolling 
salt  into 
years  af- 
by  Hugh. 


PENNANT'I  TOl'R  IN  KOTtAND 


19 


water  into  the  kreltior  boats  that  arc  to  convey  it  on  Jihiphoard.  These  boati  nrr  «ronf(, 
cltmis)  and  rotnid,  will  c;irry  »l)ont  25  ton»  each;  sometimes  i\rr  navi|(.ttcd  svith  a 
S()U.iri.  <tail,  btit  ^tncrully  urc  worlccd  with  two  vattt  oara.  No  bhipn  ol  large  t)uitlK-n 
conic  up  as  high  an  Newcastle,  but  aic  obliged  to  lie  at  Shields,  u  few  miles  down  the 
river,  whrre  Mage  loarhcs  go  thrice  every  day  for  the  eonver»icncy  of  passcngcrn.  TIuh 
country  is  niOMt  rtmurkably  populous  ;  Ntwcastle  with  Gatc.thead  contains  near  30,0(XJ 
inhabitants  {  itnd  there  arc  at  least  400  snil  of  ships  b  'onging  to  that  town  and  its  port. 
The  t  ffict  of  llie  vast  commerce  nf  this  place  is  very  apparent  f<»r  many  miles  round  ;  tlic 
country  is  finely  cultivated,  and  bears  a  most  thiiving  and  opulent  usfKct. 

July  13.  Lett  Newcastle  ;  the  country  in  general  flat;  passed  by  u  large  Mone  column 
with  three  dials  on  the  capital,  \\  ilh  several  scripture  texts  on  the  sides,  here  called  I'igg's 
Folly,  from  the  founder. 

A  few  miles  further  is  Stannington-bridgc,  a  pleasant  village.  Morpeth*  a  small  town, 
with  a  ncut  town-house,  and  a  tower  for  the  bell  near  it.  Some  attempt  was  made  u 
few  years  ago  to  introduce  the  Manchester  manufacture,  but  without  success.  Cumdcn 
informs  us,  that  the  inhabitants  reduced  their  town  to  ashes,  on  the  approach  of  king 
John,  A.  D.  121C,  out  of  pure  hatred  to  their  monarch,  in  order  that  he  might  not  fiiiu 
any  shelter  there.  But  the  Chronicle  of  Metros,  u.  190,  assigns  a  more  rational  cause, 
by  saying  that  the  barons  of  the  country  destroyed  both  their  own  towns  and  the  standing 
corn,  ill  order  to  distress  the  king,  then  on  his  march  to  punish  their  revolt. 

The  castle  was  seated  on  a  small  eminence.     The  remains  arc  little  more  than  the 

Jatcway  tower.  This  fortress  was  built  by  William  lord  Graystock,  in  the  year  1158. 
t  appears  to  have  been  entire  in  the  days  of  Leland,and  at  that  time  injhe  possession  of 
loid  Dacres,*  who  derive  d  his  right  from  his  marriage  with  tUizabeth  baroness  of  Gray- 
stock;  and  in  the  time  of  oueen  Elizabeth  was  conveyed  into  the  family  of  the  present 
earl  of  Carlisle,  by  the  marriage  of  a  daughter  of  Thomas  lord  Dacres  with  lord  VVilliam 
Howard  of  Naworth.f 

Between  Morpeth  and  Felton,  on  the  right  side  of  the  road,  stands  Cockle  Tower,  an 
ancient  border  house  of  the  larger  size,  fortified  as  the  sad  necessity  of  the  limcs  re« 

Xuired.  Mr.  Grose  tells  us,  that  in  the  time  of  Kdward  I,  it  belonged  to  the  Bertrams  of 
iitford,  persons  of  much  property  in  this  county. 

This  place  gave  birth  to  VVilliam  Turner,  as  Dr.  Fuller  expresses  it,  an  excellent 
Latinist,  Graecian,  orator,  and  poet ;  he  might  have  added  polemic  divine,  champion  and 
sufferer  in  the  protestant  cause,  physician  and  naturalist.  His  botanic  writings  are  among 
the  first  we  had,  and  certainly  the  tsest  of  them ;  and  his  criticisms  on  the  birds  of  Aristotle 
and  Pliny  arc  very  judicious.  He  was  the  first  who  flung  any  light  on  those  subjects  in 
our  island ;  therefore  claims  from  a  naturalist  this  tribute  to  his  memory.^ 

Felton,  a  pleasant  village  on  the  Coquet,  which,  some  few  miles  lower,  discharges 
itself  into  the  sea,  opposite  to  a  small  isle  of  the  same  name,  remarkable  for  the  multi' 
tudes  of  water-fowl  that  resort  there  to  breed.  At  Felton,  the  barons  of  Northumberland 
did  homage  to  Alexander  II,  king  of  Scotland,  in  1216,  in  the  leign  of  king  John.^ 
Coquet  island  was  a  place  of  arms  tor  the  royal  party  in  the  time  of  Charles  I,  but  was 
taken  by  the  Scots,  in  1G4S,  with  much  booty  of  ammunition  and  cattle. 

Near  Felton,  I  hud  a  distant  view  of  Warkworth  castle,  in  old  times  the  seat  of  the 
Claverings,  by  descent  from  Roger  Fitz-Richard,  to  whom  it  was  granted  by  Henry  ILj) 
Mr.  Grose's  elegant  design  of  it  makes  me  regret  I  did  not  take  a  nearer  view. 


*  Leiand  Itin.  vii.  63. 
t  Wallis,  ii.  399. 


)  He  was  bom  in  the  reign  of  Henry  Vni,died  In  1566. 
i  WaUis,  ii.  336.  ||  Idem,  351. 

D  2 


# 


no 


PENNANT'S  TOUR  IV  SCOTLAND. 


At  Alnwick,  a  small  town,  the  traveller  is  disappointed  with  the  situation  of  the  en- 
virons of  the  castle,  the  residence  of  tlie  Percies,  the  ancient  earls  of  Northumberland. 
You  look  in  vain  for  any  marks  of  ihr  ^^rraiideur  of  the  feudal  age ;  for  trophies  won  by 
u  family  eminent  in  our  annals  for  military  proweSs  and  deeds  of  chtvalrf ;  for  halls 
hung  with  helms  and  hauberks,  or  with  the  spoils  of  the  chace ;  for  extensive  forests 
and  venerable  oaks.  You  look  in  vain  for  the  helmet  on  the  tower,  the  ancient  signal 
of  hospitality  to  the  traveller,  or  the  gray  headed  porter  to  conduct  him  to  the  hall  of 
entertainment.  The  numerous  train,  whose  countenances  gave  welcome  to  him  on  his 
way,  are  now  no  more ;  and,  instead  of  the  disinterested  usher  of  the  old  times,  he  is  at- 
tended by  a  valet  eager  to  receive  the  fees  of  admittance. 

There  is  a  vast  grandi^ur  in  the  appearance  of  the  outside  of  the  castle  ;  the  towers 
inagniQcent,  but  injured  by  the  numbers  of  rude  statues  crowded  on  the  battlements. 
The  apartments  are  large,  and  lately  finished  in  the  Gothic  style  with  a  most  incompa- 
tilile  elegance.  The  gardens  are  equally  inconsistent ;  trim  to  the  highest  degree,  and 
more  adapted  to  a  villa  near  London,  than  the  ancient  seat  of  a  great  baron.  In  a  word, 
nothing,  excepting  the  numbers  of  unindustrious  poor  that  swarm  at  the  gate«  excites  any 
one  idea  of  its  former  circumstances. 

William  Tyson,  a  nob'e  Saxon,  baron  of  Alnwick,  fell  on  the  side  of  Harold  at  the 
battle  of  Hastings.  The  conqueror  bestowed  his  daughter  and  fortune  on  Ivo  de  Vesci. 
In  1310,  a  natural  son  of  one  of  his  descendants  was  left  under  the  guardianship  of  Antony 
Beke,  bishop  of  Durham,  who  betrayed  his  trust,  and  sold  this  barony  to  Henry  lord 
Percy.  The  castle  underwent  two  memorable  sieges.  In  1093,  by  Malcolm  III,  of 
Scotland,  who,  with  his  son  Edward,  lost  their  lives  before  it ;  and  in  1174,  William  I, 
alter  a  fruitless  siege,  was  defeated  and  taken  prisoner  near  the  same  place. 

The  abbey  lay  a  little  north  of  the  town  :  nothing  is  left  but  the  fine  square  gateway.  It 
was  founded  by  Eustace  Fitz  John,  in  1147,  for  Premonstratensian  canons,*  and  at  the 
dissolution  supported  thirteen,  whose  revenues  were  about  1901.  a  year. 

A  stage  further  is  Belibrd,  the  seat  of  Abraham  Dixon,  esq.  a  modern  house  ;  the  front 
has  a  most  beautiful  simplicity  in  it :  the  grounds  improved  as  far  as  the  art  of  husbandry 
can  reach  ;  the  plantations  large  ani  flourishing :  a  new  and  neat  town,  instead  of  the  for- 
mer wretched  cottages,  and  an  industrious  race,  instead  of  an  idle  poor,  at  present  fill  the 
estate. 

On  an  eminence  on  the  sea-coast,  about  four  miles  from  Belford,  is  the  very  ancient 
castle  of  Bamborough,  founded  by  Ida,  first  king  of  the  Northumbrians,  A.  D.  548.  It 
was  called  by  the  Saxons,  Bebbanburh,t  in  honour  of  Bebba,  Ida's  queen.  It  was  at 
first  surrounded  with  a  xyooden  fence,  and  afterwards  with  a  wall.  Ii  had  been  of  great 
strength ;  the  hill  it  is  founded  on  is  excessively  steep  on  all  sides,  and  accessible  only 
by  flights  of  steps  on  the  south-east.  The  ruins  are  still  considerable,  but  many  of  them 
now  filled  with  sand,  caught  up  by  the  winds  which  rage  here  with  great  violence,  and 
carried  to  ver}'  distant  places.  The  remains  of  a  great  hall  are  very  singular ;  it  had 
been  \varmed  by  two  fireplaces  of  a  vast  size,  and  from  the  top  of  every  window  runs 
a  flue,  like  that  of  a  chimney,  which  reached  the  summits  of  the  battlements.  These 
flues  see'n  designed  as  so  many  supernumerary  chimneys,  to  give  vent  to  the  smoke  that 
the  immense  fires  of  those  hospitable  times  filled  the  rooms  with :  halls  smoky,  but  filled 
with  good  cheer,  were  in  those  days  thought  no  inconvenience.  Thus  my  brave  coun- 
try man  Howcl  ap  Rys,  when  his  enemies  had  fired  his  house  about  his  ears,  told  his  people 
to  rise  and  defend  themselves  like  men :  "  For  shame,  for  he  had  knowne  there  as  greate 
a  smoake  in  that  hall  upon  a  Christmas  even."  j: 


•  Tanner,  933. 


t  Saxon  Chr.  19. 


I  Hist.  Gwedir  family,  118. 


PENNANT'S  TOUR  IN  SCOTLAND. 


21 


le  en- 
*rland. 
^on  bjr 
r  halls 
forests 
:  signal 

hall  of 

on  his 
ie  is  at- 

towers 
ements. 
compa* 
ee,  and 
a  word, 
jitesanjr 

d  at  the 
e  Vesci. 
'Antony 
;nry  lord 
1  III,  of 
rilliam  I, 

eway.  It 
^d  at  the 

the  front 
usbandry 
>f  the  for. 
:nt  fill  the 

y  ancient 
548.     It 
[t  was  at 
J  of  great 
jible  only 
y  of  them 
ence,  and 
it  had 
idoW  runs 
These 
(noke  that 
but  fillt;d 
ave  coun- 
his  people 
as  greate 


Bamborough  village  is  now  very  inconsiderable.  It  once  was  a  royal  borough,  and 
sent  two  members :  It  was  even  honoured  with  the  name  of  a  s>hire,  which  gave  name  to  a 
large  tract  extending  southward.  It  had  also  three  religious  foundations  :  a  house  of  friars 
preachers,  founded  by  Henry  111,  a  cell  of  canons  regular,  of  St.  Austin,  and  a  hospital. 

This  castle,  and  the  manor  belonging  to  it,  was  once  the  property  of  the  Forsters ; 
but  (on  the  forfeiture  of  Thomas  Forster,  esq.  in  1715)  purchased  by  Lord  Crew, 
bishop  of  Durham,  and,  with  other  considerable  estates,  left  vested  in  trustees,  to  be 
applied  to  unconfined  charitable  uses.  Three  of  these  trustees  are  a  m;iiority  :  one  of 
them  makes  this  place  his  residence,  and  blesses  the  coast  by  his  judicious  and  humane 
application  of  the  prelate's  generous  bequest.  He  has  repaired  and  rendered  habitable 
the  great  Norman  square  tower :  the  part  reserved  for  himself  and  family  is  a  large  hall 
and  a  few  smaller  apartments ;  but  the  rest  of  the  spacious  edifice  is  allotted  for  pur- 
poses which  make  the  heart  to  glow  with  joy  when  thought  of.  The  upper  part  is  an 
ample  granary,  from  whence  corn  is  dispensed  to  the  poor,  without  distinction,  even  in" 
the  dearest  time,  at  the  rate  of  four  shillings  a  bushel ;  and  the  distressed,  for  many  miles 
round,  often  experience  the  conveniency  of  this  benefaction. 

Other  apartments  arc  fitted  up  for  the  reception  of  shipwrecked  sailors ;  and  bed- 
ding is  provided  for  thirty,  should  such  a  number  happen  to  be  cast  on  shore  at  the  same 
time.  A  constant  patrole  is  kept  every  stormy  night  along  this  tempestuous  coast  for 
above  eight  miles,  the  length  of  the  manor,  by  which  means  numbers  of  lives  have  been 
preserved.  Many  poor  wretches  are  often  found  on  the  shore  in  a  state  of  insensibility ; 
but  by  timely  relief  are  soon  brought  to  themselves. 

It  often  happens,  that  ships  strike  in  such  a  manner  on  the  rocks  as  to  be  capable  of 
relief,  in  case  numbers  of  people  could  be  suddenly  assembled :  for  that  purpose  a  can- 
non* is  fixed  on  the  top  of  the  tower,  which  is  fired  once,  if  the  accident  happens  in 
such  a  quarter;  twice,  if  in  another  ;  and  thrice,  if  in  such  a  place.  By  these  signals 
the  country  people  are  directed  to  the  spot  they  are  to  fly  to;  and  by  this  means 
frequently  preserve  not  only  the  crew,  but  even  the  vessel ;  for  machines  of  different 
kinds  are  always  in  readiness  to  heave  ships  out  of  their  perilous  situation. 

In  a  word,  all  the  schemes  of  this  worthy  trustee  have  a  humane  and  useful  tendency : 
he  seems  as  if  selected  from  his  brethren  for  the  same  purposes  as  Spenser  tells  us  the 
first  of  his  seven  beadsmen  in  the  house  of  holinesse  was. 

The  first  of  them,  that  eldest  was  and  best. 
Of  all  the  house  hadchur^c  und  government, 
As  guardian  and  steward  of  t  he  rest : 
His  office  was  to  give  entenuiuincnt 
And  loilging  unto  all  that  came  and  went : 
Not  unto  sudi  as  could  him  feast  againe 
And  doubly  quite  for  that  he  <)n  them  spent ; 
But  such  aswant  of  harbuui'didconstraine  ; 
Those,  for  God's  sake,  his  duty  was  to  entertaine.t 

Opposite  to  Bamborough  lie  the  Farn  islands,  which  form  two  groupes  of  little  isles 
and  rocks,  to  the  number  of  seventeen,  but  at  low  water  the  points  of  others  appear 
above  the  surface ;  they  are  all  distinguished  by  particular  names.  The  nearest  isle  to  the 
shore  is  that  called  the  House  Island,  which  lies  exactly  one  mile  sixty -eight  chains  from 
the  coast :  the  most  distant  is  about  seven  or  eight  ttiuqs.    They  are  rented  for  161.  per 

*  Once  ViL-longio^^  to  a  Dutch  frigate  of  forty  guii» ;  whicb)  irith>idl  the  creWj  wat  lost  opposite  to  the 
castle  about  sixty  years  ago. 
t  The  Rev.  Thomas  bharpe,  B.  D. 


22 


PENNANT'S  TOUR  IN  SCOTLANB. 


annum :  their  produce  *is  kelp,  some  few  feathers,  and  a  few  seals,  which  the  tenant 
watches  and  shoots  for  the  sake  of  the  oil  and  skins.  Some  of  them  yield  a  little  grass, 
and  serve  to  feed  a  cow  or  two,  which  the  people  are  desperate  enough  to  transport  over 
in  their  little  boats. 

July  15.  Visited  these  islands  in  a  coble,  a  safe  but  seemingly  hazardous  species  of 
boat,  long,  narrow,  and  flat-bottomed,  which  is  capable  of  going  through  a  high  sea, 
dancing  like  a  cork  on  the  summits  of  the  waves. 

Touched  at  the  rock  called  the  Meg,  whitened  with  ihc  dung  of  corvorants,  which 
almost  covered  it ;  their  nests  were  large,  made  of  tang,  and  excessively  foetid. 

Rowed  next  to  the  Pinnacles,  an  isl.ind  in  the  furthest  groupe ;  so  called  from  some 
vast  columnar  rocks  at  the  south  end,  even  at  their  sides,  and  flat  at  their  tops,  and  en- 
tirely covered  with  guillemots  and  shags :  the  fowlers  pass  from  one  to  the  other  of 
these  columns  by  means  of  a  narrow  board,  which  they  place  from  top  to  top,  forming 
a  narrow  bridge,  over  such  a  horrid  gap  that  the  very  ?«ighi  of  it  strikes  one  with  horror. 

Landed  at  a  small  island,  where  we  found  the  female  cider  ducks*  at  that  time  sitting : 
the  lower  part  of  their  nests  was  made  of  sea-plants ;  the  upix;r  part  was  formed  of  the 
down  which  they  pull  off  their  own  breasts,  in  which  the  e^s  were  surrounded  and 
warmly  bedded :  in  some  were  three,  in  others  five  eggs,  of  a  lai^e  size,  and  pale  olive 
colour,  as  smooth  and  glossy  as  if  varnished  over.  The  nests  are  built  on  the  beach, 
among  the  loose  pebbles,  not  fur  from  the  water.  'J'hc  ducks  sit  ver)-  close,  nor  will 
they  rise  till  }ou  almost  tread  on  them.  The  drakes  separate  themselves  from  the  fe- 
males during  the  breeding  season.  We  robbed  a  few  of  their  nests  of  the  down,  and 
after  carefully  separating  it  from  the  tang,  fouiul  thai  the  down  of  one  nest  weighed  only 
three  quarters  of  an  ounce,  but  was  so  elastic  as  to  fill  the  crown  of  the  lar^st  hat.  The 
people  of  this  country  call  these  St.  Cuthbert's  ducks,  from  the  saint  of  the  islands.! 

Besides  these  birds,  I  observed  the  following:  puflins,  here  called  torn  noddies,  auks, 
here  skouts,  guillemots,  black  guillemots,  little  auks,  shiel  clucks,  shags,  corvorants, 
black  and  white  gull-.,  brown  and  white  giills,  herring  gulls,  which  I  was  told  fed  some- 
times on  eggs  of  other  birds,  ?"nmon  gulls,  here  annets,  kittiwakes  or  tarrocks,  pewit 
gulls,  great  terns,  sea  pies,  sea  larks,  here  brokels,  jackda>vs  which  breed  in  rabbit-holes, 
rock  pidgeons,  rock  lurks. 

The  terns  were  so  numerous,  that  in  some  places  it  was  difficult  to  tread  without 
crushing  some  of  the  eggs. 

The  last  isle  I  visited  was  the  House  Island,  the  sequestered  spot  where  St.  Cuthbert 
passed  'he-  two  last  years  of  his  life,  here  was  afterward  established  a  priory  of  Bene- 
dictine*^ for  six  or  eight  monks  subordinate  to  Durham.  A  square  tower,  the  remains 
of  a  tiurch,  and  some  other  buildings,  are  to  be  seen  there  still ;  and  a  stotte  coffin, 
w*^  xh,  it  is  pretended,  was  that  of  St.  Cuthbert.  At  the  north  end  of  the  isle  is  a  deep 
c  lasm,  from  the  top  to  the  bottom  of  the  rock,  communicating  to  the  sea,  through  which, 
in  tempestuous  weather,  the  water  is  forced  with  vast  violence  and  noise,  and  forms  a  fine 
jet  d'eau  of  sixty  feet  high :  it  is  called  by  the  inhabitants  of  the  opposite  coast  the 
ChurIK 

Reached  shore  through  a  most  turbulent  rippling,  occasioned  by  the  fierce  current  ot 
the  tides  between  the  islands  and  the  coast. 

*  Vide  Br.  Z'^nl.  ii.  No.  271.  I  have  been  informed  that  they  also  breed  on  Inch-Colm,  in  the  Firth 
of  Forth. 

1 1  must  here  acknowledge  my  oblig;ationa  to  Joseph  Banks,  esq  who,  previous  to  his  circumnavigation, 
liberally  permitted  my  artist  to  take  copies  of  his  valuable  coUecUon  of  Zoologic  drawings ;  amongst 
others,  those  of  the  eider  ducks. 


kvigation, 
amongst 


PENNANT'S  TOUR  IN  SCOTLAND.  ^3 

July  17.  Pursurd  my  journey  northward.  Saw  at  a  distance  the  Cheviot  hills ; 
on  which,  I  was  informed,  the  ga-en  plovers  breed ;  and  that,  during  winter.  Bocks  in- 
numcral)le  of  the  great  bramblings,  or  snow-flakes,  appear ;  the  most  southern  place  of 
their  migration  in  large  companies. 

The  country  almost  woodless,  there  being  but  one  wood  of  any  consequence  between 
Bedford  and  Berwick.  Saw  on  the  left  another  ancient  tower,  which  shewed  the  cha- 
racter of  the  times,  when  it  was  unhappily  necessary,  on  these  borders,  for  every  house 
to  be  a  fortress. 

On  the  right,  had  a  view  of  the  sea,  and,  not  remote  froir  the  land  of  Lindesfarn, 
or  Holy  Island,  once  an  episcopal  see,  afterwards  translated  to  Durham.  On  it  arc 
the  ruins  of  a  castle  and  a  church.  Mr.  Grose  haa  given  an  entertaining  and  ample 
history  of  the  place :  and  has  informed  me,  that  the  ruins  are  fine  remains  of  the  Saxon 
massy  architecture.  Its  first  bishop  was  Aidun,  in  635.  In  some  parts  of  the  island  are 
abundance  of  entrochi,  which  are  called  by  the  country  people  St.  Cuihbert's  beads. 

After  a  few  miles  riding,  have  a  full  view  of  Berwick,  and  the  river  Tweed  winding 
westward  for  a  considerable  way  up  the  country  ;  bui  its  banks  are  without  any  particu> 
lar  charms,*  beiug  almost  wootlless.  The  river  is  broad,  and  has  over  it  a  bridge  of 
sixteen  very  handsome  arches  especially  two  next  the  town. 

Berwick  is  fortified  in  the  modern  way ;  but  is  much  contracted  in  its  extent  to 
what  it  was  formerly  ;  the  old  castle  and  works  now  lying  at  some  distance  beyond  the 
present  ramparts,  '"he  barracks  are  large,  and  consist  of  a  centre  and  two  wings. 
On  the  cession  of  this  place  as  one  of  the  securities  for  the  payment  of  the  ransom  of 
William  I,  of  Scotland  (accoiding  to  the  Polychronicon  of  Durham,  quoted  by  Cam- 
den) the  castle  (now  a  ruin)  was  built  by  Henry  II.  That  politic  prince  knew  the 
importance  of  this  key  to  the  two  kingdoms.  I  imagine  it  had  been  little  under- 
stood before  the  reign  of  his  illustrious  prisoner :  for  about  seventy  years  preceding, 
Edgar,  one  of  his  predecessors,  had  presented  this  place,  with  the  lands  of  Coldingham, 
to  the  abbey  of  Durham.f  From  the  time  of  its  cessicm  to  the  Scots  by  Richard  I, 
it  for  near  three  centuries  became  an  ot^ect  of  contention  between  the  two  nations : 
but  in  1482,  the  last  year  of  Edward  IV,  wis  finally  wrested  from  Scotland.  By  a 
convention  between  Edward  VI,  and  the  Q  aern  Regent,^  it  was  declared  a  free  town, 
if  so  it  could  be  called  while  the  garrison  ar,d  castle  remained  in  the  power  of  the 
English.  James  I,  of  England,  confirmed  to  it  the  privileges  granted  to  it  by  Edward 
IV.  It  remained  a  place  independent  of  both  kingdoms,  under  its  proper  jurisdiction, 
till  1747,  when  the  legislature  annexed  it  to  England.  The  lands  belonging  to  it,  or 
what  are  called  Berwick  Bounds,  are  about  8000  acres. 

The  reli^ous  had  five  convents,  all  founded  by  the  Scottish  monarchs.  Here  were 
Mathurines,  Dominicans,  and  Franciscans,  and  two  nunneries,  one  of  Benedictines, 
another  of  Cistertians.^  The  church  was  built  by  Cromwell,  and,  according  to  the 
spirit  of  the  builder,  without  a  steeple.  Even  in  Northumberland  (towards  the  bor- 
ders)  the  steeples  grow  less  and  less,  and,  as  it  were,  forewarned  the  traveller  that  he 
was  speedily  to  take  leave  of  episcopacy.  The  town-house  has  a  large  and  handsome 
modem  tower  to  it :  the  streets  in  general  are  narrow  and  bad,  except  that  in  which 
the  town-house  stands. 

Abundance  of  wool  is  exported  from  this  town  :  eg^s  In  vast  abundance,  col- 
lected through  all  the  country,   almost  as   far   as  Carlisle  :    they  are  packed  up  in 

*  The  beautiful  banks  of  tlie  Tweed  verify  the  old  song  from  Metros  to  Coldstream, 
t  Anderson's  Diplom.  No.  IV.  4  Kymer.  XV,  265. 

$  Keith,  243,  270,  274,  280,  281. 


94 


PENNANT'S  TOUR  IN  SCOTLAND. 


boxes,  with  the  thick  end  downwards,  and  are  sent  to  London  for  the  use  of  sugar 
retiners. 

The  salmon  fisheries  here  arc  very  considerable,  and  likewise  bring  in  vast  sums ; 
they  lie  on  each  side  tlu^  river,  and  are  all  private  property,  except  those  belonging  to 
the  dean  and  chapter  of  Durham,  which,  in  rent  and  tvthe  of  fish,  bring  in  4501.  per 
ann.  for  all  the  other  fisheries  are  liable  to  tythe.  The  common  rents  of  those  arc 
501.  a  year,  for  which  tenants  have  as  much  shore  as  serves  to  launch  out  and  draw 
their  nets  on  shore  :  the  limits  of  each  are  staked  ;  and  1  observed  that  the  fishers  never 
Tailed  going  us  near  as  possible  to  their  neighbour's  limitH.  One  man  goes  off  in  a 
small  flat-bdttomed  boat,  square  at  one  end,  and  taking  as  large  a  circuit  as  his  net  ad- 
mits, brings  it  on  shore  at  the  extremity  of  his  boundary,  where  others  assist  in  landing 
it.  The  best  fishery  is  on  the  south  side  :  *  very  fine  salmon  trout  are  often  taken  here, 
which  come  up  to  spawn  from  the  sea,  aiid  return  in  the  same  manner  as  the  salmon  do. 
The  chief  import  is  timber  from  Norway  and  the  Baltic. 

Almost  immediately  on  leaving  Berwick,  enter 

SCOTLAND, 

in  the  shire  of  Merch,  or  Mers.  f  A  little  way  from  Berwick,  on  the  west,  is  Halydon- 
iiill,  famous  for  the  overthrow  of  the  Scots,  under  the  regent  Douglas,  by  Edward  II, 
on  the  attempt  of  the  former  to  raise  the  siege  of  the  to^vn.  A  cruel  action  blasted 
tk  laurels  of  the  conqueror  :  Seton,  the  deputy  governor,:!:  stipulated  to  surrender  in 
fifteen  days,  if  not  relieved  in  that  time,  and  gave  his  son  as  hostage  for  the  perform- 
ance. The  time  elapsed  ;  Seton  refused  to  execute  the  agreement,  and  with  a  Roman 
unfeelingness  beheld  the  unhappy  yuudi  hung  before  the  walls. 

The  entrance  into  Scotland  has  a  very  unpromising  look ;  for  it  wanted,  for  some 
miles,  the  cultivation  of  the  parts  more  distant  from  England :  but  the  borders  were 
necessarily  neglected  ;  for,  till  the  accession  of  James  VI,  and  even  long  after,  the  na- 
tional enmity  was  kept  up,  and  the  borders  of  both  countries  discouraged  from  im- 
provements by  the  barbarous  inroads  of  each  nation.  This  inattention  to  agriculture 
contini?'"5  till  lately  ;  but  on  reaching  the  small  village  of  Eytown,  the  scene  was  greatly 
altered ;  the  wretched  cottages,  or  rather  hovels,  of  the  country  were  vanishing ;  good 
comfortable  houses  arise  in  their  stead ;  the  lands  are  enclosing,  and  yield  very  good 
barley,  oats,  and  clover ;  the  banks  are  planting :  I  speak  in  the  present  tense ;  for 
there  is  still  a  mixture  of  the  old  negligence  left  amidst  the  recent  improvements,  which 
look  like  the  works  of  a  new  colony,  in  a  wretched  impoverished  country. 

Soon  after  the  country  relapses ;  no  arable  land  is  seen ;  but  for  four  or  five  miles 
succeeds  the  black  joyless  heathy  moor  of  Coldingham :  happily,  this  is  the  whole  spe- 
cimen that  remains  of  the  many  miles,  which,  not  many  years  ago,  were  in  the  same 
dreary  unprofitable  state.  Near  this  was  the  convent  of  that  name,  immortalized  by 
the  heroism  of  its  nuns ;  who,  to  preserve  themselves  inviolate  from  the  Danes,  cut 
off"  their  lips  and  noses ;  and  thus  rendering  themselves  objects  of  horror,  were,  in 
870,  with  their  abbess  Ebba,  burnt  in  the  monastery  by  the  disappointed  savages.  In 
1216,  it  was  burnt  again  by  king  John,  in  an  inroad  little  less  cruel. 

•  For  a  fuller  account  of  this  fishery,  vide  British  Zoology,  III,  No.  153.  To  it  may  also  be 
added,  that  in  the  middle  of  the  river,  not  a  mile  west  of  the  town,  is  a  large  stone,  on  which  a 
man  is  placed,  to  observe  what  is  called  the  reck  of  the  salmon  coming  up. 

t  Boethius  says,  that  in  his  time  bustards  were  found  in  this  county ;  but  they  are  now  extir- 
pated :  but  the  historian  calls  them  gustardes.    D^sc.  Scot.  7. 

t  Keith,  the  governor,  having  a  little  before  left  the  place,  in  order  to  excite  Archibald  Douglas, 
regent  of  Scotland,  to  attempt  to  nuse  the  siege. 


ji 


"it"*'-?**^  *»'»*"—*S»ff 


I  also  be 
rhich  a 

exttr- 

)ouglaS) 


PENNANT'S  TOra  IN  SCOTLAND. 


25 


This  nunnery  was  the  oldest  in  Scotland.  For  in  this  place  the  virgin-wife  Ethtl- 
drcda  took  the  veil  in  670 :  but  by  the  ancient  name,  Coludum,*  it  should  seem  that 
it  had  before  been  inhabited  by  the  religious  called  Culdees.  Alter  its  destruction  by 
the  Danes,  it  lay  deserted  till  the  year  1098,  when  Edgar  founded  on  its  site  a  priory 
of  Benedictines,  in  honour  of  St.  Cuthbert ;  and  bestowed  it  on  the  monks  of  Durham, 
with  all  lands,  waters,  wrecks,  &c.t 

At  the  end  of  the  moor  came  at  once  in  sight  of  the  Firth  of  Forth,  the  Boderia  ol 
Ptolemy ;  J  a  most  extensive  prospect  of  the  great  arm  of  the  sea,  of  the  rich  country 
of  ]*Last  Lothian,  the  Bass  Isle  ;  and  at  a  distance  the  isle  of  May,  the  coast  of  the  county 
of  Fife,  and  the  country  as  far  as  Montrose. 

After  going  down  a  long  descent,  dine  at  Old  Cambus,  at  a  mean  house  in  a  poor 
village ;  where  I  believe  the  lord  of  the  soil  is  often  execrated  by  the  weary  traveller, 
for  not  enabling  the  tenant  to  furnish  more  comfortable  accommodations  in  so  con- 
siderable a  thoroughfare.  I  have  been  told  by  an  anonymous  correspondent,^  that  the 
proper  name  of  this  place  is  Alt  Camus,  or  the  place  where  a  rivulet  falls  into  a  bay. 
He  also  added,  that  a  good  inn  has  of  late  years  been  built  about  a  mile  eastward  of  the 
place. 

The  country  becomes  now  extremely  fine  ;  bounded  at  a  distance,  on  one  side,  by 
hills,  on  the  other  by  the  sea :  the  intervening  space  is  as  rich  a  tract  of  corn  land  as 
I  ever  saw ;  for  East  Lothian  is  the  Northamptonshire  of  North  Britain  :  the  land  is  in 
many  places  manured  with  sea  tang ;  but  I  was  informed  that  the  barley  produced 
from  it  is  much  lighter  than  barley  from  other  manure. 

On  the  side  of  the  hills,  on  the  left,  is  sir  John  Hall's,  of  Dunglas  ;  a  fine  situation, 
with  beautiful  plantations.  Pass  by  Broxmouth,  a  large  house  of  the  duke  of  Roxburgh, 
in  a  low  spot,  with  great  woods  surrounding  it.    Reach 

Dunbar :  the  chief  street  broad  and  handsome  ■  the  houses  built  of  stone  ;  as  is  the  - 
case  with  most  of  the  towns  in  Scotland.  There  are  some  ships  sent  annually  from  this 
place  to  Greenland,  and  the  exports  of  corn  are  pretty  considerable.  The  harbour  is 
safe,  but  small ;  its  entrance  narrow,  and  bounded  by  two  rocks.  Between  the  har- 
bour and  the  castle  is  a  very  surprising  stratum  of  stone,  in  some  respects  resembling 
that  of  the  Giant's  Causeway  in  Ireland :  it  consists  of  great  columns  of  a  red  grit 
stone,  either  triangular,  quadrangular,  pentangular,  or  hexangular;  their  diameter 
from  one  to  two  feet,  their  length  at  low  water  thirty,  dipping  or  inclining  a  little  to 
the  south. 

They  are  jointed;  but  not  so  regularly,  or  so  plainly,  as  those  that  form  the  Giant's 
Causeway.  The  surface  of  several  that  had  been  torn  off  appear  as  a  pavement  of 
numbers  of  convex  ends,  probably  answering  to  the  concave  bottoms  of  other  joints 
once  incumbent  on  them.  The  space  between  the  columns  was  filled  with  thin  septa 
of  red  and  white  sparry  matter,  and  veins  of  the  same  pervaded  the  columns  trans- 
versely. This  range  of  columns  faces  the  north,  with  a  point  to  the  east,  and  extends 
in  front  alx>ut  two  hundred  yards.  The  breadth  is  inconsiderable  :  the  rest  of  the  rock 
degenerates  into  sha^ieless  masses  of  the  same  sort  of  stone,  irregularly  divided  by  thick 
septa.     This  rock  is  called  by  the  people  of  Dunbar,  the  Isle. 

«  Bede,  lib.  iv.  c.  19.  f  Anderson's  Dipl.  No.  IV. 

\  Bodotria  of  Tacitus,  who  describes  the  two  Firths  of  Clyde  and  Forth,  and  the  intervening  isthmus, 
with  much  propriety ;  speaking  of  the  fourth  summer  Agricola  had  passed  in  Britain,  and  how  conve- 
nient he  found  thisnarrow  tract  for  shutting  out  the  enemy  by  his  fortresses,  he  says,  Nam,  Glota  (iMrth 
of  Clyde)  et  Bodotria)  diversi  maris  aestu  per  immensum  revecti,  angusto  terrarum  spatto  dirimuntiu-. 
Vlt.  Agr.  $  Sent  to  me  by  post,  without  date  of  time  or  place. 

VOL.    III.  E 


26 


PENNANT'S  TOUR  IN  SCOTLAND 


Opposite  are  the  ruins  of  the  castle,  seated  on  a  rock  above  the  sea ;  underneath 
one  part  is  a  vast  cuvern,  composed  of  a  black  and  red  stone,  wluch  gives  it  u  most 
infernal  appearance ;  a  fit  representation  of  the  pit  of  Acheron,  and  wanted  only  to  be 
peopled  with  witches  to  make  the  scene  cornplete ;  it  ..ppears  to  have  been  the  dim- 
geon,  there  being  a  formed  passage  from  above,  where  the  poor  prisoners  might  have 
been  let  down,  according  to  the  barbarous  custom  of  war  in  early  days.  There  are 
in  some  parts,  where  the  rock  did  not  close,  the  remains  of  walls,  for  the  openings 
arc  only  natural  fissures ;  but  the  founders  of  the  castle,  taking  advantage  of  this 
cavity,  adding  a  little  art  to  it,  rendered  it  a  most  complete  and  secure  pri. 
son. 

On  the  other  side  arc  two  natural  arches,  through  which  the  tide  flowed ;  under 
one  was  a  fragment  of  wall,  where  there  seems  to  have  been  a  portal  for  the  admission 
of  men  or  provisions  from  sea  :  through  which  it  is  probable  that  Alexander  Ramsay, 
in  a  stormy  night,  reinforced  the  garrison,  in  spite  of  the  fleet  which  lay  before  the 
place,  when  closely  besieged  by  the  English,  m  1337,  and  gallantly  defended  for 
nineteen  weeks  by  that  heroine  Black  Agnes,  countess  of  March.* 

Through  one  of  these  arches  was  a  most  picturesque  view  of  the  Bass  Isle,  with 
the  sun  setting  in  full  splendor ;  through  the  other,  of  the  May  island,  gilt  by  its 
beams. 

Over  the  ruins  of  a  window  were  the  three  legs,  or  arms  of  the  Isle  of  Man,  a  lion 
rampant,  and  a  St.  Andrew'.-*  cross. 

In  the  church  is  the  magnificent  monument  of  Sir  George  Hume,  earl  of  Dunbar, 
the  worthiest  and  best  Scotch  minister  of  James  VI,  till  he  chose  his  favourites  for 
their  personal,  instead  of  their  intellectual  accomplishments :  moderate,  prudent,  and 
successful  in  the  management  of  the  Scotch  affairs :  and,  as  Spotswood  remarks, 
"a  man  of  deep  wit,  few  words,  and  in  his  majesty's  service  no  less  faithful  than  for- 
tunate  :  the  most  difficile  affairs  he  compassed  without  any  noise  ;  and  never  returned 
when  he  was  employed  without  the  work  performed  that  he  was  sent  to  do :"  to  his 
honour,  he  recommended  the  temperate,  firm,  and  honest  Abbot  to  the  see  of  Canter- 
bury, and  by  his  assistance  gave  peace  to  the  church  of  Scotland,  too  soon  interrupted 
by  their  deaths.  Dunbar's  merit  is  evident ;  for  the  weaknesses  and  the  infamy  of  his 
masters's  reign  did  not  commence  during  the  period  of  his  power. 

The  monument  is  a  large  and  beautiful  structure  of  marble,  decorated  with  arms, 
figures,  and  fluted  pillars.  The  tarl  is  represented  in  armour,  kneeling,  with  a  cloak 
hanging  loosely  on  him.  The  inscription  imports  no  more  than  his  titles,  and  the  day  of 
his  death,  January  29th,  1610. 

Near  this  town  were  fought  two  battles  fatal  to  the  Scots.  The  first  in  1296 ; 
when  the  earls  of  Surrey  and  Warwick,  generals  of  Edward  I,  defeated  the  army  of 
Baliol,  took  the  castle,  and  delivered  the  nobility  they  found  in  it  to  the  English  monarch, 
who,  with  his  usual  cruelty,  devoted  them  all  to  death. 

The  other  was  the  celebrated  victory  of  Cromwell,  in  1650 ;  when  the  covenanting 
army  chose  rather  to  fight  under  the  direction  of  the  ministers  than  the  command  of 
their  generals ;  and  the  event  was  correspondent.  These  false  prophets  gave  the  troops 
assurance  of  victory  ;  and  many  of  them  fell  in  the  fight  with  the  lying  spirit  in  their 
mouths.     Cromwell  had  the  appearance  of  enthusiasm ;  they  the  reality ;  for  when  the 


*  Buchanan,  lib.  ix.  c.  2s.  The  English  were  obliged  to  desist  from  their  enterprize.  Agnes  was 
eldest  daughter  of  Sir  Thomas  Randal,  of  Stradown,  earl  of  Murraj',  and  nephew  to  Robert  Bruce.  She 
was  called  Black  Agnes,  says  Robert  Lindesay,  because  she  was  black- skinned. 


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111 


FKNMANT'S  TOUR  IN  SCOTlANO 


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ii'.t 


artful  usurper  saw  their  troops  descend  from  the  heights,  from  whence  they  mif»ht  wiiliait 
a  blow  have  starved  the  whole  Ktiglish  army,  he,  with  a  uell-foundcd  coiif.'J'.'nct,  ck 
claimed,  the  Lord  hath  delivered  them  into  our  hands.  Cromwcil  at  that  in< 
stant  was  in  the  situation  of  Hannibal  before  the  battle  of  Caima;.  The  exultation 
of  the  Carthaginian  was  the  same,  delivered  indeed  by  his  historian  with  greater 
eloquence.* 

But  the  caslle  has  been  the  scene  of  very  different  transactions.  In  15ti7  it  was  in 
possession  of  the  infamous  carl  Bothwell,  who  here  conunitted  the  simuliicd  oiifr;ij,jo 
on  the  person  of  the  fair  Mary  Stuart ;  she  certainly  seems  to  have  had  foicknuwl.  \-*r- 
of  the  violence ;  and  the  affront  she  sustained  was  but  a  pignus  direptum  male  perti'u  ni. 
Here  also  the  earl  retreated,  after  being  given  up  by  his  mistress  at  the  capitulation  ol 
Carbcrry.hill ;  and  from  hence  he  took  his  departure  for  his  long,  but  mcriccd,  misery. 

In  this  town  was  a  convent  of  Mathurines,  founded  by  Patrick  earl  of  Dunbar  and 
March,  in  1218 ;  and  another  of  Carmelites  or  White  Friars,  in  1263. 

July  18.  Rode  within  sight  of  Tantallon  castle,  row  a  wretched  ruin  ;  once  the  scat 
of  the  powerful  Archibald  Douglas,  earl  of  Angus,  which  for  some  time  resisted  all  llii 
efforts  of  James  V,  to  subdue  it. 

A  little  further,  about  a  mile  from  the  shore,  lies  the  Bass  Island,  or  rather  rock,  ol 
a  most  stupendous  height;  on  the  south  side  die  top  appears  of  a  conic  shape,  but  th<- 
othcr  overhangs  the  sea  in  a  most  tremendous  manner.  The  casUo,  which  was  onc( 
the  state  prison  of  Scotland,  is  now  neglected  :  it  lies  close  to  the  edge  of  the  precipice, 
facing  the  little  village  of  CasUeton  ;  where  I  took  boat,  in  order  to  visit  this  singulm 
spot ;  but  the  weather  proved  unfavourable ;  the  wind  blew  so  fresh,  and  the  w.ncs 
ran  so  high,  that  it  was  impossible  to  attempt  landing  ;  for  even  in  calmer  weather  i*^^ 
cannot  be  done  without  hazard,  there  being  a  steep  rock  to  ascend,  and  commonly  :i 
great  swell,  which  often  removes  the  boat,  while  you  arc  scaling  tlie  precipice  ;  so,  in 
case  of  a  false  step,  there  is  the  chance  of  falling  into  a  water  almost  unfathomable. 

My  anonymous  friend  tells  me  that  this  rock  has  the  appearance  of  being  volcanic, 
and  that  it  consists  of  two  masses  cast  up  together,  but  so  irregularly  joined,  that  he 
knew  a  person  who  some  years  ago  had  actually  crept  through  the  passage  which  ran 
from  north  to  south. 

Various  sorts  of  waterfowl  repair  annually  to  this  rock  to  breed  ;  but  none  in  greater 
numbers  than  the  gannets,  or  Soland  geese,  multitudes  of  which  were  then  sitting  on 
their  nests  near  the  sloping  part  of  the  isle,  and  others  flying  over  our  boat :  it  is  not 
permitted  to  shoot  at  them,  the  place  being  farmed,  principally  on  account  of  the  profit 
arising  from  the  sale  of  the  young  of  these  birds,  and  of  the  kittiwake,  a  species  of  gull, 
so  called  from  its  cry.  The  first  are  sold  at  Edinburgh!  for  twenty  pence  a  piece,  and 
served  up  roasted  a  little  before  dinner.  This  h  the  only  kind  of  provision  whose  price 
has  not  been  advanced ;  for  we  Jearn  from  Mr.  Ray,  that  it  was  equally  dear  above  a  cen- 
tury ago.!  It  is  unnecessary  to  say  more  of  this  singular  bird,  as  it  has  been  very  fully 
treated  of  in  the  second  volume  of  the  British  Zoology. 

With  much  difficulty  landed  at  North  Berwick,  three  miles  distant  from  Castlcton, 
the  place  we  intended  to  return  to.     The  first  is  a  small  town  pleasantly  seated  near  a 

•PolybiuB,,lib.  in.c.23.  •:'"  ,v  fi^"'  " 

t  Solan  Goose.  There  is  to  be  sold  by  John  Watson,  jun.  at  his  stand  at  the  Poultry,  Edinburgh,  all 
lawful  days  in  the  week,  wind  and  weather  serving,  good  and  fresh  Solan  geese.  Any  wlio  have  occasion 
for  the  same  may  have  them  at  reasonable  rates. 

Aug.  5,  1768.  ,  Edinburi^h  Mvertixc>\ 

\  Ray's  Itineraries,  192. 

E  2 


'^8 


I'KNNANT'S  TOUIl  IN  SCOTLAND. 


::  I 


<j  t 


hi^Mi  conic  hill,  partly  planted  with  trees :  it  is  seen  at  a  preat  distance,  and  is  called 
North  Berwick  Law :  a  name  given  to  bcvcral  other  high  hills  in  this  pari  of  the 
island* 

Pass  through  AbU  rladic  and  Preston  Pans :  the  last  takes  its  name  from  its  salt  pans, 
there  Ik  inj;  a  considerable  work  of  that  article  ;  alw  another  of  vitriol.  Saw  at  a  small 
distance  the  fieUI  of  battle,  or  rather  of  carnage,  known  by  the  name  of  the  battle  of  Prcs- 
ton  Pans,  where  thcreljcls  gave  a  lesson  of  severity,  which  was  more  than  retaliated  the 
following  spring  at  Ciilloden.  Observed,  in  this  day's  ride  (I  forget  the  ipot)  Seaton, 
the  once  prin(  ely  scat  of  the  earl  of  Wintoun,  now  t(  ruin;  judicioualy  left  in  loAt  state, 
as  .1  proper  remembrance  of  the  sad  fate  of  those  who  engage  in  rebtlKqus  poUtici. 

Pinkie  and  Carberry-hill  lie  a  little  west  of  the  road,  a  few  miles  horn  Edinburgh; 
each  uf  them  famed  in  history.  The  first  noted  Tor  the  fatal  overthrow  of  the  Scots 
under  their  regent,  the  earl  of  Arran,  oil  September  the  10ih«  1547t  by  the  protector, 
dnkc  of  Somerset.  Ten  thousand  Scots  fell  that  dav  :  and  by  this  rough  courtship, 
M.iry  Sui.irt,  then  in  her  minority,  was  frightened  into  the  arAis  of  the  Dauphin  of 
Kr;ince,  instead  of  sharing  the  crown  of  CngUnd  with  her  amiable  cousin  Edward  VI. 
Twenty  years  after,  Carberry-hill  proved  a  spot  btill  more  pregnant  with  misfortunes  to 
•ITh  imprudent  princess.  Her  army,  in  1567,  occupied  the  very  camp  powcssed  by  the 
iMiglish  before  the  battle  of  Pinkie.  Here,  with  tKe  profligate  Botbwell,  ilht^  |t)ped  to 
make  a  stand  against  Iter  insurgent  nol>les.  Her  forces,  terrified  with  the  bndfijilli  of  the 
cause,  declined  the  fight.  She  surrendered  to  the  confederates ;  V^hilehcr  huiband,  by 
the  connivance  of  Morton  and  others,  partakers  of  his  crimesif  retire,  and.omped  his 
merited  punishment.  ^  'T/''^ 

At  Musselburgh,  cross  the  Esk  near  its  mouth.  There  are'gteBt||lrks.oCi>iprove- 
tnent  on  approaching  the  capital ;  the  roads  good,  the  (rOuntry^ very  nmlQiltii  liumbers 
of  niannfactuies  carried  on,  and  the  prospect  embellished  with  gontkimpp.al«fi|«.^  Reaci; 

Kdinl)urgh.*  A  city  that  possesses  a  boldness  and  gnmdeur  of  si«ba^i^>)|j^nd  any 
that  I  had  ever  seen.  It  is  built  on  the  edges  and  sides  of  a  vast  slopipg  i*9ic|lf^bf  a  great 
and  precipitous  height  at  the  upper  extremity,  and  the  sides  decliiiiHig  viijrVqlkick  and 
bt(e[)  into  the  plain.  The  view  of  the  houses  at  a  distance  strikes  tnelravelfer  with 
wonder ;  tl^eir  own  loftiness,  improved  by  their  almost  •  serial  sittjption,  git^thdri  a  look 
of  nuigiiific(Mice  not  to  be  found  in  any  other  part  bf'Oreat  Brkain^  .^;ra<ii>e  con- 
spicuous  buildings  form  the  upper  part  of  the  greit  street,  are^of  aionex^andattlbe  a  hand- 
some appearance  ;  they  are  generally  six  or  sev^fn  Btori«;&  t^t-ln  frcM^^  '^  b)f  reason 
of  the  declivity  of  the  hill,  much  higher  backwaf^f  one  in  pi^nlar^ciaHedBN^el,  had 
abijut  twelve  or  thirteen  stories,  before  the  fire  irtl7(X>,  bi^ts  no«v;reduc|^     ten  or 

eleven.     Every  house  has  a  common  staircase  — ^ ■i^-.-ii  »-'  -^t^^  t^i-i2A!r__  _r  _ 

separate  family.     The  inconvenience  of  this  pa 

notwithstanding  the  utmost  attention,  in  the  article  of  dMJ^iness,  U 

The  common  complaint  of  the  streets  of  Edinburgh  ii^WW'tateDJ^ 

of  the  magistrates,t  and  their  severity  against  any  thaCb|lpn4  in ' 

must  be  observed,  that  this  unfortunate  species 

icnce  of  the  times  in  which  it  was  in  vogue ;  evei 


served. 
,  vigilance 
degree.  { 


the  turbu- 
|lE#t»nftas  near 


■•■-»;, 


tot  the  clMitllw  ^aii'^reBent  it 


*  Known  throughout  the  IIiRblands  by  the  nank  t3v^' 

t  The  streets  are  cleaned  early  every  morning.    Owi 
's  rented  for  four  or  five  hundred  pounds  per  WMmittiV'''*f' 

t  lo  the  closes,  or  allies,  the  inhabitants  are  verf  aM  t|rttngr<tflt  thlir  ikth,  kc' ^iflMJ^^lw^rding  who 
passes ;  but  the  sufferer  may  call  every  inhabitant  of  the  ahtiie  ii^adaw  ftmn  taaceniBli)  aiyniake  there 
prove  the  delinquent,  who  is  always  punished  with  a  heavy  fine. 


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*,3SUi.^-  ,^<   .'r^J        nt  fijf«*'*?««#'» 


fr.N'NANT'S  Torn  IV  SrOTLAM) 


» 


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¥ 


r  ■■' 


».    4    ,j. 


|.:. 

■^i* 


.IS  |X)Wil)lc  to  the  protection  of  the  castle  ;  the  houseH  were  croudcd  togc'htr,  ai\(l,  \  ma) 
Hay,  piled  one  upon  another,  im  rely  on  the  principle  of  security. 


The  ea*»tle  in  ancient,  hut  Jitron^;,  placed  on  the  summit  of  the  hill,  at  the  ed>i;e  of  u 

c  shewn 
StotH  was  delivered  of  James  VI. 


very  deep  precipice.     Strangers  arc 


u  very  small  room,  in  which  Mary  ()uecii  of 


Fioni  this  fortress  is  a  full  view  of  the  city  and  its  environs;  a  strauj^  prosi)Cct  of 
rich  country,  with  vast  rocks  and  mountains  intermixed.  (Jn  the  !iouth  and  cast  are  the 
meadows,  or  the  public  walks,  Herriul'H  Hospital,  part  of  the  town  overshadowed  by 
the  stujHndous  rocks  of  Arthur's  Seat  and  Salusbury  Craigs,  the  Pentland  hills  at  a  few- 
miles  distance,  and  at  a  still  greater,  those  of  Muirfuot,  whose  sides  are  covered  with 
verdant  turf. 

To  the  north  is  u  full  view  of  the  Firtli  of  Forth,  from  Queen's  Ftrry  to  its  mouth, 
with  its  southern  banks  covered  with  towns  and  villages.  On  the  whole,  the  prusiKct  is 
singular,  various  and  fine. 

The  reservoir  of  water*  for  supplying  the  city  lies  in  the  Castle* street,  and  is  well 
worth  seeing ;  the  great  cistern  contains  near  two  hundred  and  thirty  tons  of  water, 
which  is  conveyed  to  the  several  conduits,  that  arc  disposed  at  proper  distances  in  thr 
principal  streets;   these  are  conveniences  that  few  towns  in  North  Britain  arc  without. 

On  the  south  side  of  the  High-street,  is  the  parliament  Close,  u  small  square,  in 
which  is  the  Parliament  House,  where  the  courts  of  justice  are  held.  Below  stairs  is 
the  Advocates'  library,  frjunded  by  sir  George  Mackenzie,  and  now  contains  ibove 
thirty  thousand  volumes,  and  several  manuscripts  :  among  the  more  curious  are  the  Tour 
Evangelists,  very  legil)lc.  notwithstanding  it  is  said  to  be  several  hundred  years  old. 

St.  Jerome's  bible,  wrote  about  the  year  1100. 

A  Malabar  book,  written  on  leaves  of  plants. 

A  Turkish  manuscript,  ilhmiinatcd  in  some  parts  like  a  missal.  FJogium  in  sultan 
Morad  filium  lilii  Soliman  Turcici.  Script.  Constantinopoli.     Anno  Hegirie,  VV2. 

Cartularies,  or  records  of  the  monasteries,  some  very  ancient.  , 

A  very  large  Bible,  bound  in  four  volumes  ;  illustrated  with  scripture  prints,  by  the 
first  engravers,  pasted  in,  and  collected  at  u  vast  «xpence.  'J'here  are  besides  great 
numbers  of  antiquities,  not  commonly  shewn,  except  inquired  after. 

The  Luckenbooth  row,  which  contains  die  Tolbooth,  or  city  prison  ;  and  the  weigh- 
ing-house,  which  brings  in  a  revenue  of  5001.  per  aimum,  stands  in  the  middle  of  the 
High-street,  aiul,  with  the  guardhouse,  contributes  to  spoil  as  fine  a  street  as  most  in 
liuropc,  being  in  some  parts  eighty  feet  wide,  and  finely  built. 

The  exchange  is  a  handsome  modern  building,  in  which  is  the  custom  house  :  the 
first  is  of  no  use  in  its  proper  character ;  for  the  merchants  always  choose  standing  in  the 
open  street,  exposed  to  all  kinds  of  weather. 

The  old  c.uhedral  is  now  called  the  New  Church,  and  is  divided  into  four  places  of 
worship;  ia  one  the  lords  of  the  Sessit^is  attend:  theie  is  also  a  throne  and  a  ca. 
nopy  for  his  majestr,  should  he  visit  this  cajiital,  and  another  Tor  the  lord  Commissioner. 
There  is  no  mvv>»c  cither  in  this  or  any  other  of  the  Scotch  churches,  for  Peg  t,till  fiiints 
at  the  sound  of  a.i  organ.  This  is  the  more  surprising,  as  the  Dutch,  who  have  the 
same  established  religion,  are  extrt;melj  foid  of  tiiat  solemn  instrument ;  and  even  in  the 
great  clvurch  of  Geneva  the  psalmody  is  accompanied  with  an  organ. 

The  part  of  the  same  cnllcd  St.  Giles's  church  has  a  large  tower,  oddly  terminated  with 
a  sort  of  crown. 


«  It  is  conveyed  in  pipes  from  the  Pertlotid  hilla,  five  miles  distant. 


'i 


i:| 


I! 


i 

14 


i' 

■US 
Hi 


<g>ii  ■  ft.. 


ytf 


30 


PENNANT'S  TOUR  IN  SCOTLAND. 


On  the  front  of  a  house  in  the  Nether  Bow  are  two  fine  profile  heads  of  a  man  and 
a  woman,  of  Roman  sculpture,  supposed  to  be  those  of  Severus  and  Julia :  but,  as  ap- 
pears from  an  inscription*  made  by  tlw  person  who  put  them  into  the  wall,  were  mis- 
taken for  Adam  and  Eve. 

Near  the  Tronc  church  arc  the  remains  of  the  house  (now  a  tavern)  where  Mary 
Stuart  was  confined  the  night  after  the  battle  of  Carberry. 

At  the  end  of  the  Cannongate-street  stands  Holy  Rood  palace,  originally  an  abbey, 
founded  by  David  I,  in  1128.  The  towers  on  the  N,  W.  side  were  erected  by  James  V, 
together  with  other  buildings,  for  a  royal  residence  :  according  to  the  editor  of  Cam- 
den, great  part,  except  the  towers  above  mentioned,  were  burnt  by  Cromwell ;  but  the 
other  towers,  with  *he  rest  of  this  magnificent  palace,  as  it  now  stands^  were  executed 
l)y  Sir  William  Brace,  by  the  directions  of  Charles  llf^ ;  within  is  a  beautiful  square,  with 
piazzas  on  every  side.  It  contains  great  numbers  of  fine  apartments  ;  some,  that  arc 
called  the  king's,  are  in  great  disorder,  the  rest  are  granted  to  several  of  the  nobility. 

In  the  earl  of  Brcadalbane's  arc  some  good  portraits. 

William  duke  of  Newcastle  by  Vandyck ; 

And  by  Sir  Peter  Lely,  the  duke  and  dutchess  of  Lauderdale,  and  Edward  carl  of 
Jersey.  There  is  besides  a  very  good  head  of  a  b-y  by  Morrillio,  and  some  views  of 
the  fine  scenes  near  his  lordship's  seat  at  Taymouth. 

At  lord  Dunmore's  lodgings  is  a  very  large  piece  of  Charles  I,  and  his  queen,  going 
to  ride,  with  the  sky  showering  roses  on  them ;  a  black  holds  a  gray  horse  ;  the  cele- 
brated JefFery  Hudson.f  the  dwarf,  with  a  spaniel  in  a  string,  and  several  other  dogs 
sporting  round :  the  queen  is  painted  with  a  love-lock,  and  with  browner  hair  and 
complexion,  and  younger,  than  I  ever  saw  her  drawn.  It  is  a  good  piece,  and  was  the 
work  of  Mytens,  predecessor  in  fame  to  Vandyck.  In  the  same  place  are  two  other 
good  portraits  of  Charles  II,  and  James  VII. 

The  gallery  of  this  palace  takes  up  one  side,  and  is  filled  with  colossal  portraits  of 
the  kinc/s  of  Scotland. 

In  tnt  old  towers  are  shewn  the  apartments  where  the  murder  of  David  Rizzio  was 
committed. 

Thiw  beautiful  piece  of  Gothic  architecture,  the  church,  or  chapel,  of  Holy- Rood 
Abbey,  is  now  a  ruin,  the  roof  having  fallen  in,  by  a  most  scandalous  neglect,  notwith- 
standing money  hud  been  granted  by  government  to  preserve  it  entire.  Beneath  the 
ruins  lie  the  bodies  of  James  II,  and  James  V,  Henry  Darnly,  and  several  other  persons 
of  rank  :  and  the  inscriptions  on  several  of  their  tombs  are  preserved  by  Maitland.  A 
gentleman  informed  me,  that  some  years  ago  he  had  seen  the  remains  of  the  bodies, 
but  in  a  very  decayed  state :  the  beards  remained  on  some ;  and  that  the  bones  of 
Henry  Darnly  proved  their  owner  by  their  great  size,  for  he  was  said  to  be  seven  feet 
higli. 

Near  this  palace  is  the  Park,  first  inclosed  Ijjy  James  V  ;  within  are  the  vast  rocks,J 
known  by  the  names  of  Arthur's  Seat  and  Salusbury's  Craigs ;  their  fronts  exhibit  a 
rdmant'c  and  wild  scene  of  broken  rocka  and  vast  precipices,  which  from  some  points 
seem  to  over-hang  the  lower  parts  of  the  city.  Gre?.c  co!ur..iis  of  stone,  from  forty  to 
fiffy  feet  in  length,  and  about  three  feet  in  diameter,  regularly  pentagonal,  or  hex- 
ugonai,  hang  dc  wu  the  face  of  some  of  these  rocks  almost  perpendicularly,  or  with  a 

*  In  sudcre  vultus  tui  vesceris  pane.    Anno  '621.    These  heads  are  well  engraven  tti  Gordon's  Itine- 
rary, tab.  iii. 
t  For  a  further  account  of  this  little  hero  consult  Mr.  Walpole's  Anecdotes  of  Painting,  ii.  p.  10. 
\  According  to  Maitland,  their  perpendicular  height  is  <^56  feet. 


.y.'  iS  .rv?j~<v;3j^;.jv?-c^: 


i 

I 


I 


PENNANT'S  TOUR  IN  SCOTLANIX  jj 

very  slight  dip,  and  form  a  strange  appearance.  Beneath  this  str?.tum  is  a  quarry  of 
frtc-stOMc.  Considerable  quantities  of  stone  from  the  quarries  have  been  cut  and  sent 
to  London,  for  paving  the  streets,  its  great  hardness  rendering  it  excellent  for  that 
purpose.  Beneath  these  hills  are  some  of  the  most  beautiful  walks  about  Edinburgh, 
>,Dmmanding  a  fine  prospect  over  several  parts  of  the  country. 

On  one  side  of  the  P  jrk  are  the  ruins  of  St.  Anthony's  chapel,  once  the  resort  ot 
numberless  votaries ;  aiiCi  near  it  is  a  very  plentiful  spring. 

The  south  part  of  the  city  has  several  things  worth  visiting.  Hcrriot's  Hospital  is  a 
fine  old  building,  much  too  magnificent  for  the  end  proposed,  that  of  educating  poor 
children.  It  was  founded  by  George  Herriot,  jeweller  to  James  VI,  who  followed  that 
monarch  to  London,  and  made  a  large  fortune.  There  is  a  finr  '  }w  of  the  castle,  and 
the  sloping  part  of  the  city,  from  the  front :  the  gardens  wer ;  once  the  resort  of 
the  gay ;  and  there  the  Scotch  poets  often  laid,  in  their  comeGies,  the  scenes  of  in- 
trigue. 

Ih  the  church  yard  of  the  Gray  Friars,  is  the  monument  of  sir  Ge(jrge  Mackenzie,  a 
rotunda;  with  a  multitude  of  other  tombs.  This  is  one  of  the  few  cemeteries  to  this  popu« 
lous  city  ;  and  from  it  is  a  very  fine  view  of  the  castle,  and  the  lofty  street  that  leads  to 
that  fortress. 

The  college  is  a  mean  building;  it  contains  the  houses  of  the  principal  and  a  few  of 
the  professors  :  the  principal's  house  is  supposed  to  be  on  the  site  of  that  in  which 
Henry  Darnly  was  murdered,  then  belonging  to  the  provost  of  the  kirk  of  Field. 
The  students  of  the  university  are  dispersed  over  the  town,  and  are  about  six  hundred  in 
number ;  but  wear  no  academic  habit.  The  students  are  liable  to  be  called  before  the 
professors,  who  have  oower  of  rebuking  or  expelling  them  :  I  cannot  learn  that  either  is 
ever  exerted ;  but,  as  they  are  for  the  most  part  volunteers  for  knowledge,  few  of  them 
desert  her  standards.  There  are  twenty-two  professors  of  different  sciences,  most  of 
whom  read  lectures :  all  the  chairs  are  very  ably  filled :  those  in  particular  which  relate 
to  the  study  of  medicine,  as  is  evident  from  the  number  of  ingenious  physicians,  eleves 
of  this  university,  who  prove  the  abilities  of  their  masters.  The  Musjeum  has  for  many 
years  been  neglected. 

The  royal  infirmary  is  a  spacious  and  handsome  edifice,  capable  of  containing  two 
hundred  patients.  The  operation  room  is  particularly  convenient,  the  council-room 
elegant,  with  a  good  picture  in  it  of  Provost  Drummonrj.  From  the  cupola  of  this  build- 
ing is  a  fine  prospect,  and  a  full  view  of  the  city. 

Not  far  from  hence  are  about  three  acres  of  ground,  designed  for  a  square,  called 
George  Square  :  a  small  portion  is  at  present  built,  consisting  of  small  but  commodious 
houses,  in  the  English  fashion.  Such  is  the  spirit  of  improvement,  that  within  these 
three  years  sixty  thousand  pounds  have  been  expended  in  houses  of  the  modern  taste,  and 
twenty  thousand  in  the  old. 

Watson's  hospital  should  not  be  forgot ;  a  large  good  building,  behind  the  Gray 
Friars  church ;  an  excellent  institution  for  the  educating  and  apprenticing  the  children 
of  decayed  merchants ;  who,  after  having  served  their  time  with  credit,  receive  fifty 
pounds  to  set  up  with. 

The  meadows,  or  public  walks,  are  well  planted,  and  are  very  extensive  :  these  arc 
the  mall  of  Edinburgti,  as  Comely  Gardens  are  its  Vauxhall. 

The  Cowgate  is  a  long  street,  running  parallel  with  the  High-street,  beneath  the  steep 
southern  declivity  of  the  city,  and  terminates  in  the  grass  market,  where  cattle  are 
sold,  and  criminals  executed.  On  several  of  the  houses  are  small  iron  crosses,  which, 
I  was  informed*  denoted  that  they  once  belonged  to  the  knights  of  St.  John. 


m 


I' 


;>' 


.it 


32 


PENNANT'S  TOUU  IN  SCOTLAND, 


On  the  north  side  of  the  city  iifs  the  new  'own,  which  is  planned  with  great  judgment, 
and  will  prove  a  maguificnit  addition  to  Edinburgh  ;  the  hnuscs  in  St.  Andrew's  Square 
cost  Irom  18001.  to  20001.  each,  and  one  or  two  4000  or  50001.  I'hey  are  all  built  in  the 
modem  style,  and  arc  free  from  the  inconveniences  attending  the  old  city. 

These  improvements  are  connected  to  the  city  by  a  very  beautiful  bridge,  whose  high- 
est arch  is  ninety-five  feet  high. 

In  the  walk  of  this  evening,  I  passed  by  a  deep  and  wide  hollow  beneath  Calton  Hill, 
the  place  where  those  imaginary  criminals,  witches  and  sorcerers,  in  less  enlightened 
times,  were  burnt ;  and  where,  at  festive  seasons,  the  gay  and  gallant  held  their  tills  and 
tournaments.  At  one  of  these,  it  is  said  that  the  earl  of  Both  well  made  the  first  impres- 
sion on  the  susceptible  heart  of  Mary  Stuart,  having  galloped  into  the  ring  down  the  dan> 
gcrous  steeps  of  the  adji'cent  hill ;  for  he  seemed  to  think  that 

vVomen  bom  to  be  control'd 
Sti'op  to  the  forward  and  the  bold. 

The  desperate  feats  were  the  humour  of  the  times  of  chivalry :  Brantome  relaten  '  i;  , 
the  Due  de  Nemours  galloped  down  the  steps  of  the  Sainte  Chappel  at  Paris,  to  tlic 
astonishment  of  the  beholders.  The  men  cultivated  every  exercise  that  could  preserve 
or  improve  their  bodily  strength ;  tl  ?  ladies,  every  art  that  tended  to  exalt  their  charms. 
Mar^  .^  reported  to  have  used  a  bath  ')f  white  wine ;  a  custom  strange,  bw.  uot  without 
precedent.  Jaqucs  du  Fouilloux,  enraptured  with  a  country  girl,  enumerating  the  arts 
which  she  scorned  to  use  to  improve  her  person,  mentions  this : 

Point  nc  portoit  de  ce  linge  semellc 
Pout-  amoindrir  son  seing  et  sa  mammelle. 
Vasquine  nulle,  ou  aucun  pelicon 
Elle  ne  portoit,  ce  n'esioit  sa  facon, 
Point  ne  prenoit  vin  blanc  pour  se  baigner, 
NedrogU'*  x'^ncore  pour  sour  son  corps  alleger.* 

At  a  small  walk's  distunce.  from  Calton  Hill  lies  the  new  botanic  garden,!  consisting 
of  five  acres  of  ground,  a  green- house  fifty  feet  long,  two  temperate  rooms,  each  twelve 
feet,  and  two  stoves,  each  twenty-eight  feet :  the  ground  rises  to  the  north,  and  defendii 
the  plants  from  the  cold  winds  :  the  soil  a  light  sand,  with  a  black  earth  on  the  surface. 
It  is  finely  stocked  with  plants,  whose  arrangement  and  cultivation  do  much  credit  to  my 
worthy  friend  Dr.  Hope,  professor  of  botany,  who  planned  and  executed  the  whole.  It 
was  begun  in  1764,  being  founded  by  the  munificence  of  his  present  majesty,  who  grant- 
ed fifteen  hundred  pounds  for  that  purpose. 

During  this  week's  stay  at  Edinburgh,  the  prices  of  provisions  were  as  follow : 

Jecf,  from  5d.  to  3dJ.  Mutton,  from  4d.  to  O'd.  Veal,  from  5d.  to  3d.  Lamb, 
2ld.  Bacon,  7d.  Butter,  in  summer,  8d.  in  winter,  Is.  Pigeons,  per  dozen,  from 
8d.  to  5s.  Chickens,  per  pair,  8d.  to  Is.  A  fowl,  Is.  2d.  Green  goose,  3s.  Fat 
goose,  2s.  6d.  Large  turkey,  4s.  or  5s.  Pig,  2s.  Coals,  5d.  or  6d.  per  hundred, 
delivered. 

Many  fine  excursions  may  be  made  at  a  small  distance  from  this  city.  Leith,  a  large 
town,  about  two  miles  north,  lies  on  the  Firth,  is  a  flourishing  place,  and  the  port  of 
Edinburgh.    The  town  is  dirty  and  ill  built,  and  chiefly  inhabited  by  sailors ;  but  the 

*  L'Adolesct^nce  de  Jaques  du  Fouilloux,  88. 

t  The  old  botanic  garden  liss  to  the  east  of  the  new  bridge :  an  account  of  it  is  to  be  seen  in  the 
Museum  Dalfounanum. 


rTaiHriiiiMr"'iiinfflf 


1 


PENNANT'S  TOUR  IN  SCOTLAND. 


S3 


pier  is  very  fine,  and  is  a  much  frequented  walk.  The  races  were  at  this  time  on  the 
sands  near  low- water  mark  :  considering  their  vicinity  to  a  great  city  and  poouUius 
country,  the  company  was  far  from  numerous;  a  proof  that  dissipation  has  noi'gtiie. 
rally  infected  the  manners  of  the  North  Britons. 

Craigmillar  castle  is  seated  on  a  rocky  eminence,  about  two  miles  south  of  Edin- 
burgh ;  is  square,  and  has  towers  at  each  corner.  Some  few  apartments  are  yet  in- 
habited ;  but  the  rest  of  this  great  pile  is  in  ruins.  Mary  Stuart  sometimes  made  thia 
place  her  residence. 

Newbottle,  the  seat  of  the  mart^uis  of  Lothian,  is  a  pleasant  ride  of  a  few  miles 
from  the  capital.  It  was  once  a  Cistercian  abbey,  founded  by  David  I,  in  1 140  ;  but, 
in  1591,  was  erected  into  a  lordship,  in  favour  of  Sir  Mark  Ker,  son  of  Sir  Walter  Ker,' 
of  Cessford.  The  house  lies  in  a  warm  bottom,  and,  like  most  other  of  the  housfs  ol 
the  Scotch  nobility,  resembles  a  French  chateau,  by  having  a  village  or  little  paltry  town 
adjacent.  The  situation  is  very  favourable  to  trees,  as  appears  by  the  vast  size  of  those 
near  the  house ;  and  I  was  informed,  that  fruit  ripens  here  within  ten  days  as  early  as  at 
Chelsea. 

The  marquis  possesses  a  most  valuable  collection  of  portraits,  many  of  them  very  fine, 
and  almost  all  very  instructive.  A  large  half-length  of  Henry  Darnlv  represents  him 
tall,  aukward,  and  gauky,  with  a  stupid,  insipid  countenance  ;  most  likely  drawn  after 
he  had  lost,  by  intemperance  and  debauchery,  those  charms  which  captivated  the  heart 
of  the  amorous  Mary. 

A  head  of  her  mother,  Marie  de  Guise ;  not  less  beautiful  than  her  daughter, 

A  head  of  Madame  Monpensier,  and  of  several  other  illustrious  person",  who  graced 
the  court  of  Lewis  XIII.  ^ 

Prince  Rupert  and  Prince  Maurice,  in  one  piece. 

Some  small  portraits,  studies  of  Vandyck  ;  among  which  is  one  of  William,  earl  of 
Pembroke,  of  v/hom  lord  Clarendon  gives  so  advantageous  a  character. 

A  beautiful  half-length  of  Henrietta,  queen  of  Charles  I.  Her  charms  almost  apo^ 
logize  for  the  compliances  of  the  uxorious  monarch. 

jHis  daughter,  the  duchess  of  Orleans. 

The  wife  of  Philip  the  Bold,  inscribed  Marga  Mala,  Lodo  Malo. 

Head  of  Robert  Car,  earl  of  Somerset ;  the  countenance  effeminate,  small  features, 
light  flaxen  or  yellowish  hair,  and  a  very  small  beard :  is  an  original  of  that  worthless 
favourite,  and  proves  that  the  figure  given  as  his  among  the  illustrious  heads  is  errone- 
ous, the  last  being  represented  as  a  robust  black  man.  A  print  I  have  of  him  by  Si- 
mon Pass  is  authentic  :  the  plate  is  of  octavo  size,  represents  him  in  hair  curled  to  the 
top ;  and  in  his  robes,  with  the  George  pendent. 

His  rather,  Sir  Rober  Car  of  Fernihurst. 

An  earl  of  Somerset ;  of  whom  I  could  get  no  account ;  handsome ;  with  long  light 
hair  inclining  to  yellow :  a  head. 

A  full  length  of  James  I,  by  Jameson.  Another  of  Charles  I,  wh?n  young,  in  rich 
armour,  black  and  gold :  a  capital  piece. 

LadyTufton;  a  fine  half  length. 

Earl  Morton,  regent :  half-length;  a  yellow  beard. 

A  head  of  General  Ruthven.  Sir  Patrick  Ruthven,  a  favourite  of  Gustavas  Adol- 
phus :  knighted  in  his  majesty's  tent,  in  presence  of  the  whole  army,  at  Darsaw  in 
Prussia,  on  the  23d  of  September  1627.  As  potent  in  the  campaigns  of  Bacchus  as  of 
Mars,  and  serviceable  to  his  great  master  in  both.  He  vanquished  his  enemies  in  the 
field ;  and  by  the  strength  of  his  head,  and  goodness  of  understanding,  could  in  con- 


VOL.  Ill, 


F 


3^  I'ENNANT'S  TOUP  IN  SCOTLAND. 

vivial  hours  extract  from  the  ministers  of  unfriciv'ly  powers  secrets  of  the  first  imporl- 
ancct  He  passed  afterwards  into  the  service  of  Charles  I,  and  behaved  with  the  spirit 
and  integrity  that  procured  him  the  honours  of  carl  of  Forth  in  Scotland,  and  after- 
wards carl  of  Brentford  in  England.     He  died  in  a  very  advanced  age  in  1651. 

Two  very  curious  half-lengths  on  wood  :  one  of  a  man  with  a  long  forked  bUck. 
beard ;  his  jacket  slashed  down  in  narrow  stripes  from  top  to  bottom,  and  the  j  ripes 
loose  :  the  other  with  a  black  full  beard ;  the  same  sort  of  stripes,  but  drawn  tif  hc  by 
a  girdle. 

The  Doge  of  Venice,  by  Titian. 

Three  by  Morillio  ;  boys  and  girls  in  low  life. 

A  remarkable  fine  piece  of  our  three  first  circumnavigators.  Drake,  Hawkins,  and 
Ciindibh ;    halMength. 

The  heads  of  Mark,  earl  of  L  ^       a,  and  his  lady,  by  Sir  Antonio  More. 

Mark  Ker,  prior  of  Newbottle,  >,  at  the  reformation,  complied  with  the  times,  and 
got  the  estate  of  the  abbey. 

In  the  woods  adjacent  to  this  seat  arc  some  subterraneous  apartments  and  passages  cut 
out  of  the  live  rock  :  they  seem  to  have  been  excavated  by  the  ancient  inhabitants  of 
the  country,  either  as  receptacles  for  their  provisions,  or  a  retreat  for  themselves  and 
families  in  time  of  war,  in  the  same  manner,  as  Tacitus  relates,  was  customary  with  the 
old  Germans.* 

Two  or  three  miles  distant  from  Newbottle  is  Dalkeith,  a  small  town,  adjoining  to 
Dalkeith  House,  the  seat  of  the  duke  of  Buccleugh :  originally  the  property  of  the 
Douglasses ;  and.  when  in  form  of  a  castle,  of  great  strength ;  and  during  the  time  of 
the  regent  Morton's  retreat,  styled  the  Lion's  Den. 

The  portraits  at  Dalkeith  are  numerous,  and  some  good  ;  among  others,  the 

First  duke  of  Richmond  and  his  duchess. 

The  duchess  of  Cleveland. 

Countess  of  Buccleugh,  mother  to  the  duchess  of  Monmouth,  and  lady  Eglington, 
her  sister. 

The  duchess  and  her  two  sons:  the  duchess  of  York;  her  hand  remarkably  fine: 
the  duchess  of  Lenox. 

Mrs.  Lucy  Waters,  mother  of  the  duke  of  Monmouth,  with  his  picture  in  her 
hand. 

Duchess  .of  Cleveland  and  her  son,  an  infant,  she  in  character  of  a  Madona: 
fine. 

The  duke  of  Monmoth,  in  character  of  a  young  St.  John.  '  ' 

Lord  Strafford  and  his  secretary  ;  a  small  study  of  Vandyck. 

Henry  VHI,  and  oueen  Catherine,  with  the  divorce  in  her  hand ;  two  small  pieces 
by  Holbein.  Anna  Bullen,  by  the  same,  dressed  in  a  black  gown,  large  yellow  netted 
sleeves,  in  a  black  cap,  peaked  behind. 

Lady  Jane  Gray,  with  long  hair,  black  and  very  thick ;  not  handsome ;  Dut  the 
virtues  and  the  intellectual  perfections  of  that  suffering  innocent  more  than  supphed  the 
absi !;( (*  of  personal  charms. 

A  large  spirited  picture  of  the  duke  of  Monmouth  on  horseback.  The  same  in  ar- 
mour.    All  his  pictures  have  a  handsome  likeness  of  his  father. 

*  Solent  et  subterraneos  specus  apetire,  eosque  multo  insuu'ir  fimo  onerant,  suflugium  hietni,  et  re- 
ceptaculnm  fnigibus,  quia  rigorem  frigorum  ejusmodi  locis  tr.olliunt :  el  si  quando  hostis  advenit,  apcrta 
popiilatur,  abdita  aulem  et  dcfossa,  aut  ignorantur,  aut  co  ipso  Tallunt,  quod  quaerenda  sunt.  De  Moribus 
(jermanorum,  c.  16. 


■<■«*■•■• 


PKNTfANT'S  TOUn  IM  SCOTLAND. 


35 


in  ar- 


Duchess  of  Richmond,  with  a  bow  in  her  hand,  by  sir  Peter  Lely. 

A  fine  head  of  the  laie  duke  of  Ormond. 

A  l)eautiful  head  of  Mary  Stuart ;  the  face  sharp,  thin  and  young ;  yet  has  a  HkcncsR 
to  some  others  of  her  pictures,  done  before  misfortunes  had  altered  her;  her  dress  a 
stra'  ht  gown,  open  at  the  top,  and  reaching  to  her  ears,  a  small  cap,  and  small  ruftj  with 
a  red  rose  in  her  hand. 

In  this  palace  is  a  room  entirely  furnished  by  Charles  II,  on  occasion  of  the  marriage 
of  Monmouth,  with  the  heiress  of  the  house. 

At  Smeton,  another  seat  of  the  duke  of  Bueclcugh,  a  mile  distant  from  the  first,  is  a  fine 
balf-length  of  general  Monk,  looking  over  his  shoulder,  with  his  back  towards  you  ;  he 
resided  long  at  Dalkeith,  when  he  commanded  in  Scotland. 

Nell  Gwinne  loosely  attired. 

A  fine  marriage  of  St.  Catherine,  by  Vandyck. 

July  24.  Left  Edinburgh,  and  passed  beneath  the  castle,  whose  height  and  strength, 
in  my  then  situation,  appeared  to  great  advantage.  The  country  I  passed  through  was 
well  cultivated,  the  fields  large,  but  mostly  inclosed  with  stone  walls :  for  hedges  are  not 
yet  become  universal  in  this  part  of  the  kingdom  :  it  is  not  a  century  since  they  were 
known  here.     Reach  the 

South-ferry,  a  small  village  on  the  banks  of  the  Firth,  which  suddenly  is  contracted 
to  the  breadth  of  two  miles  by  the  jutting  out  of  the  land  on  the  north  shore ;  but  al- 
most instantly  widens  towards  the  west  into  a  fine  and  extensive  bay.  The  prospect  on 
each  SL  Je  is  very  beautiful ;  a  rich  country,  frequently  diversified  with  towns,  villages, 
castles,  and  gentlemens'  seats.*  There  is  beside  a  vast  view  up  and  down  the  Firth, 
from  its  extremity,  not  remote  from  Stirling,  to  its  mouth  near  May  isle  ;  in  all,  about 
sixty  miles.  To  particularise  the  objects  of  this  rich  view :  from  the  middle  of  the 
passage  are  seen  the  coasts  of  Lothian  and  Fife ;  the  isles  of  Garvie  and  Inch-Colm  ;  the 
town  of  Dumfermline  ;  south  and  north  Queen's-ferries ;  and  Burrowstoness  smoking 
at  a  distance  from  its  numerous  salt-pans  and  fire-engines.  On  the  south  side  are  Hope- 
ton  house,  Dundass  castle,  and  many  other  gentlemens' seats ;  with  Blackness  castle. 
On  the  north  side,  Rosythe  castle,  Dunibryssel,  and  ut  a  distance,  the  castle  and  town  of 
Brunt-island :  with  the  road  of  Leith,  often  filled  with  ships,  and  a  magnificent  distant 
view  of  the  castle  of  Edinburgh  on  the  south. 

This  ferry  is  also  called  Queen's-ferry,  being  the  passage  much  usedf  by  Margaret, 
queen  to  Malcolm  III,  and  sister  to  Edgar  Etheling,  her  residence  being  at  Dumferm- 
line. Cross  over  in  an  excellent  boat ;  observe  midway  the  little  isle  called  Insh-Garvey, 
with  the  ruin  of  a  small  castle.  An  arctic  gull  flew  near  the  boat,  pursued  by  other 
gulls,  as  birds  of  prey  are  :  this  is  the  species  that  persecutes  and  pursues  the  lesser  kinds, 
till  they  mute  through  fear,  when  it  catches  up  their  excrements  ere  they  reach  the 
water :  the  boatmen,  on  that  account,  styled  it  the  dirty  aulin. 

Landed  in  the  shire  of  Fife,^  at  North-feriy,  near  which  are  the  great  granite  quar- 
ries,  which  help  to  supply  the  streets  of  London  with  paving  stones ;  many  ships  then 
waiting  near  in  order  to  take  their  lading.  The  granite  lies  in  great  perpendicular 
stacks ;  above  which  is  a  reddish  earth  filled  with  friable  micaceous  nodules.  The  gra- 
nite itself  is  very  hard,  and  is  all  blasted  with  gun-powder :  the  cutting  into  shape  for 

"*  Such  as  Rosythe  castle,  Dumfermline  town,  lord  Murray's,  lord  ITopetoun's,  captain  Dundass 's. 
t  Or,  as  others  say,  because  she,  her  brother  and  sister,  first  landed  there,  after  their  escape  iVora  Wil 
tiam  the  Conqueror, 
t  Part  of  the  ancient  Caledopia. 


i 

I 


3G 


HENN'ANT'S  TOUH  IN  SCOTLAND. 


!*1 


paving  costs  two  shillings  and  eight- pence  per  ton,  and  the  Treight  to  London  seven 
shillings. 

The  country,  as  far  as  Kinross,  is  very  fine,  consisting  of  gentle  risings;  much  corn, 
especially  bear  :  but  few  trees,  except  about  a  gcntlr man's  scat  called  Blair,  where  there 
are  great  and  fl()Mrishing  plantations.  Near  the  road  are  the  last  collieries  in  Scotland, 
except  the  incoiibidcrable  works  in  the  county  of  Sutherland. 

Kinross  is  a  small  town,  seated  in  a  large  plain,  bounded  by  mountains ;  the  houses 
and  trees  arc  so  intermixed,  as  to  give  it  an  agreeable  appearance.  It  has  some  manu- 
factures of  linen  and  cutlery  ware.  At  this  time  was  a  meeting  of  justices,  on  a  singu- 
lar occasion  :  a  vagrant  had  been,  not  long  before,  ordered  to  be  whipped  ;  but  such 
was  the  point  of  honour  among  the  common  people,  that  no  one  could  be  persuaded  to 
go  to  Perth  for  the  executioner,  who  lived  there  :  to  press,  1  may  say,  two  men  for 
that  service  was  the  cause  of  the  meeting  ;  so  Mr.  Boswell  may  rejoice  to  find  the  no- 
tion of  honour  prevail  in  as  exalted  a  degree  among  his  own  countrymen,  as  among 
the  virtuous  Corsicans.* 

Not  far  from  the  town  is  the  house  of  Kinross,  built  by  the  famous  architect  Sir  Wil- 
liam Bruce,  for  his  own  residt- ncc,  and  vviis  the  first  good  house  of  regular  architecture 
in  North  Britain.  It  is  a  large,  elegant,  but  plain  building :  the  hall  is  fifty-two  feet 
long ;  the  grounds  about  it  well  planted ;  the  fine  lake  adjacent ;  so  that  it  is  capable  of 
being  made  as  delightful  a  spot  as  any  in  North  Britain. 

Loch-Levcn,  a  magnificent  piece  of  water,  very  broad,  but  irregularly  indented,  is 
about  twelve  miles  in  circumference  and  its  greatest  depth  about  twenty  four  fathoms : 
is  finely  bounded  by  mountains  on  one  side ;  on  the  other  by  the  plain  of  Kinross ;  and 
prettily  embellibhed  with  several  groves,  most  fortunately  disposed.  Some  islands  are 
dispersed  in  this  great  expanse  of  water ;  one  if  which  is  large  enough  to  feed  several 
head  of  cattle:  but  the  most  remarkable  is  that  distinguished  by  the  captivity  of  Mary 
Stuart,  uliich  stands  almost  in  the  middle  cjf  the  lake.  The  castle  still  remains ;  consists 
of  a  square  tower,  a  small  yard  with  two  round  lowers,  a  chapel,  and  the  ruins  of  a  build> 
ing'  wherK,  it  is  said,  the  unfortunate  princess  was  lodged.  In  the  square  tower  is  a  dun. 
geon,  with  a  vaulted  room  above,  over  which  had  been  three  other  stories.  Some  trees 
arc  yet  remaining  on  thi-.  little  spot :  probably  coeval  with  Mary,  under  whose  shade 
she  may  have  .sat,  expecting  her  escape,  't  length  effected  by  the  enamoured  Douglas.f 
This  castle  had  before  been  a  royal  reside  nee.  but  not  for  captive  monarchs ;  having  been 
granted  from  the  crown  by  Robert  III,  to  Douglas,  laird  of  Loch-Leven. 

This  castle  underwent  a  siege  in  the  year  1335,  and  the  method  attempted  to  reduce 
it  was  of  the  most  singuiar  kind.  John  of  Sterling,  with  his  army  of  Anglicised  Scots, 
sat  down  before  it ;  but  finding  from  the  situation  that  it  was  impossible  to  succeed  in 
the  common  forms,  he  thought  of  this  expedient.  He  stopped  up  the  water  of  Leven, 
at  its  discharge  from  the  lake,  with  a  great  dam,  with  stones,  and  every  thing  that  would 
obstruct  its  course,  hoping  by  that  means  to  raise  the  waters  so  high  as  to  drown  the 
whole  garrison.  But  the  watchful  governor,  Alan  de  Vipont,  took  an  opportunity  of 
sallying  out  in  boats  when  the  besiegers  were  off  their  guard,  being  intoxicated  with 
celebrating  St.  George's  day,  and  piercing  the  dam,  released  the  pent  up  waters,  and 
formed  a  most  destructive  deluge  on  all  the  plain  below  ;  struck  a  panic  into  the  ene- 

*  Hist.  Corsica,  p.  285,  of  the  first  edition. 

t  Historians  (liiTcr  in  respect  to  the  cause  that  influenced  him  to  assist  in  his  sovereign's  escape  :  some 
attribute  it  to  his  avarice,  and  think  he  was  bribed  with  jewels,  reserved  by  !\Iary  ;  others,  that  he  was 
touched  by  a  more  gen-rous  passion  :  the  last  opinion  is  the  most  natural,  considering  thechartss  of  the 
queen,  and  the  youth  of  her  deliverer. 


„,;;^,>"'^^^iiiac.<«'~aj'rt«^»V.  ^..^jt^-'^-— <■:'«■..-— ~-  • 


^tM 


PENNANT'S  TOUR  IN  SCOTLAND. 


37 


niy's  army,  put  them  to  flight,  and  returned  to  his  castle  laden  with  the  spoils  of  tiic 
camp.  * 

St.  Serf's  isle  is  noted  for  having  been  granted  by  Bnido,  last  king  of  the  Picts,  to 
St.  Servan  and  the  Culdees ;  a  kind  of  priestb  among  the  first  Christians  of  North  Bri- 
tain,  who  led  a  sort  of  monastic  life  in  cells,  and  for  a  considerable  time  preserved  a 
pure  and  uncorruin  religion  :  at  length,  in"  the  reign  of  David  1,  were  suppressed  in  fa- 
vour of  the  church  of  Rome.  The  priory  of  Port-moak  was  on  this  isle,  of  which  some 
small  remains  yet  exist. 

The  fish  of  this  lake  are  pike,  small  perch,  fine  eels,  and  most  excellent  trouts,  the 
best  and  the  reddest  I  ever  saw :  the  largest  about  six  pounds  in  weight.  The  fishermen 
gave  me  an  account  of  a  species  they  called  the  gaily  trout,  which  are  only  caught  from 
October  to  January,  are  split,  salted,  and  dried,  for  winter  provision  :  by  the  description, 
they  certainly  were  our  char,  only  of  a  larger  size  than  any  we  have  in  England  or 
Wales,  some  being  two  feel  and  a  half  long.  The  birds  that  breed  on  the  isles  are  her- 
ring  gulls,  pewit  gulls,  and  great  terns,  called  here  pictarnes. 

Lay  at  a  good  inn,  a  single  house,  about  half  u  mile  north  of  Kinross. 

July  25.  Made  an  excursion  about  seven  miles  west,  to  see  the  Rumbling  Brig  at 
Glen-Deven,  in  the  parish  of  Muchart,  a  bridge  of  one  arch,  flung  over  a  chasm  worn 
by  the  river  Devon,  about  eighty  feet  deep,  very  narrow,  and  horrible  to  look  down  ; 
the  bottom  in  many  parts  is  covered  with  fragments ;  in  others  the  waters  are  visible, 
gushing  between  the  stones  with  great  violence  :  the  sides  in  many  places  ^irojcct,  and 
almost  lock  m  each  other ;  trees  shoot  out  in  various  spots,  and  contribute  to  increase 
the  gloom  of  the  glen,  while  the  ear  is  filled  wiUi  the  cawing  of  daws,  the  cooing  of 
wood.pidgeons,  and  the  impetuous  noise  uf  the  waters. 

A  mile  lower  down  is  the  Cawdron  Lin.  Here  the  river,  after  a  short  fall,  drops  on 
rocks  hollowed  in  a  strange  manner  into  large  and  deep  cylindric  cavities,  open  on 
one  side,  or  formed  into  great  circular  cavities,  like  cauldrons;!  from  whence  the 
name  of  the  place.  One  in  particular  has  the  appearance  of  a  vast  brewing- vessel ;  and 
the  water,  by  its  great  agitation,  has  acquired  a  yellow  scum,  exactly  resembling  the 
yesty  working  of  malt  liquor.  Just  beneath  this  the  water  darts  down  about  thirty  feet, 
in  form  of  a  great  white  sheet :  the  rocks  below  widen  considerably,  and  their  cliffy 
sides  are  fringed  with  wood.  Beyond  is  a  view  of  a  fine  meadowy  vale,  and  the  distant 
mountains  near  Stirling. 

Two  miles  north  is  Castle  Campbel,  seated  on  a  steep  peninsulated  rock  between  vast 
mountains,  having  to  the  south  a  boundless  view  through  a  deep  glen  shagged  with 
brushwood ;  for  the  forests  that  once  covered  the  country  are  now  entirely  destroyed. 
Formerly,  from  its  darksome  situation,  this  pile  was  called  the  castle  of  Gloom ;  and 
all  the  names  of  the  adjacent  places  were  suitable  :  it  was  seated  in  the  parish  of  Dolor, 
was  bounded  by  the  glens  of  Care,  and  washed  by  the  birns  of  Sorrow.  The  lordship 
was  purchased  by  the  first  earl  of  Argyle.  This  castle,  with  the  whole  territory  belong- 
ing  to  the  whole  family  of  Argyle,  underwent  all  the  calamities  of  civil  war  in  1645  ;  for 
its  rival,  the  marquis  of  Montrose,  carried  fire  and  sword  through  the  whole  estate. 
The  castle  was  ruined,  and  its  magnificent  relicks  exist  as  a  monument  of  the  horror 
of  the  times.  No  wonder  then  that  the  marquis  experienced  so  woeful  and  ignominious 
a  fate,  when  he  fell  into  the  power  of  so  exasperated  a  chieftain. 


■  Sibbald's  Hist,  of  Fife  and  Kinross,  !08. 

t  In  Sweden,  and  the  north  of  Germany,  such  holes  as  these  are  called  Giants  Pots. 
121,  and  Ph.  Trans,  abridg.  V.  165. 


Kalm's  Voy. 


jd 


I'BNNANT'S  TOlJll  JN  SCOTLAND. 


'PI 


Returned  to  my  inn  along  the  foot  of  the  Ochil  hills,  whose  sides  were  covered  with 
a  fine  verdure,  and  fed  grcut  numbers  of  cattle  and  sheep.  The  country  below  full  of 
oats,  and  in  a  very  improving  state  :  the  houses  of  the  common  people  decent,  but  moritly 
covered  with  sodh  ;  some  wece  covered  both  with  straw  and  sod.  The  inhabitants  ex- 
tremely civil,  and  never  failed  offering  brandy  or  whey,  when  I  stopt  to  make  inquiries 
at  any  of  their  houses. 

In  the  afternoon  crossed  a  branch  of  the  same  hills,  which  yielded  plenty  of  oats ; 
descended  into  Strath- Earn,  a  beautiful  vale,  about  thirty  miles  in  length,  full  of  rich 
meadows  and  cornfields,  divided  by  the  river  Earn,  which  serpentines  finely  through 
the  middle,  falling  into  the  Tay,  of  which  there  is  a  sight  at  the  east  end  of  the  vale.  It 
is  prettily  diversified  with  groves  of  trees  and  gentlemens'  houses  ;  among  which,  to- 
wards the  west  end,  is  Castle  Drummond,  the  forfeited  seat  of  the  earl  of  Perth. 

Dupplin*,  the  residence  of  the  earl  of  Kinnoul,  seated  on  the  north  side  of  the  vale, 
on  the  ''d^'  of  a  steep  glen.  Onlv  a  single  tower  remains  of  the  old  castle,  the  rest 
being  modernized.  The  south  front  commands  a  pleasing  view  of  the  vale  :  behind 
arc  plantations  extending  several  miles  in  lengUi ;  all  flourish  greatly,  except  those  of 
nsh.  I  remarked  in  the  woods  some  very  large  chesnuts,  horse*chesnuts,  spruce  and 
silver  firs,  cedar  and  arbor  vitae.  Broad-leaved  laburnum  thrives  in  this  country  gpreatly, 
grows  to  a  great  size,  and  the  wood  is  used  in  fineering. 

Fruits  succeed  here  very  inoiflferently ;  even  nonpareils  require  a  wall :  grapes,  figs, 
and  late  i)eachcs,  will  not  ripen :  the  winters  begin  early,  and  end  late,  and  are  attended 
with  very  high  winds.  I  was  informed  that  labour  is  dear  here,  notwithstanding  it  is 
only  eight-pence  a  day  ;  the  common  people  not  being  yet  got  into  a  method  of  work- 
ing, so  do  very  little  for  their  wages.  Notwithstanding  this,  improvements  are  carried 
on  in  these  parts  with  great  spirit,  both  in  planting  and  in  agriculture.  Lord  Kinnoul 
planted  last  year  not  fewer  than  eighty  thousand  trees,  besides  Scotch  firs ;  so  provides 
future  forests  for  the  benefit  of  his  successors,  and  the  embellishment  of  his  country. 
In  respect  to  agriculture,  there  are  difficulties  to  strugp'le  with,  for  the  country  is  with- 
out either  coal  or  lime-stone  ;  so  that  the  lime  is  brought  from  the  estate  of  the  earl  of 
Elgin,  near  Dumfermline,  who,  I  was  told,  drtvv  a  considerable  revenue  from  the  Kilns. 

In  Dupplin  are  some  very  good  pictures ;  a  remarkable  one  of  Luther,  Bucer,  and 
Catharine  the  nun,  in  the  characters  of  musicians,  by  Giorgiani  di  Castel  franco. 

A  fine  head  of  a  secular  priest,  by  Titian.  St.  Nicholas  blessing  three  children.  Two 
of  cattle,  by. Rosa  di  Tivoli.  A  head  of  Spenser.  Rubens's  head,  by  himself.  A  fine 
head  of  Butler,  by  Sir  Peter  Lely.  Mrs.  Tofts,  in  the  character  of  St.  Catherine,  by 
Sir  Godfrey  Kneller.  Sir  George  Haye,  of  Maginnis,  in  armour,  1640 ;  done  at  Rome, 
by  L.  Ferdinand.  Haye,  earl  of  Carlisle,  in  Charles  First's  time,  young  and  very  hand- 
some. The  second  earl  of  Kinnoul,  by  Vandyck.  Chancellor  Haye,  by  My  tens.  A 
good  portrait  of  lord  treasurer  Oxford,  by  Richardson ;  and  a  beautiful  miniature  of 
Sir  John  Earnly. 

But  the  most  remarkable  is  a  head  of  the  celebrated  countess  of  Desmond,  whom  the 
apologists  for  the  usurper  Richard  III,  bring  in  as  an  evidence  against  the  received  opi- 
nion of  his  deformity  :  she  was  daughter  of  the  Fitzgeralds  of  Drumana,t  in  the  county 
of  Waterford,  and  married  in  the  reign  of  Edward  IV,  James  fourteenth  earl  of  Des- 
mond :  was  in  England  in  the  same  reign,  and  danced  at  court  with  his  brother  Richard, 

•  Near  this  place  was  fought  the  battle  of  Dupplin,  1332,  between  the  English,  under  the  command  of 
Baliol,  and  the  Scots.  The  last  were  defeated,  and  such  a  number  of  the  name  of  Hay  slain,  that  the  fa- 
mily would  have  been  extinct,  had  not  several  of  their  wives  been  left  at  home  pregnant. 

t  Smith's  Hist,  of  Cork,  ii.  36. 


I'EMNANT'S  TOUR  IN  SCOTLAND. 


30 


ihcn  duke  ol"  (ilouccstcr.  She  was  then  a  widow,  for  Sir  Walter  Raleigh  says  she  held 
her  jointure  from  all  the  earls  of  Desmond  since  that  time*  She  lived  to  the  age  of 
some  years  above  a  hundred  and  forty,  and  died  in  the  reign  of  James  I.  It  apjK'ars 
that  she  retained  her  full  vigour  in  a  very  advanced  time  of  life  ;  for  the  ruin  c'  the 
house  of  Desmond  reduced  her  to  poverty,  and  obliged  her  to  take  a  journey  from 
Bristol  to  London,  to  solicit  relief  from  the  court,  at  a  lime  she  was  above  a  hundix:(l 
and  forty.t  She  also  twice  or  thrice  renewed  her  teeth  ;  for  lord  Bacon  assures  us, 
in  his  Hist,  of  Life  and  Death,  ter  per  vices  dentiisse  ;  and  in  his  Natural  History  men- 
tions  that  she  did  dentirc  twice  or  thrice,  casting  her  old  teeth,  and  others  coming  in 
their  place.J 

July  27.  Ascended  the  hill  of  Moncricf ;  the  prospect  from  thence  is  the  glory  of  Scot- 
hind,  and  well  merits  the  eulogia  given  it  for  the  variety  and  richness  of  its  views.  On  the 
south  and  west  appear  Straih.Earn,  embellished  with  the  seats  of  lord  Kinnoul,  lord 
RoUo,  and  of  several  other  gentlemen  ;  the  Carse,  or  rich  plain  of  Gowrie  ;  Stormont 
hills  and  the  hill  of  Kinnoul,  whose  vast  clift  is  remarkable  for  its  beautiful  pebbles. 
The  meanders  of  the  Earn,  which  winds  more  than  any  river  I  at  this  time  had  seen, 
are  most  enlivening  additions  to  the  scene.  The  last  turn  it  takes  forms  a  fine  penin- 
sula, prettily  planted  ;  and  just  beyond  it  joins  the  Tay,^  whose  aestuary  lies  full  in  view, 
the  sea  closing  the  prospect  on  this  side. 

To  the  north  lies  the  town  of  Perth,  with  a  view  of  part  of  its  magnificent  brid|];c  ; 
which,  with  the  fine  woods  called  Perth  Parks,  the  vast  plain  of  Strath-Tay,  the  winding 
of  that  noble  river,  its  islands,  and  the  grand  boundary  formed  by  the  distant  highlands, 
finish  this  matchless  scene.  The  inhabitants  of  Perth  are  far  from  bein^  blind  to  the 
beauties  of  their  river ;  for  with  singular  pleasure  they  relate  the  tradition  of  the  Ro- 
man army,  when  it  came  in  sight  of  the  Tay,  bursting  into  the  exclamation  of  Eccc 
Tiberim. 

On  approaching  the  town  arc  some  pretty  walks,  handsomely  planted,  and  at  a  small 
distance  the  remains  of  some  works  of  Cromwell's,  called  Oliver's  Mount. 

Perth  is  large,  and  in  general  well  built ;  two  of  the  streets  are  remarkably  fine  ;  in 
some  of  the  lesser  are  yet  a  few  wooden  houses  in  the  old  style  ;  but  as  they  decay,  the 
magistrates  prohibit  the  rebuilding  them  in  the  old  way.  There  is  but  one  parish, 
which  has  three  churches,  besides  meetings  for  separatists,  who  are  very  nutn.i:rous. 
One  church,  which  belonged  to  a  monastery,  is  very  ancient :  not  a  vcsi.ge  of  the  last  is 
now  to  be  seen  ;  for  the  disciples  of  that  rough  apostle  Knox  made  a  general  desolation 
of  every  edifice  that  had  given  shelter  to  the  worshippers  of  the  church  of  Rome  ;  it 
being  one  of  his  maxims  to  pull  down  the  nests,  and  then  the  rooks  would  fly  away. 

The  flourishing  state  of  Perth  is  owing  to  two  accidents  :  the  first,  that  of  numbers 
of  Cromwell's  wounded  officers  and  soldiers  choosing  to  reside  here,  after  he  left  the 
kingdom,  who  introduced  a  spirit  of  industry  among  the  people ;  the  other  cause  was 
the  long  continuance  of  the  earl  of  Mar's  army  here  in  1715,  which  occasioned  vast 
sums  of  money  being  spent  in  the  place.  But  this  town,  as  well  as  all  Scotland,  dates  its 
prosperity  from  the  year  1745,  the  government  of  this  part  ofGreat  Britain  having  never 
been  settled  till  a  little  after  that  time.  The  rebellion  was  a  disorder  violent  in  its  opera- 
tion,  but  salutary  in  its  eftects. 

*  Raleigh's  Hist. oF  the  'W    .id,  Book  i.  ch.  5.  sect.  5.  ^ 

t  Sir  W.  Temple's  Kssay  on  health  and  Long  Life.     Vide  his  Works,  folio  ed.  i.  276. 
\  Cent.  viii.  sect.  755.  $  Taus,  Taciri,  Vit.  Agr. 


i 


;s 


40 


ruNKANTS  TOUH  IN  SCOTLAND 


The  trade  of  Perth  is  considerable.  It  exports  annually  one  hundred  and  fifty  ihoii. 
sand  ponndH  worth  of  linen  to  different  places ;  from  twcniy-four  to  thirty  thousand 
bolls  of  wheat  and  burlcT  to*  London  and  Edinburgh,  and  about  twelve  or  fourteen 
thousand  pounds  worth  of  cured  salmon.  That  fish  is  taken  there  in  vast  abundance; 
three  thous;ind  have  been  caught  in  one  morning,  weighing  one  with  another  sixteen 
pounds ;  the  whole  capt'.ire,  forty.eight  thousiuid  nounds.  The  fishery  begins  at  St. 
Andrew's  d.iy,  and  ends  August  26th,  old  style.  The  rents  of  the  fisheries  amount  to 
three  thousand  pounds  per  annum. 

I  was  informed  that  smelts  come  up  this  river  in  May  and  June. 

There  has  been  in  these  parts  a  very  great  fishery  of  pearl  got  out  of  the  fresh-water 
muscles.  From  the  year  1761  to  1764,  10,0001.  worth  were  sent  to  London,  and  sold 
from  lOs.  to  II.  I6s.  per  ounce.  I  was  told  that  a  pearl  had  been  taken  there  that 
weighed  33  grains.  But  this  fishery  is  at  present  exhausted,  from  tl»c  avarice  of  the 
undertakers  :  it  once  extended  as  far  as  Loch-Tay. 

Gowrie-house  is  shewn  to  all  strangers ;  formerly  the  property  and  residence  of  the 
earl  of  Gowrie,  whose  tragical  end  and  mysterious  conspiracy  (if  conspiracy  there  was) 
are  still  fresh  in  the  minds  of  the  people  of  Perth.  At  present  the  house  is  occupied  by 
some  companies  of  artillery.  I  was  shewn  the  staircase  where  the  unhappy  nobleman 
was  killed,  the  window  the  frighted  monarch  James  roared  out  oi,  and  that  he  escaped 
through,  when  he  was  saved  from  the  fury  of  the  populace  by  Daily  Roy,  a  friend  of 
Gowrie 's,  who  was  extremely  beloved  in  the  town. 

From  the  little  traditions  preserved  in  the  place,  it  seems  as  if  Gowrie  had  not  the 
least  intent  of  murdering  the  king  ;  on  the  day  his  majesty  came  to  Perth,  the  earl  was 
engaged  to  a  wedding-dinner  with  the  dean  of  Guild  :  when  the  account  of  the  king's 
design  reached  him,  he  changed  colour,  on  being  taken  so  unprovided ;  but  the  dean 
forced  him  to  accept  the  nupt:al  feast,  which  was  sent  over  to  the  carl's  house. 

When  the  king  fled,  he  passed  by  the  seat  of  Sir  William  Moncrief,  near  Earn- bridge, 
who,  happening  to  be  walking  out  at  that  time,  heard  from  the  mouth  of  his  terrified 
majesty  the  whole  relation ;  but  the  knight  found  it  so  marvellous  and  so  disjointed,  as 
plamly  to  tell  the  king,  *'  that  if  it  was  a  true  story,  it  was  a  very  strange  one." 

Gowrie  was  a  most  accomplished  gentleman.  After  he  had  finished  his  studies,  he 
held  the  professor  of  philosophy's  chair  for  two  years  in  one  of  the  Italian  universities. 

Cross  the  Tay  on  a  temporary  bridge ;  the  stone  bridge,  which  is  to  consist  of  nine 
arches,  being  at  this  time  unfinished :  the  largest  arch  is  seventy-six  feet  wide ;  when 
complete,  it  promises  to  be  a  most  magnificent  structure.  The  river  here  is  very  vio- 
lent, and  admits  of  scarce  any  navigation  above ;  but  ships  of  one  hundred  and  twenty 
tons  burthen  come  up  a&  high  as  the  town ;  and  if  fiat-bottomed,  of  even  two  hundred 
tons. 

Scone  lies  about  a  mile  and  half  higher  up,  on  the  east  bank  of  the  river.  Here  was 
once  an  abbey  of  great  antiquity,*  which  was  burnt  by  the  reforming  zealots  of  Dundee. 
The  present  palace  was  begun  by  earl  Gowrie ;  but,  on  his  death,  being  granted  by 
lames  VI  to  his  favourite,  Sir  David  Murray,  of  Gospatrie,  was  completed  by  him ; 
who,  in  gratitude  to  the  king,  has  in  several  parts  of  the  house  put  up  the  royal  arms. 
The  house  is  built  round  two  courts  ;  the  dining-room  is  large  and  handsome,  has  an 
ancient  hut  magnificent  chimney-piece,  the  king's  arms,  with  this  motto, 

Nobis  hxc  invicta  miserunt  centum  sex  proavi. 
*  Founded  bf  Alexander  I,  1  i  14,  for  canons  regular  of  St.  Auguslln. 


''^^^'■'Wy'jSL'?''  ■' 


Ll HJI^yjJ^.  '»!  • 


MM 


PEMNANT'I  TOUR  IN  SCOTLAND. 


4t 


Beneath  are  the  Murray  arms.  In  the  clmwinff-room  is  some  good  old  tapestry,  witli 
•n  excellent  figure  of  Mercury.  In  a  small  hed-chumher  is  a  mcdiy  scrinturc-picce  in 
needle-work,  with  a  Iwrder  of  animals,  pretty  well  done  ;  the  work  of  Mary  Stuart, 
during  her  confinement  in  Loch.Leven  cnstic  :  hut  the  house  in  general  h  in  u  manner 
Unfurnished. 

Tlie  gallery  is  about  a  hundred  and  fifty-five  feet  long  ;  the  top  arched,  divided  into 
compartments,  filled  with  paintings,  in  water  colours,  of  difica-nt  sorts  of  huntings  ; 
and  that  Nimrod,  James  VI,  and  his  train,  appear  in  every  piece. 

Till  the  destruction  of  the  ablxv,  the  kings  of  Scotland  were  crowned  In-rc,  sitting  iu 
the  fiimous  wooden  chair,  which  Kdward  I,  transported  to  Westminster  Ablx-'v,  much 
to  the  mortification  of  the  Scots,  who  esteemed  it  as  their  palladium.  CharlcH  II,  be- 
fore the  batde  of  Worcester,  was  crowned  in  the  present  chafiel.  The  old  Pretender 
resided  at  Scone  for  a  considerable  time  in  1715,  ana  hb  son  made  it  a  visit  in  1745. 

Re-passed  the  Tay  at  Bullion's  boat ;  visited  the  field  of  Loncarty«  celebrated  for  thr 

geat  victory  *  obtained  by  the  Scots  over  the  Danes,  by  means  of  the  gallant  peasant 
ay,  and  his  two  sons,  who,  with  no  other  weapons  than  the  yokes  which  they  snatched 
from  their  oxen  then  at  plough,  first  put  a  stop  to  the  flight  of  their  countrymen,  and 
afterwards  led  them  on  to  conquest.  The  noble  families  of  Hay  descend  from  this 
rustic  h<'ro,  and,  in  memory  of  the  action,  bear  for  their  arms  the  instrument  of  their 
victory,  with  the  allusive  motto  of  Sub  jugo.  There  are  on  the  spot  several  tumuli,  in 
which  are  freque^.tly  found  l)ones  deposited  in  loose  stones,  disposed  in  form  of  a  coffin. 
Not  remote  is  a  spot  which  supplied  me  with  fcr  more  agreeable  ideas  ;  a  tract  of 
ground,  which  in  1732  was  a  mere  bog,  but  now  converted  into  good  meadows,  and 
about  fiAy  acres  covered  with  linen;  several  other  parts  with  building,  and  all  the  ap- 
paratus of  the  linen  manufacture,  extremely  curious  and  worth  seeing,  carried  on  by 
the  industrious  family  of  the  Sandimans  :  and  in  the  bleachery  are  annually  whitened 
four  hundred  thousand  yards  of  linen,  the  manufacture  of  this  family,  and  of  Mr.  Mar- 
•hall  and  others  fi-om  Perth. 

The  country  is  good,  full  of  barley,  oats,  and  flax  in  abundance ;  but,  after  a  few 
miles  travelling,  is  succeeded  by  a  black  heath.  Ride  through  a  beautiful  plantation 
of  pines,  and,  after  descending  an  easy  slope,  the  plain  beneath  suddenly  contracts  itself 
into  a  narrow  glen.  The  prospect  before  me  strongly  marked  the  entrance  into  the 
Highlands,  the  hills  tliat  bounded  it  on  each  side  bemg  lofty  and  rude.  On  the  left 
was  Bimam  wood,  which  seems  never  to  have  recovered  the  march  which  its  ancestors 
made  to  Dunsinane :  I  was  shevm  at  a  great  distance  a  high  ridge  of  hills,  where  some 
remains  of  that  famous  fr  rtress  (Macbetn's  castle)  are  said  yet  to  exist. 

The  pass  into  the  Highlands  is  awfully  magnificent;  high,  craggy,  and  often  naked 
mountains  present  themselves  to  view,  approach  very  near  each  other,  and  in  many 
parts  are  fnnged  with  wood,  overhanging  and  darkening  the  Tay,  that  rolls  with  great 
rapidity  beneath.  After  some  advance  in  this  hollow,  a  most  beautiful  knowl,  covered 
with  pines,  appears  full  in  view ;  and  soon  after  the  town  of  Dunkcld,  seated  under 
and  environed  by  crags,  partly  naked,  partly  woodetL  with  summits  of  a  vast  height. 
Lay  at  Inver,t  a  good  inn  on  the  west  side  of  the  river. 

July  28.  Crossed  it  in  a  boat,  attended  by  a  tame  swan,  which  was  perpetually  soli- 
citing our  favours,  by  putting  its  neck  over  the  sides  of  the  ferry-boat.     Land  in  the 

*  In  the  time  of  Kenneth,  who  began  his  reign  976. 

t  Inv^r,  a  plaee  wh«re  a  lesser  river  runs  into  a  greater ;  or  a  river  into  a  lake  or  seai  as  Abner  signifies 
in  the  British. 

VOL.   III.  c 


■ 


43 


fENNANT'X  TOUR  IN  SCOTLAND 


duke  of  Athol's  trardcns,  which  arc  extremely  pleasin(|^,  washed  by  the  river,  and  com- 
manding, from  diftl-rcnt  purtn  ui  the  walks,  the  moat  iH-autifut  and  ptcturcnquc  views  of 
wild  and  gloomy-  nature  that  can  be  conceived.  Treen  of  all  kinds  g;row  here  ex< 
trcmcly  well  ;  and  even  so  Houthcrn  a  shrub  as  Portugal  liiurel  flourishes  greatly.  In 
the  garden  arc  (he  ruins  uf  the  cathedral,  once  a  magnificent  edifice,  as  appears  by 
the  tjeautiful  round  pillars  still  standing;  but  the  choir  is  preserved,  and  at  present  used 
us  a  church.  In  the  burial  place  of  the  family  is  a  large  monument  uf  the  marquis  of 
Athol.  hung  with  the  arms  of  the  numeruus  cutuiecttons  of  the  familv. 

On  the  other  side  of  the  river  is  a  pleasing  walk  along  the  banks  of  the  water  of 
Br.in,*  a  great  and  rapid  torrent,  full  ol  immense  stones.  On  a  rock,  at  the  end  of  the 
walk,  is  a  neat  building,  impending  over  a  most  horriiilc  chasm,  into  which  the  river 
precipitates  itself  with  great  noise  and  fury  from  a  considerable  height.  The  windows 
of  the  pavilion  are  formed  of  painted  glass ;  some  of  the  panes  are  red,  which  makes 
the  water  resemble  a  fury  cataract.  About  a  mile  further  is  another,  Rumbling  Brig, 
like,  but  inferior  in  grandeur,  to  that  near  Kinross. 

The  town  of  Dunkeld  is  small,  and  has  a  small  linen  manufacture.  Much  company 
resorts  here  in  the  summer  months,  for  the  benefit  of  drinking  goats'  milk  and  whey : 
I  was  informed  here,  that  those  animals  will  eat  serpents ;  as  it  is  well  known  that 
stags  do. 

After  a  ride  of  two  miles  along  a  narrow  strait,  amidst  trees,  and  of^en  in  sig^  ^ 
the  Tay,  was  driven  by  rain  into  a  fisherman's  hut,  who  entertained  me  with  ai 
count  of  his  business :  said  he  paid  ten  pounds  per  ann.  for  the  liberty  of  two  or  three 
miles  of  the  river;  sold  the  first  fish  of  the  season  at  &-xc  pence  a  pound;  after  that, 
got  three  shillings  per  fish.  The  houses  in  these  parts  began  to  be  covered  with  broom, 
which  lasts  three  or  four  years :  their  insides  mean,  and  very  scantily  furnished ;  but 
the  owners  civil,  sensible,  and  of  the  quickest  apprehensions. 

The  strait  now  widens  into  a  vale  plentiful  in  oats,  barley  and  flax,  and  well  peopled. 
On  the  right  is  the  junction  of  the  Tay  and  the  Tumel :  the  channels  of  these  nvers 
are  wide,  full  of  gravel,  the  mark  of  their  devastation  during  floods.  Due  north  is  the 
road  to  Blair  and  Fort  Augustus,  through  the  noted  pass  of  Killicrankife :  turn  to  the 
left ;  ride  opposite  to  Castle  Menzies :  reach  Taymouth,  the  seat  of  the  earl  of 
Brcadalbane. 

July  29,  &c.  Taymouth  t  lies  in  a  vale  scarce  a  mile  broad,  very  fertile,  bounded 
on  each  side  by  mountains  finely  planted.  Those  on  the  south  are  covered  with  li'ees, 
or  with  corn-fields,  far  up  their  sides.  The  hills  on  the  north  are  planted  with  pines 
and  other  trees,  and  vastly  steep,  and  have  a  very  Alpine  look ;  but  particularly  re- 
semble the  great  slope,  opposite  the  Grand  Chartreuse  in  Dauphine.  His  lordship's 
policy!  surrounds  the  house,  which  stands  in  the  park,  and  is  one  of  the  few  in  which 
fallow  deer  are  seen. 

The  ground  is  in  remarkable  fine  order,  owing  to  his  lordship's  assiduity  in  clearing 
it  from  stones,  with  which  it  was  once  covered.  A  blaster  was  in  constant  employ,  to 
blast  the  great  stones  with  gun^powder ;  for,  by  reason  of  their  size,  there  was  no  other 
method  of  removing  them. 

The  Berceau  walk  is  very  magnificent,  composed  of  great  trees,  forming  a  fine 
gothic  arch ;  and  probably  that  species  of  architecture  owed  its  origin  to  such  vaulted 

*  Rivers  in  Scotland  are  very  frequently  called  waters. 

t  Its  name  in  old  maps  is  Balloch  ;  i.  e.  the  mouth  of  the  Loch :  Bala  in  the  British  language. 
\  This  word  here  signifies  improvements,  or  demesne :  when  used  by  a  merchant,  or  tradesman!  sig- 
nifies their  warehouses,  shops,  and  the  like. 


''",}'-^;k.'\^if9(ij;{{.'.^-\'i 


I'ENXANT'8  TOUR  IN  8C0TLANU. 


43 

hhades.  The  «v*lk  ( n  the  bank  of  the  Tivy  is  fifty  feet  wide,  and  two-and-lwcruy  hun- 
dred yurdH  long  ;  but  19  tu  be  continued  as  lar  as  the  junction  of  the  Tay  and  (hi-  Lion, 
which  iit  about  as  far  mca*.  The  first  runs  on  the  sides  of  the  walk  with  (i^rcai  ra^ 
pidity,  is  clear,  but  not  colourless,  for  its  nellucidness  is  like  that  of  brown  crystal ;  m 
IS  the  case  with  most  of  the  rivers  in  Scotland,  which  receive  their  tinge  from  the  bogs. 
The  Tay  has  here  a  wooden  bridge  two  hundred  feet  long,  leading  to  a  white  scat  on 
the  side  of  the  opposite  hill,  commanding  a  fine  view  up  and  down  Strath-Tay.  The 
rich  meadows  beneath,  the  winding  of  the  river,  the  beginning  of  Loch-Tay,  the  dis- 
charge of  the  river  out  of  it,  the  neat  village  and  church  of  Kinmore,  form  u  most  pleasing 
and  magnificent  pros()ect. 

The  view  from  t!ic  temple  of  Venus  is  that  of  the  lake,  with  a  nearer  sight  of  tlw 
church  and  village,  and  th';  discharge  of  the  river.  The  lak;;  is  about  one  mile  broad, 
and  fifteen  lonp^,  bounded  on  each  side  by  lofty  mountains ;  inakes  three  great  bends, 
which  add  to  its  beauty.  Those  on  the  south  are  well  planted,  and  finely  cultivated 
high  up  ;  interspersed  with  the  habitations  of  the  Highlanders,  not  singly,  but  in  small 
groupes,  as  if  they  loved  society  or  clanship  :  they  are  very  small,  mean,  and  without 
windows  or  chimnies,  and  arc  the  disgrace  of  North  Britain,  as  its  lakes  and  rivers  arc 
its  glory.  Loch-Tay  is  ir  many  places  a  hundred  fathoms  deep,  and  within  as  many 
yards  of  the  shore,  fiftyfour. 

Till  of  late,  this  lake  was  supposed  to  be  as  incapable  of  freezing  as  Loch-Ness', 
Loch- Earn,  and  Loch- Kach;  though  Loch-Rannoch>  and  even  Loch-Fine,  an  arm  of 
the  sea,  often  does.  But  in  March  1771,  so  rigorous  and  uncommon  was  the  cold, 
tliat  abom  the  twentieth  of  that  month  this  vast  body  of  water  was  frozen  over  in  one 
part,  from  side  to  side,  in  the  space  of  a  single  night ;  and  so  strong  was  the  ice,  as 
gready  to  damage  ?  boat  which  was  caught  in  it. 

Loch-Tay  abounds  with  pike,  perch,  eels,  salmon,  char,  and  trout ;  of  the  last, 
some  have  been  taken  that  weighed  above  thirty  pounds.  Of  these  species,  the  High- 
landers abhor  eels,  and  also  lampreys,  fancying,  from  the  form,  that  tney  are  too  nearly 
related  to  serpents. 

The  north  side  is  less  wooded,  hut  more  cultivated.  The  vast  hill  of  Laurs,  with  beds 
of  snow  on  it,  through  great  part  of  the  vear,  rises  above  the  rest,  and  the  still  loftier 
mountain  of  Benmor  closes  the  view  far  beyond  the  end  of  the  lake.  All  this  country 
abounds  with  game,  such  as  grous,  ptarmigans,^  stag^,  und  a  peculiar  species  of  hare, 
which  is  found  only  on  the  summits  of  the  highest  hills,  and  never  mixes  with  the 
common  kind,  which  is  frequent  enough  in  the  vales  :t  is  less  than  the  common  hare  ; 
its  limbs  more  slender  ;  its  flesh  more  delicate :  is  very  agile,  and  full  of  frolick  when 
kept  tame ;  is  fond  of  honey  and  carraway  comfits,  and  prognosticates  a  storm  by  eating 
its  own  dung :  in  a  wild  state  does  not  run  an  end,  but  seeks  shelter  under  stones  as 
soon  as  possible.  During  summer  its  predominant  colour  is  gray  ;  about  September  it 
begins  to  assume  a  snowy  whiteness,  the  alteration  of  colour  appearing  about  the  neck 
and  rump,  and  becomes  entirely  white,  except  the  edges  and  tips  of  the  cars :  in 
April  it  again  resumes  its  gray  coat. 

The  ptarmigans  inhabit  the  very  summits  of  the  highest  mountains,  amidst  the  rocks, 
perching  among  the  gray  stor.es,  and  during  summer  are  scarcely  to  be  distinguished 
fit>m  them,  by  reason  of  their  colour.  They  seldom  take  long  flights,  but  fly  about 
like  pigeons ;  arc  silly  birds,  and  so  tame,  as  to  suffer  a  stone  to  be  flung  at  them  with- 
out rising.    It  is  not  necessary  to  have  a  dog  to  find  them.     They  taste  so  like  a  grous, 


•  Br.  Zool.  I.  No.  95. 


tibid.  No.  ?!. 


\ 


C  2 


:t3 


44 


PENNANTS  TOUR  IM  SCOTLAND. 


US  to  be  scarce  distinguishable.  During  winter,  their  pluma^,  except  a  few  feathers 
on  the  tail,  arc  oi"  a  pure  white,  the  colour  of  the  snow,  in  which  they  bury  themselves 
ill  heaps,  as  a  protection  from  the  rigorouf  air. 

Roys*on  crows,  called  here  hooded  cro  ys,  and  in  the  Erse,  feannag,  arc  very  com- 
mon, and  reside  here  the  whole  year.  They  breed  in  all  sorts  of  trees,  not  only  in  the 
Highlands,  but  even  in  the  plains  of  Murray  :  lay  six  eggs ;  have  a  shriller  note  than 
the  common  sort ;  are  much  more  mischievous  ;  pick  out  the  eyes  of  lambs,  and  even 
of  horses,  when  engaged  in  bogs  ;  but  for  want  of  other  food,  will  eat  cranberries,  and 
other  mountain  berries. 

Ring  ouzels  breed  among  the  hills,  and  in  autumn  descend  in  flocks  t^  feed  on  the 
berries  of  the  wicken  trees. 

Sea  eagles  breed  in  ruined  towers,  but  quit  the  country  in  winter.  The  black  eagles 
continue  there  the  whole  year. 

It  is  very  difficult  to  leave  the  environs  of  this  delighvful  place.  Before  I  go  within 
doorii,  must  re  ^al  to  mind  the  fine  winding  walks  on  the  south  side  of  the  hills,  the 
great  beech  sixteen  feet  in  girth,  the  picturesque  birch  with  its  long  streaming  branches, 
the  hermitage,  the  gixat  cataracts  adjacent,  and  the  darksome  chasm  beneath.  I  must 
enjoy  over  again  the  view  of  the  fine  reach  of  the  Tay,  and  its  union  with  the  broad 
water  of  the  Lion  :  I  must  step  down  to  view  the  druidical  circles  of  stones ;  and,  lastly, 
I  must  visit  Tay-bridge,  and,  as  far  as  my  pen  can  contribute,  extend  the  fame  of  our 
military  countrymen,  who,  among  other  works  worthy  of  the  Romans,  fouqded  this 
bridge,  and  left  its  history  inscribed  in  thcLe  terms : 

Mirare 
Viam  banc  militarem 
Ultra  Homanos  terminos. 
M.  passuum  ccl.  hac  iliac 
Extensain  ; 
Tesquis  et  paludibus  insultantem 
Per  montes  rupesque  patefactam 
Et  indignant!  Tavo 
Ut  cernis  instratam ; 
Opus  hoc  arduum  suA  Bolerti&, 
El,  decennali  militum  oper&, 
A.  Mr.  Xnae.  1733.     Posuit  G.  Wade 
Copiarum  in  Scotia  Prxfectus. 

Ecce  quantum  valeant  ;    •■ 

Regis  Geor^i'  II,  auspicia. 

Taymouth  is  a  large  house,  a  castle  modernized.  The  most  remarkable  part  of  it^ 
furniture  is  the  works  of  the  famous  Jameson,^  the  Scotch  Vandyck,  an  eleve  of  this 
family.  That  singular  performance  of  his,  the  genealogical  picture,  is  in  gpod  pre- 
servation. The  chief  of  the  Argyle  family  is  placed  recumbent  at  the  foot  u  a 
tree,  with  a  branch ;  on  the  right  is  a  single  head  of  his  eldest  son^  sir  Duncan 
Campbell,  laird  of  Lochou ;  but  on  the  various  ramifications  are  the  names  of  ,his 
descendants,  and  along  the  bo  •/  of  the  tree  are  nine  small  heads,  in  oval  frames,  with 
the  names  on  the  margins,  all  done  with  great  neatness :  the  second  son  was  the  first  of 
the  house  of  Breadalbanc,  which  branched  from  the  other  about  four  hundred  years 

*  Son  of  an  architect  at  Aberdeen  ;  studied  under  Reubens,  at  Antwerp.  Charles  I,  sat  to  him,  and 
presented  him  with  a  diamond  ring.  He  always  drew  himself  with  his  hat  on.  His  prices  were  301. 
Scots,  or  II.  3s.  4d.  English,  per  head :  was  born  in  1586 ;  died  at  Edinburgh,  1644.  For  a  further  ac- 
count, consult  Mr.  Walpole's  Anecdotes  of  Painting. 


PENNANT'S  TOUP  IN  SCOTLAND. 


45 


ago.  In  a  corner  is  inscribed,  "  The  Genulogie  of  the  house  of  Glenorquhie  quhuirof 
is  descendit  sundrie  nobil  and  worthic  houses.  Jameson  fxciebut  1635."  Its  size  is 
eight  feet  by  five.  In  the  same  room  are  about  twenty  heads  of  persons  of  the  family ; 
among  others,  that  of  a  lady,  so  veiy  ugly,  that  a  wag,  on  seeing  it,  with  lifted  hands 

£  renounced,  that  she  was  fearfully  and  wonderfully  made.     There  are  in  the  same 
ouse,  several  heads  by  Jameson,  but  many  of  tliem  unforrunately  spoiled  in  the  re- 
pairing. 

In  the  library  is  a  small  book,  called,  from  the  binding,  the  black  Book,  with  some* 
beautiful  drawings  in  it,  on  veilun*. ,  of  the  Breadalbane  family,  in  water  colours.  In 
the  first  page  is  old  Sir  Duncan  between  two  other  figures,  then  follow  several  chiefs 
of  the  family,  an\ong  whom  is  Sir  Colin,  knight  of  Rhodes,  who  died  1480«  aged  80. 
At  the  end  is  a  manuscript  history  of  the  family,  ending,  I  think,  in  1633. 

July  30.  Went  to  divine  service  at  Kinmore*  church,  which,  with  the  village,  was 
re-built,  in  the  neatest  manner,  by  the  present  lord  Breadalbane :  they  stand  beautifully 
on  a  small  headland,  projecting  into  the  lake.  His  lordship  permits  the  inhabitants  to 
live  rent-free,  on  condition  they  exercise  some  trade,  and  keep  their  houses  clean :  so 
that,  by  these  terms,  he  not  only  saves  the  expence  of  sending,  on  every  trifling  occa- 
»on,  to  Perth  or  Crief,  but  has  got  some  as  good  workmen  in  common  trades,  as  any 
in  his  majesty's  dominions. 

The  church  is  a  remarkably  neat  plain  building,  with  a  very  handsome  tower  steeple. 
The  congregation  was  numerous,  decent,  attentive,  still ;  well  and  neatly  clad,  and  not 
a  ragged  or  slovenly  person  among  them.  There  were  two  services,  one  in  English, 
the  other  in  Erse.  After  the  first,  numbers  of  p?ople,  of  both  sexes,  went  out  of  the 
church,  and,  seating  themselves  in  the  church-yiml,  made,  in  their  motley  habits,  a  gay 
and  picturesque  appearance.  The  devotion  of  the  common  people  of  Scotland  on  the 
usual  days  of  worship  is  as  much  to  be  admired,  as  their  conduct  at  the  sacrament  in 
certain  places  is  to  be  censured.  It  is  celebrated  but  once  in  a  year,-]-  when  there  are 
sometimes  three  thousand  communicants,  and  as  many  idle  spectators.  Of  the  first,  as 
many  as  possible  crowd  on  each  side  of  a  long  table,  and  the  elements  sometimes  are 
rudely  shoven  from  one  to  another :  and  in  certain  places,  before  the  day  is  at  an  end, 
fighting  and  other  indecencies  ensue.  It  has  often  been  made  a  season  for  debauchery ; 
and  to  this  day.  Jack  cannot  always  be  persuaded  to  eat  his  meat  like  a  Christian. j: 

Every  Sunday  a  collection  is  made  for  the  sick  or  necessitous ;  for  poors'  rates  are 
unknown  in  every  piirish  in  Scotland.  Notwithstanding  the  common  people  are  but 
just  rouzed  firom  their  native  indolence,  very  few  beggars  are  seen  in  North  Britain : 
er*^^her  they  are  full  niasters  t  f  the  lesson  of  being  content  with  a  very  little  ;  or,  what  is 
more  probable,  th'^y  are  possessed  of  a  spirit  that  will  struggle  hard  with  necessity  before 
it  will  bend  to  the  asking  of  alms. 

Visited  a  pretty  island  in  Loch-Tay,  tuffed  with  trees,  and  not  far  from  the  shore. 
On  it  are  the  ruins  of  a  priory  dependent  on  that  at  Scone;  founded  in  1122,  by 
Alexander  the  First ;  in  which  were  deposited  the  remains  of  his  queen  Sybtlla,  natu- 
ral daughter  to  Henry  I, :  it  was  founded  by  Alexander,  in  order  for  the  praj^ers  of  the 
Monks  for  the  repose  of  his  soul  and  that  of  his  royal  consort.^  To  this  island  the 
Campbells  retreated,  during  the  successes  of  the  marquis  of  Montrose,  where  they  de* 
fended  themselves  against  that  hero,  which  was  one  cause  of  his  violent  resentment 
against  the  whole  name. 

•  Or  the  Great  Head.       . 

t  Formerly  the  sacrament  was  administered  but  once  in  two  years.  4  Tp'e  of  a  Tub. 

$  As  appears  from  a  grant  made  by  that  monarch  of  the  isle  in  Loch*Tayt  Ut  pro  ecclesia  ibi  pro  me 
et  pro  anima  Stcilljb  ibi  defuncts  fabricetur,  Sec. 


46 


PENNANT'S  TOUR  IN  SCOTLAND. 


July  31st,  Rode  to  Glen-Lion;  went  by  the  side  of  ?he  river*  that  gives  name  to  it. 
It  has  now  lost  its  ancient  title  of  Duie,  or  Black,  given  it  on  account  of  a  great  battle 
between  the  Mackays  and  the  Macgregors ;  after  which,  the  coDquerors  are  said  to  have 
stained  the  waters  with  red,  by  washing  in  it  their  bloody  swords  and  speari.  On  the 
right  is  a  rocky  hill,  called  Shi-hallen,  or  the  Paps.  Enter  Glen-Lion  through  a  strait 
pass :  the  vule  is  narrow,  but  fertile  ;  the  banks  of  the  river  steep,  rocky,  and  wooded ; 
through  which  appears  the  rapid  water  of  the  Lion.  On  the  north  is  a  round  fortress, 
on  tile  top  of  a  hill :  to  which,  in  old  times,  the  natives  retreated  on  any  invasion.  A 
little  farther,  on  a  piain,  is  a  small  Roman  camp,t  called  by  the  Highlanders  Fortingal, 
or  the  fort  of  the  Strangers  :  themselves  they  stile  Na  fian,  or  descendants  of  Fingal. 
In  Fortingal  church-yard  are  the  remains  of  a  prodigious  yew-tree,  whose  ruins  mea- 
sured  fifty-six  feet  and  a  half  in  circumference. 

Saw,  at  the  house  of  colonel  Campbell  of  Glen-Lion,  a  curious  walking-stafT,  belong- 
ing to  one  of  his  ancestors :  it  was  iron  cased  in  leather,  five  feet  long ;  at  the  top  a  neat 
pair  of  extended  wings,  like  a  caduceus  ;  but,  on  being  shaken,  a  poniard,  two  feet  nine 
inches  long,  darted  out. 

He  also  favoured  me  with  the  sight  of  a  very  ancient  brotche,  which  the  Highlanders 
use,  like  the  fibula  of  the  Romans,  to  fasten  their  vest :  it  is  made  of  silver,  is  round, 
with  a  bar  cross  the  middle,  from  whence  are  two  tongues  to  fasten  the  folds  of  the 
garments :  one  side  is  studded  with  pearl,  or  coarse  gems,  in  a  very  rude  manner ;  on 
the  other,  the  names  of  the  three  kings  of  Cologne,  Caspar,  Melchior,  Baltazar ;  with 
the  word  consummatim.  It  was  probably  a  consecrated  brotche,  and  worn  not  only  for 
use,  but  as  an  amulet.  Keysler's  account  of  the  virtues  attributed  to  their  names  con- 
firms my  opinion.  He  says  that  they  were  written  on  slips  of  paper  in  this  form,  and 
worn  as  preservatives  against  the  falling- sickness : 

Gaspar  fert  Myrrham,  Thus  Melchior,  Balthazar,  Aurum  ; 

Sol  V  it  J  r  a  morbo  Christi  pietate  caduco. 

Return  South,  and  come  at  once  in  sight  of  Loch-Tay.  The  day  very  fine  and  calm, 
the  whole  scene  was  most  beautifully  repeated  in  the  water.  I  must  not  omit  that  on 
the  north  side  of  this  lake  is  a  most  excellent  road,  which  runs  the  whole  length  of  it, 
leading  to  Ticndrum  and  Inverary,  in  Argyleshire,  and  is  the  route  which  travellers 
must  take,  who  make  what  I  call  the  petit  tour:|:  of  Scotland.  This  whole  road  was 
made  at  the  sole  expence  of  the  present  lord  Breadalbane  ;  who,  to  facilitate  the  tra- 
velling, also  erected  thirty- two  stone  bridges  over  the  torrents  that  rush  from  the 
mountains  into  the  lake.  They  will  find  the  whole  country  excel  in  roads,  partly  mili- 
tary,  partly  done  by  statute  labour,  and  much  by  the  munificence  of  the  great  men. 

I  was  informed,  that  lord  Breadalbane^s  estate  w  -  so  extensive  that  he  could  ride  a 
hundred  miles  an  end  on  it,  even  as  far  as  the  West  Sea,  where  he  has  also  some  blands. 
These  great  properties  are  divided  into  districts,  called  Officiaries :  a  ground  officer  pre- 
sides over  each,  and  has  three,  four,  or  five  hundred  men  under  his  care.  He  super- 
intends the  duties  due  from  each  to  their  lord,  such  as  fetching  peat,  bringing  coal 
from  Crief,  Sec.  which  they  do,  at  their  own  expence,  on  horses  backs,  travelling  in 

*  This  river  freezes ;  but  the  Tay,  which  receives,  never  does. 

t  It  possibly  might  have  been  made  during  the  expedition  of  Sevenis,  who  penetrated  to  the  extremity 
of  this  islanrU    It  was  the  most  northern  work  of  the  Romans  of  which  I  had  any  intelligence. 

\  Whic'.  comprehends  the  route  I  have  described;  adding  to  it  from  Taymouth,  along  the  road,  on 
the  side  of  the  lake,  to  KilUn,  16  miles;  from  thence  to  '^iendrum,  20 ;  Glenorchie,  13 ;  Inverary,  16 ; 
I.uss,  on  the  banks  of  Loch-Lomond,  10 ;  Dumbarton,  12  ;  Glasgow,  Is  ;  Sterling,  31 ;  Edinburgh,  by 
Uopetoun  House,  35  ;  a  tract  unparalleled  for  the  variety  and  frequency  of  ane  and  magnificent  scenery. 


PENNANT'S  TOUR  IN  SCOTLAND. 


4.7 


Strings,  the  tail  of  one  horse  being  fastened  by  a  cord,  which  reaches  to  the  head  of  the 
next :  the  horses  are  little,  and  generally  white  or  gray ;  and  as  the  farms  are  very 
small,  it  is  common  for  four  to  keep  a  plough  between  them,  each  furnishing  a  horse,  and 
this  called  a  horse- gang. 

The  north  side  of  Loch-Tay  is  very  populous ;  for  in  sixteen  square  miles  are  seven- 
teen  hundred  and  eighty-six  souls :  on  the  other  side,  above  twelve  hundred.  The 
country,  within  these  thirty  years,  manufactures  a  great  deal  of  thread.  They  spin  with 
rocks,*  which  they  do  while  they  attend  their  cattle  on  the  hills;  and,  at  the  four 
fairs  in  the  year,  held  at  Kinmore,  above  sixteen  hundred  pounds  worth  of  yarn  is  sold 
out  of  Breadalbane  only :  which  shews  the  increase  of  industry  in  these  parts,  fur  less 
than  forty  years  ago  there  was  not  the  least  trade  in  this  article.  The  yarn  is  bought 
by  persons  who  attend  the  fairs  for  that  puqiose,  and  sell  it  again  at  Perth,  Glasgow, 
and  other  places,  where  it  is  manufactured  into  cloth. 

Much  of  this  may  be  owing  to  the  good  sense  and  humanity  of  the  chieftan ;  but 
much  again  is  owing  to  the  abolition  of  the  feudal  tenures,  or  vassalage ;  for  before 
that  was  effected  (which  was  done  by  the  influence  of  a  chancellor, •)•  whose  memory 
Scotland  gratefully  adores  for  that  service)  the  strong  oppressed  the  weak,  the  rich  the 
poor.  Courts  indeed  were  held,  and  juries  called  ;  but  juries  of  vassals,  too  dependent 
and  too  timid  to  be  relied  on  for  the  execution  of  true  justice. 

August  1.  Leave  Tuymouth ;  ford  the  Lion,  and  ride  above  it  through  some  woods. 
On  the  left  bursts  out  a  fine  cascade,  in  a  deep  hollow,  covered  with  trees  :  at  a  small 
distance  to  the  west  is  Castle  Garth ;  or,  more  properly,  Garbh,  i.  e.  The  rough  place 
a  small  castle  seated  like  Castle  Campbell,  between  two  deep  glens.  Keep  ascending  ; 
steep  hill,  but  the  com  country  continues  for  a  while :  the  scene  then  changes  for  u 
wild,  black,  and  mountainous  heath.  Descend  into  Rannoch,  a  meadowy  plain,  tolera- 
bly fertile  :  the  lake  of  the  same  name  extends  from  east  to  west ;  is  about  eleven  miles 
long,  and  one  broad  he  northern  bank  appears  very  barren:  part  of  the  southern 
finely  covered  with  a  toi  est  of  pine  and  birch,  the  first  natural  woods  1  had  seen  of  pines  ; 
rode  a  good  way  in  it,  but  observed  no  trees  of  any  bi  .c,  except  a  birch  sixteen  feet  in 
circumference :  the  ground  berw  ith  the  trees  is  covered  with  heath  bilberries,  and 
dwarf  arbutus,  whose  glossy  leaves  make  a  pretty  appearance.  This  place  gives  shelter 
to  black  game,  and  roes.  These  animals  are  found  from  the  banks  of  Loch-Lomond, 
as  far  north  as  the  entrance  into  Caithness  :  in  summer  'heir  hair  -s  short,  smooth,  glossy, 
and  red ;  at  the  approach  of  winter  grows  long  and  hoai) ,  and  proves  an  excellent  defence 
against  the  rigour  of  the  Highland  air.  The  weight  of  a  full  grown  roe  is  601b.  The 
horns  of  the  second  year  are  straight,  slender,  and  without  any  branch :  in  the  third  be- 
come bifurcated :  in  the  fourth,  trifurcated,  and  grow  more  scabrous  and  stronger,  in 
proportion  to  their  longevity.  They  feed  during  '^  nmer  on  grass,  and  are  remarkably 
fond  of  the  Rubus  Saxatilis,  called  in  the  Hie  aids,  on  that  account,  the  Roebuck 
Berry.  When  the  ground  is  covered  with  snuw,  they  browze  on  the  extreme  branches 
of  the  pine  and  juniper.  They  bring  two  young  at  a  time :  the  fawns  elegantly  spotted 
with  white.  It  is  extremely  difficult  to  rear  them  ;  commonly  eight  out  of  ten  dying  in 
the  attempt.  The  flesh  oi  the  roe  is  by  some  counted  a  delicacy :  to  me  it  seeme^! 
very  dry.     They  keep  in  small  families  of  five  or  six. 

*  Their  lord  gives  among  them  annually  a  great  number  of  spinning  wheels,  which  will  soon  cause 
the  disuse  of  the  rock. 

t  £arl  of  Hardwick,  who  may  be  trulj  said  to  have  given  to  the  North  Britons  their  great  charter  of 
liberty. 


V: 


U 


48 


PEKKANT'S  TOUR  IN  SCOTLAND. 


Near  these  woods  is  a  saw-mill,  which  is  rented  from  the  ^vemmcnt ;  and  the  te- 
nant is  obliged  to  work  150  tons  of  timber  annually,  paying  eighteen  shillings  and  six. 
pence  per  ton.  Th?  deal,  which  is  the  red  sort,  is  sold  in  plank  to  different  parts  of 
the  country,  carried  on  horses  backs,  for  the  trees  are  now  grown  so  acarce  as  not  to  ad- 
mit of  exportation.* 

The  lake  aftbrds  no  other  fish  than  trouts,  small  chars,  and  b'j!!  tro^Us :  the  last,  as 
I  was  informed,  are  sometimes  taken  of  the  length  of  four  feet  and  a  half.  Many  water 
fowl  breed  in  the  birns  or  little  streams  that  trickle  into  the  lake ;  amon^^  others,  dif- 
ferent sorts  of  grebes  and  divers :  I  was  told  of  one  which  the  inhabitantci  call  Farb- 
huachaillc,  or  i/e  Herd-man's  Watch-man,  that  makes  a  great  noise  before  storms, 
and  by  their  description  find  it  to  be  the  northern  diver.  Br.  Zool.  4th  £d.  Vol.  II. 
No.  237.     No  rats  have  hitherto  been  observed  in  this  country. 

This  country  was  once  the  property  of  ttobertson  of  Struan,  and  was  granted  to  an 
ancestor  of  his,  as  a  reward  for  taking  Robert  Graham,  the  ruffian  who  murdered 
James  I.  It  was  then  valued  at  a  hundred  marks.  He  was  likewise  permitted  to  bear 
in  his  coat  of  arms  a  Graham  bound  in  chains.  A  descendant  of  his,  styled  Mac- 
Robert,  was  the  most  potent  plunderer  of  his  days,  and,  at  the  head  of  eight  hundred 
men,  for  a  long  time  ravaged  Athol  and  the  adjoniing  countries,  in  the  beginning  of  the 
reign  of  James  V,  but  at  length  was  surprised  and  slain.t  The  late  Struan  seemed  to 
inherit  his  turbulent  disposition.  He  had  been  in  the  rebellion  of  1715  ;  had  his  estate 
restored,  but  in  1745  rebelling  a  second  time,  the  country  was  burnt,  and  the  estate 
annexed  to  the  crown.  He  returned  a  few  years  after,  'and  died  as  he  lived,  a  most 
abandoned  sot ;  notwithstanding  which,  he  had  a  genius  for  poetry,  and  left  behind  him 
a  volume  of  elegies  and  other  pieces,  in  some  of  which  he  elegantly  laments  the  ra- 
vages of  war  among  his  vassals,  and  the  loss  of  his  favourite  scenes,  and  in  particular  his 
fountain  Argentine. 

The  country  is  perfectly  highland ;  and  in  spite  of  the  intercourse  this  and  the 
nei  ?jhbouring  parts  have  of  late  years  had  with  the  rest  of  the  world,  it  still  retains  some 
of  Its  ancient  customs  and  sujierstitions :  they  decline  daily,  but  lest  their  memory 
should  be  lost,  I  shall  mention  several  that  are  still  practised,  or  but  very  lately  disused, 
in  the  tract  I  had  passed  over.  Such  a  record  will  have  this  advantage,  when  the 
follies  are  extinct,  in  teaching  the  unshackled  and  enlightened  mind  the  difference  between 
the  pure  ceremonies  of  religion,  and  the  wild  and   nile  flights  of  superstition. 

1  he  belief  in  spectres  still  exists  ;  of  which  I  had  a  remarkable  proof  while  I  was  in 
the  county  of  Brcadalbane.  A  poor  visionary,  who  had  been  working  in  his  cabbage 
garden,  imagined  that  he  was  raised  suddenly  into  the  air,  and  conveyed  over  a  wall 
into  an  adjacent  corn  field ',%  ^^^^  ^^  found  himself  surrounded  by  a  crowd  of  men  and 
women,  many  of  whom  he  knew  to  have  been  dead  some  j  ears,  and  who  appeared  to 
him  skimming  over  the  tops  of  the  unbended  corn,  and  mingling  together  like  bees 
going  to  hive :  that  they  spoke  an  unknown  language,  and  with  a  hollow  sound :  that 
they  very  roughly  pushed  him  to  and  'Vo ;  but  on  his  uttering  the  name  of  God,  all 
vanished  but  a  female  sprite,  who,  seismg  him  by  the  should'-,  obliged  him  to  promise 
nn  assignation,  at  that  very  hour,  that  day  sevennight :  that  tie  then  found  that  his  hair 
was  all  tied  in  double  knots,  and  that  he  had  almost  lost  the  use  of  his  speech ;  that 
he  kept  his  word  with  the  spectre,   whom  he  soon  saw  come  floating   through  tke 

*  Some  Pot  Ash  is  also  made  of  the  Birch  wood.  t  Buchanan,  lib.  xiii.  c.  47. 

f  These  tales  of  spectral  transportationb  are  far  from  beihghew;  Mr.  Aubrey,  in  his  Miscellanies,  p.  13, 
gives  two  ridiculous  relations  of  almost  similar  facts,  one  in  Devonshire,  the  other  in  the  shire  ot  Murray 


was  in 
abbage 
a  wall 
nen  and 
eared  to 
ke  bees 
id:  that 
od,  all 
jromise 
his  hair 
:h;  that 
ugh  tke 


lies,  p.  13, 
t  Murray 


PENNANT'S  TOUll  IS  SCOTLAND 


4I> 


air  towards  him  :  that  he  spoke  to  her,  but  she  told  him  at  that  time  she  was  in  tuu  much 
haste  to  attend  to  him,  but  bid  him  go  away,  and  no  harm  should  befal  him  ;  and  so 
the  affair  rested  when  I  left  the  country.  But  it  is  incredible  the  mischief  these  TlCgri 
Somnia  did  in  the  neighbourhood  :  the  friends  iund  relations  of  the  deceased,  whom  the 
old  Dreamer  had  named,  were  in  the  utmost  anxiety  at  finding  them  in  such  bad  com. 
pany  in  the  other  world  :  the  almost  extinct  belief  of  the  old  idle  tales  began  again  to 
garn  grounds  and  the  good  minister  will  have  many  a  weary  discourse  and  exhortation, 
before  he  can  eradicate  the  absurd  ideas  this  idle  story  has  revived. 

In  this  part  of  the  country  the  notion  of  witchcraft  is  quite  lost :  it  was  observed  to 
cease  almost  immediately  on  the  repeal  of  the  witch  act  ;*  a  proof  what  a  dangerous 
instrument  it  was  in  the  nands  of  the  vindictive,  or  of  the  credulous. 

Among  the  superstitious  customs  these  are  the  most  singular.  A  Highlander  never 
begins  any  thing  of  consequence  on  the  day  of  the  week  on  which  the  ihird  of  May  falls, 
which  he  styles  La  Sheachanna  na  bleanagh,  or  the  dismal  day. 

On  the  1st  of  May,  the  herdsmen  of  every  village  hold  their  Bel.tien,t  a  rural  sacri- 
fice.  They  cut  a  square  trench  on  tl  e  ground,  leaving  the  turf  in  the  middle ;  on  that 
they  make  a  fire  of  wood,  on  which  they  dress  a  large  caudle  of  eggs,  butter,  oatmeal 
and  milk ;  and  bring,  besides  the  ingredients  of  the  caudle,  plenty  of  br  er  and  whisky  ; 
for  each  of  the  company  must  contribute  something.  The  rites  bej  ;in  with  spilling 
some  of  the  caudle  on  the  ground  by  way  of  libation :  on  that  every  one  takes  a  cake 
of  oatmeal,  upon  which  are  raised  nine  square  knobs,  each  dedicated  to  some  particular 
being,  the  supposed  preserver  of  their  Rocks  and  herds,  or  to  some  particular  animal, 
the  real  destroyer  of  them :  each  person  then  turns  his  face  to  the  fire,  breaks  off  a 
knob,  and  flinging  it  over  his  shoulders,  says,  "  This  I  give  to  thee,  preserve  ihou  my 
horses ;  this  to  thee,  preserve  thou  my  sheep ;  and  so  on."  After  that  they  use  the 
same  ceremony  to  the  noxious  animals :  "  Tliis  I  give  to  thee,  O  fox !  spare  thou  my 
lambs;  this  to  thee,  O  hooded  crow !  this  to  thee,  O  eagle!'' 

When  the  ceremony  is  over,  they  dine  on  the  caudle  ;  and  after  the  feast  is  finished, 
what  is  left  is  hid  by  two  persons  deputed  for  that  purpose  ;  but  on  the  next  Sunday 
they  re-assemble,  and  finish  ^he  reliques  of  the  first  entertainment.  | 

On  the  death  of  a  Highlander,  the  corpse  being  stretched  on  a  board,  and  covered 
with  a  coarse  linen  wrapper,  the  friends  lay  on  the  breast  of  the  deceased  a  wooden 
platter,  containing  a  small  quantity  of  salt  and  earth,  separate  and  unmixed ;  the  earth, 
an  emblem  of  the  corruptible  body ;  the  salt,  an  emblem  of  the  immortal  spirit.  All 
fire  is  extinguished  where  a  corpse  is  kept ;  and  it  is  reckoned  so  ominous  for  a  dog  or 
cat  to  pass  over  it,  that  the  poor  animal  is  killed  without  mercy. 

The  late- wake  is  a  ceremony  used  at  funerals.  The  evening  after  the  death  of  any 
person,  the  relations  and  friends  of  the  deceased  meet  at  the  house,  attended  by  bagi^ipe 

•  Which  was  not  till  the  year  1 736. 

f  My  account  of  thisj  and  every  other  ceremony  mentioned  in  this  journal,  was  communicated  to  me 
by  a  gentleman  resident  on  the  spot  where  they  were  performed. 

t  A  custom,  favouring  of  the  Scotch  Bel-tien,  prevails  in  Gloucestershire,  particularly  about  Newent 
and  the  neighbouring  parishes,  on  the  twelfth  day,  or  on  the  Epiphany,  in  the  evening.  AH  the  servants 
of  every  particular  farmer  assemble  together  in  one  of  the  fields  that  has  been  sown  with  wheat ;  on  the 
border  of  which,  in  the  most  conspicuous  or  most  elevated  place,  they  make  twelve  fires  of  straw,  in  a  row ; 
around  one  of  which,  made  larger  than  the  rest,  they  drink  a  cheerful  glass  of  cyder  to  their  master's  health, 
success  to  the  future  harvest,  and  then  returning  home,  they  feast  on  cakes  made  of  carraways,  &c.  soaked 
in  cyder,  which  the^  claim  as  a  reward  for  their  past  labours  in  sowing;  the  grain.  This  seems  to  resemble 
a  custom  of  the  ancient.  L>anes,  who,  in  their  addresses  to  their  deities,  emptied,  on  every  invocation,  a 
cup  m  honour  of  them.  Niordi  et  Frejx  memoria  poculis  recolebatur,  annua  ut  ipsis  contingerent  fell-* 
citas,  frugumque  et  reliquae  &iinons  uberrimus proventus.    Worm.  Monum.  Dan.  lib.  I.  p.  28. 

VOL.   III.  B 


1 


I 


i 


I; 


M 


# 


PBNNAVT'9  TOUR  W  SCOTLAND. 


■"•■•S  custom  i.  an  ancient  English  one.  perhaps  .  S«con.    Chancer  menuon,  u  .„ 

Knight's  Talc. 

Ne  how  the  liche-wake  was  yhoW 
AU  thilke  night. 

The  coranich,  or  singing  ''•^"■"'"''l '?,?„,  JLLiant  deeds  of  him  or  his  ancestors, 
nerall,  in  praise  of  the  deceas^,  o  »  ««f i,°f*«h  B?toin.  but  formerly  as«sted  at  one 
I  had  not  the  fortune  to  be  present  at  any  in  "o™  °  j ',  „  ^f  horror.  The  cnes 
„  the  1th  of  l»:land,  «he«  «  was  n=*j;l^^„t„rf Sremely  expressive  of  the 
arc  called  by  the  Irish  the  -ulogohne  and  h"'""'"'  f "°  "°^'  o,ogists  would  swear  to 
Smteiidontheseoccas^nsand^ingoJ^Cel-^^^^^^^^^  Virgil  is  very 

^  f  oSVthetrXn»:!"a i?":?  t  ?lales  a«  distressed ,  as  are  other,  of  the 

'Rla°„';:;"tS  aXnerally  on  ^-^-.r  'S^ ^r^^the tinie that  apersonof  „me 
diilSne^ardtL^^r^rcS.ySllle'^o.^house.where.hefun^^^^ 

conducted  in  the  purest  classical  form. 

Quodcunque  aspicerem  luclus  gemitusque  aonabant, 
Formaque  non  taciti  funeris  rntOs  crat. 

,.short,theconcla.atiowassetupbythefriendsinthesan.en.annerasVirgildescHbes 

tharcon;equential  of  Dido's  death. 

Lamentis  gemltuquc  et  faemineo  ululatu 
Tecta  fremunt. 

Immediately  after  this  ^<'^^^,^^!Z'i:^t^^''^^^^ 

Tune  ilia  senectae 
Seramexrequies?potui8tireUnguere8olam 

Crudelia  ? 

Butwhenfl^timeapproaehed  for  carryingout  the  corpse,  the  cry  wa.  redouMed. 

Tremulis  ululatibus  xthera  complent } 

1  ^r^c^  avriiriuB  moriendaro  esse  arbitrantur, 

■"fS^Ki'.  Wi6.m.  An.  ,ji,.c.5.»iq«o«JtoMr.T,fwhifsCh.»c.r,lV.»34. 


PENNANT'S  TOUR  IN  SCOTLAND. 


51 


a  numerous  band  of  females  waiting  in  the  outer  court  to  attend  the  hearse,  and  to  pay 
(in  chorus)  the  last  tribute  of  their  voices.     The  habit  of  this  sorrowing  train,  and  the 
neglect  of  their  persons,  were  admirably  suited  to  the  occasion  :  their  robes  were  black 
and  flowing,  resembling  the  ancient  Palla ;  their  feet  naked,  their  hair  long  and  dishevel 
cd ;  I  might  truly  say. 


Vidi  egomet  nigr&  succinctam  vadere  palia 
Canidiam  ;  pedibus  nudis«  passoque  capillo, 
Cum  Sagana  majore  ululantem. 

Among  these  mourners  were  dispersed  the  females  who  sung  the  praises  of  the  deceased, 
and  were  in  the  place  of  the  mulieres  praefica?  of  the  Romans,  and  like  them,  a  mercenary 
tribe.  I  could  not  but  observe  that  they  over-did  their  parts,  as  Horace  acquaints  us 
the  hireling  mourners  of  his  days  did. 

Ut  qui  conduct!  plorant  in  funere,  dicunt 
£t  faciutit  prope  plura  dolentibus  ex  animo. 

The  corpse  was  carried  slowiy  along  the  verge  of  a  most  beautiful  lake,  the  ululatus  was 
continued,  and  the  whole  procession  ended  among  the  venerable  ruins  of  an  old  abbey. 
But  to  return  to  North  Britaii). 

Midwivesgive  new-born  babes  a  small  spoonful  of  earth  and  whisky,  as  the  first  food 
they  taste. 

Before  women  bake  thf.ir  bannocks,  or  oatmeal  cakes,  they  form  a  cross  on  the  last 
they  make. 

The  notion  of  second-sight  still  prevails  in  a  few  places ;  as  does  the  belief  of  fairies ; 
and  children  are  watched  till  the  christening  is  over,  lest  they  should  be  stole,  or 
changed. 

Elf-shots,  i.  e.  the  stone  arrow-heads  of  the  old  inhabitants  of  this  island,  are  supposed 
to  be  weapons  shot  by  fairies  at  cattle,  to  which  are  attributed  any  disorders  they  have  : 
in  order  to  eifect  a  cure,  the  cow  is  to  be  touched  by  an  elf.shot,  or  made  to  drink 
the  water  in  which  one  has  been  dipped.  The  same  virtue  is  said  to  be  found  in  the 
crystal  gems,*  and  in  the  adder-stone,  ourglein  naidr ;  and  t  is  also  believed  that  good 
fortune  must  attend  the  owner ;  so,  for  that  reason,  the  first  is  called  Clach  Bhuai,  or 
the  powerful  stone.  Captain  Archibald  Campbell  shewed  me  one,  a  spheroid  set  in 
silver,  for  the  use  of  which  people  came  above  a  hundred  miles,  and  brought  the  water 
it  was  to  be  dipt  in  with  them ;  for  without  that,  in  human  cases,  it  was  believed  to  have 
no  efiect. 

These  have  been  supposed  to  be  magical  stones  or  gems  used  by  the  Druids,  to  be 
inspected  by  a  chaste  boy,  who  was  to  see  in  them  an  apparition  informing  him  of  future 
events.  This  imposture,  as  we  are  told  by  Dr.  Woodward,  was  revived  in  the  last  cen- 
tury by  the  famous  Doctor  Dee,  who  called  it  his  shew  stone  and  holy  stone,  and  pre- 
tended, by  its  means,  to  foretell  events.  I  find  in  Montfaucon,t  that  it  was  customary  in 
eariy  times  to  deposit  balls  of  this  kind  in  urns  or  sepulchres :  thus  twenty  were  found  at 
Rome  in  an  alabastrine  urn  :  and  one  was  discovered  in  1653,  in  the  tomb  of  Childeric 
at  Toumai :  he  was  king  of  France,  and  died  A.  D.  480. 

August  2d,  left  Carrie,  the  house  of  Mr.  Campbell,  factor  for  the  Straan  estate, 
ivhere  I  had  a  very  hospitable  reception  the  preceding  night.  Went  due  east ;  passed 
bver  a  bridge  crt)ss  the  Tumel,  which  discharges  itself  out  of  Loch  Rannoch.     Not  far 

•  Woodward's  Method  of  Fossils,  p.  30.    See  also  Mr.  Aubrey's  Miscellanies,  p.  1 28. 
t  Les  Monuroens  de  la  MonarchU  Francoise. 

H  2  • 


,'■' 


I'ENNANT'S  TOUR  IN  SCOTLAND. 


1 


ft! 


! 


off  were  Hotne  ncut  small  houses,  inhabited  by  veteran  soldiers,  who  were  settled  here 
ai\er  the  peace  of  1748  ;  had  land,  and  three  pounds  in  money  given,  and  nine  pounds 
lent,  to  begin  the  world  with.  In  some  few  places  this  plan  succeeded ;  but  in  general 
was  frustrated  by  the  dissipation  of  these  new  colonists,  who  could  by  no  means  relish  an 
industrious  life ;  but  as  soon  as  the  money  was  spent,  which  seldom  lasted  long,  left  their 
tenements,  to  be  possessed  by  the  next  comer. 

Saw  next  a  stamping-mill,  calculated  to  reduce  lime<stonc  to  a  fine  powder,  in  order 
to  save  the  expence  of  burning,  for  manure.  The  stampers  beat  it  iitto  small  pieces  in  a 
trough,  which  a  stream  of  water  passed  through,  carrying  off  the  finer  parts  into  a  proper 
receptacle,  the  gross  ones  being  stopped  by  a  grate.  I  did  not  find  that  this  project  an- 
swered ;  but  was  told,  that  the  benefit  the  land  was  to  receive  from  it  would  not  appear 
till  the  third  year. 

On  |;oing  up  a  steep  hill,  have  a  fine  view  of  the  lake.  Where  the  mountains  almost 
close,  IS  Mount  Alexander,  where  Struan  once  resided,  and  which  he  called  his  hermi« 
tngc ;  it  is  a  most  romantic  situation,  prettily  wooded,  impending  over  a  fine  basin, 
formed  by  the  Tumel,  in  a  deep  hollow  beneath.  At  the  bottom  of  this  hill  is  Argen- 
tine, a  little  fountain ;  to  whicn  he  gave  that  name  from  the  silvery  micae  it  flings  up : 
near  this  are  several  rude  but  beautiful  walks  amidst  the  rocks  and  trees,  among  which, 
in  clefts  and  chasms,  I  was  shewn  the  hard  bed  of  the  poor  poet,  when  his  disloyalty  had 
made  it  penal  for  him  to  shew  his  head.  Near  this  the  rocks  almost  meet,  and  the  river 
rushes  with  vast  violence  between.  Some  outlawed  M'Gregors  were  once  surprised  on 
the  precipice,  and  all  killed  ;  one,  who  made  a  desperate  leap  upon  a  stone  in  the  middle 
of  the  water,  and  another  to  the  opposite  side,  had  the  hard  fate  to  be  shot  in  climbing  the 
rocky  steeps. 

A  mile  lower  are  the  falls  of  the  Tumel :  I  have  seen  higher ;  but  except  that  of  the 
Rhine,  never  saw  one  with  more  water. 

Ascend  a  very  steep  and  high  hill,  through  a  ^eat  birch  wood :  a  most  picturesque 
scene,  from  the  pendent  form  of  the  bou^  wavmg  with  the  wind  from  the  bottom  to 
the  utmost  summits  of  the  mountain.  On  attuning  the  top,  had  a  view  of  the  beauti- 
ful little  Straith,  fertile  and  prettily  wooded,  with  the  river  in  the  middle,  forming  num- 
bers of  quick  meanders,  then  suddenly  swelling  into  a  lake,  that  fills  the  vale  from  side 
to  side ;  is  about  three  miles  long,  and  retains  the  name  of  the  river.  After  riding 
along  a  black  moor,  in  sight  of  vast  mountains,  arrive  at 

Blair,*,  or  Athol  House,  seated  on  an  eminence  above  a  plain,  watered  by  the  Gary, 
an  outrageous  stream,  whose  ravages  have  greatly  deformed  the  valley,  by  the  vast  beds 
of  gravel  which  it  has  left  behind.  The  house  was  once  fortified,  and  held  a  siege 
against  the  rebels  in  1746 ;  but  at  present  is  much  reduced  in  height,  and  the  inside 
highly  finished  by  the  noble  owner.  The  most  singular  piece  of  furniture  is  a  chest  of 
drawers  made  of  broom,  most  elegantly  striped  in  veins  of  white  and  brown.  This 
plant  grows  to  a  great  size  in  Scotland,  aiul  furnishes  pieces  of  the  breadth  of  six 
inches. 

Near  the  house  is  a  fine  walk,  surrounding  a  very  deep  glen  finely  wooded,  but  in 
dry  weather  deficient  in  water  at  the  bottom  ;  but  on  the  side  of  the  walk  on  the  rock 
is  a  small  crystalline  fountain,  inhabited  at  that  time  by  a  pair  of  Naiads,  in  form  of 
golden  fish.  In  a  spruce  fir  was  a  hang-nest  of  some  unknown  bird,  suspended  at  the 
four  corners  to  the  boughs;  it  was  open  at  top,  an  inch  and  a  half  in  diameter,  and  two 
deep ;  the  sides  and  bottom  thick,  the  materials  moss,  worsted,  and  birch  bark,  lined  with 

"  OU'  a  level  clear  spot  of  ground,  a  fit  place  for  an  engagement. 


HRHNANT'S  TOUR  IN  SCOTLAND. 


53 


hair  and  fcatherg.  The  streams  aflbrd  the  purr,  a  small  species  of  trout,  seldom  exceed- 
ing eight  inches  in  length,  marked  on  the  sides  with  nine  lar^*e  biiiiiih  spots,  and  on  the 
lateral  line  with  small  red  ones.* 

No  traveller  should  omit  visiting  Yorke  Cascade,  a  magnificent  cataract,  amidst  most 
suitable  scenery,  about  a  mile  distant  from  the  house. 

This  country  is  very  mountainous,  has  no  natural  woods,  except  ^f  birch  ;  but  thi 
vast  plantations  that  begin  to  cloath  the  hills  will  amply  supply  these  ccfects.  There  is 
a  great  quantity  of  oats  raised  in  this  neighbourhood,  and  numbers  of  black  cattle  rearcd, 
the  resources  of  the  exhausted  parts  of  South  Britain. 

Visit  the  pass  of  Kiliicrankie,  about  five  miles  south  of  Blair :  near  the  northern  en- 
trance was  fought  the  battle  between  the  Viscount  Dundee  and  general  Mackay,  in 
which  the  first  was  killed  in  the  moment  of  victory.  The  pass  is  extremely  narrow, 
between  high  mountains,  with  the  Gary  running  beneath  in  a  deep,  darksome^  ami 
rocky  channel,  over-hung  with  trees,  forming  a  scene  »t  horrible  grandeur.  The  mad 
through  this  strait  is  very  fine,  formed  by  the  soldiery  lent  by  the  government,  who 
have  sixpence  per  day  from  the  coui.rry,  besides  their  pay.  About  a  mile  beyond  the 
pass,  Mr.  Robertson's,  of  Faskally,  apr  irs  like  fairy  ground,  amidst  these  wild  rocks, 
seated  in  a  most  beautiful  meadow,  wavji  :d  by  the  river  Tumel,  surrounded  with  pretty 
hills,  finely  wooded. 

The  duke  of  Athol's  estate  is  very  extensive,  and  tlie  country  populous :  while 
vassalage  existed,  the  chieftan  could  raise  wo  or  three  thousand  fighting  men,  and  leave 
sufficient  at  home  to  take  care  of  the  ground.  The  forests,  or  rather  chases  (for  they 
are  quite  naked)  are  very  extensive,  and  feed  vast  numbers  of  stags,  which  range 
at  certain  times  of  the  year,  in  herds  of  five  hundred.  Some  grow  to  a  great  size : 
I  have  heard  of  one  that  weighed  eighteen  stone,  Scots,  or  three  hundred  and  fourteen 
pounds,  exclusive  of  head,  entrails,  and  skin.  The  hunting  of  these  animals  was  for- 
merly after  the  manner  of  an  eastern  monarch.  Thousands  of  vassals  surrounded  a 
great  tract  of  country,  and  drove  the  deer  to  the  spot  where  the  chicftans  were  sta- 
tioned, who  shot  them  at  their  leisure.  The  magnificent  hunt,  made  by  an  earl  of 
Athol,  near  this  place,  for  the  amusement  of  James  V,  and  the  queen-mother,  is  too 
remarkable  to  be  omitted ;  the  relation  is  therefore  given,  as  described  by  sir  David 
Lindsay  of  the  Mount,t  who,  in  all  probability,  assisted  at  it. 

"  The  earl  of  Athol,  hearing  of  the  king's  coming,  made  great  provision  for  him 
in  all  things  pertaining  to  a  prince,  that  he  was  as  well  served  and  eased,  with  all  things 
necessary  to  his  estate,  as  he  had  been  in  his  own  palace  of  Edinburgh.  For  I  heard 
say,  this  noble  earl  gart  make  a  curious  palace  to  the  king,  to  his  mother,  and  to  the 
embassador,  where  they  were  so  honourably  eased  and  lodged  as  they  had  been  in 
England,  France,  Italy,  or  Spain,  concerning  the  time  and  equivalent,  for  their  hunting 
and  pastime  ;  which  was  builded  in  the  midst  of  a  fair  meadow,  a  fair  palace  of  green 
timber,  wind  with  green  birks,  that  were  green  both  under  and  above,  which  was  fa- 
shioned in  four  quarters,  and  in  every  quarter  and  nuik  thereof  a  great  round,  as  it 
had  been  a  block-house,  which  was  loAed  and  gested  the  space  of  three  house  height ; 
the  floors  laid  with  green  scarets,  spreuts,  meduarts,  and  flowers,  that  no  man  knew 
whereon  he  zeid,  but  as  he  had  been  in  a  garden.  Further,  there  were  two  great  rounds 
in  ilk  side  of  the  gate,  and  a  great  portculleis  of  tree,  falling  down  with  the  manner  of 
a  barrace,  with  a  draw-bridge,  and  a  great  stank  of  water  of  sixteen  foot  deep,  and 
thirty  foot  of  breadth.     And  also  this  palace  within  was  hung  with  fine  tapestry  and 


I 


*  The  samlet.    Dr.  Zool.  III.  No.  I«8. 


t  Hist.  Scotland,  146. 


54 


PENNANT'S  TOUR  IN  SCOTr.AVn 


1 


(  I 


U 

!•( 

MI 


arrasscs  of  silk,  and  lighted  with  fine  glass  windows  in  all  nirthn;  thnt  thi^  patare  was 
as  pleasantly  dccorcd,  with  all  necessaries  pcrtuiiiing  to  a  prince,  as  it  had  been  his  own 
palucc-royal  at  home.  Further,  this  earl  gurt  make  sucn  provision  for  the  king,  and 
nis  mother,  and  the  embassador,  that  they  had  all  manner  of  meats,  drinks,  and  deli> 
cates  that  were  to  be  gotten,  at  that  tim^,  m  uU  Scotland,  either  in  burgh  or  land  :  that 
is  to  8uy,  all  kind  of  drink,  as  ale,  beer,  wine,  both  white  and  claret,  molvery,  muskadel, 
hippocras,  aquavitsc.  Further,  there  was  of  meats,  wheat-bread,  main-bread  and  ginge> 
bread ;  with  fleshes,  beef,  mutton,  lamb,  veal,  venison,  goose,  gricc,  capon,  coney, 
crni),  swan,  oartridgc,  plover,  duck,  drake,  brissclcock  and  pawnes,  black-cock, 
and  muir-fowl,  cappercaillies  :  and  also  the  stanks,  that  were  round  about  the  palace, 
were  full  of  alt  delicate  fishes,  as  salmonds,  trouts,  pearches,  pikes,  eels,  and  all  other 
kind  of  delicate  fishes,  that  could  be  gotten  in  fresh  waters  :  and  all  ready  for  the  banket. 
Sync  were  there  proper  stewards,  cunning  baxtcrs,  excellent  cooks  and  potingars, 
with  confections  and  drugs  for  their  deserts ;  and  the  halls  and  chambers  were  pre- 
pared with  costly  bedding,  vessel  and  nupery,  according  for  a  king,  so  that  he  wanted 
none  of  his  orders  more  than  he  had  been  at  home  in  his  own  palace.  The  king  re- 
mained in  this  wilderness,  at  the  hunting,  the  space  of  three  days  and  three  nights,  and 
his  company,  as  I  have  shewn.  I  heard  men  say,  it  cost  the  earl  of  Athole,  every  day, 
in  cxpences,  a  thousand  pounds." 

But  hunting  meetings,  among  the  great  men,  were  often  the  preludes  to  rebellion ;  for 
under  that  pretence  they  collected  great  bodies  of  men  without  suspick  i,  which  at  length 
occasioned  an  act  of  parliament  prohibiting  such  dan^rous  assemblies. 

Aug.  3.  Set  out  for  the  county  of  Aberdeen ;  ride  eastward  over  a  hill  into  Glen- 
Tilt,  famous  in  old  times  for  producing  the  most  hardy  warriors,  is  a  narrow  glen, 
several  miles  in  length,  bounded  on  each  side  by  mountains  of  an  amazing  height ;  on 
the  south  is  the  great  hill  of  Ben  y  glo,  whose  base  is  thirty-five  miles  in  circumference, 
and  whose  summit  towers  far  above  the  others.  The  sides  of  many  of  these  mountains 
arc  covered  with  fine  verdure,  and  are  excellent  sheep-walks:  but  entirely  woodless. 
The  road  is  the  most  dangerous  and  the  most  homble  I  ever  travelled :  a  narrow  path, 
so  ruggpd,  that  our  horses  often  were  obliged  to  cross  their  le^s,  in  order  to  pick  a 
hccure  place  for  their  feet ;  while,  at  a  considerable  and  precipitous  depth  beneath, 
roared  a  black  torrent,  rolling  through  a  bed  of  rock,  solid  in  every  part,  but  where 
the  Tilt  had  worn  its  ancient  way.  Salmon  force  their  passage  even  as  high  as  this 
dreary  stream,  in  spite  of  the  distance  from  the  sea,  and  the  difficulties  they  have  to 
encounter. 

Ascend  a  steep  hill,  and  find  ourselves  on  an  arrie,  or  tract  of  mountain,  which  the 
families  of  one  or  two  hamlets  retire  to  with  their  flocks  for  pasture  in  summer.  Here 
wc  refreshed  ourselves  with  some  goats*  whey,  at  a  Sheelin,  or  Bothay,  a  cottage  made 
of  turf,  the  dairy-house  where  the  Highland  shepherds,  or  graziers,  live  with  their  herds 
and  flocks,  and  during  the  fine  season  make  butter  and  cheese.  Their  whole  furniture 
consists  of  a  few  horn-spoons,  their  milking  utensils,  a  couch  formed  of  sods  to  lie  on, 
and  a  rug  to  cover  them.  Their  food,  oat-cakes,  butter  or  cheese,  and  often  the  co- 
aguUued  blood  of  their  cattle  spread  on  their  bannocks.  Their  drink,  milk,  whey,  and 
sometimes,  by  way  of  indulgence,  whisky.  Such  dairy-houses  are  common  to  most 
mountainous  countries  ;  those  in  Wales  are  called  Hafodtai,  or  summer.houses ;  those 
on  the  Swiss  Alps,  Sennes. 

Dined  on  the  side  of  Loch-Tilt,  a  small  piece  of  Avater,  swarming  with  trouts. 
Continued  our  journey  over  a  wild,  black,  moory,  melancholy  tract.     Reached  Brae- 


i 


PENNANT'S  TOUR  IN  SCOTLAND 


55 


mar;*  the  country  almost  instantly  chanced,  and  i\\  lieu  of  dreary  wastes,  u  lich  vale, 
plenteous  in  corn  and  grass,  succeeded.  Cross  the  Dec  near  its  head,  wlueli,  from  an 
uisignificnnt  stream,  in  the  course  of  a  very  few  miles,  increases  to  the  size  of  a  great 
river,  from  the  influx  of  numbers  uf  other  waters ;  and  is  remarkable  for  coiitiiuiiiig 
near  fifty  miles  of  its  course,  from  Invercauld  to  within  six  miles  of  Aberdeen,  without 
any  sensible  augmentation.  The  rocks  of  Brae-mar,  on  the  east,  arc  exceedingly  ro- 
mantic,  finely  wooded  with  pine.  The  cliffs  arc  very  lofty,  and  their  front  most 
rugged  and  broken,  with  vast  pines  growing  out  of  their  fissures. 

(jn  the  north  side  of  the  river  lies  Ualmore,  distinguished  by  the  finest  natural  pines 
in  Euro^ie,  both  in  respect  to  the  size  of  the  trees,  and  the  quality  of  the  timber.  Single 
trees  have  been  sold  out  of  it  for  six  guineas  :  thcv  were  from  eighty  to  ninety  feet  high, 
without  a  lateral  branch,  and  four  feet  and  a  half  in  diameter  at  the  lower  end.  1  he 
wood  is  very  resinous,  of  a  dark  red  colour,  and  very  weighty.  It  is  preferable  to 
any  brought  from  Norway,  and  being  sawn  into  plank  on  the  spot,  brings  annually  to 
the  proprietor  a  large  revenue.  On  the  opposite  side  of  the  river  is  the  estate  of  In- 
verey,  noted  also  for  its  pines,  but  of  a  size  inferior  to  those  o*^  Dalmore.  When  the 
river  is  swelled  with  rains,  great  floats  of  timber,  from  both  these  estates,  are  sent  down 
into  the  low  countries. 

This  tract,  abounding  with  game,  was,  In  old  times,  the  annual  resort  of  numbers  of 
nobility,  who  assembled  here  to  pass  a  month  or  two  in  the  amusements  of  the  chase. 
Their  huntings  resembled  campaigns ;  they  lived  in  temporary  cottages,  called  Lon* 
quhards,  were  all  dressed  in  an  uniform  habit  conformable  to  that  of  the  country,  and 
passed  their  time  with  jollity  and  good  cheer,  most  admirably  descrii  '  by  John  Taylor, 
the  water  poet,  who,  in  1618,  made  there  his  Pennilessc  Pilgrimage,  and  describes  in  page 
135,  the  rural '  ixury  with  all  the  glee  of  a  Sancho  Panca. 

"  I  thank  my  good  lord  Erskin,"  (says  the  poet)  "  hcc  commanded  that  I  should 
alwayes  bee  lodged  in  his  lodging,  the  kitchen  being  alwayes  on  the  side  of  a  banke, 
many  ketdes  and  potr.  boy  ling,  and  many  spits  turning  and  winding,  with  great 
variety  of  cheere :  as  venison  bak'd,  sodden,  rost  and  stu'dc  beefc,  mutton,  goates, 
kid,  hares,  fresh  salmon,  pidgeons,  hens,  capons,  chickens,  partridge,  moorc>coots, 
heath-cocks,  caperkellies,  and  termagants  .  gootl  ale,  sacke,  white  and  claret,  tent 
or  (AUegant)  and  most  potent  aquavitaB."t 

*  Brae  signifies  a  steep  face  or  any  hill. 

t  The  French,  during  the  reip;n  of  Charles  TX,  seemed  not  only  to  have  made  full  as  large  sacrinccs 
to  Diana  and  Bacchusi  but  even  thought  their  entertainment  incomplete  without  tl>c  presence  of  V^cnus. 
Jacques  du  Fouilloux,  a  celebrated  writer  on  hunting  of  that  age,  with  much  seriousness  describes  all 
the  rcquisr.es  for  the  chase,  and  thrs  places  and  equips  the  jovial  crew :  "  L'  Assenibl^e  se  doit  faire  en 
quelque  beau  lieu  soubs  des  arbres  uupr^s  d'une  foniaine  ou  Kuisseau,  Id  ou  Ics  veneurs  sc  doiucnt  tous 
rendre  pour  faire  leur  rapport.  Ce  pendant  le  Sommeller  doit  venir  avec  troisbons  chcvaux  chargez  d' 
instrumena  puur  arrouser  le  gosier,  corame  coutrets,  barraux,  biirils,  flacons  et  bouteilles :  lesquelles 
doiucnt  estre  pleinesde  bon  vin  d'  Artjis,  de  Beaume,  de  Chaloce  et  de  Graue :  luy  estant  descendu  du 
cheval,  les  metra  refraischir  en  I'eau,  ou  biens  les  pourra  faire  refroidir  avec  du  Canfre :  apres  il  estranda 
la  nappe  sur  la  verdure.  Ce  fait,  le  cuisinier  s'en  viendra  charge  de  plusieurs  bons  harnois  de  gueule, 
comme  jambonsjangues  de  boeuf  fum6es,  groins.oreillcs  de  pourceau,  ccrvelats,  escliin^es  pieceso  de  bocu  i' 
de  SaiaoD,carbonnades,  jambons  de  Mayence,  pastez.  longcs  dc  veau  froides,  couvertes  de  poudre  blanchr, 
et  autres  menus  tuiTrages  pur  remplir  le  boiidin  lequcl  il  metra  sur  la  nappe. 

"  Lorii  le  Roy  ou  le  Seigneur  avec  ceux  de  sa  table  estrendront  leurs  manteaux  sur  I'herbe,  et  se  couch- 
eront  de  cost6  dessus,  beauuans,  manireans,  rians  et  faisans  grand  chere  ;"  and  that  nothing  might  be 
wanting  to  render  the  entertainment  of  such  a  set  of  merry  men  complete,  honest  Jacques  adds,  "  et  s'il 
y  a  quelque  femme  de  repuution  en  ce  pays  qui  fashe  plaisir  aux  compagnons,  elic  doit  ctrc  allrgu^c;  ct 
rics  passages  et  remuemens  de  fesses,  attendant  le  rapport  a  venir." 


i 


»-         "t 


50 


PiNNAMT'S  TOUR  IM  SCOTLAKD 


t? 


il 


'*  All  thchc,  and  more  than  these,  we  had  hud  contiiiuully,  in  superfluous  abun* 
dance,  cauKht  by  laulconcrsi,  lijwlcni,  fishers,  «rul  brought  by  tny  Lord'it  (Mar) 
tenants  and  purveyors,  to  victual  our  cuinpe,  which  consisted  of  fourteen  or  fifteen 
hinidrcd  minand  horbcs.  The  manner  of  the  hunting  it  this  :  five  or  six  hundred  men 
doe  rise  early  in  the  morning,  and  they  doc  disperse  themselves  divers  waycs,  and 
Ncven,  tight,  or  ten  milcst  coniousse,  they  doc  bring  or  ch.isc  in  the  deer  in  many  heard* 
(two,  thric,  or  four  hundred  in  a  heurd)  to  such  or  such  a  place,  ns  the  noblcmcrf 
bhall  a|)poiiit  them ;  then  when  day  is  come,  the  lords  and  gentlemen  of  their  compa- 
nies doc  ride  or  goe  to  the  said  places,  sometimes  wading  up  to  the  middles  through 
lK)urncH  and  rivers ;    and  Uien  tluv  being  come  to  the  place,  doc  lie  down  ort  the 

Sijund  till  those  foresaid  scouts,  which  arc  called  the  Tinclchell,  doc  bring  down  the 
ccr ;  but,  as  tlic  proverb  says  of  a  bad  cooke,  so  these  Tinckhcll  men  do  lick  their 
own  fingers ;  for,  besides  there  bowes  and  arrows  which  they  carry  with  them,  wee 
can  hearc  now  and  then  a  harguebuse,  or  a  musquet,  goe  ufi',  which  doc  seldom  dis- 
charge in  vaine :  then,  after  wc  liad  stiiycd  three  houres,  or  thereabouts,  wc  might  per. 
ccive  the  deer  appcarc  on  the  hills  round  about  us  (their  heads  making  a  shew  like  u 
wood)  which  being  followed  close  by  the  Tinckhcll,  are  chased  down  the  valley  where 
wc  lay ;  then  all  tlu:  valley  on  each  side  being  way-laid  with  a  hundred  couple  of 
strong  Irish  gray-hounds,  they  arc  let  loose,  as  occasion  scrve»,  upon  the  heard  of 
decrc,  that  with  dogs,  gunncs,  arrowes,  durkcs  and  daggers,  in  the  space  of  two 
houres,  fourscore  fat  dcere  \vere  slainc,  wliich  after  are  disix>scd  of  some  one  way  and 
some  another,  twenty  or  thirty  miles,  and  more  than  enough  left  for  us  to  make  merry 
with  all  at  our  rendevouze.  Being  come  to  our  lodgings,  there  was  such  baking,  boyl- 
ing,  roasting  and  stewing,  as  if  Cook  RuiHan  hud  been  there  to  have  scalded  the  Devil, 
in  his  feathers."     But  to  proceed. 

Pass  by  the  castle  of  Urae-mar,  a  square  tower,  the  seat  of  the  ancient  earls  of  Mar : 
in  later  times  a  garrison  to  curb  the  discontented  chicftans ;  but  at  present  unnecessa- 
rily occupied  by  a  company  of  foot,  being  rented  by  the  Government  from  Mr.  Far- 
quharson,  of  Invercauld,  whose  house  I  reach  in  less  than  half  an  hour. 

Invercauld  is  seated  in  the  centre  of  the  Grampian  hills,  in  a  fertile  vale,  washed  by 
the  Dec,  a  large  and  rapid  river;  nothing  can  be  more  beautiful  than  the  different 
views  from  the  several  parts  of  it.  On  the  northern  entrance,  immense  ragged  and 
broken  craggs  bound  one  side  of  the  prospect ;  over  whose  gray  sides  and  summits  is 
scattered  the  melancholy  green  of  the  picturesque  pine,  which  grows  out  of  the  naked 
rock,  where  one  would  think  nature  would  have  denied  vegetation. 

A  little  lower  down  is  the  castle  above  mentioned ;  formerly  a  necessary  curb  on  the 
little  kings  of  the  country ;  but  at  present  serves  scarce  any  purpose,  but  to  adorn  the 
landscape. 

The  views  from  the  skirts  of  the  plain  near  Invercauld  are  very  great ;  the  hills 
that  immediately  bound  it  are  cloathed  with  trees,  particularly  with  birch,  whose  long 
and  pendent  boughs,  waving  a  vast  height  above  the  head,  surpass  the  beauties  of  the 
weeping  willow.  ,     ,  , 

liut  when  the  great  man  sallies  out  to  the  chase  of  foxes  and  badgers,  he  seems  not  to  leave  so  impor- 
tant an  affair  to  chance,  so  sets  off  thus  ampiv  provided  in  his  triumphal  car;  "Le  Seigneur,"  (says 
Fouilloux)  •>  doit  avoir  sa  petite  charrette,  \i  ou  il  sera  dedans,  avec  la  Fillette  agie  de  seize  a  dix  sept 
ans,  inqueile  luy  fro  tera  la  teste  pur  les  chemins.  Toutes  les  chevilles  et  paux  de  la  charrette  doiuent 
estrc  gai-nis  dc  ilaccons  et  bouteilles,  et  doit  avoir  au  bout  de  la  charrette  un  coiTre  de  bois,  plein  de  co^s 
d'inde  froidc,  janibons,  langues  de  Boeufs  et  autre  bons  hamois  de  guHlc.  Et  si  c'est  en  temps  d'hiver,  il 
potirra  faire  porter  son  petit  pavilion,  et  faire  du  feu  dedans  pour  se  chauffer,  ou  bien  donner  un  coup  n 
robbe  a  lanymphe."    p.  35.  75. 


! 


V 


■**■ 


l'KNNANT'9  TOUR  IK  8C0TLANU  5J 

'I'hc  southern  exlrcmlty  is  pre-eminently  magnificent ;  the  monnt;>iris  form  then;  u 
vast  theatre,  the  Ixwom  of  which  is  covered  with  extensive  forests  of  pines  :  above,  the 
trees  grow  scu  :cr  und  scarcer,  nnd  tticn  seem  only  to  sprinkle  the  surface  ;  tifter  which 
v<  getutiun  ceases,  and  naked  summit:.*  of  a  surprising  height  succeed,  many  of  tliim 
topped  with  perpetual  snow ;  nnd,  as  a  fine  contrant  to  the  scene,  the  great  cataract  ul 
Garval-bourn,  whih  seems  u».  adistaiioe  to  divide  the  whole,  foams  amidst  the  d;»rk  fu 
rest,  rushing  from  rock  to  rock  to  u  vaHt  distance. 

Some  of  these  hills  are  supposed  to  be  the  highest  part  of  Great  Britam  :  their  heiglit 
has  not  yet  been  taker*,  but  tnc  conjecture  is  made  from  the  descent  of  the  Dee,  wIucIj 
runs  from  Brae-marf  to  the  sea,  above  seventy  miles,  with  a  most  rapid  course. 

In  this  vale  the  earl  of  Mar  first  set  up  the  pretender's  standard  on  the  sixth  of  Septem- 
ber 1715  ;  and  in  consequence  drew  to  destruction  his  own,  nnd  several  of  the  most 
noble  families  of  North  Britain. 

Rode  to  lake  a  nearer  view  of  the  environs ;  crossed  the  Dec  on  a  good  stone  bridge 
built  by  die  government,  and  entered  on  ♦•xcellent  roads  into  a  magnificent  forest  of 
pines  of  many  miles  exicnt.  Some  of  the  trees  are  of  a  vast  size  ;  I  measured  several 
that  were  ten,  eleven^  snd  even  twelve  feet  in  circumference,  nnd  near  sixty  feet  high, 
forming  a  most  beautiful  column,  with  a  fine  verdant  aipital.  These  trees  are  of  great 
age,  having,  as  is  supposed,  seen  two  centuries.  Their  value  is  considerable  ;  Mr.  Far- 
quharson  informed  me,  that  by  sawing  and  retailing  them,  he  has  got  for  eighthundrc  J 
trees  five -and-twenty  shillings  each  :  they  are  sawed  in  an  adjacent  saw-mill,  into  plank 
ten  feet  long,  eleven  inc.ies  broad  nnd  three  tiiick,  and  sold  for  two  shillings  a  piece. 

Near  this  ancient  forest  is  another,  consisting  of  smaller  trees,  almost  as  high,  but 
very  slender ;  one  grows  in  a  singular  manner  out  of  the  top  of  a  great  stone,  and 
notwithstanding  it  seems  to  have  no  other  nourishment  than  what  it  gets  from  the  dews, 
is  above  thirty  feet  high. 

The  prospect  above  these  forests  is  very  cxtraorJioary,  u  distant  view  of  hills  over  a 
surface  of  verdant  pyramids  of  pines. 

I  must  not  omit,  that  there  arc  in  the  moors  of  these  parts  what  I  may  call 
subterraneous  forests,  of  the  same  species  of  trees,  overthrown  by  the  rage  of  tem- 
pests, and  covered  with  vegetable  mould.  These  arc  dug  up,  and  used  for  several 
mechanical  purposes.  The  finer  and  more  resinous  parts  arc  split  into  slender  pieces, 
and  serve  the  purposes  of  torches.  Ceres  made  use  of  no  other  in  her  search  af- 
ter her  lost  daughter 

Hioduabiis 
Flamnaifera  pinus  manibus  succendit  ab  ^tna. 

Ovid.  Mf  t.  lib.  v.  7. 
At  .£tna'8  flaming  mouth  two  pitchy  pines 
To  light  her  in  her  search  at  length  she  tines. 

This  whole  tract  abounds  with  game  :  th?.  stags  at  this  time  were  ranging  in  the  muuit- 
tains ;  but  the  little  roebucks^  were  perpetually  bounding  b'jfore  us ;  and  the  black 
game  often  sprung  under  our  feet.  The  lops  of  the  hills  swarmed  with  grous  and  ptar- 
migans.   Green  plovers,  whimbrels,  and  snow-flakes,^  breed  here :  the  last  assemble  in 

*  The  highest  is  caRed  Ben  y  bourd,  under  which  w  a  small  Loch,  which  I  was  told  h^d  ice  the  latter 
end  of  July. 

t  The  most  distant  from  the  sea  of  any  place  in  North  Britain. 

i  These  animals  are  reared  with  great  difTiculty  ;  even  when  taken  youner,  eight  out  of  ten  ccnerally  die, 

$  Br.  Zool.  I„  No.  122. 

VOL.    III.  I 


'f 


58 


PENNANT'S  TOUR  IN  SCOTLAND. 


gre&t  flocks  during  winter,  and  collect  so  closely  in  their  eddying  flif,'ic,  as  to  give  the 
sportsman  opportunity  of  killing  numbers  at  a  shot.  Eagles,*  peregrine  falcons,  and 
goshawks  breed  here  :  the  falcons  in  rocks,  the  goshawks  in  trees  :  the  last  pursues  its 
prey  an  end,  and  dashes  through  every  thing  in  pursuit ;  but  if  it  misses  its  quarry,  de- 
sists from  following  it  after  two  or  three  hundred  yards  flight.  These  birds  arc  pro- 
scribed ;  half  a  crown  is  given  for  an  eagle,  a  shilling  for  a  hawk,  or  hooded  crow. 

Foxes  are  in  these  parts  very  ravenous,  feeding  on  roes,  sheep,  and  even  she-goats. 

Rooks  visit  these  vales  in  autumn,  to  feed  on  the  different  sorts  of  berries  i  but  neither 
winter  nor  breed  here. 

I  saw  flying  in  the  forests,  the  greater  bulflnch  of  Mr.  Edwards,  tab.  123,  124.  the 
Loxia  enucleator  of  Linnaeus,  whose  food  is  the  seed  of  pine-cones  ;  a  bird  common  to 
the  north  of  Europe  and  America. 

On  our  return  passed  under  some  high  cliiTs,  with  large  woods  of  birch  intermixed. 
This  tree  is  used  for  all  sorts  of  implements  of  husbandry,  rooting  of  small  houses, 
wheels,  fuel }  the  Highlanders  also  tan  their  own  leather  with  the  bark ;  and  a  great 
deal  of  excellent  wine  is  extracted  from  the  live  tree.  Observed  among  these  rocks 
a  sort  of  projecting  shelf  on  which  had  been  a  hut,  accessible  only  by  the  help  of  some 
thongs,  fastened  by  some  very  expert  climbers,  to  which  the  family  got,  in  time  of  dan- 
ger, in  former  days,  wiih  their  most  valuable  moveables. 

The  houses  of  the  common  people  ir.  these  parts  are  shocking  to  humanity,  formed 
with  loose  stones,  and  covered  with  clods,  which  they  call  devots,  or  with  heath,  broom, 
or  branches  of  fir :  they  look,  at  a  distance,  like  so  many  black  mole-hills.  The  in- 
habitants live  very  poorly,  on  oatmeal,  barley-cakes  and  potatoes ;  their  drink  whisky 
sweetened  with  honey.  The  men  are  thin,  but  strong;  idle  and  lazy,  except  em- 
ployed in  the  chase,  or  any  thing  that  looks  like  amusement ;  are  content  with  their 
hard  fare,  and  will  not  exert  themselves  farther  than  to  get  what  they  deem  necessaries. 
The  women  are  more  industrious,  spin  tlieir  own  husbands'  clothes,  and  get  money  by 
knitting  stockings,  the  great  trade  of  the  country.  The  common  women  are  in  ge- 
neral  most  remarkably  plain,  and  soon  acquire  an  old  look,  and  by  being  much  exposed 
to  the  weather  without  hats,  such  a  grin,  and  contraction  of  muscles,  as  heightens  greatly 
their  natural  hardness  of  features :  I  never  saw  so  much  plainness  among  the  lower  rank 
of  females :  but  the  ne  plus  ultra  of  hard  features  is  not  found  till  you  arrive  among 
the  fish- women  of  Aberdeen. 

Tenants  pay  their  rent  generally  in  this  country  in  money,  except  what  they  pay  in 
poultry,  which  is  done  to  promote  the  breed,  as  the  gentry  are  so  remote  from  any 
market.  Those  that  rent  a  mill  pay  a  hog  or  two  ;  an  animal  so  detested  by  the  High- 
landers, that  very  few  can  be  prevailed  on  to  taste  it  in  any  shape.  Labour  is  here  very 
cheap,  the  usual  pay  being  fifty  shillings  a  year,  and  two  pecks  of  oatmeal  a  week. 

Pursued  my  journey  east,  along  a  beautiful  road  by  the  river-side,  in  sight  of  the  pine 
forests.  The  vale  now  grows  narrow,  and  is  filled  with  woods  of  birch  and  alder.  Saw 
on  the  road-side  the  seats  of  gentlemen,  high  built,  and  once  defensible.  The  peasants 
cultivate  their  little  land  with  great  care  to  the  very  edge  of  the  stony  hills.  All  the  way 
are  vast  masses  of  granite,  the  same  which  is  called,  in  Cornwall,  Moor-stone. 

The  glen  contracts,  and  the  mountains  approach  each  other.  Quit  the  Highlands, 
passing  between  two  great  rocks,  called  the  pass  of  Bollitir,  a  very  narrow  strait,  whose 

*  The  ring-tail  Eagle,  called  here  the  Black  Eagle.  I  suspect,  from  the  description,  that  the  dotrel 
breeds  here.    I  hear  aJso  of  a  bird,  called  here  Snatach  na  cuirn,  but  could  not  procure  it. 


"Ww^^^Wtrr?— — T — •■^2rrT*^=C~JJr 


vt  the 
s,  and 
ues  its 


ats. 
neither 

24.  the 
mon  to 

rmixed. 
houses, 
a  great 
le  rocks 
of  some 
•  of  dan- 
formed 
,  broom, 
The  in- 
c  whisky 
:ept  em- 
vith  their 
bessaries. 
rtoney  by 
re  in  ge- 
exposed 


IS 


wer 


greatly 
rank 


e  among 

ey  pay  in 
from  any 
the  High- 
here  very 
ek. 

)f  the  pine 
der.  Saw 
e  peasants 
U  the  way 

lighlands, 
ait,  whose 

at  the  dotrel 


PENNANT'S  TOUR  IN  SCOTLANJ). 


5«) 


bottom  is  covered  with  the  tremendous  ruins  of  the  precipices  that  bound  tlic  road. 
I  was  informed,  that  here  the  wind  rages  wifh  great  fury  during  winter,  and  catching 
up  the  snow  in  eddies,  whirls  it  about  with  such  impetuosity,  as  makes  it  dangerous  for 
man  or  beast  to  be  out  at  that  time.  Rain  also  pours  down  sometimes  in  deluges^  and 
carries  with  it  stone  and  gravel  from  the  hills  in  such  quantity,  that  I  have  seen  the 
effects  of  these  spates,  as  they  are  called,  lie  cross  the  roads,  as  the  avalanches,  or 
snow-falls,  do  those  of  the  Alps.  In  many  parts  of  the  Highlands  were  hospitia  for 
the  reception  of  travellers,  called  by  the  Scotch,  Spittles,  or  hospitals :  the  same  were 
usual  in  Wales,  where  they  are  styled  Yspytty  ;  and,  in  both  places,  were  maintained 
by  the  religious  houses :  as  siriilar  asylums  arc  to  this  day  supported,  in  many  parts  of 
the  Alps. 

This  pass  is  the  eastern  entrance  into  the  Highlands.  The  country  now  assumes  a 
new  face  :  the  hills  grow  less,  but  the  land  more  barren,  and  is  chiefly  covered  with 
heath  and  rock.  The  edges  of  the  Dec  are  cultivated,  but  the  rest  only  in  patches, 
among  which  is  generally  a  groupe  of  small  houses.  There  is  also  a  change  of  trees, 
oak  being  the  principal  wood,  but  even  that  is  scarce. 

On  the  south  side  of  the  river  is  Glen-Muik,  remarkable  for  a  fine  cataract  formed 
by  the  river  Muik,  which,  after  running  for  a  considerable  way  along  a  level  moor, 
at  once  falls  down  a  perpendicular  rock  of  a  semicircular  form,  called  the  Lin  of  Muik, 
into  a  hole  of  so  great  a  depth,  worn  by  the  weight  of  water,  as  to  be  supposed  by  the 
vulgar  to  be  bottomless. 

Refreshed  my  horses  at  a  hamlet  called  Tullich,  and  looking  west,  saw  the  great  moun- 
tain Laghin  y  gair,  which  is  always  covered  with  snow. 

Almost  opposite  to  the  village  of  Tullich  is  Pananich,  noted  for  the  mineral  water 
discovered  a  few  years  ago,  and  found  to  be  very  beneficial  in  rheumatic  and  scrophu- 
lous  cases,  and  complaints  of  the  gravel.  During  summer  great  numbers  of  people 
afflicted  with  those  disorders  resort  there  to  drink  the  waters  ;  and  for  their  reception 
several  commodious  houses  have  already  been  built. 

A  little  below  Tullich  ride  over  the  south  corner  of  the  hill  of  Culbleen,  where,  soon 
after  the  revolution,  a  bloodless  battle  was  fought  between  king  William's  forces,  under 
the  command  of  general  Mackay,  and  some  gentlemen  of  the  country,  with  their  depend- 
ents. The  last  made  such  an  expeditious  retreat,  that,  in  derision,  it  was  called  the  race 
of  Tullich. 

The  hill  of  Culbleen  is  the  south-west  extremity  of  a  range  of  mountains  which  form 
a  deep  semicircle,  and  enclose  on  all  sides,  except  the  south,  a  very  fruitful  bottom,  and 
five  parishes,  called  Cromar.  The  soil,  excepting  some  moors  and  little  hills,  is  good  to 
the  foot  of  the  mountains,  and  produces  die  best  barley  in  the  county  of  Aberdeen. 
Cromar  is  the  entrance  into  the  low  countries ;  the  Erse  language  has  been  disused  in 
it  for  many  ages,  yet  is  spoken  at  this  time  six  miles  west  in  Glen-gaim. 

One  of  the  mountains  to  the  west  is  styled  the  hill  of  Morven,  of  a  stupendous  height, 
and  on  the  side  next  to  Cromar  almost  perpendicular.  From  the  top,  the  whole  coun. 
try  as  far  as  Aberdeen,  thirty  computed  miles,  seems  from  this  height  as  a  plain ;  and 
the  prospect  terminates  in  the  German  ocean.  The  other  great  mountains  appear  to  sink 
to  a  common  size  ;  and  even  Laghin  y  gair  abates  of  its  grandeur.  About  four  miles 
below  Culbleen,  at  Charles-town,  ride  on  a  line  with  the  hill  of  Coul,  the  south-east 
extremity  of  the  Cromar  mountains. 

A  little  north  of  Charles-town  stands  Aboyne  castle,  the  seat  of  the  earl  of  Aboyne, 
amidst  large  plantations ;  but  his  lordship's  pines  in  the  forest  of  Glen  Tanner  yield  to 
none  in  Scotland,  excepting  those  of  Dalmore. 

I  2 


ti 


60 


PENNANT'S  TOUR  IN  SCOTLAND. 


•| 


."I 


i 


if 


fii 


Observed  several  vast  plantations  of  pines,  planted  by  gentlemen  near  their  seats  ; 
such  a  laudable  spirit  prevails  in  this  respect,  that  in  another  half  century  it  never  shall 
be  said,  that  to  spy  the  nakedness  of  the  land  you  are  come. 

Dine  at  the  litUe  village  of  Kincitirn  Oneil.  Hereabouts  the  common  people 
cultivate  a  great  deal  of  cabbage.  The  oat-flclds  are  inclosed  vi^ith  rude  low  mounds  of 
stone. 

It  gives  me  real  concern  to  find  any  historical  authoritv  for  overthrowing  the  beauti- 
ful relation  that  the  powerful  genius  of  Shakespeare  has  Ibrmed  out  of  Boethius's  tale  of 
Macbeth.  If  we  may  credit  Fordun,  that  usurper  was  slain  in  his  retreat  at  Lunfanan, 
two  miles  north-west  of  this  place.  To  sir  David  Dalrymple's*  accurate  investigation 
of  a  dark  period  of  the  Scottish  history,  I  am  obliged  fur  this  discovery.  "  Near  the 
church  of  Lunfanan,"  adds  that  gentleman,  **  is  the  vestige  of  an  ancient  fortress,  once 
surrounded  by  "  a  brook  that  runs  by."  This  he  conjectures  to  have  been  the  retreat 
of  Macbeth. 

Lay  at  a  mean  house  at  Banchorie.  The  country,  from  Bollitir  to  this  place,  dull, 
xuiless  where  varied  by  the  windings  of  the  river,  or  with  the  plantations. 

August  7th,  the  nearer  to  Aberdeen,  the  lower  the  country  grows,  and  the  greater 
the  quantity  rf  corn :  in  general,  oats  and  barley  ;  for  there  is  very  little  wheat  sown  in 
those  parts.     Reach 

Aberdeen,  a  fine  city,  lying  on  a  small  bay,  formed  by  the  Dee,  deep  enough  for 
ships  of  two  hundred  tons.  The  town  is  about  two  miles  in  circumference,  and  con- 
tRins  thirteen  thousand  souls,  and  about  three  thousand  in  the  suburbs ;  but  the  whole 
number  of  inhabitants  between  the  bridges  Dee  and  Don,  which  includes  both  the 
Aberdeens,  and  the  interjacent  houses  or  hamlets,  is  estimated  at  twenty  thousand.  It 
once  enjoyed  a  good  share  of  the  tobacco  trade,  but  was  at  length  forced  to  resign  it  to 
Glasgow,  which  w-as  so  much  more  conveniently  situated  for  it.  At  present,  its  im- 
ports are  from  the  Baltic,  and  a  few  merchants  trade  to  the  West  Indies  and  North 
America.  Its  exports  are,  stockings,  thread,  salmon,  and  oatmeal :  the  first  is  a  most 
important  article,  as  appears  by  the  following  state  of  it.  For  this  manufacture  20,800 
pounds  worth  of  wool  k  annually  imported,  and  1600  pounds  worth  of  oil.  Of  this 
wool  is  annually  mad*:;  69,333  dozen  pairs  of  stockings,  worth,  at  an  average,  II.  10s. 
per  dozen.  These  are  made  by  the  country  people,  in  almost  all  parts  of  this  great 
county,  who  get  4s.  per  dozen  for  spinning,  and  I4s.  per  dozen  for  knitting,  so  that 
there  is  annually  paid  ihem  62,3291.  14s.  And  besides,  there  is  about  20001.  value 
of  stockings  manufactured  from  the  wool  of  the  county,  which  encourages  the  breed 
of  sheep  much ;  for  even  as  high  as  Invercauld,  the  farmer  sells  his  sheep  at  twelve 
shillings  a  piece,  and  keeps  them  till  they  are  four  or  five  years  old,  for  the  sake  of  the 
wool.  About  200  combers  are  also  employed  constantly.  The  thread  manufacture  is 
another  considerable  article,  though  trifling  in  comparison  of  the  woollen. 

The  salmon  fisheries  on  tlie  Dee  and  the  Don  are  a  good  branch  of  trade :  about  46 
boats,  and  130  men,  are  employed  on  the  first ;  and  in  some  years  167,0001b.  offish  have 
been  sent  pickled  to  London,  and  about  930  barrels  of  salted  fish  exported  to  France, 
Italy,  &c.  The  fishery  on  the  Don  is  far  less  considerable.  About  the  time  of  Henry 
VIII,  this  place  was  noted  for  a  considerable  trade  in  dried  cod-fish,  at  that  period 
known  by  the  name  of  Habberdyn-fish. 

The  town  of  Aberdeen  is  in  general  well-built  with  granite,  from  the  neighbouring 
(quarries.    The  best  street,  or  rather  place,  is  the  Castle-street :  in  the  middle  is  an 

*  Annals  of  Scotland,  p.  5. 


PENNANT'S  TOUR  IN  SCOTLAND. 


61 


octagon  building,  with  neat  bas  relievos  of  the  kings  of  Scotland,  from  James  I,  to 
James  VII.  The  town-house  makes  a  good  figure,  and  has  a  handsome  spire  in  the 
centre. 

The  east  and  west  churches  are  under  the  same  roof;  for  the  North  Britons  observe 
oeconomy,  even  in  their  religion :  in  one  I  observed  a  small  ship  hung  up  ;  a  votive  of- 
fering frequent  enough  in  Popish  churches,  but  appeared  very  unexpectedly  here.  But 
I  am  now  satisfied  that  the  "hip  only  denotes  the  right  the  mariners  have  to  a  sitting 
place  beneath. 

In  the  church.jard  lies  Andrew  Cant,  minister  of  Aberdeen,  from  whom  the 
Spectator  derives  the  word  to  cant :  but  in  all  probability,  Andrew  canted  no  more 
than  the  rest  of  his  brethren,  for  he  lived  in  a  whining  age;*  the  word  therefore 
seems  to  be  derived  from  canto,  from  their  singing  out  their  discourses.  The  inscrip. 
tion  on  his  monument  speaks  of  him  in  very  high  terms,  styles  him  vir  suo  seculo 
summus,  qui  orbi  huic  et  urbi  ecclesiastes,  voce  et  vita  inclinatam  religionem  sustinuit, 
degeneres  mundi  mores  refinxit,  ardcns  et  amans,  Boanerges  et  Barnabas,  Magnes  ct 
Adamus,  8cc.  &c. 

In  the  same  place  are  multitudes  of  iong.winded  epitaphs ;  but  the  following,  though 
short,  has  a  most  elegant  turn : 

Si  fides,  si  hutnanitas,  multoque  gratus  lepore  candor ; 
Si  suorumamor,  amicorum  charitas,  omniumque  Bene- 

volentia  spiritum  reducere  possent, 
Haud  heic  situs  esset  Johannes  Burnet  a  EIrick.  1747. 

The  college  is  a  large  old  building,  founded  by  George  earl  of  Marechal,  1595. 
On  one  side  is  this  strange  inscription ;  probably  alluding  to  some  scoffers  at  that  time  : 

They  have  seid, 
Quhat  say  thay  ? 
Let  Yame  say. 

In  the  great  room  are  several  good  pictures.  A  head  of  the  founder.  The  present 
lord  Marechal  when  young,  and  general  Keith,  his  brother.  Bishop  Burnet  in  his 
robes,  as  Chancellor  of  the  Garter.  A  head  of  Mary  Stuart,  in  black,  with  a  crown 
in  one  hand  and  a  crucifix  in  the  other.  Arthur  Jonston,  a  fine  head,  by  Jameson.  An- 
drew Cant,  by  the  same.  Gordon  of  Strachloch,  publisher  of  the  maps ;  Doctor 
Gregory,  author  of  the  reflecting  telescope ;  and  several  others,  by  Jameson. 

In  the  library  is  the  alcomn  on  vellum,  finely  illuminated. 

A  Hebrew  bible,  manuscript,  with  rabbinical  notes  on  vellum. 

Isidori  excerpta  ex  libro :  a  great  curiosity,  being  a  complete  natural  history,  with 
figures,  richly  illuminated  on  squares  of  plated  gold  on  vellum. 

A  paraphrase  on  the  Revelation,  by  James  VI,  with  notes,  in  the  king's  own  hand. 

A  fine  missal. 

There  are  about  a  hundred  and  forty  students  belonging  to  this  college. 

The  convents  in  Aberdeen  were ;  one  of  Mathurines,  or  of  the  order  of  the  Trinity, 
founded  by  William  the  Lion,  who  died  in  1214 :  another  of  Dominicans,  by  Alex- 
ander II, :  a  third  of  Observantines,  a  building  of  great  length,  in  the  middle  of  the 
city,  founded  by  the  citizens,  and  Mr.  Richard  Vaus,  &c. :  and  a  fourth  of  Carmelites, 
or  White  Friars,  founded  by  Philip  de  Arbuthnot,  in  1350.  In  the  ruins  of  this  was 
discovered  a  very  curious  silver  chain,  six  feet  long,  with  a  round  plate  at  one  end, 
and  at  the  other  a  pear-shaped  appendage ;  which  is  still  preserved  in  the  library. 


'iJ 


*  In  Charles  the  First's  time. 


'I 


62 


PENNANT'S  TOUR  IN  SCOTLAND. 


f 

.III: 

,|! 

w 
in 


i 
I 


I!! 


i 


The  granmiar  i>chool  is  a  low  but  neat  building.  Gordon's  hospital  is  handsome ; 
in  iVo'U  i^  ii  good  statue  of  the  founder:  it  maintains  forty  boys,  children  of  the  in- 
Imbitants  of  Aberdeen,  who  are  apprenticed  at  proper  ages. 

The  iiifirmiiry  is  a  large  plain  building,  and  sends  out  between  eight  or  nine  hui^dred 
cured  patients  annually. 

On  the  side  of  the  great  blcachery,  which  is  common  to  the  town,  are  the  public 
walks.  Over  a  road,  between  the  Castle-street  and  the  harbour,  is  a  very  handsome 
ardi,  which  must  attract  the  attention  of  the  traveller. 

On  the  east  of  the  town  is  a  work  begun  by  Cromwell,  from  whence  is  a  fine  view 
of  the  sea  :  beneath  is  a  small  patch  of  ground,  noted  for  producing  very  early  barley, 
which  was  then  reaping. 

Prices  of  provisions  in  this  town  were  these:  Beef  (16  ounces  to  the  pound)  2Jd. 
to  5d.  mutton  the  same ;  butter  (28  ounces  to  the  pound)  6d.  to  8d.  cheese,  ditto, 
4d.  to  4^d.  a  large  pullet,  6d.  or  lOd.  duck,  the  same ;  goose,  2s.  3d. 

Cross  the  harbour  to  the  granite  quarries  that  contribute  to  supply  London  with  paving 
stones.  The  stones  lie  either  in  large  nodules  or  in  shattery  beds ;  are  cut  into  shape, 
and  the  small  pieces  for  the  middle  of  the  streets  are  put  on  board  for  seven  shillings  per 
ton,  the  long  stones  are  ten-pence  per  foot. 

The  bridge  of  Dee  lies  about  two  miles  S.  of  the  town,  and  consists  of  seven  neat 
arches :  before  the  building  of  that  of  Perth,  it  was  esteemed  the  finest  structure  of  the 
kind  in  North  Britain.  It  was  founded,  and  is  still  supported,  by  funds  destined  for  that 
purpose  by  bishop  Elphinston.  The  following  inscription  on  the  buttress  of  a  ruinous 
isle  in  the  cathedral  of  Old  Aberdeen  informs  us  of  the  architect :  '  Thomas,  the  son 
of  Thomas  French,  master  mason,  who  built  the  bridge  of  the  Dee  and  this  isle,  is  en- 
terred  at  the  foot  hereof,  who  died  anno  1530. 

August  8th,  visited  old  Aberdeen,  about  a  mile  north  of  the  new ;  a  poor  town, 
seated  not  far  from  the  Don.  The  college  is  built  round  a  square,  with  cloisters  on  the 
south  side.  The  chapel  is  very  ruinous  within  ;  but  there  still  remains  some  wood-work 
of  exquisite  workmanship.  This  was  preserved  by  the  spirit  of  the  principal  at  the 
time  of  the  reformation,  who  armed  his  people  and  checked  the  blind  zeal  of  the  ba- 
rons  of  the  Mearns,  who,  after  stripping  the  Cathedral  of  its  roof,  and  robbing  it  of  the 
bells,  were  going  to  violate  this  seat  of  learning.  They  shipped  their  sacrile^ous  booty, 
with  an  intention  of  exposing  it  to  sale  in  Holland  ;*  but  the  vessel  had  scarcely  gone 
out  of  port,  but  it  perished  in  a  storm,  with  all  its  ill  gained  lading. 

The  college  was  founded  in  1494  by  William  Elphinston,  bishop  of  this  place,  and 
lord  Chancellor  of  Scotland  in  the  reign  of  James  III,  and  lord  Privy  Seal  in  that  of  James 
IV.  He  was  a  person  of  such  eminence,  that  his  cotemporaries  firmly  believed  that  his 
death  was  presaged  by  various  prodigies,  and  that  supernatural  voices  were  heard  at  his 
interment,  as  if  heaven  more  peculiarly  interested  itself  in  the  departure  of  so  great  a 
character,  t 

The  library  is  large.  The  most  remarkable  things  are  ;  John  Trevisa's  translation  of 
Higden's  Polychronicon,  in  1387 ;  the  manuscript  excellently  wrote,  and  the  language 
very  good,  for  that  time.  A  very  neat  Dutch  missal,  with  elegant  paintings  on  the 
margin.  Another,  of  the  angels  appearing  to  the  shepherds,  with  one  of  the  men 
playing  on  the  bagpipes,     A  manuscript  catalogue  of  the  old  treasury  of  the  college. 

Hector  Boethius  was  the  first  principal  of  the  college,  and  sent  for  from  Paris  for  that 
purpose,  on  an  annual  salary  of  forty  marks  Scots,  at  thirteen>pence  each.     The  square 


•  Spotswood's  Hist.  Church  of  Scotland. 


t  Boethius's  Hist,  of  the  bishops  of  Aberdeen, 


-JXiSi 


PENNANT'S  TOUH  IN  SCOTLAND. 


03 


pguage 
3n  the 
men 

lor  that 
1  square 

Ideen. 


tower  on  the  side  of  the  college  was  built  by  contributions  from  General  Monk  and  the 
officers  under  him,  then  quartered  at  Aberdeen,  for  the  reception  of  students  ;  of  which 
there  are  about  a  hundred  Ixilonging  to  the  college,  who  lie  in  it. 

In  Bishop  Elphinston's  hall  is  a  picture  of  Bishop  Dunbar,  who  finished  the  bridge 
of  Dee,  and  completed  every  thing  else  that  the  other  worthy  prelate  had  begun.  Bisides 
this  are  portraits  of  Forbes,  Bishop  of  Aberdeen,  and  Professors  Sandiland  and  Gordon, 
by  Jameson.  The  Sybils :  said  to  be  done  by  the  same  hand,  but  seemed  to  me  in 
too  different  a  style  to  be  his ;  but  the  Sybilla  i^yptiaca  ard  Erythrsea  are  in  good 
attitudes. 

The  cathedral  is  very  ancient ;  no  more  than  the  two  very  antique  spires  and  one 
isle,  which  is  used  as  a  church,  are  now  remaining.  This  bishopric  was  founded  in  the 
time  of  David  I,  who  translated  it  from  Mortlick  in  Banffshire  to  this  place. 

From  a  tumulus,  called  Tille  dron,  now  covered  with  trees,  is  a  fine  view  of  an  ex- 
tensive and  rich  country  ;  once  a  most  barren  spot,  but  by  the  industry  of  the  inhabi- 
tants brought  to  its  present  stale.  A  pretty  vale  bordered  with  wood,  the  cathedral 
soaring  above  the  trees,  and  the  river  Don,  form  altogether  a  mojt  agreeable  pros- 
pect.  These  are  comprehended  in  the  pleasure  grounds  of  Seaton,  the  house  of  George 
Middleton,  esq.  which  lies  well  sheltered  in  the  north-west  corner  of  the  valley,  and 
was  probably  the  first  villa  built  in  the  north  of  Scotland  according  to  the  present  idea 
of  elegance. 

Beneath  are  some  cruives,  or  wears,  to  take  salmon  in.    The  owners  are  obliged  by 
law  to  make  the  rails  of  the  cruives*  of  a  certain  width,  to  permit  fish  of  a  certain  size 
to  pass  up  the  river ;  but  as  that  is  neglected,  they  pay  an  annual  sum  to  the  owners  of 
the  fisheries  which  lie  above,  to  compensate  the  loss. 

In  the  Regiam  Majestatem  are  preserved  several  ancient  laws  relating  to  the  salmon 
fisheries,  couched  in  terms  expressive  of  the  simplicity  of  the  times. 

From  Saturday  night  till  Monday  morning,  they  were  obliged  to  leave  a  free  ^  .ssagc 
for  the  fish,  which  is  styled  the  Saturdayes  sloppe.f 

Alexander  I,  enacted,  *  That  the  streame  of  the  water  sal  be  in  all  parts  swa  free, 
that  ane  swine  of  the  age  of  three  zearres,  well  fed,  may  turne  himself  within  the 
streume  round  about,  swa  that  his  snowt  nor  taill  sail  not  touch  the  bank  of  the  water.' 

'  Slayers  of  reide  fish  or  smoltes  of  sahnond,  the  third  time  are  punished  with  death. 
And  sic  like  he  quha  commands  the  samine  to  be  done.'    Jac.  IV,  pari.  6.  stat.  Rob.  III. 

August  9th,  continue  my  journey  :  pass  over  the  bridge  of  Don  ;  a  fine  Gothic  arch 
flung  over  that  fine  river,  from  one  rock  to  the  other ;  the  height  from  the  top  of  the 
arch  to  the  water  is  sixty  feet ;  its  width  seventy-two.  It  was  built  by  Henry  de  Cheyn, 
Bishop  of  Aberdeen,  and  nephew  to  John  Cummin  lord  of  Badenoch,  who  suffering 
exile  for  his  attachment  to  the  faction  of  the  Cummins,  on  his  being  restored  to  his  see 
applied  all  the  profits  that  had  accumulated  during  his  absence  towards  this  magnifi- 
cent work.t  Ride  for  some  miles  on  the  sea  sands ;  pass  through  Newburgh,  a  small 
village,  and  at  low  water  ford  the  Ythen,  a  river  productive  of  the  pearl  muscle :  go 
through  the  parish  of  Furvie,  now  entirely  overwhelmed  with  sand  (except  two  flirms) 
and  about  5001.  per  annum  lost  to  the  Errol  family,  as  appears  by  the  oath  of  the  fac- 
tor made  before  the  court  of  sessions  in  1600,  to  ascertain  the  minister's  salary.  It  was 
at  that  time  all  arable  land,  now  covered  with  shifting  sands,  like  the  deserts  of  Arabia, 
and  no  vestiges  remain  of  any  buildings,  except  a  small  fragment  of  the  church. 

*  Cruives,  8cc.  shall  have  their  heeke  two  inches  wide,  that  the  fry  may  pass.    Rob.  I. 

t  Alex.  I.  I  Keith's  Scotch  Bishops,  65.    This  prelate  was  living  in  1333. 


1 


|i 


I 


64 


PENNANT'S  TOUR  IN  SCOTLAND 


The  couiUi'}'  now  grows  very  flat ;  produces  oats ;  but  the  crops  are  considerably 
worsc  than  in  the  preceding  country.  Reach 

Bowncss,  or  Buchaness,  the  seat  of  the  earl  of  Errol,  perched,  like  a  falcon's  nest, 
on  the  edge  of  a  vast  cliff  above  the  sea.  Th^  drawing  room,  a  large  and  very  elegant 
apartment,  hangs  over  it ;  the  waves  run  in  wild  eddies  round  the  rocks  beneath,  and 
the  sea  fowl  clamour  above  and  below,  forming  a  strange  prospect  and  singular  chorus. 
The  place  was  once  defensible,  there  having  been  a  ditch  and  draw<bridge  on  the  ac* 
cessibic  side ;  but  now  both  are  destroyed. 

Above  five  miles  south  is  Slains,  the  remains  of  the  old  family  castle,  seated  strongly 
on  a  peninsulated  rock  ;  but  demolished  in  1594,  by  James  VI,  on  the  rebellion  of 
the  earl  of  Huntly.  Near  this  place  are  some  vast  caverns,  once  filled  with  curious 
stalactical  incrustations,  now  destroyed,  in  order  to  be  burnt  into  lime  ;  for  there  is  none 
in  this  country,  that  useful  commodity  being  imported  from  the  earl  of  Elgin's  works  on 
the  Firth  of  Forth. 

Here  the  shore  begins  to  grow  bold  and  rocky,  and  indented  in  a  strange  manner 
with  small  and  deep  creeks,  or  rather  immense  and  horrible  chasms.  The  famous 
Bullers  of  Buchan  lie  about  a  mile  north  of  Bowness,  are  a  vast  hollow  in  a  rock,  pro< 
jecting  into  the  sea,  open  at  top,  with  a  communication  to  the  sea  through  a  noble 
natural  arch,  through  which  boats  can  pass,  and  lie  secure  in  this  natural  harbour. 
There  is  a  path  round  the  top,  but  in  some  parts  too  narrow  to  walk  on  with  satisfac* 
tion,  as  the  depth  is  about  thirty  fathom,  with  water  on  both  sides,  being  bounded  on 
the  north  and  south  by  small  creeks. 

Near  this  is  a  great  insulated  rock,  divided  by  a  narrow  and  very  deep  chasm  from  the 
land.  This  rock  is  pierced  through  midway  between  the  water  and  the  top,  and  in 
violent  storms  the  waves  rush  through  it  with  great  noise  and  impetuosity.  On  the  sides, 
as  well  as  those  of  the  adjacent  cliffs,  breed  multitudes  of  kittiwakes.*  The  young  are 
a  fovourite  dish  in  North  Britain,  being  served  up  a  little  before  dinner,  as  a  whet  for  the 
appetite  :  but,  from  the  rank  smell  and  taste,  seem  as  if  they  were  more  likely  to  have  a 
contrary  efiect.  I  was  told  of  an  honest  gentleman,  who  was  set  down  for  the  first  time 
to  this  kind  of  whet,  as  he  supposed  ;  but  after  demolishing  half  a  dozen,  with  much 
impatience  declared,  that  he  had  eaten  sax,  and  did  not  find  nimself  a  bit  more  hungry 
than  before  he  had  began. 

On  this  coast  is  a  great  fishery  of  sea  dogs,t  which  begins  the  last  week  of  July,  and 
ends  the  first  in  September.  The  livers  are  boiled  for  oil ;  the  bodies  split,  dried,  and 
sold  to  the  common  people,  who  come  from  great  distances  for  them.  Very  fine  tur. 
bots  are  taken  on  this  coast ;  and  towards  Peterhead  are  good  fisheries  of  cod  and  ling. 
The  lord  of  the  manor  has  31.  6s.  8d.  per  annum  from  every  boat  (a  six  man  boat)  but 
if  a  new  crew  sets  up,  the  lord,  by  way  of  encouragement,  finds  them  a  boat.  Besides 
these,  they  have  Utde  yawls  for  catching  bait  at  the  foot  of  the  rocks.  Muscles  are  also 
much  used  for  bait,  and  many  boat  loads  are  brought  for  that  purpose  fi'om  the  mouth 
of  the  Ythen.  Of  late  years,  a  very  successful  salmon  fishery  has  been  set  up  in  the 
sandy  bays  below  Slains.  This  is  performed* by  long  nets,  carried  out  to  sea  by  boats, 
a  great  compass  taken,  and  then  hawled  on  shore.  It  is  remarked,  these  fish  swim 
against  the  wind,  and  are  much  better  tasted  than  those  taken  in  fresh  waters. 

Most  of  the  labour  on  shore  is  performed  here  by  the  women :  they  will  carry  as 
much  fish  as  two  men  can  lift  on  their  shoulders,  and  when  they  have  sold  their  cargo 
and  emptied  their  basket,  will  re-place  part  of  it  with  stones ;  they  go  sixteen  miles  to 


*Br.Zool.  No.  250, 


t  The  picked  Shark,  Br.  Zool.  III.  No.  40. 


PKNNANT'S  TOUU  IN  SCOTLAND. 


6b 


sell  or  barter  their  fish ;  are  very  fond  of  finery,  and  will  load  their  finp;crs  with  trum- 
pery rings,  when  they  want  both  shoes  and  stockings.  The  fleet  was  the  last  war  sup. 
plied  with  great  numbers  of  men  from  this  and  other  parts  of  Scotland,  as  wtll  as  the 
army  :  i  think  near  70,()(X)  engaged  in  the  general  cause,  and  assisted  in  carrying  our 
glory  through  all  parts  of  the  giobe :  of  the  former,  numbers  returned  ;  of  the  latter, 
very  few. 

The  houses  in  this  country  are  built  with  clay,  tempered  in  the  same  manner  as  the 
Israelites  made  their  bricks  m  the  land  of  iligypt :  after  dressing  the  clay,  and  working 
it  up  with  water,  the  lal)ourers  place  on  it  a  large  stratum  of  straw,  which  is  trampled 
into  it  and  made  small  by  horses  :  then  more  is  added,  till  it  arrives  at  a  proper  con- 
sistency, when  it  is  used  as  a  plaister,  and  makes  the  houses  very  warm.  The  roofs  are 
sarked,  i.  e.  covered  with  inch-and-half  deal,  sawed  into  three  planks,  and  tlien  nailed 
to  the  joists,  on  which  the  slates  arc  pinned. 

The  land  prospect  is  extremely  unpleasant ;  for  no  trees  will  grow  here,  in  spite  of  all 
the  pains  that  have  been  taken :  not  but  in  former  times  it  must  have  been  well  wooded, 
as  is  evident  from  the  number  of  trees  dug  up  in  all  the  bogs.  The  same  nakedness 
prevails  over  great  part  of  this  coast,  even  far  beyond  Banfi*,  except  in  a  few  warm  bot- 
toms. 

The  corn  of  this  tract  is  oats  and  Iwrley  ;  of  the  last  I  have  seen  very  good  close  to  the 
edges  of  the  cliffs.  Rents  are  paid  here  partly  in  cash,  partly  in  kind ;  the  last  is  com« 
monly  sold  to  a  contractor.  The  land  here  being  poor,  is  set  cheap.  The  people  live 
hardly  :  a  common  food  with  them  is  sowens,  or  the  grosser  part  of  the  oatmeal  with  the 
husks,  first  put  into  a  barrel  with  water,  in  order  to  grow  sour,  and  then  boiled  into  a 
sort  of  pudding  or  flummery. 

August  11th,  crossed  the  country  towards  BaniF,  over  Oatlands,  a  coarse  sort  of 
downd,  and  several  black  heathy  moors,  without  a  single  tree  for  numbers  of  miles. 
See  Craigston  castle,  agoodhouse,  once  defensible,  seated  in  a  snug  bottom,  where  the 
plantations  thrive  greatly.  Saw  here  a  head  of  David  Lesly,  an  eleve  of  Gustavus 
Adolphus :  a  successful  general  against  the  royal  cause  :  unfortunate  when  he  attempted 
to  support  it ;  lost  the  battle  of  Dunbar,  being  forced  to  engage  contrary  to  his  judgment 
by  the  enthusiasm  of  the  preachers :  marched  with  an  unwilling  army  to  the  fatal  battle 
of  Worcester  ;  conscious  of  its  disaffection  or  its  fears,  he  sunk  beneath  his  apprehen- 
sions ;  was  dispirited  and  confounded  :  after  the  fight,  lost  his  liberty  and  reputation  ; 
but  was  restored  to  both  at  the  restoration  by  Charles  II,  who  created  him  baron  of 
Newark.  Another  head,  sir  Alexander  Frazer,  the  knight  of  Dores  ;  both  by  Jame- 
son. Passed  by  a  small  ruined  castle,  in  the  parish  of  Kinedward,  seated  on  a  round  hill 
in  a  deep  glen,  and  scarce  accessible ;  the  ancient  name  of  this  castle  was  Kin,  or  Kyn- 
Eden,  and  said  to  have  been  one  of  the  seats  of  the  Cummins,  earl  of  Buchan.  Ford  the 
Devron,  a  fine  river,  over  which  had  been  a  beautiful  bridge,  now  washed  away  by  the 
floods.     Enter  Banffshire,  and  reach  its  capital. 

Banff,  pleasantly  seated  on  the  side  of  a  hill,  has  several  streets ;  but  that  with  the 
town-house  in  it,  adorned  with  a  new  spire,  is  very  handsome.  1'his  place  was  erected 
into  a  borough  by  virtue  of  a  charter  from  Robert  II,  dated  October  7th,  1372,  endow- 
ing it  with  the  same  privileges,  and  putting  it  on  the  same  footing  with  the  burgh  of 
Aberdeen ;  but  tradition  says  it  was  founded  in  the  reign  of  Malcolm  Canmore.  The 
harbour  is  very  bad,  as  the  entrance  at  the  mouth  of  the  Devron  is  \  ery  uncertain,  being 
ofiten  stopped  by  the  shifting  of  the  sands,  which  are  continually  changing  in 
great  storms :  the  pier  is  therefore  placed  on  the  outside.     Much  salmon  is  exported 

VOL.    III.  K 


,1 


I 


'I 


G6 


PENNANT'S  TOUR  IN  SCOTLAND. 


1 


from  hence.     About  Troop-liead,  some  kelp  is  made ;  and  the  adventurers  pay  the 
lord  of  the  manor  501.  per  annum  for  the  liberty  of  collecting;  the  materials. 

Banff  had  only  one  monastery,  that  of  the  Carmelites,  dedicated  to  the  V^irgin  Mary  : 
whose  rents,  place  and  lands,  were  bestowed  on  KingS  College  in  Aberdeen  m  1617  by 
James  VI. 

The  carl  of  Finlatcr  has  a  house,  prettily  seated  on  an  eminence  near  the  town,  with 
some  plantations  of  shrubs  and  bmull  trees,  which  have  a  goodeflect  in  so  bare  a  country. 
The  prospect  is  very  fine,  commanding  the  rich  meadows  near  the  town,  Down,  a  small 
but  well-uuiU  fishing  town,  the  great  promontory  of  Troop-head,  and  to  the  north  the  hills 
of  Rosshire,  Sutherlaiid,  and  Caithness. 

The  house  once  belonged  to  the  Sharps;  and  the  violent  archbishop  of  that  name  was 
born  here.  In  one  of  the  apartments  is  a  picture  of  Jameson,  by  himself,  sitting  in  hiii 
painting-room,  dressed  like  Rubens,  and  with  his  hat  on,  and  his  pallet  in  his  hand. 
On  the  walls  are  represented,  hung  up,  the  pictures  of  Charles  I,  and  nis  queen  ;  a  head 
of  his  own  wife  ;  another  head;  two  sea  views,  and  Perseus  and  Andromeda,  the  pro- 
ductions of  his  various  pencil. 

Dufl' House,  a  vast  pile  of  building,  a  little  way  from  the  town,  is  a  square,  with  a  square 
tower  at  each  end  :  the  front  richly  ornamented  with  curving,  but,  for  want  of  wings,  has 
a  naked  look  :  the  rooms  within  are  very  small,  and  by  no  means  answer  the  magnifi- 
cence of  the  case. 

In  the  apartments  are  these  pictures  :  Frances,  duchess  of  Richmond,  full  length,  in 
black,  with  a  little  picture  at  her  breast,  JEi.  57,  1633,  by  Vandvck :  was  grand- 
daughcer  by  the  father  to  Thomas  duke  of  Norfolk ;  to  Edward  Stafford  duke  of  Buck- 
ingham, by  the  mother.  A  lady  who  attempted  the  very  climax  of  matrimony  :  first  mar- 
ried the  son  of  a  rich  vintner :  gave  hopes  after  his  death  to  a  knight,  sir  G.  Rodney, 
who,  on  being  jilted  by  her  for  an  earl,  Edward  earl  of  Hertford,  wrote  to  her  in  his  own 
blood  a  well  composed  copy  of  verses,  and  then  fell  on  his  sword ;  having  buried  the 
earl,  gave  her  hand  to  Lndovic  duke  of  Richmond  and  Lenox,  and  on  his  decease 
spread  her  nets  for  the  old  monarch  James  I.  Her  avarice  kept  pace  with  her  vanity : 
when  visited  by  the  great,  she  had  all  the  parade  of  ofiicers,  and  gentlemen  who  at- 
tended :  tables  were  spread,  as  if  there  had  been  ample  provision ;  but  the  moment 
her  visitors  were  gone,  the  cloths  were  taken  off,  and  her  train  fed  with  a  most  scanty 
fare.  Her  pride  induced  her  to  draw  up  an  inventory  of  most  magnificent  presents,  she 
wished  the  world  to  believe  she  had  given  to  the  queen  of  Bohemia ;  presents  of  massy 
plate  that  existed  only  on  a  paper.*  Besides  this  singular  character,  are  two  fine  heads 
of  Charles  I,  and  his  queen.  A  head  of  a  Duff  of  Corsenday,  with  short  gray  hair, 
by  Cosmo  Alexander,  descendant  of  the  famous  Jameson.  Near  the  house  is  a 
shrubbery,  with  a  walk  two  miles  long,  leading  to  the  river. 

I  must  not  be  silent  respecting  the  Reverend  Mr.  Charles  Cordiner,  minister  at 
the  episcopal  chapel  at  Banfi.  He  has  made  his  abilities  sufficiently  known  by  his  several 
ingenious  publications :  and  I  must  express  my  happiness  in  having  been  the  cause  of 
bringing  them  to  the  view  of  the  public,  much  to  its  entertainment,  and  I  flatter  myself 
not  a  little  to  his  own  benefit,  and  that  of  his  numerous  family.  When  I  had  published 
the  last  volume  of  my  tours  in  Scotland,  I  reflected  that  there  were  certain  parts  which  I 
had  not  been  able  to  visit.  I  prevailed  on  Mr.  Cordiner  to  undertake  jthe  tour  which 
appeared  in  1780,  under  the  title  of  Antiquities  and  Scenery  of  the  North  of  Scotland, 


^i 


»  Vide  Wilson's  Life  of  James  I.  258,259. 


I'RNNANT'S  TOUU  IN  SCOTLAND 


67 


illustrated  by  twcnty-onc  plates  taken  from  his  owi>  beautiful  drawiiipfs.     He  afterwards 
published,  and  continues  to  publish,  in  nanilK-rs,  the  mobt  remarkalile  ruins,  ;uk1  sub- 
jects of  natural  history,  he  met  with  in  his  journies  through  the  northern  parts  of  his 
country.     These,  I  hope,  will  meet  the  encouragetnent  they  merit,  and  his  labours  re 
ceivc  their  due  rcwarrl. 

Aug.  12.  About  two  miles  west  of  BiunT,  not  far  from  the  sea,  is  a  great  stratinn 
of  sand  and  shells,  vised  with  success  as  a  manure.  Sea  tang  is  also  much  used  foi 
corn  lands,  sometimes  by  itself,  sometimes  mix'^d  with  earth,  and  left  to  rot ;  it  is  be. 
sides  often  laid  fresh  on  grass,  and  answers  very  well.  Pas-icd  by  the  house  of  Boyne,  u 
ruined  castle  on  the  edge  of  a  deep  glen,  filled  with  some  good  ash  and  maples. 

Near  Pcrtsoy,  a  small  town  in  the  parish  of  Foidycc,  is  a  large  stratum  of  marble,  in 
which  asbestos  has  been  sometimes  found  ;  it  is  a  coarse  sort  of  vcrd  di  Corsica,  and 
used  in  some  houses  for  chimney-nicces.  Portsoy  is  the  principal  place  in  this  parish, 
and  contains  about  six  hundred  inhabitants,  who  carry  on  a  considerable  thread  manu- 
facture, and  one  of  snuff:  there  also  belong  to  the  town  twelve  ships,  from  forty  to  a 
hundred  tons  burthen ;  and  there  are  in  the  parish  .ix  fishing  boats,  each  of  whose  crew 
consists  of  si::  men  and  a  boy.     Reach 

CuUen-house,  seated  at  the  edge  of  a  deep  glen  full  of  very  large  trees,  which,  being 
out  of  the  reach  of  the  sea  winds,  prosper  greatly.  This  &pot  is  very  prettily  laid  out 
in  walks,  and  over  the  entrance  is  a  nvignificcnt  arch  sixty  feet  high,  and  eighty-two  in 
width.  The  house  is  large,  but  irregular.  The  most  remarkable  pictures  arc,  a  full 
length  of  James  VI,  by  Mytens :  at  the  time  of  the  revolution,  the  mob  had  taken  it  out 
of  Holy-rood  house,  and  were  kicking  it  about  the  streets,  when  the  chancellor,  the  earl 
of  Finlater,  happening  to  pass  by,  redeemed  it  out  of  their  hands.  A  portrait  of  James 
duke  of  Hamilton,  beheaded  in  1649,  in  a  large  black  cloak,  with  a  star,  by  Vandyck. 
A  half  length  of  his  brother,  by  the  same,  killed  at  the  battle  of  Worcester.  William 
duke  of  Hamilton,  president  of  the  revolution  parliament,  by  Kneller.  Old  lord  Banff, 
aged  90,  with  a  long  white  square  beard,  who  is  said  to  have  incurred  the  censure  of  the 
church,  at  that  age,  for  his  gallmtries.* 

Not  far  from  Cullen-house  are  the  ruins  of  the  castle  of  Finlater,  situated  on  a  high 
rock,  projecting  into  the  sea.  It  was  strengthened  in  1455  by  sir  Walter  Ogilvie,  w.io 
had  licence  from  James  II,  to  build  a  tower  and  fortalice  at  his  castle  of  Finlater.  It  con- 
tinued in  possession  of  the  family  till  it  was  usurped  by  the  family  of  the  Gordons  ;  but 
was  restorecj  to  the  right  heirs  about  the  year  1562,  by  queen  Mary,  who  for  that  purpose 
caused  it  to  be  invested  both  by  sea  and  land. 

The  country  round  CuUen  has  all  the  marks  of  improvement,  owing  to  thef  inde- 
fatigable pains  of  the  late  noble  owner,  in  advancing  the  art  of  agriculture  and  planting, 
and  every  other  useful  business,  as  far  as  the  nature  of  the  soil  would  admit.  His  suc- 
cess in  the  first  was  very  great ;  the  crops  of  beans,  peas,  outs,  and  barley  were  ex- 
cellent ;  the  wheat  very  good,  but,  through  the  fault  of  the  climate,  will  not  ripen  till 
it  is  late,  the  'harvest  in  these  parts  being  in  October.     The  plantations  are  very  ex- 


it i 


*  Among  other  pictures  of  persons  of  merit,  tliat  of  the  ndmirable  Crichton  must  not  be  overlooked.  I 
was  informed,  thatthiere  is  one  of  that  extraordinary  person  in  the  possession  of  Alexander  Morrison, 
Esq.  of  Bagnie,  in  the  county  of  Banff;  it  is  in  the  same  iip»rtment  with  some  of  Jameson's,  but  seems 
done  by  a  superior  hand  :  came  into  Mr.  Morrison's  possession  from  the  family  of  Crichton,  Viscount 
Frend-raught,  to  whom  Crichton  probably  sent  it  from  Italy,  where  he  spent  the  last  years  of  his  short, 
but  glorious  life.    Vide  Appendix. 

t  His  lordship  collected  together  near  2000  sculs  to  his  new  town  at  Keith,  by  feuinp;,  i.  e.  giving  in 
perpetuity,  on  payment  of  a  slight  aclinowledgment,  land  suiBcient  to  build  a  house  on,  with  gardens  and 
back-yard. 

K  2 


'I. 


68 


PENNANT'S  TOUR  IN  SCOTLAND 


!ii 


fc 


tensive,  and  reach  to  the  top  of  Binn-hill,  but  the  further  they  extend  from  thj  bottoms, 
the  worse  they  succeed. 

The  town  of  Culicn  is  mean,  yet  has  about  a  hundred  looms  in  it ;  there  being  a  flou- 
rishing manufacture  of  linen  and  thread,  of  which  ocir  tifly  thousand  pounds  worth  is 
annually  nwdc  there  and  in  the  neif^l»l)ourh{X)d.  UpwarcN  of  two  thousand  bolls  of 
wheat,  barley,  oats,  and  meal,  are  paid  .mnually  by  the  tenants  to  tlieir  landlords,  and  by 
them  sold  to  the  merchants  and  exported :  and  brsides,  the  upper  parts  of  the  parish 
yield  peas,  and  great  quantities  of  oats,  which  are  sold  by  those  tenants  who  pay  their 
rents  in  cash. 

Near  this  town  the  duke  of  Cumberland,  after  his  march  from  Banff,  joined  the  rest 
of  his  forces  from  Strath-Uogie,  and  c'ncanH)ed  at  Cullen. 

In  a  small  sandv  bay  are  three  lofty  spirnig  rocks,  formed  of  flinty  masses,  cemented 
together  very  diftlrently  from  any  stratum  in  the  country.  These  are  called  the 
three  kings  of  Cullen.  A  little  farther  is  another  vast  rock,  pierced  quite  through, 
formed  ot  pebbly  concretions  lodged  in  clay,  which  had  subsided  in  thick  but  regular 
layers. 

In  this  country  are  several  cairns  or  b.irrows,  the  plar'^  s  of  intcrnient  of  the  ancient 
Caledonians,  or  of  the  Danes,  for  the  method  was  <  imon  to  both  nations.  At 
Craig- mills  near  Glassaugh  was  a  very  remarkable  one,  demolished  about  fourteen  years 
ago.  'I'he  diameter  was  sixty  feet,  the  height  sixteen :  formed  entirely  of  stones 
brought  from  the  shore,  as  appears  by  the  limpets,  muscles,  and  other  shells,  mixed 
with  them.  The  whole  was  covered  with  a  layer  of  earth  four  feet  thick,  and  that 
finished  with  a  very  nice  coat  of  green  sod,  inclosing  the  whole.  It  seems  to  have  been 
originally  formed  by  making  a  deep  trench  round  the  spot,  and  flinging  the  earth  in- 
wards :  then  other  materials  bmught  to  complete  the  work,  which  nmst  have  been 
that  of  an  whole  army.  Onbrtakitig  open  this  cairn,  on  the  summit  of  the  stony  heap 
beneath  the  integument  of  earth  was  found  a  stone  coffin,  formj.'d  of  long  flags,  and 
in  it  the  complete  skeleton  of  a  human  body,  lain  at  full  length,  with  every  bone  in  its 
proper  plj\ce  :  and  with  them  a  deer's  horn,  the  symbol  of  the  favourite  amusement  of 
the  deceased. 

About  five  years  ago  another  cairn  was  broke  open  at  Kil-hillock  or  the  hill  of  burial, 
and  in  it  was  found  another  coffin  about  six  feet  long,  with  a  skeleton,  an  urn,  and 
some  charcoal :  a  considerable  dtal  of  charcoal  was  also  met  with  intermixed  every 
where  among  the  stones  of  »he  cairn.  By  this  it  appears  that  the  mode  of  interment 
was  various  at  the  same  period  ;  for  one  of  these  bodies  must  have  been  placed  entire 
in  its  cemetry,  ihe  other  burnt,  and  the  ashes  collected  in  the  urn. 

A  third  cairn  on  the  farm  of  Brankanentim  near  Kil-hillock  ,  was  opened  very  lately  ; 
and  in  the  middle  was  found  a  coffin  only  two  feet  square,  made  of  flag- stones  set  on 
their  edge,  and  another  by  way  of  cover.  The  urn  was  seated  on  the  ground,  filled 
with  ashes,  and  was  surrounded  in  the  coffin  with  charcoal  and  bones,  probably  bones 
belonging  to  the  same  body,  which  had  not  b<een  reduced  to  ashes  like  the  contents  of 
the  urn. 

A  fourth  urn  was  discovered  in  a  cairn  on  the  hill  of  Down,  overlooking  the  river 
Devron,  and  town  of  Banff.  This  vus  also  placed  in  a  coffin  of  flat  stones,  with  the 
mouth  downwards,  standing  on  another  stcnc.  The  urn  was  ornamented,  but  round 
it  were  placed  three  others,  smaller  and  quite  plain.  The  contents  of  each  were  the 
same  ;  ashes,  burnt  bones,  flint  arrow  heads  with  almost  vitrified  surfaces,  and  a  piece 
of  flint  of  an  oval  shape  flatted,  two  inches  long,  and  an  inch  and  a  half  thick.  1  here 
was  also  in  the  larger  urn,  and  one  of  the  lesser,  a  small  slender  bone,  four  inches 


Pr.NNANT'S  TOrR  IN  g<:OTLANn 


61> 


ately ; 

set  on 

filled 

bones 

;cnts  of 

le 


a  piece 

There 

r  inches 


lon^,  and  somewhat  iiicitrvati-d  iind  pcrforattd  ut  the  thicker  end  :  it  is  appnrctitly  not 
hiiniun ;  hut  the  unimal  it  btloti|i;L>d  tu,  and  the  u^e,  urc  unknown. 

The  materials  of  the  uriii'*  appear  to  havi- t>ecii  found  in  the  lu  ighbourhood  ;  and  con- 
sist o'  a  coarse  cluy  mixed  with  i»mull  stones  and  nund,  and  cvidi  iitl\  have  hi  in  onl\  di  itd, 
bikI  not  burnt.  By  the  appeari.uice  of  the  inside  of  the  largrr  urn,  it  is  probiblo  that 
it  wa8  pJHced  over  the  bones  while  they  were  hot  and  full  of  oil ;  the  whole  inside  bcitjg 
hla(:k(  ncd  with  the  steam  ;  and  where  it  may  have  been  supposed  to  have  been  in 
contact  with  them,  the  stain  pervades  the  entire  thickness.  I'he  urn  was  thirteen 
inches  hi^^h. 

Besides  is  a  numerous  assemblapje  of  cairns  on  the  Cotton. hill,  a  mile  south  of  Bir. 
kenbo^,  probably  in  memf)ry  of  the  slain  in  the  victory  obtaincc  in  998.  by  Indulpluis, 
over  tile  Danes.  I'he  battle  chiefly  raged  on  a  nioor  near  Cullen,  where  iUvn-  are 
similar  barrows ;  but  as  it  extended  far,  by  reason  of  the*  retrtrat  of  the  vanquished, 
these  seem  to  be  flung  together  with  the  same  desigiu 

Not  far  from  these  are  two  circles  of  long  stones,  called  Gael  cross  :  perhaps  they 
might  have  been  erected  after  that  battle ;  and  as  gaul  is  the  erse  word  for  a  stranjjer 
or  enemy  ,t  as  the  Danes  were,  I  am  the  more  inclined  to  suppose  that  to  have  been 
the  fact. 

Nor  is  there  wanting  a  retreat  for  the  inhabitants  in  time  of  war  ;  for  round  the  top 
of  the  hill  of  Durn  is  a  triple  entrenchment  still  very  distinct ;  the  middle  of  stone, 
and  very  strong  in  the  most  accessible  place ;  and  such  fastnesses  were  far  from  bcinp 
unnecessary  in  a  tract  continually  exjKv   d  to  the  ravages  of  the  Danes. 

The  vault  of  the  family  of  the  Abercrombies  in  this  parish  must  not  be  passed  over 
in  silence :  it  is  lodged  in  the  wall  of  the  church,  and  is  only  the  repositorj  of  the 
sculls.  The  bodies  are  deposited  in  the  earth  beneath  ;  and  when  the  laird  dies,  the 
scull  of  his  predecessor  is  taken  up  and  flung  into  this  Golgotha,  which  ut  present  is  in 
possession  of  nineteen. 

Some  superstitions  still  lurk  even  in  this  cultivated  country.     The  farmers  carefully 

E reserve  their  cattle  against  witchcraft,  by  placing  boughs  of  the  mountain  ash  and 
oneysuckle  in  their  cow-houses  on  the  2d  of  May.  They  hope  to  preserve  the  milk 
of  their  cows,  and  their  wives  from  miscarriage,  by  tying  red  threads  about  them  :  they 
bleed  the  supposed  witch,  to  preserve  then\selves  from  her  charms  :  they  visit  the  well 
ofSpey  for  many  distempers,  and  the  well  of  Drachaldy  for  as  many,  oflfering  small 
pieces  of  money  and  bits  of  rags.  The  young  people  determine  the  figure  and  size  of 
their  husbands  by  drawing  cabbages  blindfold  on  All-Hallows  even  ;  and,  like  the 
English,  fling  nuts  into  the  fire  ;  and  in  February  draw  valentines,  and  from  them  coU 
lect  their  future  fortune  in  the  nuptial  state. 

Every  great  family  hlid  in  former  times  its  d«mnn,  or  genius,  with  its  peculiar  attri- 
butes. '1  nus  the  family  of  Rothemurchus  had  the  Bodach  an  dun,  or  ghost'  of  the 
hill.  Kinchardine's,  the  spectre  of  the  bloody  hand.  Gartinbeg-house  was  haunted 
by  Bodach  Gartin ;  and  TuUoch  Gorms  by  Maug  Moulach,  or  the  girl  with  the  hairy 
left  hand.  The  synod  gave  frequent  orders  that  inquiry  should  be  made  into  the  truth 
of  this  apparition  :  and  one  or  two  declared  that  they  had  seen  one  that  answered  the 
description,  t 

The  little  spectres  called  Tarans.J  or  the  souls  of  unbaptized  infants,  were  often 
•fieen  flitting  among.,th^  woods  and  secret  places,  bewailing  in  soft  voices  their  hard  fate. 


*  Buchanan,  lib.  vi.  c.  19. 

I  Shaw's  History  of  Moray,  306. 


t  Doctor  MachphersoHj  p.  340. 
i  Idem,  307. 


70 


I'LNMANT'S  TOUR  IN  SCOTLAND 


til 


•^i 


Could  nut  HUi)crHtitiun  luvc  likcwiiic  limited  their  suH'criiigs  ;  and,  like  the  wandering 
(i^hohts  of  the  uuburicd,  ut  length  given  them  an  Klyniuni  ? 

Centum  errant  annoo,  volttant  hxc  Ihtora  clrcum  i 
Torn  (lemuni  admiui  stttgnu  cxupiuta  rcvituni. 

Passed  through  a  fine  open  country,  full  of  gentle  risings,  and  rich  in  corn,  with  a 
tow  clumps  of  trees  sparingly  scattered  over  it.  '  Great  use  is  made  here  of  stone  marie, 
a  gritty  indurated  maric,  lound  in  vast  strata,  dipping  pretty  much  :  it  is  of  difl'ercnt 
colours,  blue,  pale  brown,  and  reddish ;  is  cut  out  of  the  (piarry,  and  laid  very  thick  oti 
the  ground  in  lumps,  but  will  not  wholly  dissolve  under  three  or  four  years.  In  the 
(luurry  is  a  great  deal  of  sparry  matteri  which  is  laid  apart,  and  burnt  fur  lime.  Ar« 
rive  at 

Castle  Gordon,  a  l^gc  old  house,  the  scat  of  the  duke  of  Gordon,  lying  in  a  low 
wet  country,  near  some  large  welUgrown  woods,  and  a  considerable  one  of  great  hollies. 
It  was  founded  by  George  second  carl  of  Hunily,  who  died  in  1501,  and  was  originally 
called  the  castle  of  the  bog  of  Gight.  It  inherited,  till  of  late,  very  little  of  its  p.ncicnt 
splendor  :  but  the  present  duke  has  niade  considerable  additions  in  a  very  elegant  style. 
Jay  accident  I  met  with  an  old  print  that  shews  it  in  all  the  magnificence  described  by  a 
singular  traveller  of  the  middle  of  the  last  century.  *'  Bogagieth,"  says  he,  "  the 
marquis  of  Huntly's  palace,  all  built  of  stone,  facing  the,  ocean,  whose  fair  front  (set 
prejudice  aside)  worthily  deserves  an  Englishman's  applause  for  her  lofty  and  majestic 
towers  and  turrets,  that  storm  the  air ;  and  seemingly  make  dents  in  the  very  clouds. 
At  first  sight,  I  must  confess,  it  struck  me  with  admiration  to  gaze  on  so  gaudy  and  re- 
gular a  frontispiece,  more  especially  to  consider  it  in  the  nook  of  a  nation."* 

The  principal  pictures  in  Castle  Gordon  are,  the  first  marouis  of  Huntly,  who,  on  his 
first  arrival  at  court,  forgetting  the  usual  obeisance,  was  asked  why  he  did  not  bow : 
he  begged  his  majesty's  pardon,  and  excused  his  want  of  respect,  by  saying  he  was 
just  come  from  a  place  where  every  body  bowed  to  him.  Second  marquis  of  Huntly, 
beheaded  by  the  Covenanters.  His  son,  the  gallant  lord  Gordon,  Montrose's  friend, 
killed  at  the  battle  of  Auldford.  Lord  Lewis  Gordon,  a  less  generous  warrior,  the 
plaguef  of  the  people  of  Murray  (then  the  seat  of  the  Covenanters)  whose  character, 
with  that  of  the  brave  Montrose,  is  well  contrasted  in  these  old  lines  : 

If  ye  with  Montrose  gae,  ye'i  (ret  sic  and  wae  cnoufi;h ; 
If  ye  with  lord  Levis  gae,  yc'l  get  rob  and  rave  enough. 

The  head  of  the  second  countess  of  Huntly,  daughter  of  James  I.  Sir  Peter  Fraser, 
a  full  length  in  armour.  A  fine  small  portrait  of  the  Abbe  de  Aubigne,  sitting  in  his 
study.  A  very  fine  head  of  St.  John  receiving  the  Revelation  ;  a  beautiful  expression 
of  attention  and  devotion. 

The  duke  of  Gordon  still  keeps  up  the  diversion  of  falconry,  and  had  several  fine 
hawks  of  the  peregrine  and  gentle  falcon  species,  which  breed  in  the  rocks  of  Glen« 
more.     I  saw  also  here  a  true  Highland  gray-hound,  which  is  now  become  very  scarce  : 

*  Northern  Memoirs,  &c.  by  Richard  Franks,  Philanthropus.  London,  1694.  1 2mo.  This  gentle- 
man  made  his  journey  in  !  658,  and  went  through  Scotland  as  far  as  the  water  of  Brora  in  Sutherland,  to 
enjoy,  as  he  travelled,  the  amusement  of  angling. 

t  Whence  this  proverb,  .  . 

The  guil,  the  Gordon,  and  the  hooded  craw,  •■      .  .       ' 

Were  the  three  worst  things  Murray  ever  saw. 

Guil  is  a  weed  that  infests  corn.  It  was  from  the  castle  of  Rothes,  on  the  Spey,  that  lord  Lewi:*  made 
lus  plundering  excursions  into  Murray. 


!•«&• 


PEVNANT-fl  TOUn  IX  icari.AND.  ^j 

it  was  of  a  very  large  sixc,  strong,  deep  chested,  and  covered  with  very  long  and  rou^h 
hair.  This  kind  was  in  great  vogue  in  f(^rmer  days,  and  used  in  vast  numbers  at  the 
mugnincent  stug^chases,  by  the  powerful  chicftans. 

I  aUo  saw  here  u  dog,  the  uflnpring  of  u  wolf  and  Pomeranian  l)itch.  It  hail  nuuh 
the  appearance  of  the  first,  was  very  guod-nitturcd  and  tiportive  ;  but  Ixing  shpiK-d  at  a 
weak  deer,  it  instantly  brougiu  the  animal  down,  and  tore  out  its  throat.  I'his  dog  wa « 
bred  by  Mr.  Urook,  animXmerchant  in  I^ondon,  who  told  me  that  the  congress  be* 
tween  the  wolf  and  the  bitch  was  immediate,  and  the  produce  at  the  litter  was  ten. 

The  Spey  is  a  dangerous  lu^ighbour  to  Castle  Gordon  ;  a  large  and  furious  river, 
overflowing  very  frecuiently  in  a  dreadful  manner,  as  appears  by  its  ravages  far  beyond 
its  banks.  The  bcu  of  the  river  is  wide  and  'ull  of  gravel,  and  the  channel  very  shifl* 
ing. 

The  duke  of  Cumberland  passed  this  water  at  Belly  church,  near  this  place,  when 
the  channel  was  so  deep  as  to  take  an  officer,  from  whom  I  had  the  relation,  and  who 
was  six  feet  tour  inches  high,  up  to  the  breast.  The  banks  arc  very  high  and  steen ; 
so  that,  had  not  the  rebels  been  providentially  so  infatuated  as  to  neglect  opposition,  the 
par^^agc  must  have  been  attended  with  considerable  loss. 

The  salmon  fishery  on  this  river  is  very  great :  about  seventeen  hundred  barrels  full 
arc  caught  in  the  season,  and  the  shore  is  rented  for  about  12001.  per  annum. 

August  14th,  passed  through  Fochabers,  a  wretched  town,  close  to  the  castle. 
Crossed  the  bpey  in  a  boat,  and  landed  in  the  county  of  Murray. 

The  peasants'  house:*,  which,  throughout  the  shire  of  Banff,  were  very  decent,  were 
now  become  very  miserable,  being  entirely  made  of  turf :  the  country  partly  moor, 
pardy  cultivated,  but  in  a  very  slovenly  manner. 

Between  Fochabers  and  Elgin  on  the  right  lies  Innes,  once  the  seat  of  the  very  an- 
cient family  of  that  name,  whose  annals  are  marked  with  great  calamities.  I  shall  recite 
two  which  strongly  paini  the  manners  of  the  times,  and  one  of  them  also  the  manners 
of  that  abandoned  statesman  the  regent  earl  of  Morton.  I  shall  deliver  the  talcs  in  the 
simple  manner  they  are  told  by  the  historian  of  the  house. 

'•This  man  Alexander  Iniv.'s  20th  heir  of  the  house  (though  very  gallant)  had 
somet!ting  of  particularyty  in  his  temper,'  was  proud  and  positive  in  his  deportment, 
and  had  his  lawsuits  with  sevvrall  of  his  friends,  amongst  the  rest  with  Innes  of  Peth- 
nock,  which  had  brought  them  both  lo  Edinburgh  in  the  yeir  1576,  as  I  take  it,  q" 
the  laird  haveing  met  his  kin->man  at  the  cross,  fell  in  words  with  him  for  dareing  to  give 
him  a  citation ;  in  choller  either  stabed  the  g. ntkman  with  a  degger  or  pistoled  him 
(for  it  was  variously  reported.)  When  he  had  done,  his  stomach  would  not  let  him 
ny,  but  he  walked  up  and  doun  on  the  spott  as  if  he  had  done  nothing  that  could  be 
quareled,  his  friends  lyfe  being  a  thing  i\ux  he  could  dispose  of  without  being  bound  to 
count  for  it  to  any  oyn.  and  y"  stayed  tiil  the  carle  of  Mortune  who  was  regent  bent 
a  guard  and  carried  him  away  to  the  castell,  but  q"  he  found  truely  the  danger  of  hiti 
circumstance  and  y'  his  proud  rash  action  behooved  to  cost  him  his  lyfe,  he  was  then 
free  to  redeem  that  at  any  rate  and  made  ane  agreement  for  a  remissionc  with  the  re< 
gent  at  the  pryce  of  the  barrony  of  Kilmalemnock,  which  this  day  extends  to  24  thou- 
sand marks  rent  yeirly.  The  evening  after  the  agreement  was  made  and  wriit,  being 
merry  with  his  friends  at  a  collatione  and  talking  anent  the  deirriess  of  the  ransome  the 
regent  had  made  him  pay  for  his  lyfe,  he  waunted  that  hade  his  foot  once  looss  he 
would  faine  see  q*  the  earle  of  Mortune  durst  come  and  possess  his  lands :  q"'*  being 
told  to  the  rtgcni  that  night,  he  resolved  to  play  suir  game  with  him,  and  inertfore 
though  q'  he  spoke  was  in  drink,  the  very  next  day  he  put  the  sentence  of  death  in  exc- 


i 


tyii^  made 


7S 


PENNANT  S  TOUR  IN  SCOTLAND. 


cutionc  ng*  him  by  causing  his  head  to  be  struck  of  in  the  castle  and  q"  possest  his 
C^tale." 

The  other  relation,  still  more  extraordinary,  is  given  in  the  appendix. 

pine  ac  Elgin>*  a  good  town,  with  many  of  the  houses  buil^  over  piiizzas :  except- 
ing its  great  cuttle  fairs,  has  little  trade  ;  but  is  remarkable  for  its  tcctesiastical  ai)ti> 
qtmit's.  The  cathedral  had  been  a  magnificent  pile,  but  is  now  in  ruins  :  it  was  de- 
stroyed by  reason  of  the  sale  of  the  leadtliat  covered  the  roof,  which  was  done  in  1567, 
by  order  of  council,  to  support  the  soldiery  of  the  regent  Murray.  Johnston,  in  his 
Encomia  Ui  bium,  celebrates  the  beauty  of  Elgin,  and  laments  the  fate  of  this  noble 
building. 

•I  r« 

Arcibus  heroum  nitidis  urbs  cingitur,  intus 

Plebci  rariiant,  nobilinmque  i^ares: 
Omnia  dclcctunt,  vcteris  sed  ludera  templi 

Dum  spectaSj  lachrynais,  Scotia,  tinge  genas. 

The  west  door  's  very  elegant,  and  richly  ornamented.  The  choir  very  beautiful,  and 
has  a  fine  and  light  gallery  running  round  it;  and  at  the  east  end  are  two  rows  of  nar- 
row windows  in  an  cxcelleni  Gothic  taste.  The  chapter  house  is  an  octagon,  the  roof 
supported  by  a  fine  single  column,  with  neat  carvings  of  coats  of  arms  round  the  capi- 
tal. There  is  still  a  great  tower  on  each  side  of  this  cathedral ;  but  that  in  the  centre, 
with  the  spire  and  whole  roof,  are  fallen  in,  and  form  most  awful  fragments,  mixed  with 
the  battered  monuments  of  knights  and  prelates.  Boethius  says  thai  Duncan,  who  was 
killed  by  Macbeth  at  Inverness,  lies  buried  here.  Numbers  of  modern  tomb-stones  also 
crowd  the  place  ;  a  proof  hr  v  difficult  it  is  to  eradicate  the  opinion  of  local  sanctity,  even 
in  a  religion  that  affects  to  despise  it. 

The  cathedral  was  founded  by  Andrew  de  Morayf  in  1224,  on  a  piece  of  land 
gianted  by  Alexander  II,  and  his  remains  were  deposited  in  the  choir,  under  a 
tomb  of  blue  maible  ill  1244.  The  great  tower  was  built  principally  by  John  Innes, 
bishop  of  this  see,  as  appears  by  the  ins(;ription  cut  on  one  of  the  great  pillars  :  Hie 
jacet  in  Xto  Pater  et  Dominu^,  Dominus  Johannes  de  Innes  hujus  ecclesiae  episcopus, 
qui  hoc  notabile  opus  incepit  et  per  septennium  edificavit.f 

This  town  had  two  convents ;  one  of  Dominicans,  founded  in  1233  or  1244,  by 
Alexander  II,  another  of  Ol>s';'rvantines,  hi  1479,  by  John  Innes. 

About  a  mile  from  hence  is  'he  castle  of  Spinie;  a  large  square  tower,  and  a  vast 
quantity  of  other  ruined  Luildii/|;s,  still  remain,  which  shews  its  ancient  magnificence 
whilst  the  residence  of  the  bishops  of  Murray  :  the  lake  of  Spinie  almost  washes  the 
walls  ;  is  about  five  miles  long,  and  a  half  mile  broad,  situated  in  a  flat  country.  Dur- 
ing  winter,  great  numbers  of  wild  swans  migrate  hither  ;  and  I  have  been  told  that  some 
have  bred  here.  Boethius^  says  they  resort  here  for  the  sake  of  a  certain  herb  called 
after  their  name. 

Not  far  from  Elgin  is  a  ruined  chapel  and  preceptory,  called  Maison  Dieu.  Near  it 
}s  a  large  gravelly  cliff,  from  whence  is  a  >oeautiful  view  of  the  town,  cathedral,  a  round 
hill  with  the  remains  of  a  castle,  and  beneath  is  the  gentle  stream  of  the  Lassie,  the  Loxia 
of  Ptolemy. 

*  Celtic^  Belle  vilie.  In  the  Appendix  is  a  full  and  accurate  account  not  only  of  Elgin,  but  of  several 
par:s  of  the  county  of  Murray,  by  the  venerable  Mr.  Sha'.?,  Minister  of  Elgin,  aged  ninety,  and  eminent 


for  his  knowledge  of  the  antiquities  of  his  country. 
t  Keith  s  Bishops  of  Scotland.  81. 
§  Scotorum  Ilegni  Descr.  ix. 


i  MS.  Hist,  of  the  Innes  family. 


rESNANTl?  TOUU  IN  SCOTLAND. 


7.J 


cept- 
anti- 
is  de- 
1567, 
in  his 
noble 


ill,  and 
of  nar- 
:he  roof 
le  capi* 
centre, 
.ed  with 
vho  was 
mes  also 
ity,  even 

of  land 
under  a 
Innes, 
,rs:  Hie 
>i5Copus, 

1244,  by 

id  a  vast 
nificence 
Uhes  the 
Dur- 
Lhat  some 
[rb  called 

Near  it 

a  round 

the  Loxia 


of  SCVCMd 

iJ  enunent 


Three  miles  south  is  the  Priory  of  Phiscairdin,  in  a  most  sequestered  place ;  a  bcauti 
ful  ruin,  thetirches  elegant,  the  pillars  well  turned,  and  the  capitals  rich.* 

Cross  the  Lossie,  ride  along  the  edge  of  a  vale,  which  has  a  strange  mixture  of  good 
corn,  and  black  tuiberier> :  on  the  road- side  is  a  mill-stone  quarry. 

Arrive  in  the  jv;h  plain  of  Murray,  fertile  in  corn.  The  upper  parts  of  the  country 
produce  great  numbers  of  cattle.  The  view  of  the  Firth  of  Murray,  with  a  full  pros- 
pect of  the  high  mountains  of  Rosshire  and  Sutherland,  and  the  magnificent  entrance  into 
the  bay  of  Cromartie  betwLeri  two  lofty  hills,  form  a  fine  piece  of  scenery. 

Turn  about  half  a  mile  out  of  the  road  to  the  north,  to  see  Kinloss,  an  abbey  of 
Cistercians,  founded  by  David  I,  in  1150,  Near  this  place  was  murdered  by  thieves 
Duffus,  king  of  Scotland :  on  the  discovery  of  his  concealed  body,  it  was  removed  to 
Jona,  and  interred  (  -re  with  the  respect  due  to  his  merit.  The  Prior's  chamber,  two 
semicircular  arches,  the  pillars,  the  couples  of  several  of  the  roofs,  afford  specimens  of 
the  most  beautiful  Gothic  architecture,  in  all  the  elegance  of  simplicity,  without  any  of 
its  fantastic  ornaments.  Near  the  abbey  is  an  orchard  of  apple  and  pear  trees,  at  least 
coeval  with  the  last  Monks ;  numbers  lie  prostrate  ;  their  venerable  branches  seem  to 
have  taken  fresh  roots,  and  were  loaden  with  fruit,  beyond  what  could  be  expected  from 
their  antique  lock. 

Near  Forres,  on  the  road-side,  i'="  a  vast  column,  three  feet  ten  inches  broad,  and  one  foot 
three  inches  thick :  the  height  r  jove  ground  is  twenty >three  feet ;  below,  as  it  is 
said,  twelve  or  fifteen.  On  one  side  are  numbers  of  rude  figures  of  animals,  and  armed 
men,  with  colours  flying :  some  of  the  men  seemed  bound  like  captives.  On  the  oppo- 
site side  was  a  cross,  included  in  a  circle,  and  raised  a  little  above  the  surface  of  the 
stone.  At  the  foot  of  the  cross  are  two  gigantic  figures,  and  on  one  of  the  sides 
is  some  elegant  fret- work. 

This  is  called  king  Sueno's  stone :  and  seems  to  be,  as  Mr.  Gordonf  conjectures, 
erected  by  the  Scots,  in  memory  of  the  final  retreat  of  the  Danes ;  it  is  evidently  not 
Danish,  as  some  have  asserted ;  tne  cross  disproves  the  opinion,  for  that  nation  had  not 
then  received  tlip  light  of  Christianity, 

On  a  moor  not  for  from  Forres,  Boethius,  and  Shakespear  from  him,  places  the  ren- 
countre  of  Macbeth  and  the  three  wayward  sisters  or  witches.  It  was  my  fortune  to 
meet  with  but  one,  which  was  somewhere  not  remote  from  the  ruins  of  Kyn-Eden  : 
she  was  of  a  species  far  more  dangerous  than  these,  but  neither  withered,  nor  wild  in  her 
attire,  but  so  fair. 

She  look'd  not  like  an  inhabitant  o'  th'  earth  ! 

Boethius  tells  hb  story  admirably  well ;  but  entirely  confines  it  to  the  predictions  of  the 
three  fatal  sisters,  which  Shakespear  has  so  finely  copied  in  the  fourth  scene  of  the  first  act. 
The  poet,  in  conformity  to  the  belief  of  the  times,  calls  them  witches ;  in  fact  they  were 
the  Fates,  the  Valkyrias|  of  the  northern  nations,  Gunna,  Rota,  and  Skulda,  the  hand- 
maids of  Odin,  the  arctic  Mars,  and  styled  the  chusers  of  the  slain,  it  being  their  office  in 
battle  to  mark  those  devoted  to  death. 

*  As  T  was  informed,  for  I  did  not  see  this  celebrated  abbey.  t  Itin.  Septentr.  158. 

\  From  Walur,  signifying  the  slaughter  in  battle,  and  Kyria,  to  obtain  by  choice  :  for  their  office,  be  - 
sides  selecting  out  those  that  were  to  die  in  battle,  was  to  conduct  them  to  Valhalla,  the  paradise  of 
the  brave,  the  hall  of  Odin.  Their  numbers  are  different,  some  make  them  three,  others  twelve,  others 
fourteen;  are  described  as  being  very  beautiful ,  covered  with  the  feathers  of  the  swans,  and  armed  '>vith 
spear  and  helmet.  Vide  Bartholinus  de  caus.  contempt,  mortis.  553,  554,  &  notae  vet.  Stephanii  in  Sax, 
Graram.  88. 8c  Torfaeus.  p.  36. 

VOL.    III.  L 


4^1 


74  PENNANT'S  TOUR  IN  SCOTLAND. 

We  the  reins  to  slaughter  Kive, 
Ours  to  kill,  and  ours  to  spai'e  : 
Spite  of  danger  he  shall  live, 
(Weave  the  crimson  web  of  war.)* 

Boethius,  sensible  of  part  of  their  business,  calls  them  Parcae  :  and  Shakespear  introdu- 
ces them  just  going  upon  their  er  .ploy, 

W  hen  shall  we  three  meet  again 
In  thunder,  lightning,  or  in  rain  i 
When  the  hurly  burly's  done, 
When  the  battle's  lost  or  won. 

But  all  the  fine  incantations  that  succeed  are  borrowed  from  the  fanciful  Diableries  of 
old  times,  but  sublimed,  and  purged  froni  all  that  b  ridiculous  by  the  creative  genius  of 
the  inimitable  poet,  of  whom  Dryden  so  justly  speaks  : 

But  Shakespear's  mat>;ic  couM  not  copied  be^ 
Within  that  circle  none  durst  walk  but  he. 

We  laugh  at  the  magic  of  others  ;  but  Shakespear's  makes  us  tremble.  The  windy 
capsf  of  king  Eric,  and  the  vendible  knots  of  wind  of  the  Finland^  magicians,  appear  in- 
finitely ridiculous ;  but  when  our  poet  dresses  up  the  same  idea,  how  horrible  is  the  storm 
he  creates ! 

Though  you  untie  the  winds,  and  let  them  fight 

Against  the  churches  ;  though  the  yesty  waves 

Confound  and  swallow  navigation  up  ; 

Though  bladed  corn  be  lodged  and  trees  blown  down ; 

Though  c.istles  topple  on  their  warders'  heads  ; 

Though  palaces  and  pyramids  do  slope 

Their  heads  to  their  foundations ;  though  the  treasure 

Of  nature's  germins  tumble  all  together. 

Even  till  destruction  sicken,  answer  me 

To  what  I  ask. 

Lay  at  Forres,  a  very  neat  town,  seated  under  some  little  hills,  which  are  prettily  di- 
vided. In  the  great  street  is  a  town-house  with  a  handsuine  cupola,  and  at  the  end  is  an 
arched  gateway,  which  has  a  good  effect.  On  a  hill  west  of  the  town  are  the  poor 
remains  of  the  castle,  from  whence  is  a  fine  view  of  a  rich  country,  interspersed  with 
groves,  the  bay  of  Findorn,  a  fine  bason,  almost  round,  with  a  narrow  strait  into  it  from 
the  sea,  and  a  melancholy  prospect  of  the  estate  of  Cowbin,  in  the  parish  of  Dyke,  now 
nearly  overwhelmed  with  sand.  This  strange  inundation  is  still  in  motion,  but  mostly 
in  the  time  of  a  west  wind.  It  moves  along  the  surface  with  an  even  progression,  but 
is  stopped  by  water,  after  which  it  forms  little  hills :  its  motion  is  so  quick,  that  a  gentle- 
man  assured  me  he  had  seen  an  apple-tre^  so  covered  with  it  in  one  season,  c^  to  leave 
only  a  few  of  the  green  leaves  of  the  upper  branches  appearing  above  the  sutfa<:".  An 
estate  of  about  3001.  per  annum  has  been  thus  overwhelmed ;  and  it  is  not  long  since 
the  chimnies  of  the  principal  houses  were  to  be  seen  :  it  began  about  eighty  years  ago, 
occasioned  by  the  cutting  down  the  trees,  and  pulling  up  the  bent,  or  starwort,  which 

*  Gray. 

t  King  Eric  was  a  great  magician,  who,  by  turning  his  cap,  caused  the  wind  to  blow  according 
to  his  mind. 

i  Soltibant  aliquando  Finni,  negotiatoribus  is  eorum  littoribus  rontraria  ventorum  tempestatc  impedi- 
tis,  ventum  venalem  exhibere,  mercedeque  oblata,  tres  nodos  ma^icos  non  cassioticos  loro  constricto» 
eisdem  reddere,  eo  servato  modcramine  et  ubi  primum  dissolverlnt,  ventos  haburent  placidos  ;  ubi  alte- 
ram, vehementtores  ;  at  ubi  tertium  laxaverint  ita  s%vas  tempestates  se  passurosi  S(c.  Oiaus  Magnus 
de  Gent,  Sept.  27. 


,•— I  ...ajTiJ 


s  of 
US  of 


vindy 
ar  in- 
storm 


:d 


y  di- 
rtd  ib  an 
poor 
with 
it  from 
le,  now 
mostly 
ion,  but 
gentle- 
o leave 
An 
since 
ars  ago, 
t,  which 


g 


according 

itc  impedi- 
constrictos 
ubi  alte- 
MagnUS 


I 


PKNNANT'S  TOUR  IN  SCOTLAND. 


75 


gave  occasion  at  last  to  the  act  15th  G.  II,  to  prevent  its  farther  ravages,  by  prohibiting 
3ie  destruction  of  tliat  plant. 

A  little  N.  E.  of  the  bay  of  Findorn  is  a  piece  of  land  projecting  into  the  sea,  called 
Brugh  or  Burgh.  It  appears  to  have  been  the  landing-place  of  the  Dines  in  their  de- 
structive descents  on  the  rich  plains  of  Murray  :  it  is  fortified  with  fosses  ;  and  was  well 
adapted  to  secure  either  their  landing  or  their  retreat. 

Aug.  15.  Cross  the  Findorn :  land  near  a  friable  rock  of  whitish  stone,  much  tinged 
with  green,  an  indication  of  copper.  The  stone  is  burnt  for  lime.  From  an  adjacent  emi- 
nence is  a  picturesque  view  of  Forres.  About  three  miles  farther  is  Tarnavvay  castle,  the 
ancient  seat  of  the  earls  of  Murray.  The  hall,  called  Randolph's-hall,  from  its  founder 
earl  Randolph,  one  of  the  great  supporters  of  Robert  Bruce,  is  timbered  at  top  like 
Westminster- hall :  its  dimensions  are  79  feet  by  35  10  inches,  and  seems  a  fit  resort 
for  barons  and  their  vassals.  In  the  rooms  are  some  good  heads :  one  of  a  youth,  with 
a  ribband  of  some  order  hanging  from  his  neck.  Sir  William  Balfour,  with  a  black 
body  to  his  vest,  and  brown  sleeves,  a  gallant  commander  on  the  parliament's  side  in 
the  civil  wars,  celebrated  for  his  retreat  with  the  body  of  horse  from  Lestwithiel  in  face 
of  the  king's  army  ;  but  justly  branded  with  ingratitude  to  hii.  master,  who,  by  his  favour 
to  sir  William  ni  the  beginning  of  his  reign,  added  to  the  popular  discontents  then 
arising.  The  fair,  or  bonny  earl  of  Murray,  as  he  is  commonly  called,  who  was 
murdered,  as  supposed,  on  account  of  a  jealously  James  VI,  entertained  of  a  passion  the 
queen  had  for  him ;  at  least,  such  was  the  popular  opinion,  as  appears  from  the  old  ballad 
on  the  occasion : 

He  was  a  braw  gallant. 

And  he  played  at  the  gluve  ;* 
And  the  bonny  earl  of  Murray, 

Oh  !  he  was  the  queen's  love. 

There  are  besides,  the  heads  of  his  lady  and  daughter,  all  on  wood,  except  that  of  the 
earl.  To  the  south  side  of  the  castle  are  large  birch  woods,  abounding  with  stags  and 
roes. 

Continued  my  journey  west  of  Auldearne :  am  now  arrived  again  in  the  country 
where  the  Erse  service  is  performed.  Just  beneath  the  church  is  the  place  where  Mon- 
trose obtained  a  signal  victory  over  the  Covenanters,  many  of  whose  bodies  lie  in  the 
church,  with  an  inscription,  importing,  according  to  the  cant  of  the  time,  that  they 
died  fighting  for  their  religion  and  their  king.  I  was  told  this  anecdote  of  that  hero ; 
that  he  always  carried  with  him  a  Caesar's  Commentaries,  on  whose  margins  were 
written,  in  Montrose's  own  hand,  the  generous  sentiments  of  his  heart,  verses  out  of 
the  Italian  poets,  expressing  his  contempt  for  every  thing  but  glory. 

Having  a  distant  view  of  Nairn,  a  small  town  near  the  sea,  on  a  river  of  the  same 
name,  the  supposed  tuaesis  of  Ptolemy.  Ride  through  a  rich  com  country,  mixed  with 
deep  and  black  Turberies,  which  shew  the  original  state  of  the  land,  before  the  recent 
introduction  of  the  improved  method  of  agriculture.  Reach  Calder  castle,  or  Cawdor, 
as  Shakespear  calls  it,  long  the  property  of  its  thanes.    The  ancient  p-irt  is  a  great 

*  For  glaive,  an  old  word  for  a  sword. 

"  Then  furth  he  drew  his  trusty  glaive, 

QuhylK  thousands  kU  around, 
Drawn  frae  their  .sheaths  glanst  in  the  sun, 
And  loud  the  bougiils  sound."  Haho  yknute. 

i'.,;..  L  2 


md 


16 


JPBNNANT'S  TOUR  IN  SCOTLAND. 


square  tower ;  but  there  is  a  large  and  more  modern  building  annexed,  with  a  draw- 
bridge. 

The  thanedom  was  transferred  into  the  house  of  the  Campbells  by  the  theft  of  the 
heiress  of  Calder,  when  she  was  an  infant,  by  the  second  earl  of  Argylfe.  The  Calders 
raised  their  clan,  and  endeavoured  to  bring  back  the  child,  but  were  defeated  with  great 
loss.  The  earl  carried  off  his  prize,  and  married  her  to  sir  John  Campbell,  his  second 
son,  some  time  before  the  year  1510. 

All  the  houses  in  these  parts  are  castles,  or  at  least  defensible  :  for  till  the  year  1745 
the  Highlanders  made  their  inroads,  and  drove  away  the  cattle  of  their  defenceless 
neighbours.  There  are  said  to  exist  some  very  old  marriage  articles  of  the  daughter  of 
a  chieftan,  in  which  the  daughter  promises  for  her  portion  two  hundred  Scots  marks, 
and  the  half  of  a  Michaelmas  moon,  i.  e.  half  the  plunder,  when  the  nights  grew  dark 
enough  to  make  their  excursions.  There  is  likewise  in  being  a  letter  from  sir  Ewin 
Cameron  to  a  chief  in  the  neighbourhood  of  the  county  of  Murray,  wherein  he  regrets 
the  mischief  that  had  happened  between  their  people  (many  having  been  killed  on  both 
sides)  as  his  clan  had  no  intention  of  falling  on  the  Grants  when  it  left  Lochaber,  but 
only  to  make  an  incursion  into  Murray-land,  where  every  man  was  free  to  take  his  prey. 
This  strange  notion  seems  to  have  arisen  from  the  county  having  been  for  so  many  ages 
a  Pictish  country,  and  after  that  under  the  dominion  of  the  Danes,  and  during  both 
periods  in  a  state  of  perpetual  warfare  with  the  Scots  and  western  Highlanders,  who 
(long  after  the  change  of  circumstances)  seem  quite  to  have  forgot  that  it  was  any  crime 
to  rob  their  neighbours  of  Murray. 

Rode  into  the  woods  of  Calder,  in  which  were  very  fine  birch  trees  and  alders,  some 
oak,  great  broom,  and  juniper,  which  gave  shelter  to  the  roes.  Deep  rocky  glens, 
darkened  with  trees,  bound  each  side  of  the  wood  :  one  has  a  great  torrent  roaring  at 
its  distant  bottom,  called  the  brook  uf  Achneem:  it  well  merits  the  name  of  Acheron, 
being  a  most  fit  scene  for  witches  to  celebrate  their  nocturnal  rites  in. 

Observed  on  a  pillar  of  the  door  of  Calder  church  a  joug,  i.  e.  an  iron  yoke,  or  ring, 
fastened  to  a  chain,  which  was  in  former  times  put  round  the  necks  of  delinquents 
against  the  rules  of  the  church,  who  were  left  there  exposed  to  shame  during  the  time 
of  divine  service,  and  was  also  used  as  a  punishment  for  defamation,  small  thefts,  8cc. 
but  these  penalties  are  now  happily  abolished.  The  clergy  of  Scotland,  the  most  decent 
and  consistent  in  their  conduct  of  any  set  of  men  I  ever  met  with  of  their  order,  are  at 
present  much  changed  from  the  furious,  illiterate,  and  enthusiastic  teachers  of  the  old 
times,  and  have  taken  up  the  mild  method  of  persuasion,  instead  of  the  cruel  discipline 
of  corporal  punishments.  Science  almost  universally  flourishes  among  them  ;  and  their 
discourse  is  not  less  improving  than  the  table  they  entertain  the  stranger  at  is  decent 
and  hospitable.  Few,  very  few,  of  them  permit  the  bewitchery  of  dissipaiion  to  lay  hold 
of  them,  notwithstanding  they  allow  all  the  innocent  pleasures  of  othens,  which,  though 
not  criminal  in  the  layman,  thty  know  must  bring  the  taint  of  levity  on  the  churchman. 
They  never  sink  their  characters  by  midnight  bruwls,  by  mixing  with  the  gaming  world, 
cither  in  cards,  cocking,  or  horse-races,  but  preserve,  with  a  narrow  income,  a  dignity 
too  often  lost  among  their  brethren  south  of  the  Tweed.* 

•THE  APOLOGY. 
Friend...."  You,  you,  in  fiery  purgat'ry  must  stay, 
Till  gall  and  ink  and  dirt  of  scribling  day 
In  purifying  flames  are  purg'd  awny. 


» 


PENNANT'S  TOUR  IN  SCOTLAND.  yy 

The  Scotch  livings  are  from  401.  per  annum  lO  1501.  per  annum  ;  a  decent  house  is 
built  for  the  minister  on  the  glebe,  and  about  six  acres  of  land  annexed.  The  church 
allows  no  curate,  except  in  case  of  sickness  or  age,  when  one,  under  the  title  of  helper, 
is  appointed ;  or,  where  the  livings  are  very  extensive,  a  missionary  or  assistant  is  al- 
lotted ;  but  sine-cures,  or  sine-cured  preferments,  never  disgrace  the  church  of  our 
sister  kingdom.  The  widows  and  children  are  of  late  provided  for  out  of  a  fund  esta- 
Wished  by  two  acts,  17th  and  22d  Geo.  II.*  This  fund,  amounting  now  to  66,0001. 
was  formed  by  the  contributions  of  the  clergy,  whose  widows  receive  annuities  from  101. 
to  251.  according  to  what  their  husbands  had  advanced. 

Cross  the  Nairn ;  the  stream  inconsiderable,  except  in  floods.  On  the  west  is  KiU 
ravoch  Castle,  and  that  of  Dalcross.  Keep  due  north,  along  the  military  road  from 
Perth ;  passfilong  a  narrow  piece  of  land  projecting  far  into  the  Firth,  called  Ardersier, 
forming  a  strait  scarce  a  mile  over,  between  this  county  and  tliat  of  Cromartie.f  At 
the  end  of  this  point  is  Fort  George,  a  small  but  strong  and  regular  fortress,  built  since 
1745,  as  a  place  d'armes :  it  is  kept  in  excellent  order,  but,  by  reason  of  the  happy 
change  of  the  times,  seemed  almost  deserted  :  the  officers'  apartments  and  barracks  are 
very  liandsome,  and  form  several  regular  and  good  streets.     According  to  a  sketch  I 

Travbllbs.    ««  O  trvut  me,  dear  D— ,  I  ne'er  would  offend 
One  pious  tlivjnr,one  virtuou»  friend, 
From  nature  alone  are  my  characters  drawn, 
From  little  Bob  Jerom  to  bishops  in  lawn  ;" 
O  trust  uic,  dear  Friend,  I  never  did  think  on 
The  holies  who  dwell  ne»v  th*  o'erlooker  of  Lincoln. 
Not  a  prelate  or  priesi  did  e'er  haunt  mj^  slumber, 
Who  instructively  teach  betwixt  Tweeda  and  Humber  ; 
Nur  in  south,  east,  or  west,  do  i  stigmatise  any? 
Who  stick  to  their  texts,  and  those  are  the  many. 
But  when  crossing  and  jostling  come  queer  men  of  God, 
In  rusty  brown  coats  and  waistcoats  of  plaid  ; 
With  greasy  cropt  hair,  and  hats  cut  to  the  quick, 
Tight  white  leathern  breeches,  and  smart  little  s(ick ; 
Clear  of  all  that  is  sacred  from  bowsprit  to  poop,  sir ; 
Who  prophane  like  a  pagan,  and  swear  like  a  trooper ; 
Who  shine  in  the  cook-pit,  on  turf,  and  in  stable, 
And  are  the  prime  bucks  and  arcli  wags  of  each  table  ; 
Who,  if  they  e'er  deign  to  thump  drum  ecclesiastic, 
Spout  new-fangled  doctrine  enough  to  make  man  sick ', 
And  lay  down  as  gospel,  but  not  from  their  bibles, 
That  ^;ood-natur'(l  vices  are  nothing  but  foibles ; 
And  vice  are  refining  till  vice  is  no  more. 

From  taking  a  bottle  to  taking  a — 

Then  if  in  these  days  such  apostate^  appear^ 

(For  such  I  an:  told  appear  there  and  here) 

O  pardon,  dear  friend,  a  well-meaning;  zeal 

Too  unguardedly  telling  the  scandal  I  feel : 

It  touches  not  you,  let  the  galled  jades  winch, 

Sound  in  morals  and  doctrine,  you  never  will  flinch. 

O  friend  uf  past  youth,  let  me  think  of  the  fable 

Oft  told  with  chaste  mirth  at  your  innocent  table, 

When  instructively  kind,  wisdom's  rules  you  run  o'er, 

Reluctant  I  leave  you,  insatiate  for  more  ; 

So,  hlest  be  the  doy,  that  my  joys  will  restore." 

•  An  account  of  the  government  of  the  church  of  Scotland  was  communicated  to  roe  by  the  Reverend 
Mr.  Brodie,  the  late  worthy  minister  of  Calder.    Vide  Appendix, 
t  Between  which  piles  aferry-boat. 


} 


78 


I'ENNANT'S  TOUR  IN  SCOTLAND, 


obtiuiicd  to  refresh  my  memory,  it  appears  to  Ije  of  an  octagonal  form  ;  to  have  an  ample 
esplanade  ;  casemates  on  each  side  bomb.proof,  the  parade  in  the  centre,  and  a  chapel 
in  the  rear. 

Lay  at  Campbeltown,  a  place  consisting  of  numbers  of  very  mean  houses,  owing  its 
rise  and  support  to  the  neighbouring  fort« 

Aug.  16.  Passed  over  Culloden-moor,  the  place  that  North  Britain  owes  its  present 
prosperity  to,  by  the  victory  of  April  16,  1746.  On  the  side  of  the  moor  are,  the  great 
plantations  of  Culloden-house,  the  seat  of  the  late  Duncan  Forbes,  a  warm  and  active 
friend  to  the  House  of  Hanover,  who  spent  great  sums  in  its  service,  and  by  his  influ- 
ence, and  by  his  persuasions,  diverted  numbers  from  joining  in  rebellion ;  at  length 
he  met  with  a  cool  return,  for  his  attempt  to  sheath,  after  victory,  the  unsatiated  sword. 
But  let  a  veil  be  flung  over  a  few  excesses  consequential  of  a  day  productive  of  so  much 
benefit  to  the  united  kingdoms. 

The  young  Adventurer  lodged  here  the  evening  preceding  the  battle ;  distracted  with 
the  aversion  of  the  common  men  to  discipline,  and  the  dissetitions  among  his  officers, 
even  when  they  were  at  the  brink  of  destruction,  he  seemed  incapable  of  acting,  could 
be  scarcely  persuaded  to  mount  his  horse,  never  came  into  the  action,  as  might  have 
been  expected  from  a  prince  who  had  his  last  stake  to  play,  but  fled  ingloriously  to  the 
old  traitor  Lovat,*  who,  I  was  told,  did  execrate  him  to  the  person  who  informed  him 
that  he  was  approaching  as  a  fugitive  ;  foreseeing  his  own  ruin  as  the  conaequence.f 

The  duke  of  Cumberland,  when  he  found  that  the  barges  of  the  fleet  attended  near 
the  shore  for  the  safety  of  his  person,  in  case  of  a  defeat,  immediately  ordered  them 
away,  to  convince  his  men  of  the  resolution  he  had  taken  of  either  conquering  or  perish- 
ing  with  them. 

The  battle  was  fought  contrary  to  the  advice  of  some  of  the  most  sensible  men  in  the 
rebel  army,  who  advised  the  retiring  into  the  fastnesses  beyond  the  Ness,  the  breaking 
down  the  bridge  of  Inverness,  and  defending  themselves  amidst  the  mountains.  They 
politically  urged  that  England  was  engaged  in  bloody  wars  foreign  and  domestic ;  that 
It  could  at  that  time  ill  spare  its  troops ;  and  that  the  Government  might,  from  that 
consideration,  be  induced  to  grant  to  the  insurgents  their  lives  and  fortunes,  on  con- 
dition they  laid  down  their  arms.  They  were  sensible  that  their  cause  was  desperate, 
and  that  their  ally  was  faithless  ;  yet  knew  it  might  be  long  before  they  could  be  en- 
tirely subdued ;  therefore  drew  hopes  from  the  sad  necessity  of  our  afiairs  at  that  sea- 
son :  but  this  rational  plan  was  superseded  by  the  favourite  faction  of  the  army,  to  whose 
guidance  the  unfortunate  Adventurer  had  resigned  himself. 

After  descending  from  the  moor,  got  into  a  well  cultivated  country ;  and,  after  riding 
some  time  under  low  but  pleasant  hills,  not  far  from  the  sea,  reach 

Inverness,  finely  seated  on  a  plain,  between  the  Firth  of  Murray  and  the  river  Ness : 
the  first,  from  the  narrow  strait  of  Ardersier,  instantly  widens  into  a  fine  bay,  and 

*  His  lr>rdship  was  at  that  time  expecting  the  event  of  the  battle,  when  a  person  came  in  and  informed 
him,  that  he  saw  the  prince  riding  full  speed,  and  alone. 

t  Regard  to  impartiality  obliges  me  to  give  the  following  account,  very  recently  communicated  to  me, 
relating  to  the  station  of  the  chief  on  this  important  day ;  and  that  by  an  eye-witness : 

The  Scotch  army  was  drawn  up  in  a  single  line  ;  behind,  at  about  500  paces  distance,  was  a  corps  de 
reserve,  with  which  was  the  Adventurer,  a  place  of  seeming  security,  from  whence  he  issued  his  orders. 
His  usual  dress  was  that  of  the  Highlands,  but  this  day  he  appeared  in  a  brown  coat,  with  a  loose  >;reat 
coat  over  it,  and  an  ordinary  hat,  such  as  countrymen  wear,  on  his  head.  Remote  as  this  place  was  from 
the  spot  where  the  trifling  action  was,  a  servant  of  his  was  killed  by  an  accidental  shot.  It  is  well  known 
how  short  the  conflict  was :  and  the  moment  he  saw  his  right  wing  give  way,  he  fled  with  the  utmost 
precipitation,  and  without  a  single  attendant,  till  he  was  joined  by  &  few  other  fugitives. 


!    LiKjiW*--^  4 


•  riding 


;d  to  mci 


' 


PENNANT'S  TOUR  IN  SCOTLAND,  yy 

again  as  suddenly  contracts  opposite  Itwerness,  at  the  ferry  of  Kessock,  the  pass  into 
Koishire.  The  town  is  large  and  well  built,  very  populous,  and  contains  about 
eleven  thousand  inhabitants.  This  being  the  last  of  any  note  in  North  Britain,  is 
the  winter  residence  of  many  of  the  neighbouring  gentry  ;  and  the  present  emporium, 
as  it  was  the  ancient,  of  the  north  uf  Scotland.  Ships  of  live  or  six  hundred  tons  can 
ride  at  the  lowest  ebb  within  a  mile  of  the  town ;  and  at  high  tides,  vessels  of  two 
hundred  tons  can  come  up  to  the  quay.  The  present  imports  are  chiefly  groceries, 
haberdasheri''s,  hardware,  and  other  necessaries,  from  London  :  and  of  late  from  six  to 
eight  hundred  hogsheads  of  porter  are  annually  brought  in.  The  exports  are  chiefly 
salmon,  those  of  the  Ness  bein^  esteemed  of  more  exquisite  flavour  than  any  other.  Her- 
rings, of  an  inferior  kind,  taken  m  the  Firth  from  August  to  March.  The  manufactured 
exports  are  considerable  in  cordage  and  sacking.  Of  late  years,  the  linen  manufacture 
of  the  place  saves  it  above  three  thousand  pounds  a  year,  which  used  to  go  into  Holland 
for  that  article.  The  commerce  of  this  place  was  at  its  height  a  century  or  two  ago, 
when  it  engrossed  the  exports  of  corn,  salmon,  and  herrings,  and  had  besides  a  great 
trade  in  cured  codfish,  now  lost;  and  in  those  times  very  large  fortunes  were  made 
here. 

The  opulence  of  this  town  has  often  made  it  the  object  of  plunder  to  the  lords  of 
the  Isles  and  their  dependents.  It  suffered  in  particular  in  1222,  from  one  Gillispie ; 
in  1429,  from  Alexander  lord  of  the  Isles;  and  even  so  late  did  the  ancient  manners 
prevail,  that  a  head  of  a  western  clan,  in  the  latter  end  of  the  last  century,  threatened 
the  place  with  fire  and  sword,  if  they  did  not  pay  a  large  contribution,  and  present  him 
with  a  scarlet  suit  laced  ;  all  which  was  complied  with. 

On  the  north  stood  Oliver's  fort,  a  pentagon,  whoso  form  remains  to  be  traced  only 
by  the  ditches  and  banks.  He  formed  it  with  stones  purloined  from  the  neighbouring 
religious  houses.     At  present  there  is  a  very  considerable  rope-walk  near  it. 

On  an  eminence,  south  of  the  town,  is  old  Fort  St.  George,  which  was  taken  and 
blown  up  by  the  rebels  in  1746.  It  had  been  the  ancient  castle,  converted  by  general 
Wade  into  barracks.  According  to  Boethius,  Duncan  was  murdered  here  by  Mac- 
beth :  but  according  to  Fordun,  near  Elgin.*  This  castle  used  to  be  the  residence  of 
the  Court,  whenever  the  Scottish  princes  were  called  to  quell  the  insurrections  of  the 
turbulent  clans.  Old  people  still  remember  magnificent  apartments,  embellished  with 
stucco  busts  and  paintings.  The  view  from  hence  is  charming  of  the  Firth,  the  passage 
of  Kessock,  the  river  Ness,  the  strange  shaped  hill  of  Tomman  heurich,  and  various 
groupes  of  distant  mountains. 

The  Tomman  is  of  an  oblong  form,  broad  at  the  base,  and  sloping  on  all  sides  to- 
wards the  top ;  so  that  it  looks  like  a  ship  with  its  keel  upwards.  Its  sides,  and  part  of 
the  neighbouring  plains,  are  planted,  so  it  is  both  an  agreeable  walk  and  a  fine  object. 
It  is  perfectly  detached  from  any  other  hill ;  and  if  it  was  not  for  its  great  size,  might 
passf  for  a  work  of  art.  The  view  from  it  is  such,  that  no  traveller  will  think  his  labour 
lost,  after  gaining  the  summit. 

At  Inverness,  and  I  believe  at  other  towns  in  Scotland,  is  an  officer,  called  Dean  of 
the  Guild,  who,  assbted  by  a  council,  superintends  the  markets,  regulates  the:}^  price 

*  Annals  of  Scotland.  I. 

t  Us  length  at  top  about  300  yards ;  I  neglected  measuring  the  base  or  the  height,  which  are  both  con- 
siderable ;  the  breadth  of  the  top  only  20  yaras. 

I  Beef  (22  ounces  to  the  pound)  2d.  to  4d.  Mutton,  2d.  to  3d,  Veal,  3d.  to  5d.  Pork,  2d.  to  3d. 
Chickens,  3d.  to  4d,  a  couple.  Fowl,  4d.  to  ed.  a  piece.  Goose,  12d.  to  I4d.  Ducks,  Is.  a  couple. 
^ggS)  seven  a  penny.  Salmon,  of  which  there  are  several  great  fisheries,  Id.  and  Id.  halfpenny  per  pound. 


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VENNANT'S  TOUll  IN  SCOTLAND 


rj"  provisions  ;  and  if  any  house  falls  down,  and  the  owner  lets  it  lie  in  ruins  for  three 
years,  the  D{:i\n  can  absolutely  dispose  of  the  ground  to  the  best  bidder. 

In  this  town  was  a  house  of  Dominicans,  founded  in  1233  by  Alexander  II,  and  in 
Dalrymple's  collection  tht  re  is  mention  of  a  nunnery. 

In  the  Chureh.strcet  is  a  hospital,  with  a  capital  of  30001.  the  interest  of  which  isdis. 
tributed  MnonG;  the  indigent  inhcibitants  of  the  town.  In  this  house  is  u  library  of  1400 
volumes  'li  ancient  and  modern  books.     The  founder  was  Mr.  Robert  Baillic,  a 

minister  own ; '  but  the  principal  benefactor  was  Dr.  James  Fraiter,  secretary  to  the 

Chelsea  hor>pitul. 

Cross  the  Ness  on  a  bridge  of  seven  arches,  above  which  the  tide  flows  for  about  a 
mile.     A  small  toll  is  collected  here,  which  brings  to  the  town  about  001.  a  year. 

Proceed  north ;  have  a  fine  view  of  the  Firth,  which  now  widens  again  from  Kessock 
into  a  large  bay  some  miles  in  length.  The  hills  slope  down  to  the  water-side,  and  arc 
linely  cultivated  ;  but  the  distant  prospect  is  of  rugged  mountains  of  a  iitupendous  height, 
as  if  created  as  guards  to  the  rest  of  the  bland  from  the  fury  of  the  boisterous  north. 

Ride  close  to  the  water-edge  through  woods  of  aUdtr :  pass  near  several  houses  of  the 
Erasers,  and  reach 

Castle  Dunie,  the  site  of  the  house  of  their  chieftan  lord  Lovat.  The  barony  from 
which  he  took  his  title  came  into  the  family  by  the  marriage  of  sir  Simon  Eraser,  a  little 
before  the  year  1300,  with  the  heiress  of  lord  Bisset,  a  nobleman  of  great  possession  in 
these  parts. 

The  old  house,  which  was  very  mean,  was  burnt  down  in  1746;  but  a  neat  box, 
the  residence  of  the  hospitable  factor,  is  built  in  its  stead,  on  a  high  bank,  well  wooded, 
over  the  pretty  river  Bewley,  or  Beaulieu.  The  country,  for  a  certain  circuit,  is  fer- 
tile,  well  cultivated  and  smiling.  The  bulk  of  lord  Lovat's estate  was  in  these  parts; 
the  rest,  to  the  amount  of  5001.  per  annum,  in  Stratherick.  He  was  a  potent  chief- 
tanj  and  could  raise  about  1000  men :  but  I  found  his  neighboufs  spoke  as  unfavoura- 
bly of  him,  as  his  enemies  did  in  the  most  distant  parts  of  the  kingdom.  Legislature 
has  given  the  most  honourable  testimony  to  the  merit  of  the  son,  by  wstoring,  m  1774, 
the  forfeited  fortunes  of  the  father.  No  patent  for  nobJUHy  fSQiilir<tf^  greater  glory 
to  any  one,  than  the  preamble  of  the  act  has  done  to  0|!s  g^ntteman.  His  fa- 
ther's property  had  been  one  of  the  annexed  estates,  i.  e.  settled  inalienably  on  the 
Crown,  as  all  the  forfeited  fortunes  in  the  Highlands  are :  thd  ¥^p  value  of  which 
brought  in  at  that  time  about  60001.  per  annum,  an^  tihiOK  in  tlieJLiOwlands  about  the 
same  sutn ;  so  that  the  power  and  interest  of  a|iOQriiiVJp|i&tho^  terrified 

and  nearly  subverted  the  constitution  of  these  poiycrfiitfjWy^ 

The  profits  of  these  estates  are  lodged  in  the  haniisi  ^.  tfMsti^s,  ivvho^^^^  re- 

venue for  the  founding  of  schools  for  the  instruction  of  €il^bi^|renin  1^  wheels  are 

given  away  to  poor  families,  and  flax-seed  to  farqij^s.  i  vSi^ae  inofi^  in  aid  of 

the  roads,  and  towards  building  bridges  over  tte  loi^&ls ;  by  ^Jifrodhi  means  a  ready 
intercourse  is  made  to  parts  before  inaccessible  to  a|^W|6rs.*  A^  u)  1753  a  large 
sum  was  spent  on  an  Utopian  project  of  establi^ing  oolonks  {oiLtbe'l^fcited  estates)  of 
disbanded  soldiers  and  sailors:  comfortable  houses  were ^  bl^t;. for  thesic^,  land  and 
money  given,  and  some  lent ;  but  the  success  by  no  meaiid  answered  the  Jnteotions  of 
the  projectors; 

Aug.  17.  Ford  the  Bewley,  where  a  salmon  fishery,  belon^ng  to  the  Lovat  estate, 
rents  at  1201.  per  annum.    The  Erse  name  of  this  river  is  Faror,  and  the  vale  it  runs 

*  Tlie  Avctors)  or  agents,  of  these  estates  are  also  allowed  all  the  money  they  expend  in  planting. 


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ihruugl),  Glen-strath-farar.  It  is  probable  thai  this  was  its  ancient  name,  and  that  fhr 
Varar  itjjtuarium  of  Ptolemy  was  derived  from  it,  the  F  being  chan}j;ed  into  V.  The 
country  on  this  side  the  river  is  called  lA'irnamonach,*  or  the  monk's  land,  having  for- 
merly been  the  property  of  the  priory  of  Bewly  ;  and  the  opposite  side  bears  tlu-  name  ol 
Airds,  or  the  heights.  Pass  by  some  excellent  farms,  well  inclostd,  imjjrovcd,  and 
plantJ-d :  the  land  produces  wheat  and  other  corn.  Much  cattle  are  bred  in  these  parts, 
and  tlK-re  are  several  linen  manufactures. 

Ford  ihe  Conan  to  Castle  Braan,  the  seat  of  the  earl  of  Seaforth  ;  a  {;ood  house,  plea- 
santly  situated  on  the  side  of  a  hill ;  commands  a  view  of  a  large  plain,  and  to  the  west,  u 
wild  prospect  of  broken  and  lofty  mountains. 

There  is  here  a  fine  lull  length  of  Mary  Stuart,  with  this  inscription  :  Maria  D.  G. 
Scotiae  piisima  Regina.  Francise  Dotarta.  Anno  /Etatis  Regni  38.  1580.  Her  dress 
is  black,  with  a  rufF,  cap,  handkerchief,  and  a  white  veil  down  to  the  ground,  beads, 
and  prayer<book,  and  a  cross  hanping  from  her  neck ;  her  hair  dark  brown,  her  facc 
handsome,  and,  considering  the  diricrence  of  years,  so  much  resembling  her  portrait  by 
Zucchero,  in  Chiswick-house,  as  to  leave  little  doubt  as  to  the  originality  of  the  last. 

A  small  half-length  on  wood  of  Henry  Darnly,  inscribed  Henricus  Stuardus  Dominus 
Damly,  /Et.  IX.  M.  D.  L\  .  dressed  in  black,  with  a  s;vord.  It  is  the  figure  of  a  pretty 
boy. 

A  fine  portrait  of  Cardinal  Richlieu.  General  Monk,  in  a  buff  coat.  Head  of  sir 
George  Mackenzie.  The  earl  of  Seaforth,  called,  from  his  size,  Kenneth  More.  Fran- 
ces, countess  of  Seaforth,  daughter  of  William  marquis  of  Powis,  in  her  robes,  with  a 
lawny  moor  offering  her  a  coronet.  Roger  Palmer  earl  of  Castlemaine,  distinguished  by 
his  lady,  Barbara  duchess  of  Cleveland  ;  and  by  his  simple  embassy  to  a  discerning  pope 
from  that  bigotted  prince  James  II. 

Near  th*-  House  are  some  very  finr  oaks,  and  horse-chesnuts ;  in  the  garden,  Turkey 
apricots,  ora  s^  nectarines,  and  a  small  soft  peach,  ripe  ;  other  peaches,  nectarines,  and 
green  gages,  ..*r  from  ripe. 

Pass  through  Dingwall,  a  small  town,  he  capital  of  Rosshire,  situated  near  the  head 
of  the  Firth  of  Cromartie  the  Highlanders  call  it  Inner- Feorain,  Feoran  being  the 
name  of  the  river  that  runs  near  it  into  the  Firth.  An  ancient  cross,  and  an  obelisk 
over  the  bu^ying-place  of  the  earls  of  Cromartie's  family,  were  all  I  saw  remarkable  in 
it.  In  the  year  1400,  Dingwall  ha'*  its  castle,  subject  to  Donald,  lord  of  the  Isles,  and 
earl  of  Ross.  After  that  Regului*  w>i  s  weakened  by  the  battle  of  Harlaw,  his  territories 
vircre  invaded ;  4nd  this  castle  reduced  to  th«  jjower  of  the  crown  of  Scotland,  by  the 
duke  of  Albany. 

Ride  along  a  very  good  road  cut  on  the  side  of  a  hill,  with  the  country  very  well  culti- 
vated above  and  below,  with  several  small  woods  interspersed  near  the  water's  edge. 
T"  :re  is  a  fine  view  of  almost  the  whole  bay,  the  most  capacious  and  secure  of  any  in 
O;'  Britain;  its  whoU  navy  might  lay  there  with  ease,  and  s!  ips  of  200  tons  may  sail 
up  .  'x)ve  two  thirds  of  its  length,  which  extends  near  thirty  Eng  sh  miles  from  the  Sut- 
it-.r.-^,  of  Cromartie  to  a  small  distance  beyond  Dingwall:  the  tmrance  is  narrow;  the 
projecting  hills  defend  this  fine  bay  from  all  winds,  so  it  justly  merits  the  name  given  it  of 
Portus  sedutis. 

Foules,  the  seat  of  sir  Henry  Monro,  lies  about  a  mile  from  th<"  Firth,  near  vast 
plantations  on  the  flats,  as  well  as  on  the  hills.    Those  on  the  hills  arc  six  miles  in 

*  L^r,  or  Lether,  land  that  lies  on  the  side  of  a  river  or  branch  of  the  sea,  and  Mon«,. ,  ,  a  monk, 
t  SuUers,  or  Shooters,  two  hills  (hat  form  its  entrance,  projecting  considerably  into  the  waier. 
VOX..   III.  II 


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82 


PENNANT'S  TOUH  IN  SCOTLAND. 


11 


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length,  and  in  a  very  flourishing  stale.  On  the  back  of  these  arc  extensive  vallics  full 
of  oats,  bounded  by  muuntuinb,  which  here,  a<»  well  uh  in  the  Highlands  in  general,  run 
from  cast  to  west.  Sir  Henry  holds  a  forest  from  the  crown  by  u  very  whimsical  tenure, 
that  of  delivering  a  snow-bull  on  any  day  of  the  year  that  it  is  demanded  ;  and  he  seems 
to  be  in  no  danger  of  forfeiting  his  right  by  failure  of  the  quit-rent :  for  snow  lies  in  form 
of  a  glacicrc  in  the  chasmb  of  Bcnuewish,  a  neighbouring  ntountain,  throughout  the 
year. 

Aug.  18.  Continue  my  journey  along  the  low  country,  which  is  rich  and  well  culti- 
vatcd. 

Puss  near  Invergordon,^  a  handsome  house,  amidst  fine  plantations.  Near  it  is  the  nar- 
rowest part  of  the  Firth,  and  a  ferry  into  the  shire  of  Cromartie,  now  a  country  almost 
destitute  of  trees ;  yet,  in  the  time  of  James  V.  was  covered  with  timber,  and  overrun 
with  wolves,  t 

Near  the  summit  of  the  hill,  between  the  Firths  of  Cromartie  and  Dornoch,  is  Balli- 
nagouan,  die  scat  of  a  gentleman,  who  has  most  successfully  converted  his  sword  into  a 
ploughshare ;  who,  after  a  series  of  disinterested  services  to  his  country,  by  clearing  the 
sens  of  privateers,  the  most  unprofitable  of  captures,  has  anplied  himself  to  arts  not 
less  deserving  of  its  thanks.  He  is  the  best  farmer  and  tnc  greatest  planter  in  the 
country  :  his  wheat  otid  his  turnips  shew  the  one,  his  plantations  of  a  million  of  nines 
each  year  the  other.|  It  was  with  groat  satisfaction  that  I  observed  characters  ol  this 
kind  very  frequent  in  North  Britain  ;  for,  during  the  interval  of  peace,  every  officer  of 
any  patrimony  was  fond  of  retiring  to  it,  assumed  the  farmer  without  flinging  off  the 
gentleman,  enjoyed  rural  quiet ;  yet  ready  to  undergo  the  fatigues  of  war  the  moment 
his  country  claimed  his  services. 

About  two  miles  below  Ballinagouan  is  a  melancholy  instance  of  a  reverse  of  conduct: 
the  ruins  of  New  Tarbat,  once  the  magnificent  seat  of  an  unhappy  nobleman,  who 
plunged  into  a  most  unp^rateful  rebellion,  destructive  to  himself  and  family.  The  tenants, 
who  seem  to  inhabit  gratis,  are  forced  to  shelter  themselves  from  the  weather  in  the  very 
lowest  apartments,  while  swallows  make  their  nests  in  the  bold  stucco  of  some  of  the 
upper. 

While  I  was  in  this  county,  I  heard  a  singular  but  well-attested  relation  of  a  woman, 
disordered  in  her  health,  who  fasted  for  a  su)}ernatural  space  of  time  ;  but  the  length  of 
the  narrative  obliges  me  to  fling  it  into  the  Appendix. 

Ride  along  a  tedious  black  moor  to  Tain,  a  small  town  on  the  Firth  of  Dornoch, 
distinguished  for  nothing  but  its  large  square  tower,  decorated  with  five  small  spires. 
Here  was  also  a  collegiate  church,  founded  in  1481  by  Thomas  bishop  of  Ross.  Cap- 
tain  Richard  Franks,  an  honest  cavalier,  who  during  the  usurpation  made  an  angling  ix:- 
regrination  from  the  banks  of  the  Trent  to  John  a  Groat's  house,  culls  Tain,  "  as 
exemplary  as  any  place  for  justice,  that  never  uses  gibbet  or  halter  to  hang  a  man,  but 


*  At  Culraen,  three  miles  from  this  place,  is  Tound,  two  feet  beneath  the  surface,  a  stratum  of  white 
soapy  marie,  filled  wiili  shells,  and  is  much  used  as  a  manure. 

t  These  animals  have  been  lonj*  extinct  in  North  Britain,  notwithstanding  M.  de  Buffon  asserts  the 
contrary.  There  are  nianytwicient  laws  for  their  extirpation  .-  that  of  James  I,  parlem.  7.  is  the  most 
remarkable  :  "  The  schirifTs  and  barons  suld  hunt  the  wolf  four  or  thrie  times  in  the  zear,  betwixt  St. 
Mark's  day  and  Lamb/s,  quhich  is  the  time  of  their  quhelpes,  and  all  tenants  sail  rise  with  them,  under 
paine  of  ane  wadder." 

\  Pine,  or  Scotch  fir  seed,  as  it  is  called,  sells  from  four  to  six  shillings  per  pound.  Rents  are  payed 
here  in  kind  :  the  landlord  either  contracts  to  supply  the  forts  with  the  prmluce  of  the  land,  or  sells  it 
to  the  merchant,  who  comes  for  it.    The  price  uf  labour  is  6d.  per  day  to  the  men,  3d.  to  the  women. 


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I'ENWAN  r'a  TOUR  IX  SCOTLAND 


83 


sacks  all  their  malefactors,  so  swims  them  to  their  graves.*  This  method  of  punisii- 
ment  was  not  peculiar  lo  this,  for  in  old  times  women  convicted  of  capital  oflcnccs  were 
drowned  in  the  river  Gestling,  near  Sandwich.f  The  place  appeared  very  gay  at  this 
time ;  for  all  the  gaudy  finery  of  a  little  fair  was  displayed  in  the  shew  of  hardware, 
printed  linens,  and  ribbands.  Kept  along  the  shore  for  about  two  miles,  through  au 
open  corn  country  ;  and  crossing  the  great  ferry,  in  breadth  near  two  miles,  through  u 
rapid  tide,  and  in  a  bad  boat,  land  in  the  county  of  Sutherland,  Cuttu  of  the  Highlanders, 
and  in  less  than  an  hour  reach  its  capital. 

Dornoch,  a  small  town,  half  in  ruins,  once  the  residence  of  the  bishops  of  Caithness, 
and,  like  Durham,  the  seat  of  ecclesiastics  :  many  of  the  houses  still  are  called  afier  the 
titles  of  those  that  inhabited  them  :  the  bishop  lodged  in  the  castle  :  the  dean's  house  is 
at  present  the  inn.  The  cathedral  was  in  form  of  a  cross,  built  by  Gilbert  Moray,  who 
died  bishop  of  Caithness  in  1245  :  it  is  now  a  ruin,  except  part,  which  is  the  present 
church.l  On  the  doors  and  window-shutters  were  painted  (as  is  common  in  many 
parts  of  North  Britain)  white  tadpole-like  figures,  on  a  black  ground,  designed  to  cx- 
iiress  the  tears  of  the  country  for  the  loss  of  any  person  of  distinction.  These  were 
occasioned  by  the  affecting  end  of  that  amiable  pair,  the  young  earl  and  countess  ot 
Sutherland,  who  were  lovely  in  their  lives,  and  in  their  deaths  they  were  not  divided,  for 
their  happiness  was  interrupted  by  a  very  short  separation :  sane  ubi  idem  et  maximus  cC 
honestissimus  amor  est,  aliquando  prsestat  morte  jungi,  quam  vita  distrahi ,  ^ 

Ride  on  a  plain  not  far  from  the  sea :  pass  by  a  small  cross,  called  the  Thane's,  erected 
in  memory  of  the  battle  of  Embo  in  1259,  between  William  carl  of  Sutherland  and  the 
Danes,  who  were  overthrown,  and  their  general  slain,  at  this  place  ;  and  not  far  from 
thence  the  spot  where  an  unhappy  creature  had  been  burnt,  if  I  mistake  not,  in  June 
1727,  for  the  imaginary  crime  of  witchcraft.  || 

Cross  a  very  narrow  inlet  to  a  small  bay  at  Portheg,  or  the  little  ferry,  in  a  boat  as 
dangerous  as  the  last ;  for  horses  can  neither  get  in  or  out  without  great  risque,  from 
the  vast  height  of  the  sides  and  their  want  of  slips.  Keep  along  the  shore,  pass  by  the 
small  village  of  Golspie,  and  reach 

Dunrobin  castle,  the  ancient  seat  of  the  earls  of  Sutherland,  founded  about  the  year 
1100  by  Robert,  or  Robin,  second  earl  of  Sutherland,  situated  near  the  sea,  and,  as  the 
word  dun  imports,  on  a  round  hill.     The  few  paintings  here  are,  an  earl  of  Murray, 

*  Northern  Memoirs,  &c.  by  Richard  Franks,  Philanthropus.    London,  1694. 

t  Harris's  Kent,  271. 

i  Sir  Patrick  Murray  founded  here  in  1271  a  convent  of  Mathurines. 

§  Where  a  mutual  and  most  ardent  and  most  virtuous  affection  reigns,  it  is  sometimes  preferable  to  bo 
united  by  death,  than  torn  from  each  other  by  life. 

II  This  is  the  last  instance  of  these  frantic  executions  in  the  north  of  Scotland,  as  that  in  the  south  was  at 
Paisley  in  1697,  where,  among  others,  a  woman,  young  and  handsome,  suffered,  with  a  reply  to  her  in- 
quiring friends  worthy  a  Roman  matron :  being  asked  why  she  did  not  make  a  better  defence  on  her  trial, 
answered,  "My  persecutors  have  destroyed  my  honour,  and  my  life  is  not  now  'vcrth  the  pains  of  defend- 
ing." The  last  instance  of  national  credulity  on  this  head  was  the  story  of  the  ,.  itches  of  Therso,  who,  tor- 
menting for  a  long  time  an  honest  fellow  under  the  usual  form  of  cats,  at  last  provoked  him  so,  that  one 
night  he  put  them  to  flight  with  his  broad  sword,  and  cut  off  the  leg  of  one  less  nimble  than  the  rest ;  on 
his  taking  it  up,  to  his  aniazement  he  found  it  belonged  to  a  female  of  his  own  species,  and  next  morning 
discovered  the  owner,  an  old  hag,  with  only  the  companion  leg  to  this.  The  horrors  of  the  tale  were  con- 
siderably abated  in  the  place  I  heard  it,  by  an  unlucky  inquiry  made  by  one  in  company,  viz.  In  what 
part  would  the  old  woman  have  suffered,  had  the  man  cut  off  the  cat's  tail  ?  But  these  relations  of  almost 
obsolete  superstitions,  must  never  be  thought  a  reflection  on  this  country,  as  long  as  any  memory  remains 
of  the  tragical  end  of  the  poor  people  at  Tring,who,  within  a  few  miles  of  our  capital,  in  1751,  fell  a  sa- 
criflce  to  the  belief  of  the  common  people  in  witches;  or  of  that  ridiculous  imposture  in  the  capital  itself, 
in  1762,  of  the  Cock-lane  ghost,  which  found  credit  with  all  ranks  of  people. 


* 


1^  TENNANT'S  TOOR  IN  SCOTLANQ. 

an  old  man,  on  wood.  His  sou  and  tv/o  daughters,  by  Co.  G.  1628.  A  fine  ftill 
length  cf  Charles  I.  Angus  Williamson,  a  hero  of  the  clan  Chattan,  who  rescued  the 
Sutherlands  in  the  time  cf  distress.  A  very  singular  picture  of  the  duke  of  Alva  in 
council,  with  a  cardinal  by  his  side,  who  puts  a  pair  of  bellows  blown  by  the  devil  into 
his  ear :  the  duke  has  a  chain  in  one  hand  fixed  to  the  necks  of  the  kneeling  Flemmings, 
in  the  other  he  shews  them  a  paper  of  recantation  for  them  to  sign  ;  behind  whom  are 
the  refor.ned  clergy.  The  cardinal  is  the  noted  Anthony  Perrenot,  cardinal  de  Gran- 
ville, secretary  to  Margaret  of  Austria,  duchess  dowager  of  Savoy,  governess  of  the 
Netherlands,  and  who  was  held  to  be  the  author,  advancer,  and  nourisher*  of  the 
troubles  of  those  countries ;  and  who,  on  his  recall  into  Spain,  was  supposed  to  be  the 
^eat  promoter  of  the  cruelties  exercised  afterwards  by  the  duke  of  Alva,  die  successor  of 
his  mistress. 

The  demesne  is  kept  in  exceiilent  order;  and  I  saw  here  (lat.  58.)  a  very  fine  field  of 
wheat,  which  would  be  ripe  about  the  middle  of  next  month. 

This  was  the  most  northern  wheat  which  had  been  sown  this  year  in  North  Britain. 

Sutherland  is  a  country  abounding  in  cattle,  and  sends  out  annually  2500  head,  which 
sold  about  this  time  (lean)  from  21.  10s.  to  31.  per  head.  These  are  very  frequently 
without  horns,  and  both  they  and  the  horses  are  very  small.  Stags  abound  in  the  hills, 
there  being  reckoned  not  less  than  1600  on  the  Sutherland  estate,  which,  in  fact,  is  the 
greatest  part  of  the  county.  Besides  these,  are  roe&,  grous,  black  game,  and  ptarmigans 
in  plenty,  and  during  winter  multitudes  of  water-fowl  on  the  coast. 

Not  far  from  Dunrobin  is  a  very  entire  piece  of  antiquity,  of  the  kind  known  in 
Scotland  by  the  name  of  the  Pictish  castles,  and  called  here  Cairn  Lia%  or  a  gray  tower : 
that  I  saw  was  about  130  yards  in  circumference,  round,  and  raised  so  high  above  the 
ground  as  to  form  a  considerable  mount :  on  the  top  was  an  extensive  but  shallow  hoU 
low  :  within  were  three  low  concentric  galleries,  at  small  distances  from  each  other, 
covered  with  large  stones ;  and  the  side-walls  were  about  four  or  five  feet  thick,  rudely 
made.  There  are  generally  three  of  these  places  near  each  other,  so  that  each  may  be 
seen  from  any  one.  Buildings  r"*  this  kind  are  very  frequent  along  this  coast,  that  d[ 
Caithness,  and  of  Strathnavern.  Others  agreeing  in  external  form  are  common  in  the 
Hebrides,  but  differ  in  their  internal  construction.  In  the  islands  they  are  attributed  to 
the  Danes  :t  here  to  the  Picts.  Possibly  each  nation  might  have  the  same  mode  of 
building,  with  some  variation,  for  I  am  told  that  some  are  to  be  seen  in  places  where  the 
Dunes  never  penetrated  :  they  were  probably  the  defencible  habitations  of  the  times. 
I  must  withdraw  my  opinion  of  their  having  been  the  sufiugia  hiemi,  aut  receptacula  fru- 
^bus,  like  those  of  the  ancient  Germans.  Such  are  not  uncommon  in  Scotland,  but  of 
a  form  very  different  from  these. 

Kept  along  the  shore  northward.  About  a  mile  fi-om  the  castle  are  some  small  cliffs 
of  free-stone  ;  in  one  is  Strath- Leven  Cove,  an  artificial  cave,  with  seats,  and  several 
shallow  circular  hollows  cut  within-side,  once  the  retreat  of  a  devout  hermit.  At  some 
distance,  and  near  the  sea,  are  small  strata  of  coal,  three  feet  thick,  dipping  to  the  east, 
and  found  at  the  depth  of  about  14  to  24  yards.  Sometimes  it  takes  fire  on  the  bank, 
which  has  given  it  so  ill  a  name,  that  people  are  very  fearful  of  taking  it  aboard  their 
ships.  I  am  surprised  that  they  will  not  run  the  risk,  considering  the  miraculous  qu^.  • 
lity  it  possesses  of  driving  away  rats  wherever  it  is  used.    This  is  believed  by  the  good 

*  Grimstone's  Hist.  Netheriands,  344.  349. 

t  An  inquiry  is  at  this  time  making,  by  means  of  a  correspondence  in  Copenhagen,  whether  any  such 
edifices  exist  at  present  in  the  Danish  dominions,  and  what  TitmS  their  supposed  use.  The  resslt  will  be 
given  hereafter. 


PENNANT'S  TOUK  IN  SCOTLAND. 


85 


people  of  Sutherland,  who  assured  me  seriously  of  its  virtues ;  and  they  farther  attri- 
buted the  same  to  the  earth  and  very  heath  of  their  county.  They  add  too,  that  not  a 
rat  will  live  with  them,  notwithstanding  ihey  swarm  in  the  adjacent  shires  of  Ross  and 
Caithness.* 

In  Assynt,  a  part  of  this  county,  far  west  of  Dunrobin,  are  large  strata  of  a  beautiful 
white  marble,  equal,  as  I  was  told,  to  the  Parian.  I  afterwards  saw  some  of  the  same 
kind  found  at  Glen-avon,  in  Badenoch. 

Cross  the  water  of  Brora,  which  runs  along  a  deep  chasm,  over  which  is  a  handsome 
bridge  of  a  single  arch.  Near  is  a  cave,  where  the  salmon-Bshers  lie  during  the  season : 
the  roof  is  pierced  through  to  the  surface,  which  serves  for  a  natural  chimney.  They 
take  annually  about  ten  or  twelve  lasts  of  fish.  In  a  bank  not  far  from  the  bridge  are 
found  abundance  of  bclemnitae. 

The  country  is  very  sandy,  and  the  arable,  or  cultivated,  part  very  narrow,  confined 
on  the  east  by  the  sea,  on  the  west  by  lofty  black  mountains,  which  approach  nearer 
and  nearer  to  the  water,  till  at  length  they  project  into  it  at  the  great  promontory,  the 
Ord  of  Caithness,  the  boundary  between  that  county  and  Sutherland ;  after  which  the 
coast  is  bold  and  rocky,  except  a  small  bay  or  two. 

Ford  the  very  dangerous  water  of  Helmsdale,  rapid  and  full  of  great  stones.  Very  large 
lampries  are  found  here,  fish  detested  by  the  Highlanders.  Beneath  the  stones  on  the 
sea-shore  are  abundance  of  spotted  and  viviparous  blennies,  father-lashers,  and  whistle- 
fish.  Mackarel  appear  here  m  this  month,  but  without  their  roes.  I  thought  them  flir 
inferior  in  goodness  to  those  of  our  country.     Much  salmon  taken  here. 

The  gray  water  wagtail  quits  this  country  in  winter ;  with  us  it  resides. 

Dined  at  the  little  village  of  Helmsdale ;  near  which  are  the  ruins  of  a  square  tower 
built  by  Margaret  countess  of  Sutherland,  in  the  fifteenth  century. 

Passed  through  a  rich  vale  full  of  good  barley  and  oats,  between  the  hill  of  Helmsdale 
and  the  Ord.  Ascend  that  vast  promontory  on  a  good  road,  winding  up  its  steep  sides, 
and  impending  in  many  parts  over  the  sea,  infinitely  more  high  and  horrible  than  our 
Penmaen  Mawr.  Beneath  were  numbers  of  seals  floating  on  the  waves,  with  sea- fowl 
swimming  among  them  with  great  security.  Observed  projecting  from  one  part  of  the 
Ord,  far  below,  a  small  and  verdant  hill,  on  which  tradition  says  was  fought  a  single 
combat  between  an  earl  of  Cdthness  and  a  son  of  th ;  earl  of  Sutherland,  while  their 
two  armies  looked  on  from  above  :  the  first  was  killed  on  the  spot,  the  last  died  of  h'ls 
wounds. 

The  Ord  was  the  ancient  division  of  Caithness,  when  Sutherland  was  reckoned  part. 
The  distinction  at  that  time  was  Cathenesia  cis  et  ultra  montem.  Sutherland  was  styled 
then  Catau,  as  being  more  mountainous  i  the  modern  Caithness  Guaelav,  as  being 
more  plain,  t 

*  Some  years  ago  I  bought  of  the  monks  at  the  great  Benedictine  convent  at  Augsburg,  some  papers  of 
St.  Ulrick's  earth,  which  I  was  assured  by  Lutheran  and  Papist  had  the  same  rat-expelling  quality  with 
that  above  mentioned ;  but  whether  for  want  of  due  faith,  or  neglect  of  attending  to  the  forms  of  the 
printed  prescriptions  given  with  them  (here  copied  at  full  length)  I  know  not,  but  the  audacious  animals 
haunt  my  house  in  spite  of  it :  *'  Venerabiles  reliquix  de  terra  sepulchrali,  sive  de  resoluta  deintils  came 
S.  Udalrici  conf  8c  episco[d  Augustani ;  quae  si  honorific^  ad  instar  aliarum  reliquiarum  habeantur,  Sc  ad 
del  laudemdivique  praesulishonorem,  plum  quoddam  opus,  v.  g.  oratio,  jejunium,eleemosyna>  8ic.  prxs- 
tetur,  minim  est,  qua  polIeantefficaci&,  ad  proscribendos  prsesertim  ddomibus,  Sc  vicinia  glires,  qui  sub- 
ustere  minime  valent  ubicunque  similes  reliquiae  cum  fiduci&  fiierint  appensae  vel  assei-vatse.  Idque  ex 
speciali  praerogaUvai  qua  omnipotens  Deus  insignia  tanti  patroni  merita  perpetuo  miraculo  statuit  con- 
decorare."  t  Sir  David  Dalrymple's  Annals  of  Scotli^d,  135. 


8G 


PENNANT'S  TOUR  IN  SCOTLAND. 


Beneath  this  cape  arc  immense  caves,  the  resort  of  seals*  and  sea-fowls  :  the  sides 
and  top  are  chiefly  covered  with  heath  and  morassy  eartli,  which  gives  it  a  bir.ck  and 
melancholy  look.  Ride  over  some  boggy  and  dreary  moors.  Pass  throngh  Ausdale,  a 
little  Highland  village.  Descend  into  a  deep  bottom  covered  with  alders,  willows,  birch, 
and  wicken-t:ees,  to  Langwall,  the  seat  of  Mr.  Sutherland,  who  gave  me  a  very  hospi- 
table reception.  The  country  abounds  with  stags  and  rocs,  and  all  sorts  of  feathered 
game,  while  the  adjacent  river  brings  salmon  almost  up  to  his  door. 

I  inquired  here  after  the  Lavellan,t  which,  from  description,  I  suspect  to  be  the  water 
shrew-mouse.  The  country  people  have  a  notion  that  it  is  noxious  to  cattle  :  they 
preserve  the  skin,  and,  as  a  cure  for  their  sick  beasts,  give  them  the  water  in  which  it 
has  been  dipt.  I  believe  it  to  be  the  same  animal  which  in  Sutherland  is  called  the 
water-mole. 

Aug.  20.  Proceed  on  my  journey.  Pass  near  Berridale.  On  a  peninsula  jutting  into  the 
sea  is  the  ruin  of  the  castle  ;  between  it  and  the  land  is  a  deep  chasm,  where  there  had 
been  a  draw-bridge.  On  this  castle  are  stationed,  in  the  salmon  season,  persons  who  are 
to  observe  the  approach  of  the  fish  to  the  fresh  w?tcrs. 

Near  Clathron  is  a  druidical  stone  set  an  end,  and  of  a  most  stupendous  size.    ,  •  '  .    ' 

Saw  Dunbeth,  J  the  seat  of  Mr.  Sinclair,  situated  on  a  narrow  neck  of  land ;  on  one 
side  impending  over  the  sea,  on  the  other  over  a  deep  chasm,  into  which  the  tide 
flows :  a  small  narrow  garden,  with  billows  beating  on  three  sides,  fills  the  rest  of  the 
land  between  the  house  and  the  water.  Numbers  of  old  castles  in  this  county  have  the 
same  tremendous  situation.  On  the  west  side  of  this  house  are  a  few  rows  of  tolerable 
trees;  the  only  trees  Uiat  I  saw  from  Berridale  to  the  extremity  of  Caithness.}  On 
the  right  inland  are  the  small  remains  of  Knackennan  Castle,  built  by  an  earl  of  Caith- 
ness. From  these  parts  is  a  full  view  of  the  lofty  naked  mountain  of  Scaraban  and 
Morven.  The  last  ptarmigans  in  Scotland  are  on  the  first ;  the  last  roes  about  Lang- 
wall,  there  being  neither  high  hills  nor  woods  beyond.  All  the  county  on  this  side, 
from  Dunbeth  to  the  extremity,  is  flat,  or  at  least  very  seldom  interrupted  with  hills, 
and  those  low,  but  the  coasts  rocky,  and  composed  of  stupendous  cliffs. 

Refreshed  our  horses  at  a  litde  inn  at  the  hamlet  of  Clythe,  not  far  from  the  head- 
land, called  Clytheness.  Reach  Thrumster,  a  seat  of  Mr.  Sinclair's.  It  is  observable, 
that  the  names  of  places  in  this  county  often  terminate  in  ter  and  dale,  which  savours  of 
Danish  origin. 

The  Sinclairs  are  veiy  numerous,  and  possess  considerable  fortunes  in  these  parts ; 
but  Boethius  says,  that  they,  the  Fraziers,  Campbells,  Bosvvells,  and  many  others,  came 
originally  from  France. 

August  21st,  pass  through  Wick,  a  small  borough  town  with  some  good  houses, 
seated  on  a  river  within  reach  of  the  tide ;  and  at  a  distance  lies  an  old  tower,  called 
lord  Oliphant's  casUe.  In  this  town  lives  a  weaver,  who  weaves  a  shirt,  with  buttons 
and  button  holes  entire,  without  any  seam,  or  the  least  use  of  the  needle  :  but  it  is  feared 
that  he  will  scarce  find  any  benefit  from  his  ingenuity,  as  he  cannot  afford  his  labour 
under  five  pounds  a  shirt.     Somewhat  farther,  close  to  the  sea,  is  Achringal  tower,  the 

*  During  spring  great  quantities  of  lump  fish  resort  here,  and  are  the  prey  of  the  seals,  as  appears 
from  the  numbers  of  their  skins,  which  at  that  season  float  ashore.  The  seals,  at  certain  times,  seem 
visited  with  a  great  mortality  ;  for  at  those  times  multitudes  of  them  are  seen  dead  in  the  water. 

t  Sibbald's  Hist.  Scotland.     Br.  Zool.  I.  33. 

f  This  castle  was  taiien  and  garrisoned  by  the  marquis  of  Montrose  in  1650,  immediately  preceding 
his  final  defeat.     Whitelock,  454. 

§  But  vast  quantity  of  subterraneous  timber  in  all  the  moors.  Near  Dunbeth  is  an  entire  Picts  castle, 
with  the  hollow  in  the  top,  and  is  called  the  Bourg  of  Dunbeth. 


PENDANT'S  TOUR  IV  SCOTLAND. 


B1 


seat  of  Sir  William  Dunbar.  Ride  over  the  Links  of  Keith,  on  the  side  of  Sinclair  bay. 
These  were  once  a  morass,  now  covered  with  sand,  finely  turfed  over ;  so  in  this  in- 
stance  the  land  has  been  obliged  by  the  instability  of  the  sand.  The  old  cnstlc  of 
Keiss  is  seated  on  a  rock,  with  a  good  house  of  the  same  name  near  it. 

Near  Freswick  castle  the  cliffs  are  very  lofty  ;  the  strata  that  compose  them  lie  quite 
horizontally,  in  such  thin  and  regular  layers,  and  so  oflen  intersected  by  fissures,  as  to 
appear  like  masonry.  Beneath  are  great  insulated  columns,  called  here  Stacks,  com- 
posed  of  the  same  sort  of  natural  masonry  as  the  cliffs ;  many  of  them  are  hollowed  quite 
through,  so  as  to  form  most  magnificent  arches,  which  the  sea  rushes  through  with  vast 
noise  and  impetuosity,  affording  a  most  august  piece  of  scenery  to  such  who  are  steady 
enough  to  survey  it  from  the  narrow  and  almost  impending  paths. 

Freswick  castle  is  seated  on  a  narrow  rock,  projecting  mto  the  sea,  with  just  room 
enough  for  it  to  stand  on  :  the  access  to  it,  while  the  draw-bridge  was  in  being,  was 
over  a  deep  chasm  cut  through  the  little  isthmus  that  connected  it  to  the  main  land. 
These  dreadful  situations  are  strongly  expressive  of  the  jealous  and  wretched  condition 
of  the  tyrant  owners.  It  is  said  that  a  nobleman  of  the  name  of  Suenus  Asteilf  inha- 
bited  this  castle  about  the  year  1155. 

j(  After  riding  near  Freswick  bay,  the  second  sandy  bay  in  the  county,  pass  over  a  very 
bad  morass,  and  after  a  few  miles  travel  arrive  at  Dungsby  bay,*  a  low  tract,  consisting 
of  oat-lands  and  grazing  land :  the  ultima  thule  of  sir  Robbert  Sibbald>  whose  dcscrip* 
tioo  it  fully  answers  in  this  particular. 

Quam  juxta  infames  scopuli,  et  petrosa  vorago 
Asperat  undisonis  saxa  pudenda  vadis. 

The  beach  is  a  collection  of  fragments  of  shells :  beneath  which  are  vast  broken 
rocks,  some  sunk,  others  apparent,  running  into  the  sea,  never  pacific.  The  contrary 
tides  and  currents  form  here  a  most  tremendous  contest :  yet,  by  the  skilfulness  of  the 
people,  are  passed  with  great  safety  ici  the  narrow  little  boats  I  saw  lying  on  the  shore. 

The  points  of  this  bay  are  Dungsby  head  and  St.  John's  head,  stretching  out  into  the 
sea  to  the  east  and  west,  forming  a  pair  of  horns ;  from  the  resemblance  to  which  it  should 
seem  that  this  country  was  anciently  styled  Cornana. 

From  hence  is  a  full  view  of  several  of  the  Orkney  islands,  such  as  Flota,  Waes, 
Ronaldsa,  Swanna,  to  the  west  the  Skerries,  and  within  two  miles  of  land  Stroma,  fa. 
mous  for  its  natural  mur  mies,  or  the  entire  and  uncorrupted  bodies  of  persons  who  had 
been  dead  sixty  years.  I  was  informed  that  they  were  veiy  light,  had  a  flexibility  in  their 
limbs,  and  were  of  a  dusky  colour.  J  This  isle  is  fertile  in  corn,  is  inhabited  by  above 
thirty  families,  who  know  not  the  use  of  a  plough,  but  dig  every  part  of  their  corn 
land. 

Dine  at  the  good  minister's  of  Cannesby.  On  my  return  saw  at  a  distance  the  Stacks 
of  Dungsby,  a  vast  insulated  rock,  over-topping  the  land,  and  appearing  like  a  great 
tower. 

Passed  near  the  seat  of  a  gentleman  not  long  deceased ;  the  last  who  was  believed  to 
be  possessed  of  the  second  sight.  Originally  he  made  use  of  the  pretence,  in  order  to 
render  himself  more  respectable  with  his  clan ;  but  at  length,  in  spite  of  fine  abilities, 

*  John  a  Groat's  house  is  now  known  only  by  name.    The  proper  name  of  the  b»y  is  Duncan's. 

t  Quoted  by  sir  Robert  from  the  Iter  Balthicum  of  Conradus  Celtes. 

i  In  the  Philosophical  Transactions  abridged,  viii.  705.  is  an  almost  parallel  instance  of  two  corpses* 
found  in  a  moor  in  Derbyshire, that  had  for  49  years  resisted  putrefaction,  and  were  in  much  the  same 
state  as  those  in  Stroma.  In  vol.  xlvii.  of  the  Ph.  Tr.  at  large,  is  an  uccount  of  a  body,  found  entire  and 
imputrid  at  Staverton,  in  Devonshire,  80  years  after  its  interment. 


i. 

\ 

\ 

I 


!i  • 


l» 


i<i 


6B 


PENNANT'S  TOUR  IK  SCOTLAND. 


was  made  ;i  dupe  to  his  own  artifices,  became  possessed  with  a  serious  belief  of  the 
faculty,  and  for  a  considerable  number  of  years  before  his  death  was  made  truly  un- 
happy by  this  strange  opinion,  which  orieinally  arose  from  the  following  accident.  A 
boat  of  his  was  on  a  very  tempestuous  night  at  sea ;  his  mind,  filled  with  anxiety  at  the 
danger  his  people  were  in,  furnished  him  with  every  idea  of  the  misfortune  that  really 
befell  them :  he,  suddenly  starting  up,  pronounced  that  his  men  would  be  drowned, 
for  he  had  seen  them  pass  before  him  with  wet  garments  and  dropping  locks.  The 
event  was  correspondent,  and  he  from  that  time  grew  confirmed  in  the  reality  of  spectral 
predictions. 

There  is  another  sort  of  divination,  called  Sleinanachd,  or  reading  the  speal-bone,  or 

.  the  blade.bone  of  a  shoulder  of  mutton  well  scraped.     When  lord  Louden  was  obliged 

to  retreat  before  the  rebels  to  the  isle  of  Sky,  a  common  soldier,  on  the  very  moment 

the  battle  of  Culloden  was  decided,  proclaimed  the  victory  at  that  distance,  pretending 

to  have  discovered  the  event  by  looking  through  the  bone. 

I  heard  of  one  instance  of  second  sight,  or  rather  of  foresight,  which  was  well  attest- 
ed, and  made  much  noise  about  the  time  the  prediction  was  fulfilled.  A  little  after 
the  battle  of  Preston  Pans,  the  president  Duncan  Forbes,  being  at  his  house  of  Cullo- 
den with  a  nobleman,  from  whom  I  had  the  relation,  fell  into  discourse  on  the  probable 
consequences  of  the  action :  after  a  long  conversation,  and  after  revolving  all  that  might 
happen,  Mr.  Forbes,  suddenly  turning  to  a  window,  said,  "  all  these  things  may  fall  out ; 
but  depend  on  it,  all  these  disturbances  will  be  terminated  on  this  spot." 

Returned  the  same  road.  Saw  multitudes  of  gannets,  or  Soland  geese,  on  their 
passage  northward :  they  went  in  small  flocks  ft-om  five  to  fifteen  in  each,  and  con- 
tinued passing  for  hours :  it  was  a  stormy  day ;  they  kept  low,  and  near  the  shore ; 
but  never  passed  over  the  land,  even  when  a  bay  intervened,  but  followed  (preserving  an 
equal  distance  from  the  shore)  the  form  of  the  bay,  and  then  re^larly  doubled  the 
capes.  I  saw  many  parties  make  a  sort  of  halt,  for  the  sake  of  fishing;  they  soared  to 
a  great  height,  then  darting  down  headlong  into  the  sea,  made  the  water  foam  and  spring 
up  with  the  violence  of  their  descent ;  after  which  they  pursued  their  route. 

Swans  resort  in  October  to  the  lochs  of  Hemprigs  and  Waster,  and  continue  there 
till  March.  Abundance  of  land-rails  are  found  throughout  the  county.  Multitudes  of 
sea-fowl  breed  in  the  cliffs :  among  others,  the  lyre ;  but  the  season  being  past,  I  neither 
saw  it,  nor  could  understand  what  species  it  was.^ 

Went  along  a  fine  hard  sand  on  the  edge  of  Sinclair  bay.  On  the  south  point,  near 
Noss-head,  on  the  same  rock,  are  Sinclur  and  Gemigo  castles ;  but  as  if  the  joint  te- 
nants, like  beasts  of  prey,  had  been  in  fear  of  each  other,  there  was  between  them  a 
draw-bridge ;  the  first  too  had  an  iron  door,  which  dropped  from  above  through  grooves 
still  visible  :  this  was  inhabited  in  the  year  1603  by  Sinclair  earl  of  Caithness. 

Should  the  chapel  of  St.  Tayre  near  this  castle  exist,  I  overlooked  that  scene  of 
cruelty  in  1478.  The  Keiths  and  the  clan  Gun  had  in  that  year  a  feud ;  but  a  meeting 
was  fixed  at  this  place  for  a  reconciliation :  twelve  horse  were  to  convene  on  each  side. 
The  Cruner,  or  chief  of  the  clan  Gun,  and  his  sons  and  nearest  kinsmen,  arrived  first, 
and  were  at  their  prayers  in  the  chapel ;  when  their  antagonist  arrived  with  twelve 
horses,  but  with  two  men  on  each  horse,  thinking  that  to  bring  no  more  than  the  stipu- 
lated number  of  horses  was  no  breach  of  agreement.  These  attacked  the  people  in  the 
chapel,  and  put  them  all  to  death,  but  with  great  loss  to  their  own  par^*  Ux  the 

*  I  have  since  learned  that  it  ia  the  Shearwater  or  Manks  Petrel  of  the  Br.  Zool.  XL  No.  358.    „^ 


PF.NNANT'S  TOUR  IN  SCOTLAND.  g^ 

Cruncr  and  his  friends  sold  their  lives  dear.  I  mention  this  talc  to  oppose  the  manners 
of  the  old  Caithiiesians  to  those  of  the  present  hospitable  and  worthy  race. 

Caithness  may  be  called  an  immense  morass,  mixed  with  some  fruitful  s|>otsoi'oatK 
and  barley,  much  coarse  grass,  and  here  and  there  some  fine,  almost  all  natural,  there 
being  as  yet  very  little  artificial.  At  this  time  was  the  hay  harvest  both  here  and  about 
Dunrobin  :  the  hay  on  this  rough  land  is  cut  with  short  scythes,  and  with  a  brisk  and 
Ktrong  stroke.  The  country  pr^uces  and  exports  great  quantities  of  oatmeal,  and  much 
whisky  is  distilled  from  the  barley  :  the  great  thinness  of  inhabitants  throughout  Caithness 
enables  them  to  send  abroad  much  of  its  productions.  No  wheat  had  been  raised  this 
year  in  the  county  ;  and  I  was  informed  that  this  grain  is  sown  here  in  the  spring*  by 
reason  of  the  wet  and  fury  of  the  winters. 

The  county  is  supposed  to  send  out,  in  some  years,  2200  head  of  cattle ;  but  in  bad 
seasons,  the  farmer  kills  and  salts  numbers  for  sale.  Great  numbers  of  swine  arc  reared 
here  :  they  are  short,  high-backed,  long- bristled,  sharp,  slender,  and  long  nosed :  have 
long  erect  cars,  and  most  savage  looks,  and  are  seen  tethered  in  almost  every  field. 
The  rest  of  the  commodities  of  Caithness  are  butter,  cheese,  tallow,  hides,  the  oil  und 
skins  of  seals,  and  the  feathers  of  geese. 

Here  are  neither  barns  nor  granaries :  the  corn  is  thrashed  out  and  preserved  in  the 
chaff  in  bykes,  which  are  stacks  in  shape  of  bee-hives,  thatched  quite  round*  where  it 
will  keep  good  for  two  years. 

Much  salmon  is  taken  at  Castle.hill,  Dunet,  Wick,  and  Thurso.  The  miraculous 
draught  at  the  last  place  is  still  talked  of;  not  less  than  2500  being  taken  at  one  tide, 
within  the  memory  of  man.  At  a  small  distance  from  Sinclair  castle,  near  Staxigo  creek; 
is  a  small  herring  fishery,  tlie  only  one  on  the  coast :  cod  and  other  white  fish  abound 
here  ;  but  the  want  of  ports  on  this  stormy  coast  is  an  obstacle  to  the  establishment  of 
fisheries  on  this  side  of  the  country. 

In  the  month  of  November,  numbers  of  seals^  are  taken  in  the  vast  caverns  that  open 
into  the  sea  and  run  some  hundred  yards  under  ground.  Their  entrance  is  narrow,  their 
inside  lofly  and  spacious.  The  seal-hunters  enter  these  in  small  boats  with  torches, 
which  they  light  as  soon  as  they  land,  and  then  with  loud  shouts  alarm  the  animals,  which 
they  kill  with  clubs  as  they  attempt  to  pass.  This  is  a  hazardous  employ  ;  for  should 
the  wind  blow  hard  from  sea,  these  adventurers  are  inevitably  lost.t 


with 

mals  of  burden; 

or  baskets,  as  much  as  their  lords  and  masters  think  fit  to  fling  in  with  their  pitchforics, 

and  then  trudge  to  the  fields  in  droves  of  sixty  or  seventy.     The  common  people  are 

kept  here  in  great  servitude,  and  most  of  their  time  is  given  to  their  Lairds,  an  invincible 

impediment  to  the  prosperity  of  the  coimty. 

Of  the  ten  parishes  in  Caithness,  only  the  four  that  lie  S.  £.  speak  Erse  ;  all  the  others 
speak  English,  and  that  in  greater  purity  than  most  parts  of  North  Britain.:!:  Latheron, 
Keay,  Thurso,  and  Halkirk,  speak  Erse  and  Englbh ;  Bower,  Cannesby,  Dunnet,  Wat- 
ters,  Obrick,  and  Wick,  speak  English  only. 

*  Sometimes  a  large  species  twelve  feet  long  has  been  killed  on  the  coast ;  and  I  have  been  informed 
that  the  same  kind  are  found  on  the  rock  Hiskir,  on  the  Western  isles. 

f  For  a  fuller  account,  vide  Br.  Zool.  37. 

%  I  beg  leave  to  refer  the  reader  for  a  farther  bistorjr  of  this  countrjr,  and  of  Strathnavern,  to  the  Appen- 
dix ;  where  ia  inserted  the  obliging  communication  of  the  Kev.  Mr.  Alexander  Pope,  minister  of  Keay, 
the  most  remote  N.  W.  tract  of  North  Brittdn,  which  completes  the  history  of  this  distaot  part  of  our  islandi 

vol..   III.  N 


V 


yo 


PKNNANl'S  TOLR  IN  SCOTLAND. 


Inociila(iui)  is  much  practised  by  an  ingenious  phynician  (Dr.  Mackenzie  of  Wick)  in 
this  county,  and  also  the  Orkneys,*  with  great  succcssi,  without  any  previous  prepara- 
tion. The  success  was  eqiially  great  at  Sanda,  a  poor  isle,  where  there  was  no  sort  oF 
fuel  but  what  was  got  from  dried  cow-dung :  but  in  all  these  places*  the  smalUpox  is 
very  fatal  in  the  natural  way.  Other  diseases  in  Caithness  are  colds,  coughs,  and  very 
rrenucntly  palsies. 

'I'he  last  private  war  in  Scotland  was  occasioned  by  a  dispute  relating  to  this  county. 
The  present  carl  of  Breadalbanc'^  grandfather  married  an  heiress  of  Caithness :  the  in- 
habitants  would  not  admit  her  title ;  but  set  up  another  person  in  opposition.  The 
earl,  according  to  the  custom  of  those  ill-governed  times,  was  to  assert  his  right  by 
force  of  arms :  he  raised  an  army  of  fifteen  hundred  men  ;  but  the  numlx'rs,  like  those 
under  the  conduct  of  Gideon,  were  thought  to  be  too  great :  his  lordship  first  dismissed 
five  hundred  :  after  that,  another  five  hundred  ;  and  with  the  remainder  marched  to  the 
borders  of  Caithness.  Here  he  thought  proper  to  add  stratagem  to  force.  He  knew 
that  the  enemy's  army  waited  for  him  on  the  other  side  of  the  Ord.  He  knew  also 
that  in  those  days  whisky  was  the  nectar  of  Caithness :  and  in  consequence  ordered  a 
ship  laden  with  that  precious  liquor  to  pass  round,  and  wilfully  strand  itself  on  the  shore. 
The  directions  were  punctually  obeyed ;  and  the  crew  in  a  seeming  fright  escaped  in 
the  boats  to  the  invading  a-niy.  The  Caithncsians  made  a  prize  of  the  ship,  and  indulg- 
ing themselves  too  freely  with  the  freight,  became  an  easy  prey  to  the  carl,  who  at- 
tacked them  during  their  intoxication,  and  gained  the  country,  which  he  disposed  of  very 
soon  after  his  conquest. 

I  came  here  too  latej-  to  have  any  benefit  from  the  great  length  of  days  ;  but  from 
June  to  the  middle  of  July,  there  is  scarce  any  night ;  for  even  at  what  is  called  midnight 
the  smallest  print  may  be  read,  so  truly  did  Juvenal  style  these  people, 

Minima  contentos  nocte  Britannos. 

Agust  23d,  on  my  way  between  Thrumster  and  Dunbeth,  again  saw  numbers  of 
flocks  of  Gannets  keeping  due  north ;  and  the  weather  being  very  calm,  they  flew 
high.  It  has  not  been  observed  that  they  ever  return  this  way  in  the  spring  ,  but  seem 
to  make  a  circuit  of  the  island,  till  they  again  arrive  at  the  Bass,  their  only  breeding- place 
on  the  eastern  coast. 

On  descending  a  steep  hill,  is  a  romantic  view  of  the  two  bridges  over  the  waters  of 
Berridale  and  Langwall,  and  their  wooded  glens  ;  and  of  the  castle  of  Berridale,|  over 
the  sea,  where  the  salmon- fishers  station  themselves,  to  observe  the  approach  of  those  fish 
out  of  the  ocean.  After  a  tedious  ascent  up  the  king's  road  of  four  miles,  gain  the  top  of 
the  Ord,  descend,  and  lie  at  Helmsdale. 

August  24th  to  29th,  revisit  the  same  places,  till  I  pass  Dingwall.  Cross  the  Conan 
in  a  boat,  a  very  beautiful  river,  not  remote  fiom  Castle Braan.  Was  in  the  neighbour- 
hood informed  of  other  singular  customs  of  the  Highlanders. 

On  New-year's  day  they  burn  juniper  before  their  cattle,  and  on  the  first  Monday  in 
every  quarter  sprinkle  them  with  urine. 

In  some  parts  of  the  country  is  a  rural  sacrifice,  diflferent  from  that  before  men- 
tioned.    A  cross  is  cut  on  some  sticks,  which  is  dipped  in  pottage,  and  the  Thursday 


*  At  this  time  a  person  was  employed  in  the  same  business  in  the  Shetland  islands, 

t  Besides  the  missing  so  singular  a  phenomenon,  I  found  that  the  bad  weather,  wh'ch  begins  earlier  in 

the  north,  was  setting  in  :  I  would  therefore  recommend  to  any  traTeller,  who  means  to  take  this  distant 

tour,  to  set  out  from  Edinburgh  a  month  sooner  than  I  did. 
t  A  little  up  the  land  is  the  ruin  of  Acb  castle. 


PENNANTS  TOllll  IN  SCOTIANO 


inly. 
iC  in- 
Thc 
It  by 
ihosc 
hissed 
to  the 
knew 
V  also 
:rcd  a 
ahorc. 
pcd  in 
ndulg- 
^ho  ai- 
ofvcry 

Lit  from 
iduight 


ibcrs  of 
ley  flew 
(Ut  seem 
ng- place 

waters  of 

let  "v^"^ 
those  fish 
ihe  lop  of 

le  Conan 
eighbour- 

londay  in 

ore  men- 
Thursday 


inB  eBfUer  in 
this  distant 


01 


before  Easter,  one  of  each  placed  over  the  shccp-eot,  the  stal)le,  or  the  cow-house.  On 
the  1st  of  May  they  are  carried  to  the  hill  where  the  rites  are  celebrated,  all  dc(  kcd  with 
wild  flowers,  and  after  the  feast  is  over  rc-placcd  over  the  spots  they  were  taken  from ; 
and  this  was  originally  styled  Clou-un-IicUien,*  or  the  split  branch  of  the  fire  of  the  rock. 
These  follies  are  now  seldom  practised,  and  that  with  the  utnioitt  secrecy ;  for  the  clergy 
arc  indefatigable  in  discouraging  every  s|K'cies  ofsu|x?rstition. 

In  certain  places  the  death  of  people  is  supposed  to  be  fnrctold  by  the  cries  and 
shrieks  of  Benshi,  or  the  fairy's  wife,  uttered  along  the  very  path  where  the  funeral  is 
to  pass ;  and  what  in  Wales  are  called  corps  candles  arc  often  imagined  to  appear,  and 
foretell  mortality. 

The  courtship  of  the  Highlander  has  these  remarkable  circumstances  attending  it : 
after  privately  obtaining  the  consent  of  the  fair,  he  formally  demands  her  of  the  father. 
The  lover  and  his  friends  assemble  on  a  hill  allotted  for  that  purpose  in  every  parish, 
and  one  of  them  is  dispatched  to  obtain  permission  to  wait  on  the  daughter :  if  he  is 
successful,  he  is  again  sent  to  invite  the  father  and  his  friends  to  ascend  the  hill  and  par- 
take of  a  whisky  cask,  which  is  never  forgot :  the  lover  advances,  takes  his  fature 
father-in-law  by  tne  hand,  and  then  plights  his  truth,  and  the  fair  one  is  surrendered  up 
to  him.  During  the  marriage  ceremony,  great  care  is  taken  that  dogs  do  not  pass 
between  them,  and  particular  attention  is  paid  to  the  leaving  the  bridegroom's  left- shoe 
without  buckle  or  latchet,  to  prevent  witchesf  from  depriving  him,  on  the  nuptial  night, 
of  the  power  of  loosening  the  virgin  zone.  As  a  test,  not  many  years  ago  a  singular  cus- 
tom prevailed  in  the  western  Highlands  the  morning  after  a  wedding :  a  basket  was 
fastened  with  a  cord  round  the  neck  of  the  bridegroom  by  the  female  part  of  the  com- 

Eany,  who  immediately  filled  it  with  stones,  till  the  poor  man  was  in  great  danti^er  of 
eing  strangled,  if  his  bride  did  not  take  compassion  on  him,  and  cut  the  cord  with  a 
knife  given  her,  to  use  at  discretion.  But  such  was  the  tenderness  of  the  Caledonian 
spouses,  that  never  was  an  instance  of  their  neglecting  an  immediate  relief  of  their  good 
man. 

Pass  near  the  PriorJ  of  Beaulieu,  a  large  ruin :  cross  the  ferry,  and  again  reach 
Inverness. 

Made  an  excursion  ten  miles  south  of  Inverness  to  May-hall,  pleasantly  seated  at  the 
end  of  a  small  but  beautiful  lake  of  the  same  name,  full  of  trout  and  char,  called  in  the 
Erse,  Tarrdheargnaich,  and  in  the  Scotch,  Red  Weems.  This  water  is  about  two 
miles  and  a  half  long,  and  half  a  mile  broad,  adorned  with  two  or  three  isles,  prettily- 
wooded.  Each  side  is  bounded  by  hills  clothed  at  the  bottom  with  trees;  and 
in  front,  at  the  distance  of  thirty  miles,  is  the  gr  at  mountain  of  Kam-gorm,  patched  with 
snow. 

This  place  is  called  Starshnach-nan-gai'l,  or  tlie  threshold  of  the  Highlands,  being  a 
very  natural  and  strongly  marked  entrance  from  the  north.  This  is  the  seat  of  the  Clun 
Chattan,  or  the  M'Intoshes,  once  a  powerful  people  :  in  the  year  1715,  fifteen  hundred 
took  the  field ;  but  in  1745  scarce  half  that  number :  like  another  Absalom,  their  fair 
mistress  was  in  that  year  supposed  to  have  stolen  their  hearts  from  her  Laird  their  chief, 
tan:  but  the  severest  loyalist  must  admit  some  extenuation  of  their  error,  hi  yielding  to 
the  insinuations  of  so  charming  a  seducer. 

•  M'Pherson's  introduction,  8cc.  s.  66. 

t  An  old  opinion.     Gesner  says  that  the  witches  made  use  of  toads  as  a  charm,  Ut  vim  coeundi,  ni 
fallo^inviristollerent.    Gesner  de  quad,  ovi.p  73. 
\  Founded  about  1339,  by  Patrick  Disset,  I^ii-d  of  Lovat,  for  the  monks  of  ValHs  caulium. 

N  2  .  • 


14 


1    r 


;  i' 


r 
■  I 


I! 


93 


reMN ANT'S  TOUR  IN  SCOTLAND. 


■-1. 


,/ 


Here  is  preserved  the  sword  of  James  V,  f^iven  by  that  monarch  to  i\\c  ca[An\n  of 
Clad  Chattan,  with  the  privilege  of  holding  the  kingN  s^ord  at  all  curunatiotH ;  on 
the  blade  is  the  word  Jesus.  That  of  the  gallant  Vi!»count  Dundee  is  uKo  kept  here. 
The  first  was  a  consecrated  sword  ^)rescntcd  to  James  in  1514,  by  Leo  X,  by  the  handn 
of  his  Legate.*  The  ancient  family  was  as  respectoble  us  it  was  powerful :  and  that 
from  very  old  times.  Of  this  the  following  relation  is  sulHeicnt  evidence.  In  134L  u 
Monro  of  Foulisf  having  met  with  some  affront  from  the  inhabitants  of  Strathardule, 
between  ^vnU  and  Athol,  determined  on  revenge,  collected  his  clan,  marched,  made 
his  inroad,  and  returned  with  a  large  bootv  of  cattle.  As  he  passed  by  May-hall,  this 
threshold  of  the  Highlands,  the  Mackintosh  of  1454  sent  to  demand  the'  stike  creich,  or 
road  collop,  being  a  certain  part  of  the  booty,  challenged  according  to  an  ancient  cus. 
^  torn  by  the  chieHans  for  liberty  of  passing  with  it  through  their  territories.  Monro  ac- 
quiesced in  the  demand,  and  offered  a  reasonable  share ;  but  not  less  than  half  would 
content  the  chief\an  of  Clan  Chattan  :  this  was  refused ;  a  battle  ensued  near  Kessock ; 
Mackintosh  was  kilted ;  Monro  lost  his  hand,  but  from  that  accident  acquired  the 
name  of  buck-lawighe  :  and  thus  ended  the  conflict  of  Clagh-nc-herey. 

Doethius  relates,  that  in  his  time  Inverness  was  greatly  freciuented  by  merchants  from 
Germany,  who  purchased  here  the  furs  of  several  sorts  of  wild  beasts  ;|  and  tliat  wild 
horses  were  found  in  great  abundance  in  that  neighbourhood :  that  the  country  yielded 
a  great  deal  of  wheat  and  other  com,  and  quantities  of  nuts  and  apples.  At  present 
there  is  a  trade  in  the  skins  of  deer,  iocs,  and  other  beasts,  which  the  Highlanders  bring 
down  to  the  fairs.  There  happened  to  be  one  ut  this  time :  the  commodities  were, 
skins,  various  necessaries  brought  in  by  the  pedlars,  coarse  country  cloths,  cheese,  but- 
ter, and  meal :  the  last  in  goat-skin  bags  ;  the  butter  lapped  in  cawls,  or  leaves  of  the 
broad  alga  or  tang ;  and  great  ciuantities  of  birch-wood  and  hazel  cut  into  lengths  for 
carts,  8cc.  which  had  been  floated  down  the  river  from  Loch-Ness. 

The  fair  was  a  very  agreeable  circumstance,  and  aflPorded  a  most  singular  groupe  of 
Highlanders  in  all  their  motley  dresses.  Their  brechan,  or  plaid,  consists  of  twelve  or 
thirteen  yards  of  a  narrow  stufl^,  wrapt  round  the  middle,  and  reaches  to  the  knees  :  is 
often  fastened  round  the  middle  with  a  belt,  and  is  then  called  brechan-fcill ;  but  in  cold 
weather  is  large  enough  to  wrap  round  the  whole  body  from  head  to  feet ;  and  this 
often  is  their  only  cover,  not  only  within  doors,  but  on  the  open  hills  during  the  whole 
night.  It  is  frequently  fastened  on  the  shoulders  with  a  pin,  often  of  silver,  and  before 
with  a  brotche  (like  the  fibula  of  the  Romans)  which  is  sometimes  of  silver,  and  both 
large  and  extensive ;  the  old  ones  have  very  frequently  mottoes.  .^  .j- 

The  stockings  are  short,  and  are  tied  below  tne  knee.  The  cuaran  is  a  sort  of  laced 
shoe  made  of  a  skin  with  the  hairy  side  out,  but  now  seldom  worn.  The  truis  were 
worn  by  the  gentrj',  and  were  breeches  and  stockings  made  of  one  piece. 

The  colour  of  their  dress  was  various,  as  the  word  brechan  implies,  being  dyed  with 
stripes  of  the  most  vivid  '  ues:  but  they  sometimes  affected  the  duller  colours,  such  as 
imitated  those  of  the  hcudi,  in  which  they  often  reposed ;  probably  from  a  principle  of 
security  in  time  of  war,  as  one  of  the  Scotch  poets  seems  to  insinuate. 

*  -  -  .  m 

■    •  Leslie  Hist.  Scotia,  353,  ,>  ;^ 

t  Conflicts  of  the  Clans,  p.  7. 

4  Ad  Nessae  lacus  longi  quatuor  et  viginti  passuum  millia,  lati  duodecim  latera,  propter  ingentia  nemora 
ferarum  ingens  copia  est  cervorutn,equoruinindcmitoruni(  capreolorum  et  ejusmodi  animantiumri  , ;n..> 
vis :  Rd  hcc  martirills,  fouinx  ut  vulg6  vocantur,  vulpes,  mustellae,  fibri,  lutrxque  incomparably  nwr.v  iv« 
quorum  tergora  exterx  gtntes  tdluxam  immenao  pretio  coeimint.     Scot,  regni  Descr.  ix,.  Hlv'. 

5cOt.  XXX. 


'i 


i 


^RKVAWTB  TOUR  l(f  SCOTLAND. 


93 


/ 


iTi^ii^^ 


\'\rnn\A  gaudeiit  varli  qua  c»t  veite  colorUi 
*  Fiirpureum  ct  deamaiit  fire  r.anileumc|ue  culurcni  ( 

Varum  nunc  plureit  futcum  nia|[;lt,  aemula  frondi 
(juaque  creclna  adamant,  ut  no  lux  noridn  votlin 
SplciidentU  prodat  recubantea  iiuiue  crlcctis. 

Andhba  Mklvimi  Topogr.  Scotia. 

The  fcil-lKg,  i.  c.  little  pluid,  also  culled  kclt,  is  u  sort  of  short  petticoat  reaching  only 
to  the  knee*!,  ui^d  is  a  modern  iiubstitutc  for  the  lower  part  of  the  nluid,  being  found  to 
be  less  cumlicrsome,  especiul!)  in  time  of  action,  when  the  Highlanders  used  to  tuck 
their  brechun  into  their  p;irdle.  Almost  all  have  a  great  pouch  of  badger  and  other 
skins,  with  tassels  dangling  before  :  inihis  they  keep  their  tobacco  and  money. 

Their  ancient  arms  were  the  Lochabcr  -^xc,  now  used  by  none  but  the  town-guard  of 
Edinburgh;  a  tremendous  weapon,  better  to  be  expressed  by  a  figure  than  words.* 

The  broad'Sword  and  target ;  with  ihc  last  they  covered  themselves,  with  the  first 
reached  their  enemy  at  a  great  distance.  These  were  their  ancient  weajmns,  as  appears 
by  Tacitus  ;f  but,  since  the  diHarming  act,  arc  scarcely  to  be  met  with  :  partly  owing 
to  that,  partly  to  the  spirit  of  industry  now  rising  among  them,  the  Highlanders  in  a 
few  years  will  scarce  know  the  use  of  anv  weapon. 

Bows  and  arrows  were  used  in  war  ui  lute  as  the  middle  of  the  last  century,  as  I  find 
in  a  manuscript  life  of  Sir  Ewen  Cameron. 

The  dirk  was  a  sorr  of  dagger  stuck  in  the  belt.     I  C-equcntly  saw  this  weapon  it)  the 

ambles  of  Inverness  converted  into  a  butcher's  knife,  being,  like  Hudibras's  di^gger. 


shambles 


A  serviceable  dudgeoa, 
Either  for  fighting  or  for  drudging. 


The  dirk  was  a  weapon  used  by  the  ancient  Caledonians  ;  for  DIo  Cassius,  in  his  ac 
count  of  the  expedition  of  Severus,  mentions  it  under  tlic  name  of  zixH'*"^*t  P^gio,  or 
little  dagger. 

The  mattucashlash,  or  arm-pit  dagger,  was  worn  there,  ready  to  be  used  on  coming 
to  close  quarters.  These,  with  the  pistol  &luck  in  the  girdle,  completely  armed  the 
Highlander.  ( 

It  will  be  fit  to  mention  here  the  method  the  chieftans  took  formerly  to  assemble  the 
clans  for  any  military  expedition.  In  every  clan  there  is  a  known  place  of  rendezvous, 
styled  Curn-a-whin,  to  which  they  must  resort  on  this  signal.  A  person  is  sent  out  full 
speed  with  a  pole,  burnt  at  one  end  and  bloody  at  the  other,  and  with  a  cross  at  the  ton, 
which  is  called  Crosh-tirie,  the  cross  of  shame, ||  or  the  fiery  cross ;  the  first  from  the 
disgrace  they  would  undergo,  if  they  declined  appearing ;  the  second  from  the  penalty 

•  Vide  tab.  xxxiv. 

1  Slmul  conitantia,  simul  arte  Britanni  ingentibus  gladiis  et  brevibus  cctris*  missilia  nostrorum  vitarc 
vel  excutere.    Vita  Agricolae,  c.  36. 

I  Xiphil.  epit.  Dionis. 

$  Major,  who  wrote  about  the  year  15 18,  thus  describes  their  arms:  Arcum  et  sagittas,  latissimum  en- 
sem  cum  parvo  halberto,  puRionem  grossum  ex  solo  uno  latere  scindcntcm,  sed  acutissimam  sub  zonA 
itemper  ferunt.  Tempori  belli  loricam  ex  loris  ferreisper  totum  corpus  induunt.    Lib.  I.  c.  viii. 

II  This  custom  was  common  to  the  northern  parts  of  Europe,  with  some  slight  variation,  as  appears  from 
Olaua  Magnus,  p.  146,  who  describes  it  thus:  Bacculus  tripalmaris,  agilioris  juvenis  cursu  precipiti,  ad 
ilium  vel  ilium  pagum  seu  villam  hujusmodi  edicto  defei-endus  commlttitur,  ut  3,  4,  vel  8  die  unus,  duo  vel 
trcs,  aut  viritiqi  omnes  vel  singuli  ab  anno trilustri,  cum  armis  et  expensis  1 0  vel  30  dierum  sub  pcena  conr.  • 
bustionia  domorum  (quo  usto  bacculo)  vel  suspensionis  patronii  aut  omnium  (qus  fune  allegato  signutur) 
in  tali  ripai  vel  campo,  aut  valle  comparere  teneantur  subito,  causam  vocationis,  utque  ordinem  execuii- 
•ni>  prxfecti  provinciaJis,  quid  fieri  debeat  audituri. 


I 

li 


I 


94 


PENNANT'S  TOUR  IN  SCOTLAND. 


of  having  fire  and  sword  carried  through  their  country,  in  case  of  refusal.  The  first 
bcurer  delivers  it  to  the  next  person  he  meets,  he  running  full  speed  to  the  third,  and 
so  on.  In  f^very  clan  the  bearer  had  a  peculiar  cry  of  war ;  that  of  the  Macdonuld's 
was  freich,  or  heath  ;  that  of  the  Grants,  craig-elachie  }  of  the  Muckenzies,  tuilickurd.* 
In  the  late  rebellion,  it  was  sent  by  some  unknown  disaffected  hand  through  the  county 
of  Breadalbane,  and  passed  through  a  tract  of  thirty-two  miles  in  three  hours,  but  with- 
out effect. 

The  womens'  dress  is  the  kirch,  or  a  white  piece  of  linen,  pinned  over  the  foreheads 
of  those  that  are  married,  and  round  the  hind  part  of  the  head,  falling  behind  over 
their  necks.  The  single  women  wear  only  a  ribband  round  their  head,  which  they  call 
a  snood.  The  tonnag,  or  plaid,  hangs  over  their  shoulders,  and  is  fastened  before  witli 
a  brotche ;  but  in  bad  weather  is  drawn  over  their  heads :  I  have  also  observed,  during 
divine  service,  that  they  keep  drawing  it  forward  in  proportion  as  their  attention  in- 
creases ;  insomuch  as  to  conceal  at  lust  their  whole  face,  as  if  it  was  to  exclude  every 
external  object  that  might  interrupt  their  devotion.  In  the  county  of  Breadalbane 
many  wear,  when  in  high  dress,  a  great  pleated  stocking  of  an  enormous  length,  called 
ossan  pr^assach :  in  other  respects,  their  dress  reseipbles  that  of  women  of  the  same  rank 
in  England ;  but  their  condition  is  very  different,  being  little  better  than  slaves  to  our 
sex. 

This  custom  of  covering  the  face  was  in  old  times  abused,  and  made  subservient  to 
the  purpose  of  intrigue.  By  the  sumptuary  law  of  James  II,  in  1457,  it  was  expressly 
prohibited.  It  directs  that  '*  na  woman  cum  to  kirk,  nor  to  mercat,  with  hir  face  mus- 
sailed  or  covered,  that  scho  may  nqt  be  kend,  under  the  pane  of  escheit  of  the  courchie." 

I  suspect  much,  that  the  head-dresses  of  the  ladies  were  at  that  time  of  the  present  fa- 
shionable altitude  ;  for  the  same  statute  even  prescribes  the  mode  of  that  part  of  apparel 
as  well  as  others  :  for  after  directions  given  to  regulate  the  dress  of  the  men,  they  are 
told  **  to  make  their  wives  and  duuchters  in  like  manner  be  abuilzed,  ganand  and  cor. 
respondent  for  their  estate,  that  is  to  say,  on  their  head  short  curches  with  little  hudes, 
as  ar  used  in  Flanders,  England,  and  other  countries ;  and  as  to  their  gownes,  that  na 
woman  weare  mertrickes,t  nor  letteis,  nor  tailes  unfitt  in  length,  nor  furred  under,  but 
on  a  halieday." 

The  manners  of  the  native  Highlanders  may  justly  be  expressed  in  these  words : 
indolent  to  a  high  degree,  unless  roused  to  war,  or  to  any  animating  amusement ;  or  I 
may  say,  from  experience,  to  lend  any  disinterested  assistance  to  the  distressed  traveller, 
either  on  directing  him  on  his  way,  or  affording  their  aid  in  passing  the  dangerous  tor- 
rents of  the  Highlands :  hospitable  to  the  highest  degree,  and  full  of  generosity :  are 
much  affected  with  the  civility  of  strangers,  and  have  in  themselves  a  natural  politeness 
and  address,  whicli  often  flows  from  the  meanest  when  leasi  t^pfctpd.  Through  my 
whole  tour  I  never  met  with  a  single  instance  of  national  reflection !  their  forbearance 
proves  them  to  be  superior  to  the  meanness  of  retaliation :  I  fear  they  pity  us ;  but  I 
hope  not  indiscriminately.  Are  excessively  inquisitive  after  your  business,  your  name, 
and  other  particulars,  of  little  consequence  to  them  :  most  jurious  after  the  politics  of 
the  world,  and  when  they  can  procure  an  old  news-paper,  wilLlisten  to  it  with  all  the 
avidity  of  Shakspeare's  blacksmith.  Have  much  pride,  and  consequently  are  impatient 
of  affronts,  and  revengeful  of  injuries.  Are  decent  in  their  general  behaviour ;  in- 
clined to  superstition,  yet  attentive  to  the  duties  of  religion,  and  are  capable  ot  giving  a 
most  distinct  account  of  the  principles  of  their  faith.    But  in  many  parts  of  the  High. 


Shaw's  Hist.  Moray,  231, 


t.Msrtrickes  are  furs  of  the  martin's  skin. 


PENNANT'S  TOUll  IN  SCOILANIJ. 


9S 


first 
,  and 
mld's 
ird.* 
)unty 
with- 

heilds 
I  over 
:y  call 
e  with 
during 
ion  in- 
evcry 
lalbaiie 
,  called 
ne  rank 
,  to  our 

vient  to 
tprcssly 
:e  mus- 
ufchie." 
esent  fa- 
f  apparel 
they  are 
and  cor- 
e  hudes, 
J,  that  na 
ndcr,  but 

words : 
ent;  or  I 
traveller, 
erous  tor- 
)sity :  are 
politeness 

rough  my 
wbearancc 
us }  but  I 
our  name, 
politics  of 
vith  all  the 
:  impatient 
viour;  in- 
ot  giving  a 
the  High. 


lands,  their  character  begins  to  be  more  faintly  marked ;  they  mix  more  with  the  world, 
and  become  duily  less  attached  to  their  chiefs  :  the  clans  begin  to  disperse  themselves 
t'jrough  different  parts  of  the  country,  finding  that  their  industry  and  good  conduct 
afford  them  better  protection  (since  the  due  execution  of  the  laws)  than  any  their  chief, 
tan  can  afford  ;  and  the  chieftan,  tasting  the  ^weets  of  advanced  rents,  and  the  benefits 
of  industry,  dismisses  from  his  table  the  crowd  of  retainers,  the  former  instruments  of 
his  oppression  and  freakish  tyranny. 

Most  of  the  ancient  sports  of  the  Highlanders,  such  as  archery,  hunting,  fowling,  and 
fishing,  are  now  disused ;  those  retained  are,  throwing  the  putting-stone,  or  stone  of 
strength,*  as  they  call  it,  which  occasions  an  emulation  who  can  throw  a  weighty  one  the 
farthest.  Throwing  the  penny -stone,  which  answers  to  our  coils.  The  shinty,  or 
striking  of  a  ball  of  wood  or  of  hair  ;  this  game  is  played  between  two  parties  in  a 
large  plain,  and  furnished  with  clubs  ;  whichever  side  strikes  it  first  to  their  own  goal 
wins  the  match. 

The  amusements  by  their  fire-sides  were  the  telling  of  tales,  the  wildest  and  most 
extravagant  possible  ;  music  was  another ;  in  former  times  the  harp  was  the  favourite 
instrument,  covered  with  leather,  and  hung  with  i^irc.f  but  at  present  is  quite  lost. 
Bagpipes  are  supposed  to  have  been  introduced  by  the  Danes  ;  this  is  very  doubtful, 
but  shall  betaken  notice  of  in  the  next  volume  ;  the  oldest  are  played  with  the  mouth, 
the  loudest  and  most  ear-piercing  of  any  wind  music ;  the  others,  played  with  the  fingers 
only,  are  of  Irish  origin  :  the  first  suited  the  genius  of  this  warlike  people,  roused  their 
courage  to  battle,  alarmed  them  when  secure,  and  collected  them  when  scattered.  This 
instrument  is  become  scarce  since  the  abolition  of  the  power  of  the  chieftans,  and  the 
more  industrious  turn  of  the  common  people. 

The  trum,  or  Jew's  haq),|  would  not  merit  the  mention  among  the  Highland  instru- 
ments of  music,  if  it  was  not  to  prove  its  origin  and  antiquity ;  one  made  of  gilt 
brass  having  been  found  in  Norway,  (  deposited  in  an  urn. 

Vocal  music  was  much  in  vogue  amongst  them,  and  their  songs  were  chiefly  in 
praise  of  their  ancient  heroes.  I  was  told  that  they  still  have  fragments  of  the  story  of 
Fingal  and  others^  which  they  carrol  as  they  go  along :  these  vocal  traditions  arc  the 
foundation  of  the  works  of  Ossian. 

Aug.  31.  Leave  Inverness,  and  continue  my  journey  ^vest  for  some  time  by  the 
river-side ;  have  a  fine  view  of  the  plain,  the  Tomman,  the  town,  and  the  distant  hills. 
After  the  ride  of  about  six  miles  reached  Loch  Ness,  ||  and  enjoyed  along  its  banks  a 
most  romantic  and  beautiful  scenery,  generally  in  woods  of  birch,  -or  hazel,  mixed 
with  a  few  holly,  White-thorn,  aspin,  ash  and  oak,  but  open  enough  in  all  parts  to  admit 
d  sight  of  the  water.  Sometimes  the  road  was  straight  for  &  considerable  distance,  and 
i.^sembled  a  fine  and  regular  avenue ;  in  others,  it  wound  about  the  sides  of  the  hills 
which  overhung  the  lake ;  the  road  waji^  frequently  cut  through  the  rock,  which,  on  one 
side,  formed  a  solid  wall,  on  the  other,  a  steep  precipice.  In  many  parts  we  were  im- 
mersed in  woods,  in  others  th?y  opened,  and  gave  a  view  of  the  sides  and  tops  of  the 
vast  mountains  soaring  above ;  some  of  these  were  n'lked,  but  in  general  covered  with 

•  Cloch  neart. 

t  Major  says,  "  Pro  musicis  instrumentis  et  musico  concentu,  lyra  sylvestres  utuntur,  cujus  chordas 
ex  xrc,  et  non  ex  animalium  intestinis,  faciunt,  in  qua  dulcissitni  modulantur." 

t  Probably,  as  an  ingenious  friend  suggested,  this  should  be  read,  the  Jaws-harp. 

$  Sir  Thrmas  Brown's  Hydriotaphia,  p.  8. 

II  This  beautiful  lake  has  a  great  resemblance  to  some  parts  of  the  lake  of  Lucerne,  especially  towards 
the  east  end. 


A 


I 


96 


PENNANT'S  TOUR  IN  SCOTLAND, 


wood,  except  on  the  mere  precijiices,  or  where  the  gray  rocks  denied  vegetation,  or 
where  the  heath,  now  glowing  with  purple  blossoms,  covered  the  surface.  The  form 
of  these  hills  was  very  various  and  irregular,  either  broken  into  frequent  precipices,  or 
towering  into  rounded  summits  clothed  with  trees ;  but  not  so  close  but  to  aomit  a 
bight  of  the  sky  between  them.  Thus,  for  many  miles,  there  was  no  possibility  of  cu!. 
tivation ;  yet  this  tract  was  occupied  by  diminutive  cattle,  by  sheep,  or  by  goats :  the 
last  were  pied,  and  lived  most  luxuriously  on  the  tender  branches  of  the  trees.  The 
wild  animals  that  possessed  this  picturesque  scene  were  stags  and  roes,  black  game  and 
grous  ;  and,  on  the  summits,  white  hares  and  ptarmigans.  Foxes  are  so  numerous  and 
voracious,  that  the  farmers  are  sometimes  forced  to  house  their  sheep,  as  is  done  in  France, 
for  fear  of  the  wolves. 

It  is  to  me  matter  of  surprise  that  no  mention  is  made,  in  the  poems  of  Ossian,  of 
our  great  beasts  of  prey,  which  must  have  abounded  in  his  days ;  for  the  wolf  was  a 
pest  to  the  country  so  late  as  the  reign  of  queen  Elizabeth,  and  the  bear  existed  there 
at  least  till  the  year  1057,  when  a  Gordon,  for  killing  a  fierce  bear,  was  directed  by 
king  Malcolm  III,  to  carry  three  bear's  heads  in  his  banner.*  Other  native  animals 
are  often  mentioned  in  several  parts  of  the  work ;  and  in  the  five  little  poems  on  Night, 
compositions  of  as  many  Bards,  every  modern  British  beast  of  chace  is  enumerated,  the 
howling  dog  and  the  howling  fox  described ;  yet  the  howling  wolf  omitted,  which  woukl 
have  made  the  bard's  night  much  more  hideous. 

Dr.  Johnson,  in  his  journal  to  the  Western  Isles,  p.  297,  in  a  stricture  on  a  passage 
in  one  of  my  Tours,  insinuates  my  belief  in  the  writings  of  Ossian ;  but  the  last  para- 
graph might  have  evinced  my  scepticism.  In  the  five  first  lines  of  p.  275  of  the  same 
work,  by  that  good  and  learned  man,  is  collected  the  sum  of  my  belief. 

The  north  side  of  Loch-Ness  is  far  less  beautiful  than  the  south.  In  general,  the 
hills  are  less  high,  but  very  steep  ;  in  a  very  few  places  covered  with  brush-wood,  but 
in  general  veiy  naked,  from  the  sliding  of  the  strata  down  their  sloping  sides.  About 
the  middle  is  Castle  Urquhart,  a  fortress  founded  on  a  rock  projecting  into  the  lake,  and 
was  said  to  have  been  the  seat  of  the  once  powerful  Cummins,  and  to  have  been  de- 
stroyed by  Edward  I.  Near  it  is  the  broadest  part  of  the  Loch,  occasioned  by  a  bay 
near  the  castle. 

Above  is  Glen-Moriston,  and  east  of  that  Straith.Glas,  the  Chi8olm*s  country ;  in 
both  of  which  are  forests  of  pines,  where  the  rare  tnrd,  the  cock  of  the  wood,  is  still 
to  be  met  with  ;  perhaps  in  those  near  Castle  Grant  Formerly  was  common  throue;h- 
out  the  Highlands,  and  was  called  Capercaize,  and  Auercalze,  and  in  the  old  law-books, 
Capercally.  The  variety  of  the  black  game,  mentioned  by  M.  Brisson,  under  the  name 
of  Coq.  de  Bruyere  piquet^,  was  a  mixed  breed  between  these  two  bbtb;  but  I  could  not 
hear  that  any  at  present  were  to  be  found  in  North  Britain.  Linnaeus  has  met  with 
them  in  Sweden,  and  describes  them  under  the  title  of  Tetrao  cauda  bifurca  subtus  albo 
punctata.  At  Glen-Moriston  is  a  manufacture  of  linen,  where  forty  girls  at  a  time  are 
taught  for  three  months  to  spin,  and  then  another  forty  taken  in :  there  are  besides  six 
looms,  and  all  supported  out  of  the  forfeited  lands. 

Above  is  the  great  mountain  Meal  Fourvounich  ;  the  first  land  sailors  make  from  the 
east  sea. 

I  was  informed  that  in  that  neighbourhood  are  glens  and  cascades  of  surprising  beauty, 
but  my  time  did  not  permit  me  to  visit  them. 

Dined  at  a  poor  inn  near  the  General's  Hut,  or  the  place  where  general  Wade  re* 
sided  when  he  inspected  the  great  work  of  the  roads,  and  gave  one  rare  example  of 

*  Hist.  Gordons,  1 .  p.  2. 


PENNANrS  TOUR  IN  SCOTLAND. 


97 


1,  of 
ras  a 
there 
!dby 
imals 
light,  , 
i,the 
would 

assage 
t  para-    • 
:  same 

al,  the 
)d,but 
About 
tc,  and 
sende- 
r  a  bay 

try;  in 
,  IS  still 
irourfi- 
booKS, 
le  naiAe 
ouldnot 
jet  wiA 
tusalbo 
time  are 
ides  six 

from  the 

;  beauty, 

V^ade  re- 
ample  of 


making  the  soldiery  useful  in  time  of  peace.  Near  is  a  fine  glen,  covered  at  the  bottom 
with  wuod,  through  which  runs  a  torrent  rising  southward.  The  country  also  is  prettily 
varied  with  woods  and  corn-fields. 

About  a  mile  fanher  is  the  fall  of  Fyers,  a  vast  cataract  in  a  darksome  glen  of  a  stupen- 
dous depth ;  the  water  darts  iar  beneath  the  top  through  a  narrow  gap  between  two  rocks, 
then  precipitates  above  forty  feet  lower  into  the  bottom  of  the  chadm,  and  the  foam,  like 
a  great  cloud  of  smoke,  rises  and  fills  the  air.  The  sides  of  this  glen  are  vast  precipices 
mixed  with  trees  over-hanging  the  water,  through  which,  after  a  short  space,  the  waters 
discharge  themselves  into  the  lake. 

About  half  a  mile  south  of  the  first  fall  is  another  passage  through  a  narrow  chasm, 
whose  sides  it  has  undermined  for  a  considerable  way  ;  over  the  gap  is  a  true  Alpine 
bridge  of  die  bodies  of  trees  covered  with  sods,  from  whose  imddle  is  an  awful  view  of 
the  water  roaring  beneath. 

At  the  fall  of  Foher  the  road  quits  the  side  of  the  lake,  and  is  carried  for  some  space 
through  a  small  vale  on  the  side  of  the  river  Fyers,  where  is  a  mixture  of  small  plains  of 
com  and  rocky  hills.  ■-    t 

Then  succeeds  a  long  and  dreuy  nioor,  a  tedious  ascent  up  the  mountain  See-chuimin, 
or  Cummin's  seat,  whose  summit  is  of  a  great  height  and  very  craggy.  Descend  a  steep 
road,  leave  on  the  right  Loch-Taarf,  a  small  irregular  piece  of  water,  decked  with  little 
wooded  isles,  and  abounding  with  char.    After  a  second  steep  descent,  reach 

Fort  Aujg;ustus,*  a  small  fortress,  seated  on  a  plain  at  the  head  of  Loch-Ness,  between 
the  rivers  Tasurf  and  Oich :  the  last  is  considerable,  and  has  over  it  a  bridge  of  three  arches. 
The  fort  conasts  of  four  bastions ;  within  is  the  governor's  house,  and  barracks  for  400 
men :  it  was  taken  by  the  rebels  in  1746,  who  immcidiately  deserted  it,  after  demolbhing 
what  they  could. 

Loch-Ness  is  twenty.two  miles  in  length,  the  breadth  from  one  to  two  miles,  except 
near  Castle  Urquhart,  where  it  swells  out  to  three.  The  depth  is  very  great ;  oppo- 
site to  the  rock  called  the  horse-shoe,  near  the  west  end,  it  has  been  found  to  be  140 
fiathoms.  From  an  eminence  near  the  fort  b  a  full  view  of  its  whole  extent,  for  it  is 
perfecdy  straignt,  running  from  east  to  west,  with  a  pnnt  to  the  south.  The  boundary 
from  the  M  of  Fyers  is  very  steep  and  rocky,  which  obliged  ^jneral  Wade  to  make  that 
detour  from  its  banks,  partly  on  account  of  die  expence  \fi  cutting  through  so  much  solid 
rock,  pardy  through  an  apprehension  that,  in  case  of  a  rebellion,  the  troops  mi^t  be  de- 
strojfvd  in  their  march,  by  the  tumbling  down  of  stones  by  the  enemy  rirom  above :  be- 
«des  this,  a  prodigious  arch  must  have  been  flung  over  the  Glen  of  Fyers. 

This  lake,  by  reason  of  its  great  depth,  never  freezes,  and,  during  cold  weather,  a  vio- 
lent steam  rises  from  it,  as  from  a  furnace.  Ice  brought  from  other  parts,  and  put 
into  Loch-Ness,  instanUy  thaws ;  but  no  water  freezes  sooner  thsui  Jiat  or  the  lake  when 
brought  into  a  house.  Its  Water  is  esteemed  very  salubrious,  so  that  people  come  or  send 
thirty  miles  for  it :  old  lord  Lovat  in  particular  made  constant  use  of  it.  But  it  is  certain, 
whether  it  be  owing  to  the  water,  or  to  the  air  of  that  neighbourhood,  that  for  seven  years 
thegarrison  of  Fort  Augustus  had  not  lost  a  single  man. 

The  fiiih  of  this  lake  are  salmon,  which  are  in  season  from  Christmas  to  Midsummer ; 
trouts  of  about  two  pounds  wei^^t,  pikes  and  eels.  During  winter,  it  is  frequented  by 
swans  and  other  wild  fowls.  .rssnrK  ,jj(if^,.'ii:;A-mi^f-^:'>:':''-'-'-. 

vV  *  Its  Ene  ntme  is  Ktll-chuimio,  or  the  burial  place  of  the  Cummins.  It  lies  on  the  road  to  the  Islr 
of  Skie,  which  is  about  fifty-two  miles  off;  but  on  the  whole  way  there  is  not  a  place  fit  for  the  reception 
of  man  or  horse. . 

VOL.    111.  '0  .,  s  - 


98 


PENNANT'S  TOUR  IN  SCOTLAND 


The  greatest  rise  of  water  in  Loch-Ness  is  fourteen  feet.  The  lakes  from  whence  it 
receives  its  supplit's  are  Luch-Oich,  Loch-Gurrie,  and  Loch-Qnich.  There  is  but 
very  little  navigation  on  it ;  the  only  vessel  is  a  gaily  belonging  to  the  fort,  to  brii:;^ 
the  stores  from  the  east  end,  the  river  Ness  being  too  shallow  for  navigation. 

It  is  violently  agitated  by  the  winds,  and  at  times  the  waves  are  quite  mountainous. 
November  1st,  1755,  at  the  same  time  as  the  earthquake  at  Lisbon,  these  waters  were 
afiected  4n  a  very  extraordinary  manner :  they  rose  and  flowed  up  the  lake  from  east 
to  west  with  vast  impetuosity,  and  were  curried  above  200  yards  up  the  river  Oich, 
breaking  on  its  banks  in  a  wave  near  three  feet  high ;  then  continued  ebbing  and  flow- 
ing for  the  space  of  an  hour ;  but  at  eleven  o'clock,  a  wave  greater  than  any  of  the  rest 
came  up  the  river,  broke  on  the  north  side,  and  overflowed  the  bank  for  the  extent  of 
thirty  feet.  A  boat  near  the  general's  hut,  loaden  with  brush-wood,  was  thrice  dri- 
ven ashore,  and  twice  carried  back  again ;  but  the  last  time,  the  rudder  was  broken, 
the  wood  forced  out,  and  the  boat  filled  with  water  and  left  on  shore.  At  the  same 
time,  a  little  isle,  in  a  small  loch  in  Badenoch,  was  totally  reversed,  and  flung  on  the 
beach.     But  at  both  these  places  no  agitation  was  felt  on  land. 

Sept.  1.  Rode  to  the  castle  of  Tor-down,  a  rock  two  miles  west  of  Fort  Augustus : 
on  the  summit  b  an  ancient  fortress.  The  face  of  this  rock  is  a  precipice ;  on  the 
accessible  side  is  a  strong  dyke  of  loose  stones,  above  that  a  ditch,  and  a  little  higher  a 
terrass  supported  by  stones ;  on  the  top,  a  small  oval  area,  hollow  in  the  middle;  round 
this  area,  for  the  depth  of  near  twelve  feet,  are  a  quantity  of  stones,  strangely  cemented 
with  almost  vitrified  matter,  and  in  some  places  quite  turned  into  black  scoria ;  the 
stones  were  generally  granite,  mixed  with  a  few  grit-stones  of  a  kind  not  found  nearer 
the  place  than  forty  miles.  Whether  this  was  the  ancient  site  of  some  forge,  or  whe- 
ther the  stones  which  form  this  fortress^  had  been  collected  from  the  strata  of  some  vol- 
cano (for  the  vestiges  of  such  are  said  to  have  been  found  in  the  Highlands)  I  submit  to 
farther  inquiry. 

From  this  rock  is  a  view  of  Ben-ki,  a  vast  craggy  mountain  above  Glen-Garrie's 
country.  Towards  the  south  is  the  high  mountain  Coryarich :  the  ascent  from  this  side 
is  nine  miles,  but  on  the  other  the  descent  into  Badenoch  is  very  rapid,  and  not  above 
one,  the  road  being,  for  the  ease  of  the  traveller,  cut  into  a  zig-za^  fashion.  People  often 
perish  on  the  summit  of  this  hill,  which  is  frequently  visited  during  winter  with  dreadful 
storms  of  snow. 

Sept.  2.  Aiter  a  short  ride  westward  along  the  plain,  reach  Loch-Oich,  a  narrow 
lake ;  the  sides  prettily  indented,  and  the  vt^ater  adorned  with  small  wooded  isles.  On 
the  shore  is  Glen-Garrie,  the  seat  of  Mr.  M'Donald,  almost  surrounded  with  wood, 
and  not  far  distant  is  the  ruin  of  the  dd  castle.  This  lahe  is  about  four  miles  long ; 
the  road  on  the  south  side  is  excellent,  and  often  carried  through  very  pleasant  woods. 

Aiier  a  small  interval,  arrive  on  the  banks  of  Loch-Lochy,  a  fine  piece  of  water 
fourteen  miles  long,  and  from  one  to  two  broad.  The  distant  mountains  on  the  north 
were  of  an  immense  height ;  those  on  the  south  had  the  appearance.,  of  sheep-walks. 
The  road  is  continued  on  the  side  of  the  lake  about  eight  miles.  On  the  opposite 
shore  was  Achnacarrie,  once  the  seat  of  Cameron  of  Lochiel,  but  burnt  in  1746.  He 
was  esteemed  by  all  parties  the  honestesi  and  most  sensible  man  of  any  that  embarked 
in  the  pernicious  and  absurd  attempt  of  that  and  the  preceding  year,  and  was  a  me' 
lancholy  instance  of  a  fine  understanding  and  a  well  intending  heart  over-powered 
by  the  unhappy  prejudices  of  education.    By  his   influence,  he  prevented  tlie  rebels 

*  I  was  informed  that  at  Arisaig  is  an  old  castle  formed  of  the  same  materials.  *' 


I'ENNANT'S  TOUn  IX  SCOTI.ANU 


99 


from  committing  several  excesses,  and  even  saved  the  city  of  Glasgow  from  being  plun- 
dered, when  their  army  remrncd  out  of  England,  irritated  with  their  disappointment, 
and  enraged  at  the  loyalty  that  city  had  shewn.  The  pretender  came  to  him  as  soon  as 
ever  he  landed.  Lochiel,  seeing  him  arrive  in  so  wild  a  manner,  and  so  unsupported, 
entreated  him  to  desist  from  an  enterprise,  from  which  nothing  but  certain  ruin  could 
result  to  him  and  his  partizans.  The  adventurer  grew  warm,  and  reproached  Lochiel 
with  a  breach  of  promise.  This  uflfccted  him  so  deeply,  that  he  instantly  went  and 
took  a  tender  and  moving  leave  of  his  lady  and  family,  imagining  he  was  on  the  point 
of  parting  with  them  for  ever.  The  income  of  his  estate  was  at  that  time,  as  I  was 
tolcl,  not  above  7001.  per  annum,  yet  he  brought  fourteen  hundred  men  into  the  field. 

The  waters  of  this  lake  form  the  river  Lochy,  and  discharge  themselves  into  the 
western  sea,  as  those  of  Loch-Oich  do  through  Loch-Ness  into  the  eastern.  About  the 
beginning  of  this  lake  enter  Lochaber;*  stop  at  Low-bridge,  a  poor-house;  travel 
over  a  black  moor  for  some  miles ;  see  abundance  of  cattle,  but  scarce  any  corn.     Cross 

High-bridge,  a  fine  bridge  of  three  arches  flung  over  the  torrent  Spean,  founded  on 
rocks;  two  of  the  arches  are  ninety- five  feet  high.  This  bridge  was  built  by  general 
Wade,  in  order  to  form  a  communication  with  the  country.  These  public  works  were 
at  first  very  disagreeable  to  the  old  chieftans,  and  lessened  their  influence  greatly  ;  for, 
by  admitting  strangers  among  them,  their  clans  were  taught  that  the  lairds  were  not 
the  first  of  men.  But  they  hwl  another  reason  much  more  solid ;  Lochaber  had  been 
a  den  of  thieves :  and,  as  long  as  they  had  their  waters,  their  torrents  and  their  bogs, 
in  a  state  of  nature,  they  made  their  excursions,  could  plunder  and  retreat  with  their 
booty  in  full  security.  So  weak  were  the  laws  in  many  parts  of  North  Britain,  till  afler 
the  late  rebellion,  that  no  stop  could  be  put  to  this  infamous  practice.  A  contribution, 
called  the  Black-mail,  was  raised  by  several  of  these  plundering  chieftans  over  a  vast 
extent  of  country  :  whoever  paid  it  had  their  cattle  ensured,  but  those  who  dared  to 
refuse  were  sure  to  suffer.  Many  of  these  fi*eebooters  were  wont  to  insert  an  article, 
by  which  they  were  to  be  released  from  their  agreement,  in  case  of  any  civil  commo- 
tion :  thus,  at  the  breaking  out  of  the  last  rebellion,  a  M'Gregor,t  who  had  with  the 
strictest  honour  (dll  that  event)  preserved  his  friends'  cattle,  immediately  sent  them 
word,  that  from  that  time  they  were  out  of  his  protection,  and  must  now  take  care  of 
themselves.  Barrisdale  was  another  of  this  class,  chief  of  a  band  of  robbers,  who 
spread  terror  over  the  whole  country  :  but  the  Highlanders  at  that  time  esteemed  the 
open  theft  of  cattle,  or  the  making  a  creach  (as  they  call  it)  by  no  means  dishonour- 
able ;  and  the  young  men  considered  it  a  piece  of  gallantry,  by  which  they  recom- 
mended themselves  to  their  mistresses.  On  the  other  side,  there  was  often  as  much 
bravery  in  the  pursuers;  for  frequent  battles  ensued,  and  much  blood  has  been  spilt 
on  these  occasions.  They  also  shewed  great  dexterity  in  tracing  the  robbers,  not  only 
through  the  boggy  land,  but  over  the  firmest  ground,  and  even  over  places  where 
other  cattle  had  passed,  knov/mg  well  how  to  distinguish  the  steps  of  those  that  were 
wandering  about  fi'om  those  that  were  driven  hastily  away  by  the  freebooters.  • 

*  From  the  road  had  a  distant  view  of  the  mountains  of  Arisaig,  beyond  which  were 
Moydart,  Kinloch,  &c.  At  the  end  of  Loch-shiel  the  pretender  first  set  up  his  standard, 
in  the  wildest  place  that  ima^nation  can  frame :  and  in  thb  sequestered  spot,  amidst 
ancient  prejudices,  and  prevailing  ignorance  of  the  blessings  of  our  happy  constitution , 
the  strength  of  the  rebellion  lay. 


:.i^-4i^  ~}0:: 


-ASi: 


*  So  called  from  a  lake  not  for  from  Fort  Williain»  near  \rhose  banks  Banquo  was  said  to  have  been 
murdered.  t  Who  assumed  the  name  of  Graham. 

0  3 


•> 


;> 


'» 


ii 


100 


PENNANT'S  TOUR  IN  SCOTLAND. 


'■».^ 


Pass  by  the  river  Lochy,  now  considerable.  See  Inverlochy  castle,  with  large  round 
towers,  which,  by  the  mode  of  building,  seems  to  have  bceathe  work  of  the  English, 
in  the  time  of  Edward  I,  who  laid  laree  fines  on  the  Scotch  barons  for  the  purpose  of 
erecting  new  castles.  The  largest  of  these  towers  is  called  Cummin^s.  But  long  prior 
to  these  ruins  Inverlochy  had  been  a  place  of  great  note,  a  most  opulent  city,  remark- 
able for  the  vast  resort  of  French  and  Spaniards,  *  probablv  on  account  of  trade.  It 
was  also  a  seat  of  the  kings  of  Scotland,  for  here  Achaius  m  the  year  790  signed  (as 
is  reported)  the  league  offensive  and  defensive  between  himself  and  Charlemagne.  In 
after- times  it  was  utterly  destroyed  by  the  Danes,  and  never  again  restored. 

In  the  neighbourhood  of  this  place  were  fought  two  fierce  battles,  one  between  Donald 
Balloch,  brother  to  Alexander  lord  of  the  Isles,  who  with  a  great  power  invaded 
Lochaljer  in  the  year  1427  :  he  was  met  bv  the  earls  of  Mar  and  Caithness,  the  last  was 
slain,  and  their  forces  totally  defeated.f  Balloch  returned  to  the  isles  with  vast  booty, 
the  object  of  those  plundering  chieftans.  Here  also  the  Campbells,  under  the  marquis 
of  Argyle,  in  Februanr  1645,  received  from  Montrose  an  overthrew  fatal  to  numbers  of 
that  gallant  name.  Fifteen  hundred  fell  in  the  action,  and  in  the  pursuit,  with  the  loss 
only  of  three  to  the  royalists.  Sir  Thomas  Oglevie,  the  friend  of  Montrose,  died  of  his 
wounds.     His  death  suppressed  all  joy  for  the  victory.  '>• 

At  Inverlochy  is  Fort  William,  built  in  king  William's  reign ;  as  was  a  small  town 
near  it  called  Maryborough,  in  honour  of  his  queen :  but,  prior  to  that,  had  been  a 
small  fortress,  erected  by  general  Monk,  with  whose  people  the  famous  sir  Ewen 
Cameron:]:  had  numerous  contests.  The  present  fort  is  a  triangle,  has  two  bastions, 
and  is  capable  of  admitting  a  garrison  of  800  men.  It  was  well  defended  against  the 
Rebels  in  1746,  who  raised  the  siege  with  much  disgrace.  It  was  also  attempted  by 
those  of  1715j  but  without  success.  The  fort  lies  on  a  narrow  arm  of  the  sea,  called 
Lochiel.  which  extends  some  miles  higher  up  the  country,  makhig  a  bend  to  the 
north,  and  extends  likewise  westward  towards  the  isle  of  MuH,  near  twenty.four  Scotch 
miles. 

This  fort  on  the  west*  and  Fort  Augustus  in  the  centre,  and  Fort  George  on  the 
east,  form  what  is  called  the  chain,  from  sea  to  sea.  This  space  is  called  Glen*  more, 
or  the  great  glen,  which,  including  water  and  land,  is  almost  a  level  of  seventy  miles. 
There  is,  in  ract,  but  little  land,  but  what  is  divided  by  firth,  loch,  or  river  -,  except  the 
two  miles  which  lie  between  Loch-Oich  and  Loch-Lochy ,  called  Lagan-achadrom.  By 
means  of  Fort  George,  all  entrance  up  the  firth  towards  Inverness  is  prevented.  Fort 
Augustus  curbs  the  inlud>itants  midway,  and  Fort  William  is  a  check  to  any  attempts 
in  the  west.  Detachments  are  made  from  all  these  garrisons  to  Inverness  Bemera  bar. 
rack  opposite  to  the  Isle  of  Skie,  and  Castle  Duart  in  the  Isle  of  Mull.(  Other  small 
parUes  are  also  scattered  in  huts  throughout  the  country,  to  prevent  the  stealing  of 
cattle. 

Fort  William  is  surrounded  by  vast  mountains,  which  occasion  almost  perpetual  rain: 
the  loftiest  are  on  the  south  dde  ;  Benevish  soars  above  the  rest,  and  ends,  as  I  was  told, 
in  a  point  (at  this  time  concealed  in  mist)  whose  height  from  the  sea  is  said  to  be  1450 
yards.  As  an  ancient  Briton,  I  lament  the  disgrace  of  Snowdon,  once  esteemed  the 
highest  hill  in  the  island,  but  now  must  yield  the  palm  to  a  Caledonian  mountain. 

'  *  BoethiuB.  Scot.  Regni  Descr.  4.  f  Buchanan,  lib.  x.  c.  33. 

f  Who  is  said  to  have  killed  the  last  wolf  in  Scotland,  about  the  year  1 680.  Memoirs  of  tlds  celebrated 
chieftan  are  given  in  the  Appendix. 

$  I  was  informed  that  cotd  has  lately  been  discovered  in  this  island.  What  advantage  may  not  this 
prove,  in  establishments  of  manufactures,  in  a  country  just  roused  from  the  lap  of  indolence  ! 


PENNANT'S  TOUtt  IN  SCOTLAND. 


101 


But  I  have  my  doubts  whether  this  might  not  be  rivalled,  or  perhaps  surpassed,  by 
others  in  the  same  country  ;  for  example,  Ben  y  bourd,  a  central  hill,  from  whence  to 
the  sea  there  is  a  continued  and  rapid  descent  of  seventy  miles,  as  may  be  seen  by  the 
violen:  course  of  the  Dee  to  Aberdeen.  But  their  height  has  not  yet  been  taken, 
which  to  be  done  fairly  must  be  from  the  sea.  Benevish,  as  well  js  many  others,  har- 
bours snow  throughout  the  year. 

The  bad  weather  which  reigned  during  mv  stay  in  these  parts  prevented  me  from 
visiting  the  celebrated  parallel  roads  in  Glen.I^oy.  As  I  am  unable  to  satisfy  the  curi- 
osity  of  the  reader  from  my  own  observation,  I  shall  deliver  in  the  Appendix  the  infor. 
mation  I  could  collect  relating  to  these  amazing  works. 

The  great  produce  of  Lochabar  is  cattle :  that  district  alone  sends  out  annually 
3000  }iead ;  but  if  a  portion  of  Inverneashire  is  included,  of  which  this  properly  is 
part,  the  number  is  10,000.  There  are  also  a  few  horses  bred  here,  and  a  very  few 
sheep ;  but  of  late  several  have  been  imported.  Scarce  any  arable  land,  for  the  exces- 
sive wet  which  reigns  here  almost  totally  prevents  the  growth  of  corn,  and  vvhat  little 
there  is  fit  for  tillage  lets  at  ten  shillings  an  acre.  The  inhabitants  of  this  district  are 
therefore  obliged,  for  their  support,  to  import  6000  bolls  of  oatmeal  annually,  which 
cost  about  40001. ;  the  rents  arc  about  30001.  per  annum ;  the  return  for  their  cattle  is 
about  75001. ;  the  horses  may  produce  some  trifle ;  so  that  the  tenants  must  content 
themselves  with  a  very  scarity  subsistence,  without  the  prospect  of  saving  the  least 
against  unforeseen  accidents.  The  rage  of  raising  rents  has  reached  this  distant  coun> 
try  :  in  England  there  may  be  reason  for  it  (in  a  certain  degree)  where  the  value  of 
lands  is  increased  by  accession  of  commerce,  and  by  the  rise  of  provisions :  but  here 
(contrary  to  all  policy)  the  great  men  begin  at  the  wrong  end,  with  squeezing  the  bag, 
before  they  have  helped  the  poor  tenant  to  fill  it,  by  the  introduction  of  manufactures. 
In  many  of  the  isles  this  already  shews  its  unhappy  effect,  and  begins  to  depopulate  the 
country  ;  for  numbers  of  families  have  been  obliged  to  give  up  the  strong  attachment 
the  Scots  in  general  have  for  their  country,  and  to  exchange  it  for  the  wilds  of 
America. 

The  houses  of  the  peasants  in  Lochabar  are  the  most  wretched  that  can  be  imagined ; 
framed  of  upright  poles,  which  are  wattled  ;  the  roof  is  formed  of  boughs  like  a  wig- 
wam, and  the  whole  is  covered  with  sods  ;  so  that  in  this  moist  climate  their  cottages 
have  a  perpetual  and  much  finer  verdure  than  the  rest  of  the  country. 

Salmons  are  taken  in  these  parts  as  late  as  May ;  about  50  tons  are  caught  in  the 
season.     These  fish  never  appear  so  early  on  this  coast  as  on  the  eastern. 

Phinocs  are  taken  here  in  great  numbers,  1500  having  been  taken  at  a  draught. 
They  come  in  August,  and  disappear  in  November.  They  are  about  a  foot  long,  their 
colour  gray  spotted  with  black,  their  flesh  red ;  rise  eagerly  to  a  fly.  The  fishermen 
suppose  them  to  be  the  young  of  what  they  call  a  great  trout,  weighing  301b.  which  I 
suppose  b  the  gray.**^ 

September  4th,  left  Fort  William,  and  proceeded  south  along  the  military  road,  on 
the  side  of  a  hill,  an  awful  height  above  Loch-Leven,t  a  branch  of  the  sea,  so  narrow 
as  to  have  only  the  appearance  of  a  river,  bounded  on  both  sides  with  vast  mountains, 
among  whose  winding  bottoms  the  tide  rolled  in  with  solemn  majesty.  The  scenery 
be^ns  to  grow  very  romantic ;  on  the  west  side  are  some  woods  of  birch  and  pines  : 
the  hills  are  very  lofty,  many  of  them  taper  to  a  point ;  and  my  old  friend,  the  late 

*  Br.  Zool.  III.  No.  144. 

t  The  country  people  hare  a  most  tupersiitious  desire  of  being  buried  in  the  little  isle  of  Mur.,  in 
this  loch. 


102 


PENNANT'S  TOUR  IN  SCOTLAND. 


worthy  bishop  I'ocock,  compared  the  shape  of  one  to  mount  Tabor.  Beneath  them 
is  Glen-Co,  infamous  for  the  massacre  of  its  inhabitants  in  1691,  and  celebrated  for 
having  (as  some  assert)  given  birth  to  Ossian ;  towards  the  north  is  Morven,  the  coun- 
try  of  his  hero  Fingal. 

•'The  scenery*  of  this  valley  is  far  the  most  picturesque  of  any  in  the  Highlands, 
being  so  wild  and  uncommon,  that  it  never  fails  to  attract  the  eye  of  every  stranger  of 
the  least  degree  of  taste  or  sensibility.  The  entrance  to  it  is  strongly  marked  By  the 
craggy  mountain  of  Buachal-ety,  a  little  west  of  the  king's  house.  All  the  other 
mountains  of  Glen-Co  resemble  it,  and  are  evidently  but  naked  and  solid  rocks,  rising 
on  i^ach  side  perpendicularly  to  a  great  height  from  a  flat  narrow  bottom,  so  that  in  many 
places  they  seem  to  hang  over,  and  make  approaches,  as  they  aspire,  towards  each  other. 
The  tops  of  the  ridge  of  hills  on  one  svV  ace  irregularly  serrated  for  three  or  four  miles, 
and  shot  in  places  into  spires,  which  fo.  m  the  most  magnificent  part  of  the  scenery  above 
Ken-Loch>Leven.  In  the  middle  of  the  valley  is  a  small  lake,  and  from  it  runs  the 
river  Coan,  or  Cona,  celebrated  in  the  works  of  Ossian.  Indeed  no  place  could  be 
more  happily  calculated  than  this  for  forming  the  taste  and  inspiring  the  genius  of  such 
a  poet. 

"  The  principal  native  animals  on  the  mountains  of  Glen-Co  are  red  deer,  Alpine 
hares,  foxes,  eagles,  ptarmip-ans,  and  a  few  moor-fowl.  It  is  remarkable,  that  the  com- 
mon hare  was  never  seen  either  here,  in  Glen-Creran,  or  Glcn-Ety,  till  the  military 
roads  were  made.  The  partridge  is  a  bird  but  lately  known  here,  and  is  still  rare. 
There  are  nehher  rats  nor  vipers. 

**  In  Glen-Co  are  six  farms,  forming  a  rent  of  2411.  per  annum  :  the  only  crops  are 
oats,  bear  and  potatoes.  The  increase  of  oats  is  three  bolls  and  a  half  from  one  ;  of 
bear  four  or  five.  But  the  inhabitants  cannot  subsist  upon  their  harvest :  about  three 
hundred  pounds  worth  of  meal  is  annually  imported.  They  sell  about  seven  hundred 
pounds  worth  of  black  cattle;  but  keep  only  sheep  and  goats  for  the  use  of  private 
families :  neither  butter  or  cheese  is  made  for  sale.  The  men  servants  are  paid  in 
kind ;  and  commonly  married. 

"  Glen- Co  lies  in  the  united  parishes  of  Lismore  and  Appin,  and  contains^  about  four 
hundred  inhabitants,  who  are  visited  occasionally  by  a  preacher  from  Appin." 

Leave  on  the  left  a  vast  cataract,  precipitating  itself  in  a  great  foaming  sheet  between 
two  lofty  perpendicular  rocks,  with  trees  growmg  out  of  the  fissures,  forming  a  large 
stream,  called  the  water  of  Boan. 

Breakfast  at  the  little  village  of  Kinloch-Leven  on  most  excellent  minced  stag,  the  only 
form  I  thought  that  animal  good  in. 

Near  this  village  is  a  single  farm  fourteen  miles  long,  which  lets  for  only  351.  per 
annum  ;  and,  from  the  nature  of  the  soil,  perhaps  not  very  Oheap. 

Saw  here  a  quern,  a  sort  of  portable  mill,  made  of  two  stones  about  two  feet  broacL 
thin  at  the  edges,  and  a  little  thicker  in  the  middle.  In  the  centre  of  the  upper  stone  is 
a  hole  to  pour  in  the  com,  and  a  peg  by  way  of  handle.  The  whole  is  placed  on  a 
cloth;  the  grinder  pours  the  corn  into  the  hole  with  one  hand,  and  with  the  other 
turns  round  the  upper  stone  with  a  veiy  rapid  motion,  while  the  meal  runs  out  at  the 
sides  on  the  cloth.  This  is  rather  preserved  as  a  curiosity,  being  much  out  of  use  at 
present.  Such  are  supposed  to  be  the  same  with  what  are  common  among  the  Moors, 
being  the  simple  substitute  of  a  mill. 

*  I  am  indebted  to  the  Rev.  Mr.  John  Stuart  of  Killin  for  the  description  of  this  curious  valley,  having 
only  had  a  distant  view  of  it.  t  Report  of  the  Visitation,  8cc.  1760. 


broacL 
stone  is 
d  on  a 
other 
jt  at  the 
)f  use  at 
Moors, 


jy,  havine 


PRNNANrs  TOUH  IN  SCOTLAND 


10.3 


Immediately  after  Icaviiu^  Kiiiloch-Lcvcn  the  mountains  soar  to  a  I'ar  j<;rtat(.T  hcitvlit 
than  bilbrc;  ihc  sides  arc  covered  with  wood,  and  Uie  boltonT-j  of  the  ^leiiij  lilUd  wiili 
torrents  that  roar  ainidsit  the  loose  stones.  After  a  ride  of  two  miles  lK!j;iu  to  aiceiid 
the  black  mountain,  in  Argyleshirc,  on  a  stcen  road,  which  continues  about  three  miles, 
almost  to  the  summit,  and  is  certainly  the  hig^iiebt  public  road  in  Great  Britain.  On  i\\c 
other  side  the  descent  is  scarce  a  mile,  but  is  very  rapid  down  a  zig  zag  way.  HiMch 
the  king's  house,  seated  in  a  plain:  it  wa^  built  for  the  accommodation  of  his  majesty's 
troops,  m  their  march  through  this  desolate  country,  but  is  in  a  mut)nLruiifurni<>hcd. 

Pass  near  LochTalla,  u  long  narrow  piece  of  water,  with  a  small  |)ine  wood  on  its 
side.  A  few  weather-beaten  pines  and  birch  appear  scattered  up  and  down,  and  in  all 
the  bogs  great  numbers  of  roots,  that  evince  the  forest  that  covered  the  country  within 
this  half  century.  These  were  the  last  pines  which  I  saw  growirj  spontaneously  in 
North  Britain.  The  pine  forests  are  l)ecomc  very  rare  :  I  can  enumerate  only  those  oti 
the  banks  of  Loch-Rannoch,  at  Invercauld,  and  Brae -Mar ;  at  Coygach  and  Dirry* 
Monach :  the  first  in  Straithnavcrn,  the  last  in  Sutherland.  Those  about  Loch-Loyn, 
Glen-Morriston,  and  Straith-Glas  ;  a  small  one  near  Loch-Garric ;  another  near  Loch- 
Arkig,  and  a  few  scattered  trees  above  Kmloch-Leven,  all  in  Invernesshire  ;  and  I  was 
also  informed  that  there  are  very  considerable  woods  about  Castle.Grant.  I  saw  only 
one  species  of  pine  in  those  I  visited:  nor  could  I  learn  whether  there  was  any  other 
than  what  is  vulgarly  called  the  Scutch  Fir,  whose  synonyms  are  these  : 

Pinus  sylvestris  foliis  brevibus  glaucis,  conis  parvis  albentibus.  Raii  hist.  pi.  1401. 
syn.  stirp.  Br.  442. 

Pinus  sylvestris.     Gerard's  herb.     1356.  Lin.  sp.  pi.  1418.     Flora  Angl.  361. 

Pin  d'Ecosse,  ou  de  Geneve.    Du  Hamel  Trait6  des  Arbres.  II.  125.     No.  5. 

Fyrre.     Strom.  Sondmor.  12. 

Most  of  this  lone  day's  journey  from  the  black  mountain  was  truly  melsicholy,  aU 
most  one  continued  scene  of  dusky  moors,  without  arable  land,  trees,  houses,  or  living 
creatures,  for  numbers  of  miles.  The  names  of  the  wild  tracts.  I  passed  through  were, 
BuachiUety,  Corricha-ba,  and  Bendoran. 

-  The  roads  are  excellent :  but  from  Fort-William  to  Kinloch-Leven  very  injudici- 
ously planned,  often  carried  far  about,  and  often  so  steep  as  to  be  scarce  surmountable ; 
whereas  had  the  engineer  followed  the  track  used  by  the  inhabitants,  those  inconvenien- 
ces would  have  been  avoided. 

These  roads,  by  rendering  the  Highlands  accessible,  contributed  much  to  their  present 
improvement,  and  were  owing  to  the  industry  of  our  soldiery ;  they  were  begun  in 
1723,*  under  the  directions  of  general  Wade,  who,  like  another  Hannibal,  forced  his 
way  through  rocks  supposed  to  have  been  unconquerable :  many  of  them  hang  over 
the  mighty  lakes  of  the  country,  and  formerly  afforded  no  other  road  to  the  natives 
than  the  paths  of  sheep  or  goats,  where  even  the  Highlander  crawled  with  difficulty,  and 
kept  himself  from  tumbling  {•".to  the  far  subjacent  water  by  clinging  to  the  plants  and 
bushes  of  the  rock.  Many  of  these  rocks  were  too  hard  to  yield  to  the  pick-axe,  and 
the  miner  was  obliged  to  subdue  their  obstinacy  witli  gunpowder,  and  often  in  places 
where  nature  had  denied  him  footing,  and  where  he  was  forced  to  begin  his  labours,  sus- 
pended from  above  by  ropes  on  the  face  of  the  horrible  precipice.  The  bogs  and  moors 
had  likewise  their  difficulties  to  overcome ;  but  all  were  at  length  constrained  to  yield  to 
the  perseverance  of  our  troops. 

.:--    ,  „    .,"  •  •Videp.  100.   ^ 


h, 


t  ' 


il 


■1 


i  ' 


104 


Pr.NNANT'8  TOUn  IM  SCOTLAND. 


In  some  places  I  observed,  that,  after  the  manner  of  the  Romans,  they  left  engraven 
on  the  rocks  the  names  of  the  regiment  each  party  belonged  to,  wlio  were  employed  in 
these  works  ;  nor  were  they  less  worthy  of  being  immurtulizcd  than  the  vcxillutiocs  of 
the  Roman  legions  ;  for  civilization  was  the  conMecuicnce  of  the  labours  of  both. 

These  roads  begin  at  Dunkcid,  are  carried  on  through  the  noted  pass  of  Killicrankie, 
by  Blair,  to  Dalnacardoch,  Dalwhinic,  and  over  the  Coryarich,  to  Fort  Augustus.  A 
branch  extends  from  thence  eastward  to  Inverness,  and  another  westward,  over  High* 
bridge  to  Fort  William.  From  the  last,  by  Kinloch  Lcven,  over  the  Black  Mountain, 
by  the  king's  house,  to  Tyendrum  ;  and  from  thence,  by  Glcn-Uttjuie,  to  Invcrary,  and 
so  along  the  beautiful  boundaries  of  Loch- Lomond,  to  its  extremity. 

Another  road  begins  near  Crief,  passes  by  Aberfcldy,  crosses  the  Tay  at  Tay-bridge, 
and  unites  with  the  other  road  at  Oalnacurdoch  ;  and  from  Dalwhinie  a  branch  passes 
through  Badenoch  to  Inverness. 

These  are  the  principal  military  roads ;  but  there  may  be  many  others  I  may  have 
overlooked. 

Rode  through  some  little  vales,  by  the  side  of  a  small  river ;  and  from  the  appear- 
ance  of  fertility,  have  some  relief  from  the  dreary  scenes  of  the  rest  of  the  day.     Reach 

Tyendrum,  a  small  village.  The  inn  is  seated  the  highest  of  any  house  in  Scotland. 
The  Tay  runs  east,  and  a  few  hundred  yards  further  is  a  little  lake,  whose  waters  run 
west.  A  lead.minc  is  worked  here  by  a  level  to  some  advantage  ;  was  discovered  about 
thirty  years  ago :  the  veins  run  S.  W.  and  N.  E.  ' 

September  5th,  continue  my  tour  on  a  very  fine  road  on  a  side  of  a  narrrow  vale« 
abounding  with  cattle,  yet  destitute  both  of  arable  land  and  meadow  ;  but  the  beasts 
pick  up  a  sustenance  from  the  grass  that  springs  up  among  the  heath.  The  country 
opens  on  approaching  Glen-Urquie,  a  pretty  valley,  well  cultivated,  fertile  iii  com, 
the  sides  adorned  with  numbers  of  pretty  groves,  and  the  middle  watered  by  the  river 
Urquie  :  the  church  is  seated  on  a  knoll,  m  a  large  isle  formed  by  the  river :  the  manse, 
or  minister's  house,  is  neat,  and  his  little  demesne  is  decorated  in  the  most  advantageous 
places  with  seats  of  turf,  indicating  the  content  and  satisfaction  of  the  possessor  in  the  lot 
Providence  hasg^ven  him. 

In  the  church-yard  are  several  grave-stones  of  great  antiquity,  with  figures  of  a  war- 
rior, each  furnished  with  a  spear,  or  two-handed  sword :  on  some  are  representations  of 
the  chase ;  on  others,  elegant  fret- work  ;  and  on  oiie,  said  to  be  part  of  the  coffin  of  a 
M'Gregor,  is  a  fine  running  pattern  of  foliage  and  flowers,  and,  excepting  the  figures,  all 
in  good  taste. 

On  an  eminence  on  the  south  side  of  this  vale  dwells  M'Nabb,  a  smith,  whose  family 
have  lived  in  that  humble  station  since  the  year  1440,  bein^  always  of  the  same  pro- 
fession. The  first  of  the  line  was  employed  by  the  lady  of  sir  Duncan  Campbell,  who 
built  the  castle  of  Kilchum  when  her  husband  was  absent.  Some  of  their  tombs  are  in 
the  church-yard  of  Glen-Urquie ;  the  oldest  has  a  hammer  and  other  implements  of 
his  trade  cut  on  it.  At  this  place  I  was  favoured  w'th  several  Highland  proverbs,  in- 
serted in  the  Appendix.  After  breakfast,  at  a  good  ii.n  near  the  village,  was  there  pre- 
sent at  a  christening,  and  became  sponsor  to  a  Httle  Highlander,  by  no  other  ceremony 
than  receiving  him  for  a  moment  into  my  arms :  this  is  a  mere  act  of  friendship,  and  no 
essential  rite  in  the  church  of  Scotland. 

Pursue  my  journey,  and  have  a  fine  view  of  the  meanders  of  the  river  before  its  union 
\vith  Loch- Aw :  in  an  isle  in  the  beginning  of  the  lake  is  the  castle  of  Kilchum,  which 
had  been  inhabited  by  the  present  lord  Breadalbane's  grandfather.  The  great  tower 
was  repaired  by  his  lordship,  and  garrisoned  by  him  in  1745,  for  the  service  of  the 


Cll 

,  in 

kie, 
A 

igh. 
tain, 
and 

idge, 
asses 

have 

mear- 
ileiich 
itland. 
re  run 
about 

vale, 
beasts 
;ountiy 
i  cortii 
e  river 
manse, 
:ageous 
1  the  lot 

■  a  war- 
itions  of 
iffin  of  a 
iires,  all 

c  family 
me  pro- 
lell,  who 
are  in 
icnts  of 
srbs,  in- 
here pre- 
jremony 
I,  and  no 

1  its  union 
J,  which 
l-eat  tower 
Ice  of  the 


PENNANT'S  TOUB  IN  SCOTLAND.  jq^ 

government,  in  order  to  prevent  the  rcbcU  from  making  use  of  that  great  pass  cross  the 
kingdom  ;  but  is  now  u  ruin,  having  lately  been  struck  by  lightning. 

At  a  place  culled  Hamilton's  pass  in  an  instant  burit  on  u  view  of  the  lake,  which 
makes  a  beautiful  appearance  ;  is  about  a  mile  broad,  and  sliewii  ut  least  ten  miles  ol  its 
length.  This  water  is  prettily  varied  with  isles,  some  so  smull  us  merely  to  peep  above 
the  surface  ;  yet  even  these  arc  tuftd  with  trees :  some  are  large  enough  to  uflbrd  hay 
and  pasturage;  and  in  one,  called  lnch<hail,  arc  the  remains  of  u  convent.**  On 
Fruoch.£lan,t  the  Hesperides  of  the  Highlands,  arc  the  ruins  of  a  castle.  The  fair 
Mego  longed  for  the  delicious  fruit  of  the  isle,  guarded  by  a  dreadful  seqient :  the  hero 
Fruoch  goes  to  gather  it,  and  is  destroyed  by  the  monster.  This  talc  is  sung  in  the 
£rse  ballads,  and  is  translated  and  published  in  the  manner  of  Fingal. 

The  whole  extent  of  Loch- Aw  is  thirty  miles,  bounded  on  the  north  by  Lorn,  a  por- 
tion of  Argyleshire,  a  fertile  country,  prettily  wooded  near  the  water-side.  On  the 
N.  £.  ore  vast  mountains  :  among  them  Cnittchan|  towers  to  a  great  height ;  it  rises 
from  the  lake,  and  its  sides  are  shagged  with  woods  im^iending  over  it.  At  its  foot  is 
the  discharge  of  the  waters  of  this  loch  into  Loch-Cltivc,  an  arm  of  the  sea,  aAer  a  turbu. 
lent  course  of  a  series  of  cataracts  for  the  space  of  three  milos.  At  Bunaw,  near  the  north 
end,  is  a  large  salmon^ fishery  :  also  u  considerable  iron-foundcry,  which  I  fear  will  soon 
devour  the  beautiful  woods  of  the  country. 

Pass  by  Scotstown,  a  single  house.  Dine  at  the  little  village  of  Cladish.  About  two 
miles  hence,  on  an  eminence  in  sight  of  the  convent  on  Inch-hail,  is  a  spot,  called 
Crois-an-Usieuchd,  or  the  cross  of  bowing,  because  in  Popish  times  it  was  always  cus- 
tomary to  kneel  or  make  obeisance  on  first  sight  of  any  consecrated  place.  ( 

Pass  between  hills  finely  planted  with  several  sorts  of  trees,  such  as  Weymouth  pines, 
'  Sec  and  after  a  picturesque  ride,  reach 

Inverary  ;||  the  castle  the  principal  seat  of  the  dukes  of  Argyle,  chief  of  the  Camp- 
bells, was  built  by  duke  Archibald ;  is  quadrangular,  with  a  round  tower  at  each  cor. 
ner ;  and  in  the  middle  rises  a  square  one  glazed  on  every  side,  to  give  light  to  the  stair, 
case  and  galleries,  and  has  from  without  a  most  disagreeable  effect.  In  the  attic  story 
are  eighteen  good  bed'Chambers  :  the  ground  floor  was  at  this  time  in  a  manner  un* 
furnished,  but  will  have  several  good  apartments.  The  castle  is  built  of  a  coarse  lapis 
ollaris,  brought  from  the  other  side  of  Loch-Fine,  and  is  the  same  kind  with  that  found  in 
Norway,  of  which  the  king  of  Denmark's  palace  at  Cq>enhagcn  is  built.  Near  the 
new  castle  ere  some  remains  of  the  old. 

This  place  will  in  time  be  very  magnificent :  but  at  the  present  the  space  between 
the  front  and  the  water  is  disgraced  with  the  old  town,  composed  of  the  most  wretched 
hovels  that  can  be  imanned.  The  founder  of  the  castle  designed  to  have  built  a  lew 
town  on  the  west  side  of  the  little  bay  the  house  stands  on :  he  finished  a  few  houses,  a 
custom-house,  and  an  excellent  inn  :  his  ^eath  interrupted  the  completion  of  the  plan, 
which,  when  brought  to  perfection,  will  give  the  place  a  very  different  appearance  to  what 
it  now  bears. 


*  The  country  people  are  still  fond  of  burying  here.  Insular  interments  are  said  to  owe  their  origin  to 
the  fear  people  had  of  having  their  friends*  corpses  devoured  by  wolves  on  the  main  land. 

t  This  island  was  granted  by  Alexander  111.  in  1367,  to  Giilcrist  M'Nschan  and  his  lieirs  for  ever,  on 
condition  they  should  entertain  the  king  whenever  he  passed  that  way.  '  """" 

^  Or  the  great  heap.  .  /  .' 

$  Druidkal  stones  and  temples  are  caHedClacban,  churches  having  often  been  built  on  such  places  :  to 
go  to  Clachan  is  a  common  Erse  phrase  for  going  to  church. 

II  In  the  Gallic^  Inner-aora. 

VOL.    III.     ••-**•'■•*''>■     't»'='"'v  ■:«ijir>'";     ■.  i^i.. .(    .!^u<:'~     "i  /  ■•>■ 


l>!l 


106 


I'K.NNANrM  TOUH  IN  ICOTLANU' 


From  the  top  of  the  grcnt  rock  Dnniqunich  ii  a  fine  view  of  the  caatic,  the  lawn 
Hprinklcd  with  fine  trccti,  the  hillit  covea'd  with  extenhive  |)lnntntion!i,  a  country  rcrtilc  in 
corn,  bordering  on  the  loch,  and  the  loch  itself  covered  with  boats.  The  trees  on  the 
lawn  ulx)iit  the  cuNtlc  arc  suid  to  have  been  planted  by  the  carl  of  Arcp'le  :  they  thrive 
greatly  ;  for  I  observed  beech  from  nine  to  twelve  feet  and  a  half  in  girth,  pines  nine,  and 
u  lesser  ninnle  between  seven  and  eight. 

but  the  busy  scene  of  the  herring- fishery  gave  no  small  improvement  to  the  mogni* 
liccnt  environs  of  Inverary.  Ev:ry  evening  *  some  hundreds  of  boati  in  n  manner  cover- 
ed the  surface  of  Loch* bine,  an  arm  of  the  sea,  which,  from  its  narrowness  and  from  tho 
winding  of  its  shores,  has  all  the  beauties  of  a  fresh  water  lake  :  on  the  week  days,  the 
cheerful  noise  of  the  bagpipe  and  dance  echoes  from  on  board ;  on  the  habbath,  each  boat 
approaches  tlK  land,  and  psalmody  and  devotion  divide  the  day  ;  for  the  common  people 
of  the  north  are  disposed  to  be  religious,  having  the  example  before  them  of  a  gentry  un- 
tainted  by  luxury  and  dissipation,  and  the  advantage  of  being  instructed  by  a  crergy,  who 
arc  active  in  their  duty,  and  who  preserve  respect,  amidst  all  the  disadvantages  of  n 
narrow  income.  ' 

The  length  of  Loch-Fine,  from  the  eastern  end  to  the  point  of  Lomond,  is  abo? e 
thirty  Scotcii  miles ;  but  its  breadth  scarce  two  measured ;  the  depth  from  sixty  to  se- 
venty fathoms.  It  is  noted  for  the  vast  iihoals  of  herrings  that  appear  here  in  July  and 
continue  till  January.  The  highest  season  is  from  September  to  Christmas,  when  near 
six  hundred  boats,  with  four  men  in  each,  are  employed.  A  chain  of  nets  is  used  (for 
several  arc  united)  of  an  hundred  fathoms  in  length.  As  the  herrings  swim  at  very 
uncertain  depths,  so  the  nets  are  sunk  to  the  depth  the  shoal  is  found  to  take :  the  suc< 
cess  therefore  depends  much  on  the  judgment  or  good  fortune  of  the  fishers,  in  taking 
their  due  depths ;  for  it  often  happens  that  one  boat  will  take  multitudes,  while  the  next 
does  not  catch  a  single  fish,  which  makes  the  boatmen  perpetually  inquire  of  each  other 
about  the  depth  of  their  nets.  These  are  kept  up  by  buo^s  to  a  proper  pitch ;  the  ropes 
that  run  through  them  fastened  with  pegs,  and  by  drawing  up,  or  lettmg  out  the  rope 
(after  taking  out  the  pegs)  they  adjust  their  situation,  and  then  reolace  them.  Some, 
times  the  fibh  swim  in  twenty  fathom  water,  sometimes  in  fifly,  ana  oftentimes  even  at 
the  bottom. 

it  is  computed  that  each  boat  gets  about  401.  in  the  season.  The  fish  are  either 
salted,  and  packed  in  barrels  for  exportation,  or  sold  fresh  to  the  country  people,  two 
or  thre^  hundred  horses  being  brought  every  day  to  the  water-side  from  very  distant 
parts.  A  barrel  holds  500  herrings,  if  they  are  of  the  best  kind :  at  a  medium,  700 ; 
but  if  more,  for  sometimes  a  barrel  will  hold  1000,  they  are  reckoned  very  poor.  The 
present  price  11.  48.  per  barrel ;  but  there  is  a  drawback  of  the  duty  on  salt  for  those 
that  are  exported. 

The  great  rendezvous  of  vessels  for  the  fisherv  off  the  western  isles  is  at  Cambeltown, 
in  Cantyre,  where  they  clear  out  on  the  12th  ot  September,  and  sometimes  three  hun- 
dred busses  arc  seen  there  at  a  time :  they  must  return  to  their  different  ports  by  January 
13th,  where  they  ought  to  receive  the  premium  of  21.  10s.  per  ton  of  herrings ;  but  it 
is  said  to  be  very  ill  paid,  which  is  a  great  discouragement  to  the  fishery. 

The  herrings  of  Loch«Fine  are  as  uncertain  in  their  migration  as  they  are  on  the 
coast  of  Wales :  they  had  for  numbers  of  years  quitted  that  water;  but  appeared  again 
there  within  these  dozen  years.  Such  is  the  case  with  the  lochs  on  all  this  western  coast, 
not  but  people  despur  too  often  of  finding  them,  from  one  or  two  unsuccessful  trials  in 


*  The  fisbery  is  carried  on  in  the  night,  the  herringt  being  then  in  motion. 


nftnAWi  TouB  m  bcotlami) 


107 


ovcr* 
mtho 
H.  ihc 
iboat 
H'oplc 
ry  un- 
^,  who 
:s  of  a 

abotc 

'  to  8C- 

x\y  and 
:n  near 
scd  (for 
at  very 
the  8UC- 
1  taking 
the  next 
ch  other 
fcc  ropes 
the  rope 
Some- 
even  at 

re  cither 
aple,  two 
distant 
I'm,  700 ; 
or.  The 
for  those 

nbeltown, 
[hreehun- 
y  January 
rs;  butU 

ire  on  the 
afed  «gain 
item  coast, 
ful  trials  in 


•V. 


the  beginning  of  the  senion ;  perhaps  from  not  adjiiiting  their  nets  to  the  drpth  the 
^ah  hapiK'n  then  to  swim  in  :  hut  if  c;ich  year  u  ^niull  vcascl  or  two  was  nctit  to  niukc  a 
thoroiign  trial  in  every  brunch  of  the  sea  on  this  cuuat,  they  would  undoubtedly  iitid  hIumK 
of  finh  u)  one  or  other. 

Tunnies,*  called  here  mackrel-sturc,  are  very  frequently  caught  In  the  herring  sea. 
ton,  which  thcv  follow,  to  prey  on.  They  are  taken  with  u  stror*!;  iron  hook  fastened  to 
a  rope,  and  buited  with  a  herrmg  ;  as  soo!i  as  hooked  lose  all  spirit,  and  arc  dniwn  up 
without  at>y  resistance  :  arc  very  active  when  at  lilx:rty,  aixl  jump  and  frolic  on  the  sur^ 
face  of  the  water. 

September  7.  Crossed  over  an  elegant  bridge  of  three  arches  upon  the  Array,  in  front 
of  the  castle,  and  kept  riding  along  the  side  of  the  loch  for  about  seven  miles  :  saw  in 
one  place  a  shoal  of  nerrines,  close  to  the  surface,  perfectly  piled  on  one  another,  with  a 
Rock  of  ffulls  busied  with  this  offered  booty.  AAcr  quittmg  the  water<Hidc  the  road  is 
carried  lor  a  considerable  way  through  the  bottoms  of  naked,  deep  and  gloomy  glens. 
Ascend  a  very  high  pass  with  a  little  loch  on  the  top,  and  descend  into  Glen-Crow,  the 
scat  of  melancholy,  seldom  cheered  with  the  rays  of  the  sun.  Reuch  the  end  of  Loch. 
Long,  another  narrow  arm  of  the  sea,  bounded  by  high  hills,  and  after  a  long  course 
tcrmmates  in  the  Firth  of  Clyde. 

^'  Near  this  place  see  a  house»  very  pleasantly  situated,  belonging  to  colonv;l  Campbell, 
-amidst  plantations,  with  some  very  fertile  bottoms  adjacent.  On  ascending  a  hill  not 
half  a  mile  farther,  appears 

Loch-Lomond.  North  Britain  may  well  boast  of  its  waters ;  for  so  short  a  ride  as 
thirty  mites  presents  the  traveller  with  the  view  of  four  most  magnificent  pieces.  Loch- 
Aw,  Loch  Fine,.  Loch- Long,  and  Loch-Lomond.  Two  indeed  arc  of  salt-water ;  but,  by 
their  narrowness,  give  the  idea  of  fresh- water  lakes.  It  is  an  idle  observation  uf  travel- 
lers, that  seeing  one  is  the  same  with  seeing  all  of  these  superb  waters  ;  for  almost  every 
one  I  visited  has  its  proper  characters. 

Loch-Leven  is  a  broad  expanse,  with  isles  and  cultivated  shores. 

Loch-Tay  makes  three  bold  windings,  has  steep  but  sloping  shoresi  cultivated  in 
many  parts,  and  bounded  by  vast  hills. 

Locn-Rannoch  is  broad  and  straight*  has  more  wildness  about  it,  with  a  large  natural 
pine  wood  on  its  southern  banks. 

* ,  Loch-Tumel  is  narrow,  confined  by  the  sloping  sides  of  steep  hills,  and  has  on  its 
Vfvestem  limits  a  flat,  rich,  wooded  country ,  watered  by  a  most  serpentine  stream. 
1^    The  Ldch  of  Spinie  is  almost  on  a  flat,  and  its  sides  much  indented. 
^  Loch-Moy  is  small,  and  hassoA  features  on  its  banks,  amidst  rude  environs.  ^ 

Loch-HesSls  straight  and  narrow :  its  shores  abound  with  a  wild  magnificence,  lofty, 
precipitous,  and  wooded,  and  has  all  the  greatness  of  an  Alpine  lake. 

Loch-Oich  has  lofty  motwitains  at  a  small  distance  from  its  borders ;  the  shores  in- 
debted, and  the  water  decorated  with  isles. 

Loch-Loch  wants  the  isles ;  its  shores  slope,  and  several  straits  terminate  on  its 
banks. 

Loch- Aw  is  long  and  waving:  its  little  isles  tufted  with  trees,  and  just  appearing 
&bove  the  water,  its  two  great  Keds  of  water  at  each  extremity,  and  its  singular  lateral 
discharge  near  one  of  them,  sufliciently  mark  this  great  lake. 

Loch-Lomond,  the  last,  the  most  beautiful  of  the  Caledonian  lakes.  The  first  view 
of  it  from  Tarbat  presents  an  extensive  serpentine  winding  amidst  lofty  hills :  on  the 


"  ? 


-^z- 


'♦•■y.^ 


•Br.  Zool.  III.  No.  \M. 
p  2 


loa 


PKKNANT'S  TOUR  IM  SCOTLAND. 


north  barren,  black,  and  rocky,  which  darken  with  their  shade  that  contracted  part  of 
the  water.  Near  this  gloomy  tract,  beneath  Cruig- Roston,  was  the  principal  seat  of 
the  McGregors,  a  murderous  clan,  infltmous  for  excessics  of  all  kinds;  at  length,  for  a 
horrible  massacre  of  the  Colqiihouns,*  or  Cahouns,  were  proscribed,  and  hunted  down 
like  wild  Ijeasts;  their  very  name  suppressed  by  act  of  council  ;t  so  that  the  remuunt, 
now  dispel  scd  like  Jews,  dare  not  even  sign  it  to  any  deed.  Their  posterity  are  still 
said  to  Ih:  distinguished  among  the  clans  in  which  they  have  incorporated  themselves, 
not  only  by  the  redness  of  their  hair,  but  by  their  still  retaining  the  mischievous  dispwi* 
tions  of  their  ancestors. 

On  the  west  side  the  mountains  are  clotheil  near  the  bottoms  with  woods  of  oak  quite 
to  the  water  edge ;  tlieir  summits  lofty,  naked  and  craggy. 

On  the  east  side  the  mountains  are  equally  high,  but  the  tops  form  a  more  even  ridge, 
parallel  to  the  lake,  except  where  Ben>Lomond,:|:  like  Saul  amidst  his  companions, 
overtops  the  rest.  The  upper  parts  were  black  and  barren;  the  lower  had  great  marks 
of  fertility,  or  at  least  of  industry,  for  the  yellow  corn  was  finely  contrasted  with  the 
verdure  of  the  groves  intermixed  with  it. 

This  eastern  boundary  is  part  of  the  Grampian  hills,  which  extend  froia  hence 
through  the  counties  of  Perth,  Angus,  Mcarns  and  Aberdeen.  They  take  their  name 
from  only  a  single  hill,  the  Mons  Grampius  of  Tacitus,  where  Galcacus  waited  the  ap< 
proach  of  Agricola,  and  where  the  battle  was  fought  so  fatal  to  the  brave  Caledonians. 
Antiquarians  have  not  agreed  upon  the  particular  spot:  but  Mr.  Gordon^  pkices  it 
near  Comrie,  at  the  upper  end  of  Strathern,  at  a  place  to  this  day  called  Galgachan- 
moor.    But  to  return. 

The  road  runs  sometimes  through  woods,  at  others  is  exposed  and  naked;  in  some 
so  steep  as  to  require  the  support  of  a  wall ;  the  whole  work  of  the  soldiery  ;  blessed 
exchange  of  instruments  of  destruction  for  those  that  give  safety  to  the  traveller^  and  a 
polish  to  the  once  inaccessible  native. 

Two  great  headlands  covered  with  trees  separate  the  first  scene  from  one  totally  dif- 
ferent ;  the  last  is  called  the  Point  of  Firkin.     On  passing  this  cape  an  expanse  of  water 
bursts  at  once  on  your  eye,  varied  with  all  the  softer  beaudes  of  nature.     Immediately     ■ 
beneath  is  a  flat,  covered  with  wood  and  corn  :  beyond,  the  headlands  stretch  far  into  . 
the  water,  and  consist  of  gentle  risings ;  many  have  their  surfaces  covered  with  wood* 
others  adorned  with  trees  loosely  scattered  either  over  a  fine  verdure,  or  the  puiple  " 
bloom  of  the  heath.    Numbers  of  islands  are  dispersed  over  the  lake,  erf'  the  same  ele^4^ . 
vated  form  as  t!ie  little  capes,  and  wooded  in  the  same  manner ;  others  just  peep  above, 
the  surface,  and  are  tufted  with  trees ;  and  numbers  are  so  disposed  as  to  forih  magni^ 
ficent  vistas  between.  *.  /;  *  -■  .^     •"» 

Opposite  Luss,  at  a  small  distance  from  shore,  is  a  mountainous  isle  almost  covered 
with  wood ;  is  near  half  a  mile  long,  and  has  a  most  fine  effect.    I  could  fisA  count  the 

•  Vide  Appendix.  ? 

1  In  tlie  1  St  of  Charles  I.  c.  30.  there  was  a  strict  act  against  these  people,  confirming  all  former  acts  of  * 
council  against  them,  suppressing  the  name,  and  obliging  them  to  make  compearance  yearly  on  the  24th 
of  July  before  the  council,  after  sixteen  years  of  age,  to  find  caution,  or  otherwayes,  if  they  be  denounced  for 
their  failzy,  declarmg  them  to  be  intercommuned,  and  that  none  resort  or  assist  them  ;  and  th«  act  con- 
stitutes several  justices  in  that  part  against  them.  In  1661,  this  was  rescindet),  but  revivedagain  iothe  first 
parliament  of  W  illiam  and  Mary,,  and  the  act  recissory  annulled.    Abridg.  acta  of  paiiiament,  45.  I  think 

that  the  act  has  been  lately  wholly  repealed.         .  ^  «->*;*  i-^  ,'  .-.    .'i^i.   .„      .    i:.'\^^h,-^^\       ' 

♦  Its  height  is  3240  feet.  '    ^  ■      :^^^--':^^^l^.'^^^v}<Ji'^^nJ^^h..ljt^c^:i%-\^- 

%  Itin.  Septent.  39.    The  reasons  against  the  opinion  of  this  able  antiquary  will  be  given  in  the  other 

volumes. 


..>M'yg-.';;^M;.w.i 


i 


part  of 
seat  of 
,  for  a 
J  doMm 
:mikunt, 
are  still 
nselves, 
disposi- 

ak  quite 

en  ridge, 
ipanions, 
at  marks 
with  the 

TO  hence 
teir  name 
ed  the  ap- 
kkdonians. 
\  pteces  it 
lalgachan- 


in  some 

blessed 

iltefr  and  a 


totidly  dif- 
se  of  water 
mmediately 
tch  far  into 
yf/ixYi  wood, 

the  purple 
lesame  e)c^*^' 

peep  above, 
form  magni?. 

uost  cowred 
ot  count  the 

,  former  aiets  of 
rly  on  the  24tn 
e  denounced  for 

jid  f  he  act  con- 
Mjnin  in  the  first 
Sit,  45.  I  think 

ven  in  the  other 


PENNANTS  TOUR  IN  SCOTLAND.  jqQ 

number  of  islands,  but  was  told  there  are  twenty-eight :  the  largest  two  miles  long,  and 
stocked  with  deer. 

The  length  of  this  charming  lake  is  twentv-four-Scotch  miles ;  its  greatest  breadth 
eight;  its  greatest  depth,  which  is  between  the  point  of  Firkin  and  Ben-Lomond,  is  a 
hundred  and  twenty  fathoms.  Besides  the  fish  common  to  the  lochs  are  guiniads,  called 
here  poans.  * 

At  this  time  were  living  at  the  little  village  of  Luss  the  following  persons,  most 
amazing  instances  of  cotemporary  longevity;  and  perhaps  proofs  of  the  uncomi  .on 
healthiness  of  the  place.    These  compose  the  venerable  list : 

Rev.  Mr.  James  Robertson,  minister,  aged 90 

Mrs.  Robertson,  his  wife, 86 

Anne  Sharp,  their  servant, 94 

Niel  Macnaughtan,  kirk-oflicer,       ..?...         .86 
Christian  Gay,  his  wife,  ........        94 

Walter  Maclellan 90 

The  country  from  Luss^  to  the  southern  extremity  of  the  lake  continually  improves ; 
the  mountains  sink  gradually  into  small  hills ;  the  land  is  highly  cultivated,  well  planted 
and  well  inhabited.  I  was  struck  with  rapture  at  a  sight  so  long  new  to  me :  it  would 
have  been  without  alloy,  had  it  not  been  dashed  with  the  uncertainty  whether  the  moun- 
tain  virtue,  hospitality,  would  flourish  with  equal  vigour  in  the  softer  scenes  I  was  on 
the  point  of  entering  on  ;  for  in  tlie  Highlands  e^ery  house  gave  welcome  to  the  tra- 
veller 

On  the  road  side  near  T  uss  is  a  quarry  of  most  excellent  slates ;  and  near  the  side  of 
the  lake,  about  a  mile  or  cwo  farther,  is  a  great  heap  of  stones  in  memory  of  St.  Mac- 
Kessog,  bbhop  and  confessor,  who  sufiTered  martyrdom  there  A.  D.  520,  and  was 
hurried  in  Comstraddan  church. 

The  vale  between  the  end  of  the  lake  and  Dunbarton  is  unspeakably  beautiful,  very 
fertile,  and  finely  watered  by  the  g^at  and  rapid  river  Leven,  the  discharge  of  the  lake, 
which,  after  a  short  course,  drops  into  the  Firth  of  Cl^de  below  Dunbarton :  there  is 
scarcely  a  spot  on  its  banks  but  what  is  decorated  with  bleacheries,  plantations,  and 
villas.  Nothing  can  equal  the  contrast  in  this  day's  journey,  between  the  black  barren 
dreary  glens  of  the  morning  ride,  and  the  soft  scenes  of  the  evening,  islands  worthy  of 
the  retreat  of  Armkia,  and  which  Rinaldo  himself  would  have  quitted  with  a  sigh. 
:  Befort:  I  take  my  last  leave  of  the  Highlands,  it  will  be  proper  to  observe  that  every 
entrance  into  them  is  strongly  marked  by  nature. 

On  the  south,  the  narrow  and  wooded  glen  near  Dunkeld  instantly  shews  the  change 
of  country.    ^  ; 

On  the  east,  the  craggy  pass  of  Bollhir  gives  a  contracted  admission  into  the  Gram- 
pian hills. 

On  the  north,  the  mountains  near  Loch-May  appear  very  near,  and  form  what  is 
properly  styled  the  threshold  of  the  country ;  and  on  the 

West,  the  narrow  road  impending  over  Loch-Lomond  forms  a  most  characteristic 
entrance  to  this  mountainous  tract. 

^But  the  £n>e  or  Gallic  language  is  not  ct^ifined  within  these  limits ;  for  it  is  spoken 
on  all  sides  beyond  these  mountains.  On  the  eastern  coast  it  begins  at  Nairn;  on  the 
w<;stern  extends  over  ail  the  isles.  It  peases  in  th^  north  of  Caithness,  the  Orkneys, 
and  the  Shetland  islands  ;t<^ but  near  Loch-Lomond,  is  heard  at  Luss,  at  Buchanan,  east 
of  the  lake,  and  at  Roseneth,  west  <rf  it.      *- 

*  A  tolerable  inn  on  the  borders  of  the  lake.  "• 

t  In  the  Shetlandisles  are  still  some remwisof  the  Norse,  or  old  Nor^vegain  language 


i 


'H 


i 


I 


I'-. 


r 


no 


PENNANT'S  TOUR  IN  SCOTLAND. 


The  traveller,  who  has  leisure,  should  ride  to  the  eminence  of  Millegs,  to  see  the  rich 
prospect  betweeen  Loch-Lomond  and  the  Clyde.  One  way  is  seen  part  of  the  magnifi- 
cent lake,  Ben.Lomond,  and  the  vast  mountains  above  Glen>Crow.  On  the  other  nand 
appears  a  fine  reach  of  the  Clyde,  enlivened  with  shipping,  a  view  of  the  pretty  seats  of 
Roseneth  and  Ardincapel,  and  the  busy  towns  of  Port-Glasgow  and  Greenock. 

Cross  the  ferry  over  the  Leven  at  Bonnel,  and  after  a  ride  of  three  miles  reach 

Dunbarton,  a  small  but  good  old  town,  seated  on  a  plain  near  the  conflux  of  the 
Leven  with  the  Firth  of  Clyde  ;  it  consists  principully  of  one  large  street,  in  form  of  a 
crescent.  On  one  side  is  thetolbooth,  and  at  the  south  end  the  church  with  a  small  spire 
steeple ;  l"  had  been  collegiate,  was  founded  about  1450  by  Isabel  countess  of  Lenox 
and  duchess  of  Albany,  and  was  dedicated  to  St.  Patrick,  who  was  born  in  tliis  country. 
The  waites  of  the  town  are  bag-pipes,  which  go  about  at  nine  o'clock  at  night  and  five 
in  the  morning. 

The  castle  is  seated  a  little  south  of  the  town  on  a  two-headed  rock  of  a  stupendous 
height,  rising  in  a  strange  manner  out  of  the  sands,  and  totally  detached  from  ever)'  thing 
else  ;  is  bounded  on  one  side  by  the  Clyde,  on  the  other  by  the  Leven.  On  one  of  the 
summits  are  the  remains  of  an  old  light-house,  which  some  suppose  to  have  been  a  Roman 
pharos :  on  the  other,  the  powder  magazine  :  in  the  hollow  between  is  a  large  well  of 
water  fourteen  feet  deep.  The  sides  of  the  rocks  are  immense  precipices,  and  often 
hang  over,  except  on  the  side  where  the  governor's  house  stands,  which  is  defend- 
ed  by  walls  and  a  few  cannon,  and  garrisoned  by  a  few  invalids.  It  seems  to  have  been 
often  used  as  a  state  prison  :  the  Regent  Morton  was  secured  there  previous  to  his  trial. 
From  its  natural  strength,  it  was  in  former  times  deemed  impregnable ;  so  that  the 
desperate  but  successful  scalado  of  it  in  1571*  may  vie  with  the  greatest  attempts  o£ 
that  kind,  with  the  capture  of  the  Numidian  fortress,  in  »he  Jugurthine  war,  by  Marius; 
of  the  more  horrible  surprise  of  Fescamp.f  by  the  gallant  Bois-ros6. 

The  Britons  in  very  early  times  made  this  rock  a  fortress ;  for  it  was  usual  with 
them  after  the  departure  of  the  Romans  to  retreat  to  the  tops  of  craggy  inaccessible 
mountains,  to  forests,  and  to  rocks  on  the  shores  of  the  sea :  but  Boetnius  makes  the 
Scots  possessed  of  it  some  ages  prior  to  that,  and  pretends  that  it  resisted  all  the  eflfurts  of 
Agricola,  who  laid  siege  to  it.  It  certa^  ily  may  claim  a  right  to  great  antiquity,  for 
Bede  declares  it  to  have  been  the  best  fortified  city  the  Britons  had  during  his  days.  Its 
ancient  name  was  Alcluid,  or  Arcluid,  or  the  place  on  the  Cluid.  But  in  after.times«it 
acquired  the  name  of  Dun  Britton,  being  the  last  place  in  these  parts  held  by  the  Bri- 
tons  against  the  usurping  Saxons.  In  756,  reduced  by  famine,  it  was  surrendered  to 
Edbert  king  of  Northumberland. 

From  the  summit  of  this  rock  is  a  fine  view  of  the  country,  of  the  town  of  Dunbarton, 
the  river  Leven,  the  Firth  of  Clyde  (the  Glota  of  Tacitus)  here  a  mile  broad,  and  of  the 
towns  of  Greenock  and  Port-Glasgow,  on  the  opposite  shore.  The  business  of  this 
country  is  the  spinning  of  thread,  which  is  very  considerable.  There  is  also  a  great  saU 
mon  fishery :  but  in  this  populous  country  so  great  is  the  demand  for  them,  tnat  none 
can  be  spared  for  curing.  Gilses  come  up  the  river  in  June,  and  continue  in  plenty 
about  twenty  days ;  and  many  salmon  trout  are  taken  from  March  to  July.  PhmocSj 
called  here  yellow  fins,  come  in  July,  and  .continue  about  the  same  space  of  time  as  the 
gilses :  the  fishermen  call  them  the  young  of  some  great  sea.  trout  During  May, 
parrs  appear  in  such  numbers  in  t^e  Leven,  that  the  water  seems  quite  animated  wjth 
them.    There  are  besides  in  that  nver,  perch  and  a  few  poaqs.^      .-,        ,,  '^mi;^^  *. 

1      ■  _    .   ■ 

*  Robertson's  Hist.  Scotland,  II.  Bvo.  Guthrie's,  VII.  331.         t  Sully's  Memoirs,  Vol.  I.  Book  VI. 

4  At  Dunbarton  I  was  informed  by  persons  of  credit,  that  swallows  have  often  been  taken  in  mid- 
winter, in  a  torpid  sf  e,  out  of  the  steeple  of  the  church,  and  also  out  of  a  saad-butk  orer  the  river  £n- 
dricb,  near  Loch-L     ond. 


<u 


)arton, 
of  the 
|of  this 
tat  sal- 
it  none 
plenty 
[hinocs, 
as  tKs 
,  May, 
id  wjth 


JookVI. 

in  mid- 

iver  En- 


PENXANT'S  TOUR  IN  SCOTLAND. 


Ill 


Sept.  8.  Pass  by  the  ruins  of  Dunglas*  castle,  near  the  banks  of  the  Clyde,  which 
meanders  finely  ulung  a  rich  plain  full  of  barley  and  oats,  and  much  inclosed  with  good 
hedges,  a  rarity  in  North  Britain.  At  a  distance  are  some  gentle  risings,  interspersed 
with  woods  and  villas  belonging  to  the  citizens  of  Glasgow.  Cross  the  water  of  Kelvin 
at  the  village  of  Partic,  and  soon  after  reach 

Glasgow.  The  best  built  of  any  modern  second-rate  city  I  ever  saw :  the  houses  of 
stone,  and  in  a  good  taste.  The  principal  street  runs  east  and  west,  and  is  near  a  mile 
and  a  half  long,  but  unfortunately  is  not  straight.  The  tolbooth  is  large  anl  handsome. 
NtAt  to  that  IS  the  exchange ;  within  is  a  spacious  room,  with  full  length  portraits  of 
all  our  monarchs  since  James  I,  and  an  excellent  one,  by  Ramsay,  of  Archibald  duke 
of  Argyle,  in  a  judge's  robe.  Before  the  exchange  is  a  large  equestrian  statue  of  king 
William.  This  is  the  broadest  and  finest  part  of  the  street ;  many  of  the  houses  are 
built  over  piazzas,  but  too  narrow  to  be  of  much  service  to  walkers.  Numbers  of 
other  streets  cross  this  at  right  angles,  and  are  in  general  well  built. 

The  market-places  are  great  ornaments  to  this  city,  the  fronts  being  done  in  a  very 
fine  taste,  and  the  gates  adorned  with  columns  of  one  or  other  of  the  orders.  Some 
of  these  markets  are  for  meal,  greens,  fish,  or  flesh.  There  are  two  for  the  last,  which 
have  conduits  out  of  several  of  the  pillars,  so  that  they  are  constantly  kept  sweet 
and  clean. 

Near  the  meal-market  is  a  p'rblic  granary,  to  be  filled  on  any  apprehension  of 
scarceness. 

The  guard-house  is  in  the  great  street,  which  is  kept  by  the  inhabitants,  who  re- 
gularly do  duty.  An  excellent  police  is  observed  here,  and  proper  oificers  attend  the 
markets,  to  prevent  any  abuses. 

The  old  bridge  over  the  Clyde  consists  of  eight  arches,  and  was  built  400  years  ago 
by  bishop  Rea;  another  is  now  built.  The  tide  flows  three  miles  higher  up  the 
country,  but  at  low  water  is  fordable.  There  is  a  plan  for  deepening  the  channel,  for 
at  present  the  tide  brings  up  only  very  small  vessels ;  and  the  ports  belonging  to  this 
city  lie  several  miles  lower,  at  Port  Glasgow  and  Greenock,  on  the  side  of  the  Firth. 

Near  the  bridge  is  a  large  alms-house,  a  vast  nailery,  a  stone- ware  manufacture,  and  a 
great  porter  brewery,  which  supplies  some  part  of  Ireland.  Within  sight,  on  the  south 
side,  are  collieries,  and  much  coal  is  exported  into  the  last  mentioned  island,  and  into 
America. 

The  great  imports  of  this  city  are  tobacco  and  sugar :  of  the  former,  above  40,000 
iK^sheads  have  been  annually  imported,  and  most  part  of  it  again  exported  into  France 
and  other  countries.  The  manufactures  here  are  linens,  cambricks,t  lawns,  tapes, 
fustians,  and  striped  linens ;  so  that  it  aheady  begins  to  rival  Manchester,  and  has,  in 
point  of  conveniency  of  its  ports,  in  respect  to  America,  a  great  advantage  over  it. 

The  college  is  a  large  building,  with  a  handsome  front  to  the  street,  resembling  some 
of  the  old  colleges  in  Oxford.  Charles  I,  subscribed  2001.  towards  this  work,  but  was 
firevented  by  the  troubles  fi-om  paying  it;  but  Cromwell  afterwards  fulfilled  the  de- 
sign of  the  royal  donor.  It  was  founded  in  1450  by  James  II.  Pope  Nicholas  V,  gave 
the  bull,  but  bishop  Turnbull  supplied  the  money.  There  ai;e  about  400  students  be- 
longing  to  the  college,  who  lodge  in  the  town ;  but  the  professors  have  good  houses  in 
the  college.  Young  gentlemen  of  fortune  have  private  tutors,  who  have  an  eye  to 
their  conduct ;  the  rest  live  entirely  at  their  own  discretion. 

*  A  British  word  ;  Dun  glas,  or  the  gray-hiU. 

t  The  greatest  carobrick  manufacture  is  n9W  at- Paisley*  a  few  jnules  from  (hiscity. 


I 


I 


n 


112 


PENNANrs  TOUB  IN  SCOTLAND. 


The  library  is  a  very  handsome  room,  with  a  gallery  round  it,  supported  by  pillars. 
That  beneficent  nobleman  the  first  duke  of  Chandos,  when  he  visited  the  college,  gave 
5001.  towards  building  this  apartment. 

Messrs.  Robert  and  Andrew  Foulis,  printers  and  booksellers  to  the  tiniversity,  have 
instituted  an  academy  for  painting  and  engraving ;  and,  like  good  citizens,  zealous  to 
promote  the  welfare  and  honour  of  their  native  place,  have  at  a  vast  expence  formed  a 
most  numerous  collection  of  paintings  from  abroad,  in  order  to  form  the  taste  of  their 
eleves. 

The  printing  is  a  very  considerable  branch  of  business,  and  has  long  been  celebrated 
for  the  beauty  of  the  types  and  the  correctness  of  the  editions.  Here  are  preserved 
incases,  numbers  of  monumental  and  other  stones,*  taken  out  of  the  walls  on  the  Ro- 
man stations  in  this  part  of  the  kingdom  :  some  are  well  cut  and  ornamented ;  most  of 
them  were  done  to  petpetuate  the  memory  of  the  vaxillatio,  or  party  who  performed 
such  or  such  works ;  others  in  memory  of  officers  who  died  in  the  country. 

The  cathedral  is  a  large  pile,  now  divided  into  two  churches.  Beneath,  and  deep 
under  ground,  is  another,  in  which  is  also  divine  service,  where  the  congregation  may 
truly  say,  clamavi  e  profundis :  the  roof  is  fine,  made  of  stone,  and  supported  by  pillars, 
but  the  beauty  much  hurt  by  the  crowding  of  the  pews.  Ne^r  this  is  the  ruin  of  the 
castle,  or  bishop's  palace. 

The  new  church  is  a  very  handsome  building  with  a  large  elegant  porch,  but  the 
outside  is  much  disfigured  by  a  slender  square  tower  ;  and,  in  general,  the  steeples  of 
North  Britain  are  in  a  remarkable  bad  taste,  being,  in  fact,  no  favourite  part  of  archi- 
tecture with  the  church  of  Scotland.  The  inside  of  that  just  spoken  of  is  most  neady 
finished,  supported  by  pillars,  and  very  prettily  stuccoed :  it  is  one  of  the  very  few 
exceptions  to  the  slovenly  and  indecent  manner  in  which  Presbytery  keeps  the  houses 
of  God ;  reformation  in  manners  of  religion  seldom  observes  mediocrity,  liere  it  vnm 
outrageous ;  for  a  place  of  worship  commonly  neat  was  deemed  to  savour  of  Popery ; 
but,  to  avoid  the  imputation  of  that  extreme,  they  run  into  another ;  for  in  many  parts 
of  Scotland  ou  Lord  seems  still  to  be  worshipped  in  a  stable,  and  often  in  a  very  wretch- 
ed one.  Many  of  the  churches  are  thatched  with  heath,  and  in  some  places  are  in  such 
bad  repair  as  to  be  half  open  at  top ;  so  that  the  people  appear  to  worship,  as  the 
Druids  did  of  old,  in  open  temples. 

Sept.  10.  Went  to  see  Hamilton-House,  twelve  miles  distant  from  Glasgow :  ride 
through  a  rich  and  beautiful  com  country,  adorned  with  small  woods,  gentlemens' 
seats,  and  well  watered.  Hereabout  I  saw  the  first  muddy  stream  since  I  had  left  Edin- 
burgh ;  for  the  Highland  rivers,  running  generally  through  a  bed  of  rock  or  pure 
gravel,  receive  no  other  taint,  in  the  greatest  floods,  than  the  brown  crystalline  tinge  of 
the  moors,  out  of  which  they  rise. 

See  on  the  west,  at  a  little  distance  from  the  road,  the  ruins  of  Bothwell  castle,  and 
the  bridge,  remarkable  for  the  duke  of  Monmouth's  victory  over  the  rebels  in  1679. 
The  church  was  colle^ate,  founded  by  Archibald  earl  of  Douglass,  1398,  and  is,  as  I 
heard,t  oddly  incnisted  with  a  thin  coat  of  stone. 

Hamilton  House,  or  Palace,  as  it  is  called  here,  is  seated  at  the  end  of  a  small  town ;  is 
a  large  disagreeable  pile  of  building,  with  two  deep  wings  at  right  angles  ^vith  the  centre. 
The  gallery  is  of  great  extent,  and  furnished  (as  well  as  some  other  rooms)  with  most 
excellent  paintings  :  that  of  Daniel  in  the  lion's  den,  by  Rubens,  is  a  great  performance. 


•  Several  have  been  engraven  by  the  artists  of  the  academy.    The  provost  of  the  university  did  mc 
the  honov.'  /presenting  me  with  a  set.  t  Bisht^  Pocock's  Manuscript  Journal. 


.:<? 


PEJ*NANT'S  TOUR  IN  SCOTLAND. 


IL 


.«:? 


1  ry 


The  fear  and  devotion  of  the  prophet  is  finely  expressed  by  his  uplifted  fucc  and  eyes, 
his  clasped  hands,  his  swelling  muscles,  and  the  violent  extension  of  one  foot ;  u  liou 
looks  fiercely  at  him  with  open  mouth,  and  seems  only  restrained  by  the  Almighty 
power  from  making  him  fall  a  victim  to  his  hunger ;  and  the  signal  deliverance  of  Daniel 
IS  more  fully  marked  by  the  number  of  human  bones  scattered  over  the  floor,  as  if  to 
shew  the  instant  fate  of  otherc.  in  whose  favour  the  Deity  did  not  interfere. 

The  marriage- feast,  by  Paul  Veronese,  is  a  fine  piece ;  and  the  obstinacy  and  re 
sistance  of  the  intruder,  who  came  without  the  wedding- garment,  is  strongly  expressed. 

The  treaty  of  peace  between  England  and  Spain  in  the  reign  of  James  I,  by  Juan  de 
Pantoxa,  i8  a  g(X>d  historical  picture.  There  are  six  envoys  on  the  part  of  the  Spaniards, 
and  five  on  that  of  the  English,  with  their  namca  inscribed  over  each ;  the  English 
are  the  earls  of  Dorset,  Nottingham,  Devonshire,  Northampton,  and  Robert  Cecil. 

Earls  of  Lauderdale  and  Lanerk  settling  the  covenant|  both  in  black,  with  faces  full  of 
puritanical  solemnity. 

Several  of  the  dukes  of  Hamilton.  James  duke  of  Hamilton,  with  a  blue  ribband 
and  white  rod.  His  son,  beheaded  in  1649.  His  brother,  killed  at  the  battle  of  Wor- 
cester.    The  duke,  who  fell  in  the  duel  with  lord  Mohun. 

Fielding,  earl  of  Denbigh,^  his  hair  gray,  a  gun  in  his  hand,  and  attended  by  an 
Indian  boy.  It  seems  perfectly  to  start  from  the  canvas,  and  the  action  of  his  counte- 
nance looking  up  has  matchless  spirit.  He  commanded  the  fleet  in  two  expeditions 
for  the  relief  erf"  Rochelle.  In  the  last,  which  was  in  1628,  he  found  an  inferior  fleet 
of  the  French  king's  Ij  ing  before  the  harbour.  These  he  promised  the  besieged  to 
destroy  as  soon  as  a  high  tide  and  fit  wind  concurred.  Both  happened ;  but,  instead 
of  attacking  the  enemy,  he  made  an  inglorious  ;^treat,  and  was  pursued  by  a  few 
French  ships  even  to  our  own  coasts.  Yet,  on  the  breaking  out  of  the  civil  war,  he 
behaved  on  land  like  a  stout  and  gallant  soldier;  and  died  figtiting  valiantly  in  the 
royal  cause  in  April  1C43,  in  a  skirmish  not  fur  from  Birmingliam.  It  is  remarkable, 
that  in  the  battle  of  Edge-hill,  his  son,  espousing  the  contrary  side,  acted  in  the  wing  in 
which  his  father  was  posted. 

His  daughter  married  James  marquis  (afterwards  duke)  of  Hamilton.  Both  their 
portraits  are  in  this  palace. 

Old  duke  of  Chatelherault,  with  an  order  about  his  neck.  ' 

Two  half  lengths  in  black  ;  one  with  a  fiddle  in  his  hand,  the  other  in  a  grotesque 
attitude ;  both  with  the  same  countenances,  good,  but  swarthy,  mistakenly  called  Da- 
vid Hizzio's :  but  I  could  not  learn  th  it  there  was  any  portrait  of  that  unfortunate  man. 

Maria  Dei  gratia  Scotorum  Regina,  1586.  iEt.  43.  a  half  length ;  a  stifT  figure,  in 
d  great  ruff,  auburn  hair,  oval  but  pretty  full  face,  of  much  larger  and  plainer  features 
than  that  at  castle  Braan,  a  natural  alteration  from  the  increase  of  her  cruel  usage,  and 
of  her  ill  health ;  yet  still  with  a  resemblance  to  that  portrait.  It  was  told  me  here, 
that  she  sent  this  picture,  together  with  a  ring,  to  the  duke  of  Hamilton,  a  little  before 
her  execution. 

A  head,  said  to  be  Anna  Bullen,  very  handsome,  dressed  in  a  ruff  and  kerchief 
edged  with  ermine,  and  in  a  purple  gown ;  over  her  face  a  veil,  so  transparent  as  not 
to  conceal 


The  bloom  ofyoung  desire  and  purple  light  of  love. 


*  The  person  who  shewed  the  house  called  him  governor  of  Jamaica ;  but  that  must  be  a  mistake.  If 
any  errors  appear  in  my  account  of  any  of  the  pictures,  I  flatter  myself  it  may  be  excused  ;  for  sometimes 
they  were  shewn  by  servants ;  sometimes  the  owners  of  the  house  were  so  obliging  as  to  aUend  me, 
whom  I  could  not  trouble  with  a  number  of  questions. 

VOL.   III.  (^ 


•i' 

;!* 


Jt-Z. 


114 


I'KNNANT'S  TOUU  IN  SCOTLAND. 


Earl  Morton,  Regent  of  Scotland. 

The  rough  rctbrnier,  John  Knox. 

Lord  Belhaven,  author  of  the  famous  speech  against  the  Union. 

Philip  II,  at  full  length,  with  a  strange  figure  of  Fame  bow  iig  at  his  feet,  with  a  label 
and  this  motto.     Pro  merente  adsto. 

About  a  mile  from  the  house,  on  an  emjinence,  above  a  deep  wooded  glen,  with  the 
Avon  at  its  l)ottom,  is  Chatelherault ;  so  called  from  the  estate  the  family  once  pos- 
sessed in  France  ;  is  an  elegant  banqueting-house,  with  a  dog-kennel,  gardens,  &c.  and 
commands  a  fine  view  of  the  country.  The  park  is  now  much  inclosed ;  but  I  am 
told  that  there  are  still  in  it  a  few  of  the  breed  of  the  wild  cattle,  which  Boethius* 
says  were  peculiar  to  the  Caledonian  forest,  were  of  a  snowy  whiteness,  and  had  manes 
like  lions;  they,  were  at  this  time  in  a  distant  part  of  the  park,  and  I  lost  sight  of  them. 

Returned  to  Glasgow. 

Sept.  11.  Crossed  the  country  towards  Sterling.  Passed  through  the  village  of  KyU 
sith  noted  for  a  victory  gained  by  Montrose  over  the  Covenanters.  Through  a  bog, 
where  numbers  of  the  fugitives  perished,  is  now  cutting  part  of  the  canal  that  is  to  join 
the  firths  of  Forth  and  Clyde.  Saw  the  spot  where  the  battle  of  Bannocburne  was 
fought,  in  which  the  English  under  Edward  II,  had  a  shameful  defeat.  Edward  was  so 
assured  of  conquest,  that  he  brought  with  him  William  Baston,  a  Carmelite,  and  fa- 
mous poet,  to  celebrate  his  victory ;  but  the  monarch  was  defeated,  and  the  poor  bard 
taken  and  forced  by  the  conqueror,  invlta  Minerva,  to  sing  his  success,  which  he  did  in 
such  lines  as  these  : 

Hie  capita  hie  rapit,  hie  terit,  hie  ferity  ecce  dolor es ; 
Fox  tonat ;  as  sonat ;  hie  ruit ;  hie  luit ;  areto  modo  res> 
Hie  seeat ;  hie  neeat ;  hie  docet ;  hie  noeet ;  iste  fugatur  : 
Hie  iatet,  hie  patet ;  lue  premit,  hie  gemit ;  hie  superatur. 

At  this  place  that  unfortunate  monarch  James  III,  was  defeated  by  his  rebellious 
subjects  ;  in  his  flight  fell  dowp  fiom  his  horse,  and,  bruised  by  his  fall,  was  drawn  into 
a  neighbouring  mill,  and  soon  alter  assassinated  by  a  priest  called  in  to  receive  his  con- 
fession, and  anord  him  spiritual  assistance. 

Went  through  the  small  town  of  St.  Ninian,t  a  mile  south  of  Sterling.  The  church 
had  beep  the  powder-magazine  of  the  Rebels  ;  who,  on  their  return,  blew  it  up  in 
such  haste,  as  to  destroy  some  of  their  own  people,  and  about  fifteen  innocent  spec» 
tators. 

Sterling  and  its  castle,  in  respect  of  situation,  is  a  miniature  of  Eldinburgh ;  is  placed 

n  a  ridged  hill  or  rock,  rising  out  of  a  plain,  having  the  castle  at  the  upper  end,  on  a 

'iigh  precipitous  rock.     Within  its  walls  was  the  palace  of  several  of  the  Scotch  kings, 

"square  building,  ornamented  on  three  sides  with  pillars  resting  on  grotesque  figures 
projecting  from  the  wall,  and  on  the  top  of  each  pillar  is  a  statue,  seemingly  the  work 
of  fancy.  Near  it  is  the  old  parliament  house,  a  vast  room  120  feet  long,  very  high, 
with  a  timbered  roof,  and  formerly  had  a  gallery  running  round  the  inside.  Below 
the  castle  are  the  ruins  of  the  palace  belonging  to  the  earls  of  Mar,  whose  family  had 
once  the  keeping  of  this  fortress.    There  are  still  the  Erskine  arms,  and  much  orna- 

*  "  Gignere  solet  ea  silva  boves  candidissimos  in  formam  leonis  jubam  habentes,  cxtera  inansuetis  si- 
miUimos  vero  adeo  feros,"  8cc.  Descr.  Regni  Scotice,  fol.  xi. 

t  A;x>stle  of  the  Ficts,  son  of  a  prince  of  the  Cumbrian  Brilains,  cqnverting  the  Picts  as  far  as  the 
Grampian  hilh.     Died  432. 


'TS?^ 


'•'iv;:;v-rr 


PENNANT'S  TOUR  IN  SCOTLAND. 


115 


mental  carving  on  parts  of  it.  The  town  of  Sterling  is  inclosed  with  a  wall ;  the  streets 
are  irregular  and  narrow,  except  that  which  leads  to  the  castle.  Here,  and  at  the  vilhigc 
of  Bannocburne,  is  a  considerable  manufacture  of  coarse  carpets. 

From  the  top  of  the  castle  is  by  far  the  finest  view  in  Scotland.  To  the  cast  is  a  vast 
plain,  rich  in  corn,  adorned  with  woods,  and  watered  with  the  river  Forth,  whose  mean- 
ders are,  before  it  reaches  the  sea,  so  frequent  and  so  large,  as  to  form  a  multitude  of 
most  beautiful  peninsulas ;  for,  in  many  parts,  the  wiiidingj  approximate  so  close  as  to 
leave  only  a  little  isthmus  of  a  few  yards.  In  this  plain  is  an  old  abbey,  a  view  of  Alloa, 
Clackmannan,  Falkirk,  the  Firth  of  Forth,  and  the  country  as  far  as  Edinburgh.  On 
the  north,  the  Ochil-hills,  and  the  moor  where  the  battle  of  Dumblain  was  fought. 
To  the  west,  the  straith  of  Menteith,  as  fertile  as  the  eastern  plain,  and  terminated  by 
the  Highland  mountains,  among  which  the  summit  of  Ben-Lomond  is  very  conspicuous. 

The  Sylva  Caledonia,  or  Caledonian  forest,  begun  a  little  north  of  Sterling,  and 
passing  through  Menteith  and  Strathern,  extended,  according  to  Boethius,  as  far  as 
Athol  on  one  side,  and  Lochabar  on  the  other,  it  is  very  slightly  mentioned  by  the 
ancients  ;*  but  the  supposed  extent  is  given  by  the  Scotish  historian. 

Lie  at  Falkirk,  a  large  ill-built  town,  supported  by  the  great  fairs  for  black  cattle 
from  the  Highlands,  it  being  computed  that  24,000  head  are  annually  sold  here.  There 
is  also  a  great  deal  of  money  got  here  by  the  carriage  of  goods,  landed  at  Carron 
wharf,  to  Glasgow.  Such  is  the  increase  of  trade  in  this  country,  that  about  twenty 
years  ago  not  three  carts  could  be  found  in  the  town,  a.id  at  present  there  are  above  a 
hundred  that  are  supported  by  their  intercourse  with  Glasgow. 

In  the  church.yard,  on  a  plain  stone,  is  the  following  epitaph  on  John  de  Graham, 
styled  the  right  hand  of  the  gallant  Wallace,  killed  at  the  battle  of  Falkirk  in  1298  :t 

Here  lies  sir  John  the  Grame  both  wight  and  wise, 
'  Ane  of  the  chief  reskewit  Scotland  ihnsc. 

Ane  better  knight  not  to  the  world  was  lent, 
Nor  was  gude  Grame  of  tructh,  and  of  hardiment. 

Mente  manuque  poiens,  et  VaII«  fidus  Achates. 

Conditur  hie  Gramusbelio  interfect>i8 ab  Anglis. 

23Julii.  1398. 

Near  this  is  another  epitaph,  occasioned  by  a  second  battle  of  Falkirk,  as  disgrace- 
ful to  the  English  as  the  other  was  fatal  to  the  Scots :  the  first  was  a  well  disputed 
combat ;  the  last,  a  panic  on  both  sides,  for  part  of  each  army  flew,  the  one  west, 
the  other  east,  each  carrying  the  news  of  their  several  defeats,  while  the  total  destruction 
of  our  forces  was  prevented  by  the  gallant  behaviour  of  a  brigadier,  who  with  two 
regiments,  faced  such  of  the  rebels  as  kept  the  field,  and  prevented  any  further  ad- 
vantages.  The  epitaph  I  allude  to  is  in  memory  of  Sir  Robert  MonroJ,  the  worthy  chief. 

•By  Pliny,  lib.  iv.  c.  16.  and  Eumenius,  in  his  Panegyric  on  Constantius,  c.  7. 
t  Fought  between  Fallurk  and  Carron  works,  at  a  place  called  to  tliis  day  Graham's  Mooi-. 

I  Conditur  heic  quod  poterit  mori 

Roberti  Monro  de  Foulis,  Eq.  Bar. 

Gentis  sui  Principis 

Militum  Tribuni : 

Vit&  in  castris  curiaque  Britannica. 

Honest^  product& 

Pro  Libertate  reUgione  Patris 

In  acie  honestissimd  defunct^ 

■5  PropeFalkirk,Janxviii.  1746.     JEt.  62, 

Vjrtutis  consiliique  fama 
«1.2 


1 1 

li 

,  ( 
I  i 

'■:» 

,  I 

i'l 


LIG 


PENNANT'S  TOUR  IN  SCOTLAND. 


tain  of  that  loyal  clan,  a  family  which  lost  ihrcc  brothers  the  same  year  in  support  of 
the  royal  cause.  Sir  Robert  being  greatly  wounded  in  the  battle  was  murdered  in 
oool  blood  by  the  rebels,  with  his  brother  Dr.  Monro,  who,  with  fraternal  piety,  was 
at  that  time  dressing  his  wounds ;  the  third  was  assassinated,  by  mistake,  for  one  who 
well  deserved  his  death  for  spontaneous  barbarities  on  Highlanders  approachii^  ac- 
cording  to  proclamation  to  surrender  their  arms. 

I  have  very  often  mentioned  fields  of  battle  in  this  part  of  the  kingdom ;  scarce  a 
spot  has  escaped  imstained  with  gore ;  for,  had  they  no  public  enemy  to  contend  with, 
the  Scots,  like  the  Welsh  of  old,  turned  their  arms  against  each  other. 

Carron  iron-works  lie  about  a  mile  from  Falkirk,  and  are  the  ^atest  of  the  kind 
in  Europe :  they  were  founded  about  eight  years  ago,  before  which  there  was  not  a 
single  house,  and  the  country  a  mere  moor.  At  present,  the  buildings  of  all  sorts  arc 
of  vast  extent,  and  about  twelve  hundred  men  are  employed.  The  iron  is  smelted 
from  the  stone,  then  cast  into  cannon,  pots,  and  all  sorts  of  utensils  made  in  foun- 
derics.  This  work  has  been  of  great  service  to  the  country,  by  teaching  the  people 
industry  and  a  method  of  setting  about  any  sort  of  labour,  which,  before,  the  common 
people  had  scarce  any  notion  of. 

Carron  wharf  lies  on  the  Forth,  and  is  not  only  useful  to  the  works,  but  of  great 
service  even  to  Glasgow,  as  considerable  quantities  of  goods  destined  for  that  city  arc 
landed  there.  The  canal  likewise  begins  in  this  neighbourhood,  which,  when  eifected, 
will  prove  another  benefit  to  these  works. 

At  a  small  distance  from  the  founderies,  on  a  litUe  rising  above  the  river  Carron, 
stood  that  celebrated  antiquity  called  Arthur's  oven,  which  the  ingenious  Mr.  Gor- 
don* supposes  to  have  been  a  sacellum,  or  little  chapel,  a  repository  for  the  Romim 
insignia,  or  standards ;  but,  to  the  mortification  of  every  curious  traveller,  this  match- 
less edifice  is  now  no  more ;  its  barbarous  owner,  a  Gotnic  knight,  caused  it  to  be  de- 
molished, in  order  to  make  a  mill-dam  with  the  materials,  which,  within  less  than  a 
year,  the  Naides,  in  resentment  of  the  sacrilege,  came  down  in  a  flood,  and  entirely 
swept  away. 

Sept.  12.  Saw  near  Callandar-house  some  part  of  Antoninus's  Wall,  or,  as  it  is 
called  here,  Graham's  D^  ke.f  The  vallum  and  the  ditch  are  here  very  evident, 
and  both  are  of  great  sue,  the  last  being  forty  feet  broad,  and  thirteen  deep  :  it  ex- 
tended from  the  Firth  of  Forth  to  that  of  Clyde,  and  vvas  defended  at  proper  distances 
by  forts  and  watch  towers,  the  work  of  the  Roman  legions  under  the  command  of 
Lollius  Urbicus,  in  the  reign  of  Antoninus  Pius.     According  to  Mr.  Gordon,  it  began 

■  »'•  .it,        '  ]    ' '  1 

'  >*  In  Montanorum  cohortis  Prxrectura  '  \ 

Quamdiu  prxlium  Fontonseum  memorabitur 
'     Perduratura ; 
Ob  amicitiam  et  fidem  amicis 
Humanitatem  clementiamque  adversariia 
Benevolentiam  bonitatemquc  omnibus, 
Trucidantibus  etiam, 
In  perpetuum  desideranda. 
Duncanus  Monro  de  Obsalde,  M.  D.  ^t.  59. 
Frater  Fratrem  linquere  fugiens, 
Sauciam  curans,  ictus  inermis 
Commoriens  cohonestat  Urnam. 

*  Itin.  Septentr.  p.  24.  tab.  iv. 

t  So  called  from  Graham,  who  is  said  to  have  first  made  a  breach  ifl  this  wall  soon  after  the  retreat 
of  the  Romans  out  of  Britain .    Vide  Bo«thiui,  cjucxi. 


-mm: 


-^-3fi.ii*i»«? 


"nn 


PENNANT'S  TOUU  IN  SCOTLAND. 


117 


at  old  Kirk  Patrick  on  the  Firth  of  Clyde,  and  ended  two  miles  west  of  Aljtrcorn,  on 
the  Firth  of  Forth,  being  in  length  36  miles  887  pares. 

Passed  through  Burrowstoness,  u  town  on  the  Firtli,  enveloped  in  snioke  Iron  he 
great  salt-pans  and  vast  collieries  near  it.  The  town-house  is  bnilt  in  form  of  a  ea-»!e. 
There  i^  a  good  quay,  much  frequented  by  bhipping;  for  considerable  (juantiiii.s  ot 
coal  are  sent  from  hence  to  London  ;  and  there  arc  bcbides  sonic  Clreenland  ships*' 
belonging  to  the  town. 

Ride  near  Abercorn,  called  by  Bedc  the  monastery  of  Abcrcurnig;  of  which  no 
mention  is  made  in  the  accounts  of  the  Scotch  religious  houses,  nor  has  there  been  for 
many  centuries  the  least  remains:  for  Buchanan  snys,  that  none  of  any  kind  were  to  be 
met  with  even  in  his  time,  except  the  ruins  of  a  tower  belonging  to  the  Douglasses. 

Reach  Hopeioun-Housc,  the  scat  of  the  earl  of  Hopetoun ;  a  house  begun  by  Sir 
William  Bruce,  and  finished  by  Mr.  Adams,  is  the  handsomest  I  saw  in  North  Britain  : 
the  front  is  enriched  with  pilasters,  the  wings  at  some  distance  joined  to  it  by  a  beauti. 
ful  colonade ;  one  wing  is  the  stables,  the  other  the  library.     In  the  last  is  a  single 

f)iece  of  lead  ore  weighing  five  tons,  got  out  of  his  lordship's  mines  at  the  Lead- 
tills. 

The  great  improvements  round  the  house  are  very  extensive,  but  the  gardens  arc 
still  in  the  old  taste ;  trees  and  shrubs  succeed  here  greatly,  among  others  were  two 
Portugal  laurels  thirty  feet  high.  Nothing  can  ccjual  the  grandeur  of  the  approach  to 
the  house,  or  the  prospect  from  it.  The  situation  is  bold,  on  an  eminence,  com- 
manding a  view  of  the  Firth  of  Forth,  bounded  on  the  north  by  the  county  of  Fife  ; 
the  middle  is  chequered  ^vith  islands,  such  as  Garvey,  Inch  Keith.f  and  others ;  and  on 
the  south-east  is  a  vast  command  of  flast  Lothian,  and  the  terminating  object,  the  great 
conic  hill  of  North  Berwick. 

The  whole  ride  from  Sterling  to  Queen's  Ferry  (near  Hopetoun-House)  is  not  to  be 
parralleled  for  the  elegance  and  variety  of  its  prospects ;  the  whole  is  a  composition  of 
all  that  is  great  and  beautifid  :  towns,  villages,  seats,  and  ancient  towers,  decorate  cncli 
bank  of  that  fine  expanse  of  water  the  Firth;  while  the  busy  scenes  of  commerce  and 
rural  economy  are  no  small  addition  to  the  still  life.  The  lofty  mountains  of  the  High- 
lands form  a  distant  but  august  boundary  towards  the  north-west,  and  the  eastern  view- 
is  enlivened  with  ships  perpetually  appearing  or  vanishing  amidst  the  numerous  isles. 

Pass  by  Queen's- Ferry  ;  fall  into  the  Edinburgh  road,  and  finish  this  evening,  in  that 
capital,  a  most  agreeable  and  prosperous  tour.  It  was  impossible  not  to  recall  the  idea 
of  what  I  had  seen ;  to  imagine  the  former  condition  of  this  part  of  the  kingdom,  and 
to  compare  it  with  the  present  state,  and,  by  a  sort  of  second-sight,  make  a  probable 
conjecture  of  the  happy  appearance  it  will  assume  in  a  very  few  years.  Nor  could  1 
forbear  repeating  the  prophetic  linesj  of  Aaron  Hill,  who  seemed  seized  with  a  like 
reverie. 


*  This  year  the  whale  fishery  began  to  revive  ;  which  Tor  a  Tew  years  past  had  been  so  unsuccessful, 
that  several  of  the  adventurers  had  thoughu  of  disposing  of  their  ships.  Perhaps  the  whnlcs  had  till  this 
year  deserted  those  seas ;  for  Marten,  p.  185  of  his  voyage  to  Sphzbergen,  remarks, "  That  these  animals, 
either  weary  of  their  place  or  sensible  of  their  own  danger,  do  oi^en  change  their  harbours." 

t  This  isle  is  opposite  to  Leith.  By  order  of  council,  ii^  1497,  all  venereal  patients  in  the  neighbour- 
hood were  transported  there,  ne  quid  detriment!  res  publicu  caperet.  It  is  remarkuble,  that  this  disorder, 
which  was  thought  to  iiave  appeared  in  Europe  only  four  years  before,  should  make  so  quick  a  proii;ress. 
The  horror  of  adisease,  for  which  there  was  tlien  supposed  to  be  nocure,  must  have  occasioned  this  atten- 
tion to  stop  the  contagion ;  for  even  half  a  century  after,  one  of  the  first  monarchs  of  Europe,  Trancis  I , 
fell  a  victim  to  it.    The  order  is  so  curious,  that  we  have  given  it  a  place  in  the  Appendix. 

4  Written  on  a  window  in  North  Britain. 


$ 


llf  I'KNNANrS  TOUR  IN  SCOTLAND 

Once  morei  ()  North  I  I  view  thy  windhg  •horesi 

Climh  thy  bleak  hilli  and  croaa  thy  du*  .y  moorn 

Impuriiul  view  thcc  with  an  heedful  cye«  ' 

Yet  still  by  nature,  not  by  ceniure  try. 

F.nirliiiul  thy  sinter  la  a  guy  co(|Uctt 

Wiioin  art  enlivens,  and  temptotions  whet : 

Richt  proud,  and  wanton,  she  her  beauty  knows, 

And  in  a  conscious  warmth  of  beauty  glows: 

Scotland  comes  after,  like  an  unripe  fair, 

Who  si^hs  with  anguish  ot  her  sister's  air  ; 

Unconscious,  that  snc'll  quickly  have  her  day, 

And  be  the  toast,  when  Albion's  charms  decay. 

Sept.  18.  Artcr  a  few  days  experience  of  the  same  hospitality  in  Edinburgh  that  1 
had  met  with  in  the  Highlands,  !  continued  my  journey  south,  through  a  rich  corn 
country,  leaving  the  Peiitland  hills  to  the  west,  whone  sides  were  covered  with  a  fine 
turf.  Before  I  reached  Crook,  a  small  village,  the  country  grew  worse ;  after  this,  it 
asbumcd  a  Highland  appearance,  the  hills  were  high,  the  vales  narrow,  and  there  was 
besides  a  great  scarcity  of  trees,  and  hardly  any  corn ;  instead,  was  abundance  of  good 
pasturage  for  sheep,  there  being  great  numbers  in  these  parts,  which  supply  the  north 
of  Kngliiiul.  The  roads  are  bad,  narrow,  and  often  on  the  edges  of  precipices,  impend' 
ing  over  the  river  Tweed,  here  an  inconsiderable  stream.     Reach 

Mofiat,  a  small  neat  town,  famous  for  its  spaws ;  one  said  to  be  useful  in  scrophu- 
louH  cases,  the  other  a  chalybeate,  which  makes  this  place  much  resorted  to  in  summer. 
Doctor  Walker,  minister  of  the  place,  shewed  me  in  manuscript  his  natural  history  of 
the  Western  Isles,  which  will  do  him  much  credit  whenever  he  favours  the  world 
with  it. 

Here  the  unfortunate  nobleman  lord  Viscount  Kenmure  set  up  the  Pretender's 
standard  on  the  12th  of  October  1715,  in  fatal  compliance  with  the  importunities  of 
the  disaffected  Lowlanders. 

The  country  between  Moffat  and  Lockerby  is  very  good,  a  mixture  of  downs  and 
corn-land,  with  a  few  small  woods ;  the  country  grows  quite  flat  and  very  unpleasant ; 
but  incessant  rains  throughout  my  journey  from  Edinburgh  rendered  this  part  of  my 
tour  both  disagreeable  and  unedifying.  Cross  a  small  river  called  the  Sark,  which  di- 
vides the  two  kingdoms,  and  enter  Cumberland. 

About  ^hree  miles  farther  cross  the  £sk  over  a  handsome  stone  bridge,  and  lie  at  the 
small  village  of  Longtown.  The  country  is  very  rich  in  corn,  but  quite  bare  of  trees, 
and  very  flat.  Near  this  village,  at  Nethcrby,  are  the  ruins  of  a  Roman  station,  where 
statues,  weapons,  and  coins,  are  often  dug  up. 

Cross  the  Eden  to  Carlisle,  a  pleasant  city,  surrounded  with  walls,  like  Chester,  but 
they  are  very  dirty,  and  kept  in  bad  repair.  The  castle  is  ancient,  but  makes  a  good 
appearance  at  a  distance  :  the  view  from  it  is  fine,  of  rich  meadows,  at  this  time  co< 
vered  with  thousands  of  cattle,  it  bein^  fair-day.  The  Eden  here  forms  two  branches, 
and  insulates  the  ground ;  over  one  is  a  bridge  of  four,  over  the  other  one  of  nine 
arches.  There  is  besides  a  prospect  of  a  rich  country,  and  a  distant  view  of  Cold-fells, 
Cross-fells,  Skiddaw,  and  other  mountains. 

The  cathedral^  is  very  imperfect,  Cromwell  having  pulled  down  part  to  build  bar- 
racks  with  the  materials.  There  remains  some  portion  that  was  built  in  the  Saxon 
times,  with  very  massy  pillars  and  round  arches.     The  rest  is  more  modem,  said  to 

•  Hei>un  by  Waller,  deputy  of  these  parts,  under  Williani  ^ufut ;  but  the  new  choir  was  not  founded 
till  about  1354. 


PENNANT'S  torn  IN  SCOTLAND 


11>J 


hnvc  been  built  in  tlic  ixin;n  of  Kdward  III,  who  had  in  one  part  an  apartiucni  lo  loilf^c 
in.  The  arches  in  this  latter  building  arc  i^iiarp  |)ointcd  ;  tlu:  east  window  re  ui.iik.il)ly 
fine. 

The  manufactures  of  Carlisle  arc  chiefly  of  printed  linens,  for  which  near  3(M)()|. 
per  unn.  is  paid  in  duties.  It  is  also  noted  for  u  great  manufacture  of  whips,  wiuih 
employs  numbers  of  children. 

Salmons  appear  in  die  Lden  in  numbers  so  early  ns  the  months  of  Drccmlxrr  anil 
January ;  and  the  L^ondon,  and  even  Newcastle  markets  are  supniied  with  curly  fi>th 
from  this  river ;  but  it  is  remarkable,  that  they  do  not  visit  the  Ksk  in  any  r|uantity 
till  April,  notwithstanding  the  mouths  of  both  these  waters  arc  at  a  small  distance  from 
each  other.  I  omitted  in  its  pro|x:r  place  an  account  of  the  Newcastle  fishery,  therefore 
insert  here  the  little  I  could  collect  relating  to  it.  The  iisli  seldom  appear  in  the  Tync 
till  February  :  there  arc  about  24  fisheries  on  the  river,  Inrsides  a  very  considerable 
wear,  and  tne  whole  annual  capture  amounts  to  about  36,000  fish.  I  was  informed 
that  once  the  fish  were  brought  from  Berwick,  and  cured  at  Newcastle ;  but  at  pre- 
sent, notwithstanding  all  goes  under  tlic  name  of  Newcastle  salmon,  very  little  is  taken 
there,  in  comparison  of  what  is  caught  in  the  Tweed. 

The 'country  near  Carlisle  consists  of  small  inclosurcs,  but  a  little  farther  on,  to- 
wards Penrith,  changes  into  coarse  downs.  On  the  east,  at  a  distance,  arc  ridges  of 
high  hills,  running  parallel  to  the  road,  with  a  good  inclosed  country  in  the  inter, 
vening  space.  Above  Penrith  is  a  rich  inclosed  tract,  mixed  with  hedgerow  trees  and 
woods.  On  the  south-west,  a  prospect  of  high  and  craggy  mountains.  After  I  left 
Lockerby,  Nature,  as  if  exhausted  with  her  labours  in  the  loRy  hills  of  Scotland, 
seemed  to  have  lain  down  and  reposed  herself  for  a  considerable  space  ;  but  here  began 
to  rise  again  with  all  the  sublimity  of  Alpine  majesty. 

Between  the  twelfth  and  thirteenth  mile-stones  is  Plumpton.  Plumpton  park  was 
leased  by  Henry  VIII,  to  Jack  Musgrave,  captain  of  Bewraith,  an  active  man  in  his 
day,  who  settled  on  five  of  his  sons  as  many  tenements. 

Old  Penrith,  the  ancient  Breinetenreium  and  Vorada  of  Antonina,  stood  in  this  pa- 
rish. On  the  road  side,  sloping  towards  the  river  Petrel,  the  vallum,  foss,  and  gates 
are  still  very  visible  ;  and  also  great  ruins  of  a  town.  The  fort  is  called  Castle  steeds  ; 
the  town  old  Penrith.  Camden  copied  several  inscriptions,  for  which  I  refer  to  his 
Britannia  and  to  Dr.  Burn's  history  of  this  county.  Here  are  the  faint  vestiges  of  a 
military  road,  which  points  towards  Kesswick  and  joined  another,  which  were  by  Elen- 
borough  and  Papcastle  to  Ambleside.  This  station  was  also  the  Berada  of  the  Raven- 
nas;  and  was  garrisoned  by  a  Cuneus  Armaturarum,  a  cohort  of  the  Ala  Petriana,  a 
body  of  horse  completely  armed,  mentioned  in  the  notitia,  so  must  have  been  stationed 
here  very  late  in  the  Roman  empire. 

About  four  miles  farther  is  Penrith,  &c.  an  ancient  town,  seated  at  the  foot  of  a 
hill :  is  a  great  thoroughfare  for  travellers,  but  has  little  other  trade,  except  tanning 
and  a  small  manufacture  of  checks.  In  the  church-yard  is  a  monument  of  great  anti- 
quity, consisting  of  two  stone  pillars  eleven  feet  six  inches  high,  and  five  in  circum- 
ference in  the  lower  part,  which  is  rounded ;  the  up|)er  is  square,  and  rapcrs  to  a 
point ;  in  the  square  part  is  some  fret- work,  and  the  relievo  of  a  cross,  and  on  the  in- 
terior side  of  one  is  the  faint  representation  of  some  animal.  Both  these  stones  arc 
mortised  at  their  lower  part  into  a  round  one ;  they  are  about  fifteen  feet  asunder ; 
the  space  between  them  is  inclosed  on  each  side  with  two  very  large  but  thin  semi- 
circular stones ;  so  that  there  is  left  a  walk  between  pillar  and  pillar  of  two  feet  in 


liO 


I'KNNANT'!*  TOirn  l\  SCOTLAND. 


breadth.  Two  ut'  ttirsc  lesser  stones  arc  plain,  the  two  other  have  certain  figures,  at 
present  scarce  intelligible. 

These  stones  seem  to  have  been  monumental,  and  arc  evidently  christian,  ns  appears 
by  the  crosH  on  the  capital ;  fable  Mays  that  th«  y  were  to  perpetuate  the  meniDry  of 
Ccsarius,  a  hero  of  gigantic  stature,  wliose  body  extended  from  stone  to  stone :  but 
it  is  prol) able,  that  the  space  marked  by  these  columns  contained  several  bodies,  or 
might  have  been  a  family  sepulchre. 

Not  far  from  these  pillars  is  another  called  the  Giant's  thumb,  five  feet  eight  inches 
high,  with  an  expanded  head,  perforated  on  both  j»ides ;  from  the  middle  the  stone 
rises  again  into  n  lesstr  head,  rounded  at  top,  but  no  part  has  a  tendency  to  the  figure 
of  a  cross,  being  in  no  other  part  mutilated  ;  so  that  it  is  diBicult  to  judge  of  the  use  or 
desicn  of  this  pillar.* 

Tlie  church  is  very  neat :  the  galleries  supported  by  twenty  stones,  each  ttn  feet 
four  inches  high,  and  four  feet  two  inches  in  circumference.  On  one  of  the  walls  is 
this  melancholy  record  of  a  pestilence  that  wasted  the  country  in  the  latter  end  of  the 
reign  of  queen  Elizabeth  : 

A.  U.  MDXCVIII.  ex  mravi  peite  qiix  reglonllmt  hiico  incubuit,  oblerunt  spud  Penrith  3200.  Ken* 
(laiasoo.    Richmond '2 2U0.    Carlisle  11964 

I'ottcri 
nvortitc  vo«  ct  vivito. 

Oti  consulting  a  very  old  register  kept  in  this  parish  it  appears  that  the  plague  raged 
here  for  fifteen  months,  from  the  22d  September  1597  to  5ih  January  1598,  and  that 
only  680  persons  were  buried  in  the  parish  during  that  time.  It  seems  therefore  pro- 
bable that  Penrith  must  have  Ijeen  the  centre  of  some  particular  district,  and  that  the 
numbers  recorded  on  the  wall  must  comprehend  all  that  died  within  that  space.  Pen> 
rith  now  contains  about  2000  souls.  At  a  medium,  63  have  died  annually  the  last  teii 
years,  or  630  in  the  whole.  In  t'  c  ten  years  preceding  the  pestilence  there  were  only 
686  funerals ;  so  that  there  was  no  great  diflerence  between  the  number  of  inhabitants 
ut  that  and  the  present  time.  Some  centuries  previous  to  this  Penrith  had  another  visit- 
ation  of  the  same  nature.  When  the  Scots  under  lite  i:atl  of  Douglas  in  1380  made 
an  inroad  into  Cumberland,  they  surprised  this  place  at  the  time  of  the  fair,!  and  re- 
turned with  immense  booty ;  but  suftercd  severely  in  consequence,  for  they  introduced 
into  their  country  the  plague  contracted  in  this  town,  which  swept  away  one  third  of  the 
inhabitants  of  Scotland. ^ 

The  castle  is  nt  the  skirts  of  the  town,  and  now  very  ruinous.  It  appears  not  to  have 
been  of  a  high  antiquity  :  for  in  a  compromise  of  certain  differences  between  Henry  111, 
and  Alexander  king  of  Scotland,  it  was  stipulated  that  Henry  should  grant  to  Alexander 
200  libratcs  of  land  in  Northumberland  or  Cumberland,  if  so  much  of  Henry's  land  could 
be  found  in  any  of  the  places  where  no  castle  was  situated  :  and  Penrith  was  part  of  this 
grant.  Richard  duke  of  Gloucester,  afterwards  Richard  III,  resided  frequently  at  this 
castle,  and  either  was  the  founder,  or  repaired  it  greatly,  for  there  is  no  mention  of  it 
before  his  time.  The  seignory  of  Penrith  ||  was  part  of  the  great  estate  he  had  with  his 
duchess  Anne  (afterwards  queen  daughter  to  Richard  Nevil  the  great  earl  of  War- 


*  Vide  tab.  iii.  of  tlie  1st  and  2d  editions. 

I  Hollinshed  428. 

1!  Duck's  Life  of  Hichard  III. 


t  It  broke  out  in  Carlisle  October  3d.   ■'!■■ 
§  Guthrie's  Hist.  Scot].  III.  123. 


"»■- 


l*JU<NANT'8  TUUtt  IN  SCOTLAND. 


ISl 


wick, 
larity 


Dy  his  rciiidcnce  hci-c  nnd  \\\s  mngniflcent  mode  oriivinfr  he  p;iui)cd  fi^reat  |Kipu- 
in  the  north,  and  he  nccmrd  to  dc|Ki)d  greatly  on  the  troops  i'roni  that  part,  fur 
he  caused  five  thouiand  to  march  from  thence  to  London  to  support  hih  curunation. 
On  hi^  death,  this  and  other  ncighbuuring  manors  reverted  to  the  crown  :  and  remain- 
ed in  that  state,  till  they  were  grunted  by  king  William  to  his  fuvourite  Bcntincki  earl  ol' 
Portland. 

The  castle  wan  dismantled  by  Cromwvell,  but  it  docs  not  appear  in  any  hiittory  to  havt 
sustained  n  siege. 

In  this  town  lives  Miss  Calvin,  ofexquisitc  skill  and  accuracy  in  painting  of  plants  and 
flowers :  a  hcavcn>born  genius,  obscure  and  unknown  ! 

Full  many  a  gem  ofnureit  ray  terene. 
The  dork  unUthom'u  cavcn  nroceaii  bear  ; 
Full  many  a  (lower  iahoru  to  bluah  tintcci., 
And  waitc  it*  iwcetncss  In  tl\c  dcncrt  oir. 

She  communicated  to  mc  a  most  beautiful  drawing  of  a  siiecics  of  wutcr«oi!izcl,  shot 
in  the  neighbouring  fells.  It  was  less  than  the  common  kind,  and  the  tail  shorter. 
The  throat  white,  rrosscd  below  with  a  dusky  band  :  the  belly  mottled  with  black  and 
white  i  the  upper  part  of  the  neck,  the  back,  and  coverts  of  the  wings,  dusky,  slightly 
edged  with  white  :  tail  and  primaries  black. 

Cross  over  the  Eimot  at  Lamont  bridge.  The  river  and  bridge  take  their  nr.me  from 
the  Saxon  Ea  or  Eye,  water,  and  mont,  as  the  water  flows  out  of  a  mountainous  re* 
On  parsing  the  bridge  I  immediately  enter  the  county  of 

WF.STMOHSLANO. 


gion. 


September  21,  At  a  small  distance  beyond  the  bridge,  near  the  road  side,  is  the  circle 
called  Arthur's  round  table,  consisting  of  a  high  dike  of  earth,  and  a  deep  foss  within, 
surrounding  an  area  twenty-nine  yards  in  diameter.  There  are  two  entrances  exactly 
opposite  to  each  other ;  which  interrupt  the  ditch  in  those  parts  filled  to  a  level  with  the 
middle.  Some  suppose  this  to  have  been  designed  for  tilting  matches,  and  that  the 
champions  entered  at  each  opening.  Perhaps  that  might  have  been  the  purpose  of  it ; 
for  the  size  forbids  one  to  suppose  it  to  be  an  encampment. 

A  little  to  the  north  of  this,  on  the  summit  of  a  small  hill,  is  Mayborough,  a  vast 
circular  dike  of  loose  stones  :  the  height  and  the  diameter  at  the  bottom  is  stupendous : 
it  slopes  on  both  sides,  and  is  entirely  formed  of  pebbles,  such  as  are  collected  out  of 
rivers.  There  is  un  entrance  on  the  east  side  leading  into  an  area  eighty-eight  yards  in 
diameter.  Near  the  middle  is  an  upright  stone  nine  feet  eight  inches  high,  and  seven- 
teen in  circumference  in  the  thickest  part.  There  had  been  three  more  placed  so  as  to 
form  (with  the  other)  a  square.  Four  again  stood  on  the  sides  of  the  entrance,  viz. 
one  on  each  exterior  comer ;  and  one  on  each  interior ;  but,  excepting  that  at  present 
remaining,  all  the  others  have  long  since  been  blasted,  to  clear  the  ground. 

The  use  of  this  accumulation  bccms  to  have  been  the  same  with  that  called  Bryn-gwyn 
at  Trer  Dryw  in  Anglesea,^  a  supreme  consistory  of  Druidical  administration,  as  the 
British  names  import.  That  in  Anglesea  is  constructed  in  the  same  manner  ^vith  this ; 
but  at  present  there  are  no  remains  of  columns  in  the  interior  part.  Tradition  is  entirely 
silent  about  the  origin  of  this  place  :  nothing  can  be  collected  from  the  name,  which 
is  Saxon,  and  given  long  after  its  construction.      ' 


1 
* 


VOL.    III. 


*  Mona  Antiqua,  Sd  ed.  99. 
K 


122 


PENNANT'S  TOUR  IN  SCOTLAND. 


Almost  Opposite  to  Mayborough  on  the  Cumberland  side  of  the  Eimot  is  avast  cairn, 
or  tumulus,  composed  of  round  stones,  and  surrounded  with  lar^  grit  stones  of  dif- 
ferent sizes,  some  a  yard  square ;  which  all  together  form  a  circle  sixty  feet  in  diameter. 
Cross  the  Lowther,  or  Loder,  and  in  about  three  or  four  miles  distance  pass  Clifton 
Moor,  wheie  the  rebels  in  1745  sacrificed  a  few  men,  to  save  the  rest  of  their  army. 

Reach  Shap,  or  Heppe,  a  long  village  with  the  ruins  of  the  priory  of  Premonstrensian 
canons,  and  its  beautiful  tower  placed  in  a  sequestered  bottom  to  the  north-west  of  the 
road.  The  religious  of  this  house  were  originally  placed  at  Preston  in  Kendal  by 
Thomas  son  of  Gospatric ;  and  afterwards  removed  to  this  valley,  which  in  old  times 
was  culled  the  valley  of  Mary  Ma^alene«  and  was  granted  to  them  by  Robert  de 
Vetripont  in  the  thirteenth  year  of  kmg  John, 

On  the  common  neu.  the  road  side  haif  a  mile  beyond  the  village  are  certain  large 
circles,  :^nd  ovals  formed  of  small  stones  :  and  parallel  to  tike  road  commences  a  doable 
row  of  graoites  of  immense  sizes,  crossed  at  the  end  by  another  row,  all  placed  at  some 
distance  from  each  other.  This  alley,  I  may  call  it,  extended  once  above  a  mile  ;  pass- 
ing  quite  through  the  village ;  persons  now  living  remember  to  have  seen  some  stones 
that  tormcd  part  of  the  lines,  but  now  blasted,  in  order  to  clear  the  ground.  The  space 
between  the  lines  at  the  south  end  is  eighty -eight  feet :  they  converge  towards  each 
other,  for  near  Shap  the  distance  decreases  to  fifty-nine  ieet ;  and  it  is  probable  that  they 
met  and  concluded  in  a  point  forming  a  wedge.  That  this  monument  was  Danish  may 
be  inferred  from  the  custom  of  the  northern  nation,  of  arranging  their  recording 
stones  in  forms  that  they  seemed  to  determine  should  be  expressive  of  certain  events : 
those  that  were  placed  in  a  strait  and  lon^  order  commemorated  the  emulations  ct' 
champions  :  squares  shewed  equestrian  conflicts :  circles,  the  interments  of  families : 
wedge-shaped,  a  fortunate  victory.*  Success  might  have  attended  the  Northern  in- 
vaders  in  this  place,  which  gave  rise  to  their  long  arrangement :  the  fall  of  some  con- 
sanguineous heroes  in  the  action  caused  the  grateful  tribute  of  the  stony  circles. 

Pass  over  Shap  fells,  more  black,  dreary  and  melancholy,  than  any  of  the  Highland 
hills,  bein^;  not  only  barren,  but  destitute  of  every  picturesque  beauty.  This  gloomy 
scene  continues  for  several  miles :  leave  on  the  right  the  narrow  valley  of  Long  Sladale, 
and  at  a  distance  the  mountain  of  Kenmere  fell,  famous  for  its  slate  quarries.  The  pros- 
pect groves  more  cheerful  within  a  small  distance  of 

Kendal,  a  large  town,  seated  in  a  beautiful  valley,  prettily  cultivated,  and  watered  by 
the  river  Ken.  The  principal  street  is  above  a  mile  long,  running  north  and  south  : 
the  houses  old  and  irregular,  mostly  plaistered.  Yet  the  whole  has  an  air  of  neatness 
und  industry,  without  the  least  ostentation  of  wealth;  none  appear  meanly  poor, 
or  insultingly  rich.  The  number  of  inhabitants  is  about  seven  thousand ;  chiefly  en- 
gaged  in  manufactures  of  linsies,  worsted  stockings  woven  and  knit,  and  a  coarse  sort 
of  woollen  cloth  called  cottons,  sent  to  Glasgow,  and  from  thence  to  Virginia,  for  the 
use  of  the  negroes.  The  carding  and  the  friezin^  mills,  the  rasping  and  cutting  of  log- 
wood by  different  machines,  are  well  worth  seeing ;  and  the  tenter  fells  all  round  the 
town,  v;here  the  cloth  is  stretched,  shew  the  extent  of  the  manufactures,  which  employ 
great  quanities  of  wool  from  Scotland  and  Durham. 

Yet  the  place  labours  under  great  disadvantages ;  the  country  near  it  yields  no  com 
except  oats ;  the  fuel  is  in  general  peat ;  for  the  onals  being  brought  from  Wigan  and 
other  distant  places,  cost  nineteen  shillings  per  ton  ;  yet,  notwithstanding,  it  has  flourished 
in  manufactures  from  the  time  of  Richard  the  Second  to  the  present :  Camden  honours 
k  with  tl)is  encomium,  Lanificii  Gloria,  et  Vndusiria  praecellens. 

*  Olaus  Magnus  de  Gent.  Septtntr.  lib.  i.  c.  18. 


I 


PENNANT'S  TOUR  IN  SCOTLAND. 


12d 


cairn, 
of  dif- 
ameter. 

Clifton 

rmy. 
trensian 
t  of  ihe 
ndal  by 
)ld  times 
abert  de 

iin  large 
a  double 
J  at  some 
le ;  pass- 
[\e  stones 
'he  space 
ards  each 
that  they 
inish  may 
recording 
in  events : 
ilations  ct 
'  families : 
Drthern  in- 
some  con- 
Highland 
lis  gloomy 
ng  Sladale, 
The  pros- 

ivatered  by 
tnd  south: 
:)f  neatness 
anly   pocr» 
chiefly  en- 
coarse  sort 
inia,  for  the 
ting  of  log- 
round  the 
ich  employ 

Ids  no  com 
Wigan  and 
is  flourished 
en  honours 


I  am  surprised  that  Doctor  Burn  should  omit  the  mention  of  a  native  of  this  town,  who 
would  have  done  honour  to  any  country.  Thomas  Shaw,  the  celebrated  traveller,  was 
born  here  in  1693.  He  was  son  of  Gabriel  Shaw,  sheerman  and  dyer,  a  reputable  and 
profltabl^  business.  The  merit  of  his  travels  in  Barbary,  Egypt,  and  the  Holy-land, 
are  justly  .n  the  highest  estimation,*  and  beyond  the  danger  of  being  t  ither  depreciated 
or  superseded.  He  became  fellow  of  Queen's  College,  Oxford,  and  was  promoted  to 
the  headsliip  of  Edmund  Hall,  and  in  1751  died  in  high  reputation  for  knowledge, 
probity,  and  pleasantry.  His  countenance  was  grotesque,  but  marked  most  strongly 
with  jocularity  and  good  humour,  su  as  to  diffuse  into  the  company  the  full  effects  of 
his  innocent  and  instructive  mirth.  The  print  prefixed  to  his  works  is  a  faithful  repre- 
sentation of  this  excellent  and  able  character. 

The  church  is  large,  divided  into  five  aisles.  The  most  remarkable  tomb  is  one  in  the 
altar  form,  of  black  marble,  with  various  arms  on  the  «ide  and  end,  supposed  to  be  that 
of  William  Parr,  ancestor  of  William  Parr,  marquis  of  Northampton,  and  his  sister 
queen  Catherine,  wife  to  Henry  VHI. 

The  ruins  of  the  castle  are  on  the  summit  of  a  round  hill  on  the  east  side  of  the  town< 
It  is  of  great  antiquity  ;  but  the  founder  is  not  known.  It  appears  to  me  to  have  been 
built  on  an  artificial  mount  raised  on  the  top  of  the  hill,  with  a  deep  fosse  round  the 
base.  The  barony  of  Kendal  was  granted  by  William  the  Cont^ueror  to  Ivo  de  Tale- 
bois,  one  of  his  followers,  whose  descendants  frequendy  resided  in  the  castle.  From 
them  it  passed  by  marriage  to  the  Rosses,  and  from  them  to  the  Parrs :  and  when  in 
their  possession  Catherine,  afterwards  queen  of  England,  was  born  here ;  a  lady  who 
had  the  good  fortune  to  descend  to  the  grave  with  her  head,  in  all  probability  merely 
by  outliving  her  tyrant.  It  do«^s  not  appear  that  this  castle  sustained  any  siege :  but  in 
1747  the  Scots,  under  Duncan  earl  of  Fife,  entered  and  plundered  the  town,  broke 
open  the  churches,  put  all  the  inhabitants  to  the  sword,  sparing  neither  age  nor  sex.f 

Take  a  very  pleasant  walk  to  Water-Crook,  a  mile  distant,  along  the  sides  of  the 
Ken.  This  had  been  the  Concan^um  of  the  Notitia,  a  station  on  the  east  side  of  the 
river,  whose  vestiges  are  almost  v.om  away  by  the  plough.  Altars,  coins,  and  other 
antiquities  have  been  found  here.  I  saw  in  the  walls  of  the  barn  of  the  farm  house,  the 
monumental  inscription  preserved  by  Mr<  Horsely,  p.  300,  supposed  by  him  to  have 
been  in  memory  of  two  freed-jpen  ;  and  that  there  was  added  the  penalty  of  a  fine  on 
any  who  presumed  to  bury  in  tliat  sepulchre.  Here  is  preserved  an  altar  un-inscribed, 
but  ornamented  with  beautiful  festoons:  and  I  also  saw  the  remain^of  the  statue  sup- 
posed of  Bacchus  or  Silenus. 

Cross  the  river  and  walk  over  some  fine  meadows.  Pass  by  some  large  round  hil- 
locks, one  appearing  artificial :  ascend,  to  gain  the  heights  above  the  town  :  leave  below 
me  near  the  skirts  a  well  called  the  Anchorite's,  probably  from  some  hermitage  once  in 
its  neighbourhood.  Reach  Castlehow  hill,  a  great  artificial  mount  above  the  town, 
and  opposite  to  the  castle.  The  summit  is  flat :  just  within  its  verge  is  a  circular  ditch : 
and  another  transverse,  probably  the  place  of  the  foundation  of  a  tower.  Round  the 
base  is  a  deep  foss  and  high  dike,  and  on  the  east  side  of  the  dike  two  bastions,  to  give 
it  additional  strength.  Immediately  below  is  a  spot  called  Battle  place,  but  tradition 
does  not  preserve  the  reason  of  the  name. 

At  a  very  small  distance  from  Kendal  I  crossed  the  Ken ;  pursued  ray  journey  over 
End-moor,  and  passed  through  the  township  of  Preston  Richard,  in  the  parish  of 
Haversham,  remarkable  for  being,  frbm  the  reign  of  Henry  II,  to  that  of  Edward  III, 


•  See  BritiBh  Zoology,  i.  p.  216.  4to.  or  253.  8vo. 

B  2 


t  HoIlihshed'sChron.  9V. 


124 


PENNANT'S  TOUR  IN  SCOTLAND. 


a  space  of  two  hundred  years,  owned  by  persons  of  the  name  of  Richard  de  Preston. 
Soon  after,  went  through  the  small  market  town  of  Burton  in  Kendal,  in  the  parish  of 
Burton,  the  most  southern  of  any  in  Westmoreland.     At  a  small  distance  enter 

LANCASHIRE. 

After  travelling  an  uninteresting  stage  reach  its  capital  Lancaster,  a  large  and  well 
built  town,  seated  on  the  Lune,  a  river  navigable  for  ships  of  250  tons  as  high  as  the 
bridge.    The  Custom-house  is  a  small  but  most  elegant  building,  with  a  portico  sup- 

Sorted  by  four  Icnic  pillars,  on  a  moit  beautiful  plam  pediment.    There  is  a  double 
ight  of  steps,  a  rustic  surbase  and  coins ;  a  work  that  does  much  credit  to  Mr.  Gillow, 
the  architect,  an  inhabitant  of  this  town. 

The  church  is  seated  op  an  eminence,  and  commands  an  extensive  but  not  n  pleasing 
view.  The  castle  is  entire,  tne  courts  of  justice  are  held  in  it;  and  it  is  also  the  county 
jail.  The  front  is  very  magnificent,  consists  of  two  large  angular  towers,  with  a  hand* 
some  gateway  between. 

Eleven  miles  farther  is  the  village  Garstang,  seated  on  a  fertile  plain,  bounded  on  thf 
east  by  the  fells,  on  the  west  by  Felling  moss,  which  formerly  made  an  eruption  like 
that  of  Solway.  The  adjacent  countnr  is  famous  for  producing  the  finest  cattle  in  all 
the  county.  A  gentleman  in  that  neighbourhood  has  refused  30  guineas  for  a  three 
year  old  cnw :  calves  of  a  month  old  h.  ve  been  sold  for  10 :  and  bulls  from  70  to 
100  ^ineas,  which  have  afterwards  been  i.ired  out  for  the  season  for  30 ;  so,  notwith- 
standing his  misfortune,  well  might  honest  Bamaby  celebrate  the  cattle  of  this  place. 

Veni  Garfttang  ubi  nata 
Sunt  Arnienta  fronte  lata, 
Veni  Gat  Slang,  ubi  maid 
Intrans  forum  bestiale. 
Fortd  vaccillando  vico 
Hue  et  illuc  cum  amico, 
In  Juvencx  c'  irsum  rui 
Cujus  cornu  Ixsus  fui, 

\  little  to  the  east  is  a  ruined  tower,  the  remains  of  Grenehaugh  castle,  built,  as 
Camden  supposes,  by  Thomas  Stanley,  first  earl  of  Derby,  to  protect  himself  from  the 
outlawed  nobility,  whose  estates  had  been  granted  him  by  Henry  VII. 

September  22d,  hastened  through  Preston,  Wigan,  Vt^'arrington,  and  Chester,  and 
finished  my  journey  with  a  rapture  of  which  uo  fond  parent  can  be  ignorant,  that  of 
being  again  restored  to  two  innocent  prattlers,  after  an  absence  equally  regretted  by  all 
parties. 


APPENDIX NUMBER  I. 

OF  SCOTCH  PINES. 

UY  JAMES  FAHQVHARSON,  E9<!>..  OF  INVEUCATn.D. 

It  is  generally  believed  that  there  are  two  kinds  of  fir  trees,  the  produce  of  Scot- 
land, viz.  the  red  or  resinous  large  trees,  of  a  fine  grain,  and  hard  solid  v.ood:  the 
other,  a  white  wooded  fir,  with  a  much  smaller  proportion  of  resin  in  it,  of  a  coarser 
grain,  and  a  soft  spongy  nature,  never  comes  to  such  a  size,  and  much  more  liable  to 


PENNANT'S  TOUR  IN  SCOTLAND. 


125 


decay.  '  At  first  appearance,  this  would  readily  denc*e  two  distinct  species,  but  I  am 
convinced  that  all  the  trees  in  Scotland  under  the  denomination  of  Scotch  fir  arc  the 
and  that  the  difference  of  the  quality  of  the  wood,  and  size  of  the  trees,  is  ccr- 


same 


tainly  owing  to  circumstances,  such  as  the  climate,  situation,  and  soil  they  grow  in. 
These  finest  fir-trees  appear  in  the  most  mountainous  parts  of  the  Highlands  of  Scotland, 
in  glens  or  on  sides  of  hills  generally  lying  to  a  northerly  aspect,  and  the  soil  of  a  hard 
gravelly  consistence,  being  the  natural  produce  of  these  places  :  the  winged  seeds  are 
scattered  in  quantities  by  the  winds,  from  the  cones  of  the  adjacent  trees,  which  expand, 
in  April  and  May,  with  the  heat  of  the  sun ;  these  seedlings,  when  young,  rise  extremely 
close  together ;  this  makes  them  grow  straight,  and  free  from  side  branches  of  any  size,  to 
the  height  of  50  or  60  feet,  before  they  acquire  the  diameter  of  a  foot :  even  in  this  pro- 
gress to  height,  they  are  very  slow,  occasioned  by  the  poorness  of  the  soil,  and  the  num- 
bers on  a  small  surface,  which  I  may  say  makes  them  m  a  constant  state  of  war  for  their 
scanty  nourishment,  the  stronger  and  tallest  by  degrees  overtopping  the  weaker,  and 
when  the  winds  blow  they  lash  against  one  anotner ;  this  assists  in  beating  off  any  horri. 
zontal  branches  that  might  damage  the  timber  with  knots,  as  well  as  by  degrees  crushes 
the  overtopped  trees.  In  such  state  of  hostility  they  continue  struggling,  until  the 
master  trees  acquire  some  space  around  them ;  then  they  begin  to  shoot  out  in  a  more 
bushy  manner  at  the  top,  gradually  losing  their  spiral  form,  increasing  afterwards 
more  in  size  of  body  than  height^  some  acquiring  four  feet  diameter,  and  above  sixty 
feet  of  height  to  the  branches,  fit  for  the  finest  deal  board.  The  growth  is  extremely 
slow,  as  is  plainly  proved  by  the  smallness  of  the  grain  of  the  wood,  which  appears  dis- 
tinctly in  circles,  from  the  centre  to  the  bark.  Upon  cutting  a  tree  overdose  at  the 
root,  I  can  venture  to  point  out  the  exact  age,  which  in  these  old  firs  comes  to  an  amaz- 
ing number  of  years.  I  lately  pitched  upon  a  tree  of  two  feet  and  a  half  diameter,  as 
this  is  near  the  size  of  a  planted  fir  of  fifty  years  of  age  mentioned,  and  I  counted  ex- 
actly two  hundred  and  fourteen  circles  or  coats,  which  makes  this  natural  fir  above  four 
times  the  age  of  the  planted  one.  Now  as  to  planted  firs,  these  are  raised  first  in  dressed 
ground  from  the  seed,  where  they  stand  two  seasons  or  more,  then  are  planted  out  in 
the  ground  they  are  to  continue  in,  at  regular  distances,  have  a  clear  circumference 
round  them  for  extending  both  roots  and  oranches ;  the  one  gives  too  quick  nourish- 
ment to  the  tree,  which  shoots  out  in  luxuriant  growths,  .  ^nd  the  other  allows  many  of 
the  branches  to  spread  horizontally,  spoiling  the  timber  with  knots ;  besides,  this  quick 
growth  occasions  these  thick  yearly  circular  coats  of  wood,  which  form  a  coarse  grain, 
of  a  spongy  soft  nature.  The  juices  never  after  ripen  into  a  proportional  quantity 
their  resinous  preservative  balm :  so  that  the  plantations  decay  before  the  wood  acquires 
age,  at  a  valuable  size,  and  the  timber  when  u'jed  in  work  has  neither  strength,  beauty 
nor  duration.  I  believe  the  climate  has  likewise  a  great  share  in  forming  the  nature  of 
the  best  wood,  which  I  account  for  in  th :  following  manner.  The  most  mountainous 
*iarts  of  the  Highlands,  particularly  the  northerly  hanging  situations,  where  these  fine 
lu*  trees  are,  hav  a  much  shorter  time  of  vegetation  than  a  more  southerly  exposure, 
or  the  lower  open  countries,  being  shaded  by  high  hills  from  the  rays  of  the  sun  even 
at  mid-day  for  months  leather,  so  that  with  regard  to  other  vegetables  nature  visibly 
continues  longer  in  a  torpid  state  there  than  in  other  places  of  the  same  latitude. 
This  dead  state  of  nature  for  so  long  a  time  yearly  appears  to  me  necessary  to  form  the 
strength  and  health  of  this  particular  species  of  timber.  No  doubt  they  may  at  first 
show  a  gratefulness  for  better  soil  and  more  sun  by  shooting  out  spontaneously,  but  if 
the  plant  or  tree  is  so  altered  by  thb  luxury  that  it  cannot  attain  any  degree  of  perfection, 
Jfit  for  the  purposes  intended*  the  attempt  certainly  proves  in  vain. 


« 

i 


126 


PENNANT'S  TOUR  IN  SCOTLAND. 


From  what  is  said  above,  it  is  not  at  all  my  intention  to  dissuade  from  plantinj^  Scotch 
fir,  but  to  encourage  those  that  have  the  proper  soil  and  situation  to  do  so,  being  of  opinion 
that  where  these  circumstances  agree,  and  there  planting  not  in  lines,  but  irregularly  and 
thicker  than  common,  the  trees  will  come  to  be  of  equal  size  and  Vdiue  with  the  natu« 
ral  ones.  In  confidence  of  this,  I  have  planted  several  millions  on  the  sides  of  hills,  out 
of  reach  of  seed  from  the  natural  firs. 


APPENDIX....NO.  n. 


OF  ELGIN  AND  THE  SHIRE  OF  MURRAY. 


«V  THE  RBV. 


«'HMr,  MINISTER  OF  ELGIN. 


THE  parish  of  Elgin  can  afford  litcu  .ter  for  answering  Mr.  Pennant's  queries, 
and  therefore  1  extend  my  view  through  ti.w  whole  province  or  country  of  Murray,  ex» 
tending  by  the  coast  from  the  river  of  Spcy,  to  the  east,  to  the  river  of  Beauly  to  the  west, 
which  h  the  boundary  of  the  province  of  Ross  :  and  extending  to  die  south. west  as  far 
as  the  north  end  of  Loch-Lochy,  and  comprehending  the  countries  of  Strathspey,  Bade- 
noch,  Sirathern,  Strath-nairn,  and  Strath-nerick,  nil  which  were  the  seats  of  the  an. 
cient  Moravienscs.  I  shall  make  my  answers  to  the  queries  in  order,  and  advance  no< 
thing  but  what  consists  with  my  personal  knowledge,  or  for  which  I  have  unquestionable 
authority. 

I.  This  province  is  naturally  divided  by  the  rivers  of  Spey,  Lossey,  Findern,  Nairn, 
Ness,  and  Beauly.  The  river  of  Spey  rising  on  the  borders  of  Lochaber  is  more  than 
sixty  Scotch  miles,  or  a  hundred  English,  in  length,  but  too  rapid  to  be  navigable. 
Upon  this  river  great  floats  of  fir  and  birch  wood  are  carried  down  to  the  firth ;  the 
float  is  guided  by  a  man  sitting  in  a  courach,  of  which  Solinus,  cap.  22.  sa^  t  of  the 
Irish,  "  Navigant  vimineis  alveis,  quos  circumdant  ambitione  tergorum  bubulorum,"  a 
short  but  exact  description  of  the  courach.  It  is  in  shape  oval,  about  four  feet  long  and 
three  broad,  a  small  keel  from  head  to  stem,  a  few  nbs  cross  the  keel,  and  a  ring  of 
pliable  wood  round  the  lip  of  it,  the  whole  covered  with  the  rough  hide  of  an  ox  or  a 
horse.  The  rower  sits  on  a  transverse  seat  in  the  middle,  and  holds  in  his  hand  a  rope, 
the  end  of  which  is  tied  to  the  float,  and  with  the  other  hand  he  manages  a  paddle,  and 
keeps  the  float  in  deep  water  and  brings  it  to  shore  when  he  pleases.  The  rivers  of 
Lossey,  Findern  and  Naini,  have  nothing  remarkable  in  them,  but  the  river  of  Ness  is 
observable  on  the  following  accounts,  viz.  It  runs  from  Loch-Ness,  a  lake  23  miles 
long,  and  from  2  to  3  broad ;  this  loch  is  fed  by  a  river  running  from  Loch>Eoch,  into 
which  a  river  fulls  from  Loch-Garrie,  into  which  a  river  enters  from  Loch-Queich : 
Loch  Ness  and  the  river  running  from  it  never  freeze,  but  the  water  is  warm  in  the 
keenest  frost.  There  are  many  other  lakes  in  this  province,  of  which  one  called  the 
lake  Dundelchack  is  remarkable :  the  inhabitants  of  the  neighbourhood  told  me  that 
this  lake  is  never  covered  with  ice  before  the  month  of  January,  but  in  that  month  and 
February  one  night's  strong  frost  covers  it  all  over  with  ice :  this  lake  stands  in  the  parish 
of  Durris,  within  two  miles  of  Loch-Ness.  On  the  east  side  of  Loch-Ness,  a  large  mile 
above  the  loch,  is  the  water-fall  of  Foher,  where  the  river  Feach  Len  falls  over  a  steep 
rock  about  80  feet  in  height ;  and  the  water  breaking  upon  the  shelves,  rarifies  like  a 
fog.  In  this  province  are  several  chalybeate  mineral  springs,  as  at  Tinland  in  Lambride 
parish,  at  Auchterbiarc  in  Duthel  parish,  at  Relugos  in  Edf  ikeely  parish,  at  Muretown 
in  Inverness  parish. 


PENM ANT'S  TOUR  IN  SCOTLAND. 


127 


II.  la  the  parish  oF  Drainie  there  is  a  large  cave  open  to  the  sea,  of  a  considerable 
lent(th,  breadth,  and  height.  There  are  many  natural  caves  in  the  hiils,  within  which 
hunters,  herds  and  thieves  take  shelter  in  time  of  storm  :  there  is  an  artificial  cave  in  the 
lands  of  RaitP  in  Badenoch,  in  which  fugitives  and  thieves  were  wont  to  rest ;  but  it  is 
now  demoliski«Kl  in  part.  Of  the  mountains  in  this  province  I  shall  name  but  two  or 
three :  the  Carngorm  in  Strathspey  is  remarkable  for  its  height,  and  for  the  stones  found 
upon  it ;  I  have  seen  these  stones  of  blue,  green,  yellow,  and  amber  colours ;  some  so 
large  as  to  make  big  snuff-boxes  or  small  cups;  some  of  a  hexagonal  or  pentagonal 
figure,  and  tapering  to  a  point  at  each  end.  These  are  now  well  known  to  the  curious 
and  to  jewellers.  Another  mountain  is  Benalar  in  Badenoch,  which  I  imagine  is  the 
highest  ground  in  Scotland,  for  waters  running  from  it  flill  into  the  sea  at  Dundee,  at 
Inverlochy,  and  at  Garmoch  in  Murray.  On  the  west  side  of  Loch-ness  there  is  a  hill 
called  Meafuarvoney :  Mr.  Gordon  the  geographer  was  imposed  upon  by  being  told 
that  it  is  two  miles  perpendicular  above  the  lake,  and  that  on  the  top  of  it  there  is  a 
small  lake  which  could  never  be  sounded,  and  communicates  with  Loch-Ness :  but  I 
can  assure  you  it  is  not  near  one  mile  above  the  loch,  and  there  is  no  such  lake  on  the 
top  of  it.  For  picturesque  scenes,  worth  drawing,  I  know  none,  except  Loch-Ness : 
with  the  rocks,  woods,  cascades  of  rills  of  water,  and  some  plots  of  corn  land,  on  both 
sides  of  the  loch,  which  make  a  delightful  scene  to  one  sailing  the  loch  in  the  king's 
yatcht,  or  in  a  barge. 

III.  No  earthr  lake,  that  I  can  learn,  was  ever  felt  in  this  province.  No  v/hirlwind 
any  way  remarkable :  there  are  several  echoes,  but  scarcely  worth  the  mentioning. 
About  the  year  1733  or  4,  flashes  of  lightning  so  struck  the  house  of  Innes  near  Elgin, 
as  by  entering  into  crevices  in  the  wall  to  drive  out  big  stones,  likewise  to  rend  a  consider, 
able  long  vault,  and  to  toss  a  large  cap-stone  above  forty  yards  from  the  house,  as  the  late 
Sir  Harnr  Innes  of  that  ilk  told  me. 

IV.  The  common  diseases  in  ourcountiy  are  fevers,  rheums,  colds,  scrofula,  hysteric 
and  hypocondriac ;  bites  of  serpents,  and  mad  dogs.  Our  natural  physicians  cure 
fevers,  by  making  the  patient  drink  plentifully  of  barley  water  or  wangress,  and  when 
the  fever  rises  high  the  patient  drinks  a  large  draught  of  cold  water,  which  brings  out  a 
profuse  sweat,  that  ends  in  a  crisis.  For  rheums,  they  twice  a  day  bathe  the  part  af> 
fected,  pouring  cold  water  upon  it,  and  after  it  is  dried,  rubbing  it  till  it  is  warm,  and 
covering  it  with  plaiding  or  flannel.  For  colds,  they  keep  bed  for  two  days,  drinking 
warm,  and  if  they  sweat  not,  they  take  the  cold  bath  in  a  river  or  brook,  which  produces 
sweat.  The  scrofula  they  find  incurable,  but  in  young  persons,  by  washing  often  with 
lime  water,  it  cures  in  a  few  years.  Hysterics  and  hypocondriacs,  in  my  opinion,  are 
the  effects  of  tea,  coffee,  sloth  and  laziness,  but  these  diseases  are  never  known  in  our 
Highlands.  When  one  is  bit  by  a  serpent  or  snake,  if  he  can  reach  the  wound,  he  sucks 
the  blood,  covers  the  wound,  and  often  foments  the  part  wounded,  and  members 
round  it,  with  a  decoction  of  the  buds  and  leaves  of  ash  trees.  When  one  is  bit  by  a 
mad  dog,  as  often  happens  in  the  Highlands,  he  with  a  razor  immediately  cuts  out  the 
flesh  of  the  part  wounded,  sucks  the  blood  in  plenty,  and  covers  the  wound  with  a  hand- 
ful of  cobwebs :  or  if  he  has  not  courage  to  cut  out  the  flesh,  and  thereby  to  prevent 
the  poison  from  mixing  with  the  blood,  he  causes  the  wound  to  be  well  sucked,  and  then 
foments  it  with  warm  oil  or  melted  butter.  I  have  seen  these  cures  performed  with  re- 
markable success.  We  have  had,  fifty  years  ago,  a  terrible  disease,  called  the  Civans, 
which  broke  out  into  blotches  in  several  parts  of  the  body,  and  of'en  turned  into  a  gan- 
grene in  the  face :  this  disease  was  brought  by  the  military  returning  from  Flanders, 


^!l 


T 


128 


PENNANT'S  TOUU  IN  SCOTLAND. 


and  was  cured  only  by  a  plentiful  salivation  with  mercury,  but  now  we  are  happily 
free  from  it. 

V.  In  the  parish  of  Elgin,  William  Calanch,  a  farmer,  died  about  the  year  1740,  at 
the  age  of  about  110  yearb ;  we  have  had  many  who  lived  to  an  hundred  years ;  we  have 
some  who  have  two  thumbs  on  each  hand,  or  two  great  toes  on  each  foot. 

VI.  and  VII.  In  this  town  of  Elgin  the  number  of  inhabitants  increases,  occasioned 
by  strangers  living  in  the  borough  and  many  poor  people  coming  from  the  country  into 
it.  But  in  the  parish  to  landward  the  number  appears  to  decrease,  by  reason  of  tenants 
taking  up  larger  farms  than  formerly  :  the  number  now  is  above  500O. 

VIiI.  The  corns  raised  in  this  province  are  wheat,  barley,  oats,  peas  and  beans,  and 
rye.  Of  these  in  good  years  we  nave  enough  to  serve  the  country,  and  to  export  above 
20,000  bolls,  besides  serving  the  Highland  countries.  Our  manufactures  are  linen  in 
considerable  quantities,  wool  and  common  stuffs,  and  now  at  Inverness  a  flourishing 
sail  manufactory,  and  a  ropery.  Our  fishery  b  considerable,  for  of  white  or  sea-fish 
there  is  great  plenty  to  serve  the  country  and  towns,  and  sometimes  to  export  a  little. 
And  our  salmon  on  the  rivers  of  Spey,  Fmdern,  Ness,  and  Beauly,  serves  the  towns  and 
country,  and  we  export  annually  to  the  value  of  about  12,0001. 

IX.  Near  the  firth  the  farmers  manure  with  sea  ware  or  weeds,  which  produces 
richly  ;  in  other  parts  they  use  marie,  lime,  dung  of  cattle,  and  in  the  Highlands  tathing, 
i.  e.  keeping  their  cattle  in  summer  and  autumn  within  pinfolds  on  barren  or  rested 
ground*  that  by  their  dung  they  may  enrich  the  soil ;  and  in  many  parts  they  use  green 
earth  mixed  with  the  dung  of  olack  cattle  and  horses. 

X.  We  cultivate  some  hemp«  much  flax,  of  which  wc  not  only  make  linen  for  home 
consumption,  and  have  three  bleaching  fields  within  the  province,  besides  private 
bleaching,  but  we  sell  great  quantities  of  linen  yam  to  the  merchants  of  Glasgow  and 
ethers.     We  likewise  cultivate  potatoes  in  great  plenty  to  serve  the  country. 

XI.  From  the  Lowlands  of  the  province  few  or  no  cattle  are  sent  out  of  the  country, 
but  from  the  Highland  glens  and  vallies,  several  hundreds  of  black  cattle,  some  horses, 
but  no  swine,  are  annually  sold  into  England  and  the  southern  counties  cdT  Scotland. 

XII.  There  are  in  this  province  several  small  mounts  or  motes,  of  which  I  cannot 
determine  whether  any  of  them  be  artificial  or  not ;  they  generally  stand  about  40  paces 
one  from  another ;  I  shall  name  only  the  folio  «ving :  viz.  Near  the  town  of  Elgin  are 
two  little  mounts  called  the  shooting-buts,  and  two  of  the  same  kind  are  near  the  kirk 
of  Petty.  I  am  inclined  to  think,  that,  before  the  invention  of  fire-arms,  these  were 
marks  for  shooting  at  with  bcws  and  arrows ;  but  that  in  time  of  Druidism,  they  were 
the  seats  on  which  the  Druids  met  to  determine  questions  in  law  and  property ;  and 
they  are  in  the  Gaelic  language  called  Tomavoed,  i.  e.  the  court  hill ;  and  in  the  south, 
they  are  called  Laws,  as  North  Berwick  Law,  Largo  Law,  ^c.  I  may  add  the  Omnis 
terra,  or  Mote-hill,  at  Scoon.  We  have  few  military  intrenchments  worth  the  mention- 
ing, as  the  Romans  encamped  little,  if  at  all,  so  far  north.  Druidical  circles  have 
been  very  frequent  in  this  province.  The  stones  were  generally  about  four  feet  in 
length,  and  eighteen  inches  in  breadth ;  for  the  most  part,  the  stones  are  removed  by 
the  country  people,  and  I  shall  name  but  one  or  two ;  viz.  at  Stony-field  near  In. 
verness,  there  was  a  large  circle  about  thirty  feet  diameter,  some  of  the  stones  as  yet 
stand.  In  Durris,  at  the  north  end  of  Iioch-Ncss,  is  a  Druid  temple  of  three  concentric 
circles :  in  all  these  Druidical  circles,  there  was  an  altar-stone  at  tne  centre,  hut  that  at 
Durris  is  taken  away,  and  near  the  centre  is  a  hollowed  stone,  which  either  was  a  laver 
to  wash  in,  or  a  bason  to  receive  the  blood  of  the  sacrifice.    Besides  circles,  there  were 


PENNANT'S  TOUR  IN  SCOTLAND. 


129 


many  druidical  cairns  in  this  country,  on  which,  at  their  solemn  festivals,  they  oflcrcd 
their  sacrifices ;  these  cairns  were  about  five  feet  hi^h,  and  about  thirty  i'cf  t  in  cir- 
cumference, and  hedged  around  with  stones  pitted  in  the  earth,  to  prevent  the  fulling 
out  of  the  stones  of  the  cairn  ;  such  a  cairn  stands  in  the  parish  of  Alves,  four  miles 
from  Elgin  ;  another  in  the  parish  of  Bimey,  two  miles  from  that  town  ;  and  two  or 
three  near  Avemore,  in  the  parish  of  Duthel  in  Strathspey.  From  these  circles  and 
cairns  many  churches  arc  to  this  day  called  Clachan,  i.  e.  a  collection  of  stones ;  and 
as  they  stood  in  time  of  druidism  in  groves  and  woods,  a  church  in  Wales  was  called 
Lhan,  probably  from  Lhuin  a  grove.  There  is  within  a  half  mile  to  the  east  of  the  town 
of  Forres  an  obelisk  called  Seven's  stone.  The  height  of  it  cannot  now  with  certuinty 
be  known,  it  is  said  to  be  twelve  feet  sunk  in  the  corn-field.  When  some  years  ago  it  was 
likely  to  fall,  the  countess  of  Murray  caused  it  to  be  erected,  and  mucn  sunk,  to  pre- 
vent falling :  it  is  about  twenty-three  feet  above  ground,  about  four  feet  broad ;  what 
is  above  ground  is  visibly  divided  into  seven  parts,  whereof  the  lowest  is  almost  hid  by 
the  stones  supporting  it ;  the  second  division  contains  many  figures,  but  much  defaced ; 
in  the  third  compartment  are  figures  of  men,  and  some  of  beasts  with  human  heads ; 
the  fourth  contams  ensigns  and  military  weapons ;  and  in  the  fifth,  sixth,  and  seventh, 
the  figures  are  scarce  discernible ;  on  the  reverse  there  is  a  cross,  beneath  which  are  two 
human  figures  of  a  Gothic  form ;  this  seems  to  be  a  monument  of  a  battle  fought  in 
that  place,  by  king  Malcolm  II,  of  Scotland,  against  the  Danes,  about  the  year  ICOd- 
There  are  about  two  or  three  obelisks  of  six  or  seven  feet  high  below  the  kirk  of  Alves, 
probably  as  monuments  of  skirmishes,  and  the  burying  of  men  of  some  figure. 

XIII.  In  this  province  we  had  two  bishoprics,  one  abbey,  three  priories,  one  prae- 
ceptory,  and  several  convents.  The  first  bishopric  was  that  of  Murthlack,  now  Mort- 
lien,  erected  by  k.  Male.  II,  an.  1010,  when  he  had  given  a  total  defeat  to  the  Danes 
in  that  valley :  the  diocese  consisted  only  of  three  parishes,  and  after  three  bishops  had 
served  there  it  was  translated  to  Aberdeen,  an.  1142.  As  an  account  of  it  will  be  fully 
given  by  others,  I  insist  not  further. 

The  second  bishopric  was  that  of  Murray.  In  the  fourth  century  the  bishop  af- 
fected a  pre-eminence  over  his  fellow  presbyters,  and  an  equality  in  many  things  to 
sovereign  princes :  as  princes  had  their  thrones,  were  crowned,  wore  crowns ,  had  their 
palaces,  their  ministers  of  state,  their  privy  council,  and  their  subjects ;  so  bishops  had 
a  solium,  a  consecration,  a  mitre,  palaces,  dignified  clergy,  chapter  and  inferior  clergy. 
The  episcopal  bishopric  of  Murray  was,  in  my  opinion,  erected  by  k.  Alexander  I, 
and  the  bishops  of  it  were  in  succession. 

(1.)  Gregcnius,  who  is  a  witness  in  a  charter  of  k.  David  I,  to  Dumfermline,  con- 
firming k.  Alexander's  charter  to  that  abbey ;  there  he  is  caHed  Gregorius  Moraviensis 
£piscopus :  and  in  the  foundation  charter  of  the  priory  of  Schoon,  an^  1115,  Gregorius 
Episcopus  is  a  witness,  who  probably  Was  the  same  with  the  formeriy  mentioned. 

(2.)  William  was  made  apostolic  legate,  an.  1159,  and  died  1162.  I  find  not  what 
time  he  was  consecrated. 

(3.)  Felix  is  witness  in  a  charter  by  k.  William,  Wilielmo  filiofresken,  de  terns,  de 
Strablock,  Rosbil,  Inshkele,  Duffus  Machare,  et  Kintray.    He  died  about  an.  1 170. 

(4.)  Simton  de  Toney,  monk  of  Melrpse.  elected.  1171,  and  died  an.  1184,  he  was 
buried  in  Birney.  ^^  :>v    a;  7^ ;(  ,<yi 

.'    (5.)  Andrew,  consecrated  an.  1184,  and  died  118^. 

(6.)  lUchard,  consecrated  Idi.  Martii,  an.  1187,  by  Hugo,  bishop  of  St.  Andrew's^ 
and  died  an.  1203,  and  was  buried  in  Spynie. 

VOL.   III.  s 


130 


PENNANT'S  TOUU  IN  8C0TLANU 


(7.)  Briceus,  brother  of  William  lord  of  Douglas,  and  prior  of  Lcssmahego,  elected 
an.  1203,  and  died  an.  1222,  and  was  buried  at  Spynie.  He  had  represented  to  the 
pope  that  the  former  bishops  had  no  fixed  see,  or  cathedral,  some  residing  at  Birnev, 
some  at  Kinncdar,  and  some  at  Spynie ;  and  he  obtained  that  Spynie  should  be  the 
bishop's  see  ;  he  appointed  the  dignified  clergy  and  canons,  and  founded  a  college  oi 
canons,  eight  in  number. 

(8.)  Andrew  (son  of  William  Murray  of  Duftus,  dean  of  Murray)  consecrated 
an.  1223.  He  founded  the  cathedral  church  at  Elgin,  added  fourteen  canons  to  the 
college,  and  a'jsigned  manses  and  prebends  for  them,  and  for  the  dignified  clergy,  and 
died  an.  1242. 

Here  it  will  be  proper  to  give  some  account  of  the  cathedral  church  at  £lgin,  for 
it  does  not  ap|)eur  that  Briccus  built  any  church  at  Spynie.  Bishop  Andrew  was 
not  pleased  with  the  situation  of  Spynie  for  a  cathedral,  and  therefore  petitioned  the 
pope«  that  because  the  distance  from  the  burgh  of  El^in,  which  would  divert  the  ca- 
nons from  their  sacred  functions  to  go  and  buy  provisions  in  the  burgh,  that  he  might 
allow  the  cathedral  to  be  translated  to  the  Ecclesiae  sancta  Trinitatis  prope  Elgin  :  Pope 
Honorius  granted  his  request,  and  by  his  bull  dated  4'°  Idu"  Aprilis  1224  empowered 
the  bishop  of  Caithness,  and  the  dean  of  Rosemarky,  to  make  the  desired  translation. 
These  met  at  the  place  desired,  on  the  14th  of  the  kalends  of  August,  an.  1224;  and 
finding  it  *'  in  commodum  Ecclesise,"  declared  the  church  of  the  holy  Trinity  to  be  the 
cathedral  church  of  the  diocese  of  Murray  in  all  times  coming :  it  is  said  that  bi- 
shop  Andrew  laid  the  foundation  stone  of  the  church  on  the  same  day  above> 
mentioned,  but  it  docs  not  appear  what  the  form  or  dimensions  of  that  first  church 


were. 


(9.)  Simon  dean  of  Murray  succeeded,  and  died  1252,  and  was  buried  in  the  choir 
of  the  cathedral  near  to  bishop  Andrew. 

(10.)  Archibald  dean  of  Murray,  consecrated  an.  1253.  and  died  December  5th, 
an.  1298,  and  was  buried  in  the  choir.  This  bishop  having  no  palace,  built  one  at 
Kinnedar,  and  lived  there.  In  his  time  William  earl  of  Ross,  having  done  great  harm 
to  the  parson  of  Petty,  was  obliged  to  do  penance,  and  for  reparation  gave  the  lands  of 
Cathpll  in  Ross  to  the  bishops  of  Murray  in  perpetuum, 

(11.)  David  Murray,  consecrated  at  Avignon  in  France,  by  Boniface  VHI,  anno 
1299,  and  died  January  20,  anno  1325. 

(12.)  John  Pilmore,  consecrated  3"  kal.  Aprilis,  anno  1326,  and  died  at  Spynie  on 
Michaelmas-eve,  1362. 

(13.)  Alexander  Bar,  doctor  dccretorum,  consecrated  by  Urban  V,  an.  1362,  died 
at  Spynie,  May  1397.  In  hb  time,  viz.  an.  1390,  Alexander  Stewart  (son  of  king 
Robert  II,)  lord  Badenoch,  commonly  called  the  Wolf  of  Badenoch,  keeping  violent 
possession  of  the  bishop's  lands  in  that  country,  was  excommunicated  in  resentment,  in 
the  month  of  May,  an.  1390.  He  with  his  followers  burnt  the  town  of  Forres,  with 
the  choir  of  that  church,  and  the  archdeacon's  house ;  and  in  June  that  year  burnt 
the  town  of  EU^in,  the  church  of  St.  Giles,  the  hospital  of  Maison-Dieu,  the  cathedral 
church,  with  eighteen  houses  of  the  panons  in  the  college  of  Elgin.  For  this  he  was 
made  to  dp  penance,  and,  upon  his  humble  submission,  he  was  absolved  by  Walter 
Trail,  bishop  of  St.  Andrews,  in  the  black-friars  church  of  Perth  (being  first  ^ceived 
at  the  door,  barefoot,  and  in  sackloth,  and  again  before  the  high  altar,  m  {>re8ence  of 
the  king  and  his  nobles)  pn  condition  that  he  would  make  full  reparation  to  the  bishop 
and  church  of  Murray  and  obtain  absolution  from  the  pope.    Bishop  Bar  began  the 


yjl-jmujii*  i».  ■^"I'^iw.. 


PENNANT'S  TOUR  IN  SCOTLAND 


131 


and 


choir 


oil 


rebuilding  of  the  church,  and  every  canon  contributed  to  it,  as  did  every  parish  in  the 
diocese. 

(14.)  William  Spynie,  chanter  of  Murray,  D.  I.  C.  consecrated  at  Avignon  by 
Benedict  the  IXth,  Sept.  13th,  1397,  and  died  Aug.  2Uth,  an.  1406.  He  carried  on 
the  reparation  of  the  cathedral,  but  the  troubles  of  the  times  caused  it  to  make  slow 
advances.  On  July  3,  an.  1402,  Alexander  III,  son  of  the  lord  of  the  isles,  plundered 
Elgin,  burnt  many  houses,  and  spoiled  the  houses  of  the  canons :  he  was  excommu- 
nicated, and  offered  a  sum  of  gold,  as  did  every  one  of  his  contains,  and  he  received 
absolution ;  this  money  was  applied  for  erecting  a  cross  and  a  bell  in  that  part  of  the 
canonrv  which  lies  next  the  bridge  of  Elgin. 

(15.)  John  Innes,  parson  of  Duflfus,  archdeacon  of  Caithness,  and  L  L.  D.  was  con- 
secrated by  Benedict  the  Xllllh,  Jan.  22d,  an.  1406,  and  died  April  25th,  an.  1414, 
and  was  buried  in  h'ls  own  isle  in  the  cathedral,  where  his  statue  at  large  still  remains 
with  this  inscription.  '*  Hie  jacet  revcrendus  in  Christo  Pater  et  Dominus  D.  Johannes 
Innes  de  Innes,  hujus  ecclesiae  Episcopus,  qui  hoc  notabile  opus  incepit,  et  per  septen- 
nium  redificavit.*'  He  built  that  isle  and  a  part  of  the  great  steeple  or  tower.  After  his 
death,  the  chapter  met,  and  all  were  sworn,  that  on  whomsoever  the  lot  should  Hill  to  be 
bishop,  he  should  annually  apply  one  third  of  his  revenues,  until  the  building  of  the 
cathedral  should  be  finished. 

(16.)  Henry  Leighton,  parson  of  DufTus,  and  L.  L.  D.  was  consecrated  in  Valentin 
by  Benedict  XIH,  March  8th,  an.  1415:  he  diligently  carried  on  the  building,  and  finished 
the  great  tower,  and  was  translated  to  Aberdeen,  an.  1425.  The  cathedral  church 
having  been  completely  finished  in  the  time  of  this  bishop,  I  shall  here  describe  that 
edifice,  which  was  all  in  the  Gothic  form  of  architecture.  It  stood  due  cast  and  west,  in 
the  form  of  a  passion  or  Jerusalem  cross  :  the  length  of  it  264  feet ;  the  breadth  35  feet ; 
the  length  of  the  traverse  114  feet.  The  church  was  ornamented  with  five  towers, 
whereof  two  parallel  towers  stood  on  the  west  end,  one  in  the  middle,  and  two  at 
the  east  end :  the  two  west  towers  stand  entire  in  the  stone  work,  and  are  each  84  feet 
high ;  what  the  height  of  the  spires  was  I  do  not  find ;  probably  they  were  of  wood, 
and  fell  down  lon^  since.  The  great  tower  in  the  centre  of  the  nave  stood  on  two 
arched  pillars  crossing  at  top,  and  was,  including  the  spires,  198  feet  in  height ;  the 
two  turrets  in  the  east  end  are  still  entire,  and  eacli  has  a  winding  staircase  leuuing  to 
a  channel  or  passage  in  the  walls  round  the  whole  chuich.  The  height  of  the  side- 
walls  b  36  feet.  The  great  entry  was  betwixt  the  two  towers  in  the  west  end ;  this 
gate  is  a  concave  arch,  24  feet  broad  in  base,  and  24  in  height,  terminating  in  a  sharp 
angle ;  on  each  side  of  the  valves  in  the  sweep  of  the  arch  are  8  round,  and  8  fluted 
pilasters,  6i  feet  high,  adorned  with  a  chapiter,  fi-om  which  arise  16  pilasters  that  meet 
in  the  key  of  the  arch.  Each  valve  of  the  door  was  5  feet  broad,  and  about  10  feet 
high.  To  yield  light  to  this  large  building,  besides  the  great  windows  in  the  porti. 
coes,  and  a  row  of  windows  in  tne  wall  above,  each  6  feet  high,  there  xvas  above  the 
^te  a  window  of  an  acute  angled  arch,  19  feet  broad  in  base,  and  27  in  height;  and 
in  the  east  end,  between  the  turrets,  a  row  of  five  parallel  windows,  each  2  feet  broad 
and  10  high ;  above  .these  five  more,  each  7  feet  high,  and  over  these  a  circular  win. 
dow  near  10  feet  diameter :  th(  grand  ^te,  the  windows,  the  pillars,  the  projecting 
table,  pedestals,  cordons,  are  adorned  with  foliage,  grapes,  and  other  carvings.  The 
traverse,  in  length  as  above,  seems  to  have  been  built  by  the  families  of  Dunbar  and 
Innes,  for  the  north  part  of  it  is  called  the  Dunbars'  isle,and  the  south  part  the  Innes* 
isle.      ,       . 

s  2 


132 


I'ENNANT'S  TOl/B  IN  iCOTLAND. 


The  chapter-house,  in  which  the  bishop's  privy  council  met,  stands  on  the  north 
sidf  of  the  choir:  it  is  a  curious  piece  of  architecture,  communicatinf;  with  the  choir 
by  a  vaulted  vestry.  The  house  is  an  exact  octagon,  34  feet  high,  and  the  diagonal 
breadth  within  walls  37  feet :  it  is  almost  a  cube,  arched  and  vaulted  at  top,  and  the 
whole  arched  roof  supported  by  one  pillar  in  the  centre  of  the  house.  Arched  pillars 
from  every  an^le  terminated  in  the  grand  jpillar,  which  is  9  feet  in  circumference, 
crusted  over  with  16  pilasters,  and  24  feet  high  ;  adorned  with  a  chapiter,  from  which 
arise  round  pillars  that  spread  along  the  roo^  and  join  at  top ;  and  round  the  chapiter 
are  engraven  the  arms  of  several  bisJiops.  There  is  a  large  window  in  each  of  the  seven 
sides,  the  eighth  side  communicating,  as  was  said,  with  the  choir ;  and  in  the  north 
wall  are  five  stalls  cut  in  nitches  for  the  bishop's  ministers  of  state,  viz.  the  dean, 
chapter,  archdeacon,  chancellor  and  treasurer,  the  dean's  stall  raised  a  step  higher  than 
the  other  four.  This  structure  of  the  cathedral  came  to  decay  in  the  manner  follow* 
ing :  viz.  the  regent  carl  of  Murray  being  obliged  to  levy  some  forces,  and  being 
straitened  in  money,  appointed,  by  his  privy  council  February  14,  1567,  8,  the  sherira 
of  Aberdeen  und  Murray,  with  other  gentlemen,  to  take  the  lead,  thatch  or  covering 
off  the  cathedrals  of  Aberdeen  and  Murray,  and  to  sell  it  for  paying  th''  troops,  which 
was  done,  and  shipped  for  Holland ;  but  the  ship,  soon  aAer  launched  in  the  sea,  sunk 
with  the  lead,  which  it  is  thought  was  done  by  a  superstitious  Roman  catholic  who  was 
captain  of  it.  Of  this  whole  edifice,  the  chapter- house,  the  walls  of  the  choir,  the 
western  steeples,  and  the  eastern  turrets,  remain  as  yet  entire,  but  the  side  walls  of 
the  nave  and  the  traverse  are  most  part  fallen,  and  Peace  Sunday,  an.  1711,  the  great 
tower  or  steeple  in  the  middle  fell  from  the  foundation. 

The  cathedral  stood  within  the  precinct  of  the  college,  near  the  river  side  of  Lossey : 
this  precinct  was  walled  round  with  a  strong  stone  wall,  and  was  about  1000  yards  in 
circumference,  a  part  of  the  walls  still  remains  entire ;  it  had  four  gates,  every  one  of 
which  probably  had  (as  is  apparent  the  eastern  had)  an  iron  gate,  a  portcullis,  and  a 
porter's  lodge :  within  the  precinct  the  dignified  clergy  and  all  the  canons  had  houses 
and  gardens,  und  without  the  precinct,  towards  the  town  of  El^in,  there  was  a  small 
burrow  with  a  cross,  wliere  the  churchmen  purchased  their  provisions.  The  bishop's 
palace  stood  at  Spynie,  a  large  mile  from  Elgin ;  when  it  stood  entire,  it  was  the  most 
stately  I  have  seen  in  any  diocese  in  Scotland.  The  area  of  the  buildings  was  an  ob. 
long  square  of  60  yards ;  in  the  south-west  corner  stood  a  strong  tower  vaulted,  the 
wall  9  feet  thick,  with  an  easy  winding  stair-case,  a  cape.house  at  top,  with  a  battlement 
round.  In  the  other  three  corners  are  small  towers  with  narrow  rooms.  In  the  south 
side  of  the  area,  there  was  a  chapel  and  tennis-court ;  and  in  other  parts  were  stables 
and  all  necessary  offices.  The  gate  or  entry  was  in  the  middle  of  the  east  wall,  se- 
cured by  an  iron  grate  and  a  portcullis ;  over  the  gate  stand  the  arms  of  bishop  John 
Innes  and  the  initial  letters  of  his  name,  which  affords  a  conjecture  that  he  was  the  first 
who  built  any  part  of  this  court.  Around  the  palace  was  a  spacious  precinct,  with 
gardens,  and  walks,  and  which  now  pay  twelve  pounds  sterling  to  the  crown.  The 
lands  of  Spynie  and  the  precinct  were  granted  by  the  crown  to  one  gentleman  after 
another  t\U  the  revolution,  and  since  that  time,  the  precinct  continues  in  the  crown, 
and  the  lands  b'cbng  to  Mr.  Brodie  of  Spynie,  now  of  Brodie;  but  the  iron  grate, 
the  roof,  the  joists,  and  all  the  timber-work,  were  carried  off  by  the  former  lessees,  and 
now  all  is  in  decay. 

The  diocese  of  Murray  comprised  the  counties  of  Murray  and  Nairn,  and  the  great- 
est part  of  the  counties  of  Bamff  and  Inverness,  and  had  fifty-six  pastoral  charges. 


'W  ' 


-wy^iiWTi^f'' 


PCNNANrH  TOUR  IN  SCOTLAND. 


133 


What  the  revenue  of  this  bishopric  wa%  before  the  rcformalion  cnnnot  now  be  well 
known  i  for  Patrick  Hepburn,  the  la^t  popish  bishop,  fcwcd  and  itold  nt  least  a  third 
part  of  the  lands  of  the  bishopric,  including  what  he  was  obligtd  to  give  to  the  Re. 

grnt  of  Scotland,  an.  1568,  for  harbouring  his  intercommuncd  uncle  James  cnri  of 
nthwcll,  who  married  our  unfortunate  q.  Mary,  an.  1563,  when  an  account  of  all 
dignified  clergy's  revenues  was  called  in  by  the  parliament;  the  revenues  of  the  bi- 
shopric of  Nluniiy,  as  then  given  up,  were  as  follows :  viz.  In  money,  16461.  Ts.  7d. 
Scots ;  wheat  10  bolls ;  barley,  77  chalders,  6  bolls,  3  firlots,  and  2  pecks ;  onts,  2 
chalders,  8  bolls ;  salmon,  8  lasts ;  poultry,  223.  Besides  the  emoluments  of  the 
regality  of  Spynie,  and  of  the  commissaries  of  Spynie  and  Inverness,  and  the  great  tcinds 
of  the  parish  of  Elgin,  and  of  St.  Andrew's  in  Mtirray,  Ogston,  Laggon,  and  the 
bishop's  share  of  the  revenues  of  the  common  kirks. 

The  only  abbey  we  had  was  at  Kinloss,  which  stood  in  what  is  now  called  the  parish 
of  that  name.  It  was  founded  by  k.  David  I,  10^  kal.  Januarii,  an.  1150.  The  abbot 
was  mitred,  and  had  a  seat  in  parliament ;  the  monks  were  of  the  Cistercian  order, 
called  Monachi  Albi.  K.  David  endowed  it»  as  did  k.  William,  with  many  lands. 
Aselinus  was  the  first  abbot,  and  Robert  Reid  was  the  last.  The  revenues  of  the 
abbey,  an.  1561,  were  found  to  be,  in  money,  11521.  Is.  Od.  Scots;  barley  and  meal, 
47  chalders,  1 1  bolls,  1  firlot,  and  3  pecks ;  oats  10  bolls,  3  firlots ;  wedders,  34 ; 
geese,  41 ;  capons,  60  ;  and  poultry,  125.  The  abbot  had  a  regality  within  the  abbey 
hinds ;  Mr.  Edward  Bruce  was  made  commendator,  and  afterwards  lord  of  Kinloss, 
an.  1604 ;  from  whom  Alexander  Brodie  of  Lethen  purchased  the  lands  of  Kinloss, 
and  the  superiority  of  the  other  abbey  lands.  The  ruins  of  the  building  are  so  small, 
that  it  cannot  be  known  what  it  was  when  entire;  for  an.  1651  and  1652,  the  stones 
of  it  were  sold,  and  carried  to  build  Cromwell's  fort  at  Inverness,  and  nothing  now 
remains  but  confused  ruins. 

The  oldest  priory  we  had  in  this  province  was  at  Urouhart,  three  miles  east  of  Elgin. 
It  was  founded  by  k.  David  I,  an.  1125,  in  honour  or  the  Trinity.  It  was  a  cell  of 
Dumfermline  with  Benedictine  monks.  K.  David  endowed  it  liberally.  The  revenues 
thereof  were  not  given  up  in  an.  1563,  and  so  I  can  give  no  account  of  them.  The 
raiory  lands  were  erected  mto  a  regality,  but  no  vestige  of  the  buildings  now  remains. 
In  1505,  Alexander  Seton  was  made  commendator,  and  1591,  created  lord  Urquhart, 
and  an.  1605  earl  of  Dumfermline ;  but  the  honours  being  forfeited  in  1690,  Seton 
of  Barns  clumed  the  lordship,  and  about  an.  1730  it  was  purchased  by  the  family  of 
Gordon. 

The  next  priory  was  at  Pluscarden,  founded  by  k.  Alexander  II,  an.  1230,  and 
liiimed  Vallis  Sancti  Andrae.  It  was  planted  by  Monachi  Vallis  Caulium.  None  but  the 
prior  and  procurator  were  allowed  to  go  without  the  precinct ;  the  monks  becoming 
vicious  were  expelled,  and  other  monks  brought  from  Dumfermline.  .  The  lands  of 
this  prion'  were  very  considerable,  and  they  had  a  grangia  and  a  cell  of  monks  at 
Orange-hiU.  The  revenue  of  this  priory,  given  up  an.  1563,  was  in  money 
5251.  10s.  l-^d.  Scots ;  wheat  1  chalder,  1  ^11,  2  firlots ;  malt,  meal,  and  barley, 
51  chakiers,  4  boUs,  3  firlots,  1  peck ;  oats,  5  chalders,  13  bolls ;  dry  multures,  9 
chalders,  11  bolls ;  salmon,  SO  lasts.  The  buildings  stood  four  miles  S.  W.  from  the 
town  of  Elgin,  in  a  warm  valley  called  the  glen  of  Pluscarden.  The  walls  of  the  pre- 
cinct make  a  large  square,  and  are  pretty  entire.  The  church  stands  about  the  middle 
of  the  square,  a  fine  edifice,  in  the  form  of  a  cross,  with  a  square  tower,  all  of  hewn 
ashlar.  The  oratory  and  refectory  Join  to  the  south  end  of  the  church,  under  which  is 
the  dormitory.   The  chapter-house  is  of  curious  work,  an  octagonal  cube,  vaultfd  roofs. 


1.14 


PtMNANrS  TOUR  IM  SCOTLAND. 


supported  by  one  pillar,  all  as  yet  entire.  They  had  u  regality  in  the  priory  lands,  and  a 
diatinct  regnlity  in  Grun({e- hill  called  the  rcgulity  uf  Stuncrurciioon.  At  the  rtTorma* 
tion  Sir  Akxandcr  Sctoii  wan,  an.  1565,  made  coininendator.  The  lands  of  Pluscur* 
den  and  Old  Milns  near  higin  passed  through  several  hiindx,  and  are  now  tlic  property 
of  James  turl  of  Fife. 

The  third  priory  wan  at  Kingusie,  founded  by  George  earl  of  Huntly,  about  an. 
1490.  Of  what  order  the  monks  were,  or  what  were  the  revenues  of  the  priory,  I 
have  not  learned.  The  few  lands  belonging  lo  it  being  the  donation  of  the  family  of 
Huntly,  were  at  the  reformation  re-assumed  by  them,  and  continue  to  be  their  property. 

There  were  likewise  within  this  province  several  convents  of  religious  oraers.  In 
the  town  of  Elgin  were  Gray  Friars,  Black  Friars,  Red  Friars,  Templars  Houses,  and 
a  Nunnery  of  the  religious  of  St.  Catherine  of  Sienna.  There  were  other  convents  at 
Ferrers  and  Inverness. 

Close  by  the  town  of  Elgin  stood  the  prteceptory  of  Maison-Dieu.  It  was  a  hospital 
for  entertaining  strangers,  and  maintaining  poor  infirm  people.  The  buildings  are 
now  gone  to  ruins.  They  had  considerable  lands  in  the  parishes  of  Elgin,  Laubride, 
Knockando,  and  Dundurkus,  all  which  were  by  king  James  VI,  and  Charles  I,  granted 
to  the  town  of  Elgin,  and  now  hold  few  of  them. 

In  this  province  wc  had  four  royal  forts ;  the  first  stood  on  a  round  hill  that  ovet' 
looks  the  town  of  Elgin ;  and  some  of  the  walls,  all  of  run  lime,  do  as  yet  remain. 
The  enrls  of  Murray  since  the  year  1313  were  constables  of  it,  and  had  considerable 
lands  for  their  salary.  Their  omce  continued  till  1748,  when  heritable  offices  were  an- 
nexed to  the  crown,  and  now  they  have  no  more  but  tlie  hill  called  Lady  hill,  jvhich 
yields  a  small  rent  annually.  Another  fort  stood  in  the  town  of  Nairn,  but  no  ve^uges 
of  it  now  remain.  Mr.  Campbell  of  Calder  (and  formerly  the  Thanes  of  that  ilk)  was 
constable,  and  in  1748  was  paid  a  compensation  for  that  office.  The  third  fort  was  at 
Inverness,  of  which  the  earls  of  Ross  were  formerly  constables ;  and  after  their  for- 
feiture, the  earl  of  Huntly  obtained  the  office  of  constable,  with  very  considerable 
lands  as  a  salary,  and  continued  to  be  constable  till  1629.  I  need  not  here  speak  of 
Cromwell's  fort  at  Inverness,  of  which  no  doubt  others  will  give  a  full  account.  The 
fourth  fort  was  at  Urquhart,  on  the  west.side  of  Loch-Ness :  the  buildings  were  pretty 
large,  and  in  a  great  part  as  yet  stand.  In  the  time  of  David  II,  Alexander  Boes  was 
governor-  of  this  fort ;  afterwards,  Chisolm  of  that  ilk  was  governor :  but  since  the 
middle  of  the  fifteenth  century  I  do  not  find  it  had  any  governor,  and  now  the  lands  of 
Urquhart  are  the  property^  of  Sir  Ludowick  Grant  of  Grant.  Besides  these  forts  wc 
had  many  old  castles  within  this  province,  commonly  called  Fortalicia.  One  stood  at 
DuiTus,  three  miles  north  of  Elgin,  and  was  the  seat  of  the  chief  of  the  Moravicnses  as 
early  as  the  eleventh  century.  The  castle  stood  on  a  green  mote,  on  the  bank  of  the 
loch  of  Spynie :  it  was  a  square,  the  wall  about  20  fest  high,  and  5  feet  thick,  with  a 
parapet,  a  ditch,  and  a  draw  bridge :  within  the  square  were  buidings  of  timber  for  ac- 
commodating the  family,  and  also  necessary  offices.  The  walls  are  as  yet  pretty  entire. 
Such  Fortalices  were  also  at  Balveny,  in  the  parish  of  Mortlich,  at  Abernethy  in  that 
parish,  at  Lochindorb  in  the  parish  of  Cromdil,  at  Raet  in  Nairn  parish,  and  at  Kuthven 
in  Kinguiuc  parish.  All  which  were  large  squares,  and  many  rooms  built  with  timber 
within  the  walls. 

I  shall  give  no  account  of  the  modem  forts  of  Fort  Geor^  at  Ardersair,  or  Fort 
Augustus  at  the  south  end  of  Loch'Ness,  and  shall  only  describe  a  promontory  in  the 
parish  of  DufTus,  four  miles  from  Elgin.  Our  historians  call  it  Burgus,  it  juts  into  the 
Firth,  and  rises  above  low  water  about  sixteen  yards.  To  the  west  and  north  it  is  a  per. 


■^-vT 


"mKsnr.T- 


PKHMAN'Ti  TOUH  IN  f*COTLAND. 


135 


pendicular  rock,  to  the  east  the  ascent  ii  htccp,  but  glassy,  to  the  south  towards  Imid  the 
ascent  is  more  easy.  The  area  on  the  top  ii  near  u  rectangular  figure,  in  length  about 
100  yards,  and  in  breadth  about  50.  After  the  Dunes  hud  defeated  the  Scot<t  army  ut 
Forres  about  an.  1008,  thev  sent  for  their  wives  and  children,  and  made  this  promon. 
tory  an  asylum  to  them  and  a  place  of  arms.  It  wus  at  top  surrounded  with  a  strong 
rampart  ot  oaken  logs,  of  which  some  are  us  yet  digged  up :  by  a  trench  cut  on  the 
soutli  side  they  brought  the  sea  round  the  promontory,  and  within  this  had  other 
trenches,  and  they  fortified  it  to  the  east.  The  trenches  arc  now  tilled  up.  After  the 
battle  of  Mortlich  in  the  yeur  1010,  the  Dunes  abandoned  it,  and  le(\  the  country  of 
Murray.     To  return. 

(17.)  Columba  Dunbur  succeeded,  and  died  an.  1435. 

(18.)  John  Winchester,  L.  B.  and  chaplain  to  king  James  II,  was  consecrated  1438, 
and  died  1458.  In  1452,  the  king  erected  the  town  of  Spynic  into  a  free  burgh  of 
barony,  and  erected  all  the  lands  of  the  bishopric  into  the  rct^.ility  of  S[)ynic. 

(19.)  James  Stewart,  dean,  consecrated  1458,  died  an.  1460. 

(20.)  David  Stewart,  parson  of  Spynie,  succeeded  in  1461,  built  the  high  tower  of 
the  palace,  and  died  an.  1475. 

(21.)  William  Tulloch,  translated  Irom  Orkney,  an.  1477,  was  lord  privy  seal,  und 
died  1482. 

(22.)  Andrew  Stewart,  dean  of  Murray  and  privy  seal,  succeeded  an.  1483,  and 
died  1498. 

(23.)  Andrew  Forman,  commendator  of  Dry  Burgh,  succeeded  an.  1501,  and  was 
translated  to  St.  Andrew's  an.  1514. 


(24.)  James  Hepburn  succeeded,  and  died  an.  1524. 


(25.)  Robert  Shaw,  son  of  Suuchy,  and  abbot  of  Puisly,  was  consecrated  1525,  and 
died  1528. 

(26.)  Alexander  Stewart,  son  of  the  duke  of  Albany,  succeeded,  and  died  an. 
1535. 

(27.)  Patrick  Hepburn,  uncle  to  James  earl  of  Bothwell,  and  commendator  of  Scoon, 
was  consecrated  an.  1537.  He  dilapidated,  fewed,  or  set  in  long  leases  a  great  part  of  the 
church  lands,  and  died  ^n.  1573,  on  the  20th  June. 

)  have  seen  several  catalogues  of  the  popish  bishops  of  Murray,  both  printed  and  manu- 
script, but  all  imperfect ;  comparing  these  with  the  writings  of  Sir  James  Dalrymple, 
Sir  Robert  Sibbald,  bishop  Keith,  the  chartulary  of  Murray,  and  the  chronicle  of  Mel 
Rossj  the  above  catalogue  may  I  think  be  depended  upon.     To  return  to  the  queries. 

XIV.  There  are  in  this  province  manuscript  histories  of  several  families,  which 
might  be  of  some  service  in  compiling  a  general  history  ;  as  of  the  families  of  Dunbar, 
Innes,  Brodie,  Calder,  Rilruvock,  M'lntosh,  and  Grant  With  regard  to  ancient 
weapons,  I  have  seen  in  the  house  of  Grant,  of  Kilravock,  and  in  otlwr  houses,  steel 
helmets,  habergeons,  and  coats  of  mail,  and  of  buff  leather.  Adder  stones,  glass  beads, 
&c.  are  but  amulets  not  worth  regardinfj^. 

XV.  I  know  not  one  picture  worth  regarding,  except  a  picture  of  the  Virgin  Mary 
in  the  house  of  CasUe  Grant. 

XVI.  No  battle  in  the  parish  of  Elgin,  but  many  within  this  province,  as  at  Forres, 
about  an.  1008,  betwixt  the  Scots  and  Danes ;  at  Mortlich,  an.  1010,  between  the 
same;  at  Spey.mouth,  an.  1078,  the  king  against  the  Moravienses;  again  an.  1110, 
against  the  same  people;  and  an.  1160«  on  the  Muir  of  Urquhart,  king  Malcolm 
IV,  against  the  same  Moravienses  ;  at  Cleanlochlochie,  an.  1544,  betwixt  the  Frazers 
and  M'Donalds;    at  Glenlivot,  an.  1594,   the  king  against  the  earls  of   Huntly, 


136 


PENNANrS  TOUR  W  SCOTLAND. 


Errol,  and  Angus ;  ut  Auldem,  nn.  1645,  the  covenanters  agairst  Montrose ;  at  Crom- 
del,  an.  1690,  the  kings  troops  against  the  Highlanders ;  and  at  CuUoden,  an.  1745,  the 
duke  of  Cumberland  s^ainst  the  rebels. 

XVII.  Druidism  having  been  the  form  of  relij^^on  in  this  country  before  Christianity, 
(he  people  still  retain  some  superstitious  customs  of  that  Pagan  religion.  As  Bel>tien  ; 
o>:  the  nrst  of  May,  the  herds  of  several  farms  gatner  dry  wood,  put  fire  to  it,  and  dance 
three  times  CtOjthways  about  the  pile.  In  the  middle  of  June  fa.mers  go  round  their 
gro-mds  with  burning  torches,  in  memory  of  the  Cerealia.  On  Hallow>even  they  have 
sevcial  superstitious  customs.  At  the  full  moon  in  March,  they  cut  withes  of  the  misle- 
toe  or  ivy,  make  circles  of  them,  keep  them  all  the  year,  and  pretend  to  ci: re  hecticks  and 
other  troubles  by  them.  And  nt  marriages  and  baptisms  they  make  a  f  rocession  around 
the  church,  Deasoil,  i.  e.  sunways,  because  the  sun  was  the  immeciate  object  of  the 
Druids'  worship. 

XVIII.  Their  sports  are  hunting,  firing  at  marks,  foot-ball,  club>ball,  &c.  And  the 
only  annual  festival  they  observe  is  Chnstmas ;  spent  more  as  the  Saturnalia  were  of 
old,  than  as  Christ's  birth  ou^t  to  be. 

XIX.  We  have  no  true  marie  in  this  country,  nor  any  asbestus :  but  we  have  granite, 
talcum,  f>apis  specularii,  and  at  Stadtfield,  within  four  miles  of  Elgin,  there  was  lately 
found  lead  ore,  and  in  Glen-garry  they  have  for  several  years  had  an  iron  forge  and 
made  pigs  of  iron ;  likewise,  about  40  years  ago,  a  company  from  England  set  up  a  mill 
and  forge  for  iron  in  Abernethy  in  Strathspey,  and  made  very  good  bars  of  iron,  but 
through  their  own  extravagance  they  abandoned  it  There  is  through  all  this  province 
great  plenty  of  iron  ore.  I  have  often  seen  the  if  nis  fatuus,  which  is  a  piece  of  rotten 
birch  wood,  Ij  ing  in  a  mire,  and  shinmg  in  a  dark  night,  like  a  flame  of  fire :  likewise 
ignis  lambens!,  ;vnich  is  an  unctuous  vapour  falling  upon  a  man's  wig,  or  mane  of  a 
horse,  which  shines  bright,  but  by  a  slight  rub  it  is  extinguished. 

XX.  Great  plenty  of  the  particulars  in  the  20th  query  may  be  found  on  the  sea 
coast  in  this  province,  if  any  will  take  the  trouble  to  collect  them. 

XXI.  I  know  no  species  of  wood  remarkable,  and  peculiar  to  this  province,  except 
Red  Slaugh,  or  sallow,  which  is  no  less  beautiful  than  mahogany,  and  b  much  more 
firm  and  tough,  and  not  so  brittle ;  it  receives  a  fine  polish,  and  in  colour  resembles 
light-coloured  inah(^ny ;  it  grows  in  rocks,  and  is  very  rare.  But  we  have  great 
forests  of  firs  and  birches :  and  as  the  Grampian  hills  divide  in  Athd  into  one  branch 
running  northward,  and  another  eastward ;  in  the  former  branch  are  great  wodds  of 
fir  and  birch  in  Breadalbane,  Rannoch,  Strathspey,  Badenoch,  Glen-moriston,  Strath- 
gtass,  and  'Stra:!i-carron  in  Sutherland ;  and  in  th^  other  branch  are  such  forests  in 
Brae-mor,  Glen-Muik,  Glen-tanner,  &c.  I  am  irjclined  to  think  that  these  are  the  re- 
mains <^  the  ancient  Sylva  Caledonia.  Among  other  vegetaUes,  we  have  in  great 
plenty,  in  the  heaths  and  woods,  the  following  berries,  viz.  wild  rasps,  wild  strawber'> 
ries,  blueberries,  bugberries,  uva  nrsa,  Sec.  And  we  have  one  root  I  cannot  but  take 
notice  of,  which  we  call  Carmele :  it  is  a  root  that  grows  in  heaths  and  birch  woods  to 
the  bigness  of  a  large  nut^  and  sometimes  four  or  five  rootsjoined  by  fibres ;  it  bears  a 
green  stalk,  and  a  small  red  flower.  Dio,  speaking  of  the  Cfaledonians,  says,  **  Certum 
cioi  genus  parant  ad  omnia,  quern  si  cepterint  quantum  est  unius  fabse  magnitudo, 
minime  esurire  aut  sitire  solent."  Cassar  de  Bel.  Civ.  lib.  3^,  writes,  that  Valerius's 
soldiers  found  a  root  called  Chara,  "  quod  admistum  lacte  multam  inopiam  levebat,  id 
ad  similitudinem  panis  efficiebant."  I  am  inclined  to  think  that  our  Carmele  (i.  e. 
sweet  root)  is  Dio's  Cibi  genus,  and  Caesar's  Chara :  I  have  often  seen  it  dried,  and  kept 
for  jc  arneys  through  hiUs,  where  no  provisions  could  be  had :  I  have  likewise  seen  it 


1>£NNANT'S  TOUK  IN  SCOTLANt). 


137 


Crom 
15,  the 

tianity, 
il.tien ; 
1  dance 
id  their 
cy  have 
;  misle' 
cks  and 
around 
t  of  the 

\nd  the 
were  of 

granite, 
as  lately 
)rge  and 
ip  a  mill 
ron,  but 
province 
>f  rotten 
likewise 
ane  of  a 

the  sea 

,  except 
:,h  more 
sembles 
ve  great 

branch 
vodds  of 

Strath- 
brenta  in 
e  the  re- 
in great 
tra^ii3er<'' 
but  tak« 
woods  to 
it  bears  a 
•  Certuin 
ignitudo, 
Valerius's 
vebat,  id 
ele  (i.  e. 

and  kept 
le  seen  it 


pounded  and  infused,  and  when  yest  or  barm  is  put  to  it,  it  ferments,  and  makes  a  li- 
quor more  agreeable  and  wholesome  than  mead.  It  grows  so  plentifully,  that  a  cart  load 
of  it  can  easily  be  gathered,  and  the  drink  of  it  is  very  balsamic. 

XXII.  Sea  fowl  in  this  province  resort  in  winter  to  lakes  and  lochs,  as  loch  of  Spynie, 
Loch-Nc  -'?,  Loch  Nadorb,  &c.  Eagles  and  falcons  breed  in  high  rocks  and  inaccessible 
mountains,  as  Scorgave  in  Rothemurchus.  There  are  some  species  of  fowls,  if  not 
peculiar  to  this  province,  at  least  rare  in  other  countries  :  such  as,  the  Caperkyly,  as 
large  as  the  domestic  turkey  ;  it  frequents  the  fir  woods,  and  perches  in  the  tops  of 
very  tall  trees,  but  the  hen  breeds  in  the  heath.  Another  fowl  is  the  black  cock, 
which  frequents  birch  woods  in  hills,  is  of  the  size  of  a  capon,  of  a  shining  blue  colour : 
it  is  by  some  authors  called  Gallus  Scoticanus.  A  third  fowl  is  ptarmagan,  of  the  size  of 
a  partridge,  haunts  the  high  rocky  hills,  is  of  a  colour  spotted  brown  and  white.  These 
three  fowls  are  very  harmless,  and  make  delicious  food. 

N.  B.  In  answering  query  IV,  it  is  omitted  that  our  natural  physicians,  when  the\- 
find  a  toe  or  finger  hurt,  and  beginning  to  corrupt,  they  strike  it  off  with  a  chissel,  and 
sere  the  wound  with  a  hot  iron  and  soon  cure  it.  Instead  of  bleeding  by  lancets,  they 
scarify  the  flesh  about  the  ancle,  and  they  take  blood  from  the  nasal  vein,  by  cleaving  the 

?uill  of  a  hen  and  binding  it  into  four  branches,  and  scarifying  the  nostrils  thereby, 
or  vomits,  they  use  a  decoction  of  groundsill,  of  the  bark  of  the  service  tree,  and  a 
decoction  of  Holbom  saugh ;  and  for  purgatives,  the  decoction  of  service  bark  and  a 
decoction  of  mugwort  boiled  in  new  whey.  In  answering  query  I,  I  omitted  to  say, 
that  the  river  of  Bewly  was  anciently  called  Farar :  it  rises  in  the  hills  towards  Glenelg, 
and  runs  through  Glenstrathfarar;  and  I  am  inclined  to  think  that  in  Ptolemy's  Geo- 
graphical Tables,  the  Murray  Frith  is  called  ^stuarium  Vararis,  from  the  river  Farar 
(changing  the  F  into  V)  that  falls  into  the  head  of  it.  And  the  river  was  called  Bewly, 
when,  an.  1230,  a  priory  of  the  monks  Vallis  Caulium  was  settled  there,  who  called 
their  seat  Beaulieu,  i.  e.  Bcllo  loco :  and  then  the  old  name  of  Farar  was  discontinued, 
except  among  the  Highlanders. 

APPENDIX....NO.  III. 

,  THP   LIFE  OF   JAMES  CRICHTON,  OF  CLUNIE,    COMMONLY  CALLED  THE 
^-  ADMIRABLE  CHICHTON.» 

'  THIS  gendeman  was  descended  ilrom  a  very  ancient  family;  his  fkther,  Robert 
Crichtoui  of  Clunie  and  Eikok,  was  one  of  those  who  commanded  queen  Mary's  army 
at  the  battle  oS  Langside  in  the  year  3  568.  He  was  bom  at  Clunie,t  his  paternal  in. 
heritance,  ii.  the  shire  of  Peith,  in  rhe  year  1551.  He  was  taught  his  gramniar  at  the 
sdi0(4  of  Perth,   and  his  philosophy  at  the  univiersity  of  St.  Andrews  j:  under  Mr. 

•'U  .  ..  .        .    ..1      .•  •   r  I ' 

*  This  compUatiQia  was  some  years  ago  printed  fiX,  Aberdeen.  I  have  hikd  ^pottunity  of  comparing 
it  with  most  of  the  authorities  (][ac!erl  in  support  of  the  history  of  so  extraordinary  a  person,  and  fiod^them 
used  with  judgmient  and  fidelity.  Lxcepting  a  few  notes,  F.  present  it  to  the  readers  in  the  state  I  found 
it :  aixd  shall  only  acqaunt  them  that  the  Hfe  of  ihis  glory  of  North  Britain  may  be  found  in  the  8 1st  No. 
of  th«  Adi^ntttMr,  treated  in  a  more  eleg»Qt,  but  far  less  comprehensive,  manner. 

t  The  preseift  house  of  Clunie  stands  in  an  island  in  a  lake  of  the  same  name.  But  the  old  house  or 
«aBU«  stood  qn  one  side  of  the  water :  and  its  place  is  distinguished  by  nothing  but  a  mound  and  imper- 
fect moat. 

I  Vid.  Aid.  Manut.  Epist.  Ded.  Paradox.  Cicer. ;  Diet. 
Hist.  Eccles.  p.  1876.    Joan,  imperialis  Mus.  Histor.  p.  241 
the  ^ots  Nation,  8cc. 

VOL,   III.  T 


V 

I"' 

Pi 


t.  Ci'itiq.  &  Histor.  par  M.  Bayle ;  Dempster 
241.  Sir  Thomas  Urquhart's  Vindication  of 


;ii=ift;;M">.^^. 


138 


PENNANT'S  TOUR  IN  SCOTLAND. 


John  Rutherford.*  He  had  hardly  attained  to  the  2()th  year  of  his  age,  when  he  had 
run  through  the  whole  circle  of  the  sciences,  and  could  speak  and  write  to  perfection  in 
ten  different  languages ;  but  this  was  not  all ;  for  he  had  likewise  improved  himself  to 
the  utmost  degree  m  riding,  dancing,  singing,  and  playing  upon  all  sorts  of  instru- 
ments. 

Having  thus  established  himself  at  home,  his  parents  sent  him  abroad  to  accomplish 
him  further  by  travelling.  And  coming  tu  Paris,  it  is  not  to  be  imagined  what  con- 
sternation he  raised  in  that  famous  university  as  we  have  it  (voir,  au  eye  witness,  who 
gives  us  this  account  of  it:t  **  There  came,"  says  he,  "  to  the  colle^  of  Navarre,  a 
young  man  of  20  years  of  age,  who  was  perfectly  well  seen  in  a!'  the  scien'-is,  as  the 
most  learned  masters  of  the  university  acknowledged  :  in  vocal  and  instrumental  music 
none  could  excel  him,  in  painting  and  drawing  in  colours  none  could  equal  him ;  in  all 
military  feats  he  was  most  expert,  and  could  play  with  the  sword  so  dexterously  with 
both  his  hands,  that  no  man  could  fight  him  ;  when  he  saw  his  enemy  or  antagonist,  he 
would  throw  himself  upon  himiit  one  jump  of  20  or  24  feet  distance:  He  was  a  master 
of  arts,  and  disputed  with  us  in  the  schools  of  the  college,  upon  medicine,  the  civil  and 
canon  law,  and  theology ;  and  although  we  were  above  fifty  in  number,  besides  above 
three  thousand  that  were  present ;  so  pointedly  and  learnedly  he  answered  to  all  the 
(questions  that  were  proposed  to  him,  that  none  but  they  that  were  present  can  believe 
it.  He  spake  Latin,  Greek,  Hebrew,  and  other  langua^s,  most  politely ;  he  was 
likewise  an  excellent  horseman,  and  truly  if  a  man  should  live  an  hundred  years,  with' 
out  eating,  drinking,  or  sleeping,  he  could  not  attain  to  this  man's  knowledge,  which 
struck  us  with  a  panic  fear;  for  he  knew  more  than  human  nature  could  well  bear ;  he 
overcame  four  of  the  doctors  of  the  church;  for  in  learning  none  could  contest  with 
him,  and  he  was  thought  to  be  Antichrist." 

Sir  Thomas  Urquhart  of  Cromarty,  giving  an  account  of  this  dispute,  says,  that 
Crichton,  when  he  came  to  Paris,  caused  six  programs  on  all  the  gates  of  the  scliools, 
halls  and  coUeg'^s,  belonging  to  the  university,  and  on  all  the  pillars  and  posts  before 
the  houses  of  the  most  renowned  men  for  literature  in  the  city,  inviting  all  those 
who  were  well  versed  in  any  art  or  science,  to  dbpute  with  him  in  the  college  of 
Navarre,  that  day  six  weeks,  by  nine  of  the  clock  in  the  morning,  where  he  should 
attend  them,  and  be  ready  to  answer  to  whatever  should  be  proponed  to  him  in  any  art 
or  science,  and  in  any  of  these  twelve  languages,  Hebrew,  Syirack,  Arabick,  Greek, 
Latin,  Spanish,  French,  Italian,  English,  Dutch,  Flemish,  or  Sclavonian,  and  that  either 
in  verse  or  pro&e,  at  the  discredon  of  the  disputant;  and  during  all  this  time,  instead  of 
making  a  close  application  to  his  studies,  he  minded  nothing  but  hunting,  hawking, 
tilting,  vaulting,  riding  of  a  well  managed  horse,  tossing  the  pike,  handling  th6  mus<< 
ket,  and  other  military  feats,  or  in  house  games,  such  as  balls,  concerts  of  music,  vocal 
and  instiimientai,  caihds«  dice,  tennis,  and  the  other  divc^tons  of  youth;  which  so 
provoked  the  students  of  the  university,  that  they  caused  write  beneath  the  program 
that  was  fixt  on  the!  Sorbbnne  gate,  <<  If  you  would  meet  with  this  monster  of  perfec- 
tion,  to  make  seiyrch  for  "him  either  in  the  tavern  or  bawdy-house  is  the  readiest  way  to 
find  him."  Yet  upon  tlie  day  appointed  he  met  with  thein  in  the  colle^  of  Navarre, 
and  acquit  himself  beyond  expression  in  that  dbpute,  which  lasted  from  nine  till  six  of 

*  Aldus  calls  Crichton  firsl  cbunn  to  the  kingj  and  says  (hat  he  was  edilcatetl  along  wifh  hb  nlajeBty 
under  Buchanan,  Hepburn,  Robertson  and  Rutherford, 
t  Steph.  Paich.     isquis.  lib.  5.  cap.  23.' 


\V 


•  v-t. J  •,<>&'>" 


. t(    ;';i.'. 


>;4  (••.t>it(c;-1'>ri;,' 


y 


si?"i«fc<i«tMiK3»hvS_ 


t,  Mrt•^M-v.UM-.^^_  ^ 


NI*»ilHlii 


PENNANT'S  TOUR  IN  SCOTLAND. 


139 


tlie  clock  at  night :  At  length,  the  Praeses  having  extolled  him  highly,  for  the  many  rare 
and  wonderful  endowments  that  God  and  nature  had  bestowed  upon  him,  he  rose  tVom 
his  chair,  and  accompanied  by  four  of  the  most  eminent  professors  of  the  university, 
gave  him  a  diamond  ring  and  a  purse  full  of  gold,  as  a  testimony  of  their  love  and 
^vour,  which  ended  with  the  acclamations  and  repeated  hnzzas  of  the  spectators. 
And  ever  after  th&t  he  was  called,  the  admirable  Crichton.  And  my  author  says,  that 
he  was  so  little  fatigued  with  that  day's  dispute,  that  the  very  next  day  he  went  to  the 
Louvre,  where  he  had  a  match  of  tilting,  an  exercise  in  great  request  in  those  days, 
and  in  the  presence  of  some  princes  of  the  court  of  France,  and  a  great  many  ladies, 
he  carried  aWay  the  ring  fifteen  times  on  end,  and  broke  as  many  lances  on  the  Saracen. 

The  learned  M.  duLauny,  in  his  history  of  the  college  of  Navarre,  finding  the  his- 
tory of  this  dispute  recorded  in  a  MS.  history  of  the  college  of  Navarre,  and  the  like 
account  of  a  ^niard  in  Trithemius,  confounds  the  two  together,  and  robs  our  author 
of  the  glory  of  this  action,  and  places  it  in  the  year  1445,  whereas  it  should  be  in  the 
year  1571,  as  we  have  reason  to  believe,  from  the  authority  of  those  that  were  cotem- 
porary  with  him,  and  knew  him,  and  have  recorded  this  of  him ;  but  we  need  not  be 
surprised  at  M.  du  Launy's  denying  him  the  glory  of  this  action,  when  we  find  M. 
Baillet,  another  learned  Frenchman,  denying  there  ever  was  such  a  man  as  our  author,* 
notwithstanding  that  Aldus  Manutius  dedicates  his  book  of  Cicero's  paradoxes  to  him 
in  the  year  1581,  and  that  the  most  of  the  eminent  men  in  Italy  in  that  age  were  ac- 
quainted  with  him,  as  we  shall  show  in  the  remaining  part  of  the  history  of  his  life. 
About  two  years  after  his  dispute  at  Paris,  Trajano  Boccalini,  in  his  advertisements  from 
Parnassus,  tells  us,  that  he  came  to  Rome,  Boccalini  being  then  at  Rome  himself,  and 
by  a  placard  which  he  affixed  upon  all  the  eminent  places  of  the  city  he  challenged  all 
th.  learned  men  in  Rome,  in  the  following  terms,  "Nos  Jacobus  Crichtonus  Scotus, 
cuicunque  rei  propositae  ex  improviso  respondebimus."  That  is  to  say,  he  was  ready  to 
answer  any  question  that  could  l^'^^  proposed  to  him,  without  being  previously  advertised 
of  k.  Upon  which  the  wits  {  <  paper  in  Pasquin'sf  hand,  endeavouring  to  ridicule 
him ;  but  tliat  noways  discouragii  g  him,  he  came  at  the  time  and  |)lace  appointed  by  his 
placard,  and  in  the  presence  of  the  pope,  m;v  y  cardinals,  bishop  ,  doctors  of  divinity,  and 
professors  in  all  the  sciences,  he  gave  sucu  surprising  instances  of  his  universal  know- 
ledge, that  they  were  no  less  surprised  with  hint,  than  they  had  been  at  Paris. 

From  Rome  he  goes  to  Venice,  where  he  contracted  an  mtimate  friendship  with 
Aldus  Manutius,  Laurennius  Massa,  Speron  Speronius,  and  s  /eral  other  learned  men, 
to  whom  he  presented  several  poems  in  commendation  of  the  city  and  university,  and 
among  the  rest,  one  to  Aldus  Manutius,  which  w  have  still  extant  in  the  Delitiae 
Poetarum  Scotorum4  This  poem  gave  him  a  very  agreeable  surprise,  being  presented 
by  a  stranger,  whom  he  judged  by  the  performance  to  be     person  of  an  extraordinary 

fenius:  but  when  he  came  to  discourse  yi'ith  him,  he  v  iruck  with  admiration,  and 
nding  him  known  in  every  thing,  he  brought  him  to  acquaintance  of  all  the  people 
of  learning  of  note  that  were  in  Venice,  and  all  of  them  were  so  surprised  with  him, 
that  they  thought  him,  as  he  really  was,  the  wonder  of  the  world,  and  never  spoke  of 
him  but  with  admiration :  at  length  Lwing  brought  before  the  doge  and  senate,  he  made 

•  Hist,  des  Enf.  Celeb.  !    >» 

t  The  pasquinade  was  to'this  effect,  written  beneath  the  challenge.  And  he  that  will  see  it  let  him  go 
to  the  signe  of  the  Faulcon  and  it  shall  be  shewn.  This,  says  Boccalini,  made  such  an  impression  on  Crich- 
ton, that  he  left  the  place  where  he  was  so  grossly  affronted  as  to  be  put  on  a  level  with  jugglers  and 
mountebanks. 

I  Delitiae  Poet.  Scot.ubi  supra. 


'  %\ 


>'m 


.«f,-^v 


140 


PENNANT'S  TOUR  IN  SCOTLAND. 


n  handsome  speech  to  them,  which  being  accompanied  with  all  the  graces  and  beau« 
ties  of  eloquence  and  nature*  that  appeared  in  his  person  in  their  utmost  lustre,  he 
received  the  thanks  of  the  senate^  and  nothing  was  talked  through  the  whole  city,  but 
of  this  prodigy  of  nature.  Having  stayed  for  some  time  at  Venice,  he  went  to  Padua,  to 
visit  the  learned  men  that  were  at  that  famous  university  ;  and  he  had  no  sooner  arrived 
there,  but  there  was  a  meeting  of  all  the  learned  men  in  the  city,  in  ui<?  house  of 
Jacobus  Moysius  Cornelius,  to  wait  upon  him,  and  converse  with  him :  He  optn  d  the 
assembly  with  an  extemporary  poem  in  praise  of  the  city,  university,  and  the  asi«mbly 
that  had  honoured  him  with  their  presence  at  that  time ;  and  after  six  hours  of  a  dis« 
pute,  which  he  sustained  against  them,  in  whatever  they  could  propose  to  him  in  all  the 
sciences,  he  concluded  with  an  extemporary  oration  in  praise  of  ignorance,  that  Aldus 
Manutiusf  says  that  they  all  thought  that  they  were  in  a  dream,  and  that  he  had  al. 
most  persuaded  them  that  it  was  better  to  be  igt.orant,  than  learned  and  wise.  Some 
time  after  this  he  fixed  a  paper  on  the  gates  of  St.  John  and  St.  Paul's  churches, 
wherein  he  offered  to  prove  before  the  university,  that  there  was  an  infinite  number  of 
errors  in  Aristotle's  philosophy,  which  was  then  only  in  vogue,  and  in  all  his  commen* 
taries,  both  in  theological  and  philosophical  matters,  and  to  refute  the  dreams  of  several 
mathematicians  :  He  likewise  made  an  offer  to  dispute  in  all  the  sciences,  and  to  answer 
to  whatever  should  be  proposed  to  him,  or  objected  against  him,  either  in  the  common 
logical  way,  or  by  numbers  and  mathematical  figures,  or  in  a  hundred  sorts  of  verses,  as 
they  pleased. 

Aldus  Manutius,  who  was  present  at  this  dispute,  says,:|:  that  he  performed  all  that 
he  had  promised,  to  their  greatest  amazement :  and  he  tells  us  likewise  of  another  dis- 
pute that  he  had  before  a  great  concourse  oi  people  in  the  bishop  of  Padua's  house, 
without  mentioning  the  occasion  or  particulars  of  it ;  but  Joannes  tmperialis  tells  us,i 
that  he  was  informed  by  his  father,  who  was  present  at  this  dispute,  that  it  was  with  one 
Archangellus  Mercenarius,  a  famous  philosopher,  upon  philosophical  subjects,  in  which 
he  acquitted  himself  so  well,  that  his  adversary  owned  before  the  assembly  that  he  had 
overcome  him.  'f""- 

From  Venice  he  went  to  Mantua ;  at  this  time  there  was  a  gladiator  at  Mantua,  who 
had  foiled  in  his  travels  the  most  famous  fencers  in  Europe,  and  had  lately  killed  in 
that  city  three  persons  who  had  entered  the  lists  with  him ;  the  duke  of  Mantua  was 
highly  offended  that  he  had  granted  this  fellow  his  protection,  since  it  had  such  a  fatal 
consequent  :  Crichton  being  informed  of  this,  offered  his  service  to  the  duke,  to  rid 
not  only  hiS  dominions,  but  Italy,  of  this  murderer,  and  to  fight  him  for  Bfteen  hun- 
dred pistoles :  though  the  duke  was  unwilling  to  expose  such  a  fine  £;entk;man  as  our 
author  to  such  a  hazard,  yet,  relying  upon  the  report  of  his  performances  in  all  war- 
like achievements,  it  was  agreed  to:  and  the  time  and  place  being  appointed,  the 
whole  court  were  witness  to  the  performance. .  In  the  beginning  of  the  combat,  Crich- 
ton was  upon  the  defensive,  and  the  Italian  attacked  him  with  such  vigour  and  eager- 
ness, that  he  began  to  grow  faint,  having  over.acted  himself;  then  our  author  attacked 
him  with  such  dexterity  and  vigour,  that  lie  run  him  through  tr><"  body  in  three  dif- 
ferent places,  of  which  he  immediately  died.  The  huzzas  anu  acclamations  of  the 
spectators  were  extraordinary  upon  this  occasion,  and  all  of  them  acknowledged,  that 
they  had  never  seen  art,  grace,  nor  nature,  second  the  precepts  of  art  with  so 
much  liveliness  as  they  had  seen  that  day  ;  and  to  crown  tne  glory  of  this  action, 


*  Joan.  Imperial,  ubi  supra. 
I  Ubi  supra. 


1  Aldus  Man, 
§  Ubi  supra. 


Praef.  in  Cicer.  Parad. 


'•wTi  ,-.-fT5(«y'v*' 


PENNANT'S  TOUM  IN  SCOTLAND. 


141 


i 


beau- 
re,  he 
r,  but 
iua,  to 
iirived 
use  of 

4  the 
«mbly 
[  adis- 

all  the 

Aldus 
had  al- 

Some 
urches, 
nber  of 
►mmen- 
'  several 
answer 
;ommon 
ffses,  as 

I  all  that 
ther  dis- 
s  house, 
ells  U8,i 
with  one 
n  which 
it  he  had 

tua,  who 
killed  in 
itua  was 
ch  a  fatal 
e,  to  rid 
een  hun- 
an  as  our 
I  all  war- 
nted,  the 
it,  Crich- 
nd  eager- 
■  attacked 
three  dif- 
jns  of  the 
Iged,  that 
t  with  so 
lis  action, 


Crichton  bestowed  the  prize  of  his  victory  upon  the  widows  who  had  lost  their  hus< 
bands  in  fighting  with  thu  gladiator. 

These  nnd  his  other  wonderful  performances  moved  the  duke  of  Mantua  to  make 
choice  of  him  for  preceptor  to  his  son  Vincent  de  Gonzagua,  a  prince  of  a  riotous  temper 
and  dissolute  life.  The  court  was  highly  pleased  with  the  duke's  choice,  and  for  their  di- 
version he  composed  a  comedy,  wherein  he  exposed  and  ridiculed  *  all  the  weaknesses  and 
fitilures  of  the  several  employments  that  men  betake  themselves  to ;  which  was  looked 
upon  as  Cine  of  the  most  ingenious  satires  that  ever  was  made  upon  mankind ;  but  that 
which  was  most  wonderful  and  astonishing  was,  that  he  himself  personated  the  divine, 
philosopher,  lawyer,  mathematician,  physician,  and  soldier,  with  such  an  inimitable 
grace,  that  every  time  he  appeared  upon  the  theatre,  he  seemed  to  be  a  different  per- 
son ;  but  from  being  the  principal  actor  of  a  comedy,  he  became  the  woeful  subject  of  a 
most  lamentable  tragedy,  being  most  barbarously  murdered  by  his  pupil,  which  hap. 
pened  thus : 

One  night,  as  he  was  walking  along  the  streets  in  the  time  of  the  carnival,  and  play, 
ing  upon  his  guittare,  he  was  attacked  by  half  a  dozen  people  in  masks ;  but 
they  found  that  they  had  not  an  ordinary  pe  i^on  to  deal  with,  for  they  were  not  able  to 
stand  their  ground  against  him,  and  having  disarmed  the  principal  person  amongst 
them,  he  pulled  off  his  mask,  and  begged  his  life,  telling  him,  that  he  was  the  prince, 
his  pupil.  Crichton,  who  immediately  knew  him,  fell  down  upon  his  knees,  and  told 
him  that  he  was  sorry  for  his  mistake,  and  that  what  he  had  done  was  only  in  his  own 
defence,  and  that  if  he  had  any  design  upon  his  life,  he  might  always  be  master  of  it ; 
and  then  taking  his  own  sword  by  the  point,  he  presented  him  with  it ;  which  the  prince 
taking  in  hu  hand,  and  not  being  able  to  overcome  his  passion  for  the  affront  that  he 
thought  he  had  sustained,  in  bemg  foiled,  with  all  his  attendants,  he  immediately  run 
him  through  the  heart. 

What  moved  the  prince  to  this  ungenerous  and  brutal  action  is  variously  conjec- 
tured :  for  some  think  it  was  jealousy,  suspecting  that  he  was  more  in  favour  with  a 
young  lady  whom  he  passionately  loved  than  he  was.  Others  say,  that  it  was  only  to 
tiy  his  valour,  and  the  effect  of  a  drunken  ramble ;  but,  whatever  was  the  cause  of  it, 
*tis  certain  that  thus  he  died,  in  the  beginning  of  the  month  of  July,  in  the  year  1583, 
in  the  thirty-second  year  of  his  age,  or,  as  Imperialis  says,  in  the  twenty-second. 

*  The  unhappy  effect  that  this  humour  had  on  two  maids  of  honour  is  admirably  told  by  Sir  Thomas 
Urquhart,  a  second  Rabelais,  and  best  translator  of  that  extravagant  author. 

"  They  heard  in  him  alone  the  promiscuous  speech  of  fifteen  several  actors,  by  the  various  ravish- 
ments of  the  excellencies  whereof,  in  the  frolickncss  of  a  jocund  straine  beyond  expectation,  the  logo- 
ftscinated  spirits  of  the  beholding  hearers  and  auriculare  spectators,  were  so  on  a  sudden  scazed  upon  in 
their  riuble  faculties  of  the  soul,  and  ^l\  their  vital  motions  so  universally  affected  in  this  extremity  of  agi- 
tation, that  to  avoid  the  inev'^:;ble  chavms  of  his  intoxicating  ejaculations,  and  the  accumulative  influences 
of  so  powerful  a  transportatior.,  c:.s  of  my  lady  duchess  chief  maids  of  honour,  by  the  vehemencie  of  the 
shock  of  those  incomprehensible  raptures  burst  forth  into  a  laughter,  to  the  ruptuv  c  of  a  veine  in  her  body  j 
and  another  young  lady,  by  the  irresistable  violence  of  the  pleasure  imawares  infused,  where  the  tender  re- 
ceptibililie  of  her  too  tickled  fancie  was  lest  able  to  hold  out,  so  unprovidedly  was  surprised,  that,  with 
no  less  impetuositie  of  ridibundal  passion  then  (as  hath  been  told)  occasioned  a  fracture  in  the  other  young 
ladie,  she,  not  able  longer  to  support  the  well  beloved  burden  of  so  excessive  delight,  and  intransing  sucli 
ioysofsuch  Mercurial  exhilirations  through  the  ineffable  extasie  of  an  overmastered  apprehension,  fell  back 
n  a  swoon,  without  the  appearance  of  any  other  life  into  her,  then  what  by  the  most  refined  wits  of 
theological  speculators  is  conceived  to  be  exerced  by  the  purest  parts  of  the  separated  entelcchies  of 
blessed  Stunts  in  their  sublimest  conversations  with  the  celestial  hierarchies:  this  accident  procured  the 
incoming  of  an  apothecarie  with  restoratives,  as  the  other  did  that  of  a  surgeon  with  consolidative  medi- 
cameuts."  Vindication  cl  the  honour  of  Scotland,  8cc.  i>.  111,11*'. 


i; 


■>%*    ■t 


■•"3IS5S 


? 


r'T',iT?rtr*s:r7s,'?^  -; 


142 


PENNANT'S  TOUR  IN  SCOTLAND. 


His  death  was  extraordinarily  lamented  by  all  the  learned  men  in  Europ  ,  and  from 
these  Italian  writers,  who  knew,  and  were  cotemporary  with  him,  it  is,  that  I  have 
most  of  all  that  I  have  said  of  him.  Joannes  Imperialis,  a  doctor  of  medicine  of  Vicenza 
in  Italy,  who  has  wrote  our  author's  life,  and  who  could  not  but  know  the  truth  of  all, 
or  most  of  what  he  has  said  of  him,  since  he  lived  upon  the  places  in  which  they  were 
acted«  and  who  had  them  from  his  father,  who  was  an  eye  and  ear  witness  to  them, 
says,*  "That  he  was  the  wonder  of  the  last  age,  the  orodigious  production  of  nature, 
the  glory  ?nd  ornament  of  Parnassus  in  a  stupendous  and  an  unusual  manner,  and  as 
yet  m  the  judgment  of  the  learned  world,  the  rhoenix  of  literature,  and  rather  a  shining 
particle  of  the  Divine  Nature  and  Majesty,  than  a  model  of  what  human  nature  and  in- 
dustry can  attain  to.  And  what  can  be  more,"  continues  he.f  "  above  our  compre- 
hension, than  in  the  2 1st  year  of  his  age  to  be  master  of  ten  languages,  and  to  be  per- 
fectly well  seen  in  philosophy,  mathematicks,  theology,  the  belles-lettres,  and  all  the 
other  sciences  ;  besides,  was  it  ever  heard  of  in  the  whole  compass  of  this  globe,  that 
one  with  all  this  should  be  found  expert,  to  admiration,  in  fencmg,  dancing,  singing, 
riding,  and  the  other  exercises  of  the  gymnastick  art?  Besides  all  this,  he  is  said  to  nave 
been  one  of  the  most  beautiful,  and  one  of  the  handsomest  gentlemen  the  world  ever 
saw,  so  that  Nature  had  taken  as  much  care  about  his  body,  as  she  had  done  about  his 
mind ;  and  in  one  word  he  was  the  utmost  that  man  could  come  to."  M.  Bayle  says,^ 
that  he  was  one  of  the  greatest  prodigies  of  wit  that  ever  lived ;  and  Faelix  Astolfus 
that  he  had  such  a  prodigious  memory,^  that  he  retained  more  books  upon  his  mind  than 
any  of  his  age  had  read ;  Plures  libros  memoriter  tenebat  quam  quisquam  ea  astate  legerat. 

And  Sir  Thomas  Urquhart  of  Cromarty,  having  insisted  on  all  the  particulars  of  our 
author's  life,  in  a  fustian  and  bombastical  strain  tells  us,  that  in  the  comedy  which  he 
composed,  and  was  an  actor  in  before  the  court  of  Mantua,  in  the  fifth  and  last  act, 
he  himself  personated  no  less  than  thirteen  different  characters  of  persons  and  employ- 
ments,  in  their  different  habits. 

And  in  his  character  of  him,  he  tells  us«  that  lie  gained  the  esteem  of  all  kings  and 
princes,  by  his  magnanimity  and  knowledge ;  of  all  noblemen  and  gentlemen,  by  his 
courtliness  and  breeding ;  of  all  knights,  by  his  honourable  deportment  and  pregnancy 
of  wit ;  of  all  the  rich,  by  his  affability  and  good  fellowship ;  of  all  the  poor,  by  his 
munificence  and  liberality  ;  of  all  the  old,  by  his  constancy  and  wisdom  ;  of  all  the 
young,  by  his  mirth  and  gallantry  t  of  all  the  learned,  by  his  universal  knowledge ;  of  all 
the  soldiers,  by  his  undaunted  valour  and  courage  ;  of  all  the  merchants  and  artificers, 
by  his  upright  dealing  and  honesty  ;  and  of  all  the  fair  sex,  by  his  beauty  and  hand- 
someness ;  in  which  respect,  he  was  a  master- piece  of  nature.  "  The  reader,"  says  he, 
"  perhaps  will  think  this  wonderful,  and  so  would  I  too,  were  it  not  that  I  know,  as  Sir 
Philip  Sidney  says,  that  a  wonder  is  no  wonder  in  a  wonderful  subject,  and  consequent- 
ly not  in  him,  who,  for  his  learning,  judgment,  valour,  eloquence,  beauty,  and  good 
felloivship,  was  the  perfectest  result  of  the  joint  labours  of  Pallas,  Apollo,  Mars,  Mercury, 
Venus  and  Bacchus,  that  hath  been  since  the  days  of  Alcibiades ;  and  he  was  reported  to 
have  been  enriched  with  a  memory  so  prodi^ous,  that  any  sermon,  speech,  harangue,  or 
other  manner  of  discourse  of  an  hour's  continuance  he  was  able  to  recite  without  hesi- 
tation, after  the  same  manner  of  gesture  and  pronunciation  in  all  points,  wherewith  it 
was  delivered  at  first ;  and  of  so  stupendous  a  judgment,  that  nothing  escaped  his 

•  MusxumHistor.  p.  241. 

t  Musxum  Histor.  Imper.  Joa.  ibidem.  Venetiia  apud  Juntas  1650,in4to. 


I  Bib.Crit. 


§  Officina  Hist.  p.  102. 


-  utiwrsft...... 


■■"KZ- 


PENNANT'S  TOUR  IN  SCOTLAND 


143 


from 
[  have 
icenza 
of  all, 
were 
them, 
lature, 
and  as 
thining 
and  in- 
jmpre- 
Dc  per- 
all  the 
DC,  that 
inging, 
tonave 
•Id  ever 
lout  his 
;  says.t 
\stolfus 
ind  than 
Icgerat. 
s  of  our 
^hich  he 
last  acty 
employ - 

ings  and 
11,  by  his 
egnancy 
•,  by  his 
jf  all  the 
;e ;  of  all 
artificers, 
nd  hand- 
says  he, 
liv,  as  Sir 
nsequent- 
and  good 
Mercury, 
^ported  to 
angue,  or 
hout  hesi- 
lerewith  it 
leaped  his 


knowledge  :"  and  for  the  truth  of  all  this,  he  appeals  to  above  two  thousand  witnesses 
that  were  still  alive,  and  had  known  him.  And  speaking  of  his  death,  which  he  aitri-' 
butcs  to  an  amour,  he  tells  us,  that  it  was  in  the  thirty.second  year  of  his  age ;  that  the 
whole  court  went  in  mourning  for  him  ;  that  the  epitaphs  and  elegies  that  were  com- 
posed upon  his  death,  if  collected,  would  exceed  the  bulk  of  Homer's  works,  and  that 
his  picture  was  still  to  be  seen  in  the  most  of  the  bed-chambers  and  galleries  of  the 
Italian  nobility,  representing  him  upon  horseback,  with  a  lance  in  one  hand,  and  a 
book  in  the  other.* 

Dempster,  who  was  cotemporary  with  him  and  a  professor  of  the  civil  law  at  Bono- 
ma  in  luily,  agrees  as  to  the  most  of  what  we  have  said  of  him  ;  but  he  tells  us,t  that 
he  was  for  some  time  at  Geneva,  as  he  was  on  his  travels  to  Italy,  and  that  they  offered 
him  a  considerable  salary,  if  he  would  remain  with  them ;  but  that  he  refused  it  and 
that  no  man  offered  to  detract  from  his  just  praises,  but  Trajano  Boccilini ;  but  that  he 
being  a  person  of  no  erudition,  it  was  rather  a  glory  than  any  disgrace  upon  him  to  be 
so  treated  by  a  person  of  his  character.  Yet  the  same  Dempster  blames  our  author 
very  much,  not  for  his  boasting  of  the  endowments  of  his  mind,  but  for  his  aff  rminjj 
that  he  was  descended  from  the  ro)al  family  of  Scotland.  Many  poems  and  epitaphs 
were  composed  upon  him,  but  I  shall  only  insert  that  of  our  countryman.  Dr.  John 
Johnston,  m  his  mscriptions  upon  heroes,  who  makes  him  die  in  the  year  1581. 

JACOBUS  CRITONIUS  CI.UNIUS. 

V 

Mutarum  /lariter  ac  Mania  Jlumnus,  omnibus  in  atudiisy  i/iaia  etiam  Italia  admirabilis, 
Mantua  a  Ducia  Mami.ani  nocturnia  inaidiia  occiaua  eat,  anno  Chriati  1581. 

£t  genua  et  censum  dat  Scotia,  Gallia  pectus 
Excolit :  adiTiirans  Itala  terra  virum 
Ambit,  et  esse  suum  vellct ;  gens  xmula  vitam 
Abstulit ;  an  sttis  hoc  dicat  ut  ilia  suum 
Manuia  habet  cineres  scelus  execrata  nefandum, 
At  tumuli  tanto  gaudet  honore  tamen. 

I  have  nothing  of  this  author  that  is  extant,  but  two  poems,  one  in  praise  of  the  city 
of  Venice,  3rd  the  other  addressed  to  Aldus  Manutius.^  Both  vhich  are  in  the  first 
volume  of  the  Delitiae  Poetarum  Scoticorum. 

Q-LTif  P""*ii-''*"  ^^  Mr.  Pennant  was  taken  from  a  picture  in  possession  of  lord  Elicok,  lord  ot 
^ZT'JT^^  *yT  "V"e'"''»  belonging  to  Mr.  Graham  of  Airth.  I  am  told  that  there  is  a  very  fine 
rSfritnn  »  .1  "'?™t?d  Persou,  the  property  of  Mr.  Morrison  of  Bogny,  which  was  sent  from  Italy  by 
Chnchton  a  short  Ume  before  he  was  killed.  ^<.»ij  uy 

t  Hist.  Eccl.  Gen.  Scot,  ubi  supra. 

t  Chrichton  replies  to  one  of  the  Naiads  of  the  Po,  who  appeared  to  him  on  his  arrival  at  Venice  : 


-Fateor  me,  candide  Naias, 


Promeritum  quxcunque  fero :  nee  turpis  egestas 
Infandumve  scelus  servi  mea  pectora  vexat. 
At  me  quis  miserum  magna  cognoscit  in  urbe 
Aut  quis  ad  sequoreas  flentem  solatur  arenas  ? 


The  Naid  directs  him  to  Aldus : 


Hunc  pete,  namque  regens  filo  vestigia  caca  " 
Dingetille  tuos  optato  m  tramite  gressus 
Inde  v»  pendet.     Sequere  hunc  quxcunque  jubentem. 
aic  te  Diva  monet  ssvam  quae  Gorgona  gcstat, 
Quae  plerumque  tuis  presens  erit  optima  votis. 


f 


144 


PENNANT'S  TOITR  IN  SCOTLAND. 


Dempster  gives  us  the  following  catalogue  of  his  works  ;  where  it  plainly  appears, 
tliat  lie  ninkcs  three  books  out  of  that  placard  which  he  affixed  upon  the  gates  of  St. 
Juhn  and  8t.  Paul's  churches  in  Padua. 

THE  CATALOGUE  OF  HIS  WORKS. 

I.  Ol'i AL  ad  I.mtrciuiuin  Masitam  phircs. 

7.  Lumlcb  I'utawiiX. Carmen  extempurc  cffusam,  cum  in  Jacobi  Moysii  Cornelii  domo  experimentum 
in^enii  coruin  tota  Academix  irtqiientiu  non  itinc  inultorum  stupore  fareret. 

J.  Ignorutionib  Luiidulio,  extcmporulc  Thema  ibidem  ledditum  post  Hex  horariim  dittputationes,  ut 
praesentcs  somnia  potiuti  (bverc  quam  vtm  se  verum  vidcrc  ailirmarint,  ailManutius. 

i,  De  appulsu  suo  V'enctiuH.     Dciitix  I'oct.  Scot.  vol.  i.  p.  36y. 

S.  Odx  ad  Alduin  Manutinm.    Del.  I'oet.  Scot.  vol.  i.  p.  369. 

C.  Lpistoix  ad  Uivcrsos. 

7.  Pi  aeratinnes  dolcmnos  in  omnes  scientia*  sacras  rt  profanai. 

H.  Judicium  do  I'liiluttophis. 

9.  Errores  Arislotelis. 

!0.  Ai'mis  an  Literx  prxstant.  Controversiaoratoritt.  , 

1 1.  Hcfutalio  Mathematicorum. 
\'i.  A  comedy  in  the  Italian  language. 


APPENDIX NO.  IV. 

ON  THE  MURDER  OF  A  LAIRD  OF  INNES.    AS  RELATED  IN  THE  OLD  ACCOUNT. 

JOHN  lord  Innes,  having  no  children,  settles  his  estate  upon  his  next  heir  and  cousin, 
Alexander  Innes  of  Cromy,  and  seems  to  suflfer  him  to  enjov  his  title  and  possessions 
in  hib  life  time.  Robert  Innes  of  Iimermarky,  another  cadet  of  the  family,  is  disgusted 
to  see  Innes  of  Cromy  endowed  with  so  much  power  and  preferred  to  him.  He  alarms 
lord  John,  and  makes  him  repent  so  far  of  what  he  had  done,  that  he  joins  in  conspi. 
racy  with  Innermarky  to  assassinate  his  cousin  Alexander.  The  author  says,  <*  John 
being  brought  over  to  his  minde  (viz.  Innes's  of  Innermarky)  there  wanted  nothing 
but  a  conveniency  for  putting  y"  purpose  to  execution,  which  did  offer  itself  in  y* 
month  of  Apryle  1580,  at  w*^  tyme  Alex,  being  called  upon  some  business  to  Aber. 
deen,  was  obliged  to  stay  longer  there  then  he  mtended,  by  reasone  that  his  only  sone 
Robert,  a  youih  of  16  yeirs  of  age,  had  fallen  sick  at  the  college,  and  his  father  could 
not  leave  the  place  untill  he  saw  q*  became  of  him.  He  hade  transported  him  out 
of  the  -  old  toune,  and  hade  brought  him  to  his  own  lodgeing  in  the  new  toune ;  he 
had  also  sent  several  of  his  servants  home  from  tyme  to  tyme  to  let  hia  lady  know 
the  reasone  of  his  stay,  by  means  of  these  servants  it  came  to  be  known  perfectly 
at  Kinnardy  in  q*  circumstance  Alexander  was  at  Aberdeen,  cf  he  was  lodged,  and  how 
he  was  attended,  which  invited  Innermarky  to  take  the  occasione.  Wherefore  getting 
a  considerable  number  of  assistants  with  him,  he  hade  laird  John  ryde  to  Aber- 
deen :  they  enter  the  toune  upon  the  night,  and  about  middnight  came  to  Alexander's 
lodgeing. 

"  The  outer  gate  of  the  closs  they  found  oppen,  but  all  the  rest  of  the  doors  shutt ; 
they  wer  afraid  to  break  up  doors  by  violence,  lest  the  noise  might  alarm  the  neigh- 
bourheed,  but  choised  rather  to  ryse  up  such  a  cry  in  the  closs  as  might  obleidge  those 
who  wer  within  to  oppen  the  door  and  see  q*  it  might  be.  The  feuds  at  that  tyme 
betwixt  the  familys  of  Gordone  and  Forbes  wer  not  extinguished*  therefor  they  rysed 


I'CNNANT'S  TOUH  IN  SCOfLANB. 


14/.' 


tpears, 
of  St. 


mentunt 
one>«  ut 


JOUNT. 

d  cousin, 
)ssessions 
disgusted 
le  alarms 
n  conspi- 
1,  «'  John 
1  nothing 
self  in  y* 

to  Aber- 
only  sone 
ther  could 
L  him  out 
oune;  he 
ady  know 
I  perfectly 
and  how 
)re  getting 

to  Aber- 
Alexander's 

yon  shutt ; 
the  neigh- 
^Idge  those 
that  tyme 
they  rysed 


a  cry,  as  if  it  had  been  upon  some  outfull  amonff  these  people,  crying,  '  Help,  a  Ciordoii 
a  Gordon,'  which  is  the  gathering  word  of  the  friends  or  y'  familie. 

"Alexander,  being  deeply  interchted  in  the  Gordon,  at  the  nois;.'  of  the  cry  started 
from  his  bcdd,  took  his  sword  in  his  hand  and  opened  a  back  door  tL  it  led  to  y*  court 
below,  stcpt  down  three  or  four  steps,  and  crycd  to  know  q' was  the  .matter.  Inner- 
marky,  who  by  his  word  knew  him,  and  by  his  whytt  shirt  deccrried  him  perfectly,  cooks 
his  gun  and  shootts  him  through  the  body  in  anc  instant.  Ah  many  as  could  gci 
about  him  fell  upon  him  and  butchered  him  barbarously.  Inncrmnrky  perctivcing  in 
the  mean  tyme  y'  laird  John  stood  by,  as  either  relenting  or  terrified,  held  the  bloody 
dagger  to  his  throat  that  he  had  newly  taken  out  of  the  murtliercd  body,  swearing 
dreadfully  y*  he  would  serve  him  the  same  way  if  he  did  not  as  he  did,  and  so  com- 
pelled him  to  draw  his  dagger,  and  stab  it  up  to  the  hilts  in  the  body  of  his  nearest 
relatione,  and  the  bravest  that  boare  his  name.  After  his  example  all  who  wcr  ther 
behooved  to  do  the  lyke,  that  all  might  be  alyke  guilty;  yea  in  prosecutione  of  this,  it 
has  been  told  me  that  Mr.  John  Innes,  afterwards  Coxtoun .,  being  a  youth  than  at 
schooll,  was  rysed  out  of  his  bedd,  and  compelled  by  Innermarky  to  stab  a  daggar  unto 
the  dead  body,  that  the  more  might  be  under  the  same  cundcmnationc ;  a  very  crafty 
cruelty. 

"  The  next  thin^  looked  after  was  the  destructionc  of  the  sick  youth  Robert,  whd 
had  lyein  y' night  m  a  bedd  by  his  father,  but  upon  the  noysc  of  q'  was  done,  hadi- 
scrambled  from  it,  and  by  the  help  of  one  John  of  Culdrcasons,  or  rather  sonne  of  tlie 
neople  of  the  houss,  had  got  out  at  ane  unfrequented  bak  door  into  the  garden,  and 
trom  y'  into  a  neighbour's  houss,  q'  he  hade  shaltered ;  the  Lord  in  his  providence 
preserving  him  for  the  executing  vengence  upon  these  murtherers  for  the  blood  of 
his  father. 

"  Then  Innermarky  took  the  dead  man's  signet  ring,  and  sent  it  to  his  wife,  as  from 
her  husband,  by  a  servant  whom  he  had  purchased  to  that  purpose,  ordering  her  to 
send  him  such  a  particular  box  q***  contained  the  bond  of  tailie,  and  all  y*  hade  fol- 
lowed thereupon  betwixt  him  and  laird  John,  whom  the  servant  said  he  hade  left 
Vf^  his  m^  at  Aberdeen :  and  y*  for  dispatch  he  hade  sent  his  best  horss  with  him,  and 
hade  not  taken  leisure  to  writ,  but  sent  the  ring.  Though  it  troubled  the  woman 
much  to  receavc  such  a  blind  measage,  yet  her  husband's  ring,  his  own  servant  and 
his  horss,  prevailed  so  with  her,  togither  with  the  man's  importunity  to  be  gone,  that 
shee  delivered  to  him  q*  he  sought,  and  let  him  go. 

"  There  happened  to  be  then  about  the  houss  a  youth  related  to  the  family,  who 
was  courjous  to  go  to  the  lenth  of  Aberdeen,  and  see  the  young  laird  who  had  been 
sick,  and  to  whom  he  was  much  addicted.  This  youth  hade  gone  to  the  stable  to  in. 
terceed  with  the  servant  that  he  might  carric  him  behind  him,  and  his  discourss  hade 
found  the  man  under  great  restraint  and  confusion  of  minde,  sometiyme  sayeing  he 
was  to  go  no  further  than  Kinnardy  (which  indeed  was  the  truth)  and  at  oy'  times 
that  he  behooved  to  be  immediately  at  Aberdeen. 

"  This  brought  him  to  be  jealous,  though  he  knew  not  q'  but  further  knowledge  he 
behoved  to  have,  and  therfor  he  stept  out  a  little  beyond  the  entry,  watching  the  ser- 
vant's  comeing,  and  in  the  by-going  suddenly  leapt  on  behind  him,  and  would  n^eds 
either  go  alonges  with  him,  or  have  satisfieing  reasone,  why  he  refussed  him. 

'•  The  contest  became  such  betwixt  them,  that  the  servant  drew  his  durk  to  ridd  him 
of  the  youth's  trouble,  q***  the  other  .wrung  out  of  his  hands,  and  down  right  killed 
him  w*  it,  and  brought  back  the  box  w*  the  writs  and  horss  to  the  houss  of  Inncs  (or 
Cromie,  I  know  notq*.) 

VOL.    III.  V 


u 


146 


HKNVANT'S  TOUR  IN  SCOTLAND 


"As  ihc  liidy  is  in  aconfusione  forq*  hud  fallen  out,  there  conics  ancolhcr  of  the  ser- 
vants from  Aljirdccn,  who  j;avc  anc  account  of  the  slaughter,  so  that  she  behooved 
to  conclude  a  speciall  hand  of  Providence  to  have  been  in  the  fir!>t  passage.  Her  next 
courss  was  to  secure  her  husband's  writs  the  best  she  could,  and  flee  to  her  friends  for 
hhaltcr,  by  whos  means  she  was  brought  w'  all  speed  to  the  king,  before  whom  she 
made  her  complaint.  And  q'  is  heir  set  doun  is  holden  by  all  men  to  be  true  matter 
of  fact. 

'•  The  earl  of  Huntly  imediatly  upon  the  report  of  the  slaughter  concerned  himself 
becauss  of  his  relatione  to  the  dead,  and  looked  out  for  his  son,  whom  he  instantly 
carried  to  Edinburgh,  and  put  him  fur  shalier  into  the  family  of  the  lord  Elphinstoune, 
at  that  tyme  lord  high  treasurer  of  the  kingdome. 

''  Innermarky  and  laird  John,  after  the  slaughter,  came  back  to  the  lord  Saltoun's 
houss,  who  lived  then  at  Kothimay,  and  is  thought  to  have  been  in  the  knowledge  of 
n'  they  had  been  about,  for  certain  *.:  is  they  wer  supported  by  the  Abernethys,  ay  until 
the  law  went  against  them.  From  Rothymay  they  went  with  a  considerable  party  of 
horss,  and  reposcest  laird  John  in  all  parts  of  the  estate  of  Innes.  And  Innermarky, 
to  make  the  full  use  of  q  he  hade  so  boldly  begun,  did,  upon  the  seventein  Mali  1580, 
which  was  five  weeks  after  the  slaughter,  take  from  laird  John  a  new  dispusitionc  of  th( 
estate  of  Innes. 

"  By  what  is  said,  Innermarky  may  uppeir  to  have  been  a  man  full  of  unrighteous- 
ness, craft,  and  cruelty  ;  yet  some  say  for  alleviatione  of  his  flict,  that  hn  having  his 
chiefT's  favour,  hade  got  the  first  disposition  of  his  rstati^  failinng  nirs  of  aiself,  but 
that  Cromy  had  taken  a  posterior  right  and  hade  supplanted  Innermarky,  kor  q***  he  in 
revenge  had  killed  him.  Sec.  But  falseness  of  the  allegance  (mean  as  it  is)  is  plaine 
past  contradiction,  from  the  above  narraitted  writ,  q'**  was  given  to  Innermarky  but  40 
days  after  the  slaughter  of  Cromy. 

*'  For  two  fulls  yeirs  Innermarky  and  John  hade  possest  the  estate  of  Innes,  strengthen- 
ing themselfs  with  all  the  friendship  they  could  acquyre ;  but  being  in  end  declared  out 
laws,  in  the  3**  yeir  Robert  laird  of  Innes,  the  son  of  Alex',  came  north  with  a  com* 
mission  agtiinst  them  and  all  others  concerned  in  the  slaughter  of  his  father.  This 
Robert  was  a  young  man  well  endued  w*  favour  and  understanding,  which  had  ingaged 
the  lord  Treasurer  so  far  to  wedd  his  interest,  that  he  first  wedded  the  young  man  to 
his  daughter,  and  then  gote  him  all  the  assistance  requisite  to  possess  him  of  his  estate, 
q"''  was  no  sooner  done  but  he  led  wast  the  possessions  of  his  enemies ;  burning  and 
blood  shed  was  acted  by  both  parties  with  animousty  enough. 

'*  In  the  mean  time  laird  John  had  run  away  to  seek  some  lurking  place  in  the 
south,  q'  he  was  discovered  by  the  friends  of  the  lord  Elphinstoune,  and  by  them 
taken*  and  sent  north  to  the  laird  Robert,  who  did  not  put  him  to  death,  but  took 
him  bound  to  various  sorts  of  performances,  as  appears  by  the  contract  betwixt  them 
in  anno  1585 :  one  gross  was,  y'  he  should  deliver  up  the  chartor  chist,  and  all  the 
old  evidents,  q***  he  and  Innermarky  had  seased,  and  which  I  doubt  if  ever  he  faithfully 
did,  els  this  relation  had  been  with  less  pains  and  more  fully  instructed. 

"  As  to  Innermarky,  he  was  forced  for  a  while  to  take  the  hills,  and  when  he  wearied 
of  that,  he  hade  a  retreat  of  a  difficult  access  within  the  houss  ofEdinglassy,  q'he  sleeped 
in  little  enough  security ;  for  in  September  1584,  his  houss  was  sui'nrysed  by  laird 
Robert,  and  that  reteiring  place  of  his  first  entered  by  Alexander  Innes,  afterwards  of 
Cotts,  the  same  who  some  yeirs  before  had  killed  the  servant  who  came  from  Inner- 
marky with  the  false  tokin  for  y*  writs,  and  who  all  his  lyfe  was  called  Craigg  in  peirill, 
for  venturing  upon  Innermarky  then  desperat,  and  whos  cruelty  he  helped  to  repay 


PBN.VANT'9  TOUU  IN  SCOTLAND 


14- 


ic  ser. 
loovcd 
:r  next 
ids  for 
m  she 
matter 

liimiiclf 
tstantly 
stoum-. 

iltoun's 
;dge  ol" 
ay  until 
)arty  of 
■marky. 
ii  1580, 
IC  of  the 

jhtcous- 
ving  his 
self,  but 
cj*''  he  in 
is  piaine 
y  but  40 

engthen- 
lared  out 

a  coiri- 
r.    This 

ingaged 
ir  man  to 
is  estate, 
ning  and 

:e  in  the 
by  them 
but  took 
k^ixt  thera 
id  all  the 
faithfuUy 

:  wearied 
le  sleeped 
1  by  laird 
rwards  of 
^m  Inner- 
;  in  peirill, 
to  repay 


it  in  its  own  coine  ;  there  was  no  mercv  for  him,  for  slain  he  was,  and  his  hoar  head 
cut  off  and  taken  by  the  widdow  of  him  whom  he  hade  slain,  and  carried  to  Kdin- 
burgh  and  caaten  at  the  king's  feet ;  a  thing  too  masculine  to  be  commended  in  u 


woman. 


APPENDIX NO  V. 

OF  CAITHNESS,  8TRATHNAVER,  AND  SUTHERLAND 
BT  rm  hkv.  mr.  alrxanokh  pope,  mmsTER  or  hkav. 

As  the  Picts  nossesscd  the  northern  parts  of  Scotland  of  old,  as  they  did  the  most 
fertile  parts  of  the  south,  and  were  expelled  in  the  year  839,  we  have  very  little  oi 
their  history  :  what  preserves  the  remembrance  of  that  people  is  only  the  round  build- 
ings wherein  thcv  dwelt,  of  which  there  are  numbers  all  over  the  north,  particularly 
Sutherland,  Caithness,  and  Orkney. 

It  is  observable  in  these  buildings,  that  there  is  no  mortar  of  any  kind,  neither  clay  nor 
lime  ;  nor  had  thcjr  any  notion  of  casting  an  arch.  They  consist  of  the  best  stones  they 
could  find,  well  laid  and  joined ;  the  wall  was  sometimes  fourteen  feet  thick,  and  the 
great  room,  which  was  quite  round,  twenty-two  feet  diameter  ;  the  perpendicular  wall 
twelve  feet  high ;  and  the  roof  was  carried  on  round  about  with  long  stones,  till  it 
ended  in  an  opening  at  the  top,  which  served  both  for  light  and  a  vent  to  carry  oft' 
the  smoke  of  their  fire.  WfHiere  the  stones  were  long  and  good,  they  had  s»-  '!  rooms 
for  sleeping  in,  the  thickness  of  their  wall.  The  door  or  entry  was  low,  three  feet  for 
ordinary,  shut  up  bv  a  large  broad  stone.  There  is  one  of  them  entire  in  the  parish  ot 
Loth,  which  the  bisnop  of  Ossory  visited  and  examined.  It  is  the  only  one  that  is  so, 
as  far  as  I  could  find,  excepting  one  at  Suisgil,  in  the  parish  of  Kildonnan.  It  is  to  be 
observed,  that  where  the  stones  were  not  flat  and  well  bedded,  for  fear  the  outer  wall 
should  fail,  they  built  great  heaps  of  stones  to  support  it,  so  that  it  looks  outwardly 
like  a  heap  without  any  design,  which  is  the  case  at  Loth  beg,  in  the  parish  of  Lothis. 
At  the  desire  of  the  bishop  oT  Ossory  I  measured  several  of  them,  and  saw  some  quite 
demolished.  We  found  nothing  in  them  but  hand-mills,  or  what  the  Highlanders  call 
Querns,  which  were  only  eighteen  inches  diameter,  and  great  heaps  of  deer  bones  and 
horns,  as  they  lived  mucn  more  by  hunting  than  any  other  means. 

What  are  styled  forest,  or  hunting-houses,  are  supposed  to  have  been  used  by  the 
ancient  inhabitants  for  retreats  in  the  hunting  countries.  They  consist  of  a  gallery, 
with  a  number  of  small  rooms  on  the  sides,  each  formed  of  three  large  stones,  viz.  one 
on  each  side,  and  a  third  by  way  of  covering.  These  are  made  with  the  vast  flags  this 
country  is  famous  for.  At^he  extremity  is  a  larger  apartment  of  an  oval  figure,  pro- 
bably the  quarters  of  the  chieftan.  The  passage  or  gallery  is  without  a  roof;  a  proof 
that  they  were  only  temporary  habitations.  Their  length  is  from  fifty  to  sixty  feet. 
These  buildings'  are  only  in  places  where  the  great  flags  are  plentiful.  In  Glen-Loch 
are  three,  and  are  called  by  the  country  people  Uags. 

I  beg  leave  to  make  a  few  more  remarks  on  the  round  edifices.  They  were  large  or 
small,  according  to  the  size  or  goodness  of  the  stones  in  their  neighbourhood.  The 
stones  that  formed  the  roof  were  placed  thus :  the  largest  lay  lowest,  the  remainder 
grew  successively  smaller  and  thinner  to  the  top ;  so  that  there  was  no  danger  of  its 
falling  in  by  too  great  a  preL,ure.     The  builders  took  great  pains  to  bed  their  stonas 

u2 


\^ 


ii 


I 


148 


I'KNNANT'f  TOUM  IN  8CUTLANU. 


I 


ucll ;  and,  where  two  met,  tlicy  were  wont  to  band  ihcm  above  by  aiWJther,  and  to  plfi 
them  tight,  tu  nkiikc  (hem  nnn.  The  doors  were  ulwuyn  on  the  cuHt  side,  and  only 
tlircc  feet  wide  ut  the  entrance,  but  grew  higher  within,  and  were  cloved  with  u  great 
fbg.  They  usually  introduced  water  into  these  houseii,  where  they  formed  a  well, 
and  covered  it  wilh  a  flag-stone.  A  deep  ditch  surrounded  the  outsides  of  many  of 
these  buildings.  The  dead  were  interrttl  at  home  di^tunce  from  the  houses.  The  cx-me- 
terics  were  of  two  kinds.  In  some  places  the  deceased  were  placed  within  great  circleb 
of  stones  of  a  hundred  feet  diameter,  and  the  corpses  covered  with  gravel.  In  other 
places  they  were  interred  in  cairns  of  a  sugar-loat  form  ;  sometimes  bones  have  been 
found  in  them,  sometimes  urns  with  ashes,  a  proof  that  burning  and  the  common  soecies 
of  interrient  was  usual.  Sometimes  the  remains  of  iron  weapons  have  been  found,  but 
so  corroded  that  their  form  could  not  be  disthiguished.  In  one  was  found  a  brazen  head 
uf  u  spear  nine  inches  long. 

If  these  buildings  were  the  work  of  the  Picts,  they  originally  extended  over  manv 
parts  of  Scotland  south  of  this  country.  The  last  have  been  so  long  in  a  state  of  cui> 
tivntion,  that  it  is  not  surprising  that  we  see  none  of  these  houses  at  present,  the  stones 
having  been  applied  to  various  uses.  Kvcn  in  these  remote  parts,  they  are  continually 
destroyed  as  farming  gains  grgurid ;  they  offer  u  ready  quarry  to  the  husbandman  for 
making  inclosures,  or  other  purposes  of  his  business. 

From  the  extirpation  of  the  ricts  to  the  year  1266,  Scotland  was  harassed  by  in- 
vasions from  die  Norwegians  and  Danes,  particularly  the  north  part ;  for  Harold  the 
Fair,  king  of  Norway,  seized  Orkney  in  the  latter  end  of  the  nmth  century.  From 
Norway  swurms  came  to  Orkney,  and  the  passage  being  so  short,  all  the  north  of  Scot- 
land was  contiuuitlly  in  arn\8.  As  nothing  can  be  expected  in  that  period  but  fighting, 
bloodshed,  and  rapine,  W9  cannot  look  for  improvements  of  any  kind,  and  for  that  reason 
it  is  needless  to  attempt  any  particular  history  of  it.  It  is  true,  Torfaeus  gives  us  some 
account  of  that  time,  which  is  all  that  we  have. 

As  to  the  family  of  Sutherland,  they  have  possessed  that  country  since  the  expul- 
sion of  the  Picts,  and  have  continued  us  Thanes  and  earls  to  this  time.  That  they 
are  originally  of  German  extraction,  is  evident  from  their  arms.  Dr.  Abercrombic,  in 
his  historyr  of  the  Scots  heroes,  mentions  Donald,  Thane  of  Sutherland,  married  to  a 
niece  of  king  Kennet  II.     May  that  good  family  continue  and  pros|x:r. 

Lord  Rtay's  family  derive  their  original  from  Ireland,  in  the  twelfth  century,  when 
king  William  the  lion  reigned.  The  occasion  of  their  settling  in  the  north  is  men- 
tioned by  Torfaeus,  as  captains  of  a  number  of  warriors  to  drive  the  Norwegians  out 
of  Cahhness. 

The  Sinclairs,  earls  of  Caithness,  are  only  of  a  late  date.  The  family  of  Roslin  is 
their  original  in  Scotland  ;  but  their  coming  into  England  is  as  early  as  the  year  1066  ; 
for  I  find  t'.iem  mentioned  among  the  commanders  in  tlv^  army  of  William  the  con. 
queror,  in  the  roll  of  Battel  abbey.  They  were  first  earls  of  Orkney,  then  earis  of 
Caithness,  and  still  continue  in  the  person  of  William  Sinclair  of  Ratter,  who  carried 
the  peerage  before  the  British  parliament  this  present  year  1772. 

As  for  the  history  of  these  parts,  I  shuU  begin  with 

Edrachilis.*  This  parish,  which  belongs  to  the  family  of  Reay,  is  all  forest  and 
rocks,  little  arable,  and  scarcely  any  plain  ground,  excepting  the  town  of  Scoury.  The 
pasture  is  fine,  and  plenty  of  red  deer,  but  the  country  at  some  distance  looks  as  if  one 

•  Properly  Eider  dar  clioilles,  i.  e.  between  two  woods. 


PKNNANT'h  iOVU  IN  «COTl,AKIi. 


141/ 


to  pm 

\  01)1) 

grcai 

well, 
any  of 
ccme- 
circlch 
I  other 
c  been 

BDCciCii 

id.  but 
n  head 

r  many 
of  cul- 
:  stoncii 
itinually 
nan  for 

by  in- 

rold  the 

From 

of  Scot- 

fighting. 
It  reason 
U8  some 

expul- 
hat  they 
imbic,  in 
ried  to  a 

ry,  when 

is  men- 

;ians  out 

Roslin  is 
ur  1066 ; 
the  con- 
1  earls  of 
io  carried 


brest  and 
ry.    The 


I  as 


if  one 


hilt  was  piled  upon  another.     The  firth  that  runs  far  into  the  lund  abounds  with  good 
fi»h,  and  herring  in  their  season. 

Torfa:us  mentions  i  Moody  battle  fought  in  this  firth,  at  a  place  called  Cllcn  du,  by 
two  pirates ;  one  uf  them  he  culls  Odranus  (jillius,  the  other  Siienus,  uhea-in  tlu 
latter  was  victorious.  There  is  likewise  u  tradition  of  sonic  bloody  engagements  Ix-twixt 
the  Mackuys  and  Maclcods. 

Parish  of  Diurness.  This  parish  was  of  old  n  grass  room  or  shenlingto  the  bishop  of 
Caithness,  and  was  disposed  of  to  the  fumiiy  of  Sutherland  by  bishop  Andrew  Stuart, 
and  the  family  of  Sutherland  gave  it  to  lord  Reay's  family.  Two  pieces  of  antiquity 
arc  to  be  seen  in  this  parish  :  1st,  Dornadilla*s  Tower,  or  luintin^^.housc,  which  stands 
in  Strathmore  ;  a  very  strange  kind  of  building,  well  worth  the  heeing.  *  It  is  certain 
that  the  finest  pasture  is  in  the  hills  of  Diurness,  which  rendered  it  tlic  best  forest  in 
Scotland  of  ola.  Our  ancient  Scots  kings  hunted  there  frc:r|ucntly,  and  it  appears  that 
this  was  a  custom  as  far  back  as  the  time  of  king  Dornadilla.  2d,  There  is  on  the 
side  of  a  hill  called  Bui  spinunn,  a  souare  piece  of  building,  about  three  feet  high  and 
twelve  square,  well  levelled,  called  Carn  nri,  or  king's  cam,  which  probably  was  the 
place  where  his  majesty  sat  or  stood,  and  saw  the  sport,  as  he  had  from  hence  an  ex* 
tensive  prospect,  lorfaeus  mentions  that  one  Suenus  from  Orkney  waited  on  the  king 
of  Scotland,  as  he  was  diverting  himself  in  the  hunting  season  in  the  hills  of  Diurness, 
This  should  be  in  the  days  of  Malcolm  II. 

At  Loch-eribol,  on  the  north  side,  there  is  a  plain  rock,  which  is  still  called  Lech 
vuaies,  where  they  say  that  Hacon  king  of  Norway  slaughtered  the  cattle  he  took  from 
the  natives  in  his  return  to  Orkney,  after  the  battle  of  Larj^is  in  the  year  1263.  Tor- 
ftcus  .gives  a  journal  of  that  expedition,  and  mentions  king  Hacon's  landing  there. 
But  there  is  a  tradition  that  a  party  of  Norwegians,  venturing  too  far  into  that  country, 
were  cut  to  pieces  ;  and  that  the  place  is  culled  Strath  urrudulc,  from  the  name  of  the 
Norwegian  commander :  a  custom  very  common  of  old. 

The  greatest  curiosity  in  this  parish  is  a  cave  called  Smow.  It  is  a  stupendous  arch 
or  vault,  and  runs  under  ground  so  far  that  the  extremity  of  it  was  never  found. 

Donald  lord  Reay,  the  first  of  that  family,  made  an  attempt,  and  we  are  told  he  pro- 
ceeded very  fai',  meeting  with  lakes,  and  passing  through  them  in  a  boat :  but,  after 
all,  was  obliged  to  satisfy  himself  with  seeing  a  part. 

Here  are  several  caves  that  run  far  under  ground,  but  Smow  is  the  most  remarkable. 
I  am  told  that  of  late  they  have  discovered  in  the  manor  or  mains  of  Diurness,  a  hole  of 
great  depth  :  it  was  of  old  covered  with  large  stones,  but  these  it  seems  have  mouldered 
away.  So  that  it  is  the  conjecture  of  many,  that  there  are  numbers  of  cavities  of  great 
extent,  under  ground,  in  this  parish. 

This  parish  is  all  upon  the  lime  stone,  and  abounds  in  marble;  the  part  called 
strictly  Diurness  is  a  plain,  the  soil  good,  and  the  grass  incomparable,  therefore  capable 
of  the  highest  improvement.  The  lakes  are  stored  whh  the  finest  fish,  and  full  of 
marie.  The  hills  afford  the  best  pasturage  for  sheep,  and  the  seas  are  well  stored  with 
fish.  But  the  great  disadvantage  to  this  country  is,  that  it  is  exposed  to  the  north-west 
storms,  which  drive  the  sand  upon  it,  and  have  by  that  means  destroyed  several  good 
farms,  and  threaten  more  harm  daily. 

In  this  parish  is  a  firth  called  Loch-Eriboll ;  Torfaeus  calls  it  Goas.fiord,  or  the  firth 
of  Hoan,  an  island  opposite  to  it.  This  is  one  of  the  fiiiest  and  safest  roads  for  shipping 
in  Europe ;  the  navy  of  Great  Britain  can  enter  it  at  low  water,  and  find  good  anchor- 

»  A  further  account  of  this  tower  will  be  given  in  the  Tour  and  Voyage  of  1772. 


iS    -I 


J50  PENNANT'S  TOUR  IN  SCOTLAND 

ing.  It  19  a  loss  that  this  incomparable  bay  has  not  been  surveyed,  and  the  iifferent 
anchoring  places  marked.  It  would  be  a  mighty  blessingto  mariners,  being  so  near 
Cape  Wrath,  one  of  the  most  stormy  capes  in  the  world.  For  it  would  be  a  safe  retreat 
to  vessels,  in  time  of  storm,  either  sailing  towards  the  cape,  or  to  those  that  had  the 
misfortune  to  receive  any  damage  off  it.  Cape  Wrath  is  also  in  the  parish  of  Di< 
umess. 

Parish  of  Tongue.  The  antic^uities  of  this  parish  are  few.  There  is  an  old  Danish 
building  upon  the  summit  of  a  hill,  called  Castle  varrich,  or  Barr  castle  :  for  the  Danes 
or  Norwegians  possessed  that  country  for  some  time.  Tongue  is  the  scat  of  lord  Reay's 
family.  This  parish  is  rather  better  for  pasture  than  tillage,  but  what  corn  ground 
they  have  is  extremely  good.  Of  old  there  was  a  fine  forest  in  it,  and  there  is  still 
plenty  of  deer.     The  ancestors  of  lord  Reay's  family  drove  the  Danes  from  these  parts. 

In  this  parish  is  a  loch,  called  Loch-Hacon  ;  in  it  an  island,  called  Ulan  Lochan  Ha- 
4:on,  in  which  there  is  the  ruin  of  a  stone  building  with  an  artificial  walk  in  it,  called 
Grianan,  because  dry  and  exposed  to  the  sun.  From  which  it  appears  that  earl  Hacon, 
who  possessed  Orkney  and  Caithness,  had  a  hunting<house  in  this  island,  and  lodged 
there  with  his  warriors,  in  the  hunting  season.  The  sea-coast  for  the  greatest  part  is  all 
rock,  of  a  rough  granite,  or  what  we  call  whin.  Here  is  a  promontory  or  cape,  called 
Whiten  head,  very  stormy  wlien  it  is  a  hard  gale. 

There  was  formerly  a  chapel  in  an  island  near  Skerray  ;  the  common  people  call  it  the 
isle  of  Saints ;  it  goes  by  the  name  of  Island  comb. 

Another  island,  called  Ulan  na  nroan,  all  of  a  high  rock,  but  good  land,  and,  plenty 
of  water  and  moss.  It  might  be  rendered  impregnable.  Both  these  islands  are  in  the 
parish  of  Tongue.  I  have  been  in  Illan  comb.  If  the  sand  had  not  ovcr-run  a  part,  it 
would  be  a  charming  place. 

A  bloody  battle  was  fought  in  this  parish  of  old,  by  one  of  the  ancestors  of  lord 
Reay,  against  one  Agnus  Murray,  a  Sutherland  man,  wherein  the  Sutherland  men 
were  cut  to  pieces.  The  field  of  battle  is  called  Dvim  na  coub.  And  in  the  same 
place  there  was  a  skirmish  betwixt  lord  Reay's  men,  and  a  number  of  Frenchmen  that 
were  on  board  the  Hazard  sloop  of  war,  in  1746:  some  of  the  French  were  killed,  and 
the  rest  taken  p.isoners. 

This  parish  is  remarkable  for  an  excellent  ebb,  where  they  have  the  finest  cockles, 
muscles,  spout  fish,  and  flounders,  or  floaks ;  which  is  a  great  blessing  to  the  poor, 
and  no  small  benefit  to  the  rich.  And  in  the  firth  of  Tongue  there  is  a  fine  island, 
abounding  with  rabbets,  called  Rabbet  Isle.  It  has  many  lochs,  or  fresh  water  lakes, 
full  of  the  finest  trout  and  salmon. 

"  Parish  of  Far.  The  whole  of  these  four  parishes  was  of  old  called  Strathnaver, 
from  the  river  Navar,  which  was  so  called,  as  some  think,  from  the  name  of  one  of 
king  Kenneth  the  Second's  warriors.  It  is  a  noble  body  of  water,  well  stored  with 
salmon,  having  many  fruitful  and  beautiful  villages  on  the  banks  of  it,  and  is  so  inhabited 
for  eighteen  miles. 

At  a  place  called  Langdale  there  were  noble  remains  of  a  Druidical  temple,  being  a 
circle  of  100  feet  diameter,  and  surrounded  with  a  trench,  so  that  the  earth  formed  a 
bank  ;  in  the  midst  of  it  a  stone  was  erected  like  a  pillar,  where  the  Druids  stood  and 
taught.  The  country  people  have  now  trenched  or  delved  that  ground,  and  sown  it 
u:ith  corn.  There  was  in  that  town  a  large  round  building,  and  a  place  where  they 
buried  of  old. 

This  parish  is  of  great  extent,  rather  a  country  for  pasture  than  tillage.  A  great 
battle  was  fought  of  old  at  a  place  called ,  Harald  or  Harald's  field  or  plain. 


PENNANT'S  TOUK  IN  SCOTLAND. 


151 


Jifferent 
so  near 
;  retreat 
had  the 
X  of  DU 

Danish 
le  Danes 
d  Reay's 
i  ground 
e  is  still 
:se  parts. 
:han  Ha* 
it,  called 
■I  Hacon, 
d  lodged 
part  is  all 
pe,  called 

call  it  the 

id»  plenty 
are  in  the 
I  a  part,  it 

rs  of  lord 
rland  men 
the  same 
hmen  that 
filled,  and 

St  cockles, 

the  poor, 

ine  island, 

rater  lakes, 

trathnaver, 
:  of  one  of 
itored  with 

0  inhabited 

)16,  being  a 

1  formed  a 
s  stood  and 
nd  sown  it 
where  they 

A  great 
Id  or  plain, 


betwixt  Reginald  king  of  the  Isles,  and  Harald  earl  of  Orkney  and  Caithness.  Ha- 
rald  was  well  drubbed ;  and  the  field  of  battle  is  full  of  small  cairns,  where  the  slain 
are  buried,  and  some  large  stones  erected  like  pillars  shew  where  persons  of  note  were 
interred.  Torfaeus  tells  a  long  story  about  this  aflair ;  it  seems  that  they  had  bloody 
skirmishes  at  — — — ,  and  near  the  manse  of  Far,  as  appears  from  the  number  of  cairns 
in  both  these  places.  There  is  a  most  curious  sepulchral  monument  in  the  churchyard 
of  Far,  which  may  be  of  that  date;  it  is  of  hard  hill  granite,  well  cut,  considering  the 
aera  of  it.  But  what  the  meaning  of  the  sculpture  is,  we  know  not.  Only  we  may 
guess,  that  the  person  for  whose  sake  it  was  erected  was  u  Christian,  because  of  the 
cross  upon  the  stone ;  and  that  he  was  a  warrior,  because  we  see  a  shield  or  target  upon 
it.     I  have  taken  a  draught  of  it. 

In  this  parish,  in  old  times,  was  a  chapel  at  a  town  called  Skail,  upon  the  river 
Naver;  another  in  the  extremity  thereof,  at  Moudale;  and  another  at  Sarthie,  the 
most  beautiful  and  fertile  part  of  the  parish. 

Betwixt  Far  and  Kiriomy,  in  this  parish,  is  a  most  singular  curiosity,  well  worth  the 
pains  of  a  traveller  to  view,  being  the  remains  of  an  old  square  building  or  tower,  called 
Borve,  standing  upon  a  small  point  joined  to  the  continent  by  a  narrow  neck  of  land 
not  ten  feet  wide.  This  point  or  head  is  very  high,  consisting  of  rock,  and  some  gra- 
vel on  the  top ;  on  both  sides  b  very  deep  water,  and  a  tolerable  harbour  for  boats. 
This  tower  seems  to  be  built  by  the  Norwegians;  and  the  tradition  is,  that  one  Thorkel, 
or  Torquil,  a  warrior  mentioned  by  Torfaeus,  was  the  person  that  built  it.  They 
speak  likewise  of  a  lady  that  was  concealed  there  ;  she  is  said  to  be  an  Orkney  woman, 
and  Thorkel  was  an  Orkney  man.  But  what  is  most  curious  is,  that  through  the  rock 
upon  which  the  tower  stands  there  is  a  passage  below,  of  200  feet  in  length,  like  a  grand 
arch  or  vault,  through  which  they  row  a  boat.  The  writer  has  been  one  of  a  company 
that  rowed  through  it.  The  passage  is  so  long,  that  when  you  enter  at  one  end,  you 
fancy  that  there  is  no  possibility  to  get  out  at  the  other,  et  vice  versa.  How  this  hard 
rock  was  thus  bored  or  excavated,  I  cannot  say ;  but  it  is  one  of  the  most  curious  natu- 
ral arches,  perhaps,  in  the  known  world. 

In  this  parish  there  is  also  a  promontory,  called  Strathy  head ;  Ptolemy  the  geogra- 
pher calls  it  Vervadrum,  as  he  calls  Cape  Wrath,  Tarvedrum,  and  Dungsbey  heud,  Ber- 
ubium.  These  three  promontories  run  in  a  line,  from  N.  W.  to  north,  and  jut  far  out 
into  the  sea,  having  most  rapid  tides  upon  them.  In  Strathy  head  is  a  stately  cave,  call- 
ed  Uai  nei,  or  cave  where  they  find  driven  wood  or  timber.  The  entrance  into  this 
cave  is  very  grand,  the  natural  rock  almost  forming  itself  like  the  sway  of  an  arch  :  the 
writer  hereof  has  admired  the  beauty  of  it.  This  promontory  is  the  finest  pasture  for 
sheep  and  goats  in  the  north  of  Scotland. 

To  the  north-east  of  Strathy  there  is  a  stone  erected  near  the  highway,  with  a  cross 
upon  it,  which  shews  its  antiquity  as  a  sepulchral  monument.  Erected  stones  were  the 
distin^ishing  marks  of  the  graves  of  persons  of  note  in  time  of  Paganism.  And  after 
Christianity  was  planted  in  this  kingdom,  the  distinction  of  Pagan  from  Christian  was, 
that  a  cross  was  cut  upon  the  sepulchral  monuments  of  the  latter.  I  have  seen  many 
with  this^^stinguishing  badge. 

No  doubt  there  are  mines  in  this  country,  if  persons  of  skill  examined  our  shores 
and  rocks ;  as  yet  no  pains  have  been  taken.  I  have  been  told  that  there  is  at  Loch- 
Eribol  plenty  of  iron  stone,  and  something  like  a  tin  mine.  As  I  do  not  understand 
these  things,  I  choose  to  pass  them  over.  As  for  sea-fish  and  shells,  we  have  none  ex- 
traordinary. It  is  true,  in  Caithness,  John  a  Groat's  buckies  are  very  curious  and 
beautiful,  of  which  we  shall  take  notice  in  the  parish  of  Cannesby. 


i 


1  «;.'•, 


1>ENNANT'S  TOUll  IN  SCOTLAND. 


Parish  of  Reay.  Some  part  of  this  parish  lies  in  the  shire  of  Sutherland,  but  the  great- 
est part  in  that  of  Caithness ;  that  part  in  Sutherland  is  called  Strath-Halladale,  from 
Halladha  earl  of  Orkney,  a  Norwegian,  slain  in  battle  in  the  beginning  of  the  tenth 
century.  The  field  of  battle  is  full  of  small  cairns,  or  heaps  of  stone.  The  com- 
mander in  chief,  and  principal  warriors  slain  in  that  action,  are  buried  in  a  place  apart 
from  the  field  of  battle :  I  have  frequently  seen  the  place.  The  tradition  is,  that  HiilU 
adha  is  buried  in  a  spot  inclosed  with  a  circular  trench  ten  or  twelve  feet  wide,  and  that 
his  sword  lies  by  his  side.  There  was  a  stone  erected  in  the  middle  of  this  circle,  part 
of  which  still  remains.  Near  the  field  of  battle  stands  a, little  town,  called  Dal  Hall- 
adha, or  Halladha's  field.  A  river  runs  through  Strath-Halladale,  which  is  rather 
pasture  ground  on  the  sides  of  it,  for  the  eleven  miles  it  is  inhabited. 

The  boundary  betwixt  Sutherland  and  Caithness,  to  the  north,  is  called  Drim  Hall- 
istin.  Caithness  is  a  flut  plain  country,  having  few  hills ;  the  soil  good,  and  producing 
great  quantities  of  corn  in  fruitful  seasons  ;  it  lies  upon  quarries  of  a  black  slate  kind, 
and  perhaps  no  country  on  earth  excels  it  for  smooth  thm  flags  or  slates  of  great  di- 
mensions. As  these  flags  may  be  seen  in  all  parts  of  the  country,  it  is  needless  to  de- 
scribe them.  The  soil  not  being  deep,  and  the  country  flat,  renders  our  highways  very 
deep  in  winter,  and  very  dry  in  summer.  That  part  of  the  parish  of  Reay  in  the  shire 
of  Caithness  is  excellent  corn  ground  through  the  whole  of  it.  It  appears  that  many 
battles  have  been  fought  in  it  in  former  times,  but  we  have  no  tradition  concerning 
them.  In  later  times  some  bloody  skirmishes  happened  betwixt  M'Kay  of  Strathnaver, 
and  Keith  earl  Mareschal ;  and  also  betwixt  the  Caithness  and  Strathnaver  people. 

The  following  chapels  stood  in  this  parish  of  old;  St.  Mary's  at  Lybster;  St.  Mag- 
nus's at  Shebsber :  one  at  Shall,  another  at  Baillie,  and  a  third  in  Shurerie ;  besides  the 
parbh  kirk  dedicated  to  St.  Col  man,  at  Reay.  There  is  an  old  castle  at  Dunreay,  and 
modern  houses  both  at  Bighouse  and  Sandside. 

Lead  mines  are  frequent  in  Caithness ;  but  the  country  is  so  flat,  that  there  is  no 
working  them  for  water.  The  most  promising  mine  is  at  Sandside,  being  in  the  face  of 
a  rock  near  the  sea.  It  might  prove  of  value,  if  proper  pains  were  taken  to  work  it. 
The  highways  run  near  it. 

It  seems  that  the  Saxons,  in  the  fifth  century,  plagued  this  country  ;  and  it  is  proba^ 
ble  that  Thurso  is  so  called  from  Horsa  the  Saxon  general,  who  landed  in  the  river  of 
Thurso,  or  Inverr-Horsa,  the  landing-place  of  Horsa.  And  when  the  Saxons  plundered 
Caithness,  it  seems  they  had  a  bloody  conflict  with  the  natives.  In  this  parish  there  is 
a  place  called  Tout  Horsa,  or  Horsa's  grave,  where  they  say  that  some  great  warrior  was 
slain  and  buried;  in  the  place  is  a  great  stone  erected.  Probably  he  was  one  of 
Horsa's  captains.    This  is  the  tradition. 

Parish  of  Thurso.  Thurso,  or  Inverr-Horsa,  so  called  from  the  Saxon  general,  is  a 
town  of  an  old  date :  we  find  mention  made  of  it  as  a  populous  place  in  the  eleventh 
century,  and  from  it  the  parish  is  denominated.  Formerly  a  strong  castle  stood  in  it, 
called  Castrum  de  Thorsa ;  but  no  vestige  of  it  is  now  extant.  The  earls  of  Caithness 
had  a  fine  square  at  Thurso  East,  now  demolished.  The  bishop  of  Caithness  had  a 
strong  castle  at  Scrabster,  near  Thurso,  called  the  castle  of  Bumside,  built  in  the 
thirteenth  century,  by  Gilbert  Murray,  Bishop  of  Caithness :  the  ruins  are  still  extant. 
Another  castle  stood  at  Ormly,  near  Thurso,  lately  demolished.  At  Murkil,  to  the 
east  of  Thurso,  there  were  great  buildings  of  old ;  it  was  a  seat  of  the  late  earl  of 
Caithness,  and  at  Hamer  he  had  a  modern  house.  An  old  tower,  still  extant,  stands  at 
Brines,  three  miles  west  of  Thurso. 


,'■4.   vff-; 


•«'f 


I 


jart 


PENNANT'S  TOUR  IN  SCOTLAND. 


I5n 


■c? 


As  for  chapels  and  places  of  worship,  one  stood  at  Cross  Kirk,  one  at  Brines,  another 
at  Gwic,  and  a  small  chapel  stood  in  the  parks  of  Thurso  East,  M^here  earl  Harold  the 
younger  was  buried.  The  avails  are  fallen  down ;  but  Mr.  Sinclair,  of  Ulbster,  vcrjr 
generously  is  determined  to  enclose  that  spot,  because  that  young  nobleman  is  interred 
there.  The  church  of  Thurso  was  the  bishop's  chapel ;  and  when  he  resided  in  Caith« 
ness,  he  often  preached  there.  I  was  told  by  the  late  earl  of  Caithness,  that  there  was 
a  nunnery  in  ancient  times  near  his  seat  at  Muritil.  The  country  people  call  the  place 
the  Glosters ;  but  no  vestige  of  tht  building  is  extant,  excepting  'he  remains  of  the 
garden  wall,  which  enclosed  a  rich  spot  of  ground.  Torfaeus  says  that  a  queen  of  Nor- 
way  lived  some  time  at  Murkil.  He  relates  that  Harold  the  Bloody,  son  to  Harold  the 
Fair,  was  banished  for  his  cruelty,  with  his  queen  ;  and  that  his  brother  Hacon  succeed- 
ed to  the  throne :  but  after  Harold  the  Bloody  was  slaii;  in  England,  his  queen  returned 
to  Orkney,  and  resided  some  time  at  Murkil  in  Caithness. 

The  same  author  mentions  great  bat  Ics  fought  in  this  parish ;  one  in  the  eleventh 
century,  on  the  plains  of  Thurso  East,  betwixt  Thorfinnus  earl  of  Orkney,  and  one 
Karl  or  Charles ;  he  calls  him  king  of  Scotland,  or  a  general  of  the  Scots  army.  An- 
other bloody  battle  at  Claredon,  near  Thurso  East,  betwixt  the  earls  Harold  the 
elder  and  younger.  I  have  already  told  that  earl  Harold  the  younger  is  buried  near 
the  field  of  batde,  and  a  chapel  erected  over  his  grave,  which  is  now  to  be  enclosed  by 
Mr.  Sinclair,  of  Ulbster,  a  most  promising  youth. 

The  bishop  of  Caithness,  since  the  reformation,  lived  in  a  small  house  at  Scrabster, 
which  is  still  extant,  and  belongs  to  the  crown.  He  had  a  grass  room  in  the  Highlands, 
called  Dorary,  where  stood  a  chapel,  called  Gavin's  Kirk,  or  Temple  Gavin ;  the  walls 
are  still  standing.  The  river  of  Thurso  abounds  with  salmon ;  ten  and  eleven  lasts  of 
fish  have  been  caught. 

Parish  of  Olrig.  A  fine  corn  country,  two  miles  and  a  half  in  length,  and  a  mile 
broad,  or  thereabouts.    Nothing-  memorable  in  it. 

Parish  of  Dunnet.  The  northerly  winds  have  covered  a  great  part  of  this  parish  with 
sand ;  a  large  tract  of  ground  is  ruined,  and  not  likely  to  be  recovei'ed.  In  this  parish 
stands  Dunnet  head,  or  what  Ptolemy  calls  Berubium,  a  large  promontory,  with  a  most 
terrible  tide  on  the  point  of  it.  A  hermit  in  ancient  times  lived  upon  it,  the  ruins  of  his 
cell  are  extant.  It  is  a  fine  sheep  pasture.  The  parish  itself  is  an  excellent  corn  coun- 
try.   At  Ratter  is  the  seat  of  the  present  earl  of  Caithness. 

Parish  of  Cannesbey  is  a  fine  corn  country.  Here  was  the  ancient  residence  of  one 
of  the  governors  of  Caithness,  under  the  Norwegian  lords  that  held  Orkney  and 
Caithness.  They  dwelt  at  Dungsbey,  and  their  office  was  called  the  Prasfectura  de 
Dungalsbaeis.  Torfaeus  mentions  bloody  battles  fought  betwixt  the  Scots  and  Nor- 
wegians, near  Dungsbey,  in  the  tenth  century.  And  Ewin,  king  of  Scotland,  fought 
an  army  of  Orkney  men  at  Huna,  in  this  parish,  and  destroyed  their  king  and  his  army. 
Here  was,  formerly,  besides  the  parish  church,  a  chapel  at  St.  John's  head,  near  Mey, 
and  anodier  at  Freswick. 

At  Mey  there  is  a  beautiful,  strong  castle,  belonging  to  Sir  John  Sinclair.  Here  a 
kind  of  coal  is  found,  like  the  Lanstaffen  coal  in  Wales.  At  Freswick  stands  a  large 
modem  house,  the  seat  of  Mr.  John  Sinclair.  And  there  is  a  strong  old  castle,  built  on 
a  high  rock,  joined  to  the  continent  by  a  narrow  neck  of  land  to  the  south  of  Freswick. 
Torfeus  calls  it  Lambaburgum  sive  castrum  agnorum.  It  sustained  a  memorable  siege 
in  the  twelilh  century.  In  later  times  it  was  possessed  by  Mouat  of  Bucholly.  The 
condimon  people  call  it  Buccle's  castle,  a  corruption  of  BuchoUie's  castle.  In  Dungsbey, 
the  rapid  tides  of  the  Pentland  throw  up  vast  quantities  of  most  beautiful  sea  shells, 

yoL.  III.       "  X 


k 


t   ' 


•|55-rT^A^  \X^Ti  ^  ■"V^i^'T'-'^"' 


154 


PENNANT'3  TOUR  IN  SCOTLAND. 


abundance  of  which  are  carried  south  for  shell  work.    They  are  called  John  a  Groat's 
buckies.     The  town  and  ferry  belonged  of  old  to  a  gentleman  of  the  name  of  Groat. 

An  island  belongs  to  this  parish,  called  Stroma,  in  which  there  is  a  vault  where  they 
bury,  built  by  one  Kennedy  of  Carnmuch.  The  coffins  are  laid  on  stools  ubove  f^ound. 
But  the  vault  being  on  the  sea  edge,  and  the  rapid  tides  of  the  Pentland  iirth  running  by 
it,  there  is  such  a  saltish  air  continually,  as  has  converted  the  bodies  into  mummies :  in- 
somuch, that  one  Murdo  Kennedy,  son  of  Carnmuch,  is  said  to  beat  the  drum  on  his 
father's  belly. 

Parish  of  Wick,  an  excellent  corn  country,  and  a  fruitful  sea ;  2000  barrels  of  her- 
rings were  caught  here  in  the  year  1771.  There  was  a  chapel  near  Castle  Sinclair, 
called  St.  Tay,  another  at  Ulbster,  and  a  third  at  Kilmister.  The  castle  of  Girnigo  is 
the  oldest  building  in  this  parish.  I  cannot  find  out  by  whom  it  was  erected.  Ir  is  pro* 
bable  some  strong  building  stood  here  before  the  present  ruinous  house  was  erected.  It 
stands  on  a  rock  m  the  sea.  Near  It  stood  Castle  Sinclair,  built  by  George  earl  of 
Caithness  ;  a  grand  house  in  those  days.  Not  far  from  it  stood  the  castle  of  Akergil, 
built  b^  Keith  earl  Mareschal :  but  this  place  is  now  rendered  a  most  beautiful  and 
convenient  seat,  by  Sir  William  Dunbar  of  Hemprigs,  the  proprietor.  In  the  old  tower 
is  the  largest  vault  in  the  North  of  Scotland,  beautified  with  elegsmt  lights  and  plaister- 
ing,  by  Sir  William ;  so  that  it  is  now  the  grandest  room  in  all  this  part  of  the  country. 

The  town  of  Wick  is  a  royal  burgh,  now  rising  since  the  herring  fishery  has  prosper* 
ed.  To  the  south  of  it  stands  an  old  tCv/er,  called  Lord  O^ifant's  castle.  A  copper  ore 
was  discovered  there,  and  wrought  for  some  time,  but  I  do  not  find  they  have  proceeded 
in  it. 

In  this  parish  there  is  a  haven  for  fishing  boats,  called  Whaligo,  which  is  a  creek  be- 
twixt two  high  rocks.  Though  the  height  of  one  of  these  rocks  is  surprising,  yet  the 
country  people  have  made  steps  by  which  they  go  up  and  down,  carrying  heavy  burdens 
on  their  backs ;  which  a  stranger,  without  seeing,  would  scarcely  believe.  This  is  a  fine 
fishing  coast. 

There  was  a  battle  fought  at  Old  Namerluch,  in  1680,  betwixt  the  earl  of  Caith- 
ness, and  lord  Glenurchy. 

Parish  of  Lathrone,  eighteen  miles  long ;  partly  pasture,  partly  corn  ground.  It  has 
a  chapel  at  Easter  Clyth,  and  another  at  the  water  of  Dunbeath,  besides  the  parish 
kirk. 

At  the  loch  of  Stemster,  in  this  parish,  stands  a  famous  Druidical  temple.  I  have 
viewed,  the  place :  the  circle  is  large,  above  100  feet  diameter :  the  stones  are  large 
and  erect ;  and  to  shew  that  the  planetary  system  was  observed  by  them,  they  are  set  up 
in  this  manner,  1:  2:  S:  4:  6:  6:  7.  Then  the  same  course  begins  again ;  1 :  2  : 
3:4:  &c.  Few  of  the  stones  are  now  fallen.  Near  the  temple  there  is  a  ruin,  where 
the  Arch-Druid,  it  seems,  resided.  I  find  no  such  large  Druid  temples  in  the  country : 
as  for  small  ones,  they  are  generally  found  in  many  places. 

Upon  a  rock  in  the  edge  of  the  sea,  in  Easter  Clyth,  there  is  an  old  building,  called 
Cruner  Gunn's  castle.  This  gentleman  of  the  name  of  Gunn  was  coronator  or  justici- 
anr  of  Caithness :  he  was  basely  murdered,  with  several  gentlemen  of  the  name,  and  of 
other  names,  in  the  kirk  of  St.  Teay,  near  castle  Sinclair,  by  Keith  earl.  Mareschal. 
The  story  is  told  at  full  lenth  in  the  history  of  the  family  of  Sutherland.  This  hap. 
pened  in  the  fifteenth  century.  At  Mid  Clyth  there  was  a  large  house,  built  by  Sir 
George  Sinclair  of  Clyth.  At  Nottingham  there  is  an  elegant  new  house,  built  by 
captain  Sutheriand  of  Parse :  near  this  is  the  parish  kirk.  There  is  a  strong  old  castle  at 
Dunbeath ;  and  near  Langwall  is  a  strong  old  ruin,  said  to  be  Ronald  Cneir*s  castle ; 


PENNANT'S  TOUR  IN  SCOTLAND. 


155 


oat's 
ftt. 
they 
>und. 
igby 
s :  in- 
)n  his 

f  her- 
nclair, 
ligo  is 
is  pro- 
id.     It 
earl  of 
kergil, 
tul  and 
I  tower 
)laibter- 
lountry. 
)rosper- 
^per  ore 
acceded 

■eek  be- 

,  yet  the 

burdens 

is  a  fine 

,f  Caith- 

It  has 
le  parish 

I  have 

are  large 

ire  set  up 

1:2: 

in,  where 

country : 

ng,  called 
or  justici* 
ne,  and  of 
^areschal. 
This  hap- 
lUt  by  Sir 
built  by 
Id  castle  at 
r*s  castle ; 


he  lived  in  the  fourteenth  century,  and  was  a  great  hunter  of  deer,  as  will  be  told  when 
we  come  to  speak  of  the  parish  of  Halkirk.  He  had  a  third  part  of  Caithness  in  pro. 
perty :  his  great  estate  was  divided  betwixt  his  two  daughters  ;  one  of  which  became  a 
nun,  the  other  married  the  ancestor  of  the  lord  DufTus. 

There  is  an  old  building  at  Lathrone,  called  Harold  tower,  said  to  have  been  built 
by  wicked  earl  Harold,  in  the  twelfth  century. 

We  read  of  bloody  encounters  in  this  parish,  betwixt  the  Caithness  men,  and  Hu^o 
Freskin  earl  of  Sutherland  :  and  likewise  many  conflicts  betwixt  the  two  countries  m 
after-times.  Torfaeus  says  that  king  William  the  lion  marched  into  Caithness  with  a 
great  army,  and  encamped  at  Ousdales,  or  Eiskensdale.  This  expedition  of  his  majesty's 
was  to  drive  out  wicked  earl  Harold  the  elder,  who  had  slain  Harold  the  younger. 
The  king  seized  Caithness  as  a  conquest,  then  carl  Harold  submitted  himself  to  him. 

Parish  of  Loth,  a  fine  corn  country ;  much  harassed  of  old  by  the  Danes  or  Nor- 
wegians. In  it  are  St.  Ninian's  chapel  at  Navidalc,  John  the  Baptist's  at  the  river 
Helmisdale,  St.  Inan's  at  Easter  Gartie,  and  St.  Trullen's  at  Kintradwel,  besides  the 
parish  kirk.  The  castle  of  Helmisdale  was  built  by  lady  Margaret  Baillie,  countess  of 
Sutherland :  and  there  was  a  square  or  court  of  building  at  Craiag,  erected  by  lady 
Jane  Gordon,  countess  of  Sutherland :  no  vestige  of  it  now  extant. 

There  is  fine  fishing  in  the  rivers  of  Helmisdale  and  Loth.  The  latter  has  a  very  high 
cataract,  where  the  water  pours  from  a  high  rock,  and  falls  into  a  terrible  gulf  be- 
low. If  this  could  be  removed,  this  river  would  atford  excellent  salmon  fishing.  The 
hills  in  this  parish  were  of  old  famous  for  hunting.  At there  is  a  hunting  house,  pro- 
bably built  by  the  Picts,  consisting  of  a  great  number  of  small  rooms>  each  composed  of 
three  large  stones.  These  buildings  prove  that  a  tribe  lived  here  in  the  hunting  season. 
Near  it  stands  a  large  Pictish  castle,  called  Carn  Bran.  It  seems  that  this  Bran,  of 
Brian,  was  some  great  man  in  those  days,  and  that  all  these  accommodations  were  of 
his  building.  The  quarry  from  whence  the  stones  wert  carried  to  build  this  castle  is 
still  to  be  seen,  and  the  road  for  their  carriage  visible,  being  like  a  spiral  line  along  ;: 
side  of  the  hill. 

I  read  of  no  battles  in  this  parish :  some  bloody  conflicts  are  told  us,  and  these  are  to 
be  seen  in  the  history  of  the  family  of  Sutherland.  Near  the  miln  of  Loth-beg  is  the 
entire  Picts  house,  which  the  bishop  of  Ossory  entered.  There  is  a  fine  cascade  as 
you  travel  along  the  shore  under  Loth-beg,  which  makes  a  charming  appearance  when 
there  is  any  fall  of  rain,  or  in  time  of  a  keen  frost. 

Parish  of  Clyne,  partly  com  ground,  and  partly  fit  for  pasture.  There  was  a  chapel 
at  Dol,  called  St.  Mahon.  No  considerable  buildings  in  this  parish.  Sutherland  of 
Clyne  had  a  good  house ;  and  Nicolas  earl  of  Sutherland  had  a  hunting  seat  in  the 
Highlands  called  Castle  Uain,  but  iiuw  demolished. 

There  is  a  tradition  that  a  battle  was  fought  at  Kilalmkill,  in  this  parish,  wherein  the 
country  people  routed  the  Danes.  The  common  marks  of  a  battle  are  visible  there,  viz. 
a  number  of  small  cairns.  Another  bloody  battle  was  fought  at  Clyne  Milton,  betwixt 
the  Sutherland  and  Caithness  men  ;  the  slaughter  was  great,  and  the  cairns,  still  to  be 
seen  there,  cover  heaps  of  slain. 

The  river  of  Brora  afibrds  a  fine  salmon  fishery :  it  falls  into  the  sea  at  Brora. 
Within  two  large  miles  is  the  loch  of  that  name,  which  abounds  with  salmon.  From 
the  loch  the  river  lies  to  the  west ;  and  at  a  place  called  Achir-na*hyl  is  a  most  charm, 
ing  cascade  :  here  also  they  fish  for  pearls.  On  the  top  of  a  small  hill,  near  the  house  of 
Clyne,  is  a  lime-stone  quarry ;  and  in  the  heart  of  the  stone,  all  sorts  of  sea  shells 
known  in  these  parts  are  found.    They  are  fresh  and  entire,  and  the  lime.stone  within 

X  2 


"  go."  "S'','..'- '-"!'."" 


156 


fENNANrS  TOUR  IN  SCOTLAND. 


the  shell  resembles  the  fish.  The  bishop  of  Ossory  employed  men  to  hew  out  masses  of 
the  rock,  which  he  broke,  and  carried  away  a  large  quantity  of  shells.  Near  the  bridge 
of  Brora  there  is  a  fine  large  cave  called  Uai  na  Caiman.  The  bishop  of  Ossory  admired 
it,  and  said  there  were  such  caves  about  Bethlehem  in  Palestine.  The  coal  work  and 
salt  work  are  obvious  here.  But  at  Strathleven,  near  the  sea,  there  is  a  hermit's  apart* 
ment,  cut  artificially  in  the  natural  rock,  well  worth  a  visit  from  any  curious  traveller. 

I  need  not  mention  the  artificial  islands  in  the  loch  of  Brora,  made  by  the  old  thanes 
of  Sutherland,  as  a  place  of  refuge  in  dangerous  times.  Near  that  loch  stands  a  high 
hill  or  rock,  Creig  baw  ir,  on  the  summit  of  which  there  is  great  space.  This  rock  is 
fortified  round ;  and  as  the  neck  that  joins  it  to  another  rock  is  small,  it  seems  that  when 
they  were  invaded  by  enemies,  they  fled  to  this  strong  hold,  and  drove  their  cattle 
likewise  into  it  for  safety.    Others  say  it  was  a  place  for  keeping  of  a  watch. 

Parish  of  Golspie,  this  is  a  fine  corn  country.  The  parish  kirk  was  of  old  at  Culmalie  ; 
and  at  Golspie  the  family  of  Sutherland  had  a  chapel  of  ease,  dedicated  to  St.  Andrew 
the  Apostle.  In  this  parish  stands  the  seat  of  the  earls  of  Sutherland,  at  Dunrobin :  but 
duiing  the  Danish  wars,  thej^  lived  at  a  greater  disUince  from  the  sea.  This  parish  af- 
fords no  other  great  buildmgs;  nor  is  there  any  tradition  concerning  any  battles 
fought  in  it:  small  skirmishes  nave  happened  here ;  particularly  in  the  year  1746,  when 
the  earl  of  Cromarty  was  taken  prisoner.  Most  remarkable  is  the  devastation  done  by 
sand ;  large  tracts  of  corn  around  have  been  quite  spoiled  thereby,  and  more  mbchief 
is  threatened  yearly. 

Parish  of  Dornoch ;  in  this  parish  stands  the  cathedral  church  of  Caithness.  The 
Norwegians  having  murdered  bishop  John  at  Scrabster,  and  bishop  Adam  at  Halkirk, 
in  the  year  1222;  Gilbert  Murray,  the  succeeding  bishop,  built  the  cathedral  at  Dor. 
noch,  which  was,  when  entire,  a  neat  compact  building.  It  was  burnt  in  troublesome 
times,  and  never  fully  repaired.  The  bishop  had  a  summer  residence  at  Skibo ;  but  in 
winter  he  lived  in  his  castle  at  Dornoch,  the  ruins  of  which  are  to  be  seen.  There  was 
a  stately  fabric  of  a  church,  built  in  that  town,  in  the  eleventh  century,  by  St.  Bar, 
bishop  of  Caithness ;  but  bishop  Murray  thought  it  too  small :  it  stood  where  the 
council  house  now  stands.  We  are  told  that  the  diocese  of  Caithness  was  not  divided 
into  parishes  till  the  days  of  bishop  Murray ;  and  that  he  translated  the  psalms  and 
goqiels  into  the  Irish  language,  or  Scots  Gaelic.  The  dignified  clergy  had  houses  and 
G^bes  in  Dornoch ;  these  made  up  his  chapter  when  there  was  occasion  to  call  one. 
It  is  a  loss  that  we  have  none  of  their  records ;  nor  indeed  is  it  a  great  wonder,  consi* 
dering  the  daily  invasions  of  the  Danes,  which  ended  not  till  1266. 

In  bishop  Murray's  time  there  was  a  bloody  battle  fought  at  Hilton  near  Embo ;  he 
and  William  earl  of  Sutherland  fought  there  against  the  Danes,  and  cut  them  to  pieces. 
The  Danish  general  was  killed,  and  lies  buried  in  Hilton.  There  was  a  stone  erected 
over  his  grave,  which  the  common  people  called  Ree  cross,  or  cross  in  Ri,  or  king's 
cross,  fancying  that  the  king  of  Norway  was  there  buried.  A  brother  of  the  bishop  was 
also  killed  in  this  battle ;  his  body  lies  in  a  stone  coffin  in  the  east  aisle  of  the  cathedral, 
above  ground,  near  the  font.  The  hewn  stone  erected  to  the  east  of  Dornoch  is  a 
trophy  of  this  victory :  it  has  the  earl  of  Sutherland's  arms  on  the  north  side,  still  very 
vbible,  and  the  bishop  of  Caithness's  arms  on  the  south  side,  but  the  heat  of  the  sun  hats 
quite  destroyed  the  sculpture. 

The  driving  of  sand  is  very  hurtful  to  this  parish,  and  threatens  still  more  barm.  The 
only  old  building  in  it,  excepting  those  already  mentioned,  is  Skiba  Hugo  Freskin, 
eaii  of  Sutherland,  gave  these  lands  to  bishop  Gilbert  Murray,  dien  archdeacon  of 
Murray,  in  1186.    It  passed  through  several  hands,  till  at  last  it  pame  to  lord  Duffus^ 


PENNANT'S  TOUR  IS  SCOTLAND. 


157 


and  now  it  returns  to  the  family  of  Sutherland.  It  was  a  great  pile  of  buildiiif^,  sur. 
rounded  with  a  rampart.  The  present  modem  house  is  still  habitable.  The  situation  is 
most  beautiful,  and  a  fine  house  there  would  have  a  noble  effect.  Cyder-hall  is  only  a 
modem  house.  The  plantations  here,  and  at  Skibo,  are  the  most  thriving  in  this  parish. 
At  the  latter  place  a  house  was  Iate\v  built  in  a  very  elegant  taste.  Kmbo  is  an  old  build- 
ing, the  scat  of  the  knights  of  Em'bo.  It  is  a  pity  that  it  has  neither  plantations  nor 
policy  about  it. 

Parish  of  Creich  has  no  great  buildings  in  it :  Pulcrossi  is  the  best.  The  great  cata- 
ract at  Invershin  is  a  grand  sight :  such  a  large  body  of  water  pouring  down  from  a 
high  rock  cannot  miss  affording  entertainment.  The  river  of  Shm  abounds  with  large 
salmon,  and  sturgeons  are  often  seen  there.  In  the  11th  or  12th  century  lived  a  great 
man  in  this  parish,  called  Paul  Meutier.  This  warrior  routed  an  army  of  Danes  near 
Creich.  Tradition  says  that  he  gave  his  daughter  in  marriage  to  one  Hulver,  or  Leander, 
a  Dane,  and  with  her  the  lands  of  Strahohee ,  and  that  from  that  marriage  are  descended 
the  Clan  Landris,  a  brave  people,  in  Rosshire.  The  gentlemen  of  the  name  of  Gray 
possessed  MertiUCreich  of  an  old  date ;  and  at  Mrydol  there  was  a  good  house  and  or- 
chard, which  I  believe  are  still  extant.  I  find  no  other  memorabiba  in  the  parish  of 
Creich. 

Parish  of  Larg.  The  most  remarkable  thing  in  it  is  Locha-Shin,  which  is  computed  to 
be  eighteen  miles  long,  with  fine  pasture  ground  on  each  side  of  it.  What  skirmishes 
have  happened  in  this  parish  are  mentioned  in  the  history  of  the  family  of  Sutherland. 

Parish  of  Rogart  consists  of  good  pasture  and  good  corn  land.  A  bloody  battle  was 
fought  here,  near  Rnochartol,  in  the  days  of  countess  Elizabeth.  Tradition  says,  that 
upon  the  field  of  battle  such  a  number  of  swords  were  found,  that  they  threw  numbers 
of  them  into  a  loch ;  and  that  in  dry  summers  they  still  find  some  of  them.  There  is 
a  place  in  this  parish  called  Moriness,  and  Ptolemy  the  geographer  places  there  a  people 
called  the  Morini.  He  also  calls  the  river  Helmisdalc,  Ileas ;  and  the  natives  call  it  in 
the  Gaelic,  Illie,  Avin  Illie,  Bun  Illie,  Stra  Ulie. 

Parish  of  Kildonnan  consists  of  a  valley,  divided  into  two  parts  by  the  river  Helmis* 
dale,  or  Illie,  only  fit  for  pasture.  The  parish  kirk  is  dedicated  to  St.  Donan.  A  tribe 
lived  here  called  Gunns,  of  Norwegian  extraction  :  they  have  continued  here  upwards 
of  five  hundred  years,  and  contributed  to  extirpate  the  Danes  out  of  Sutherland.  They 
were  in  all  times  satellites  to  the  earls  of  Sutherland.  Their  chieftan  is  lately  dead,  and 
represented  by  two  boys :  it  were  to  be  wished  that  some  generous  person  would  take  care 
of  their  education.  The  most  remarkable  piece  of  history  relating  to  this  parish  is  what 
Torfaeus  mentions,  viz.  that  Helga,  countess  of  Orkney,  and  her  sister  Frauhaurk,  lived 
at  Kinbr?ss,  and  supported  a  grand  family  there.  This  lady  had  a  daughter  called  Mar- 
garet, who  was  educated  in  these  deserts,  and  there  married  Maddadius  earl  of  Athole, 
uncle's  son  to  king  David  I,  of  Scotland.  These  buildings  were  burnt,  and  reduced  to 
heaps,  so  that  we  cannot  discern  what  their  model  has  been ;  at  present  they  are  called 
Caim-shuin :  and  Torfaeus  says  that  one  Suenus  burnt  and  demolished  them. 

What  small  skirmishes  have  happened  in  this  parish  arc  not  worth  mentioning,  ex> 
cepting  what  Torfcus  mentions  relative  ^o  Kinbrass,  betwixt  Suenus  an  Orkney  man 
and  Aulver  Rosta,  captain  of  a  guard,  which  an  old  wicked  lady,  called  Frauhaurk,  kept 
to  defend  her.  This  lady,  we  are  told,  had  ordered  a  party  to  go  and  murder  Olafus, 
tile  father  of  Suenus,  at  Dungsbey,  which  party  Aulver  commanded.  They  came  to 
Dungsbey,  and  burnt  that  brave  man,  and  ux  more  with  him,  in  his  own  house.  Luckily 
the  lady  cf  the  house  was  absent,  being  invited  to  an  entertainment  in  the  days  of  Christ, 
mas.    Her  son  Gunnius,  the  ancestor  d*  the  Cvunns,  was  with  her,  and  Suenus  was  also 


i 


158 


PENNANT'S  TOUR  IN  SCOTLAND. 


absent.  After  many  years  Sucnus  comes  with  a  party,  attacks  Aulver,  and  after 
a  smart  engagement  dcTeuts  hicn,  so  that  he  fled,  and  us  many  as  could  make  their 
escape  with  him.  Suenus  after  this  burns  Frauhaurk  and  all  her  family,  and  made  a 
heap  of  the  buildings  :  and  though  the  ruins  are  p^eat,  yet  no  man  can  tell  of  what  kind 
they  were ;  that  is,  whether  round,  like  the  Pictish  houses,  or  not.  This  happened  in 
the  12ihcentury» 

Parish  of  Halkirk,  partly  corn  land,  partly  pasture.  Many  places  of  worship  have 
been  in  ihis  parish ;  such  as  the  parish  kirk  of  Skinnan,  the  hospital  of  St.  Magnus  at 
Spittal,  the  walls  of  the  church  belonging  to  it  being  still  extant ;  the  chapel  of  Olgrim- 
bcg ;  the  chapel  of  St.  Trostin,  at  Wcstfield ;  the  chapel  of  St.  Qnerin,  at  Strathmore  ; 
another  chapel  at  Dilred  :  and  as  the  bishop  of  Caithness  lived  of  old  at  Halkirk,  his 
chapel  was  called  St.  Kathrin,  of  which  there  is  no  vestige  left  but  a  heap  of  rubbish. 

The  Norwegian  lords  that  were  superiors  of  Caithness  built  the  castle  of  Braal.  Here 
lived  earl  John,  who  is  said  to  have  caused  the  burning  of  the  bishop  of  Caithness. 
This  bishop,  whose  name  was  Adam,  lived  near  the  place  where  the  minister's  house 
stands,  too  near  the  bloody  earl.  It  is  said  he  was  severe  in  exacting  tithes,  which  made 
the  country  people  complain  ;  whereupon  the  earl  told  them  that  they  should  take  the 
bishop  and  boil  him.  Accordingly  they  went  on  furiously,  and  boiled  the  bishop  in  his 
own  house,  together  with  one  Serlo  a  monk,  his  companion,  in  the  year  12-22.  King 
Alexander  H,  came  in  person  to  Caithness,  and,  it  is  said,  executed  near  eighty  persons 
concerned  in  that  murder.  The  earl  fled,  but  was  afterwards  pardoned  by  the  king. 
However,  some  time  after  he  was  killed  in  the  town  of  Thurso  by  some  persons  whom 
he  designed  to  murder.  At  Braal  there  was  a  fine  garden,  beside  which  they  catch  the 
first  salmon  fron:  the  month  of  November  to  the  month  of  August.  The  situation  is 
most  beautiful,  very  well  adapted  for  the  seat  of  a  great  man.  The  castle  of  Dilred 
was  built  by  Sutherland. of  Dilred,  descended  from  the  family  of  Sutherland  :  it  is  a 
small  building  on  the  top  of  a  rock.  His  son,  Alexander  Sutherland,  forfeited  his  estate  : 
and  these  lands  were  given  to  the  ancestor  of  lord  Reay,  but  now  belong  to  Mr.  Sin« 
clair  of  Ulbster. 

Up  the  river  stands  an  old  ruin,  called  lord  Chein's,  or  Ronald  Chein's  hunting- 
house  :  he  was  the  Nimrod  of  that  age,  spending  a  great  part  of  his  time  in  that  exer- 
cise. The  house  stood  at  the  outlet  of  a  loch,  called  Loch  .more,  the  source  of  the  river 
of  Thurso,  which  abounds  with  salmon.  Ronald  Chein  had  a  cruive  on  this  river, 
with  a  bell  so  constructed,  that  when  a  fish  tumbled  in  the  cruive  the  bell  rang.  The 
tradition  is  that  all  these  Highlands  were  then  forest  and  wood,  but  now  there  is  scarcely 
any  wood.  This  loch  is  about  half  a  mile  long,  and  near  that  in  breadth,  and  is  the 
best  fish  pond  in  Britain  ;  many  lasts  are  caught  every  year  on  the  shore  of  this  loch 
by  th&  country  people.  Sixty  nets  are  for  ordinary  shot  on  it  in  a  night,  and  fish  in 
every  one.  Many  gentlemen  claim  a  property  in  it,  for  which  cause  it  is  a  common  good 
to  the  country  in  general. 

There  is  in  the  town  of  North  Calder  an  old  ruin,  called  Tulloch-hoogie.  Torfaeus 
says  that  Ronald  earl  of  Orkney  was  treacherously  murdered  there  by  a  ruffian  he  calls 
Thiorbiornus  Klerkus,  and  a  smart  skirmish  ensued.  Thiorbiomus  fled,  and  being  hotly 
pursued,  was  burnt  in  a  house  where  he  took  shelter,  and  eight  more  with  him.  This 
was  in  the  12th  centurj*.  Two  battles  were  fought  by  the  Danes  in  the  dales  of  the 
parish  of  Halkirk :  one  at  Toftin-gale,  the  grave  of  the  foreigners.  A  Scots  nobleman, 
whom  Torfseus  calls  Comes  Magbragdus,  commanded  on  one  side,  and  a  Norwegian, 
called  Liotus,  on  the  other:  Liotus  was  mortally  wounded,  and  hurried  at*Stenhou, 
near  the  kirk  of  Watten.     The  other  battle  was  fought  at  Halsary.    The  large  stones 


MNHANT'S  TOUR  IM  flCOTLANU 


159 


1  after 
:  their 
nude  a 
It  kind 
:ned  in 

ip  have 
;nus  at 
jlgrim- 
hmore ; 
irk,  his 
)bish. 

Here 
lithness. 
's  house 
:h  made 
take  the 
)p  in  his 
.     King 
persons 
he  king. 
IS  whom 
catch  the 
tuation  is 
Df  Dilrcd 
d  :  it  is  a 
is  estate ; 
Mr.  Sin- 

i  hunting- 
that  exer- 
F  the  river 
this  river, 
ng.  The 
is  scarcely 
and  is  the 
■  this  loch 
and  fish  in 
imongood 

Torfacus 
an  he  calls 
being  hotly 
lim.  This 
lales  of  the 
nobleman, 
*<Iorwegian, 
t'^Stenhou, 
arge  stones 


erected  at  Ranfj^g,  and  thereabout,  are  sepulchral  monuments,  where  persons  of  note 
are  buried.  There  was  a  battle  ibught  in  the  16th  century,  by  the  Gunns  uiid  othcrji, 
at  a  place  called  Blarnandoss,  near  HarpiMlale,  ".vh'^rciu  the  Gunns  were  routed.  The 
beautiful  river  of  Thurso  runs  through  this  parish,  und  numbers  of  salmon  are  caught 
in  it.  Picdsh  houses  are  very  numerous  along  the  ifhore,  but  all  fallen  down.  It  is  a 
most  beautiful  parish,  and  must  have  of  old  abounded  with  game  and  fish,  which  invited 
people  to  settle  in  it.     Mr.  Sinclair,  of  Ulbster,  is  proprietor  of  one  half  of  it. 

Parish  of  Bower :  here  the  archdeacon  of  Caitlmcss  resided.  The  notie  of  Rome 
was  of  old  patron.  I  have  in  my  possession  two  presentations  from  his  holiness  to  the 
archdeacon  of  Bowar.  It  was  anciently  a  very  extensive  parish,  but  now  Wutten  is 
part  of  it.  I  know  of  no  other  place  of  worship,  behides  the  parish  kirk,  excepting  the 
chapel  of  Dun,  where  a  clergvman  officiated,  before  the  erection  of  the  parish  of  Watten. 
I  know  of  nothing  memorable  concerning  it.  If  there  ever  were  any  grand  buildings 
in  it,  no  vestiges  of  them  now  remain.  Torfaeus  mentions  a  great  man  that  lived  here 
in  the  TJth  century,  named  Maddan ;  one  of  whose  sons  was  stiled  Magnus  the  Gene* 
rous,  the  other  Count  Ottar  of  Thurso.  His  daughter  Helga  married  Harold  the 
orator,  earl  of  Orkney.  Another  married  Liotus,  a  noble  Dane,  that  lived  in  Suther* 
land  ;  and  the  third  was  married  to  a  Dane  that  lived  in ■     -  in  Orkney. 

Parish  of  Watten,  a  country  fit  for  both  tillage  and  pasture.  The  chapel  of  Dun 
stands  now  in  it.  Here  are  no  buildings  but  of  a  modern  date.  The  only  memorable 
thing  in  this  parish  is  the  grave  of  Liotus,  earl  ot  Orkney.  At  Sten-hou,  near  the  kirk 
of  Watten,  stands  a  great  rock,  upon  a  green  spot  of  ground,  which  is  said  to  be  the 
sepulchral  monument  of  this  earl.  The  monkish  tradition  is,  that  St.  Magnus  con* 
verted  a  dragon  into  this  stone.  This  is  as  true  as  what  they  relate  of  his  crossing  the 
Pentland  Firth  upon  a  stone,  and  that  the  ptint  of  the  saint's  feet  is  visible  on  the  same 
stone  in  the  kirk  of  Burrich,  in  South  Ronaldshaw,  in  Orkney. 

N.  B.  In  the  history  of  the  family  of  Sutherland  mention  is  made  of  one  sir  Paul 
Menzies,  provost  of  Aberdeen,  who  discovered  a  silver  mine  in  Sutherland,  and  found 
it  to  be  rich,  but  death  prevented  his  working  it.  It  seems  he  covered  the  place  where 
he  found  it,  and  no  person  of  skill  has  observed  it  since  that  time.  It  is  probable  that 
Creig<nargod  is  the  place  where  this  mine  may  be,  and  that  this  discovery  was  the  cause 
of  this  appellation;  for  I  can  see  no  other  reason  for  that  name  or  designation.  Per- 
sons  of  skill  ought  to  examine  these  bounds.  Creign*airgid,  or  the  silver  hill,  is  above 
Cullmalie» 

APPENDIX NO.  IV. 

THE  LIFE  OF  SIR  EWEN  CAMERON,  OF  LOCHIEL  • 

SIR  EWEN  CAMERON  was  born  in  February  1629.  He  lived  with  his  foster- 
father  for  the  first  seven  years,  according  to  an  old  custom  in  the  Highlands,  whereby 
the  principal  gentlemen  of  the  clan  are  entitled  to  the  tuition  and  support  of  their  chief's 
children  during  the  years  of  their  pupillarity.  The  foster-fathers  were  also  frequently 
at  the  charge  of  their  education  during  that  period ;   and  when  the  pupils  returned 

*  This  memoir,  so  descriptive  of  the  manners  of  the  times,  and  the  wild  war  carried  on  between  the 
hero  of  the  piece  and  Cromwell's  people,  was  communicated  to  me  by  a  gentleman  of  Lochaber.  It 
merits  preservation,  not  solely  on  account  ot  its  curiosity ;  but  that  it  may  prove  an  instructive  lesson  to 
the  present  inhabitants  of  that  extenmve  tract,  by  shewing  the  happiness  they  may  enjoy  in  the  present 
calm]^  after  the  long  storm  of  war  and  assasuiuktion  their  Ibrefothen  were  cursed  with. 


-\i: 


150  I'ii^NNANrS  TOUn  in  SCOTLAND. 

home,  tliese  fatlters  gave  them  a  portion  equal  to  what  they  gave  their  own  children  ; 
as  the  portion  consisted  in  cattle,  before  they  came  to  age  it  increased  to  a  considerable 
height. 

Before  his  years  ofpupillarity  expired,  he  was  put  under  the  charge  and  manngement 
of  the  marquix  of  Argylc,  the  name  who  was  executed  soon  uftcr  tlie  a'storation.  The 
marquiH,  intending  to  bring  him  up  in  the  principles  of  the  Covenanters,  put  him  to 
school  at  Inverary,  under  the  inspection  of  a  gentleman  of  his  own  appointment ;  but 
young  Lochiel  preferred  the  sport  of  the  field  to  the  labours  of  the  school.  Argyle 
observing  this,  brought  him  back  to  himself,  and  kept  a  watchful  eye  over  him,  carrying 
him  along  with  him  wherever  he  went. 

Af^er  tne  defeat  of  the  royalists  at  Philiphaugh  in  1645,  it  happened  that  as  the  par- 
liament sut  at  St.  Andrew's,  on  the  trial  of  the  prisoners  of  distinction  there  seized, 
Lochiel,  who  went  there  with  the  marquis,  found  means  to  pay  a  visit  to  sir  Robert 
Spotswood,  one  of  the  prisoners,  a  few  days  before  his  exeeiition.  Then  and  there  it 
was  he  received  the  first  intelligence  concerning  the  state  and  principles  of  parties  in 
Scotland.  Sir  Robert,  happy  to  see  his  young  visitant,  the  son  of  his  old  acquaintance 
John  Cameron,  took  the  opportunity  to  relate,  in  an  eloquent  manner,  the  causes  of  the 
present  rebellion,  and  its  history  from  its  first  breaking  out,  " '  h  a  view  of  the  tempers 
and  characters  of  the  different  factions  that  had  conspired  a^  ist  the  crown.  He  ex> 
plained  the  nature  of  our  constitution,  insisted  much  on  the  integrity  and  benevolence 
of  the  king,  but  inveighed  bitterly  against  his  Scotch  enemies ;  and  concluded  with  ex* 
pressing  his  astonishment  how  Locniel's  friends  could  put  him  under  the  charge  of 
Argyle,  and  conjuring  him  to  abandon  that  party  as  soon  as  he  could.  This  discourse 
had  such  an  impression  on  the  mind  of  Lochiel,  that  it  continued  all  his  life-time. 

Some  time  after,  Argyle  addressed  his  pupil  in  a  different  tone,  but  had  little  influ- 
ence over  him :  he  never  could  be  satisfieu  why  so  many  brave  fellows  were  executed, 
as  he  heard  no  confessions  of  guilt,  as  thieves  and  robbers  are  wont  to  make ;  but  dying 
with  the  courage  and  resolution  of  gentlemen.  Af\er  this  Lochiel  was  anxious  to  return 
to  his  country,  inflamed  with  a  desire  of  exerting  himself  in  the  royal  cause,  and  of 
joining  Montrose  for  that  end.  Upon  the  application  of  his  uncle  Breadalbane,  and  the 
Camerons,  Argyle  parted  with  his  pupil ;  and  he  returned  to  Lochabar  to  head  his  clan, 
in  the  18th  year  of  his  age. 

An  opportunity  of  acting  the  chief  soon  occurred.  Glengary  and  Reppoch,  heads  of 
two  numerous  tribes  of  the  M'Donalds,  refused  to  pay  Lochiel  certam  taxations  for 
some  lands  they  held  of  him  :  Lochiel  armed  a  body  of  the  Camerons,  with  a  view  to 
compel  them.  Glengary  and  Reppoch,  finding  him  thus  bold  and  resolute,  thought 
proper  to  settle  their  affairs  amicaoly,  and  gave  him  no  further  trouble  for  the  future. 
Bv  such  determined  conduct,  Lochaber  enjoyed  a  profound  peace  for  some  little  time, 
while  the  whole  of  Scotland  besides  was  a  scene  of  war  and  bloodshed. 

In  1651  Lochiel  was  honoured  with  a  letter  from  king  Charles  II,  inviting  him  and 
his  clan  to  use  and  put  themselves  in  arms,  for  the  relief  of  their  country  and  sovereign ; 
in  consequence  of  which,  early  in  spring  1652,  after  collecting  his  men«  he  vms  the 
first  who  joined  G'.encairn,  who  had  just  then  set  up  the  roynl  standard  in  the  Highlands. 
In  the  dinerent  encounters  his  lordsnip  and  the  royalists  had  with  Lilbume,  Moi|;an, 
and  others,  Lochiel  displayed  more  conduct  and  vigour  than  could  be  expected  from 
one  so  young,  and  as  yet  untxperieoced  in  the  art  of  war.  He  dbtinguished  himself  in 
a  particular  manner  in  a  skirmish  which  happened  between  Glencaim  and  Col.  Lil- 
burne  at  Brae-mar,  where  he  was  posted  at  a  p^ss,  which  he  defended  with  great  spirit, 
till  Glencaim  and  his  army  retreated  to  a  place  of  security.    Lilbume,  in  the  mean  time, 


I 


Idren: 
lerable 

remcnt 
The 
him  to 
tt;  but 
Argylc 
arrying 

Ihc  par- 
seized, 
Robert 
there  it 
irties  in 
aintnncc 
s  of  the 
tempers 
Heex- 
cvolcnce 
with  ex* 
hargc  of 
liscoursc 

• 

tie  influ- 

xecuted, 

ut  dying 

to  return 

and  of 

and  the 

his  clan, 

heads  of 
tions  for 
a  view  to 
,  thought 
le  future, 
ttle  time, 

him  and 
wereign ; 
;  WM  the 
lighlands. 

Moi^^n, 
cted  from 
limself  in 

Col.  Lit- 
■eat  spirit, 
lean  Ume, 


PCNNAHTI  TOUR  IN  SCOTLAND. 


1(')1 


getting  between  Lochlel  and  the  army,  and  finding  it  impossible  to  draw  out  the  g^'nc. 
ral  to  an  engagement,  made  a  violent  attack  upon  Lochicl :  Lochicl,  after  makitig  u 
bold  resistance  for  some  time,  at  last  retreated  graduiilly  up  the  hill,  with  his  face  to  the 
enemy,  who  durst  not  pursue  him  on  account  of  the  rnggcdiics!)  of  the  ground,  and  the 
■now  that  then  covered  it.  Glencaim's  army  was  at  this  time  full  of  factions  and  divi. 
sions,  occasioned  by  the  number  of  independent  chiefs  and  gentlemen  in  his  army,  who 
would  not  condescend  to  submit  to  one  another  cither  in  opinion  or  action.  Lochicl 
was  the  only  person  of  distinction  that  kept  himself  disengaged  from  these  factions;  for, 
in  order  to  avoid  them,  he  always  chose  the  most  distant  parts,  where  hin  frequent  sue 
cesses  had  endeared  him  to  the  general,  who  recommended  him  in  a  strong  manner  to 
the  king,  as  appears  by  the  following  letter  his  maicnty  sent  him. 

"  To  our  trusty  and  wcll.beloved  the  laird  of  Lochicl. 
"  Charles  R. 

"  Trusty  and  well  beloved,  we  greet  you  well.  We  are  informed  by  the  earl  ol 
Glencaim  with  what  notable  courage  and  affection  to  us  vou  have  behaved  yourself  at 
this  time  of  tryal,  when  our  interest  and  the  honour  and  liberty  of  your  country  is  at 
stake  ;  and  therefore  we  cannot  but  express  our  hearty  sense  of  such  your  g<Kxl  courage, 
and  return  you  our  princely  thanks  for  (he  same  ;  and  we  hope  all  honest  men,  who  are 
lovers  of  us  and  their  country,  will  follow  your  example,  and  that  you  will  unite  toge- 
ther  in  the  ways  we  have  directed,  and  under  that  authority  we  have  appointed  to 
conduct  you  for  the  prosecution  of  so  good  a  work,  so  we  do  assure  you  we  shall  be 
ready,  as  soon  as  we  are  able,  signally  to  reward  your  service,  and  to  repair  the  losses 
vou  shall  undergo  for  our  service,  and  so  w(  bid  yoti  farewell.  Given  at  Chantilly, 
Nov.  3,  1653,  in  the  fifth  year  of  our  reign." 

When  general  Middleton  came  from  Holland,  1654,  to  take  the  command  of  the 
king's  troops  in  Scotland,  Lochiel  joined  him  with  a  full  regiment  of  good  men,  while 
many  of  tne  other  heads  of  clans  made  their  peace  with  ^neral  Monk,  who  had 
marched  into  the  Highlands  at  the  head  of  a  small  army,  giving  another  composed  of 
horse  and  foot  to  general  Morgan.  Many  trifling  conflicts  ensued  between  these  two 
generals  and  the  Highlanders ;  but  Lochiel  being  of  the  party  who  had  opposed  Mor- 
gan, an  active  and  brave  officer,  run  several  hazards,  and  encountered  many  difficulties ; 
but  his  presence  of  mind  and  resolution  never  forsook  him. 

Monk  left  no  method  unattempted  to  bribe  him  into  a  submission.  These  propf)sals 
were  so  engaging,  that  many  of  his  friends  importuned  him  to  accept  of  them  ;  but  he 
despised  them  all,  and  would  not  submit.  Monk,  finding  all  his  attempts  inefl&ctual, 
resolved  to  plant  a  garrison  at  Inverlochy,  where  Fort  William  now  stands,  in  order  to 
keep  the  country  in  awe,  and  their  chief  at  home.  Lochiel  being  informed  of  this  de. 
ugn,  thought  the  most  advisable  plan  would  be  to  attack  the  enemy  on  their  march 
from  Inverness,  imagining  they  would  come  from  that  place  or  that  way  ;  but  the  sud- 
den  arrival  of  the  English  at  sea  disconccned  all  his  measures.  They  brought  with 
them  such  plenty  of  materials,  and  were  in  the  neighbourhood  of  so  much  wood,  that 
in  a  day's  time  after  tlieir  landing,  Col.  Bigun,  their  commander,  and  the  governor  of 
the  new  fort  to  be  erected,  had  secured  his  troops  from  all  danger. 

Lochiel  saw  all  their  motions  from  a  neighbouring  eminence,  and  seeing  it  impracti- 
cable to  attack  them  with  any  probability  of  success,  retired  to  a  pla^c  three  miles  west- 
ward, to  a  wood  on  the  north  side  of  Lochiel,  called  Achdalew;  from  this  he  coukl 
have  a  full  view  of  his  enemy  at  Inverlochy.  All  his  men  he  dismissed,  to  remove  their 
cattle  farther  from  the  enemy,  and  to  furnish  themselves  with  proviuons,  excepting 

VOL.      MI.  t 


\'--\ 


I 


PKNNAN  r1  TOUIl  IN  ICOTI.AND. 

otyiut  thirty«eight  persons  whom  he  kept  as  a  guard.     He  tiUo  hud  spies  in  nnd  about  the 

furriiton,  who  uiformcd  hint  of  all  (heir  trannuctions.  Five  duys  a(\er  their  arrival  at 
nvcrlochy,  the  governor  dispatched  three  hundred  of  hit  men  on  board  of  two  vessels, 
>vhich  were  Ut  mW  wcHtwurd  a  little,  and  to  anchor  on  each  side  uf  the  shore  near  Ach- 
dalcw.  Lochict  heard  their  design  wus  to  cut  down  his  trees  and  carry  away  his  cattle, 
and  was  determined  if  possible  to  make  them  pay  well  for  every  tree  and  every  hide : 
favoured  by  the  wou<U,  he  came  pretty  closie  to  the  shore,  where  he  saw  their  motions 
so  perfectly,  that  he  counted  them  as  they  came  out  of  the  ship,  and  found  the  number 
of  the  armed  exceed  one  hundred  and  forty,  besides  a  number  of  workmen  with  axes 
and  other  instruments. 

Having  fully  satiisficd  himself,  he  returned  to  his  friends  to  ask  their  opinion.  The 
younger  part  of  thim  were  keen  for  attacking ;  but  the  older  and  more  experienced 
remonbtrated  against  it,  as  a  mo^t  rash  and  hazardous  enterprise.  Lochiel  then  inquired 
of  two  of  the  party,  who  hud  served  for  some  time  under  Montrose,  if  ever  they  saw  him 
engage  on  so  dibadvuntugeous  terms ;  they  declared  thev  never  did.  He,  however, 
animated  by  the  ardour  ol  youth,  or  prompted  by  emulation  (for  Montrose  was  alwoys 
in  his  mouth)  insisted,  in  a  short  but  spirited  harangue,  that  if  his  people  had  any  re« 
gard  for  their  king  or  their  chief,  or  any  principle  of  honour,  the  English  should  be 
attacked :  "  for,"  says  he,  "  if  every  man  kills  his  man,  which  I  hope  you  will  do,  I 
will  answer  for  the  rest."  Upon  this  none  of  his  party  made  further  opposition,  but 
begged  that  he  and  hi:*  brother  Allan  should  stand  at  a  distance  from  the  danger.  Lo- 
chiel could  not  hear  with  patience  the  proposal  with  regard  to  himself,  but  commanded 
that  his  brother  Allan  should  be  bound  to  a  tree,  and  that  a  little  boy  should  be  left  to 
attend  him  ;  but  he  boon  fluttered  or  threatened  the  boy  to  disengage  him,  and  ran  to 
the  conflict. 

The  Camerons  being  some  more  than  thirty  in  number,  armed  partly  with  musquets, 
and  partly  with  bows,  kept  up  their  pieces  and  arrows  till  their  very  muzzles  and  points 
almost  touched  their  enemies'  breasts,  when  the  very  first  fire  took  down  above  thirty. 
Then  they  laid  on  with  their  swords,  and  laid  about  with  incredible  fury.  The  English 
defended  themselves  with  their  musquets  and  bayonets  with  great  bravery,  but  to  little 
purpose.  The  skirmish  continued  long  and  obstinate  ;  at  last  the  English  gave  way« 
and  retreated  towards  the  ship,  with  their  faces  to  the  enemy,  fighting  with  astonishing 
resolution.  But  Lochiel,  to  prevent  their  flight,  commanded  two  or  three  of  his  men 
to  run  before,  and  from  behind  a  bush  to  make  a  noise,  as  if  there  was  another  party  of 
Highlanders  to  intercept  tlieir  retreat.  This  took  so  eftectually,  that  the^  stopped,  and 
animated  by  rage,  madness,  and  despair,  they  renewed  the  skirmish  with  greater  fury 
than  ever,  and  wanted  nothing  but  proper  arms  to  make  Lochiel  repent  of  his  strata* 
gem.  They  were  at  last,  however,  forced  to  give  way,  and  betake  themselves  to  their 
heels :  the  Camerons  pursued  them  chin  deep  in  the  sea  ;  138  were  counted  dead  of 
the  English,  and  of  the  Camerons  only  five  were  killed. 

In  this  engagement  Lochiel  himself  had  several  wonderful  escapes.  In  the  retreat  of 
the  English,  one  of  the  strongest  and  bravest  of  the  officers  retired  behind  a  bush,  when 
he  observed  Lochiel  pursuing,  and  seeing  him  unaccompanied  with  any,  he  leaped  out 
and  thought  him  his  prey.  They  met  one  another  with  equal  fury.  The  combat  was 
long  and  doubtful.  The  English  gentleman  had  by  far  the  advantage  in  strength  and 
size ;  but  Lochiel  exceeded  him  in  nimbleness  and  agility,  in  the  end  tript  the  sword 
out  of  his  hand  :  upon  which  his  antagonist  flew  upon  him  with  amazing  rapidity ; 
they  closed  and  wrestled  till  both  fell  to  the  ground  in  each  other's  arms.  The  Eng- 
lish officer  got  above  Lochiel,  and  pressed  him  hard  ;  but  stretching  forth  his  neck  by 


I>KNN ANT'S  TOUR  IN  ICOTI.AKD 


16:1 


)ut  the 
ivul  at 
rcftscis, 

Ach. 
cnttic, 

hide : 
notions 
lumber 
th  axCH 

The 
ricnced 
tiquircd 
taw  him 
owever, 
9  always 
any  re- 
ould  be 
ill  do,  I 
lion,  but 
:r.     Lo- 
imandcd 
)e  left  to 
id  ran  to 

lusquets, 
nd  points 
ve  thirty. 
I  English 
It  to  little 
ave  way, 
itonishing 
f  his  men 
r  party  of 
pped,  and 
•eater  fury 
lis  strata- 
es  to  their 
d  dead  of 

!  retreat  of 
ush,  when 
eaped  out 
ombat  was 
ength  and 
the  sword 
rapidity ; 
The  Eng. 
is  neck  by 


It 


attempting  to  disengaffe  himself,  Lochiel,  who  by  this  time  had  his  hands  at  liberty,  witi 
his  tc lit  hand  seized  nim  by  the  collar,  aiul  jiimpin|{  at  his  extended  throat,  he  bit  ii 
with  his  teeth  quite  througli,  and  kept  such  a  hold  of  his  grip,  that  he  brought  away 
his  mouthful ;  tnis,  he  said,  was  the  *'  sweetest  bite  he  ever  had  in  his  life-time."  Im- 
mediately afterwards,  when  continuing  the  pursuit  after  that  encounter  was  over,  hr 
found  his  men  chin  deep  in  the  sea ;  he  rjuickly  followed  them,  and  observing  a  fellow 
undcck  aiming  his  piece  at  him,  plunged  into  the  sea  and  escaped,  but  so  narrowly,  that 
the  hair  on  the  back  part  of  bis  head  was  cut.  and  a  little  of  tlK  skin  ruffled.  In  a  little 
while  a  similar  attempt  was  made  to  shoot  him  :  his  foster-brother  threw  himself  before 
him,  and  received  tiic  shot  in  his  muuth  and  breast,  preferring  his  chiefs  life  to  his 
own. 

In  a  few  days  afterwards,  resolving  to  return  to  general  Middlcton,  he  ordered  ail 
his  men  to  assemble  and  join  him ;  but  while  he  waited  for  their  return,  he  cut  oft' 
another  party  of  the  garrison  soldiers,  who  were  marching  into  the  country,  at  Auchen- 
tore,  within  half  a  mile  of  the  fort,  killed  a  few,  and  took  several  prisoners.  His  former 
engagements  with  the  general  obliged  him  at  last  to  join,  which  he  did,  with  a  great 
number  of  his  clan:  but  was  not  long  with  him,  when  he  had  certain  information  that 
the  governor  of  Inverlochy  availed  himself  of  Lochicl's  absence,  by  making  his  troops 
cut  down  the  woods,  and  collect  all  the  provisions  in  the  country.  His  return  to  Loch- 
aber  being  necessary,  Middlcton  agreed  to  it,  upon  condition  he  would  leave  the  greatest 
part  of  his  men  behind  him.  This  he  did,  and  set  out  privately  for  his  country  with 
only  one  hundred  and  fifty  men.  He  soon  found  his  information  was  too  true:  in 
order  to  obtain  redress,  he  posted  his  men,  early  In  the  morning  of  the  day  after  his 
arrival,  in  different  parts  of  a  wood  called  Stronncviss,  within  a  mile  of  the  garrison, 
where  the  soldiers  used  to  come  out  every  morning  to  cut  and  bring  in  wood.  Four 
or  five  hundred  came  in  the  ordinary  manner.  Lochiel,  observing  them  from  a  con* 
venient  part  of  the  wood  where  he  rested,  gave  the  signal  at  a  proper  time.  His  men 
soon  made  the  attack,  the  enemy  were  soon  routed,  and  a  great  slaughter  made ;  one 
hundred  fell  upon  the  spot,  and  the  pursuit  was  carried  on  to  the  very  walls  of  the  gar- 
rison. It  is  remarkable  that  not  an  officer  escaped,  they  being  the  only  active  persons 
that  made  resistance.  Thus  continued  Lochiel  for  some  time  a  pest  to  the  garrison, 
frequently  cutting  off*  small  detachments,  partly  by  stratagem,  partly  by  force ;  but  his 
name  carried  so  much  terror  with  it,  that  they  gave  him  no  opportunity  for  some  time 
of  doing  them  much  harm. 

General  Middlcton  being  at  this  time  extremely  unsuccessful  in  some  of  his  adven> 
tures,  particularly  in  an  action  some  of  his  troops  had  lately  with  major-general  Morgan 
at  Lochgarry,  where  they  were  totally  defeated,  sent  an  express  to  Lochiel,  supplicating 
his  presence,  that  measures  might  be  concerted  how  to  conclude  the  war  in  an  honour- 
able manner.  Lochiel  resolved  to  go  ut  the  head  of  three  hundred  men,  and  made  the 
proper  preparations  for  his  journey  with  all  imaginable  secrecy  ;  yet  the  governor  gets 
notice  of  his  intended  expedition,  and  orders  Morgan  if  possible  to  intercept  him.  Mid- 
dlcton was  at  Brae-mar,  in  the  head  of  Aberdeenshire,  between  which  place  and  Loch- 
aber  there  is  a  continued  range  of  hills  for  upwards  of  one  hundred  miles.  Over  these 
did  he  travel,  sleeping  in  shellings  (huts  which  the  herds  build  for  shelter  when  in  the 
mountains)  on  beds  of  hedder  with  their  crops  turned  inwards,  without  any  covering 
but  his  plaid.  In  the  course  of  this  expedition  ne  was  like  to  be  surprised  by  the  activity  of 
Morgan  once  and  again  ;  but  getting  up  to  the  tops  of  the  mountains,  he  always  escaped 
the  enemy,  but  frequently  not  to  their  profit,  as  his  men  often  ran  down  the  hill,  and 
after  discharging  a  few  pieces  or  arrows  among  them,  would  as  easily  ascend. 

y2 


164 


PENNANT'S  TOUIl  IN  SCOTLAND. 


Soon  after  his  junction  with  Middleton  the  war  was  given  over,  and  Middleton  re* 
tired  to  f  ranee,  having  presented  Lochicl  with  a  most  f^ourable  declaration,  signed  at 
Dunvegan,  in  Sky,  March  31,  1665.     But  though  the  war  was  thus  given  over  in  ^. 
neral,  and  many  of  the  nobility  and  heads  of  clans  had  submitted  to  Monk,  upon  getting 
their  estates  restored,  Lochiel  still  stood  out,  not  able  to  bear  the  insolence  of  ^he  troops 
quartered  in  a  garrison  so  near  him.     For  the  governor,  encouraged  by  the  departure 
of  Middleton,  and  taking  the  advantage  of  Lochiel's  absence  in  Sky,  used  to  allow  his 
officers  to  go  out  frequently  in  hunting  parties,  well  guarded  with  a  good  number  of 
armed  men,  destroying  the  game.     Lochiel,  on  his  return,  having  learned  this,  soon 
put  a  stop  to  their  insolence ;  for  convening  a  party  of  the  Cumerons,  he  watched  one 
day  at  a  convenient  place,  while  he  saw  one  of  these  hunting  parties  coming  towards  the 
hill  whereon  he  sat,  and  having  divided  his  men,  and  given  them  proper  instructions, 
the  attack  was  made  with  success :  most  of  the  party  were  slain,  and  the  rest  taken  pri- 
soners.    The  loss  of  so  many  officers  afforded  new  matter  of  grief  and  astonishment  to 
the  governor,  and  prompted  him  to  make  some  attempts  to  obtain  redress,  but  they 
were  all  in  vain.     He,  however,  by  this  time  became  acquainted  with  the  situation  and 
manners  of  the  country,  and  procured  a  number  of  mercenary  desperadoes  around  him, 
who  gave  him  exact  intelligence  of  whatever  happened.     This  obliged  Lochiel  to  flit 
his  quarters  to  a  farther  distance  from  the  fort,  while  he  employed  such  of  his  clan  as 
continued  faithful,  as  counter-spies  near  the  garrison ;  and  by  their  means  the  resolu- 
tions and  plans  of  the  governor  were  not  only  made  public,  but  many  of  his  spies  were 
detected  and  apprehended,  whom  Lochiel  ordered  to  be  hung  up,  without  any  ceremony 
or  form  of  trial. 

Soon  after  his  encounter  with  the  hunting  party,  an  express  came  to  him  from  the 
laird  of  M'Naughtin,  a  true  royal'  in  Cowal,  a  country  opposite  to  Inverara,  in  Ar- 
gyleshii'e,  acquainting  him  that  there  were  in  that  country  three  English  and  one  Scotch 
colonel,  with  other  officers,  who  were  deputed  by  general  Monk  to  survey  the  forts 
and  fortified  places  in  that  part  of  the  Highlands ;  and  that  it  was  possible  to  seize  them 
with  a  few  stout  fellows.  Lochicl,  rejoiced  at  thi«  intelligence,  picked  out  one  hundred 
(Choice  Camerons,  with  whom  he  marched  for  Cowal,  still  keeping  the  tops  of  the 
inoitntains,  lest  his  designs  should  be  discovered  and  published.  There  he  met  his 
friend  M^Naughtin,  who  informed  hJm  that  the  officers  lay  at  a  certain  inn,  well  guarded 
"with  armed  soldiers.  Upon  which  he  gave  the  proper  orders  to  his  men,  who  exe- 
cuted them  with  so  much  expedi^'on  and  »kill,  that  the  officers,  servants,  and  soldiers 
were  all  apprehended,  and  cariied,  aini/»st  without  halting,  to  a  place  of  security,  before 
they  well  knev/  where  they  were.  'I'his  place  was  a  small  island  in  Loch-Ortnick,  a 
fresh- water  lake,  twelve  miles  in  length,  about  ten  miles  north  of  Inverlochy. 

The  prisoners,  though  terrified  at  first,  were  soon  undeceived.  The  horrible  execu- 
tions which  Lochiel's  men  made  in  the  several  encounters  they  were  engaged  in,  made 
his  enemies  believe  him  to  be  cruel  and  sanguinary  in  his  disposition ;  but  the  gentle 
treatment  and  the  great  civility  the  prisoners  met  with  soon  convinced  them  of  the  con- 
trary :  he  omitted  nothing  that  could  contribute  to  their  happiness ;  but  particularly 
he  proposed  and  exhibited  several  hunting  matches,  which  gave  them  great  satisfaction. 
During  their  imprisonment,  they  took  the  liberty  now  and  then  to  represent  to  Lochiel 
the  expediency  and  the  prudence  of  a  treaty  with  the  general.  He  at  first  rejected  the 
motion,  and  scorned  the  advice ;  but  being  often  repeated,  he  began  to  g^ve  way  to 
their  reasonings,  but  still  said  that  no  wise  man  should  trust  his  safety  in  the  hands  <^ 
their  pretended  protector,  whose  whole  life  was  a  continued  scene  of  ambition,  rebellion, 
hypocrisy,  and  cruelty :  and  that  though  he  was  able  to  do  little  for  the  service  of  the 


I 


PENNANT'S  TOUH  IN  SCOTLAND. 


165 


eton  re- 
igned at 
ve  in  ee- 
1  getting 
e  troops 
leparture 
allow  his 
jmber  of 
liS)  soon 
2hed  one 
ards  the 
^ructions, 
aken  pri- 
ihment  to 
but  they 
ation  and 
lund  him, 
liel  to  flit 
is  clan  as 
he  resolu- 
ipies  were 
ceremony 

from  the 
ra,  in  Ar- 
ine  Scotch 
'  the  forts 
ieize  them 
le  hundred 
}ps  of  the 
ie  met  his 
ell  guarded 

who  exe- 
nd  soldiers 
rity,  before 
Ortnick,  a 

ible  execu- 
d  in,  made 
:  the  gentle 
of  the  con- 
particularly 
uitisfaction. 
to  Lochiel 
ejected  the 
jive  way  to 
lie  hands  cl£ 
»,  rebellion, 
rvice  of  the 


king  or  his  country,  yet  would  he  always  preserve  his  conscience  and  honour  unstained, 
till  perhaps  a  more  favourable  opportunity  of  restoring  the  king  might  ofter.  These 
conferences  being  often  reiiewed,  brought  Lochiel  to  declare  himself  in  a  more  favour- 
able  manner.  For  the  truth  is,  that  he  dissembled  his  sentiments  at  first,  wanting  no- 
thing  so  much  as  an  honourable  treaty  ;  for  his  country  was  impoverished,  and  his  peo- 

Ele  almost  ruined.  He  still,  however,  protested,  that  before  he  would  consent  to  disarm 
imself  and  his  clan,  abjure  his  king,  and  take  oaths  to  the  Usurper,  he  would  live  as 
an  outlaw  and  fugitive,  without  regard  to  consequences.  To  this  it  was  answered,  that 
if  he  only  shewed  an  inclination  to  submit,  no  oath  should  be  required,  and  he  should 
have  his  own  terms. 

In  consequence  of  this  affirmation,  Lochiel,  with  the  advice  of  his  friends,  made  out  a 
draught  of  his  conditions,  which  were  transmitted  to  general  Monk,  by  colonel 
Campbell,  one  of  the  pri  vf  ers,  he  having  given  his  word  of  honour  he  would  soon  re> 
turn.  Upon  receipt  of  this,  the  general  made  out  a  new  set  of  articles,  of  much  the 
same  nature  with  the  draught  sent,  which  he  returned  to  Lochiel,  signifying  to  him,  if 
he  agreed  thereto,  they  would  stand  good,  otherwise  not.  After  some  little  alterations, 
Lochiel  consented,  and  the  marquis  of  Argyle  became  his  guarantee.  This  treaty  was 
burned  in  a  house  of  Lochiel's,  which  was  consumed  by  accident.  However,  the  most 
material  articles  are  preserved  in  Monk's  letters  to  him,  and  are  as  follows. 

*  No  oath  was  required  of  Lochiel  to  Cromwell,  but  his  word  of  honour  lo  live  in 
peace.  He  and  his  clan  were  allowed  to  keep  their  arms  as  before  the  war  broke  out, 
they  behaving  peaceably.  Reparation  was  to  be  made  to  Lochiel  for  what  wood  the 
Governor  of  Inverlochy  cut  on  his  grounds.  A  free  and  full  indemnity  was  granted 
him  for  all  riots,  depredations,  and  crimes  committed  by  him  or  his  men,  preceding  the 
present  treaty.  Reparation  was  to  be  made  to  the  tenants,  for  all  the  losses  they  sus- 
tained from  the  garrison  soldiers.  The  tithes  cess,  and  other  public  burdens,  which 
had  not  been  paid  during  the  wars,  were  remitted,  on  condition  they  should  be  paid  af- 
terwards, with  several  others  of  the  like  nature.'  All  that  was  demanded  by  Monk  of 
Lochiel,  was,  that  he  and  his  clan  should  lay  down  their  arms  in  the  name  of  king 
Charles  H,  before  the  governor  of  Inverlochy,.  and  take  them  up  again  in  name  of  the 
states,  without  mentioning  the  protector :  that  he  would  afterwards  keep  the  peace,  pay 
public  burdens,  and  suppress  tumults,  thefts,  and  depredations. 

These  articles  being  agreed  to,  and  subscribed  by  Monk  and  Lochiel,  the  prisoners 
were  discharged,  but  Lochiel  begged  they  would  honour  him  with  their  presence  at 
ths  ceremony  of  laying  down  their  arms,  which  they  complied  with.  Having  convened 
a  respectable  number  of  his  clan,  he  ranged  them  into  companies,  under  the  command 
of  the  captains  of  their  respective  tribes,  and  put  himself  at  their  head.  In  this  manner 
he  marched  to  Inverlochy,  in  the  same  order  as  if  going  to  battle,  pipes  playing,  and 
colours  flying.  The  governor  drew  out  the  soldiers,  and  put  them  in  order  on  a  plain 
near  the  fort ;  placing  them  on  two  lines  opposite  to  the  Camerons.  Lochiel  and  the 
governor  first  saluted  each  other  as  friends.  The  articles  of  the  treaty  were  then  read, 
and  the  ceremony  of  laying  down  and  taking  up  the  arms  performed.  Both  parties 
afterwards  partook  of  a  splendid  entertainment,  prepared  by  the  governor  for  the  occa- 
sion, to  the  great  satisfaction  of  all  present.  Thus  did  Lochiel,  the  only  chief  in  the 
Highlands  that  continued  to  support  the  royal  cause  after  it  was  agreed  the  war  should  be 
given  over,  at  last  submit  in  an  honourable  way.  Monk  sent  him  a  letter  of  thanks  for 
His  cheerful  compliance,  dated  at  Dalkeith,  5  June  1655. 

During  the  reiriaining  part  of  Oliver's  lifr,  and  the  reigns  of  king  Charles  II,  and 
James  II,  Lochiel  lived  chiefly  at  home,  in  a  broken  kind  of  tranquility,  occasioned  by 


^ 


166 


PENNANT'S  TOUR  IN  SCOTLAND. 


the  distractions  of  the  times,  and  the  pretensions  of  neighbouring  chiefs  and  lairds  to 
parts  of  his  estate :  but  he  always  shewed  so  rauch  prudence  and  courage  on  every 
emergency,  as  gained  him  the  friendship  of  the  great  and  the  esteem  of  &U.  He  was 
held  in  particular  favour  by  the  two  brothers,  Charles  and  James,  and  received  fronri 
them  many  n>arks  of  their  royal  regard.  It  may  not  be  unworthy  the  attention  of  the 
curious  to  narrate  the  following  incident. 

Lochiel  and  the  laird  of  Mcintosh  hac  a  long  dispute  concerning  some  lands  in  Loch- 
aber.  M'Intosh  claimed  them,  in  cc sequence  of  a  grant  of  them  he  had  from  the  lord 
of  the  Isles,  afterwards  confirmed  by  K.  David  Bruce :  LocheiPs  plea  was  perpetua!  pos- 
session. The  contest  was  often  renewed,  both  at  the  law  courts  and  by  arms.  Many 
terms  of  accommodation  were  proposed  to  the  contending  parties,  but  in  vain.  King 
Charles  II,  himself  would  needs  be  the  mediator;  but  nothing  but  superior  force  would 
prevail.  In  1665,  M'Intosh,  with  his  own  clan  and  the  M'Phersons,  convened  an  army 
of  1500  men,  with  which  he  sets  out  for  Lochaber.  Lochiel,  aided  by  the  M'Gregors, 
raises  1200,  900  of  which  were  armed  with  guns,  broad  swords  and  targets,  and  300 
with  bows  and  arrows.  (It  is  remarked,  this  was  the  last  considerable  body  of  bow- 
men that  ever  was  seen  in  the  Highlands.)  Just  as  they  were  in  view  of  one  another, 
and  almost  ready  to  iight,  the  earl  of  Breadalbane,  who  was  cousin  german  to  both,  ar- 
rived at  the  head  of  300  men,  and  immediately  sent  for  the  two  chiefs.  He  declared  who- 
ever should  oppose  the  terms  he  was  to  offer,  he  should  join  the  contrary  party  with  all 
his  power,  and  be  his  foe  while  he  lived.  Accordingly  proposals  of  agreement  were  made, 
and  submitted  to  by  both  parties.  Lochiel  contmued  in  possession  of  the  lands :  for 
which  a  sum  of  money  was  given  to  M'Intosh,  to  renounce  all  claims  for  the  future. 
The  articles  of  agreement  were  signed  20th  September  1665,  about  360  years  after  the 
commencement  of  the  quarrel ;  and  next  day  the  two  chiefs  had  a  friendly  meeting, 
and  exchanged  swords.  The  leading  gentlemen  of  both  clans  performed  the  same 
friendly  ceremony. 

It  must  appear  strange,  that  now  not  a  bow  is  to  be  seen  in  the  Highlands,  nor  any 
propensity  towards  that  kind  of  armour.  One  might  imagine,  when  the  disarming  act 
took  place,  bows  and  arrows  would  have  been  a  good  substitute  for  guns ;  and,  if  I  re- 
collect right,  there  is  no  prohibition  of  bows  in  the  act. 

At  the  revolution.  Sir  Ewen,  who  was  always  prepossessed  in  favour  of  the  heridi- 
tary  right,  and  particularly  for  James,  whose  friendship  he  had  often  experienced,  and 
was.  resolved  to  support  his  cause,  as  far  as  he  could,  at  all  hazards.  In  this  resolution 
he  WI.S  confirmed  by  a  letter  he  had  from  James,  dated  2;9th  March  1689,  then  in  Ire- 
land, soliciting  his  aid,  and  that  of  his  friends.  Upon  receipt  of  this  letter,  he  visited 
hU  the  neighbouring  Chiefs,  and  wrote  to  those  at  a  distance,  communicating  to  them 
Ae  king's  letter,  and  calling  a  general  meeting,  to  concert  what  measures  should  be 
taken.  They  assembled  on  May  13th,  near  his  house,  and  mutually  engaged  to  opf 
another  to  support  his  majesty's  interest  against  ail  invaders.  When  viscount  Duniha 
got  a  commission  from  king  James  to  command  his  troops  in  Scodand,  Lochiel  joined 
him  with  his  clan,  notwithstanding  that  general  M'Kay  made  him  great  oflfers,  both  in 
money  and  titles,  to  abandon  James's  interest. 

He  made  a  distinguished  figure  at  the  skirmish  of  Killicrankie,  under  lord  Dundee, 
against  general  M'Kay,  though  then  above  the  age  of  sixty-three.  He  was  the  most 
sanguine  man  in  the  council  h)r  fighting ;  and  in  the  battle,  though  placed  in  the  centre 
opposite  to  general  M 'Kay's  own  regiment,  yet  spoke  he  to  his  men  one  by  one,  and 
took  their  several  engagements  either  to  conquer  or  die.  Just  as  they  began  to  fight,  he 
fell  upon  this  stratagem  to  encourage  his  men :  He  commanded  such  of  die  Cameronsas 


■MM 


PENNANT'S  TOUR  IN  SCOTLAND  i^y 

were  posted  near  him  to  make  a  great  shout,  which  being  seconded  by  those  who  stood 
on  the  right  and  left,  run  quickly  through  the  whole  army,  and  was  returned  by  the 
enemy.  But  rtie  noise  of  the  niusquets  and  cannon,  with  the  echoing  of  the  hills, 
made  the  Highlanders  fancy  that  their  shouts  were  much  louder  and  brisker  than  that  of 
the  enemy ;  and  Lochiel  cried  out,  "  Gentlemen,  take  courage,  the  day  is  ours :  I 
am  the  oldest  commander  in  the  army,  and  have  always  observed  something  ominous  and 
fatal  in  such  a  dull,  hollow,  and  feeble  noise,  as  the  enemy  made  in  their  shout,  which 
prognosticates  that  they  are  all  doomed  to  die  by  cur  hands  this  night ;  whereas  ours 
was  brisk,  lively,  and  strong,  and  shews  we  have  vigour  and  courage."  These  words, 
spreading  quickly  through  the  army,  animated  the  troops  in  a  strange  manner.  The 
event  justified  the  prediction :  the  Highlanders  obtained  a  complete  victory.  The 
battle  was  fought  1689.  Lochiel  continued  for  some  time  with  that  army  ;  but  being 
dissatisfied  with  the  conduct  of  Cannon  and  some  of  the  principal  officers,  retired  to 
Lochaber,  leaving  his  son  in  his  place  during  the  rest  of  the  campaign. 

When  terms  of  submission  were  offered  by  king  William  to  the  outstanding  chiefs, 
though  many  were  glad  to  accept  of  them,  yet  Lochiel  and  a  few  others  were  deter- 
mined to  stand  out,  until  they  had  king  James's  permission,  which  was  at  last  obtained, 
and  only  a  few  days  before  king  William's  indemnity  expired. 

There  is  nothii:g  else  memorable,  in  the  public  way,  in  the  life  of  sir  Ewen  Cameron. 
He  outlived  himself,  becoming  a  second  child,  even  rocked  in  a  cradle  ;  so  much  were 
the  faculties  of  his  mind,  and  the  members  of  his  bodv,  impaired.  He  died  A.  D. 
1718. 

APPENDIX NO  Vn. 

OF  THE  MASSACRE  OF  THE  CALQUHOUNS. 

IN  the  Baronage  of  Scotland,  by  sir  Robert  Douglas,  it  appears  that  in  the  years 
1594  and  1595  the  clan  of  M'Gregors,  with  some  of  their  lawless  neighbours,  came 
down  upon  the  low  country  of  Dumbartonshire,  and  committed  vast  outrages  and  de- 
predations, especially  upon  the  territories  of  the  Colquhouns. 

In  1602  Humphrey  Colquhoun  raised  his  vassals  and  followers,  to  oppose  them,  and 
was  joined  by  many  of  the  gentlemen  in  the  neighbourhood.  Both  parties  met  in 
Glenfrone,  where  a  bloody  conflict  ensued.  They  fought  with  great  obstinacy  till  night 
parted  them,  and  many  brave  men  were  killed  on  both  sides,  but  the  Colquhouns  ap- 
pear to  have  been  worsted.  The  laird  of  Colquhoun  escaped,  and  retired  to  a  strong 
castle ;  but  was  closely  pursued  by  a  party  of  the  enemy  ;  they  broke  into  the  castle, 
and  found  him  in  a  vault,  where  they  instantly  put  him  to  death,  with  many  circum- 
stances of  cruelty.  In  the  month  of  February  it  was  that  this  Humphrey  Colquhoun 
was  slain  ;  at  which  time  the  young  noblemen  and  gentlemen  who  were  at  school  at 
Dumbarton  came  as  spectators  to  see  the  battle  of  Glenfrone,  but  vvere  not  suffered  to 
approach  near  the  danger,  but  were  shut  up  in  a  barn  by  the  Colquhouns  for  safety. 
The  McGregors  prevailing,  are  said  afterwards  to  have  barbarously  put  them  all  to 
death. 

This  is  the  account  given  by  the  historian  of  the  family  of  Luss,  but  Mr.  Buchanans- 
asserts  that  the  laird  of  Luss  escaped  from  the  battle,  lar>d  was  afterwards  killed  in 
Benachra  Castle  by  the  M'Farlanes,  through  influence  of  a  certain  iiobleman  whom 
Luss  had  disobliged. 

*  Surnamca  of  clans,  p.  148. 


HWii 


PENNANTS  TOUR  IN  SCOTLAND. 

M'Gre^ur  are  now  little  known,  and  have  long  ceased. 

APPENDIX NO  VIII. 

ITINERARY. 


MUei. 


MUei. 


DOWNING,  _  „^  , 

21  Chester,  Deonna,  Devana,  ftoi. 
Deva,  Anton,  Rav.  Chorog.  Deva, 
colonia  legio  cretica  vicesima  va- 
ItVia  victrix,  R.  C. 

18    Northwich,  Condate,  R.  C. 
8     Knutsford, 

12  Macclesfield, 

10  Buxton, 

13  Middleton, 

11  Chesterfield, 
16    Worksop, 

12  Tuxford,  u    o^     .   t,; 
8    Durham  Ferry,  on  the  Trent,   In- 

vonia  fl.  R.  C. 
10    Lincoln,  Lindum,  Ptol.  Anton.  Rav. 
Chorc^.  R.  C.  T  .      I 

6    Washenbrough  and  back  to  Lincoln, 

12    Spittle, 

12    Glandford  Bridge, 

12    Barton,  „   ,  «  /^ 

Humber  River,  Abus,  Ptol.  R.  C. 

8    Hull, 

8    Burton  Constable, 
22    Burlington  Quay, 

Its   bay,  Gabrantuicorum  portuosus 
sinus,  Ptol.  Portus  felix,  R.  C. 

SCOTLAND. 

Mile*.  _         ,  .\       .<■ 

16    OldCambus, 

10    Dunbar,  Lcdone,  Rav.  Chorog.  Dun, 
a  small  hiU,  and  bar,  a  point  of  any 
thing. 
6    North  Berwick, 
14     Preston  Pans, 
8    Edinburgh, 


5^  Flamborough  Head,  Brigantum  cx- 

trema,  R.  C. 
10    Hummanby, 
10    Scarborough, 
13i  Robin  Hood's  Bay, 

6t  Whitby, 
13     SkellinDara, 

9  Gisborough, 

12    Stockton,  «    „     #^      T^ 

Tees   River,    Tisis   fl.  R.    C.    Its 
mouth,  Dunum  sinus,  Ptol. 

20    Durham,  „  „  ^ 

Were  River,  Vedra  fl.  R.  C. 
6     Chester-le-Street,    Epiacum,  R.  C. 
9    Newcastle,  Pons  Aelii,  Notit.  Imp. 
Tyne  River  Vedra.  fl.  Ptol.  ImaB. 
R.  C. 
14    Morpeth,       ,        i 
9    Felton, 

10  Alnwick,  Alauna,  Rav.  Chorog. 

16    Belford, 

16    Berwick,  Tuessis,  Rav.  Chorog. 
Tweed  River,  Alaunus,  Ptol  Tueda, 
R.  C. 


iC:^C 


9    South  Ferry,       *        ^   .  „  ^  .• 
Firth  of  Forth,  Bodena,  Ptol.  Bodotna, 

Taciti.  R.  C.  ,.„..,. 

2    North  Ferry,  «    \n    n\ 

Fife  County,  Horestii,  R.  S"  ^"'' 

donia,  Taciti. 
15    Kinross, 


tj 


t«r?jsa^ssf' 


^sff^^Aagfm;^^  '-'iy^^?rrv?^^-^'s  r-. 


PXNNANt>8  TOUR  IN  SCOTLANO. 


16» 


20  Rumbling  Brig,  Castle  Campbell,  and 

back  to  Kinross, 
13  Castle      Dupplin,     Duablisis,     Rav. 

Chorog. 

8  Perth,  Orrea,  R.  C. 
Tay  River  and  its  mouth,  Taus,  Taciti. 

Tava  iEst.  Ptol.  R,  C. 

1  Scone, 

1  Lunkerty, 
13  Dunkeld. 
20  Taymouth, 
15  Carrie  on  Loch-Rannoch, 
20  Blair, 

35  Through  Glen-Tilt  to  Invercauld. 
18  Tulloch, 
15  Kincairn, 

9  Banchorie, 
18  Aberdeen, 

Dee  River,  Diva  fl.  Ptol.  R,  C. 
Ythen  River,  Ituna  fl.  R.  C. 
25  Bowness, 
27  Craigston  Castle, 
9  Bamff, 

Devron  River,  Clenius  fl.  R.  C. 
8  Cullen, 
22  Castie  Goixion, 

Spey  River,  Celnius  fl.  PtoL  Tuessis. 
R.  C. 
8  Elgin,  Alitacenon,  Rav.  Choroe:. 

10  Forres, 

11  Tarnaim^  Castle,  Calder,  Fort  George, 
Firth  of  Murray,    Tuae,    iEst.    Ptol. 

Varar,  iEst.  R.  C. 

12  Inverness,  Pteroton,  castra  alata  R.  C. 
10  Castle  Dunic, 
18  Dingwall,  Foules, 

Firth  of  Cromartie,  Loxa.  fl.  R.  C. 
Rosshnc,  Creones,  R  C.     The  same 
writer  places  at  Channery   in    tliis 


Milea. 


county.  Arse  finium  Imp.  Rom.  8  Falkirk. 


15  Ballinngouan, 
6  Tain,  Castru  ulutti,  Ptol. 
9  Dornoch.     Its  Firth,  Vara  iEst.  Ptol. 
Abonafl.  R.  C. 
Sutheriand  County,  Logi,  R.  C. 
9  Dunrobin  Cattle, 
8  Helmsdale, 
Ord  of  Caithness,  Ripa  alta,  Ptol. 

VOL.    Ill, 


Caithness  Countjr,  Camabii,  Cattini, 
R.  C.  Virubtum  promontorium, 
R.  C.  . 

8  Lanewall, 

15  Clythe,  Clythcness,  Virvcdrum  prom. 
R.  C. 

8  Thrumster 
3  Wick, 

Wick  River,  Ilea  fl.  Ptol. 

16  Duncan*s  or  Dungsby  bay,  and  John 
a  Groat's  House, 

Dungsby  Head,  Berubium  promonto- 
rium, Ptol.  Caledonia  extrema, 
R.  C. 

Stroma  Isle,  Ocetis  Insula,  R  C. 
12  Canesby,  and  back  the  same  road  to 
57  Inverness, 

Inverness  County,  Caledonii,  R.  C. 

17  General's  Hut, 

15  Fort  Augustus, 
Loch  Lochy,  Longus  fl.  R.  C. 

28  Fort  William,  R.    C.  places  Banatfa 
near  it. 

14  Kinloch-Leven, 

9  King's  House, 
19  Tyendrum, 
12  Dalmalie, 

16  Inverary, 
22  Tarbut, 

Loch-Lomond,     Lincalidor    Lacus, 
R  C. 
8  Luss, 

12  Dumbarton,  Theodosia,  R.  C. 
Firth  of  Clyde,  Glota,  Taciti.     Clotta 

^st  R  C. 

15  Glas^w,  Clidum,  Rav.  Chorog. 
24  Hamilton,  and  back  to  Glasgow, 

13  Kylsithe, 
18  Steriing, 


Calendar, 
15  Hopetoun  House, 
11  Edmburgh, 
18  Lenton, 
18  BUd, 
18  Moffat, 
18  Lockerby. 


!l 


170 


PENNANrS  TOUR  IM  SCOTLAND. 


ENGLAND. 


21  Longtawn  in  Cumberland, 

Netherby,  Castra,  exploratorum, .  An 
ton.  Aesica,  Rav.  Chonig. 
9  Carlisle,  Lugavallium,  An^on. 
18  Penrith,  Bereda,  Rav.  Chorog. 
11  Shap  in  Westmoieland, 
15  Kendal,  Concangium,  Notit.  Imp. 
11  Burton,  Coccium,  R.  C. 


Miles.  «.r    •     f 

11  Lancaster,  Longovicus,  Notit.  Imp. 

Lune  River,  Alanna,  fl.  R.  C. 

11  Garstang, 

11  Preston,  » 

1 18  Wigan, 
ii3  Warrington,  ,i  . 

21  Chester,  ,  „  ;.':     ! 

1 21  Downing  in  Flintshire. 


Witm 


A  TOUU  IN  SCOTLAND,  AND  VOYAGE  TO  THE  HEBRIDES,  IN  im. 

BY  THOMAS  PENNANT. 


«  TO  SIR  JOSEPH  BANKS,  BARONET. 

Dear  Sir, 

I  THINK  myself  so  much  indebted  to  you,  for  making  me  the  vehicle  for  convey- 
ing  to  the  public  the  rich  discovery  of  your  last  voyage,  that  I  cannot  dispense  with  this 
address,  the  usual  tribute  on  such  occasions.  You  took  from  me  all  temptation  of  en- 
vying  your  superior  good  fortune,  by  the  liberal  declaration  you  made  that  the  Hebrides 
were  my  ground,  and  yourself,  as  you  pleasantly  expressed  it,  but  an  interloper.  May 
I  meet  with  such,  in  all  my  adventures  ! 

Without  lessening  your  merit,  let  me  say  that  no  one  has  lets  reason  to  be  sparing  of 
his  stores  of  knowledge.  Few  possess  so  large  a  share :  you  enjoy  it  without  ostenta- 
tion ;  and  with  a  facility  of  communication,  the  result  of  natural  endowments  joined  with 
an  immensity  of  observation,  collected  in  parts  of  the  world,  before  either  of  doubtful 
existence,  or  totally  unknown.  You  have  enriched  yourself  with  the  treasures  of  the 
globe,  by  a  circumnavigation  founded  on  the  most  liberal  and  scientific  principles. 

The  sixteenth  century  received  lustre  from  the  numbers  of  generous  volunteers  of 
rank  and  fortune,  who,  distinguishing  themselves  by  the  contempt  of  riches,  ease,  and 
luxury,  made  the  most  hazardous  voyages,  like  yourself,  animated  by  the  love  of  true 
glory. 

In  reward,  the  name  of  Banks  will  ever  exist  with  those  of  Clifford,  Raleigh  and 
Willoughby,  on  the  rolls  of  fame,  ct  iebrated  instances  of  great  and  enterprising  spirits : 
and  the  arctic  Solander  must  remain  a  fine  proof,  that  no  climate  can  prevent  the  seeds 
of  knowledge  froni  vegetating  in  the  breast  of  innate  ability. 

You  have  had  justly  a  full  triumph  decreed  to  you  by  your  country.  May  your 
laurels  for  ever  remain  unblighted !  and  if  she  has  deigned  to  twine  for  me  a  civic 
wreath,  return  to  me  the  same  good  wish. 

I  am,  with  every  due  acknowledgment, 

Dear  sir,  your  obliged,  and  most  obedient  humble  servant, 

.    THOMAS  PENNANT. 

Downing. 

,  ADVERTISEMENT. 

THIS  journey  was  undertaken  in  the  summer  of  1772,  in  order  to  render  more 
complete  my  preceding  tour  ;  and  to  allay  that  species  of  restlessness  that  infects  many 
minds,  on  leaving  any  attempt  unfinished.  Conscious  of  my  deficiency  in  several  re- 
spects, I  prevailed  on  two  gentlemen  to  favour  me  with  their  company,  and  to  supply, 
by  their  knowledge,  what  I  found  wanting  in  myself. 

To  the  Rev.  Mr.  John  Lightfoot,  lecturer  of  Uxbridge,  I  am  obliged  for  all  the  bo- 
tanical remarks  scattered  over  the  following  pages.  But  it  gives  me  great  pleasure  to 
say  that  he  means  to  extend  his  favours,  by  soon  giving  to  the  public  a  Flora  Scotica, 
an  aniple  enumeration  and  history  of  the  plants  observed  by  him  in  the  several  places 
we  visited.  To  Mr.  Lightfoot,  I  must  join  in  my  acknowledgments  the  Rev.  Mr. 
John  Stuart  of  Killin,  for  a  variety  of  hints,  relating  to  customs  of  the  natives  of  the 

z  2 


172 


PENNANT'S  SECOND   TOUK  IN  SCOTLAND. 


Highland;*,  and  of  the  islands,  which  by  reason  of  my  ignorance  of  the  Erse  or  Gaelic 
language,  must  have  escaped  my  notice.  To  both  I  was  indebted  for  all  the  comforts 
that  arise  from  the  society  of  agreeable  and  worthy  companions. 

I  must  not  omit  my  thanks  to  the  several  gentlemen,  who  favoured  me  at  diffrrent 
times  with  accounts  and  little  histories  of  the  places  of  their  residence,  or  their  environs. 
To  begin  withth-  most  southern,  my  best  acicnowlcdgmcnts  are  due  to 

Mr.  Aikin,  su  ''or  the  account  of  Warrington. 

Mr.  Thomas  \  vourcd  me  with  several  things  relating  to  the  north  of  Lanca- 

shire. 

Doctor  Brownrigg,  the  Rev.  Doctor  Bum,  Joseph  Nicholson,  Esq ;  of  Hawkesbery, 
and  the  Rev.  Mr.  Farish  of  Carlisle,  afiurded  me  large  supplies  relating  to  their  counties 
of  Westmoreland  and  Cumberland. 

In  Scotland,  John  Maxwell,  Esq ;  of  Broomholme,  and  Mr.  Little,  of  Langholme, 
favoured  nie  with  several  remarks  relaiing  to  Eskdale. 

The  Rev.  Mr.  JaflTray,  minister  of  Ruth  well,  with  a  history  of  his  parish. 

Sir  William  Maxwell,  Baronet,  of  Springketd,  with  variety  of  drawings,  found  at  the 
Roman  station  at  Burrens. 

John  Goldie,  esq.  of  Dumfries,  supplied  me  with  numbers  of  observations  on  that 
town  and  county. 

The  Rev.  Mr.  Duncan  Macfarlane,  of  Drummond,  with  an  account  of  his  parish. 

Mr.  John  Golborn,  engineer,  with  an  account  of  Glasgow,  and  various  miscellaneous 
remarks. 

For  the  excellent  account  of  Paisley,  I  am  indebted  to  Mr.  Francis  Douglas. 

The  Rev.  Mr.  Gershom  Stuart  sent  me  materials  for  an  account  of  the  isle  of  Arran. 

Alexander  Campbel,  Esq.  of  Ballole,  and  Charles  Freebain ,  Esq.  communicated 
several  observations  relating  to  the  isle  of  Hay. 

Sir  Joseph  Banks,  Baronet,  communicated  to  me  his  description  of  StaflSi ;  and  per- 
mitted my  artist  to  copy  as  many  of  the  beautiful  drawings  in  his  collection,  as  would  be 
of  use  in  the  present  work. 

I  must  acknowledge  myself  in  a  particular  manner  indebted  to  the  Rev.  Mr.  Donald 
Macquin,  of  Kilmuir,  in  the  isle  of  Skie,  for  a  most  instructive  correspondence  relating  to 
the  ancient  customs  of  the  place,  and  to  its  various  antiquities.  A  small  part  I  have 
mingled  with  my  own  account :  but  the  greater  share,  m  Justice  to  the  merit  of  the 
writer,  I  have  delivered  unmutilated  in  the  Appendix  to  the  third  v61ume. 

The  Rev.  Mr.  Dounie,  minister  of  Gair-loch,  obliged  me  with  various  remarks  on 
his  neighbourhood. 

The  Rev.  Mr.  Donald  Macleod,  of  Glenelg,  the  same,  respecting  his. 
To  Doctor  Ramsay,  of  Edinburgh,  I  must  return  thanks,  for  a  variety  of  services :  to 
Mr.  George  Paton,  of  the  same  place,  for  an  indefatigable  and  unparalleled  assiduity  in 
procuring  from  all  parts  any  intelligence  that  would  be  of  use  to  the  work  in  view. 

.,   ..    ■,      .,  .      ....  ^         :     :.■.     ,!\(*■•}/^ 

I     '•■I.  ,   ,'      ''  .      1  -.il-.i  '>t  li^V"    > 

•  •      .'..■■■•' 


A  TOUR,  &c. 

ON  Monday  the  18th  of  May,  for  a  second  time,  take  my  departure  for  the  North, 
from  Chester ;  a  city  without  parallel  for  the  singular  structure  of  the  four  prlnci. 
pal  streets,  which  are  as  if  excavated  out  of  the  earth,  and  sunk  nvany  feet  bt- ncuth  ihti: 
surface  ;  the  carriages  drive  far  below  the  level  of  the  kitchens,  on  a  line  with  rungcii  of 
shops )  and  over  them,  on  each  side  the  streets,  passengers  walk  from  end  to  end,  secure 
from  wet  or  heat,  in  galleries  purloined  from  the  first  floor  of  each  house,  open  and 
balUistraded  in  front.  The  back  courts  of  all  thet>e  houses  ure  level  with  the  ground,  but 
to  go  into  any  of  the  four  streets  it  is  necessary  to  descend  a  flight  of  several  steps. 

The  streets  were  once  considerably  deeper,  as  is  apparent  from  tht:;  shops,  whose' 
Boors  lie  far  below  the  present  pavement.  1  he  lesser  s  cet^  and  allies,  that  run  into  the 
greater  streets,  were  sloped  to  the  level  of  the  bottoms  of  the  latter,  as  i»  particularly 
visible  in  Bridge-street.  It  is  diflicult  to  assign  a  reason  for  these  hollowed  ways :  I  can 
unly  suppose  them  to  have  been  the  void  left  after  the  destruction  of  the  ancieint  vaults 
kntntioned  by  an  ancient  historian :  *•  In  this  cytc  (says  the  Po'.ychronicon,*)  ben  ways 
under  erthe  with  vowtcs  and  stonc-werke  wonderly  wrought  thre  chambrcd  wcrkcs :  I 
grave  with  old  mennes  names  therein.  There  is  also  Julius  Cezars  name  wonderly  in 
stones  grave,  and  other  noble  mennes  also,  with  the  wrytynge  about :"  meaning  the 
altar  and  monumental  inscriptions  of  the  Romans. 

The  cathedral  ('till  the  reformation  the  church  of  the  rich  monastery  of  St.  Wer- 
burgh)  is  an  ancient  structure,  very  ragged  on  the  outside,  from  the  nature  of  the  fri- 
able red  stonef  with  which  it  is  built ;  but  btill  may  boast  of  a  most  elegant  Weiitern 
front ;  and  the  tabernacle  work  In  the  choir  is  very  neat :  St.  Wcrburgh's  shrine  is 
now  the  bishop's  throne,  decorated  with  tin  figiirrs  nf  Mercian  moiiarchs  and  saints  ;  to 
whom  the  fair  patroness  was  a  bright  exiUUpff.  liviritf  )niiriiiculate  with  her  huhb:ind 
Ceolredus,  copvmg  her  aunt  the  great  Ethelretla,  wJin  lived  for  three  years,  with  unt 
less  purity,  with  her  good  man  Tonberctus,  and  for  tiveive  with  her  second  husband, 
the  pious  prince  E^rid.  History  rdates,  tliHt  this  rtligious  house  was  origiiiaHy  a 
nunnery,  founded  A.  D.  660,  by  WulplifM»j<,  jtj|j|i  if  iIm  Mtrcians,  in  favour  of  his 
daughter's  indisposition.  The  nuns,  in  profcUKd  lli\Ujff^)  gave  way  to  canons  secui'ar; 
and  they  again  were  displaced  |j^  Ifl'Uh  Lupus,  Ut\mw  to  the  conqueror,  1095,  and 
their  room  supplied  \iy  Beneuictines. 

The  beauty  and  elegant  slmpllrify  of  a  very  aMt|{jii>  flulht/  /  Ij'mter-house,  and  its 
fine  vestibule,  merits  a  visit  fi-om  ev(  I)  t.       n  M      I  ^  'J  il     luundation  is  uncer. 

tain,  but  it  seems,  from  the  similhude  of  unti  mi  i.!  i^ii  in  a  ciinpel  in  the  square 
tower  in  the  castit,  to  have  been  the  work  of  cotefiitiorary  architects,  and  these  archi- 
tects were  probably  Norman ;  for  me  numt  of  sriiiare  toWcrs,  with  squared  angles,  \vut 
introduced  immediately  on  the  conquest. 

The  cloisters,  the  great  refectory,  now  the  Ir <  c  ichnol,  and  a  gate- way  of  most  singu- 
lar structure,  are  at  present  tht;  sole  reinainii  ;i  this  monastery.  The  ruins  near  St. 
John's  church  are  fine  reliques  of  the  piety  of  the  times;  and  the  massy  columns,  and 

*  Higden's  Polychronicon,  or  rather  that  by  Rogntr  Ceatrenus,  a  Benedictine  monk  of  St.  Werburgh's ; 
from  whom  Higden  is  said  to  have  stolan  the  wiraie  work.  This  Roger  was  cotemporary  with  Trivet, 
who  died  A.  D.  1328. 

t  Vale  Royal,  19. 


il1 


I 


174 


HENNAMT'S  SECOND  TOUM  IN  SCOTLAND. 


round  urchcs  within  the  church,  mont  curious  specimens  of  the  clumsy  strenf^h  of  Saxon 
architeciutc.  'i'hc  fornRr  arc  probably  the  rtinainn  of  the  moiiustery  ot  St.  Mary, 
founded  by  Rundul,  second  eurl  of  Chester,  for  B(.-ncdictine  nun*t.  The  church  was 
founded  by  king  llthelred,  in  689 :  an  uncouth  inscription  on  the  walls  informs  us, 
that  *  king  Kthelredt  minding  more  the  blisse  of  heaven,  edified  a  college  church  not- 
able  and  famous  in  the  suburbs  of  Chester,  pleasant  and  beauteous,  in  the  hoiiour  of  God 
and  the  baptist  St.  John,  uiththe  help  of  bishop  Wulfrice  and  good  ENCillion.'^  li  was 
rebuilt  in  900,  by  Ethelred,  E.  of  Mercia,  uitcr  he  had  expelled  the  Danes  out  of  the 
citv.  This  was  also  the  cathedral,  until  supplanted  in  1551,  by  the  church  of  the  abbey 
of  St.  Werburgh. 

The  castle  i»  a  decaying  pile,  rebuilt  by  one  of  tfie  Norman  earls,  on  the  site  of  the 
more  ancient  fortress.  'I  he  walls  of  the  city  (the  only  complete  specimen  of  old  for- 
tifications) are  one  mile  three  quaners  and  a  hundred  and  one  yards  in  circumference, 
and,  being  the  principal  walk  of  the  inhabitants,  are  kept  in  exoellrnt  order.  The 
views  from  the  several  parts  are  very  fine :  the  mountains  of  Flintshire,  the  hills  of 
Broxton,  and  the  insulated  rock  of  Beeston,  form  the  ruder  part  of  the  scenery :  a  rich 
flat  gives  us  a  softer  view,  and  the  prospect  up  the  river  towards  Boughtun  recalls  in 
some  degree  the  idea  of  the  Thames  and  Richmond  hill. 

The  Hypocaust,  near  the  Feathers  inn,  is  one  of  the  remains  of  the  Romans,  it  being 
well  known  that  this  place  was  a  principal  station.  Among  many  antiquities  found  here, 
none  is  more  singular  than  the  rude  sculpture  of  the  Dea  Arcnigera  Minerva,  with  her 
bird  and  altar ;  on  the  face  of  a  rock  is  a  small  field  near  the  Welch  end  of  the  bridge. 

Chester  has  been,  at  different  times,  a  place  d'armes,  a  great  thorough-fare  between 
the  two  kingdoms,  and  the  residence  of  a  numerous  and  polished  gentry.  Trade,  till  of 
late  years,  was  but  little  attended  to,  but  at  present  efforts  are  making  to  enter  into  that 
of  Guinea,  America,  and  the  Baltic, 

Since  the  year  1736,  and  not  before,  great  quantities  of  linen  cloth  have  been  im- 
ported from  Ireland  to  each  of  the  annual  fairs :  in  that  year  449654  yards ;  and  at  pre- 
sent about  a  million  of  yards  are  brought  to  each  fair.  Hops  are  another  great  article 
of  trade,  for  above  ten  thousand  pockets  are  sold  here  annually,  much  of  which  is  for- 
warded to  the  neighbouring  island.  But  the  only  staple  trade  of  the  city  is  in  skins, 
multitudes  of  which  are  imported,  dressed  here,  but  sent  out  again  to  be  manufactured. 
Here  is  a  well  regulated  poor-house,  and  an  infirmary  ;  the  last  supported  by  contribu- 
tions from  the  city,  its  county,  and  the  adjacent  counties  of  North- Wales.  The  first 
has  happily  the  least  use  of  this  pious  foundation ;  for,  whether  from  the  dryness  of  the 
situation,  the  clearness  of  the  air,  or  the  purity  of  the  water,  the  proportion  of  deaths  to 
the  inhabitants  has  been  only  as  1  to  31 ;  whereas  in  London  1  in  20  and  3-4ths;  in 
Leeds  1  in  21  and  3-5ths;  and  in  Northampton  and  Shrewsbury,  1  in  26,  annually 
pay  the  great  tribute  of  nature.f  Might  I  be  permitted  to  moralize,  I  should  call  this 
the  reward  of  the  benevolent  and  charitabic  disposition  that  is  the  characteristic  of  this 
city ;  for  &uch  is  the  sacrifice  that  is  pleasing  to  the  Almighty, 

About  two  miles  from  Chester,  pass  over  Hoole  heath,  noted  for  having  been  one  of 
the  places  of  reception  for  strangers  established  by  Hugh  Lupus,  in  order  to  people  his 
new  dominions.     This  in  particular  was  the  asylum  allotted  for  the  fugitives  of  Wales. 

Ride  through  the  small  town  of  Trafford :  this,  with  the  lordship  of  Newton,  was,  as 
Daniel  King  observes,  one  of  the  sweet  morsels  that  the  abbot  of  St.  Werburgh  and  his 

•  So  tnnalated  from  bono  auxilio. 

t  Vide  ihe  observations  on  this  subject  ofthat  humane  physician,  my  worthy  friend,  Dr.  Haygarthv 


^jaymwiiim-iinwuvan.^. 


A^taVMAfiwirc 


PBKNANT'8  SECOND  TOUU  IN  SCOTLAND. 


175 


convent  kept  for  their  own  wholeiiomc  pruvibion.  Get  into  a  tract  or  windy 
coiuitry,  anil  pasH  beneath  Hcllcitby-Tor,  a  htgli  und  btuflf  tcrminution  of  lX-l4inerc 
forest,  compt»cd  of  the  same  friable  stone  as^that  near  Chester,  but  veined  wiih  yellow. 
Hence  u  view  of  the  junction  of  the  VVcevtr  and  the  Mersey,  and  an  extensive  tract  of 
murnhy  meadow,  with  some  ffood  and  much  rushy  gram ;  uiid  beyond  is  the  beginning 
of  the  wide  estuary  that  flows  by  Liverpool. 

Cross  a  little  brook,  called  Lie  ivy  n,  and  reach  Frudesham ;  u  town  of  one  long 
street,  which,  with  iis  castle,  was  allotted  by  Edward  1,  to  David,  brother  to  Llewelyn, 
last  prince  of  Wales,  as  u  retainer  in  his  double  perfidy  against  his  own  blood,  and  his 
own  country.  Not  a  vestige  is  left  of  the  castle,  which  stood  at  the  wt  •>t  end  of  the 
town ;  was  latterly  used  as  a  house  by  the  Savages,  and  was  burnt  down  in  1652,  wtK*n 
one  of  that  name«  an  earl  Rivers,  lay  dead  in  it. 

This,  as  well  as  mo'it  other  towns  and  villu}i;es  in  Cheshire,  stands  on  an  eminence  of 
sand-stone,  and  by  that  means  enioys  a  situation  dry,  wholesome,  and  beautiful. 

The  church  stands  at  a  vast  height  above  the  town.  In  the  regi^ttcr  are  these  two  re- 
markable instances  of  longevity  :  March  the  13th,  1592,  was  buried  Thomas  Hou^h, 
aged  141  ;  and  the  very  next  day  was  committed  to  the  earth,  Randle  Wall,  aged  103. 
I  observed  also,  that  in  the  winter  of  1574  the  pestilence  reached  this  sequestered  place, 
four  four  are  then  recorded  to  have  died  of  it.  In  early  timc:>  that  avenging  angel  spread 
destruction  through  all  parts  of  the  land ;  but  her  power  is  now  ceased,  by  the  provi- 
dential cessation  of  the  natural  causes  that  gave  rise  to  that  most  dreadful  of  calamities. 

Above  the  church  is  Beacon  hill,  with  a  beautiful  walk  cut  along  its  side.  At  the 
foot  are  four  butts  (archery  being  still  practised  here)  for  a\\  exeroi!<'  in  which  the  war- 
riors of  this  county  were  of  old  eminent.  The  butts  lie  at  four,  eight,  twelve,  and 
sixteen  roods  distance  from  each  other :  the  last  are  now  disused,  probably  as  the  prc< 
sent  race  of  archers  prcler  what  is  called  short.shooting.* 

Cross  the  Wrevcr,  on  a  good  stone  bridge:  from  a  neighbouring  warehouse  much 
cheese  is  ship}  d  oft',  brought  down  the  river  in  boats  from  the  rich  grazing  grounds, 
that  extend  as  ta  as  Nantw<ch.  The  riv^jr,  by  means  of  locks,  is  navigable  lor  barges 
us  high  as  Winslo^v  bridge  ;  but  l^low  this  admits  vessels  of  sixty  tons.  The  channel 
above  and  below  is  deep  .^nd  ''ayey,  and  at  low  water  very  disagreeable. 

On  the  north  banks  are  the  ruins  of  Rock-savage,  suft'ered,  within  memory,  to  fall  to 
decay ;  once  the  seat  of  a  family  of  the  same  name  ;  and  not  far  remote,  on  the  same 
range,  is  Aston,  a  good  house,  finely  situated,  but  rendered  too  naked  through  the  rage 
of  modern  taste. 

About  two  mile»  farther  on  the  right,  is  Dutton  Lodge,  once  the  seat  of  the  Duttons  ; 
a  family  in  possession  of  a  singular  grant,  having  '  Magisterium  omnium  Leccatorum 
et  meretricum  totius  jC^estreshire.^'  This  privilege  came  originally  from  Rindal,  6th 
carl  of  Chester,  to  Roger  Lacy,  constable  of  that  city,  who,  when  the  earl  was  closely 
beSK'i  ;t?d  by  the  Welch  in  Rudland  castle,  collected  hastily  for  his  relief  a  band  of  min- 
strels, id  other  idle  people,  and  with  them  succeeded  in  the  attempt ;  after  which  his 
ItHi  Jo>n  assigned  it  tothct  Duttons,  one  of  that  name  being  assisiu  '  in  the  affair. 

KeQ<  a  Halton  castle,  scat'^  on  an  eminence,  and  given  by  Hugh  ..upus  to  Nigellus, 
one  of  his  officers,  and  founded  by  one  of  the  t^vo.  Nigel  held  it  by  this  honourable 
and  spirited  service,  that  whenever  the  earl  made  an  expedition  into  Wales,  the  Baron 
of  Halcon  should  be  foremost  in  enKering  the  country,  and  the  last  in  c^^ming  out.t     It 

•  I  think  myself  indebted  to  Mr.  Robertson,  librarian  to  the  Royal  Society,  an  oUl  archer,  for  the 
correction  of  this  passa^^e. 
t  Blownt's  Ancient  Tenures. 


I 


r 


176 


HENNANrfl  SecOlfD  T0U1I  tK  SCOTLAND 


became  uftcrwards  the  property  nf  the  house  of  Lancaster,  and  was  a  favourite  hunting 
st-utof  John  olCfaunt.  The  custlc  it  a  ruin,  except  n  part  kipt  as  a  prihon.  It  belongs 
to  the  duchy  of  Limcastcr,  and  has  ntill  a  court  of  record,  and  other  privileges. 

From  the  uistlc  is  the  most  beautiful  view  in  Cheshire ;  a  rich  proiipect  of  the  mean> 
ders  of  the  MtrHcy,  through  u  fertile  bottom  ;  n  pretty  wooded  peninsula  jutting  into  it, 
oppoNitc  to  Runcorn  ;  the  great  county  of  Lancashire,  filled  witn  hedge-row  trees  s  and 
bc\oi>d  soar  the  hills  of  Yorkshire  and  Lancashire  ;  and  on  the  other  side  appcan  Che- 
shire, and  the  still  loftier  Cambrian  mountains ;  but  close  beneath,  near  the  church,  is 
still  a  more  pleasing  view  ;  that  of  a  row  of  neat  alm«houscs,  for  the  reception  of  the 
superannuated  servants  of  the  house  of  Norton,  founded  by  the  late  Pusey  Brook,  esq. 
my  friend,  and  the  friend  of  mankind. 

Descend  the  hill,  and  pass  by  Norton,  a  good  modem  house,  on  the  site  of  a  priory 
of  canons  regular  of  St.  Augustine,  founded  by  William,  son  of  Nigellus,  A.  D.  1135, 
who  did  not  live  to  complete  his  design  :  for  Eustace  de  Biirgaville  granted  to  Hugh  de 
Catherik  pasture  for  a  hundred  sheep,  in  case  he  finished  the  church  in  all  respects  con- 
formable to  the  intent  of  the  founder.  It  was  granted  at  the  dissolution  to  Richard 
Brook,  esquire. 

Continue  my  way  along  a  flat  dull  countr}',  reach  the  banks  of  the  Mersey,  ride  over 
u  long  causeway,  having  before  me  a  perfect  wood  of  lofty  poplar,  that  speaks  the  soil ; 
and  Vvurrington,  us  if  in  the  midst  of  it.     Kntcr 

Luncnshirc,  after  crossing  a  handsome  stone  bridge  of  four  arches,  whieh  leads  into 
the  town,  and  was  built  by  the  first  earl  of  Derby,  to  accommodate  Henry  VII,  then 
on  his  road  on  a  visit  to  his  lordship,  probably  to  soothe  the  earl  after  the  ungrateful  exe- 
cution of  his  brother,  sir  William  Stanly.  It  was  at  first  a  toll-bridge,  but  his  lordship 
generously  released  the  country  from  that  tax,  at  a  loss  of  as  many  marks  as  was  equi- 
valent to  the  portion  of  one  of  his  dauehters. 

The  priory  of  the  hermit  friars  of  Augustine,  founded  before  1379,  stood  near  the 
bridge,  but  not  a  relique  exists.  The  entrance  into  the  town  is  unpromising,  the  streets 
long,  narrow,  ill-built,  and  crowded  with  carls  and  passengers ;  but  farther  on  are  airy, 
and  of  a  good  width,  but  afford  a  striking  mixture  of  mean  buildings  and  handsome 
houses,  as  is  the  case  with  most  trading  towns  that  experience  a  sudden  rise ;  not  that 
this  place  wants  antiquity,  for  Leland  speaks  of  its  having  a  better  market  than  Man- 
chester upwards  of  two  hundred  years  ago.  At  that  time  the  principal  part  of  the  town 
was  near  the  church,  remote  from  the  bridge,  and  was  accessible  only  by  a  ford,  but 
the  convcniency  of  a  safer  transit  soon  drew  the  buildings  to  that  end. 

The  church  has  of  late  undergone  much  alteration,  but  two  of  the  ancient  side-cha- 
pels still  remain  t  one  belonging  to  the  Massies  contains  nothing  but  a  small  mural  mo- 
nument, with  a  very  amiable  character  of  Francis  Massey,  esq.  lord  of  the  manors  of 
Rixton  and  Glasbrook,  last  of  the  ancient  family,  which  was  exdnct  with  him  in  1748  : 
but  in  an  opposite  chapel  is  a  magnificent  tomb  of  sir  Thomas  Boteler  and  his  lady,  in 
alabaster :  their  effigies  lie  at  top,  hand  in  hand,  he  in  armour,  she  in  a  remarkable 
mitre-shaped  cap;  round  the  sides  are  various  figures,  such  as  St.  Christopher,  St.  George, 
and  other  superstitious  sculptures.  The  Botelers  were  of  great  antiquity  in  this  place  ; 
the  first  took  his  name  from  being  butler  to  Ranulf  de  Gemons,  or  Meschines,  earl  of 
Chester.  His  posterity  acquired  great  possessions  in  this  county,^  and  one  of  them 
obtained  the  charters  for  markets  and  fairs  at  Warrington,  from  his  prince  Edward  I. 
Tradition  sa)'s  that  sir  Thomas,  then  resident  at  Beauly-house,  near  this  town,  was, 

*DugdaIe's  Baronage,  1. 65")-  . 


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PENNANTS  SECOND  TOlTR  IN  SCOTLAND. 


.  t  4 


with  his  lady,  murdered  in  the  night  by  assassins,  who  crossed  the  moat  in  leathern 
boats  to  perpetrate  their  villainy. 

Beneath  an  arch  in  the  wall  near  this  tomb  is  another,  containing  a  figure  in  a  lung- 
robe,  muffled  up  to  the  chin ;  the  head  wrapped  in  a  sort  of  cap,  and  bound  with  a  neat 
fillet. 

Besides  this  church  is  a  neat  chapel  of  ease,  lately  rebuilt,  tind  many  places  of  wor- 
ship for  Presbyterians,  Anabaptists,  Quakers,  Methodists,  9.ad  Roman  Catholics :  for 
in  manufacturing  places  it  often  falls  out  that  the  common  people  happily  have  a  dis|to. 
sition  to  seek  the  Lord,  but  as  unhappily  disagree  in  the  means  of  rendering  themselves 
acceptable  to  him. 

Here  is  a  free-school,  very  considerably  endowed,  and  made  very  respectable  by  the 
merits  of  the  present  master.  An  academy  has  of  late  years  been  established  in  this 
town,  with  a  view  of  giving  an  education  to  youth  on  the  plan  of  an  university. 

The  manufactures  of  this  place  are  very  considerable ;  formerly  a  great  quantity  of 
checks  and  coarse  linens  were  made  here,  but  of  late  years  these  have  given  way  to  that 
of  polldavies,  or  saiUcloth,  now  carried  on  with  such  spirit  (in  the  town  and  country) 
as  to  supply  near  one  half  of  the  navy  of  Great  Britain.  The  late  war  gave  a  great 
rise  to  this  branch,  and  a  sudden  improvement  to  the  town. 

The  making  of  pins  is  another  considerable  article  of  commerce ;  locks,  hinges,  cast. 
iron,  and  other  branches  of  hardware,  are  fabricated  here  to  a  great  amount :  very 
large  works  for  the  refining  of  copper  are  carried  on  near  the  town ;  and  the  glass  and 
sugar-houses  employ  many  hands.  By  means  of  all  these  advantages  the  town  has  been 
doubled  within  these  twenty  years ;  and  is  supposed  to  contain  at  present  between  eight 
and  nine  thousand  inhabitants. 

The  manufactures  of  this  place  are  most  readily  conveyed  down  to  Liverpool  by 
means  of  the  Mersey.  The  spring.tides  rise  at  the  bridge  to  the  height  of  nine  feet, 
and  vessels  of  seventy  or  eighty  feet  can  lie  at  Bank-quay,  the  port  of  the  town,  where 
warehouses,  cranes,  and  ether  conveniences  for  shipping  of  goods,  are  erected.  I  must 
not  omit  that  thirty  or  for^  thousand  bushels  of  potatoes  are  annually  exported  out  of 
the  rich  land  of  the  environs  of  Warrin^on,  into  the  Mediterranean,  at  the  medium 
price  of  fourteen  pence  per  bushel.  This  is  the  root  which  honest  Gerard,  about  two 
nundred  and  forty  years  ago,  speaks  of  ^*  as  a  food,  as  also  a  meat  for  pleasure,  being 
either  roasted  in  the  embers,  or  boiled  and  eaten  with  oile,  vinegar,  and  pepper,  or  dressed 
some  other  way  by  the  hand  of  a  skilful  cooke."* 

The  salmon-fishery  is  very  considerable,  but  the  opportunity  of  sending  them  to  Lon- 
don and  other  places,  at  the  beginning  of  the  season,  keeps  up  the  price  to  about  eight 
pence  {>er  pound,  which  gradually  sinks  to  three  pence  or  two  pence-halfpenny,  to  the 
great  aid  of  the  poor  manufacturers.  Smelts,  or,  as  they  are  called  in  all  the  north, 
spariings,  migrate  in  the  spring  up  this  river  <n  amazing  shoals,  and  of  a  size  superior 
to  those  of  other  parts,  some  having  been  taken  that  weighed  half  a  pound,  and  mea- 
sured thirteen  inches. 

In  this  river  is  found  a  small  fish  called  the  graining,  in  some  respects  resembling  the 
dace,  yet  is  a  distinct  and  perhaps  new  species;  the  usual  lengi;h  h  seven  inclies  and  a 
half;  it  is  rather  more  slender  than  the  dace,  the  body  is  almost  straight,  that  of  the 
other  incurvated ;  the  colour  of  the  scales  in  this  is  silvery,  with  a  bluish  cast ;  those  of 
the  dace  have  a  yellowish  or  greenish  tinge :  the  eyes,  the  ventral,  and  the  anal  fins  in 
the  gi-aining  are  of  a  pale  colour.f 


i; 


Herbal,  928. 


VOL.    III. 


t  Rays  in  P.  D.  8.  P.  P.  15.  V.  9.  A.  10.  C. 

A  A 


32. 


':m^i:^imi^MiM>^^:!^~^"~t~W 


178 


PEhfy  ANT'S  SECOND  TOUR  IN  SCOTLAND. 


Make  a  visit  to  John  Blackburne,  Esq.  at  his  seat  of  Orford,  a  mile  from  Warrington  ; 
dine  and  lie  there.  This  gentleman^  from  his  earliest  life,  like  another  Evelyn,  has  made 
his  garden  the  employ  and  amusement  of  his  leisure  hours,  and  been  most  successful  in 
every  purt  he  has  attempted :  in  fact,  he  has  an  universal  knowledge  in  the  culture  of 
plants.  He  was  the  second  in  these  kingdoms  that  cultivated  the  pine-apple:  has  the 
best  fruit  and  the  best  kitchen- garden :  his  collection  of  hardy  exotics  is  exceedingly 
numerous;  and  his  collection  of  hot  house  plants  is  at  least  equal  to  any  private  collec- 
tion in  this  kingdom.  He  neglects  no  branch  of  botany,  has  the  aquatic  plants  in  their 
proper  elements  ;  the  rock  plants  on  artificialrocks ;  and  you  may  be  here  betrayed  into 
a  bog  by  attempting  to  gather  those  of  the  morass.* 

Mrs.  Blackburne,  his  daughter,  extends  her  researches  still  farther,  and  adds  to  her 
empire  another  kingdom  :  not  content  with  the  botanic,  she  causes  North  America  to 
be  explored  for  its  animals,  and  has  formed  a  museum  from  the  other  side  of  the  At- 
lantic, as  pleasing  as  u  is  instructive. 

In  this  house  is  a  large  family  picture  of  the  Ashtons  of  Chadderton,  consisting  of  a 
gentleman,  his  lady,  eleven  children  living  at  that  time,  and  three  infants  who  died  h. 
their  birth :  it  was  painted  in  the  reign  of  James  I,  by  Tobias  Ratclift';  but  has  so  little 
merit,  that  I  should  not  have  mentioned  it,  but  to  add  one  more  to  Mr.  Walpole's  list 
of  painters. 

May  19.  Pass  through  Winwick,  a  small  village,  remarkable  for  being  the  richest 
rectory  in  England  :  the  living  is  worth  23001.  per  annum  ;  the  rector  is  lord  of  the 
manor,  and  ha[.  a  glebe  of  13001.  annual  rent.  It  h  singular,  that  th'is  county,  the 
seventh  in  size  in  England,  has  only  sixty-one  parishes ;  whereas  Norfolk,  the  next  in 
dimensions,  has  no  fewer  than  six  hundred  and  sixty. 

In  the  wall  of  an  old  porch,  before  the  rector  of  Winwick's  house,  is  safely  lodged  a 
bible,  placed  there  by  a  zealous  iticumbent,  who  lived  in  the  days  of  Oliver  Cromwell, 
in  order  that  at  least  one  authentic  book  might  be  found,  should  the  fanatics  corrupt 
the  text,  and  destroy  all  the  orthodox  copies. 

On  the  outside  of  the  church  is  this  inscription,  cut  in  old  letters : 


) .  • 


Hie  locus,  Oswalde,   .dondam  tibi  placuit  valde ; 

Northanumbrorum  tueras  Rex,  nuncque  polorum 

Regna  tenes,  Prato  passus  Marceldet  vocato. 

Anno  milleno  quingentenoque  triceno, 

Sclator  post  Christum  murum  renovaverat  istum :  ''><:? 

Henricus  Johnston  curatus  erat  simul  hie  tunc.  .         .    .   ;' 

Oswald  was  kin^  of  Northumberland ;  the  most  pious  prince  of  his  time,  and  the  re- 
storer of  the  Christian  religion  in  hi^s  dominions  :  at  length,  A.  D.  640,  receiving  a  de. 
feat  near  Oswestry,  by  Penda,  pagan  king  of  Mercia,  was  there  slain,  his  body  cut  in 
pieces,  and  stuck  on  poles  by  way  of  trophies. 

At  Redbank,  between  this  place  and  Newton,  the  Scots,  in  Au^st  1648,  after  their 
retreat  from  Preston,  made  a  resolute  stand  for  many  hours  against  the  victorious  Crom- 
well, who,  with  great  loss  on  both  sides,  beat  them  from  their  ground,  and  the  next 
day  made  himself  master  of  all  their  remaining  infantry,  which,  with  their  commander, 
lieutenant-general  Bayly,  surrendered  on  the  bare  condition  of  quarter.:^ 

*  My  respected  and  venerable  friend,  after  a  lone  and  unspotted  life,  died  Dec.  19,  1780,  aged  92. 
t  Muser-field,  near  Oswestry.  |  Whitelock,  .132.    Clarendoo*  V.  163. 


PBNNAKT*S  SECOND  TOUR  IN  SCOTLAND. 


179 


Pass  through  Newton,  a  small  borough  town :  the  country  flat  and  fertile.  On  ap- 
proaching Wiggan,  observe  several  fields  quite  white  with  thread,  bleaching  for  the  ma- 
nufacture  of  strong  checks  and  coarse  linen,  carried  on  in  that  town  and  neighbourhood. 

Wiggan  is  a  pretty  large  town  and  a  borough.  It  has  long  been  noted  for  manu- 
factures in  brass  and  pewter,  which  now  give  way  to  that  of  checks  :  an  ingenious  fellow 
here  turns  canal  coal  into  vases,  obelisks,  and  snuff-boxes,  and  forms  excellent  black- 
moors  heads  out  of  the  same  material. 

The  best  cross-bows  are  also  made  in  this  town  by  a  person  who  succeeded  his  father 
in  the  business ;  the  last  coming  there  from  Rippon  about  a  century  ago. 

In  the  church  is  an  inscription  in  memory  of  sir  Roger  Bradshaigh,  of  Haigh,  an 
eminent  loyalist  in  the  time  ot  the  civil  wars ;  and  a  tomb,  much  defaced,  of  a  sir  Wil- 
liam Bradshaigh  and  his  lady  Mabel,  who  lived  in  the  reigns  of  Edward  II,  and  III. 
A  remarkable  history  attends  this  pair :  in  the  time  of  the  first  monarch  he  set  out  for 
the  holy  land  in  quest  of  adventures,  and  left  his  fair  spouse  at  home  to  pray  for  his 
success ;  but  after  some  year's  absence,  the  lady  thinking  he  made  rather  too  long  a  stay, 
gave  her  hand  to  sir  Osmund  Nevil,  a  Welch  knight.  At  length  sir  William  returns 
m  the  garb  of  a  pilgrim,  makes  himself  known  to  his  Mabel,  is  acknowledged  by  her, 
and  she  returns  to  her  allegiance :  sir  William  pursues  the  innocent  invader  of  his  bed, 
overtakes  him  at  Newton-park,  where  my  unfortunate  countryman  is  sluin.  The  poor 
lady,  being  considered  as  an  accessary  to  his  death,  is  condemned  to  a  weekly  penance 
of  walking  barefoot  from  the  chapel  in  Haigh-Hall,  three  miles  dbtant,  to  expiate  her 
crime,  to  a  cross  near  Wiggan,  at  this  day  called  Mabel's  cross. 

Not  far  from  the  town  is  the  little  river  Douglas,  immortalized  by  the  victories  of 
cur  Arthur*  over  the  Saxons,  on  its  banks.  This  stream  in  1727  was  widened,  deep, 
ened,  and  made  navigable,  by  locks,  almost  to  the  mouth  of  the  Ribble ;  and  was  among 
the  first  of  those  projects  which  hpve  since  been  pursued  with  so  much  utility  to  the 
inland  parts  of  the  kingdom.  This  canal  conveys  coal  to  supply  the  north  of  the  county, 
and  even  part  of  Westmoreland,  and  in  return  brings  from  thence  limestone. 

On  an  eminence  about  a  mile  from  Wiggan  is  Haigh,  long  the  seat  of  the  Bradshaiehs, 
an  ancient  house,  built  at  different  times :  the  chapel  supposed  to  be  as  old  as  the  time 
of  Edward  II,  in  the  front  are  the  Stanly  arms,  and  beneath  them  those  of  the  family, 
which  in  all  civil  commotions  had  united  with  the  former,  even  as  early  as  the  battle 
of  Bosworth  field. 

In  this  house  are  some  excellent  pictures :  our  Saviour  with  his  disciples  at  Emmaui, 
by  Titian,  with  the  landlord  and  waiter ;  a  fine  attention  and  respect  is  expressed  in  the 
countenances  of  the  disciples. 

A  very  fine  head  of  sir  Lionel  Tolmach,  by  Fr.  Zuchero,  on  wood,  short  gray  hair,  a 
forked  beard,  rosy  complexion ;  a  beautiful  viridis  senectus. 

Eliz.  Lady  Dacres,  daughter  of  Paul  Viscount  Banning,  relict  of  Francis  lord 
Dacres,  created  countess  of  Sheppy  for  life,  by  Ch.  II,  in  1680;  a  head  on  wood ;  a 
blooming  countenance. 

A  head,  by  Rile^»  of  sir  John  Guise,  great-grandfather  to  the  present  baronet ;  and 
another  of  Lady  Guise,  by  Kneller. 

Charles  I,  in  his  robes. 

Geoi^  Villiers,  duke  of  Buckingham,  in  the  robes  of  the  garter,  assassinated  by  the 
gloomy  Felton. 

A  large  equestrian  picture  of  Ch.  I,  a  copy  after  Vandyck. 

"Henry  of  Huntingdon,  313. 

A  A  2 


180 


PENNANT'S  SECOND  TOUK  IN  SCOTLAND. 


His  daughter,  Mary  princess  of  Orange,  mother  to  king  William. 
Henry  Murray,  esq.  gentleman  of  the  bed-chamber  to  Ch.  H,  his  daughter  was  mar* 
ried  to  sir  Roger  Bradshaigh,  the  second  baronet. 

This  neighbourhood  abounds  with  that  fine  species  of  coal  called  canal,  perhaps  candle 
coal,  from  its  serving  as  cheap  light  for  the  poor  to  spin  by  during  the  long  winter 
evenings :  it  is  found  in  beds  of  about  three  feet  in  thickness ;  the  veins  dip  one  yard 
in  twenty  ;  are  found  at  great  dc()ths,  with  a  black  bass  above  and  below,  and  are  sub- 
ject to  the  same  damps,  fiery  and  suffocating  as  the  common  coal.  It  makes  the  sweetest 
of  fires,  and  the  most  cheerful :  is  very  inflammable,  and  so  clean,  that  at  Haigh  hall  a 
summer>house  is  built  with  it,  which  may  be  entered  without  dread  of  soiling  the  lightest 
clothes. 

Sir  Roger  Brudshaigh,  baronet,  the  last  of  the  male  line,  died  on  September  29, 1770. 

On  the  death  of  his  widow  in    .  ■— ,  the  seat  and  estate  fell  to     Lindsay,  earl  of 

Balcarras,  in  right  of  his  wife  Dalrymple,  great-granddaughter  to  the  third  sir 

Ro^r  Bradshaigh.     Endeavours  have  been  made  to  impute  to  this  house  the  infamous 
regicide  John  Bradshaw. 

Leaving  Wi§^;an,  observe  on  the  road'Side,  near  the  north  end  of  the  town,  a  monu- 
ment, erected  by  Alexander  Rigby,  esq.  in  memory  of  his  gallant  commaiuler  sir 
Thomas  Tildesty,  who  was  killed  on  this  spot  in  the  engagement  with  Lambert,  in  1650 : 
a  faithful  domestic,  supporting  his  dyin^  master,  was  shot  in  that  situation  by  a  rebel 
trooper,  who  was  instandy  pistoled  by  his  generous  officer,  who  abhorred  the  barbarity 
even  to  an  enemy. 

Reach  Standbh,  a  village  with  a  very  handsome  church  and  spire  steeple  :  the  pillars 
within  shew  an  attempt  of  the  Tuscan  order :  it  was  rebuilt  in  1584,  and  chiefly  by  the 
assistance  of  Richard  Moodie,  rector  of  the  place,  who  maintained  the  workmen  with 
meat,  at  h'ls  own  cost,  during  the  time.  He  was  the  first  protestant  pastor,  conformed 
and  procured  the  living  by  the  cession  of  the  tythes  of  Standish,  probably  thinking  it 
better  to  lose  part  than  all.  He  ties  in  effigy  on  his  tomb,  dressed  in  his  franciscan  habit, 
with  an  inscription  declarative  of  his  munificence  towards  the  church.  In  firont  of  the 
tomb  are  two  small  pillars  with  Ionic  capitals,  the  dawning  of  the  introduction  of  Gre* 
cian  architecture. 

Here  is  a  handsome  tomb  of  ur  Edward  Wri^^tington,  kni^t,  king's  counsel :  he 
died  1658,  and  lies  in  alabaster  recumbent  in  his  gown.  A  curious  memorial  of  Ed* 
ward  Chisnal,  who  was,  during  the  civil  wars,  colonel  of  a  regiment  of  horse,  and 
another  of  foot ;  and  lest  there  should  be  any  doubt,  the  commbsions  are  given  in  full 
length  upon  wood.  This  gentleman  had  t^e  honour  of  defending  Latham-house,  under 
the  command  of  the  heroine  the  countess  of  Derby. 

At  Mrs.  Townley's,  at  Standish-hall,  are  some  few  reliques  of  the  Arundel  collectimi, 
particularly  eight  pieces  of  glass,  with  the  labours  of  Hercules,  most  exquintely  cut  on 
them.  A  lai^  silver  square,  perhaps  the  pannel  of  an  altar,  with  a  most  beautiful  reluf 
of  the  resurrection  on  it,  by  P.  V.  1605.  Two  trinkets,  one  a  lion,  the  other  a  dngon, 
whose  bodies  are  formed  of  two  vast  irregular  pearls.      ^^A/kimi-^r  r<*tl5^ v.?  *, 

Make  an  excursion  four  miles  on  the  west  to  Holland,  a  village  where  formerly  had 
been  a  priory  of  Benedictines,  founded  by  Robert  de  Holland  in  1319,  out  of  the  eoUe. 
giate  chapel,  before  served  by  canons  regular.  Nothing  remans  at  present  but  the 
church,  and  a  few  walls.  The  posterity  of  the  founder  rose  to  the  greatest  honours 
during  several  of  the  following  turbulent  reigns ;  but  those  honours  were  attended  with 
the  greatest  calamities.  Robert  himself,  first  secretary  to  Thomas  of  Woodstock,  earl 
of  Lancaster,  after  betraying  his  master,  lost  bis  head,  by  the  rage  of  thp  people,  in  the 


i'fiNNAHT'S  SECOND  TOUU  IN  SCOTLAND. 


181 


beginning  of  the  reign  of  Edward  III.  His  posterity,  many  at  lea^t  of  them,  were 
equally  unfortunate :  Thomas  de  Holland,  duke  of  Surry,  and  earl  of  Kent,  fell  in  the 
same  manner  at  Cirenceiiter,  by  the  hands  of  the  townsmen,  after  a  rash  insurrection,  in 
order  to  restore  his  master,  Richard  II.  His  half-brother,  John,  duke  of  £xetcr,  and 
earl  of  Huntingdon,  underwent  the  same  fate,  from  the  hands  of  the  populace,  at  Plessy, 
in  Essex,  for  iieing  engaged  in  the  same  design.  And  his  grandson,  Henry«  duke  of 
Exeter,  experienced  a  fortune  as  various  as  it  was  calamitous.  He  was  the  greatest  subject 
in  power  under  Henry  VI,  and  was  brother-in-law  to  Edw.  IV  ;  yet,  as  Comines  relates, 
during  the  first  depression  of  his  unhappy  master,  he  was  seen  a  fugitive  in  Flanders,  run< 
ning  barefoot  after  the  duke  of  Burgundy's  coach,  to  beg  an  alms :  on  the  last  attempt 
to  replace  Henry  on  the  thrcne,  he  again  appeared  in  arms  at  the  battle  of  Bamet,  fought 
manfully,  and  was  left  for  dead  in  the  field ;  a  faithful  domestic  gave  him  assistance,  and 
conveyed  him  into  sanctuary ;  he  escaped,  and  was  never  heard  of  till  his  corpse  was 
found,  by  some  unknown  accident,  floating  in  the  sea  between  Dover  and  Calais ;  *  and 
thus  closed  the  eventful  history  of  this  ill-lated  line. 

Return  through  this  deep  tract  into  the  road  at  Standish :  the  country  from  hence 
to  Preston  very  good ;  on  the  last  a  long  valley  runs  parallel.  At  a  place  called  Pin. 
cock-bridge  cross  the  Yarrow,  a  pretty  stream,  watering  a  narrow  romantic  glen,  wooded 
on  both  sides. 

Ride  through  Walton,  a  very  populous  village,  near  the  Ribblc,  a  fine  river,  extend- 
ing through  a  range  of  very  rich  meadows,  as  far  as  the  picturesque  vale  of  Cuerden. 
Cross  the  river  on  a  bridge  of  five  arches,  ascend  a  hill,  through  lanes  once  deep,  nar- 
row,  and  of  difficult  approach,  where,  in  1715,  the  rebels  made  some  resistance  to  the 
king's  forces  in  the  ill  concerted  affair  of  that  year. 

On  the  top  lies  Preston,  a  neat  and  handsome  town,  quiet,  and  entirely  free  from  the 
noise  of  manufactures ;  and  is  supported  by  passengers,  or  the  money  spent  by  the 
numerous  gentry  that  inhabit  it.  It  derives  its  name  (according  to  Camden)  from  the 
priests  or  religious  that  were  in  old  times  the  principal  inhabitants.  Here  was  a  convent 
of  gray  Friars,  or  Franciscans,  founded  by  Edmund  earl  of  Lancaster,  son  of  Henry  III, 
Robert  de  Holland  abovementioned  was  a  considerable  benefactor  to  the  place,  and  was 
buried  I«re.  A  gentleman  of  the  name  of  Preston  gave  the  ground.f  Might  not  the 
town  take  its  name  from  him  ?  Here  was  also  an  ancient  hospital,  dedicated  to  Mary 
Magdalene,  mentioned  in  1291  in  the  Lincoln  taxation.^ 

This  place  was  taken  by  storm  in  1643,  by  the  parliament  forces  under  Sir  John 
Seaton,  after  a  most  gallant  defence :  it  was  at  that  time  fortified  with  brick  walls.} 

North  of  this  tow  began  the  action  between  that  gallant  officer  Sir  Marniaduke 
Langdale  and  the  parliament  forces  under  Cromwell.  The  former  commanded  the 
£nglisb  army  that  was  to  act  in  conjunction  with  the  duke  of  Hamilton  in  his  unfortu- 
nate invasion  in  July  1648.  Langdale  gave  the  infatuated  Scot  notice  of  the  approach 
of  Crom  ^ell,  and  in  vain  advising  the  assembling  of  the  whole  force,  his  counsel  was 
lost.  He  alone  made  a  stand  in  the  fields  near  Preston  for  six  hours,  unassisted  by  the 
duke,  who  pushed  the  march  of  his  troops  over  the  bridge,  leaving  Sir  Marmaduke  to 
be  overpowered  with  numbers. 

The  walks  on  the  banks  above  the  Ribble  command  a  most  beautiful  view  of  mea- 
dows, bounded  by  delicious  risings ;  the  river  meandring  between  till  the  prospect  closes 
with  its  estuary.     Continue  here  the  whole  night,  and  lie  at  the  Black -Bull. 
^  The  Spectator  has  long  since  pointed  out  the  knowledge  that  may  be  collected  from 
signs :  it  is  impossible  not  to  remark  the  propriety  of  the  reigning  ones  of  th'is  county . 


•  Stow  426. 

t  Stevens's  Monast.  1. 154. 


\  Tanner,  234. 

§  Parliament  Chronicle)  268. 


i' 


1 


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t 


182 


PENNANT'S  SECOND  TOUR  IN  SCOTLAND. 


the  triple-legs,  and  the  eagle-and-child,  denote  the  great  possessions  of  the  Stanlies  in 
these  parts ;  the  bull,  the  just  pre-eminence  of  its  cattle  over  other  counties  ;  and  the 
royal.oak,  its  distinguished  loyalty  to  its  sovereign.  I  am  amazed  they  do  not  add  the 
Graces,  for  no  where  can  be  seen  a  more  numerous  race  of  beauties  among  that  order, 
who  want  every  advantage  to  set  off  their  native  charms. 

May  20.  Go  over  a  flat  country,  with  rushy  fields  on  each  side :  cross  the  Broke  and 
the  Calder ;  see  on  one  side  Blazedale  fells,  and  on  the  other  Felling  moss,  which  some 
years  ago  made  an  eruption  similar  to  that  of  Solway.  Cross  the  Wier,  neafGarstang, 
on  a  bridge  of  two  arches ;  about  twelve  miles  lower  it  swells  into  a  fine  harbour,  whence 
the  provmcial  proverb,  as  safe  as  Wier.  Vessels  put  into  it  for  the  sail-cloth  made  at 
Kirkham. 

Breakfast  at  Garstang,  a  small  town,  remarkable  for  the  fine  cattle  produced  in  its 
neighbourhood :  a  gentleman  has  refused  thirty  guineas  for  a  three-year-old  cow ;  has 
sold  a  calf  of  a  month's  age  for  ten  guineas,  and  bulls  for  an  hundred ;  and  has  killed 
an  ox  weighing  twenty-one  score  per  quarter,  exclusive  of  hide,  entrails,  &c.  Bulls  also 
have  been  let  out  at  the  rate  of  thirty  guineas  the  season ;  so  that  well  might  honest 
Barnaby*  celebrate  the  cattle  of  this  place,  notwithstanding  the  misfortune  he  met  with 
in  one  of  its  great  fairs. 

Veni  Garstang  ubi  nata 
Sunt  Armenta  fronte  lata. 
Veni  Garatangi  ubi  mal£ 
Intrans  forum  bestiale. 
Foni  vaccillando  vico 
Hue  et  illuc  cum  amico, 
In  Juvencae  dorsum  rui 
Cujus  cornu  Iksus  fui. 

Abundance  of  potatoes  are  raised  about  the  place,  and  sent  to  London,  Ireland,  and 
Scotland. 

Sir  Edward  Walpole  is  lord  of  this  manor,  his  father  having  obtained  a  grant  of  it 
from  the  crown. 

Near  the  town,  on  a  knowl,  is  a  single  tower,  the  poor  remains  of  Grenehaugh  castle : 
it  was  built  by  the  first  Stanley,  earl  of  Derby,  to  secure  himself  in  his  new  posse9sions, 
the  forfeited  estates  of  the  Yorkists,  who  did  not  bear,  witliout  resentment,  this  usurpa- 
tion on  their  property.  Among  the  attainted  lands,  which  were  vested  in  his  lordship, 
are  reckoned  those  of  Pilkington,  Broughton,  and  Wotton.t 

Soon  after  leaving  Garstang  the  country  grows  more  barren,  uneven,  or  slightly  hilly. 
From  a  common  called  the  Grave  have  a  fine  view  of 

Lancaster,  built  of  stone,  and  tying  on  the  side  of  a  hill :  the  castle  built  by  Edward 
III,  I  forms  one  great  object,  the  church  another ;  and  far  beyond  is  an  arm  of  the  sea, 
and  the  lofty  mountains  of  Furness  and  Cumberland.  The  town  is  not  regular,  but  is 
well  built,  and  contains  numbers  of  very  handsome  houses.  Every  stranger  must  ad- 
mire the  front  of  Mr.  Noble's,  faced  with  stone  naturally  figured  wUh  views,  rivers, 
and  mountains,  in  the  same  nature  with  the  pietra  imboscata  and  ruinata  of  the  Italians. 
The  inhabitants  are  also  fortunate  in  having  some  very  ingenious  cabinet-makers  settled 
here,  who  fabricate  most  excellent  and  neat  goods,  at*  remarkably  cheap  rates,  M'hich 
they  export  to  London  and  the  plantations.  Mr.  Gillow's  warehouse  of  these  manu- 
factures  merits  a  visit. 

*  Better  known  by  the  name  of  drunken  Bamaby,  who  lived  the  beginning  of  last  century,  and  pub« 
lished  his  four  Itineraries  in  Latin  rhyme, 
t  Leiand's  Itin.  vi.  35. 
4  Vetusta  MonumenU,Scc.  published  by  the  Society  of  Antiquaries,  No.  41. 


PINNANrS  SECOND  TOUR  IN  8C0TLAMD. 


183 


It  is  u  town  of  much  commerce  ;  has  fine  qua^s  on  the  river  Lunc,  which  brings  up 
ships  of  250  tons  burden  close  to  the  place.  Forty  or  fifty  ships  trade  from  hence  di- 
rcctly  to  Guinea  and  '•'e  West  Indies ;  others  to  Norway.  Besides  the  cabinet  goods, 
some  sail-cloth  is  manufactured  here  ;  and  p^rcat  numbersi  of  candles  are  exix)rted  to  the 
West  Indies.     Much  wheat  and  barley  is  imported. 

The  custom-houbc  is  a  small  but  elegant  building,  with  a  portico  supported  by  four 
Ionic  pillars,  with  a  beautiful  plain  pediment ;  each  pillar  is  fifteen  feet  and  an  halt  high, 
and  consists  of  a  single  stone.  There  is  a  double  flight  of  steps,  a  rustic  surbasc  and 
coins ;  a  work  that  does  much  credit  to  Mr.  Gillow,  the  architect. 

The  castle  is  very  entire ;  has  a  most  magnificent  front,  consisting  of  two  aneiilar 
towers,  and  a  gateway  between,  and  within  is  a  great  scjuare  tower:  the  courts  of  jus- 
tice are  held  here ;  and  here  are  kept  the  prisoners  of  the  county,  in  a  safe  yet  airy  con^ 
finement.  T|ie  castle  and  town  were  surprised  and  taken  immediately  after  the  storming 
of  Prestun,  by  a  party  sent  from  thence  under  the  command  of  Serjeant-major  Birch. 

The  church  is  seated  on  an  eminence  near  the  castle,  and  commands  an  extensive,  but 
not  a  pleasing  view.  Within  is  a  mural  monument  in  memory  of  Sir  Samuel  Eyres, 
one  of  the  judges  of  the  king's-bench  in  the  time  of  King  William  ;  and  a  very  pom- 
pous inscription  on  the  grave-stone  of  Tho.  Covell,  six  times  mayor  of  the  town,  forty- 
eight  years  keeper  of  the  castle,  forty-six  years  one  of  the  coroners  of  the  county,  captani 
of  the  freehold  land  of  the  hundred  of  Lonsdale,  on  this  side  the  sands,  8ic.  Sec.  died 
Aug.  1,  1639. 

Cease,  cease  to  mourn,  all  tears  are  vain  and  void, 

He's  fled,  not  dead,  dissolved,  not  destroyed  i 

In  heav'n  his  soul  doth  rest,  his  body  here 

Sleeps  in  this  dust,  and  his  fame  every  where 
Triumphs  t  the  town,  the  country,  farther  forth* 
The  land  throughout  proclaims  h'A  noble  worth. 

'"  Speak  of  a  man  so  courteous. 

So  free  and  every  way  magnanimous ; 
That  story  told  at  large  here  do  you  see 
Epitomised  in  brief,  Covell  was  he. 

Thb  is  gplven  as  a  specimen  of  an  epitaph  so  very  extravagant,  that  the  living  must 
laugh  to  read ;  and  the  deceased,  was  he  capable,  must  blush  to  hear. 

This  was  one  of  the  churches  reserved  by  Henry  VIII,  as  a  sanctuary,  after  the  aboli- 
tion of  that  dangerous  privilege  in  the  rest  of  England. 

On  the  north  side  of  the  church-yard  are  the  remains  of  an  old  wall,  called  the  wery 
wall.  Camden  conjectures  it  to  have  taken  its  name  from  Caerwerid,  or  the  green  for- 
tress,  the  British  name  of  Lancaster ;  and  that  it  was  port  of  a  Roman  wall.  For  my 
part,  with  Leland,  I  suspect  it  to  have  been  part  of  the  enclosure  of  the  priory,  a  cell 
of  Benedictine  monks  of  St.  Martin,  at  Sees  in  France,  suppressed  by  Henry  V,  and 
given  to  Sion  abbey. 

The  shambles  of  this  town  must  not  be  omitted :  they  are  built  in  the  forni  of  a  street, 
at  the  public  expence  ;  every  butcher  has  hb  shop,  and  his  name  painted  over  the  door. 

Cross  the  Lune,  on  a  handsome  bridge  of  four  arches.  Since  I  visited  thb  town 
there  is  a  new  bridge  of  five  arches,  built  a  little  above  the  other,  which  is  yet  standing. 
Turn  to  the  left,  and  after  four  nules  riding  reach  Hess  bank,  and  at  low  water  cross 
the  arm  of  the  sea,  the  Moricambe  of  Ptolemy,  that  divides  this  part  of  the  county  from 
the  hundred  of  Fumess,  a  detached  tract,  peninsulated  by  the  sea,  lake,  or  river,  a  me- 
:lancholy  ride  of  eleven  miles;  the  prospect  on  all  sides  quite  savage,  high  barren  hills 


■■vr 


-  I  ■^■^■■■■■j''B-*^.o»'j».—jr,"i'mi>ni.i,i  I,  n,  miBji 


184 


PENNANT'S  SECOND  TOUR  IN  SCOTLAND. 


indented  by  the  sea,  or  dreary  wet  sands,  rendered  more  h(  (rtble  by  the  approach  of 
iiif^ht,  and  a  tempestuouH  evening,  ohitcured  by  the  driving  uf  black  cloiids.  Beneath 
the  uhude  discerned  Amside  tower,  the  property  of  the  Stunlies  for  some  centuries. 
Here  the  county  uf  Westmoreland  intrudes  into  the  estuary,  and  totally  separates  the 
hundred  of  L  uynsdulc  from  the  rest  of  Lancashire.  Before  us  was  an  extensive  but 
shallow  ford,  formed  by  the  Kent  and  other  rivers,  now  passed  with  trouble  by  the  beat* 
ing  of  the  waves.  ^ 

At  the  entrance  into  this  water  am  met  by  a  guide,  called  here  the  carter,  who  is 
maintained  by  the  public,  and  obliged  in  all  weathers  to  attend  here  from  8un*rise  to 
sun  set,  to  conduct  passengers  over. 

Three  miles  from  tne  shore  is  Cartmel,  a  small  town  with  most  irregular  streets,  lying 
in  a  vale  burroundcd  with  high  hills.  The  gateway  of  the  monastery  of  regular  canons 
of  St.  Austin,  founded  in  1188  by  William  Mareschal,  earl  of  Pembroke,  is  still  stand- 
ing :  but  this  had  long  been  holy  ground.  Egfrid,  king  of  the  Northumbrians,  who 
reigned  between  the  years  670  and  685,  gave  to  St.  Cuthbert  all  the  tract  called  Cart* 
mel,  and  all  the  Britains  on  it,  and  a  town  called  Sudgetluit  ;*  a  proof  of  the  length  of 
time  that  the  natives  of  our  island  inhabited  this  part. 

The  church  is  large,  and  in  form  of  a  cross :  the  length  is  157  feet ;  the  transept  110; 
the  height  57.  The  steeple  is  most  singular,  the  tower  being  a  square  within  a  square ; 
the  upper  part  being  set  diagonally  within  the  lower.  The  inside  of  the  church  is 
handsome  and  spacious :  the  oentre  supported  by  four  large  and  fine  clustered  pillars  : 
the  west  part  more  modern  than  the  rest,  and  the  pillars  octagonal.  The  choir  beauti> 
ful,  surrounded  with  stalls,  whose  tops  and  pillars  are  finely  carved  with  foliage,  and 
with  the  instruments  of  the  passion  above. 

On  one  side  is  the  tomb-stons  of  William  de  Walton,  with  a  cross  on  it.  He  was 
either  first  or  second  prior  of  this  place.  The  inscription  is  only  "  Hie  jacet  frater 
Wilelmus  de  Walton  prior  de  Cartmel." 

On  the  other  is  a  magnificent  tomb  of  a  Harrington  and  his  lady,  both  lie  recum- 
bent beneath  a  fine  carved  and  open  work  arch,  decorated  with  variety  of  superstitious 
figures  ;  and  on  the  surbase  are  grotesque  forms  of  chauntuig  monks.  He  lies  with  his 
legs  across,  a  sign  that  he  had  obtained  that  privilege  by  the  merits  of  a  pilgrimage  to 
the  holy  land,  or  a  crusade.  He  is  said  to  have  been  one  of  the  Harringtons  of  Wras- 
holm  tower,  his  Indy  a  Huddleston  of  Millam  castle.  It  is  probably  the  effigies  of  Sir 
John  de  Harrington,  who  in  1305  was  summoned  by  Edw.  I,  with  numbers  of  other 
gallant  gentlemen,  to  meet  him  at  Carlisle,  and  attend  him  on  his  expedition  into  Scot- 
land :  and  .was  then  knighted  along  with  prince  Edward,  with  bathing,  and  other  sacred 
ceremonies.f 

The  monument  erected  by  Christopher  Rawlinson  of  Carkhall,  in  Cartmel,  deserves 
mention,  being  in  memory  of  his  grandfather,  father,  and  mother.  The  last,  a  monk, 
descended  from  a  Tho.  Monk  of  Devonshire,  by  Frances  Planta^net,  daughter  and  co- 
heir of  Arthur  Viscount  Lisle,  son  of  Edw.  IV  ;  and  this  Christopher  dying  without 
issue,  was  the  last  male  by  the  mother's  side  of  that  great  line. 

In  a  side  chapel  is  the  burial-place  of  the  Lowthers ;  among  other  monuments  is  a 
neat  but  small  one  of  the  late  Sir  William. 

May  21.  Pass  through  some  fields,  a  strange  mixture  of  pasture,  rock,  and  small 
groves.  Descend  a  hill  to  Holker,  once  the  seat  of  the  family  of  the  Prestons,  since  the 
property  of  the  Lowthers,  and  lately  that  of  lord  George  Cavendish :  a  large  irregular 


*  Hist.  St.  Cuthbert  in  Hist.  Aogl.  Script.  1.  69. 


t  Dugdale's  Baronagi }  ii.  99. 


'tfil. 


p 


RNNAirrS  StCOND  TOtm  IN  SCOTLANIK 


lift 


.Pl. 


house,  seated  in  a  pretty  park,  well  wooded :  and  on  the  side  of  the  hou^e  is  a  range 
of  low  rocky  hills,  directing  the  eye  to  an  immense  chain  of  lofty  mountains. 

At  Holker  are  several  good  pictures  :  among  tlte  portraits,  th<'  l)cautiful,  abandoned, 
vindictive,  violent  duchess  of  Cleveland,  mistrcii!a  to  Charles  II,  by  Leiy. 

A  Mrs.  Lowther  by  the  same. 

Admiral  Penn,  dressed  in  black,  with  a  cravat  and  sash,  long  hair,  and  of  a  good 
honest  countenance.  He  rose  verv  early  in  life  to  the  highest  nav^  commands  ;  was  a 
captain  at  twentjr*one,  rear  admiral  or  Ireland  at  twenty-thre<;,  general  in  the  first 
Dutch  war  at  thirty-two  ;  disgraced  and  imprisoned  by  Cromwell  for  his  unsuccessful 
attempt  on  St.  Domingo,  though  he  added,  in  that  verv  expedition,  Jamaica  to  the 
kingdom  of  Great  Britain :  on  the  restoration,  commanded  under  the  duke  of  York, 
in  the  same  ship,  at  the  great  sea  fight  of  1665,  when  the  laurels  of  the  first  day  were 
blasted  by  the  unfortunate  inactivity  of  the  second  ;  for  where  princes  arc  concerned* 
the  truth  of  miscarriages  seldom  appears.  He  soon  after  retired  from  the  service,  and 
died  at  the  early  age  of  forty -nine. 

The  late  sir  James  Lowther ;  a  character  too  well  known  to  be  dwelt  on. 

The  head  of  Thomas  Wriothesly,  earl  of  Southampton,  the  friend  of  Clarendon^. 
and  virtuous  treasurer  of  the  first  years  afler  the  restoration. 

His  lady,  leanino;  on  a  globe. 

A  very  fine  head  of  a  Preston,  in  black,  a  ruff,  short  gray  hair,  round  beard. 

A  heaid  called  that  of  an  earl  Douglass,  with  this  inscription :  "  Novis  paucos  secura 
quies,  set.  suae.  xxii.  A.  M.  D.  xi."  On  the  head  a  black  bonnet,  countenance  good» 
beard  brown,  dress  black. 

A  fine  head  of  Vandyck,  when  young,  leaning :  by  himself. 

An  old  man  reading,  and  a  boy,  on  wood,  marked  j.  w.  Stap. 

Two  boys  at  dice,  and  a  woman  looking  on  :  a  Bne  piece  by  Mcrillio. 

St.  Francis  d'Assize,  kneeling,  very  fine.  And  variety  of  other  good  paintings. 
Among  them  four  by  Claude  Lorraine. 

Cross  another  tract  of  sands,  three  miles  in  breadth,  and  am  conducted  through  the 
ford  by  another  Carter.  This  officer  was  originally  maintained  by  the  priory  of  Coni. 
shed ;  but  at  the  dissolution,  the  king  charged  himself  and  his  successors  with  the  pay. 
ment :  since  that  time  it  is  held  by  patent  of  tlie  duchy  of  Lancaster,  and  the  salary  is 
paid  by  the  receiver- general.     Reach 

Ulverston,  a  town  of  about  three  thousand  souls,  seated  near  the  water  side,  and  is  an. 
proachable  at  high  water  by  vessels  of  a  hundred  and  fifty  tons ;  has  a  good  trade  m 
uvn  ore,  pig  and  bar  iron,  bark,  lime-stone,  oats  and  barley,  and  much  beans,  which 
last  are  sent  to  Liverpool,  for  the  food  of  the  poor  enslaved  negroes  in  the  Guinea 
trade.  Numbers  of  cattle  are  sold  out  of  the  neighbourhood,  but  the  commerce  in 
general  declines ;  at  present  there  are  not  above  sixty  vessels  belonging  to  the  place ; 
torroeily  about  a  hundred  and  fifly,  mostly  let  out  to  freight ;  but  both  master  and  sai- 
lors go  now  to  Liverpool  for  employ. 

Quantities  of  potatoes  are  raised  here ;  and  such  is  the  increase,  that  450  bushels 
have  been  got  from  a  single  acre  of  ground.  Some  wheat  is  raised  in  low  Fumess, 
near  the  sea,  and  in  the  isle  of  Walney :  but  the  inhabitants  of  these  parts  have  but  re< 
cently  applied  themselves  to  husbandry.  Among  the  manures  sea-sand  and  live  mus* 
cles  are  frequently  used :  but  till  within  these  twenty  years  even  the  use  of  dung  was 
scarcely  known  to  them. 

Make  an  excursion  of  four  miles  to  the  west,  to  visit  the  great  iron  mines  at  Whit- 
rigs ;  the  ore  is  found  in  immense  beds  beneath  two  strata,  one  of  pinnel  or  coarse 

VOL.   III.  B    B 


WWW^^^ii^sT^  i^-^ 


186 


fCNNANT'S  SeCOND  TOUR  IM  SCOTLAND 


I 


■! 


gruvcl,  about  rii\ccn  yardn  thick:  the  next  is  limc-stonc  of  twenty  yards:  the  stratum 
oforr  is  rathrr  uiictTtnin  in  extent,  but  is  from  ten  to  fiOccn  yards  thick,  and  forty  in 
extent ;  and  fionictinies  two  hundred  tons  have  been  tukrn  up  in  a  week.  A  cubic 
yard  oi  ore  weighs  three  tons  and  a  half:  the  common  pronucc  of  metal  ii  one  ton 
from  ilurty-five  to  forty  hundred  of  ore  ;  but  some  has  been  so  rich  ns  to  yield  a  ton  of 
iron  from  twenty-seven  hundred  of  the  mineral. 

The  ore  lies  in  vast  heaps  about  the  mines,  so  as  to  form  perfect  mountains ;  is  of 
that  species  called  by  mineralogists  haematites  and  kidney-ore  ;  is  red,  very  greasy,  and 
defiling.  The  iron  race  that  innabit  the  mining  villages  exhibit  u  strange  appearance  : 
men,  women  and  chidrcn  are  perfectly  dyed  with  it,  and  even  innocent  babes  quickly 
assume  the  jloody  complexion  of  the  soil. 

The  ore  is  carried  on  board  the  ships  for  12h.  per  ton,  each  ton  21  hundred ;  and  the 
adventurers  nay  Is.  Gd.  ner  ton  farm  for  liberty  of  raising  it.  It  is  entirely  smelted 
with  wood  charcoal,  but  is  got  in  such  quantities,  that  wood  in  these  parts  is  sometimes 
warning ;  so  that  charcoal  is  sometimes  procured  from  the  poor  woods  of  Mull,  and  other 
of  the  Hebrides.     The  port  to  these  mines  is  Burrow,  about  five  miles  to  the  south-west. 

These  mines  have  been  worked  above  four  hundred  years  ago,  as  appears  by  the  grant 
of  William  of  ^.aricaster,  lord  of  Kendal,  to  the  priory  of  Conished,  in  this  neighbour- 
hood, of  the  mine  of  Plumpton,  probably  part  of  the  pret  ;nt  vein  ;  which  he  conveys 
*'  Wbcto  introitu  ct  cxitu  ad  duos  equos  cum  hominibus  minam  cariandam,  Ccc.'"^ 

The  vestiges  of  the  ancient  workings  are  very  frequent,  and  apparent  enough,  from 
the  vast  hollows  in  the  earth  wherever  they  have  sunk  in. 

From  one  of  the  banks  have  a  grcai  view  of  the  lower  Furness,  as  far  as  appears,  a 
woodless  tract,  and  the  isle  of  Walnev,  stretching  along  the  coast,  and  forming  to  it  a 
hecure  counterscarp  from  the  rage  of  the  sea.  At  the  south  end  is  Peel  castle,  onginally 
built,  and  supported  by  the  abbey  of  Furness,  and  garrisoned  with  sixty  men,  as  a  pro- 
tection against  the  Scots. 

The  abbey  lies  opposite,  and  the  very  ruins  evince  its  former  magnificence.f  It 
was  founded  in  1127,  by  Stephen  earl  of  Moriton  of  Bologne,  afterwards  king  of 
England,  or  rather  removed  by  him  from  Tulket  in  Aundirness.  The  monks  were 
onginally  of  the  order  of  Tironensians,  of  the  rule  of  .St.  Benedict,  but  afterwards  be- 
came Cistercians.  I 

The  little  Turn,  or  water  oalled  Standing  Tarn,  is  within  sight ;  it  is  of  considerable 
depth,  and  abounds  with  pike,  roach,  and  eels ;  also  with  large  trout ;  and  is  remark- 
able for  having  no  visible  outlet,  but  discharges  its  waters  bv  some  subterraneous  passage. 

See,  towards  the  north,  at  a  small  distance,  the  hill  of  filack-Coomb,  in  Cumberland, 
often  visible  f^m  Flintshire,  and  an  infallible  presage  to  us  of  bad  weather.  I  found 
from  the  report  of  the  inhabitants  of  these  parts,  that  the  appearance  of  our  country  is 
equally  ominous  to  them,  and  equally  unacceptable. 

See  Swartz-moor  hall,  near  which  Mnrtin  Swartz  and  his  Germans  encamped  in 
1487,  with  Lambert  Simnel,  in  order  to  collect  forces  in  these  parts,  before  his  attempt 
to  wrest  the  crown  from  Henry  VII.  He  was  supported  by  sir  Thomas  Broughton, 
a  gentleman  of  this  neighboii  lood,  who,  escaping  afterwards  from  the  battle  of  Stoke, 
like  our  Owen-Glendwr,  lived  many  ^ears  (when  he  was  supposed  to  have  been  slain) 
in  great  obscurity,  supported  by  his  faithful  tenants  in  Westmoreland. 

*  Dugdale,  ii.  435. 

t  Finely  engraven  among  the  views  published  bjr  the  society  of  Antiquaries, 
i  Dugdale,  t.  704.    An  esceUent  and  full  account  of  this  abbey  has  been  lately  published,  by  M . 
Thomast  West. 


P£NNANri  SECOND  >«.  wR  IM  SCOTLAND 


187 


And  in  aftcr-times  the  melancholy  npiril  of  Gcorjjc  Fix,  the  fouiulor  of  (|iuktri?«m, 
took  possc'isionof  Swartz-moor  hall,  fir^ii  captivating  the  heart  of  a  widow,  the  relict  ol 
judge  Fell,  the  then  inhabitant,  moving  her  congenial  vjul  to  rcnign  hcrstelf  to  him  in 
the  bonds  of  matrimony.  From  thence  he  sallied  forcli,  and  I  trust,  unintentionally, 
gave  rise  to  a  crowd  ofspiricual  Quixote**  (disowned  indeed  by  his  admiicri,  us  hi«i 
genuine  followers)  who  for  u  i)criod  disturbed  mankind  wiih  -^ll  the  cxtruvagancicst  llial 
enthusiasm  could  invent. 

Return  to  Ulverston,  and  dine  with  Mr.  Kendal  of  that  placr,  who  shewed  mc  every 
civility.  In  his  possession  saw  a  sin)|;ular  tri[)odal  ju^r,  fuuud  in  the  neighbourhood  :  it 
was  wide  ut  the  bottom,  and  tiarrow  at  the  tup,  wiui  a  spout  and  handle^  madt*  of  a 
mixed  metal ;  the  height  of  the  vessel  was  eight  inches  three  quarters,  of  the  feet  two 
three  quarters.  One  of  the  same  kind  was  found  in  the  county  of  Down,*  in  Irda 
yet  probably  both  might  be  Roman,  the  last  brought  by  accident  into  that  kingdom ; 
for  Mr.  Gordon,  tab.  42.  has  given  the  Ugure  of  one  carved  on  the  side  of  an  altar. 

Proceed  by  Newland  iron  furnace ;  aucend  a  high  hill,  whose  very  top,  as  well  as 
others  adjacent,  appears  well  peopled.  Desrnjd  to  Penny-bridge,  or  Crakeford, 
where  a  ship  of  150  tons  was  then  building.  Furnaces  abound  in  these  partti,  and  va- 
rious sorts  of  implements  of  husbandry  are  made  here. 

Keep  along  a  narrow  glen  on  excellent  roads,  amidst  thick  coppices,  or  brush  woods, 
of  various  sorts  of  trees,  man>  of  them  planted  expressly  for  the  use  of  the  furnaces  or 
bloomories.  They  consist  chiefly  of  birch  and  hazel :  not  many  years  ago  ship  loads 
of  nuts  have  been  exported  from  hence.  The  ujods  arc  great  ornaments  to  the  coun- 
try, for  they  creep  high  up  the  hills :  The  owners  cut  them  down  in  equal  portions,  in 
the  rotation  of  sixteen  years,  and  raise  regular  revenues  out  of  them ;  and  often  su- 
perior to  the  rent  of  their  land,  for  freeholders  of  fifteen  or  twenty-five  pounds  per 
annum  are  known  to  make  constantly 'sixty  pounds  a  year  from  their  woods.  The 
furnaces  for  these  last  sixty  years  have  brought  a  great  deal  of  wealth  into  this  country. 

Observe  that  the  tops  of  all  the  ash  trees  were  lopped ;  and  was  informed  that  it  was 
done  to  feed  the  cattle  m  Autumn,  when  the  grass  was  on  the  decline  ;  the  cattle  peel- 
ing  off  the  bark  as  a  food.  In  queen  Elizabeth's  time  the  inhabitants  of  Colton  and 
Hawkshead  fells  remonstrated  against  the  rumber  of  bloomeries  then  in  the  country, 
because  they  consumed  all  the  loppings  una  croppings,  the  sole  winter  food  for  their 
cattle.  The  people  agreed  to  pay  to  tne  queen  the  rent  she  received  from  these  works, 
on  condition  tney  were  suppressed.  These  rents,  now  called  Blooai  Smithy,  are  paid  to 
the  crown  to  this  day,  notwithstanding  the  improved  state  of  the  country  has  rendered 
the  use  of  th£  former  indulgence  needless. 

Keep  by  the  side  of  the  river  Crake :  near  its  discharge  from  Coninston  mere,  at  a 
place  called  Waterfoot  lay  abundance  of  slate,  brought  down  by  water  from  'he  (inarries 
m  the  fells :  observed  also  great  heaps  of  birch  besoms,  which  are  also  articles  tor  ex- 
portation. 

Reach  Coninston  or  Thurstain  water,  a  beautiful  lake,  about  seven  measured  miles 
long ;  and  the  greatest  breadth  three  quarters  :  the  greatest  depth  from  thirty  to  fgrty 
fathoms.  At  the  S.  end  it  is  narrowed  by  the  projection  of  several  little  headlands, 
running  far  into  the  water,  and  forming  between  them  several  pretty  bays.  A  little 
higher  up  the  widest  part  commences  :  from  thence  it  runs  quite  straight  to  the  end,  nnt 
incurvated  as  the  maps  make  it.  The  fish  of  this  water  are  cliarr  and  pike  ;  a  few  years 
ago  the  first  were  sold  for  3s.  6d.  per  dozen,  but  thanks  to  the  luxury  of  the  times,  are 


! 


!,. 


*  Ancient  and  present  state  of  the  eountf  of  Down,  p.  55. 

B  B  3 


ififi 


VENNANrS  8kA;0ND  TOUR  IN  SCOTLAND. 


now  raised  to  eight  or  nine  shiHing;8.  The  scenery  about  tiiis  lake,  which  is  seareely 
mentioned,  is  extremely  noble.  The  E.  and  W.  sides  are  bounded  by  high  hills,,  often 
wooded ;  but  in  general  composed  of  gray  rock,  and  coarse  vegetation ;  much  juniper 
creeps  along  the  surface,  and  some  beautiful  hollies  are  finely  intermixed.  At  the  north 
western  extremity  the  vast  mountains  called  Coninston  fells  form  a  magnificent  mass. 
In  the  midst  is  a  ^at  bosom,  retiring  inward,  which  affords  great  quantities  of  fine 
slate.  The  trade  m  this  article  has  of  late  been  greatly  improved,  and  the  value  of  the 
quarries  highly  encreased :  a  work  that  twenty  years  ago  did  not  produce  to  the  land- 
lord  forty  shillings,  at  present  brings  in  annually  as  many  pounds :  and  the  whole  quan- 
tity at  this  time  exported  yearly  from  these  mountains  is  about  two  thousand  tons.  At 
their  feet  is  a  small  cultivated  tract,  filled  with  good  farm  houses,  and  near  the  water 
edge  is  the  village  and  church  of  Coninston.  ^rmerly  these  mountains  yielded  cop> 
per ;  but  of  late  the  works  have  been  neglected,  on  account  of  the  poverty  of  the  on. 

Leave  the  sides  of  the  lake,  and  ascend  a  steep  hill,  surroundol  with  vroods.  From 
the  summit  have  a  fine  view  of  the  lake,  the  stupendous  fells,  and  a  wining  chsism,  he- 
neath  some  black  and  ferrated  mountains. 

The  fields  in  those  parts  are  often  fenced  with  rows  of  great  slates,  which  no  horses 
will  attempt  leaping.  See  at  a  distance  a  piece  of  Winander  mere,  and  that  of  East- 
thwaite ;  descend  the  hill,  and  soon  reach  the  small  town  of  Hawkshead,  seated  m  a  fertile 
bottom.  In  the  church  is  an  altar  tomb,  with  the  efl^ies  of  William  Sandys,  and  Mar- 
garet his  wife,  most  rudely  cut  in  stone,  and  done  by  order  of  his  son  Edwin,  archbishop 
of  York,  wl.u  was  bom  m  a  small  house  in  thb  neighbourhood.  Round  the  tomb  is 
this  inscription : 

Conditur  hoc  tumulo,  Guiltelmus  Sandes  et  uxor, 

Cui  Margarcta  nomen  et  omen  erat. 
Armiger  iile  Tuit  percharus  regibus  olim, 

Ilia  Bed  exemplar  rcligionis  erat. 
Cunjugii  fuerant  xquali  sorte  beati.  '         .       '         '  t 

Felices  opibus,  stemmute.  prole  fide.  '    ' 

Quos  amor  el  pietas  leto  conjunxit  eodem  > 

Hua  sub  spe  vitae  continet  iste  lapis. 

May  22d,  leave  Hawkshead,  and  ride  by  the  side  of  Urswick  mere,  about  two  miles 
long,  and  three  quarters  broad ;  on  each  side  ornamented  with  a  pretty  elevated  penin- 
sulu,  jutting  far  into  the  water.  Its  fish  are  perch,  called  here  bass,  pike,  eels,  but  no 
trout.  The  eels  descend  in  multitudes  through  the  river  that  flows  from  this  mere  into 
Winander,  beginning  their  migration  with  the  first  floods  after  midsummer ;  and  cease 
on  the  first  snows.  The  inhabitants  of  the  countr}'  take  great  numbers  in  wheels  at  that 
season  ;  when  it  is  their  opinion  that  the  eels  are  going  into  the  salt  water ;  and  that  they 
return  in  spring. 

The  roads  are  excellent,  amidst  fine  woods  with  gray  rocks  patched  with  moss  rising 
above.  In  one  place  observed  a  HoUv-park,  a  tract  preserved  entirely  fiir  sheep,  who 
are  fed  in  winter  with  the  croppings.  Wild  cats  inhabit  in  too  great  plenty  these  woods 
and  rocks. 

The  Lichen  Tartareus,  or  stone  rag,  as  it  is  called  here,  incrusts  most  of  the  stones : 
is  gathered  for  the  use  of  the  dyers  by  the  peasants,  who  sell  it  at  a  penny  [wr  pound, 
and  can  collect  two  stone  weight  of  it  in  a  day. 

Reach  Graithwaite,  the  seat  of  Mr.  Sandys ;  and  from  the  cats  craig,  an  eminence 
near  the  house,  have  an  extensive  view  up  and  down  the  water  of  Winander,  for  seve^ 
ral  miles.    The  variety  of  beautiful  bays  that  indent  the  shore ;  the  fine  wctoded  risiogs 


miitrmmm^:.im — 


PENNANrS  SECOND  TOUR  IN  SCOTLAND. 


189 


carcely 
s„  often 
juniper 

north 
itmass. 
of  fine 

or  the 
ie  land- 
<:  quan- 
na.  At 
le  water 
led  cop- 
are. 

From 
atsni}  be- 

10  horses 
of  East, 
n  a  fertile 
ind  Mar- 
;:hbishop 
e  tomb  IS 


■»  J 


two  miles 
ted  penin- 
Is,  but  no 
mere  into 
and  cease 
lels  at  that 
1  that  they 

noss  rising 
lieep,  who 
icse  woods 

l^ic  stones: 
[ler  pound, 

1  eminence 
r,  for  seve^ 
dednuogs 


that  bound  each  side ;  and  the  northern  termination  of  lofty  fells  patched  with  snow, 
compose  a  scene  the  most  picturesoue  that  can  be  imagined. 

See  on  the  plain  part  of  these  hilts  numbers  of  springes  for  woodcocks,  laid  bettveen 
tufts  of  heath,  with  avenues  of  small  stones  on  each  side,  to  direct  these  foolish  birds  into 
the  snares,  for  they  will  not  hop  over  the  pebbles.  Multitudes  are  taken  in  this  man. 
ner  in  the  open  weather  {  and  sold  on  the  spot  for  sixteen  pence  or  twenty  pence  a 
couple  (about  20  years  ago  at  six  pence  or  seven  pence)  and  sent  to  the  all-devouring 
capital,  by  the  Kendal  stage. 

After  breakfast,  take  boat  at  a  little  neighbourin{^  creek,  and  have  a  most  advantage* 
ous  view  of  this  beautiful  lake,  being  favoured  with  a  calm  day  and  fine  sky.  The 
length  of  this  water  is  about  twelve  miles ;  the  breadth  about  a  mile ;  for  the  width  is 
unequal,  from  the  multitude  of  pretty  bays  that  give  such  an  elegant  sinuosity  to  its 
shores,  espedally  those  on  the  east,  or  the  Westmoreland  side.  The  horns  of  these  little 
ports  project  far,  and  are  finely  wooded ;  as  are  all  the  lesser  hills  that  skirt  the  water. 

At  a  distance  is  another  series  of  hills,  lofty,  rude,  gray  and  mossy ;  and  above  them 
soar  the  immense  heights  of  the  fells  of  Coninston,  the  mountains  of  Wrynose  and 
Hard-knot,  and  the  conic  points  of  Langden  fells ;  all  except  the  first  in  Cumberland. 

The  waters  are  discharged  out  at  the  south  end  at  Newby-bridge,  with  a  rapid  pre- 
cipitous current,  then  assume  the  name  of  Leven,  and  after  a  course  of  two  miles  fall 
into  the  estuary  called  the  Leven  sands.  The  depth  of  this  lake  is  various,  from  four 
yards  and  a  half  to  seventy-four,  and,  excepting  near  the  sides,  the  bottom  is  entirely 
rocky  :  in  some  places  are  vast  subaqueous  precipices,  the  rock  falling  at  once  perpen. 
dicular,  for  the  depth  of  twenty  yards,  within  forty  of  the  shore ;  and  the  same  depth  is 
preserved  across  the  channel.  The  fall  of  the  Leven,  fit)m  the  lake  to  high  water 
mark,  is  ninety  feet;  the  deepest  part  of  the  lake  a  hundred  and  thirty-two  beneath 
that  point. 

The  boatmen  directed  their  course  northward,  and  brought  us  by  the  heathy  isle  of 
Lingholm,  and  the  far  projecting  cape  of  Rawlinson*s  Nab.  On  the  left  hand  observe 
the  termination  (tf  Lancashire,  just  south  of  the  stor,  a  great  promontory  in  Westmore- 
land, all  the  remaining  western  side  is  claimed  by  the  first ;  but  Westmoreland  bounds 
the  rest,  so  has  the  fairest  claim  to  call  itself  owner  of  this  superb  water. 

On  doubling  the  stor  a  new  expanse  opened  before  us ;  left  the  little  isle  of  Grow- 
holme  on  the  right,  traversed  the  lake  towards  the  horse  ferry,  and  a  little  beyond  the 
great  Holme  of  thirty  acres  crosses  the  water,  and  conceals  the  rest.  This  delicious  isle 
IS  blest  with  a  rich  pasturage,  is  adorned  with  a  pretty  grove,  and  has  on  it  a  good 
house. 

It  has  been  the  fortune  of  this  beautiful  retreat  often  to  change  masters :  the  flatter- 
ing hopes  of  the  charms  of  retirement  have  misled  several  to  purchase  it  from  the  last 
cheated  owner,  who  after  a  little  time  discovered,  that  a  constant  enjoyment  of  the  same 
objects,  delightful  as  they  were,  soon  satiated.  There  must  be  something  more  than 
external  charms  to  makt  a  retreat  from  the  world  long  endurable ;  the  qualifications 
requisite  fall  to  the  share  of  a  very  few ;  without  them  disgust  and  weariness  will  soon 
invade  their  privacy,  notwithstanding  they  courted  it  with  all  the  passion  and  all  the 
romance  with  which  the  poet  did  hb  mistress.* 

Sic  ego  secretis  possum  bend  vWere  sylvis, 
Qua  nulla  humano  sit  via  trita  pede. 
'■'  Tu  mibi  curarum  requies,  tu  nocte  vel  atra 

. .       .  Lumen,  et  in  soils  tu  mihi  turba  locis. 

'  •  TiballuB  IT.  13.  9. 


S 


190 


PENNANTS  SECOND  TOUH  IN  SCOTLAND. 


' 


lit 


From  this  island  began  a  new  and  broader  extent  of  water,  bounded  on  the  west  by  the 
bold  and  lofty  face  of  a  steep  hill,  patched  with  the  deep  green  of  vast  yews  and  hollies, 
that  embellished  its  naked  slope.  This  expanse  is  vaned  with  several  very  pretty  isles, 
some  bare,  others  just  appear  above  water,  tufted  with  trees :  on  the  north-east  side  is 
the  appearance  of  much  cultivation ;  a  tract  near  the  village  of  Boulness  falls  gently  to 
the  water  edge,  and  rises  again  fur  up  a  high  and  large  mountain,  beyond  which  is  a 
grand  skreen  of  others,  the  pointed  heads  of  Troutbcck  fells,  the  vast  rounded  mass 
of  Fairfield,  and  the  still  higher  summit  of  Rydal. 

Land,  and  dine  in  Westmoreland  at  Boulness,  anciently  called  Winander,  giving 
name  to  the  lake ;  and  am  here  treated  with  most  delicate  trout  and  perch,  the  fish  of 
this  water.  The  charr  is  found  here  in  great  plenty,  and  of  a  size  superior  to  those  in 
Wales.  They  spawn  about  Michaelmas,  in  the  river  Brathay,  which,  with  the  Row- 
thay,  are  the  great  feeds  of  the  lake,  preferring  the  rocky  bottom  of  the  former  to  the 
gravelly  bottom  of  the  other.  The  fishermen  distinguish  two  varieties,  the  case-charr, 
and  the  gelt-charr,  i.  e.  a  fish  which  had  not  spawneid  the  .last  season,  and  esteemed  by 
them  the  more  delicate  :  this  spawns  from  the  beginning  of  Januairy  to  the  end  of  March, 
and  never  ascends  the  river,  but  selects  for  that  purpose  the  most  gravelly  parts  of  the 
lake,  and  that  which  abounds  roost  with  springs.  It  is  taken  in  greatest  plenty  from  the 
end  of  September  to  the  end  of  November,  but  at  other  times  is  very  rarely  met  with. 

.The  monks  of  the  abbey  of  Fumess  had  a  grant  from  William  of  Lancaster,  privileg- 
ing them  to  fish  on  this  water  with  one  boat  and  twenty  nets ;  but  in  case  any  of  the 
servants  belon^ng  to  the  abbey,  and  so  employed,  misbehaved  themselves,  they  were 
to  be  chastised  by  the  lord  of  the  water ;  and  in  case  they  refused  to  submit,  the  abbot 
was  bound  to  discharge  them,  and  make  them  forfeit  their  wages  for  their  delinquency.* 

Remount  my  horse«  and  continue  my  journey  along  the  sides  of  the  lake,  and  from 
an  eminence  about  half  a  mile  N.  of  the  village  of  Boulness  have  a  fine  view  of  the 
water  and  all  its  windings ;  and  observe  that  the  last  bend  points  very  far  to  the  west. 

On  advancing  towards  the  end  have  an  august  prospect  of  the  whole  range  of  these 
northern  apennines,  exhibiting  all  the  variety  of  grandeur  in  the  uniform  immense  mass, 
the  conic  summit,  the  broken  ridge,  and  the  overhanging  crag,  with  the  deep  chasm -like 
passages  far  winding  along  their  bases,  rendered  more  horrible  by  the  blackening  shade 
of  the  rocks. 

Among  the  birds  which  possess  this  exalted  tract,  the  eagles  are  the  first  in  rank  : 
they  breed  in  many  places.  If  one  is  killed,  the  other  gets  a  new  mate,  and  retains  its 
ancient  aery.  Those  who  take  their  nests  find  in  them  remains  of  great  numbers  of 
moor  game :  they  are  besides  very  pernicious  to  the  heronries :  it  is  remarked,  in  the 
laying  season  of  the  herons,  when  the  eagles  terrify  them  from  their  nests,  that  crows, 
watching  the  opportunity,  will  steal  aWay  their  eggs. 

The  red  deer,  which  still  run  wild  m  Martindale  forest,  sometimes  straggle  into 
those  parts. 

Reach  Ambleside,  a  small  town  above  the  extremity  of  the  lake :  the  inhabitants  of 
these  parts  are  very  industrious ;  are  much  employed  in  knitting  stockings  for  Kendal 
market ;  in  spinning  woolen  yarn,  and  in  making  thread  to  weave  their  Imsies.  The 
countenances  of  the  people  begin  to  alter ;  especially  in  the  tender  sex ;  the  face  be^na 
to  square,  and  the  cheek  bone  begins  to  rise,  as  if  syuiptomatic  of  my  approaching  to. 
wards  North  Britain. 

Below  Ambleside,  in  a  meadow  near  the  river  Brathay,  is  a  Roman  camp,  the  sup- 
posed Dictis  of  the  Notitisj  where  coins,  bricks,  Sec.  have  been  often  found.    The  out- 

*  Dugdale  Monast.  1.  706. 


I 


?l¥rP 


rana-wiWIiBW— 


PEKNANrS  SECOND  TOUR  IK  SCOTLAND. 


191 


line  of  the  work  is  still  visible,  and  its  extent  is  four  hundred  feet  one  way,  and  three; 
hundred  the  other :  it  was  the  station  of  part  of  the  cohort  of  the  Numerus  Nerviorum 
Dictensium,  and  placed  ver^  conveniently  to  comntand  several  passes. 

May  23.  At  a  small  distance  from  Ambleside,  see  RydaUliall,  the  house  of  Sir 
Michael  le  Fleming,  placed  in  a  most  magnificent  situation,  having  the  lake  full  in 
front,  a  rich  intervening  fore-ground,  and  on  each  side  a  stupendous  guard  of  moun- 
tains. This  family  have  been  fixed  in  rhe  north  ever  since  the  conquest,  and  became 
owners  of  Rydal-hall  by  a  marriage  with  one  of  the  coheiresses,  daughter  of  Sir  John 
de  Lancaster,  in  the  time  of  Henry  IV. 

Stork^U  force,  near  Ambleside,  and  two  cascades  near  Rydal-hall,  deserve  a  visit 
from  the  traveller. 

Near  the  house  is  a  lofly  rocky  brae,  clothed  with  multitudes  of  gigantic  yews  and 
hollies,  that  from  their  size  and  antiquity  ^ive  it  a  most  venerable  appearance ;  and  not 
far  from  its  foot  is  Rydal  water,  about  a  mile  long,  beautified  with  little  isles. 

Go  through  Rydal  pass,  or,  in  the  dialect  of  the  country,  Rydal  haws,  or  gullet. 
Ride  through  Grass-mere,  a  fertile  vale,  with  a  lake  closed  at  the  end  by  a  noble  pyra- 
midal  mountain,  called  Helm-crag,  with  a  rude  and  broken  top,  singularly  grand.* 

On  a  high  pass-  between  the  hills  observe  a  large  Carnedd,  called  Dunmail  Wrays 
stones,  collected  in  memory  of  a  defeat,  A.  1).  946,  given  to  a  petty  king  of  Cumber- 
land, of  that  name,  by  Eldmund  I,  who  with  the  usual  barbarity  of  the  times,  put  out 
the  eyes  of  hb  two  sons,  and  gave  his  country  to  Malcolm,  king  of  Scotland,  on 
condition  he  preserved  in  peace  the  northern  parts  of  England. 

The  descent  from  hence  to  the  vale  of  Keswick  nine  miles. 

Near  this  place  enter  Cumberland,  having  on  the  left  the  long  extended  front  of 
Helvellin  fells.  Most  of  the  hills  in  these  parts  are  fine  sheep  walks,  smooth  and  well 
turfed.  The  sheCp  are  small,  but  the  mutton  exquisitely  tasted,  being  seldom  killed 
before  it  is  six  or  seven  years  old.  The  wool  is  coarse,  but  manufiictured  into  ordinary 
carpets  and  blankets.  No  goats  are  kept  here,  on  account  of  the  damage  they  would  do 
to  the  woods. 

Arrive  within  sight  of  Thirl-water,  a  most  beautiful  but  narrow  lake,  filling  the  bot- 
tom of  a  long  dale  for  near  four  miles.  From  an  eminence  near  Dale-head  house 
have  a  picturesque  view  over  great  part  of  its  extent.  About  the  middle,  the  land  for 
above  a  hundred  yards  approaches,  and  contracts  the  water  to  the  size  of  a  little  river, 
over  which  is  a  true  Alpine  bridge ;  and  behind  that  the  water  instantly  resumes  the 
former  breadth. 

Regaining  the  road,  have  a  strange  and  horrible  view  downwards,  into  a  deep  and 
mis^  vale  Tcalled  the  vale  of  St.  John)  at  this  time  appearing  bottomless,  and  winding 
far  amidst  the  mountains,  darkened  by  their  height*  and  the  thick  clouds  that  hung  on 
their  summits. 

In  the  course  of  the  descent,  vbit,  under  the  guidance  of  Doctor  Brownrigg  (the 
first  discoverer)  a  fine  piece  of  antiquity,  of  that  kind  which  is  attributed  to  the  Druids. 
An  arrangement  of  great  stones,  tending  to  an  oval  figure,  is  to  be  seen  near  the  road 
side,  about  a  mile  and  a  half  from  Keswick,  on  the  summit  ofiia  pretty  broad  and  high 
hill,  in  an  arable  field  called  Castle.  The  area  is  thirty-four  yards  from  north  to  south, 
and  near  thirty  from  east  to  west ;  but  many  of  the  stones  are  fallen  down,  some  in- 
ward, others  outward;  according  to  the  plan,  they  are  at  present  forty  in  number. 


*  My  idea  of  this  and  other  romantic  scenes  in  this  part  is  improved  by  a  very  good  drawing  made  in 
1790  by  my  ingenious  friend  Paul  Panton,  Esq.  jun. 


192 


rBNMAMT'S  SECOND  TOVtt  IN  SCOTLANt). 


.It, 

I': 


Ac  the  north  eikl  are  two,  much  larger  than  the  rest,  standing  fiv:  feet  and  a  half 
above  the  soil :  between  these  may  be  supposed  to  have  been  the  principal  entrance ;  op- 
posite to  it,  on  the  S.  side«  are  others  of  nearly  the  same  height ;  and  on  the  eant  is  one 
near  seven  feet  high.  But  what  distinguishes  this  from  all  other  Druidical  remains  of 
this  nature,  is  a  rectangular  recess  on  tM  east  side  of  the  area,  formed  of  great  stones, 
like  those  of  the  oval.  These  structures  are  considered  in  general  to  have  been  temples, 
or  places  of  worship :  the  recess  here  mentioned  seems  to  have  been  allotted  for  the 
Druids,  the  priests  of  the  place,  a  sort  of  Holy  of  Holies,  where  they  met,  separated 
from  the  vulgar,  to  perform  their  rights,  their  divinations,  or  to  sit  in  council,  to  de- 
termine on  controversies,  to  compromise  all  differences  about  limits  of  land,  or  about 
inheritances,  or  for  the  trial  of  the  greater  criminals  ',*  the  Druids  pos^ssing  both  the 
office  of  priest  and  judge.  The  cause  that  this  recess  was  placed  on  the  east  side, 
seems  to  arise  from  the  respect  paid  by  the  ancient  natives  of  this  isle  to  that  beneficent 
luminary  the  sun,  not  originally  an  idolatrous  respect,  but  merely  as  a  symbol  of  the 
glorious  all'Seeing  Being,  its  great  Creator. 

I  have  also  seen  fibula  cut  out  of  a  flat  piece  of  silver,  of  a  form  better  to  be  expressed 
by  the  figure  than  words.  Its  breadth  is,  from  one  exterior  side  to  the  other,  four 
inches.  This  was  discovered  lodged  in  the  mud,  on  deepening  a  fish-pond  in  Brayton 
Park  in  Cumberland,  the  seat  of  sir  Wilfrid  Lawson,  and  communicated  to  me  by 
Doctor  Brownrigg.  With  it  was  found  a  large  silver  hook  of  two  ounces  weight 
The  length  of  the  shank,  from  the  top  to  the  curvature  at  bottom,  four  inches  and  three 
eights.     The  hook  not  so  long. 

Arrive  near  the  Elysium  of  the  north,  the  vale  of  Keswick,  a  circuit  between  land  and 
water  of  about  twenty  miles.  From  an  eminence  above,  command  a  fine  bird's  eye 
view  of  the  whole  of  the  broad  fertile  plain,  the  town  of  Keswick,  the  white  church  of 
Crosswhaite,  the  boasted  lake  of  Derwentwater,  and  the  beginning  of  that  of  Basaenth- 
waite,  with  a  full  sight  of  the  vast  circumjacent  mountains  that  guard  this  delicious 
spot. 

Dine  at  Keswick,  a  small  market  town:  where,  and  in  the  neighbourhood,  are 
manufactures  of  carpets,  flannels,  linsies  aiid  yarn :  the  last  sold  to  people  from  Cocker- 
mouth,  who  come  for  it  every  market  day.  in.  i . ,-  t    ' 

Take  boat  on  the  celebrated  lake  of  Derwentwater.  The  form  is  irregular,  extend- 
ing from  north  to  south,  about  three  miles  and  a  half.  The  greatest  depth  is  twenty  feet 
in  a  channel,  running  from  end  to  end,  probably  formed  by  the  river  Derwent,  which 
passes  through,  and  gives  name  to  the  lake.  The  name  is  taken  from  Derwen  an  oak, 
probably  bestowed  on  it  by  the  Cumbrian  Britons,  from  the  plenty  of  that  timber  on  its 
banks  and  those  of  the  lake. 

The  views  on  every  side  are  very  different :  here  all  th6  f)ossible  variety  of  Alpine 
scenery  is  exhibited,  with  all  the  horror  of  precipice,  broken  crag,  or  over-hanging 
rock,  or  insulated  pyramidal  hills,  contrasted  with  others,  whose  smooth  and  vei^nt 
sides  swelling  into  aerial  heights  at  once  please  and  surprise  the  eye. 

The  two  extremities  of  the^  lake  athxcd  most  (Uscordant  prospects :  the  southern  is  a 
composition  of  all  that  i%  horrible ;  an  immense  chasm  opens  in  the  midst,  whose  en- 
trance is  divided  by  a  rude  conic  hill,  once  topt  with  a  castle,  the  habitation  of  the  ty- 
rant  of  the  rocks ;  beyond,  a  seiies  of  broken  mountainous  crags,  now  patched  with 
snow,  soar  one  above  the  other^  overshadowing  the  dark  winding  deeps  of  Borrowdale. 
In  these  black  recesses  are  lodged  variety  of  minerals,  the  origin  of  evil  by  .their  abuse, 
and  placed  by  nature  not  remote  from  the  fountain  of  it. 

*  Cci.  de  Bello  Gal.  lib.  vi. 


PENKANTf  IBCOND  TOUtt  IN  SCOTLAND,  {  95 

^,,,,  .  Itum  cit  in  vitcera  terrct 

,  Quaaqua  recondident  atygiUque  removerat  umbiisi 

*'''  •  Eflbdiuntur  opea. 

But  the  opposite  or  northern  view  is  in  all  respects  a  strong  and  beautiful  contrast :  Skid- 
daw  shews  its  vast  base,  and  bounding  all  that  part  of  the  vale,  rises  gently  to  a  height 
that  sinks  the  neighbouring  hills ;  opens  a  pleasine  front,  smooth  and  verdant,  smilinc; 
over  the  country  Tike  a  gentk;  generous  lond,  while  the  fells  of  Borrowdale  frown  on  it 
like  a  hardened  tyrant  Skiddaw  is  covered  with  grass  to  within  half  a  mile  of  the  sum- 
mit ;  after  which  it  becomes  stony.  The  view  from  the  top  extends  northward  over 
Solway  firth  and  various  of  the  Scottish  mountains ;  to  the  west  the  sea  and  the  isle 
of  Man ;  while  the  interjacent  country  exhibits  a  flatter  variety,  no  bad  contrast  to  the 
rude  and  exalted  fells  of  Borrowdale :  finally,  to  the  east  appear  the  dreary  mountains 
of  Westmoreland,  less  interesting  than  the  rest  of  the  scenery. 

Each  boundary  of  the  lake  seems  to  take  part  with  the  extremities,  and  emulates 
their  appearance :  the  southern  varies  in  rocks  of  different  forms,  firom  the  tremendous 
precipices  of  the  Ladv*s>leap,  the  broken  front  of  the  Falcon's-nest,  to  the  more  distant 
concave  curvature  of  Lowdore,  an  extent  of  precipitous  rock,  with  trees  vegetating 
from  the  numerous  fissures,  and  the  foam  of  a  cataract  precipitating  amidst. 

The  entirance  mto  Borrowdale  divides  the  scene,  and  the  northern  side  alters  into 
milder  forms ;  a  salt  spring,  once  the  property  of  the  monks  of  Fumess,  trickles  along 
the  shore ;  hills  ^the  resort  of  shephenls)  wiui  downy  fronts  and  lofty  summits  succeed, 
with  woods  clothmg  their  bases,  even  to  the  water's  edge. 

Not  fiu*  from  hence  the  environs  appear  to  the  navigator  of  the  lake  to  the  greatest 
advantage,  for  on  every  side  mountains  olose  the  prospect,  and  form  an  amphitheatre 
almost  matchless. 

Loch-Lomond  in  Scotland,  and  Lough-tene  in  Ireland,  are  powerfiil  rivals  to  the 
lake  in  question.  Was  a  native  of  either  of  those  kingdoms  to  demand  my  opinion  of 
their  respective  beauties,  I  must  answer,  as  the  subtle  Melvil  did  the  vain  Elizabeth  : 
"  that  she  was  the  feirest  person  in  England,  and  mine  the  fiiirest  in  Scotland." 

The  isles  that  decorate  this  water  are  few,  but  finely  disposed,  and  very  distinct ;  rise 
with  gentle  and  regular  curvatures  above  the  surface,  consist  of  verdant  turf,  or  are 
planted  with  various  trees.  The  principal  is  the  Lord's  island,  about  five  acres,  where 
the  Radcliffi:  fiunily  had  some  time  its  residence :  and  from  this  lake  took  the  tide  of 
Derwentwater.  The  last  ill-fated  earl  lost  his  life  and  fortune  by  the  rebellion  of  1715 ; 
and  his  estate,  now  amounting  to  twenty  thousand  pounds  per  annum  (the  mines  in- 
cluded) is  vested  in  trustees,  for  the  support  of  Greenwich  Hospital. 

St.  Herbert's  isle  was  noted  for  the  residence  of  that  saint,  t.ie  bosom  friend  of  St. 
Cuthbert,  who  wbhed,  and  obtained  his  wish,  of  departing  this  life  on  the  same  day, 
hour  and  minute,  with  that  holy  man. 

The  water  of  Derwentwater  is  subject  to  violent  agitations,  and  often  without  any 
apparent  cause,  as  was  the  case  this  day ;  the  weather  was  calm,  yet  the  waves  ran  a 
a  great  height,  and  the  boat  was  tossed  violendy  with  what  is  called  a  bottom  wind. 

This  lake  gave  name  to  the  ancient  family  de  Derwentwater  before  the  time  of  Ed- 
ward I.  By  the  marriage  of  Margaret,  onW  dau^ter  of  Sir- John  de  Derwentwater, 
in  the  rei^  of  Heniy  VI,  to  Sir  Nicholas  Radclifie,  of  Dilston,  in  Northumberiand, 
Sir  Francis,  one  of  his  descendants,  was  created  by  James  11,  earl  of  Derwentwater ; 
a  title  extinct  in  1715,  by  the  unhappy  end  of  his  son  James. 

May  24.  Went  to  Crossthwaite  church ;  observed  a  monument  of  Sir  John  RaddilF 
.  and  dame  Alice  hie  wife,  with  their  effigies  on  small  brass  plates :  the  inscription  b  in 

VOL*  III.  c  c 


m 


—■Tua^m'-.-^mi  'KW^^^.^J^W^^ 


194 


NNANT'S  SECOND  TOUR  IN  SCOTLAND. 


the  Style  of  the  times :  **  Of  your  charity  pray  for  the  soulc  of  sir  John  RadcliflT, 
knight,  and  for  the  soule  of  dame  Alice  his  wife,  which  sir  John  died  the  2d  day  of 
February,  A.  D.  1527,  on  whose  soule  the  Lord  have  mercy."  Here  are  also  two 
recumbent  alabaster  figures  of  a  man  and  a  woman;  he  in  a  gown,  with  a  purse  at  his 
girdle. 

This  is  the  church  to  Keswick,  and  has  five  chapels  belonging  to  it.  The  livings  of 
this  county  have  been  of  late  years  much  improved  by  queen  Anne's  bounty,  and  there 
are  none  of  less  value  than  thirty  pounds  a  year.  It  is  not  very  long  since  the  minister's 
stipend  was  five  pounds  per  annum,  a  goose-grass,  or  the  right  of  commoning  his  goose ; 
a  whittle-gait,  or  the  valuable  privilege  of  usin^  his  knife  for  a  week  at  a  time  at  any 
table  in  the  parish ;  and  lastly,  a  hardened  sark,  i.  e.  a  shirt  of  coarse  linen. 

Saw  at  Doctor  Brownrigg's,  of  Ormathwaite>  whose  hospitality  I  experienced  for 
two  days,  great  variety  of  the  ores  of  Borrowdale,  such  as  lead,  common  and  fibrous, 
black-jack,  and  black-lead  or  wad.  The  last  is  found  in  greater  quantities  and  purity 
in  those  mountains  than  in  other  parts  of  the  world.  Is  the  property  of  a  few  gentle- 
men, who,  lest  the  markets  should  be  glutted,  open  the  mine  only  once  in  seven  years, 
then  cause  it  to  be  filled  and  otherwise  secured  from  the  depredation^  of  the  neighbour- 
ing miners,  who  will  run  any  risk  to  procure  so  valuable  an  article,  for  the  best  sells 
from  eight  to  twelve  shillings  a  pound.  The  legislature  hath  also  guarded  their  pro< 
perty  by  making  the  robberv  felony. 

It  is  of  great  use  in  making  pencils,  black  lead  crucibles  for  fusine  of  metals,  for 
casting  of  bombs  and  cannon-b^ls,  cleaning  arms,  for  glazing  of  eartnen-ware ;  and 
some  assert  that  it  may  be  used  medicinally  to  ease  the  pains  of  gravel,  stone,  stranguary, 
and  cholic  :  it  has  been  supposed,  but  withoyt  foundation,  to  nave  been  the  melanteria 
and  pnigitis  of  Dioscorides :  Dr.  Merret  calls  it  nigrica  fabrilis,  and  the  people  of  the 
country  kiilow  and  wad,  from  the  colouring  quality :  killow,  or  collow,  signifying  the 
dirt  of  coal,  and  wad  seems  derived  from  woad,  a  deep  dying  plant.^ 

Till  of  hte  years,  the  superstition  of  the  bel-tein  was  kept  up  in  these  parts,  and  in 
this  rural  sacrifice  it  was  customary  for  the  performers  to  bring  with  them  boughs  of 
the  mountain  ash. 

May  25.  Continue  my  journey :  pass  along  the  vale  of  Keswi£k,  and  keep  above  Bas- 
senthwaite  water,  at  a  small  cultivate  distance  from  it :  this  lake  is  a  fine  expanse  of 
four  miles  in  length,  bounded  on  one  side  by  high  hills,  wooded  in  many  places  to  their 
bottoms ;  on  the  other  side  by  fields  and  the  skirts  of  Skiddaw. 

Between  the  lakes  of  Derwentwater  and  Bassenthwaite  is  a  road  which  leads  thrbugt^ 
the  valley  of  Newlands  to  Butter-mere  and  Crommach- water,  two  small  lakes  of  extra- 
ordinary and  romantic  wildness.  The  cataract  of  Scale-force,  near  the  last,  has  great 
peculiarity.  The  report  of  my  friend  is  so  warm  in  the  praises  of  the  scenery  of  these 
lakes,  that  I  regret  greatly  the  loss  of  what  I  should  have  so  fully  enjoyed. 

Marks  of  the  i)lough  appear  on  the  tops  of  many  of  the  hills.  Tradition  says,  that 
in  the  reign  of  king  John  the  Pope  cursed  all  the  lower  grounds,  and  thus  obliged  the 
inhabitants  to  make  the  hills  arable :  but  I  rather  believe  that  John  himself  drove  them 
to  this  cruel  necessity ;  for  out  of  resentment  to  their  declining  to  follow  his  standards 
to  the  borders  of  Scotlah4'  he  cut  down  their  hedges,  levelled  the  ditches,  and  gave  all 
the  cultivated  tracts  of  the  north  to  the  beasts  of  chace,  on  his  return  from  hu  expe- 
dition. . . ;    ,       ...  ., .,  ,..        .,.,„ 


-,fi-  ....-f.tp  s: 


;if>i»t.v, 


.:/?V*fJ 


■<V»  -'-r't'  • 


*  M.  S.  letter  of  Bishop  Nicholson  to  Doctor  Woodward,  Aug.  5.1713. 


i     'f. 


PZNKANTS  SECOND  TOUR  IN  SCOTLAND. 


19o 


From  Mr.  Spedyn's,  of  Armethwaite,  at  the  lower  extremity  of  the  lake,  have  a  fine 
vitw  of  the  whole.  Near  this  place  the  Dcrwcnt  quits  the  lake,  pnii&ing  under  Ouse 
bridge,  consisting  of  three  arches.  Salmons  come  up  the  river  from  the  sea  about  Mi. 
chaeTmas,  and  rorce  their  way  through  both  lakes  as  far  as  Borrowclale.  They  had 
lately  been  on  their  return,  but  the  water  near  the  bridge  proving  too  shallow  to  permit 
them  to  proceed,  thev  were  taken  by  dozens,  in  very  bad  order,  in  the  nets  that  were 
drawing  for  trout  at  the  end  of  the  lake. 

Op  a  hill  near  this  spot  is  a  circular  British  entrenchment ;  and  I  was  told  of  others 
of  a  square  form,  at  a  few  miles  distance,  at  the  foot  of  Caermote ;  I  suppose  Roman. 

The  country  now  begins  to  lower,  ceases  to  be  mountainous,  but  swells  into  extensive 
risings.  Ride  near  the  Derwent,  and  pass  through  the  hamlets  of  Isel,  Blincraik,  and 
Redmain ;  in  a  few  places  wooded,  but  generally  naked,  badly  cultivated,  and  inclosed 
with  stone  walls.  Reach  Bridekirk,  a  village  with  a  small  church,  noted  for  an  ancient 
font,  found  at  Papcastle,  with  an  inscription,  explained  by  the  learned  prelate  Nicholson, 
in  Camden's  Britannia,  and  engraven  in  the  second  volume  of  the  works  of  the  Society 
of  Antiquaries.  The  height  b  two  feet  and  an  inch ;  the  form  square ;  on  each  side 
are  different  sculptures ;  on  one  a  cross,  on  another  a  two-headed  monster,  with  a  triple 
flower  falling  from  one  common  stem,  hanging  from  its  mouth :  beneath  is  a  person, 
St.  John  Baptist,  performing  the  office  of  baptism  by  the  immersion  of  a  child,  our  Sa< 
viour:  and  above  the  child  is  a  (now)  imperfect  dove;  on  a  third  side  is  a  sort  of 
centaur,  attacked  by  a  bird  and  some  animal ;  and  under  them  the  angel  driving  our 
first  father  out  of  Eiden,  while  Eve  clings  close  to  the  tree  of  life. 

And  on  the  fourth  side  two  birds,  with  some  ornaments  and  figures  beneath ;  and  the 
inscription  in  Runic  characters,  thus  decyphered  by  the  bishop :  '*  £r  Erkard  han  men 
egrocten,  and  to  dis  men  red  wer  Taner  men  brogten."    That  is  to  say. 

Here  Erkard  was  converted,  and  to  this  man's  example  were  the  Danes  brought. 

It  is  certain  that  the  inscription  was  cut  in  memory  of  this  remarkable  event ;  but 
whether  the  font  was  made  expressly  on  the  occasion,  or  whether  it  was  not  of  much 
more  ancient  date  (as  the  antiquary  supposes)  and  the  inscription  put  on  at  the 
time  of  thb  conversion,  appears  to  me  at  this  period  very  uncertain. 

Pass,  not  far  from  Bridekirk,  through  the  village  of  Papcastle,  once  a  Roman  station, 
conjectured  by  Mr.  Horsely  to  have  been  the  derventione  of  the  geographer  Ravenna, 
where  many  monuments  of  antiquity  have  been  found.  In  a  field  on  the  left,  on  de- 
scending into  the  village,  are  the  remains  of  some  dikes.    Reach 

Cockermouth,  a  large  town  with  broad  streets,  irregularly  built,  washed  by  the  Der- 
went on  the  western  side,  and  divided  into  two  by  the  Cocker,  and  the  parts  connected 
by  A  bridge  of  a  single  arch.  The  number  of  inhabitants  are  between  three  and  four 
thousand :  the  manufactures  are  shalloons,  worsted  stockings,  and  hats ;  the  last  ex- 
ported from  Glasgow  to  the  West- Indies.  It  is  a  borough  town,  and  the  right  of  vot- 
ing is  vested  by  burgess  tenure  in  certain  houses  :  this  is  also  the  town  where  the  county 
elections  are  made. 

The  castle  is  seated  on  an  artificial  mount,  on  a  bank  above  the  Derwent :  is  square, 
and  is  strengthened  with  several  square  towers :  on  each  side  of  the  inner  gate  are  two 
deep  dungeons,  capable  of  holding  fifty  persons  in  either ;  ai:e  vaulted  at  top,  and  have 
cnly  a  small  opening,  in  order  to  lower  through  it  the  unhappy  prisoners  into  this  dire 
prison  ;  and  on  the  outside  of  each  is  a  narrow  slit  with  a  slope  from  it ;  and  down  this 
were  shot  the  provisions  allotted  to  the  wretched  inhabitants.  In  the  feudal  times  death 
and  captivity  were  almost  synonymous ;  but  the  first  was  certainly  preferable ;  which 
may  be  one  cause  why  the  battles  of  ancient  days  were  so  bloody. 

c  c  2 


I 


1^ 

I 


?'t?3raK5'*'Jj^5S«??d^rrv;v':?p*r»';r,^' 


i 


19C 


FKKNAim  SBeOHO  TOUR  fH  SCOTLAHO. 


This  castle  was  founded  by  Waldof,  first  lord  of  AUerdole,  and  ton  of  Gospatrick, 
earl  of  Northumberland,  cotemporary  with  William  the  conqueror;  Waldof  resided 
first  at  Papcastlc,  which  he  afterward*  demolbhed,  and  with  the  materiala  built  that  of 
Cockermouth,  where  he  and  his  posterity  Ions  resided ;  but  several  arms  over  the  gate* 
way,  which  Camden  says  are  those  of  the  Miutons,  HumfranviUes,  Lucies,  and  Percies, 
evince  it  to  have  been  of  later  times  in  those  families,  k  appears  that  it  was  first 
erantcdby  Edw.  II,  to  Anthony  de  Lucie,  son  of  Thomas  de  Multon,  who  had  assumed 
that  name  by  vcavm  that  his  mother  was  daughter  and  co-heiress  to  Richard  de  Lucie ; 
and  afterwards,  by  marriages,  this  castle  and  its  honours  descended  to  the  Humfran- 
viiles,  and  finally  to  the  Perciea.*  In  1648  it  was  garrisoned  for  the  king ;  and  being 
besieged  and  taken  by  the  rebels,  was  burnt,  and  never  afterwards  repaired. 

May  26.  Pursue  my  journey  for  about  four  or  five  miles  along  a  tolerabljr  fertile 
countiy,  and  then  arrive  amidst  the  collieries :  cross  some  barren  l^aths,  with  mdosed 
land  on  each  side,  destitute  both  of  hec*  ^«  and  woods.  Pass  through  EKisinton,  a  long 
and  dirty  town,  and  soon  after,  from  .«  great  height,  at  once  come  in  ught  of  Whitc^ 
haven,  and  see  the  whole  at  a  single  glance,  seated  in  a  hoUow,  open  to  the  sea  on  the 
north :  it  lies  in  the  parish  of  St.  Ben,  The  vast  promontory  called  the  Barugh,  or 
St.  Bees*head,  noted  for  the  great  resort  of  birds,t  appears  four  miles  to  the  south ; 
and  in  days  of  old,  still  more  noted  for  its  patroness  St.  Bega>  who  tamed  fierce  bulla, 
and  brought  down  deep  snows  at  midsummer. 

The  town  is  in  a  manner  a  new  creation,  for  the  old  editions  of  Camden  make  no 
mention  of  it:  yet  the  name  is  in  Saxton's  maps,  its  cliffs  being  known  to  seamen,  and 
from  their  colour  Camden  derives  the  name.  The  rise  of  the  place  is  owing  to  the 
collieries,  improved  and  encouraged  by  the  fiimily  of  the  Lowthers,  to  their  great  emo* 
lument.  About  a  hundred  years  ago  there  was  not  one  house  here,  except  sir  John 
Lowther's,  and  two  others,  and  only  three  small  vessels :  and  for  the  next  forty  years, 
the  number  of  houses  increased  to  about  twenty.  At  this  time  the  town  may  boast  of 
being  one  of  the  handsomest  in  the  north  of  £ngland,  built  of  stone,  and  Uie  streets 
pointing  straight  into  the  harbour,  with  others  crossinff  them  at  right  angles.  It  is  as 
populous  as  it  IS  elegant,  containing  twelve  thousand  innabitants,  and  has  a  hundred  and 
ninety  great  ships  belonging  to  it,  mostly  employed  in  the  coal  trade. 

In  1566  there  were  only  twelve  small  ships  under  eighty  tons,  and  a  hundred  and 
ninety-eight  mariners  in  the  whole  county.} 

The  tobacco  trade  is  much  declined :  formerly  about  twenty  thousand  hogsheads 
were  annually  imported  from  Virginia ;  now  scarce  a  fourth  of  that  number,  Glaseow 
having  stplen  that  branch ;  but  to  make  amends,  another  is  carried  on.  to  the  West 
Indies,  where  hats,  printed  linens,  hams,  &c.  are  sent.  The  last  week  was  a  mijfan* 
choly  and  pernicious  exportation  of  a  hundred  and  fifty  natives  of  Great  Britain,  forced 
from  their  natal  soil,  the  low  lands  of  Scotland,  by  the  rise  of  rents,  to  seek  an  asylum 
on  the  other  side  of  the  Atlantic. 

The  improvements  in  the  adjacent  lands  keep  pace  with  those  in  the  town :  the 
Brainsty  estate  forty  years  ago  was  set  for  as  many  pounds ;  at  present,  by  dint  of  §pod 
husbandry,  especially  liming,  b  increased  to  five  hundred  and  seventy-one. 

In  the  town  are  three  churches  or  chapels :  St  James's  is  elegantly  fitted,  up  and 
has  a  handsome  gallery,  which,  with  the  roof,  is  supported  by  raoit  brautiful  ranges  of 
pillars.  Besides,  is  a  presbyterian  meeting,  one  of  seceders,  of  anabaptbts,  and 
quakers. 


*  Dugdalc's  BaronagC)  I.  5(4,  Sec. 


t  Bum's  Hist  Cumberland,  II.  43. 


4Bum,II.  4S. 


PBNNAirrt  IBCOND  TOUR  IN  SCOTLAlfl). 


197 


The  worfchooK  is  thinly  inhabited,  for  few  of  the  poor  choose  to  enter  :  those  whom 
necessity  compels  are  most  usefully  employed :  with  pleasure  I  observed  old  age,  idiocy, 
and  even  infants  of  three  years  of  age,  contributing  to  their  own  support,  by  the  pulling 
of  oakum. 

The  harbour  is  artificiaU  but  a  fine  and  expensive  work  on  the  south  end,  guarded 
by  a  long  pier,  where  the  ships  may  lie  in  ^eat  security.  Another  is  placed  farther 
out,  to  break  the  force  of  the  sea ;  and  withm  these  are  two  long  straight  tongues,  or 
quays,  where  the  vessels  are  lodged :  close  to  the  shore,  on  the  south  side,  u  another, 
covert  with  what  is  called  here  a  steer,  having  in  the  lower  part  a  range  of  smiths 
shops,  and  above  an  extensive  floor,  capable  of  containing  six  thousand  waggon>loads 
of  coal,  of  42001b.  each.  But  this  is  only  used  as  a  sort  of  magazine;  for  above  this 
are  covered  galleries  with  rail  roads,  terminating  in  large  flues,  or  hurries,  placed  sloping 
over  the  miay,  and  through  these  the  coal  is  dischai^ed  out  of  the  wasgons  into  the 
holds  of  the  ships,  rattling  down  with  a  noise  like  thunder.  Cou.monfy  eight  ships, 
from  a  hundred  and  twenty  to  a  hundred  tons  each,  have  been  loaden  in  one  dde  ;  and 
on  extraordinarv  occasions  twelve.  Each  load  is  put  on  board  for  ten  shillings ;  and 
the  waggons,  after  being  emptied,  are  brought  round  into  the  road  by  a  turn  frame, 
and  drawn  back  by  a  single  horse.  The  greater  part  of  the  way  from  the  pits,  which 
lie  about  three  or  four  miles  distant  from  the  hurries,  is  down  hill ;  the  waggon  is 
steered  by  one  man,  with  a  sort  of  rudder  to  direct  it ;  so  that  he  can  retard  or  accele- 
rate the  motion  by  the  pressure  he  gives  by  it  on  the  wheel. 

Many  other  works  are  projected  to  secure  the  port,  particularly  another  pier  on  the 
north  side,  which  when  complete  will  render  this  haven  ouite  land-locked.  It  is  to  be 
observed,  that  in  coming  in  vessels  should  carry  a  full  sail  till  they  pass  the  pier-head, 
otherwise  they  will  not  be  carried  far  enough  in*  The  greatest  part  of  the  coal  is  sent 
to  Ireland,  where  about  two  hundred  and  eighty  thousand  tons  are  annually  exported. 

Spring  tkles  rise  here  twenty-four  feet.    Neap-tides  thirteen. 

Visit  the  collieries,  entering  at  the  foot  of  a  hill,  not  distant  from  the  tc  wm,  attended 
by  the  agent :  the  entrance  was  a  narrow  passage,  bricked  and  vaulted,  sloping  down 
with  an  easy  descent.  Reach  the  first  beds  of  coal  which  had  been  worked  about  a 
century  ago :  the  roofs  are  smooth  and  spacious,  the  pillars  of  suflicient  strength  to 
support  the  great  superstructure,  being  fifteen  yards  square,  or  sixty  in  circumference  ; 
not  above  a  third  of  the  coal  having  ^en  worked  in  this  place ;  so  that  to  me  the  very 
columns  seemed  left  as  resources  for  fuel  in  future  times.  The  immense  caverns  that 
lay  between  the  pillars  exhibited  a  most  gloomy  appearance.  I  could  not  help  inquir- 
ing here  after  the  imaginary  inhabitant,  the  creation  of  the  labourers*  fancy, 

,V/'v. !  .  '  ■ '■   *  '  The  Bwart  fairy  of  the  mine, 

and  was  seriously  answered  by  a  blick  fellow  at  my  elbow,  that  he  really  had  never  met 
with  any ;  but  that  his  grandfather  had  found  the  little  implements  and  tools  belonging 
to  this  diminutive  race  ^  subterraneous  spirits.* 

The  beds  of  coal  are  nine  or  ten  feet  thick,  and  dip  to  the  west  one  yard  in  eight. 
In  various  parts  are  great  bars  of  stone,  which  cut  off  the  coal:  if  they  bend  one  way, 
they  influence  the  coal  to  rise  above  one's  head ;  if  another,  to  sink,beneath  the  feet. 
Operations  of  nature  ptot  my  skill  to  unfold.  ,,        ' 

*  The  Germans  believed  in  two  species ;  one  fierce  and  malevolent,  the  other  a  gentle  race,  appearing 
like  little  old  meV)  dressed  like  the  miners,  and  not  much  above  two  feet  high  :  these  wander  about  the 
drifts  and  ( harobers  of  the  works^  seem  perpetually  employed,  yet  do  nothing ;  some  seem  to  cut  the  ore, 
or  fling  what  is  cut  into  vesitcls,  or  turn  the  windlass ;  but  never  do  any  harm  to  the  miners,  except  pro- 
voked :  as  the  sensible  Agricola,  in  this  point  credulous}  relates  in  bis  booki  De  Aniroantibus  Subterraneis . 


I 

'1 


I'll 


^m«c9)P#my4W,e;iaf'^!*'i%v»s;'!'f';..a'-'' 


:'. 


i 


lya 


I'ENNANT'S  SECOND  TOUR  IN  SCOTLAND. 


Reach  a  place  where  there  if  a  very  deep  descent :  the  colliert  call  this  hardknot, 
from  a  mountain  of  that  name ;  and  another  wrynose.  At  about  eighty  fathoms  depth 
began  to  sec  the  workings  of  the  rods  of  the  fire-engine,  and  the  present  operations  of 
tlie  colliers,  who  work  now  in  security,  for  the  fire>damps,  formerly  so  daneerous,  are 
almost  overcome ;  at  present  tliey  are  prevented  by  boarded  partitions,  (Mced  a  foot 
distance  from  the  sides,  which  causes  a  free  circulation  of  air  throughout :  but  as  still 
there  are  some  places  not  capable  of  such  conveniences,  the  colliers,  who  dare  not  ven* 
ture  with  a  candle  in  spots  where  fire-dumps  are  supposed  to  lurk,  have  invented  a  cu> 
rious  machine  to  serve  the  purpose  of  lights  :  it  is  what  the^  call  a  steeUmill,  consisting 
of  a  small  wheel  and  a  handle  ;  this  they  turn  with  vast  rapidity  against  a  flint,  and  the 
great  quantity  of  sparks  emitted  not  only  serves  for  a  candle,  but  has  been  found  of  such 
u  nature  as  not  to  set  fire  to  the  horrid  vapour. 

Formerly  the  damp  or  fiery  vapour  was  conveyed  through  pipes  to  the  open  air,  and 
formed  a  terrible  illumination  during  night,  like  the  eruptions  of  a  volcano ;  and  by  its 
heat  water  could  be  boiled :  the  men  who  worked  in  it  inhaled  inflammable  air,  and  if 
they  breathed  against  a  candle,  puffed  out  a  fiery  stream  ;  so  that  I  make  no  doubt,  was 
the  experiment  made,  the  same  phaenomenon  would  appear  as  John  Grub*  attributed 
to  my  illustrious  countryman  Pendragon,  chief  of  Britons. 

Reached  the  extremity  of  this  black  journey  to  a  place  near  two  miles  from  the  en* 
trance,  beneath  the  sea,  where  probably  ships  were  then  sailing  over  us.  Returned  up 
the  laborious  ascent,  and  was  happy  once  more  to  emerge  into  day-light. 

The  property  of  these  works,  as  well  as  the  whole  town,  is  in  Sir  James  Lowther,  who 
draws  from  them  and  the  rents  of  the  buildings  sixteen  thousand  pounds  a  year ;  whereas 
his  grandfather  only  made  fifteen  hundred.  The  present  baronet  has  instituted  here  a 
chanty  of  the  most  beautiful  nature,  useful,  humane,  and  unostentatious.  He  always 
keeps  filled  a  great  granary  of  oats,  which  he  buys  from  all  parts,  but  never  disposes  of 
while  the  markets  are  low ;  but  the  moment  tliey  rise  above  five  shillings  the  Cumber* 
land  bushel,  or  three  Winchester  measures,  he  instantly  opens  his  stores  to  the  poor  coU 
tiers  and  artificers,  and  sells  it  to  them  at  five  shillings,  notwithstanding  it  might  nave  cost 
him  seven ;  thus  happily  disappointing  the  rapacity  of  the  vulturine  monopolizer. 

Leave  Whitehaven,  and  return  about  two  miles  on  the  same  road  I  came.  See  under 
the  cliffs  a  neat  little  village  called  Parton,  and  a  pier,  intended  for  the  shipping  of  coal ;  a 
new  creation  by  Sir  James  Lowther. 

Leave  Moresby  on  the  lefl ;  a  place  near  the  shore,  mentbncd  by  Camden  as  of  great 
antiquity,  a  fort  of  the  Romans,  and  where  several  inscriptions  have  been  found  :  he 
also  speaks  of  certain  caverns,  called  Picts  holes,  but  the  lateness  of  the  evening  pre- 
vented  me  from  descending  to  visit  them.  Ride  through  the  village  of  Herrington, 
pass  over  a  veiy  naked  barren  country,  and  have  from  some  parts  of  this  evening's 
journey  a  full  view  of  the  Isle  of  Man,  appearing  high  and  mountainous.    Reach 

Workington,  the  place  where  the  imprudent  Mary  Stuart  landed,  after  her  flight 
from  Dundrannan,  in  Galloway,  credulously  trusting  to  the  protection  of  the  insidious 
Elizabeth.  The  town  extends  from  the  castle  to  the  sea :  it  consists  of  two  clusters, 
one  the  more  ancient  near  the  castle,  the  other  nearer  the  church  and  pier ;  and  both 
contain  about  four  or  five  thousand  inhabitants :  they  subsist  by  the  coal  trade,  which  is 
here  considerable.  The  Derwent  washes  the  skirts  of  the  town,  and  discharges  itself 
into  the  sea  about  a  mile  west :  on  each  bank  near  the  mouth  are  piers,  where  the  ships 
lie,  and  the  coals  are  conveyed  into  them  from  frames  occawonally  dropping  into 


'■Sff.f  ' 


*  Dr.  Percy's  Ancient  Songs,  3d.  ed.  iii,  31S< 


■"s.^Bw.Bftifc'ap^i       mii^ 


PENNANTS  SECOND  TOirn  IN  SCOTLAND. 


199 


ung  pre- 
rringtonj 
evening's 
ch 

her  flight 

insidious 

clusters, 

and  both 

,  which  is 

'ges  itself 

the  ships 

ping  into 


them  from  the  rail  roads.  Ninety-seven  vcsiels  of  different  burdcni,  some  even  of  two 
hundred  and  fifty  tons,  belong  to  this  port. 

The  castle  stood  on  the  scat  of  the  late  Mr.  Curwcn,  whose  property,  togrihcr  with 
the  house,  passed  a  few  years  ago  to  Mr.  Christian,  by  marriage  with  thcdaughtcrnf  the 
late  owner.  The  Culwens  took  their  name  from  a  great  lordship  thry  posKSHcd  in  Gal. 
loway  about  the  year  1153,  soon  after  which  they  settled  at  Workington,  and  the  name 
became  corrupted  into  Curwen. 

Observe  to  the  south,  on  an  eminence  near  the  sea,  a  small  tower,  called  Holme 
chapel,  said  to  have  been  built  as  -;  watch  tower,  to  mark  the  motions  of  the  Scots  in 
their  naval  inroads. 

Near  the  town  is  an  iron  furnace  and  foundery ;  the  ore  is  brought  from  Fumess, 
and  the  iron  stone  dug  near  Harrinp;ton.  A  fine  water-wheel  and  its  rods,  extending 
near  a  mile,  are  very  well  worth  visiting. 

May  27.  Keep  along  the  sca<shore  to  Mary  Port,  another  new  creation,  the  property  of 
Humphry  Senhouse,  E!sq.  and  so  named  by  him  in  honour  of  his  lady  :  the  second  house 
was  built  only  in  1750.  Now  there  are  above  a  hundred,  peopled  by  about  thirteen 
hundred  souls,  all  collected  together  by  the  opening  of  a  coal  trace  on  this  estate.  For 
the  coitveniency  of  shipping  (there  being  above  seventy  of  different  sizes,  from  thirty  to 
three  hundred  tons  burden,  belonging  to  the  harbour)  are  wooden  piers,  with  quays,  on 
the  river  Ellen,  where  ships  lie  and  receive  their  lading.  Beside  the  coal  trade,  is  some 
skinning  business,  and  a  rope.yard. 

At  the  south  end  of  the  town  is  an  eminence  called  the  Mote-hill,  and  on  it  a  great 
artificial  mount,  whose  base  is  a  hundred  and  sixty  yards  round,  protected  by  a  deep 
ditch  almost  surrounding  it,  ceasing  only  where  the  steepness  of  the  nill  rendered  such  a 
defence  unnecessary :  this  mount  is  a  little  holloweifT  on  the  top,  has  been  probed  in 
different  places  to  the  depth  of  four  or  five  feet,  but  was  discovered  to  consist  of  no 
other  materials  than  the  common  soil  which  had  been  flung  out  of  the  foss. 

On  a  hill  at  the  north  end  of  the  town  are  the  remains  of  a  large  Roman  station, 
square,  surrounded  with  double  ditches,  and  furnished  with  four  entrances,  command- 
ing a  view  to  Scotland,  and  round  the  neighbouring  country.  Antiquaries  differ  about 
the  ancient  name ;  one  styles  it  olenacum,  another  virosidum,  and  Camden  volant'um, 
finom  the  wish  inscribed  on  a  beautiful  altar  found  here,  volantii  vivas.*  It  had  been  a 
considerable  place,  and  had  its  military  roads  leading  from  it  to  Moresby,  to  old  Car- 
lisle, and  towards  Ambleside ;  and  has  been  a  perfect  magazine  of  Roman  antiquities. 

Not  far  from  this  station  is  a  tumulus,  singular  in  its  composition ;  it  is  of  a  rounded 
form,  and  was  found,  on  the  section  made  of  it  by  the  late  Mr.  Senhouse,  to  consist  of, 
first  the  sod  or  common  turf,  then  a  regular  layer  of  crumbly  earth,  which  at  the  begin- 
ning was  thin,  increasing  in  thickness  as  it  reached  the  top.  This  was  at  first  brittle, 
but  soon  after  being  exposed  to  the  air  acquired  a  great  hardness,  and  a  ferruginous 
look.  Beneath  this  was  a  bed  of  strong  blue  clay,  mixed  with  fern  roots,  placed 
on  two  or  three  layers  of  turf,  with  their  grassy  sides  together ;  and  under  these,  as  the 
present  Mr.  Senhouse  informed  me,  were  found  the  bones  of  a  heifer  and  of  a  codt,  with 
some  wood  ashes  near  them. 

Took  the  liberty  of  walking  to  Nether-hall,  formerly  Alneburgh-hall,  where  I  soon 
discovered  Mr.  Senhouse  to  be  possessed  of  the  politeness  hereditary  f  in  his  family  to- 
tvfurds  travellers  of  curiosity.     He  pointed  out  to  me  the  several  antiquities  that  had 

*    Vide  Camden  1011,  Horsely,  p.  081.  tab.  No.  Ixviii.  Cumberland, 
t    Vide  Camden,  p.  1013,  and  Gordon's  lUn.  boreal.  100. 


ii 


.«'->?■■«*)• 


!■ 


900 


RNNAirrf  IBCONU  TOUB  IM  KOTLANO. 


been  long  preserved  in  hi*  houie  and  gardens,  engraved  by  Camden,  Mr.  Horaely,  and 
Mr.  Gordon  t  and  permitted  one  of  my  servant*  to  make  dtrawing*  of  others  thiat  had 
been  discovered  since. 

Among  the  latter  is  the  altar  found  in  the  rubbish  of  a  quarry,  which  *een\ed  to  have 
been  worked  by  the  Roman*  b  a  very  extensive  manner :  it  has  no  inBcrintion,  and 
appear*  to  have  been  left  unliniahed ;  pcrhap*  the  workmen  were  prevented  from  exe. 
outing  the  whole  by  the  upper  part  of  the  hill  slipping  down  over  tne  lower  t  a  drcunv 
stance  that  still  frequently  nappena  in  (|uarrics  worked  beneath  the  cliffs.  On  one  side 
of  the  altar  is  a  brood  dagger,  on  another  a  patera. 

A  fragment  of  stone,  with  a  boar  rudely  carved,  and  the  letters  o  i  o. 

A  large  wooden  pin,  with  a  curious  polygonal  head.  One  nimilar  to  this,  but  made 
of  brass,  was  discovered,  with  other  trinkets,  in  a  tomb  near  Choisi  in  France.  Count 
Caylus  calls  it  a  mace,  and  thinks  by  the  little  axe  that  accompanied  it,  that  the  person 
interred  was  a  child  designed  I'or  the  military  life,  and  that  these  were  *ymbolical  proof*. ** 

The  Bpout  of  a  brazen  vessel.  Mr.  Senhouse  also  favoured  me  with  the  sight  of  some 
thin  gold  nlate  found  in  the  same  place  ;  and  shewed  me,  near  his  house,  in  HalUclosc, 
•n  intrenchment  of  a  rectangular  form,  forty-five  ^ards  by  thirty*five :  probably  the 
defence  of  some  ancient  mansion,  so  necessary  in  this  border  county. 

It  gave  me  great  pleasure  to  review  the  sculptures  engraven  in  Mr.  Horsdy's  anti. 
quities,  and  preserved  in  the  walls  of  this  place.  The  following  were  fixed  in  the  walls 
of  (he  house,  by  the  ancestor  of  Mr.  Sennouse,  coeval  with  damden.  On  No.  65,  an 
altur,  appears  Hercules  with  his  club,  and  in  one  hand  the  Hesperian  applea  that  lie  had 
conveyed 

sb  iniomni  mtli  cuitodiu  drtcone.  • 

What  is  singular^  is  an  upright  conic  bonnet  on  his  head,  of  the  same  kind  with  that  in 
which  the  goddess  on  whom  he  bestowed  the  fruit  is  dreasedf  On  another  side  of 
the  altar  is  a  man  armed  with  a  helmet  and  clothed  with  u  saeum  dausum,  or  closed 
frock,  reaching  only  to  his  knees.  In  one  hand  is  a  thick  pole ;  the  other  resting  on 
a  wheel,  probably  denoting  his  having  succeeded  in  opening  some  great  road. 

In  No.  70,  are  seen  the  two  victories  supporting  a  triumphal  crown,  the  victoria 
augusti. 

The  Ixal  goddess  Setlocenia,  with  lon^  flowing  hair,  with  a  vessel  in  her  hand,  fills 
the  front  of  one  stone ;  and  an  altar  inscnbed  to  her  is  lodged  in  one  of  the  garden 
walls. 

No.  74  is,  near  the  goddess,  a  most  rude  figure  of  a  cavalier  on  his  steed. 

In  the  same  wall  with  her  akar  is  No.  64,  a  monunwntal  mutilated  inscription,  sup- 
posed  in  honour  of  Antoninus  Pius. 

No.  71,  the  next  monument,  notes  the  premature  death  of  Julia  Mamertina,  at  the 
age  of  twenty  years  and  three  months.  A  rude  head  expresses  the  lady,  and  a  setting 
sun  the  funeral  subject. 

A  female,  expressing  modesty  with  one  hand,  the  other  lifted  to  her  head,  stands 
beneath  an  arch,  as  if  about  to  bathe,  and  is  marked  in  Horsely,  No.  73. 

In  a  garden  house  is  No.  62,  an  altar  to  Jupiter,  by  the  first  cohort  of  the  Spanish, 
whose  tribune  was  Marcus  Menius  Agrippa. 

Another,  No.  66«  to  Mars  Militaris,  devoted  by  the  first  cohort  of  the  Belgic  Gauls, 
commanded  by  Julius  Tutor. 


Recueil  d'AnUq  i.  195. 


t  Montfaucon,  Antiq.I.  tab.  civ.  f.  7. 


— TTTwaBR  .••.Sffs.-r  -r--  ^'■^'^^■'>S';^^■; 


^ 


fCHNANT'S  tICONO  TOt/tl  IN  IClTt.*  ,  •  jgQj 

And  a  third,  No.  67,  to  Jupiter,  by  Cuiui  Cuballut  Pritciu,  a  tribune  t  but  no  nurn* 
tion  is  made  of  the  coliort. 

Since  I  visited  thiH  place,  Mr.  Sciihousc  luis  Tuvourcd  me  with  nti  account  of  other  di<i< 

reveries,  made  by  the  removal  of  the  c-irth  that  covered  the  rclj(|(u-4  of  ihit  utatioii : 

the  »tr«cts  and  foot. ways  have  been  traced,  paved  with  stones  from  the  shore,  or  inc. 

«tone  from  the  quarries  :  the  last  much  worn  by  use.     Many  Toundations  of  houses  ;  the 

cement  still  very  strong  :  and  the  pluistcr  on  nomc  rrmains  of  walh  np|xMrs  to  have  been 

Minted  with  what  is  now  pink  colour :   several  vaults  have  bicn  dirtcovcred,  one  with 

ree>stone  steps,  much  uaea  :   fire  hearths  open  before,  cncloM  1  with  a  circular  wall  bf • 

liiul :  from  tne  remains  of  the  fuel  it  is  evident,  that  the  Romans  have  usrd  both  wo<xI 

and  pit  coal.     Bones,  and  teeth  of  various  animal  i,  and  nieces  of  horns  of  staspi,  many 

of  the  latter  sawed,  have  been  found  here  :  also  shells  or  oysters,  muncies,  wnilks  and 

snails.     Broken  earthen-ware,  and  the  handle  of  a  large  vessel,  marked  AI'X.     Frag* 

ments  of  glass  vessels  and  mirrors ;  and  two  pieces  of  a  painted  glass  cup,  which  evinces 

the  antiquity  of  that  art. 

An  entire  altar,  found  in  the  same  search,  is  to  lie  added  to  the  preceding:  three  of 
the  sides  are  plain  :  the  fourth  has  a  hatchet  exactly  resembling  those  now  in  use,  and  u 
broad  knife,  or  rather  cleaver,  with  which  the  victims  were  cut  up. 

But  the  moat  curious  discovery  is  a  stone  three  feet  high,  tlic  top  formed  like  a  pedi- 
ment, with  a  neat  scollop  shell  cut  in  the  middle.  From  each  side  the  pediment  falls  a 
strait  corded  mouMing,  and  between  those,  just  beneath  the  scollop,  is  a  mutilated  figure, 
the  head  being  destroyed ;  but  from  the  body,  which  is  clothed  with  the  Sagum,  and 
the  bucket  which  it  holds  in  one  hand  by  the  handle,*  it  appears  to  have  been  a  Gaul, 
the  only  sculpture  of  the  kind  found  in  our  island. 

Continue  my  ride  along  the  coast,  enjoying  a  moat  beautiful  prospect  of  the  Sclway 
Firth,  the  Ituna  aestuarium  of  Ptolemy,  bounded  by  the  mountains  of  Galloway,  from 
the  hill  of  Crefel,  near  Dumfries,  to  the  great  and  the  litde  Ross,  not  remote  from 
Kirkcudbright. 

Keep  on  the  shore  as  far  as  the  villaee  of  AUanby :  then  turn  to  the  north.east,  ride 
over  a  low  barren  woodless  tract,  and  dismal  moors,  seeing  on  the  left  Crefel  in  Scot< 
land,  and  on  the  right  Skiddaw,  both  quite  clear  (  the  last  now  appears  of  an  insulting 
height  over  its  neighbours.  Had  the  weather  been  misty  it  would  have  had  its  cap ; 
and  probably  Crefel,  according  to  the  old  proverb,  would  hare  sympathized : 

If  ever  Skiddaw  wears  a  cap,  .  , 

Crefel  wots  full  well  of  that. 

Dine  at  Wigton,  a  small  town,  with  some  manufactures  of  coarse  checks.  Doctor 
Bum  says  that  tne  church  has  never  been  rebuilt  since  the  days  of  its  founder  Odard  dc 
Logis,  cotemporary  with  Henry  I.  About  a  mile  or  two  to  the  right  is  old  Carlisle, 
supposed  by  Mr.  Horaely  to  have  been  the  Olenacum  of  the  Notitia. 

From  Wigton  the  country  continues  very  flat  and  barren,  to  a  small  distance  of  Car- 
lisle. Near  that  city  a  better  cultivation  takes  place,  and  the  fields  often  appear  covered 
with  linen  manufactures :  cross  the  river  Cauda,  that  runs  through  the  suberbs,  and 
enter  the  city  at  the  Irish  gate. 

Carlisle  is  most  pleasantly  situated ;  like  Chester,  is  surrounded  with  walls,  but  in  very 
bad  repair,  and  kept  very  dirty.  The  castle  is  ancient,  but  makes  a  good  appearance 
at  a  distance :  the  view  from  it  consists  of  an  extensive  tract  of  rich  meadows  of  the 
river  Eden,  here  forming  two  branches  and  insulating  the  ground :  over  one  is  a  bridge 


VOL.    III. 


*  Montfaucon  vSuppl.  III.  p.  38,  tab.  xi. 
D  D 


i 


i' 


i 


\'i 


wL... 


202 


PENNANT'S  SECOND  TOUR  IN  SCOTLAND. 


over  tlie  other  one  of  nine  arches.    There  is  besides  a  prospect  of  a  rich 
and  a  distant   view  of  Cold-fells,  Cross-fells,  Skiddaw,  and  other  mouno 


of  four ; 
country ; 
tains. 

The  castle  was  founded  by  William  Rufus,  who  restored  the  city,  after  it  had  lain 
two  hundred  years  in  ruins  by  the  Danes.  Richard  III,  made  some  additions  to  it : 
and  Henry  VIII,  built  the  citadel,  an  oblong  with  three  round  bastions,  seated  on  the 
west  side  of  the  town :  in  the  inner  gate  of  the  castle  is  still  remaining  the  old  portcullis; 
and  here  are  shewn  the  apartments  of  Mary  queen  of  Scots,  where  she  was  lodged  for 
some  time  after  her  landing  at  Workington ;  and  after  being  for  a  little  space  enter- 
tained with  flattering  respect,  found  herself  prisoner  to  her  jealous  rival. 

Carlisle  has  two  other  gates  besides  the  Irish,  viz.  the  English  and  the  Scotch.  The 
principal  street  is  very  spacious ;  in  it  is  a  guard>house,  built  by  Cromwell,  command' 
mg  three  other  streets  that  open  into  this. 

The  cathedral,  begun  by  Walter,  deputy  under  William  Rufus,  is  very  incomplete, 
Cromwell  having  pulled  down  part  in  1649,  to  build  barracks :  there  remains  some 
portion  that  was  built  in  the  Saxon  mode,  with  round  arches,  and  vast  massy  round 
pillars,  whose  shafts  are  only  fourteen  feet  two  inches  high,  and  circumference  full 
seventeen  and  a  half:  the  rest  is  more  modern,  said  to  have  been  built  by  Edward  III, 
who  had  an  apartment  to  lodge  in,  in  his  frequent  expeditions  into  Scotland.  The 
arches  in  this  latter  building  are  sharp  pointed,  the  pillars  round  and  clustered,  and  the 
inside  of  the  arches  prettily  ornamented.  Above  are  two  galleries,  but  with  windows 
only  in  the  upper ;  that  in  the  east  end  has  a  magnificent  simplicity,  and  the  painted 
glass  an  uncommon  neatness,  notwithstanding  there  is  not  a  single  figure  in  it. 

The  choir  was  not  founded  till  about  the  year  1354 ;  the  tabernacle  work  in  it  is 
extremely  pretty ;  but  on  the  aisles  on  each  side  are  some  stratige  legendary  paintings  of 
the  history  of  St.  Cuthbert  and  St.  Augustine  :  one  represents  the  saint  visited  by  an 
unclean  spirit,  who  tempts  him  in  a  most  indecent  manner,  as  these  lines  import : 

The  spyrit  of  Fornication  to  him  doth  aper  t 

And  thus  he  chasteneth  hys  body  with  thornc  and  with  bryer. 

At  the  west  end  of  the  church  is  a  large  plain  altar  tomb,  called  the  Blue-stone :  on 
this  the  tenants  of  the  dean  and  chapter  by  certain  tenures  were  obliged  to  pay  their 
rents. 

There  had  been  only  one  religious  house  in  this  city  ;  a  priory  of  black  canons,  found- 
ed by  Henry  I,  replaced,  on  the  suppression,  by  a  dean  and  four  canons  secular  ;  but 
what  the  tyrant  Henry  VIII,  had  spared,  such  as  the  cloisters  and  other  reliques  of  the 
priory,  fell  in  after-times  victims  to  fanatic  fury  :  no  remains  are  to  be  seen  at  present, 
except  the  gateway,  and  a  handsome  building  called  the  Fratry,  or  the  lodging-room  of 
the  lay-brothers,  or  novices. 

Before  this  pious  foundation,  St.  Cuthbert  in  686  fixed  here  a  convent  of  monks, 
and  a  nunnery,  overthrown  in  the  general  desolation  of  the  place  by  the  Danes. 

But  to  trace  the  antiquity  of  this  city  with  historic  regularity,  the  reader  should  learn, 
that  after  laying  aside  all  fabulous  accounts,  the  Brittons  call  it  Caer-Lualid,  that  it  was 
named  by  Antonine,  or  the  author  of  his  itinerary,  Lugovallium,  or  the  city  of  Lual  on 
the  vallum  or  wall. 

That  it  was  probably  a  place  of  note  in  the  seventh  century,  for  Egfrid  presented  it 
to  St  Cuthbert  with  fifteen  miles  of  territory  around ;  that  the  Danes  entirely  destroyed 
it  in  the  ninth  century,  and  that  it  remained  in  ruins  for  two  hundred  years.  William 
Rufus,  in  1092,  in  a  progress  he  made  into  these  parts,  was  struck  with  the  situation, 


of  a  rich 
:r  moun' 

had  Iain 
)n!i  to  it : 
z(l  on  the 
)ortciillis; 
odgcd  for 
ice  enter- 

ch.    The 
command' 

icomplete, 
ains  some 
ssy  round 
srence  full 
dward  III, 
and.  The 
d,  and  the 
1  windovirs 
he  painted 
t. 

>rk  in  it  is 
laintings  of 
sited  by  an 
lort: 


:-stone:  on 
:o  pay  their 

ons,  found- 
ocular ;  but 
ques  of  the 
at  present, 
ing-room  of 

of  monks, 

I. 

lould  learn, 
that  it  was 
of  Lual  on 

presented  it 

y  destroyed 

William 

le  situation, 


PENNANT'S  SECOND  TOUR  IN  SCOTLAND. 


203 


founded  the  castle,  rebuilt  the  town,  and  fortified  it  as  a  bulwark  against  the  Scots :  he 
planted  there  a  large  colony  from  the  south,  who  are  said  to  be  the  first  who  introduced 
tillage  in  that  part  of  the  north. 

Henry  I,  in  1122,  gave  a  sum  of  money  to  the  city,  and  ordered  some  additional  for- 
tifications. Stephen  yielded  it  to  David,  king  of  Scotland.  After  the  recovery  into 
the  hands  of  the  English,  it  underwent  a  cruel  siege  by  William  the  lion,  in  1173  ; 
and  was  again  besieged  by  Robert  Bruce,  in  1315 ;  and  in  the  reign  of  Richard  II,  was 
almost  entirely  destroyed  by  fire.  The  greater  events  from  that  period  are  unknown 
to  me,  till  its  reddition  to  the  rebels  in  1745,  on  November  16th,  wh^'n  its  weakness 
made  it  untenable,  even  had  it  not  been  seized  with  the  epidemic  panic  of  the  times  It 
was  retaken  by  the  duke  of  Cumberland,  on  the  30th  of  December  following,  and  the 
small  self.devoted  garrison  made  prisoners,  on  terms  that  preserved  them  (without  the 
shadow  of  impeachment  of  his  highness's  word)  for  future  justice. 

The  town  at  present  consists  of  two  parishes,  St.  Cuthbert*s  and  the  cathedral,  and 
contains 'about  four  thousand  inhabitants;  is  handsomely  built,  and  kept  very  neat. 
Here  is  a  considerable  manufacture  of  printed  linens  and  coarse  checks,  which  bring  in 
near  30001.  per  annum  in  duties  to  the  crown.  It  is  noted  for  a  great  manufacture  of 
whips,  which  employs  numbers  of  children  ;  here  are  also  made  most  excellent  fish- 
hooks ;  but  I  was  told  that  the  mounting  them  with  flies  is  an  art  the  inhabitants  of 
Langholm  are  celebrated  for. 

Alay  28.  Saw,  at  Mr.  Bernard  Burton's,  a  pleasing  sight  of  twelve  little  industrious 
girls  spinning  at  once  at  a  horizontal  wheel,  which  sets  twelve  bobbins  in  motion  ;  yet 
so  contrived,  that  should  any  accident  hap{}en  to  one,  the  motion  of  that  might  be 
stopped  without  aiiy  impediment  to  the  others. 

At  Mrs.  Cust*s  I  w  favoured  with  the  sight  of  a  fine  head  of  father  Huddleston,  in 
black,  with  a  large  band  and  long  gray  hair,  with  an  uplifted  crucifix  in  his  hand,  pro- 
bably taken  in  the  attitude  in  which  he  lulled  the  soul  of  the  departing  profligate 
Charles  II. 

In  this  city  I  had  the  pleasure  of  being  introduced  to  that  worthy  veteran  captain 
Gilpin.  I  received  from  him  numbers  of  fine  drawings  of  views,  and  antiquities  rela- 
tive to  this  county.  Some  have  been  engraven,  to  illustrate  this  work ;  others  I  pre- 
serve in  memory  of  the  good  and  ingenious  donor. 

Cross  the  little  river  Petrel,  the  third  that  bounds  the  city,  and  at  about  three  miles 
east  see  Warwick,  or  Warthwick  church,  remarkable  for  its  tribune  or  rounded  east  cid, 
with  thirteen  nairow  niches,  ten  feet  eight  high,  and  seventeen  inches  broad,  reaching 
almost  to  the  ground,  and  the  top  of  each  arched :  in  two  or  three  is  a  small  window. 
The  whole  church  is  built  with  good  cut  stone  ;  the  length  h  seventy  feet,  but  it  once 
extended  above  one  and  twenty  feet  farther  west ;  there  being  still  at  that  end  a  good 
rounded  arch,  now  filled  up. 

This  church  is  of  great  antiquity,  but  the  date  of  the  foundation  unknown.  It  was 
granted  in  the  time  of  William  the  conqueror*  to  the  abbey  of  St.  Mary's  York,  and 
then  mentioned  as  a  chapel. 

Beneath  it  is  a  handsome  bridge  of  three  arches  over  the  Eden,  a  beautiful  river. 
Ride  for  two  miles  over  a  rich  and  well  cultivated  tract,  to  Corbie  castle,  now  a  modern 
house,  seated  on  an  eminence  above  the  river,  which  runs  through  a  deep  and  finely 
wooded  glen;  that  part  next  the  house  judiciously  planned  and  laid  out  in  walks:  in 
one  of  them  is  the  votive  altar,  engraven  in  Mr.  Gordon's  Itinerary,  tab,  43,  with 
tolenible  exactness,  except  on  the  top,  for  the  hollow  is  triupgular,  not  round. 


*  Dugdale's  Monast.  1. 397. 
D  D  2 


1 


\ 


''. 


T"  '~^.T5T'"~  t*  r 


f 


.» 


204 


P£TCNANT*S  SECOND  TOUR  IN  SCOTLAND. 


The  sight  from  this  walk  of  the  celebrated  cells,  and  the  arch  of  the  ancient  priory, 
were  so  tempting,  that  I  could  not  resist  crossing  the  river  to  pay  a  visit  to  those  curious 
remains.  The  last  is  the  gateway  of  the  religious  house  of  Wetherel,  with  its  fine 
elliptic  arch  :  the  house  was  once  a  cell  to  the  abbey  of  St.  Mary*  in  York,  given  by 
Ranulphde  Meschines,  earl  of  Carlisle,  and  maintained  a  prior  and  eight  monks.* 

A  little  farther,  in  the  midst  of  a  vast  precipice,  environed  with  woods,  are  cut,  with 
much  labour,  some  deep  cells  in  the  live  rock :  the  front  and  entrance  (the  last  b  on  one 
side)  are  made  of  fine  cut  stone  :  in  the  front  are  three  windows,  and  a  fire-place :  the 
cells  are  three  in  number,  divided  by  partitions  of  the  native  rock,  four  feet  three 
inches  thick :  each  is  twelve  feet  eight  inches  deep,  and  about  nine  feet  six  wide  in  the 
lower  part,  where  they  are  more  extensive  than  in  their  beginning :  before  them,  from 
the  door  to  the  end,  is  a  sort  of  gallery  twenty.three  feet  and  a  naif  long,  bounded  by 
the  front,  which  hangs  at  an  awful  height  above  the  Eden.  There  are  marks  of  bolts, 
bars  and  other  securities,  in  the  windows  and  door ;  and  vestiges,  which  shew  that  there 
had  been  doors  to  the  cells. 

These  are  called  Constantine's  cells,  but  more  commonly  the  safeguard,  being  sup- 
posed to  have  been  the  retreat  of  the  monks  of  the  neighbouring  priory,  during  the 
mroads  of  the  Scots ;  no  one  who  sees  them  will  doubt  their  security,  being  approach, 
able  only  by  a  most  horrible  path,  amidst  woods  that  grow  rather  out  of  precipices 
than  slopes,  impending  over  the  far  subjacent  river :  and  to  encrease  the  difficulty,  the 
door  is  placed  at  no  small  height  from  this  only  access,  so  that  probably  the  monks  as- 
cended by  a  ladder,  which  they  might  draw  up  to  secure  their  retreat. 

I  searched  without  success  for  the  inscription  on  the  same  rock,  a  little  higher  up  the 
river.     The  words,  as  preserved  in  the  Archaelogia,t  are 

Maximus  scripsit 
Le  XX  vv  cond  :  casosius. 

The  first  line  is  said  to  be  a  yard  distant  from  the  other,  and  near,  is  a  coarse  figure 
of  a  deer.     The  meaning  is  too  dark  to  be  explained. 

Return  to  Corbie  ;  and  find  in  the  house  an  excellent  picture  of  a  musician  playing 
on. a  base- viol ;  the  work  of  a  Spanish  master,  part  of  the  plunder  of  Vigo.  A  large 
piece  of  the  emperor  Charles  V,  and  h's  empress ;  he  sitting  with  a  stern  look,  as  if 
reproving  her,  and  alluding  to  a  casket  )n  a  table  before  them.  She  stands,  and  has 
in  her  countenance  a  mixture  of  obstinacy  and  fear. 

On  the  stair-case  is  a  full  length  of  lord  William  Howard,  third  son  of  the  duke  of 
Norfolk,  known  in  these  parts  by  the  name  of  Bald  Willy.  He  lived  in  the  time  of 
queen  Elizabeth,  and  was  the  terror  of  the  Moss  troopers,  ruling  with  a  rod  of  iron, 
but  by  liis  necessary  severity  civilized  the  country. 

There  are  no  traces  of  the  old  castle.  The  manor  belonging  to  it  was  granted  by 
Henry  H,  to  Hubert  de  Vallibus,  who  consigned  this  and  Warwick  to  Odard,  who  gave 
Corbie  to  his  eldest  son,  Osbert  and  Warwick  to  his  younger  son,  William.  By  the 
death  of  Osbert,  William  became  possessed  of  both.  His  eldest  son,  John,  fixed  him- 
self at  Warwick,  and  took  the  name  of  the  place,  which  continued  in  the  family  till  its 
extinction,  in  the  male  line,  in  1772.  In  the  31st  of  Edward  I,  it  was  held  by  Thomas 
de  Richemount :  from  him,  came  to  sir  Andrew  de  Harcla,  the  unfortunate  earl  of 
Carlisle,  executed  in  the  time  of  Edward  H,  and,  on  his  attainder,  to  sir  Richard  de 
Salkcld :  from  h'ls  heirs  to  lord  William  Howard,  then  of  Naworth,  who  settled  it  upon 
his  second  son,  in  whose  line  it  still  continues.  .  , 


*  Dugdale's  Monast.  I.  o89. 


t  Ibid.  86. 


PENNANT'S  SECOND  TOUR  IN  SCOTLAND. 


205 


It,  with 

on  one 

:  the 

three 

in  the 

from 

ided  by 

if  bolts, 

there 


Returned  to  Carlisle,  and  continue  there  till  the  30th  of  May.  Cross  the  Eden,  that 
flows  about  ten  miles  below  into  the  Sol  way  Firth.  Pass  over  near  the  village  of  Stan- 
wick,  a  mile  from  Carlisle.  The  site  of  the  Picts,  or  more  properly  Adrian's  or  Scverus's 
wall,  begun  by  the  first  emperor,  and  completed  by  the  last,  who  may  with  more  jus- 
tice be  said  to  have  built  a  wall  of  stone,  near  the  place  where  Adrian  had  made  his  of 
turf.  For  that  reason  the  Brittons  styled  it  Gualsever,  Gal-sver,  and  Mur-sver.  But 
at  present  not  a  trace  is  to  be  discovered  in  these  parts^  except  a  few  foundations,  now 
covered  with  earth,  to  be  seen  in  a  field  called  Wall-know.  From  thence  it  pusses  be- 
hind  Stanwick  to  Hissopholm  bank,  an  eminence  above  the  river ;  on  which  are  ves- 
ti^s  of  some  dikes  describing  a  small  square,  the  site  of  a  fort  to  defend  the  pass;  for 
the  wall  reached  to  the  edge  of  the  water,  was  continued  to  the  oppcaJte  side,  over 
Soceres  meadow,  and  extended  ten  or  twelve  miles  farther,  till  it  terminated  nt  Bowlness, 
on  the  Solway  Firth.  Adrian's  wall,  or  rather  rampart,  was  made  on  the  north  side  of  the 
wall,  and  b  visible  in  some  places,  but  ceases  at  or  near  Burgh,  the  Axelodunum  of  the 
Notitia.  Probably  this  was  a  station  for  cavalry,  for  near  Hissop  bank  is  a  stupendous 
number  of  horses'  bones,  exposed  by  the  falling  of  the  cliff. 

Cross  the  Leven,  aixl  ride  through  the  village  of  Arthuret :  in  the  church«yard  is  a 
rude  cross,  with  a  pierced  capital,  forming  the  exact  figure  of  the  cross  of  the  knights 
of  Malta,  and  it  is  probable  it  was  erected  by  one  of  that  order.  In  the  same  ground 
was  interred  the  remains  of  poor  Archy  Armstrong,  jester  or  fool  to  Charles  I,  and  by 
accident,  suitable  to  his  profession,  the  day  of  his  funeral  was  the  first  of  April.  Archy 
had  long  shot  his  bolt  with  ^at  applause,  till  it  fell  unfortunatly  upon  the  prelate 
Laud,*  who,  with  a  pride  and  weakness  beneath  his  rank  and  character,  procured  an 
order  of  council,  the  king  present,  for  degrading  the  fool,  by  pulling  his  motly  coat 
over  his  head,  for  discharging  him  of  the  king's  service,  and  banishing  him  the  court. 
Near  the  village  are  some  high  and  irregular  sandy  eminences ;  probably  natural,  not- 
withstanding a  contrary  opinion  has  been  held,  because  some  coins  and  an  urn  have  been 
found  in  them. 

Reach  Netherby,  the  seat  of  the  Rev.  Mr.  Graham,  placed  on  a  rising  ground, 
washed  by  the  Esk,  and  commanding  an  extensive  view ;  more  pleasing  to  Mr.  Graham, 
as  he  sees  from  it  a  creation  of  his  own ;  lands  that  eighteen  years  ago  were  in  a  state  of 
nature ;  the  people  idle  and  bad,  still  retaining  a  smnci;  of  the  feudal  manners :  scarce 
a  hedge  to  be  seen :  and  a  total  ignorance  prevailed  o*.  even  coal  and  lime.  His  improv- 
ing  spirit  soon  wrought  a  great  change  in  these  parts :  his  example  instilled  into  the  in- 
habitants an  inclination  to  industry  :  and  they  soon  found  the  difference  between  sloth 
and  its  concomitants,  dirt  and  beggary,  and  a  plenty,  that  a  right  application  of  the  arts 
of  husbandry  brought  among  them.  They  lay  in  the  midst  of  a  rich  country,  yet  starved 
in  it ;  but  in  a  small  time  they  found  that,  instead  of  a  produce  that  hardly  supported 
themselves,  they  could  raise  even  supplies  for  their  neighbours :  that  much  of  their  land 
was  so  kindly  as  to  bear  com  for  many  years  successively  without  the  help  of  manure, 
and  for  the  more  ungrateful  soils,  that  there  were  lime-stones  to  be  had,  and  coal 
to  bum  them.  The  wild  tract  soon  appeared  in  form  of  verdant  meadows  or  fruitful 
corn  fields :  from  the  first,  they  were  soon  able  to  send  to  distant  places  cattle  and  butter : 
and  their  dairies  enabled  them  to  support  a  numerous  herd  of  hogs,  and  carry  on  a  con- 
aderable  traffick  in  bacon :  their  arable  lands,  a  commerce  as  far  as  Lancashire  in  corn. 

A  tract  distingubhed  for  its  fertility  and  beauty  ran  in  form  of  a  valley  for  some  space, 
in  view  of  Netherby :  it  has  been  finely  recWmed  from  its  original  state,  prettily  divided, 

*  When  the  news  arrived  at  court  of  the  tumults  in  Scotland,  occasioned  by  the  attempt  to  introduce 
the  liturgy  (a  project  of  Laud,)  Archy  unluckily  met  with  the  Archbishop,  and  had  the  presumption  to 
ask  his  grace,  Who  is  fool  now  ? 


. 


m 


f 


206 


PENNANT'S  SECOND  TOUR  IN  SCOTLAND. 


well  planted  with  hedges,  and  well  peopled :  the  ground  originally  not  worth  six-pence 
an  acre,  was  improved  to  the  value  of  thirty  shillings :  a  tract  completely  improved  in  all 
rcsix:cts,  except  in  houses,  the  ancient  clay -dubbed  habitations  still  exibting.  I  saw  it  in 
thut  siuiatiun  in  the  year  1769  :  at  this  time  a  melancholy  extent  of  '^^uck  turbery,  the 
eruption  of  the  Solway  moss,  having  in  a  few  days  covered  grass  and  corn,  levelled  the 
bounduries  of  almost  every  farm,  destroyed  most  of  the  houses,  and  driven  the  poor  in- 
habitants to  the  utmost  distress,  till  they  found  (which  was  not  long)  from  their  land- 
lord every  relief  that  a  humane  mind  could  suggest.  Happily  his  fortune  favoured  his 
inclination  to  do  good  :  for  the  instant  loss  of  four  hundred  pounds  a  year  could  prove  no 
check  to  his  benevolence. 

On  visiting  the  place  from  whence  this  disaster  had  flowed,  it  was  apparently  a  natural 
phaeiiomenon,  without  any  thing  wonderful  or  unprecedented.  Felling  moss,  near 
Garstang,  had  made  the  same  sort  of  eruption  in  the  present  century  ;  and  Chat-moss, 
between  Manchester  and  Warrington,  in  the  time  of  Henry  VHI,  as  Leland  expresses  it, 
*'  brast  up  within  a  mile  of  Morley-haul,  and  destroied  much  grounde  with  mosse  there- 
about, and  destroied  much  fre»ch  water  tishche  thereabout,  first  corrupting  with  stink- 
ing water  Glasebrooke,  and  so  Glasebrooke  carried  stinking  water  and  mosse  into  Mer- 
sey water,  and  Mersey  corruptid  carried  the  roulling  mosse,  part  to  the  shores  of  Wales, 
part  to  the  isle  of  Man,  and  sum  into  Ireland ;  and  in  the  very  top  of  Chately  more, 
where  the  mosse  was  hyest  and  brake,  is  now  a  fair  plaine  valley  as  was  in  tymes  paste, 
and  a  rylle  runnith  hit,  and  peaces  of  smaul  trees  be  found  in  the  bottorai." 

Solway  Moss  consists  of  sixteen  hundred  acres  ;  lies  some  height  above  the  cultivated 
tract,  and  seems  to  have  been  nothing  but  a  collection  of  thin  peaty  mud :  the  surface 
itself  was  always  so  near  the  state  of  a  quagmire,  that  in  most  places  it  was  unsafe  for 
any  thing  heavier  than  a  sportsman  to  venture  on,  even  in  the  dnest  summer. 

The  shell  or  crust  that  kept  this  liquid  within  bounds,  nearest  to  the  valley,  was  at 
first  of  sufiicient  strength  to  contain  it :  but  by  the  imprudence  of  the  peat-diggers,  who 
were  continually  working  on  that  side,  at  length  became  so  weakened,  as  not  longer  to 
be  able  to  resist  the  weight  pressing  on  it :  to  this  may  be  added,  the  fluidity  of  the 
moss  was  greatly  increased  by  three  days  rain  of  unusual  violence,  which  preceded  the 
eruption  ;  and  extended  itself  in  a  line  as  far  as  Newcastle :  took  in  part  of  Durham, 
and  a  small  portion  of  Yorkshire,  running  in  a  parallel  line  of  about  equal  breadth ; 
both  sides  of  which,  running  north  and  south,  experienced  an  uncommon  drought.  It 
is  singular  that  the  fall  of  Newcastle  bridge  and  this  accident  happened  within  a  night 
of  each  other. 

Late  in  the  night  of  the  17th  of  November  of  the  last  year,  a  farmer,  who  lived 
nearest  the'  moss,  was  alarmed  with  an  unusual  noise.  The  crust  had  at  once  given 
way*  and  the  black  deluge  was  rolling  towards  his  house,  when  he  was  gone  out  with  a 
lantern  to  see  the  cause  of  his  fright ;  he  saw  the  siream  approach  him ;  and  first 
thought  that  it  was  his  dunghill,  that  by  some  supernatural  cause  had  been  set  in  mo- 
tion ;  but  soon  discovering  the  danger,  he  gave  notice  to  his  neighbours  with  all  ex- 
pedition :  but  others  received  no  other  advice  but  what  this  Stygian  tide  gave  them  : 
some  by  its  noise,  many  by  its  entrance  into  their  houses,  and  I  have  been  assured  that 
some  were  surprised  with  it  even  in  their  beds ;  these  past  a  horrible  night,  remaining 
totally  ignorant  of  their  fate,  and  the  cause  of  their  calamity,  till  the  morning,  when 
their  neighbours  with  difficulty  got  them  out  through  the  roof.  About  three  hundred 
acres  of  moss  were  thus  discharged,  and  above  four  hundred  of  land  covered :  the 
houses  cither  overthrown  or  filled  to  their  roofs ;  and  the  hedges  overwhelmed ;  but 
providentially  not  a  human  life  lost :  several  cattle  were  suffocated ;  and  those  which 


PENNANT'S  SECOND  TOUll  IN  SCOTLAND. 


207 


were  housed  had  a  very  small  chance  of  escaping.  The  case  of  a  cow  is  so  singular  as 
to  deserve  mention.  She  was  the  only  one  out  of  eight,  in  the  same  covv.h(nii.c,  that 
was  saved,  after  having  stood  sixty  hours  up  to  the  neck  in  mud  and  water :  when  she 
was  relieved,  she  did  not  refuse  to  eat,  but  would  not  taste  water  :  nor  could  even  luolc, 
with'mt  shewing  manifest  signs  of  horror. 

The  eruption  burst  from  the  place  of  its  discharge  like  a  cataract  of  thick  ink  ;  and 
continued  in  a  stream  of  the  same  appearance,  intermixed  with  great  fragments  of  pear, 
with  their  heathy  surface ;  then  flowed  like  a  tide  charged  with  pieces  of  wreck,  filling 
the  whole  valley,  running  up  every  little  opening,  and  on  its  retreat,  leaving  upon  the 
shore  tremendous  heaps  of  turf,  memorials  of  the  height  this  dark  torrent  arrived  at. 
The  farther  it  flowed,  the  more  room  it  had  to  expand,  lessening  in  depth,  till  it  mixed 
its  stream  with  that  of  the  £sk. 

The  surface  of  the  moss  received  a  considerable  change  :  what  was  before  a  plain, 
now  sunk  in  the  form  of  a  vast  bason«  and  the  loss  of  the  contents  so  lowered  the  sur- 
face, as  to  give  to  Netherby  a  new  view  of  land  and  trees  unseen  before. 

Near  this  moss  was  the  shameful  reddition,  in  1542,  of  the  Scotch  army,  under  the 
command  of  Oliver  Sinclair,  minion  of  James  V,  (to  Sir  Thomas  Wharton,  warden  of 
the  marches.)  The  nobility,  desperate  with  rage  and  pride,  when  they  heard  that 
favourite  proclaimed  general,  preferred  an  immediate  surrender  to  a  handful  of  cne« 
mies,  rather  than  fight  for  a  king  who  treated  them  with  such  contempt.  The  English 
commander  obtained  a  bloodless  victory  :  the  whole  Scotch  army  was  taken,  or  dispersed, 
and  a  few  fugitives  perished  in  this  very  moss  :  as  a  confirmation,  it  is  said,  that  a  few 
years  ago  some  peat-diggers  discovered  in  it  the  skeletons  of  a  trooper  and  his  horse 
m  complete  armour. 

In  my  return  visit  the  ancient  border-house  at  Kirk-andrews,  opposite  to  Netherby : 
it  consists  only  of  a  square  tower,  with  a  ground  floor,  and  two  apartments  above,  one 
over  the  other :  in  the  first  floor  it  was  usual  to  keep  cattle ;  in  the  two  last  was  lod^d 
the  family.  In  those  very  unhappy  times,  every  one  was  obliged  to  keep  guard  agauist 
perhaps  his  neighbour ;  and  sometimes  to  shut  themselves  up  for  days  together,  with« 
out  any  opportunity  of  tasting  the  fresh  air,  but  from  the  battlemented  top  of  their 
castelet.  Their  wit^duvvs  were  very  small ;  their  door  of  iron.  If  the  robbers  at- 
tempted to  break  it  open,  they  were  annoyed  from  above  by  the  flinging  of  great  stones, 
or  by  deluges  of  scalding  water.* 

As  late  as  the  reign  of  our  James  I,  watches  were  kept  along  the  whole  border,  and 
at  every  ford,  by  day  and  by  night :  setters,  watchers,  searchers  of  the  watchers,  and 
overseers  of  the  watchers,  were  appointed.  Besides  these  cautions,  the  inhabitants  of 
the  marches  were  obliged  to  keep  such  a  number  of  slough  dogs,  or  what  we  call 
blood-hounds:  for  example,  "in  these  parts,  beyond  the  Esk,  by  the  inhabitants 
there  were  to  be  kept  above  the  foot  of  Sark,  1  dog.  Item,  by  the  inhabitants  of  the 
insyde  of  Esk,  to  Hichmond  Clugh,  to  be  kept  at  the  Moot,  1  dog.  Item,  by  the  in- 
habitants of  the  parish  of  Arthuret,  above  Richmond  Clugh,  to  be  kept  at  the  Barley, 
head,  1  dog ;  and  so  on  throughout  the  border."  The  chief  ofiicers,  bailiSs  and  con- 
stables throughout  the  district  being  directed  to  see  that  the  inhabitants  kept  their  quota 
of  dogs,  and  paid  their  contributions  for  their  maintenance.  Persons  who  were  ag. 
grieved,  or  had  lost  any  thing,  were  allowed  to  pursue  the  hot  trode  with  hound 
and  horn,  with  hue  and  cry,  and  all  other  accustomed  manners  of  hot  pursuit.t 

*  Life  of  lord  keeper  Guilford,  p.  138. 

I  Nicholson's  border  laws,  p.  127.  In  the  Appendix  is  to  be  seen  an  order  for  the  security  of  the 
borders. 


.1 


UOQ 


PeVNAXT'8  SECOND  TOUn  IN  SCOTLAND. 


The  necessity  of  alt  this  was  very  strong ;  for  before  the  accession  of  James  I,  to  these 
kingdoms,  the  borders  of  both  were  in  perpetual  feuds :  after  that  happy  event,  those 
that  lived  by  hc3tile  excursions,  took  to  pillaging  their  neighbours ;  and  about  that 
period  got  the  name  of  moss-troopers,  from  their  living  in  the  mosses  of  the  country. 

They  were  the  terror  of  the  limits  of  both  kingdoms;  at  me  time  amounted  to  some 
thousands,  but  by  the  severity  of  the  laws,  and  the  activity  of  lord  Wiliam  Howard, 
were  at  length  extirpated.  The  life  and  manners  of  one  of  the  plundering  chieftains  is 
well  cxemplitied  by  the  confession  ofGiordie  Bourne,  a  noted  thief,  who  suffered  when 
Robert  Cary,  earl  of  Monmouth,  was  warden  of  one  of  these  marches :  be  fairly  ac> 
knowledged,  "  That  he  had  lived  long  enough  to  do  so  many  villainies  as  he  had  done ; 
that  he  had  layne  with  above  forty  men's  wives,  what  in  England,  what  in  Scotland; 
that  he  had  killed  seven  Englishmen  with  his  owne  handes,  cruelly  murthering  them : 
that  he  had  spent  his  whole  time  in  whoring,  drinking,  stealing,  and  taking  deep  re* 
venge  for  slight  offences."* 

Return  to  Netherby.  The  house  is  placed  on  the  site  of  a  Roman  station,  the  castra 
exploratorum  of  Antoninus,  end  was  well  situated  for  commanding  an  extensive  view 
around.  By,  signifies  a  habitation ;  thus,  there  are  three  camps  or  stations  with  this 
termination,  not  very  remote  from  one  another,  Netherby,  Middleby,  and  Overby. 
The  first,  like  Ellenborough,  lias  been  a  rich  fund  of  curiosities  for  the  amusement  of 
antiquaries  :  at  present  the  ground  they  were  discovered  in  is  covered  with  a  good  house 
and  useful  improvements ;  yet  not  long  before  Leiand's  time  *'  ther  hath  bene  mar. 
velus  buyldings,  as  appear  by  ruinous  wailes,  and  men  alyve  have  sene  rynges  and 
staples  yn  the  wailes  as  yt  had  been  stayes  or  holdes  for  shyppes  f."  There  a  a  tradi* 
tion,  that  an  anchor  had  been  found  not  remote  from  Netherby,  perhaps  under  the 
high  land  at  Arthuret,  i.  e.  Arthur's  head,  beneath  which  it  appears  as  if  the  tide  had 
once  flowed. 

Every  thing  has  been  found  here  that  denotes  it  to  have  been  a  fixed  residence  of  the 
Romans ;  a  fine  Hypocaust,  or  bath,  was  discovered  a  few  years  ago,  and  the  burial 
place,  now  a  shrubbery,  was  pointed  out  to  me.  The  various  altars,  inscriptions,  uten- 
sils, and  every  other  antiquity  collected  on  the  spot,  are  carefully  preserved,  and  lodged 
in  the  green  house,  with  some  others  collected  in  different  parts  of  the  country. 

June  1st.  Take  a  ride  to  Liddel's  Strength,  or  the  Mote.  A  strong  entrenchment 
two  miles  S.  W.  of  Netherby,  on  a  steep  and  lofty  clay  Cliff,  above  the  river  Liddel« 
commanding  a  vast  extent  of  view :  has  at  one  end  a  very  high  mount,  from  whence 
the  country  might  be  explored  to  very  great  advantage :  in  the  middle  is  the  foundation 
of  a  square  building,  perhaps  the  prsetorium  ?  This  place  is  small,  rather  of  a  circular 
form,  strongly  entrenched  on  the  weak  side ;  has  before  it  a  sort  of  half  moon,  mth  a 
vast  foss  and  dike  as  a  security.  From  this  place  to  Netherby  is  the  vestige  of  a  road. 
1''hat  this  fortress  has  been  orinnally  Roman  is  probable,  but  since  their  time  has  been 

plied  to  the  same  use  by  other  warders.  **  It  was,  says  Leland,  the  moted  place  of 

gentilman  cawled  Syr  Water  Seleby,  the  which  was  killyd  there,  and  the  place  de- 
s:,  yed  yn  king  Edward  the  thyrde  when  the  Scottes  whent  to  Dryham."^ 

It  was  taken  by  storm  by  David  the  lid.  The  governor,  Sir  Walter,  would  have 
compounded  for  his  life  by  ransom,  but  the  tyrant,  after  causing  his  two  sons  to  be 
strangled  before  his  face,  ordered  the  head  of  the  father,  distracted  with  grief,  to  be 
struck  off.} 


*  Gary's  Memoirs,  2d.  ed.  p.  123, 
fLeland'sItin.  vii.  55. 


i  Leiand's  Itin.  vii.  p.  56,  3d.  ed. 
§  Stow's  Chronicle,  243. 


PENNANT*S  SECOND  TOUK  IN  SCOTLAND. 


ao» 


Descend  the  hill,  and  crossing  the  Liddcl,  enter  Scotland  in  Liddcsdulc,  n  portion 
of  the  county  of  Dumfries:  a  most  fertile  and  cultivated  tract  of  low  arable  and  pasture 
land.  Keep  by  the  river  side  for  three  miles  farther  to  Pentou-lins,  where  is  a  most 
wild  but  picturesque  scene  of  the  river,  rapidly  flowing  along  rude  rocks  bounded  by 
cliffs,  clothed  on  each  side  by  trees.  The  bottom  the  water  rolls  over  assumes  various 
forms;  but  the  most  singular  are  beds  of  stone  regularly  quadrangular,  and  divided  by 
a  narrow  vacant  space  from  each  other,  resembling  immense  masses  of  Ludi  Helmontii, 
with  their  septa  lost.  Below  these,  the  rocks  approach  each  other,  leaving  only  a  deep 
and  narrow  channel,  with  a  pretty  wooden  alpine  bridge  over  a  depth  of  furious  water, 
black  and  terrible  to  the  sight.  The  sides  of  the  rock  are  strangely  perforated  with 
great  and  circular  hollows,  like  pots :  the  work  of  the  vortiginous  motion  of  the  water 
in  great  floods. 

A  farmer  I  met  with  here  told  me,  that  a  pebble,  naturally  perforated,  was  an  infal- 
lible cure,  hung  over  a  horse  that  was  hag-ridden,  or  troubled  with  noctural  sweats. 

Return  and  pass  through  the  parish  of  Cannonsby,  a  small  fertile  plain,  watered  by 
the  £sk,  where  some  canons  regular  of  St.  Augustme  had  pitched  their  priory  at  least 
before  the  year  1296,  when  William,  prior  of  the  convent,  swore  allegiance*  to  Edw.  I. 
The  parish  is  very  populous,  containing  above  two  thousand  souls.  Much  coal  and 
limestone  is  found  here. 

Most  part  of  the  houses  are  built  with  clay  :  the  person  who  has  building  in  view 
prepares  the  materials,  then  summonses  his  neighbours  on  a  fixed  day,  who  come  fur- 
nished with  victuals  at  their  own  expence«  set  cheerfully  to  work,  and  complete  the 
edifice  before  night. 

Ascend  a  bank  on  the  south  side  of  this  valley,  to  a  vast  height  above  it :  the  scenery 
is  great  and  enchanting ;  on  one  side  is  a  view  of  the  river  Esk,  far  beneath,  running 
through  a  rocky  channel,  and  bounded  by  immense  precipices ;  in  various  places  sud- 
denly deepening  to  a  vast  profundity ;  while  in  other  parts  it  glides  over  a  bottom  co- 
vered with  mosses,  or  coloured  stones,  that  reflect  through  the  pure  water  teints  glau- 
cous, green,  or  sappharine  :  these  various  views  are  in  most  places  fully  open  to  sight ; 
in  others  suffer  a  partial  interruption  from  the  trees,  that  clothe  the  steep  bank,  or  shoot 
out  from  the  brinks  and  fissures  of  the  precipices ;  the  trees  are  in  general  oak,  but  often 
intermixed  with  the  waving  boughs  of  the  weeping  birch. 

Two  precipices  are  particularly  distinguished :  one  called  Carsidel ;  the  other  Gil- 
nochie*s  garden :  the  last  is  said  to  have  been  the  retreat  of  a  celebrated  outlaw ;  but 
originally  had  evidently  been  a  small  British  fortress,  guarded  on  one  side  by  the  steeps 
of  the  precipice,  on  the  other  by  a  deep  intrenchment. 

The  ride  was  extremely  diversified  through  thick  woods,  or  small  thickets,  with  sud- 
den transitions  from  the  shade  into  rich  and  well  husbanded  fields,  bounded  on  every 
side  with  woods ;  with  views  of  other  woods  still  rising  beyond.  No  wonder  then  that 
the  inhabitants  of  these  parts  yet  believe  the  fairies  revel  in  these  delightful  scenes. 

Cross  the  Esk,  through  a  ford  with  a  bottom  of  solid  rock,  having  on  one  side  the 
water  precipitating  itself  down  a  precipice  forming  a  small  cataract,  which  would  afford 
a  scene  not  the  most  agreeable  to  a  timid  mind.  The  water  too  was  of  the  most  crystal- 
line, or  colourless  clearness,  no  stream  I  have  ever  seen  being  comparable ;  so  that  per- 
sons who  ford  this  river  are  often  led  into  distresses,  by  being  deceived  as  to  its  depth, 
for  the  great  transparency  gives  it  an  unreal  shallowness. 

This  river  is  inhabited  by  trouts,  parrs,  loches,  minnows,  eels,  and  lampries ;  and 


VOL.   III. 


*  Keith's  Scotch  bishops,  240. 
£  £ 


m 


\i 


210 


PKNKANT*8  SECOND  TOUR  IN  SCOTLANU. 


what  is  singular,  the  chub,  which  with  us  loves  only  the  deep  and  still  waters  bounded 
by  clayey  banks. 

On  the  opposite  eminence  see  HoUhouse,  a  defensible  tower  like  that  at  Kirk^andrcws, 
and  one  of  the  scuts  of  the  famous  Johnny  Armstrong,  luird  of  Gilnockic,  the  most 
popular  uiid  potent  thief  of  his  time,  and  who  laid  the  whole  English  borders  under 
contribution,  but  never  injured  any  of  his  own  countrymen.  He  always  was  attended 
with  twenty-four  gentlemen  well  mounted  :  and  when  James  V,  went  his  progress  in 
1528,  expressly  to  free  the  country  from  marauders  of  this  kind,  Gilnockie  appeared 
btfore  him  with  thirty-six  persons  in  his  train,*  most  gorgeously  apparelled  ;  and  him« 
self  so  richly  dressed,  that  the  king  said,  *'  What  wants  that  knave  that  a  king  should 
have?"  Hi^  miijesty  ordered  him  and  his  followers  to  immediate  execution,  in  spite  of 
th<  <j;rvM  oHcrs  Gilnockie  made ;  who.  finding  all  application  for  favour  vain,  he,  ac- 
corditig  to  the  old  ballad,  boldly  told  the  king, 

To  seik  hot  water  beneath  cold  yce, 

Surely  it  is  u  great  follie  ; 
I  hair  asked  fi;race  at  a  graceless  face, 

Uut  there  is  nanc  for  my  men  and  me. 

I  saw  a  boy,  a  direct  descendant  of  this  unfortunate  bravo,  who,  with  his  whole  family, 
are  said  to  be  distinguished  for  their  honesty  and  quiet  disposition,  happily  degenerating 
from  their  great  ancestor. 

Continue  my  ride  on  a  fine  turnpike  road,  through  beautiful  woods,  to  Mr.  Max- 
well's of  Broomholme,  environed  with  a  most  magnificent  theatre  of  trees,  clothing 
the  lofty  hills,  and  the  whole  surmounted  by  a  barren  mountain,  by  way  of  contrast. 

The  rent  of  the  ground  which  Mr.  Maxwell  keeps  in  his  own  hands,  and  tli^t  of  a 
farm  now  disjoined  from  it,  was  in  the  unsettled  times  of  the  beginning  of  the  last  cen- 
tury only  five  pounds  Scotch,  or  eight  shillings  and  four-pence  Knglish.  At  present 
Mr.  Maxwell's  share  alone  would  take  a  hundred  pounds  sterling  annual  rent.  This  is 
mentioned  as  an  illustration  of  the  happy  change  of  times,  and  the  increase  of  revenues, 
by  the  security  the  owners  now  enjoy,  by  the  improvements  in  agriculture,  and  the 
cheapness  of  money,  to  what  they  were  a  century  and  a  half  ago.  Indeed  it  should  be 
mentioned  that  the  old  rent  was  paid  by  a  Maxwell  to  a  Maxwell ;  and  perhaps  there 
might  be  some  small  matter  of  favour  from  the  chieftain  to  his  kinsman  ;  but  even  ad- 
mitting some  partiality,  thr  rise  of  income  must  be  amazing. 

The  road  continues  equally  beautiful,  along  a  fertile  glen,  bounded  by  hills  and  woods. 
Come  in  view  of  a  bridge,  with  the  pleasing  motion  of  a  mill  wheel  seen  in  perspective 
through  the  middle  arch  :  the  river  was  here  low,  and  the  bed  appeared  roughened  with 
transverse  waved  rocks,  extensively  spread,  and  sharply  broken. 

The  town  of  Langholme  appears  in  a  small  plain,  with  the  entrance  of  three  dales, 
and  as  many  rivers,  from  which  they  take  their  names,  entering  into  it,  viz.  Wachop- 
dale,  Eusdale,  and  Eskdalc ;  the  last  extends  thirty  or  forty  miles  in  length,  and  the 
sides,  as  far  as  I  could  see,  bounded  by  hills  of  smooth  and  verdant  grass,  the  sweet  food 
of  the  sheep,  the  great  staple  of  the*  country.  To  give  an  idea  of  the  considerable 
traffic  carried  on  in  these  animals,  the  reader  may  be  told,  that  from  twenty  to  thirty- six 
thousand  lambs  are  sold  in  the  several  fairs  that  are  held  at  Langholme  in  the  year.  To 
this  must  be  added,  the  great  profit  made  of  the  wool  sold  into  England  for  our  coarser 
manufactures ;  of  the  sheep  themselves  sent  into  the  south,  and  even  of  the  cheese  and 
butter  made  from  the  milk  of  the  ewes.f 

•  L:ndsey,  U^. 

t  For  a  fuller  account  of  the  management  of  the  sheep  of  this  county,  vide  the  Appendix. 


'-'Vayi..juMij.j..'L-  j..!j 


ac- 


rhis  is 


rENNAKT'S  SFCONI)  TOUR  |M  SCOTLAND. 


211 


The  trustees  for  cncournging  of  imprnv<:mcnts  give  annual  premiums  to  such  who 

f>roduce  the  finest  wool,  or  breed  tlic  Ixst  tups ;  ;i  wise  measure  in  countries  emcrjrin^ 
rom  sloth  and  poverty. 

The  manufactures  of  Langholmc  are  stufls,  serges,  black  and  wliiic  plaids,  8cc.  mostly 
itold  into  England. 

The  castle  is  no  more  than  a  s<]uare  tower,  or  border. house,  once  belonging  to  thf 
Armstrongs.  In  my  walk  to  it  was  shewn  the  place  where  several  witches  had  siiftered 
in  the  last  century  :  this  reminds  me  of  a  very  singular  belief  that  prevailed  not  many 
years  ago  in  these  parts  ;  nothing  less  than  that  the  midwivcs  had  power  of  transferring 

Kart  of  the  primaeval  curse,  bestowed  on  our  great  first  mother,  from  the  good  wife  to 
er  husband.  I  saw  the  reputed  offspring  of  such  a  labour,  who  kindly  came  into  the 
world  without  giving  her  mother  the  least  uneasiness,  while  the  poorMuisbund  was  roar- 
ing with  agony  in  his  uncouth  and  unnatural  pains. 

The  magistrates  of  this  place  are  very  attentive  to  the  suppression  of  all  excessive  ex- 
ertions of  that  unruly  mcml}er  the  tongue :  the  brank,  an  instrument  of  punishment,  is 
always  in  readiness,  and  I  was  favoured  with  the  sight :  it  is  a  sort  of  head-piece,  that 
opens  and  incloses  the  head  of  the  impatient,  while  an  iron,  sharp  as  a  chissel,  enters  the 
mouth,  and  subdues  the  more  dreadful  weapon  within.  This  had  been  used  a  month 
before,  and  as  it  cut  the  poor  female  till  blood  gushed  from  each  side  of  her  mouth,  it 
would  be  well  that  the  judges  in  this  case  would,  before  they  exert  their  power  again, 
consider  not  only  the  humanity,  but  the  legality  of  this  practice. 

The  learned  Doctor  Plot*  has  favoured  the  world  with  a  minute  description,  and  a 
figure  of  the  instrument,  and  tells  us,  he  looks  on  it  "as  much  to  be  preferred  to  the 
ducking-stool,  which  not  only  endangers  the  health  of  the  party,  but  itlso  gives  the 
tongue  liberty  'twixt  every  dip  ;  to  neither  of  which  this  is  at  all  lyable." 

Among  the  various  customs  now  obsolete,  the  most  curious  was  that  of  hand-iisting, 
in  use  about  a  century  past.  In  the  upper  part  of  Eskdale,  at  the  confluence  of  the 
white  and  the  black  Esk,  was  held  an  annual  fair,  where  multitudes  of  each  sex  repaired. 
The  unmarried  looked  out  for  mates,  made  their  engagement  by  joining  hands,  or  by  hand- 
fisting,  went  off  in  pairs,  cohabited  till  the  next  annual  return  of  the  fair,  appeared 
there  again,  and  then  were  at  liberty  to  declare  their  approbation  or  dislike  of  each 
other.  If  each  party  continued  constant,  the  hand-fisting  was  renewed  for  life  ;  but  if 
cither  party  dissented,  the  engagement  was  void,  and  both  were  at  full  lil)erty  to  make 
a  new  choice  ;  but  with  this  proviso,  that  the  inconstant  was  to  take  the  charge  of  the 
offspring  of  the  year  of  probation.  This  custom  seemed  to  originate  from  the  want  of 
clergy  in  this  county  in  the  days  of  popery.  This  tract  was  the  property  of  the  abbey 
of  Melross,  which  through  oeconomy  discontinued  the  vicars  that  were  used  to  discharge 
here  the  clerical  offices ;  instead,  they  only  made  annual  visitations  for  the  purposes  of 
marrying  and  baptising,  and  the  person  thus  sent  was  called  Book  in  Bosom,  probably 
from  his  carrying,  by  way  of  readiness,  the  book  in  his  breast ;  but  even  this  being 
omitted,  the  inhabitants  became  necessitated  at  first  to  take  this  method,  which  they 
continued  from  habit  to  practise  long  after  the  reformation  had  furnished  them  with 
clergy. 

Persons  of  rank,  in  times  long  prior  to  those,  took  the  benefit  of  this  custom  ;  for 
Lindesey,t  in  his  reign  of  James  II,  says,  "  That  James  sixth  earl  of  Murray  begat 
upon  Isabel  Innes,  daughter  of  the  laird  of  Innes,  Alexander  Dunbar,  a  man  of  singu- 
lar wit  and  courage.     This  Isabel  was  but  hand-fist  with  him,  and  deceased  before  the 


*  Hlftt.  Stafibrdshire,  389,  tab.  xxxli. 

E  B  2 


t  P.  26,  folio  erf. 


212 


PENNANT'S  SECOND  TOUR  IN  SCOTLAND. 


marriage :  where-through  this  Alexander  he  was  worthy  uf  a  greater  living,  than  he 
mip^ht  succeed  to  by  the  laws  and  practices  of  th'<s  realm." 

or  the  sport!)  of  these  parts,  that  of  curling^  is  u  favourite,  and  one  unknown  !n  Eng- 
land ;  it  is  un  amusement  of  the  winter,  and  played  on  the  ice,  by  sliding  from  one 
mark  to  another  great  stones  of  forty  to  seventy  pounds  weight,  of  a  hemispherical  form, 
with  an  iron  or  wooden  handle  at  top.  The  object  of  th-  player  is  to  lay  his  stone  as 
near  to  the  mark  as  possible,  to  guard  that  of  his  partner,  which  had  been  well  laid  be- 
fore, or  to  strike  off  that  of  his  antagonist. 

Return  and  pass  the  March  dike,  or  the  Scotch  border,  and  continue  at  Netherby 
that  night. 

June  2.  Pass  through  Longtown,  a  place  remarkable  for  the  great  trade  carried  on 
during  the  season  of  cranberries ;  when,  for  four  or  five  markets,  from  twenty  to  twenty- 
five  pounds  worth  are  sold  each  day  at  three-pence  a  quart,  and  sent  in  small  barrels  to 
London. 

Cross  the  Esk,  on  a  bridge  of  five  arches,  a  light  structure,  as  n^^ist  of  the  bridges  of 
this  country  are.  Go  through  the  lanes  which  had  been  rendered  impassable  at  the 
time  of  the  eruption  of  the  Solway  moss,  which  took  its  courjie  this  way  to  the  Esk. 
The  road  was  at  this  time  quite  cleared  :  but  the  fields  to  the  right  were  quite  covered 
with  the  black  flood. 

The  space  between  the  Esk  and  the  Sark,  bounded  on  the  third  side  by  the  March 
dike,  which  crosses  from  one  river  to  the  other,  seems  properly  to  belong  to  Scodand ; 
but  having  been  disputed  by  both  crowns,  was  styled  the  aebateable  land.  But  in  the 
reign  of  our  Jfimes  1,  sir  Richard  Graham  obtaining  from  the  earl  of  Cumberland  (to 
whom  it  was  granted  by  queen  Elizabeth)  a  lease  of  this  tract,  bought  it  from  the 
needy  monarch,  and  liad  interest  enough  to  get  it  united  to  the  county  of  Cumberland, 
it  being  indiflcrent  to  James,  then  in  possession  of  both  kingdoms,  to  which  of  them  it 
was  annexed. 

Ride  by  the  side  of  the  Roman  road,  that  communicated  between  Netherby  and  the 
camp  at  Burrens.     Cross  a  small  bridge  over  the  Sark,  and  again  enter  Scotland. 

On  the  banks  of  th'is  rivulet  the  English,  under  the  command  of  the  earl  of  North- 
umberland, and  Magnus  with  a  red  mane,  received  a  great  defeat  from  the  Scots,  under 
Douglas  duke  of  Ormond,  and  Wallace  of  Cia^ie.  Numbers  of  the  former  were 
drowned  in  their  flight  in  Solway  firth,  and  lord  Piercey  taken  prisoner ;  a  mbfortune 
owing  to  his  filial  piety,  in  helping  his  father  to  a  horse,  to  enable  him*  to  escape. 

At  a  little  distance  from  the  bridge,  stop  at  the  little  village  of  Gretna,  the  resort  of 
all  amorous  couples,  whose  union  the  prudence  of  parents  or  guardians  prohibits :  here 
the  young  pair  may  be  instantly  united  by  a  fisherman,  a  joiner,  or  a  blacksmith,  who 
marry,  from  two  guineas  a  job,  to  a  dram  of  whisky :  but  the  price  b  generally  adjusted 
by  the  information  of  the  postilions  from  Carlisle,  who  are  in  pay  of  one  or  other  of  the 
above  worthies ;  but  even  the  drivers,  in  case  of  necessity,  have  been  known  to  under- 
take the  sacerdotal  office.  If  the  pursuit  of  friends  proves  very  hot,  and  there  is  not 
time  for  the  ceremony,  the  frighted  pair  are  advised  to  slip  into  bed,  are  shewn  to  their 
pursuers,  who  imagining  that  they  are  irrecoverably  united,  retire,  and  leave  them  to 

,  .  consummate  their  unfinished  loves.  ,         ...  ,,      .  . 

This  place  is  distinguished  from  afar  by  a  small  plantation  of  firs,  the  Cyprian  grove 
of  the  place ;  a  sort  of  land-mark  for  fugitive  lovers.    As  I  had  a  great  desire  to  see 

*  Hist,  of  Douglas's,  p.  179. 


PENNANT'S  SECOND  TOUK  IN  SCOTLAND. 


2U 


lan  he 

I  Kng- 
Dm  une 
1  tbrm, 
tunc  as 
aid  be- 

etherby 

Tied  on 
twenty - 
irreU  to 

idgesor 
at  the 
he  Esk. 
covered 

;  March 
Gotland ; 
It  in  the 
land  (to 
rom  the 
kberlandi 
them  it 

'  and  the 

*f  North- 
its,  under 
ner  were 
ibfortune 
e. 

resort  of 
its:  here 
nith,  who 
'  adjusted 
ter  of  the 
to  under- 
:re  is  not 
n  to  their 
em  to 


lan  grove 
lire  to  see 


the  high  priest,  by  stratagem  I  succeeded  :  he  appeared  in  form  of  a  fisiicrmuo,  n  Mout 
fellow,  in  u  blue  coat,  rulliiig  round  his  solemn  cnop<t  a  quid  of  tobacco  of  no  common 
size.  One  of  our  party  was  supposed  (o  come  to  explore  che  coast :  we  (|ue>»Uoiied 
him  alK)ut  his  price ;  which*  after  eyeing  uh  attentively,  he  left  to  our  honour.  The 
church  of  Scotland  does  what  it  can  to  prevent  tlieic  claiicleMiiie  matclie'» ;  but  in  vain, 
for  those  infamous  couplers  despise  the  fulinination  of  the  kirk,  and  cxcommunicaiiun  is 
the  only  penalty  it  can  inflict. 

Contitme  my  journey  over  a  woodless  flat  tract,  almost  hedgeless,  but  productive  of 
excellent  oats  and  barley.  Pass  by  Rig,  a  little  hamlet,  u  sort  of  cI)u|kI  of  ease  to 
Gretna,  in  the  run-away  nuptials.     The  performer  here  is  an  ulehouse-kceper. 

On  the  left  is  Solway  firth,  and  a  view  of  Keswick  fells,  between  which  and  Burns- 
work-hill  in  Scotland  is  a  flat  of  forty  miles,  and  of  a  great  extent  in  length.  The 
country  grows  now  very  uncultivated,  and  consists  of  large  commons.     Reach 

Annan,  in  Annundale,  another  division  of  Dumfriesshire,  u  town  of  four  or  five  hun- 
dred inhabitants,  seated  on  the  river  of  the  same  name.  V^cssels  of  about  two  hundred 
and  fifty  tons  can  come  within  half  a  mile  of  the  town,  and  of  bixty  as  high  as  the  bridge. 
This  place  has  some  trade  in  wine  :  the  annual  exports  iu-e  between  twenty  and  thirty 
thousand  Winchester  bushels  of  corn. 

The  castle  was  entirely  demolished,  by  order  of  parliament,  after  the  accession  of 
James  VI,  to  the  crown  of  England,  and  only  the  ditches  remain.  But  Annan  was  in 
a  manner  ruined  by  Wharton,  lord  president  of  the  marches,  who  in  the  reign  of  F^d- 
ward  VI,  overthrew  the  ch  rch  and  burnt  the  town  ;  the  first  having  been  fortified  by 
the  Scots,*  under  a  Lyon  of  the  house  of  Glames. 

The  Bruces  were  once  lords  of  this  place,  as  appears  by  a  stone  at  present  in  a  wall  u 
a  gentleman's  garden  taken  from  the  ruins  of  the  castle,  and  thus  inscribed  :  "  Robert 
de  Brus  counte  de  Carrick  et  senteur  du  val  de  Annand  1300." 

After  dinner  make  an  excursion  of  five  miles  to  Ruihwell,  passing  over  the  Annan 
on  a  bridge  of  five  arches,  defended  by  a  gateway.  The  country  resembles  that  I  passed 
over  in  the  morning;  but  at  Newby-neck  observe  the  ground  formed  jnto  eminences, 
so  remarkable  as  to  occasion  a  belief  of  their  being  artificial,  but  are  tertainly  nothing 
more  than  the  freaks  of  nature. 

The  church  of  Ruthwell  contains  the  ruins  of  a  most  curious  monument ;  an  obe- 
lisk, once  of  a  great  height,  now  lyin^  in  three  pieces,  broken  by  an  order  of  the  general 
assembly  in  1644,  under  pretence  of  its  being  an  object  of  superstition  among  the  vulgar. 
When  entire,  it  was  prol^bly  about  twenty  feet  high,  exclusive  of  pedestal  and  capital, 
making  allowances  in  the  measurement  of  the  present  pieces  for  fragments  chipped  off, 
when  it  was  destroyed :  it  originally  consisted  of  two  pieces ;  the  lowest,  now  in  two, 
had  been  fifteen  feet  long ;  the  upper  had  been  placed  on  the  other  by  means  of  a 
socket :  the  form  was  square  and  taper,  but  the  sides  of  unequal  breadth :  the  two  op- 
posite  on  one  side  at  bottom  were  eighteen  inches  and  a  half,  at  top  only  fifteen ;  the 
narrower  side  sixteen  at  bottom,  eleven  at  top.  Two  of  the  narrowest  sides  are  orna- 
mented with  vine-leaves,  and  animals,  intermixed  with  Runic  characters  around  the 
margin :  on  one  of  the  other  udes  is  a  very  rude  figure  of  our  Saviour,  with  each  foot  on 
the  head  of  some  beasts :  above  and  each  side  him  are  inscribed  in  Saxon  letters :  **  Jesus 
Christus — judex  equitatis,  certo  salvatoris  mundi  et  an" — perhaps,  as  Mr.  Gordonf 
imagines,  "Angelorum — bestiae  et  dracones  cognoverant  inde;"  and  lastly  are  the 
woitls,' "  fregerunt  panem." 

*  Ayscough'a  Hist,  of  the  wars  of  Scotland  and  England,  33 1.  |  lUn.  161. 


;» 


II 


2H 


I'KNN.VN'rH  SRCOND  TOl'Il  IV  SCoTl.AYH. 


lU-ncnth  (lie  t\vr>  niiiin;ilt  in  a  compiirimciit  with  tvvu  figures,  one  bearded,  the  oUtcr 
nut,  and  alK>vc  \h  inttcrilicd,  "  SanctiiH  l\iulii!»." 

On  the  adviTnc- sidi'  is  our  Saviour  a^ain,  with  Mary  Map;«lalcnc  wahhinj^  his  feet, 
undthc  box  olOiiitnaiit  in  his  liuid.  l  in  iuMriptions,  as  made  out  l>)  Mr.  Gordon, 
urc:  *•  Alabastrnin  uii^uinti — iJum  lachryntis  cnpit  rigarc  pedes,  ejus  cu[)illiH — capitis 
sui  term  hat — et  pi.x-tcrii  ns  vidi." 

The  ditU-reut  sculptures  ucri'  probably  the  work  of  dini-rent  times  and  difTercnt  na- 
tions ;  the  first  that  oi  the  christian  Saxons  ;  the  other  of  the  Danes,  who  either  found 
those  sides  |)lain,  or,  dctae.infj^  tlie  ancient  carving;,  rephiced  it  with  ttome  of  their  own. 
Trathiion  says  that  the  clturcli  was  t)uiU  over  this  obelisk,  lon^  after  its  erection ;  and 
it  was  re  |)orted  to  have  been  traiis|)orte(l  itere  by  an^eU,  it  was  probably  so  secured  for 
the  s.une  riason  us  tite  santa  casa  at  Loretta  was,  lest  it  should  lake  another  flight. 

The  pedestal  lies  l)uried  iKiieani  the  floor  of  the  church  :  I  found  some  fragments  of 
tlie  capitJ,  with  letters  similar  to  tite  others ;  and  on  each  opposite  side  un  e..glc,  neatly 
cut  in  relief.  'I'here  was  also  a  piece  of  anoriier,  with  Saxon  letters  round  the  lower 
part  of  a  human  figure,  in  long  vestments,  with  his  foot  on  u  pair  of  small  globes:  this 
too  sei  med  to  have  Ixen  the  top  of  a  cross. 

Seoil.ind  has  had  its  vicar  of  Hray  ;  for  in  this  church-yard  is  an  inscription  in  memory 
of  Mr.  Gawin  Young,  and  Jean  StcMurt  his  sixjuse.  He  was  ordained  minister  in  1617, 
>vhen  the  church  was  presbyterian :  soon  after,  James  VI,  established  a  moderate  sort  of 
episcopacy.  In  1638,  the  famous  league  and  covenant  took  place  :  the  bishops  were 
deposed,  and  their  mwer  abolished  ;  presbyterv  then  flourished  in  the  riilncss  of  acri- 
mony. Sectaries  of  all  sorts  invaded  the  church  in  Cromwell's  time,  all  equally  hating, 
|K'rsecuting,  and  being  persecuted  in  their  turns.  In  1660,  on  the  restoration,  cpisco« 
pucy  arrived  ut  its  plenitude  of  [rawer,  and  presbyterianism  expelled  ;  and  tliat  sect,  which 
m  their  prosperity  shewed  no  mercy,  now  met  with  reiributory  vengeance.  Mr.  Young 
maintained  his  post  amidst  all  Uiese  changes,  and,  what  is  much  to  his  honour,  supported 
his  character ;  was  respected  by  all  parties  for  his  moderation  and  learning ;  lived  a 
tran(|uil  life,  and  died  in  peace,  after  enjoying  his  cure  fifty-four  years. 

vile  e|)itanh  on  him,  his  wife  and  family,  merits  preservation,  if  but  to  shew  the  iium- 
l)er  of  his  children : 

I'ar  rrom  oar  own,  amids  our  oxn  w«  \y 
Of  our  dear  bairns,  thirty  and  on*'  utby. 
anagram. 
Gavinus  Junius 
'  Unius  agni  usui 

Jean  Steuart 
a  true  saint 
a  true  saint  I  live  it,  so  T  die  It. 
*  tho  men  saw  no,  my  God  did  sec  it. 

This  parish  extends  along  the  Solway  firth,  which  gains  on  the  land  continually,  and 
much  is  annually  washed  away  :  the  tides  recede  far,  and  leave  a  vast  space  of  sands 
dry.  The  sport  of  salmon-hunting  is  almost  out  of  use,  there  being  only  one  person  on 
the  coast  who  is  expert  enough  to  practise  the  diversion  :  the  sportsman  is  mounted  on 
a  good  horse,  and  furnished  with  a  long  spear  :  he  discovers  the  fish  in  the  shallow  chan^ 
nels  formed  by  £sk,  pursues  it  full  speed,  turns  it  like  a  gray«hound,  and  after  a  long 
chace  seldom  fails  to  transfix  it. 

The  salt- makers  of  RuthwcU  merit  mention,  as  their  method  seems  at  present  quite 
local.  As  soon  as  the  warm  and  dry  weather  of  June  comes  on,  the  sun  brings  up  and 
incrusts  the  surface  of  the  sand  with  salt :  at  that  time  they  gather  the  sand  to  the  depth 


?ll 


tmm 


rtNNANrs  SECOND  TOlIt  IN  HCoTLANl). 


215 


of  mi  inch,  carry  it  out  ol"  the  reach  of  the  liilc,  uiul  lay  it  ici  round  compact  heaps,  to 

f)r»\int  the  s.lt  from  hcinf?  waihcd  away  by  the  raiu«i :  they  thfu  nuikr  a  pit  light  ftct 
()\t\i  and  ilitii-  hroad,  and  ilic  name  di  pth,  and  plaistcr  the  insidr  with  i-la\ ,  th.it  ii  may 
hold  wutir  i  at  the  bottom  the)  place  u  layer  of  peat  ai.d  tnrl,  and  (ill  the  |)ii  uiiji  die 
collected  sand  ;  .ilUr  that  they  pour  water  tjfx  it :  thi>t  filters  through  the  s;uid,  und  car« 
rie^  the  salt  with  it  into  u  Icsncr  pit,  made  at  the  end  uf  the  ^reat  t)ne  :  this  they  hoil  in 
8n\uH  lead  patis,  and  procure  a  coarse  brouu  salt,  very  fit  for  the  pur|)oses  of  sahing 
meat  or  li-.h.  James  V' I,  in  a  visit  he  made  to  these  parts,  after  his  accessif)n  t(i  tijc 
crown  oi  Kn^land,  took  notice  of  this  o|K;ration,  and  for  their  industry  exempted  the 
poor  salt-makers  of  Uuthwell  from  all  duty  on  this  comnuKlity  ;  which,  till  the  union, 
was  in  all  the  Scotch  acts*  relating  to  the  salt  duties  excepted. 

In  this  parish  was  lately  discovered  a  singular  road  through  n  morass,  made  of  wood, 
consisting  of  split  oak  piankn,  eight  feet  long,  fastened  down  by  long  pins  or  stakes, 
driven  through  the  boards  into  the  earth.  It  was  found  out  by  digging  of  peat,  and  at 
that  time  lay  six  feet  beneath  the  surface.  It  pointed  tovards  the  sea,  and  in  old  times 
was  the  road  to  it ;  but  no  tradition  remains  of  the  place  it  came  from. 

Return  through  Aiutan,  and  after  a  ride  over  a  nuked  tract  reacli  Snringkeld,  the 
seat  of  Sir  William  Ma?:well :  near  the  house  is  the  site  of  Bell-castle,  where  the  duke 
of  Albany,  brother  to  James  III,  and  the  earl  of  Douglas,  lodged  the  night  before  their 
defeat  at  Kirkonnel,  a  place  almost  contiguous.  This  illustrious  pair  had  been  exiled 
in  England,  and  invaded  their  own  country  on  a  plundering  scheme,  in  a  manner  un- 
worthy of  them.  Albany  esca^Kd ;  Douglas  was  taken«  and  finished  his  life  in  the  coiv 
vent  of  Lindores.* 

In  the  burying- ground  of  Kirkonncl  is  the  grave  of  the  fair  Ellen  Irvine,  and  that  of 
her  lover :  she  was  daughter  of  the  house  of  Kirkoimel,  and  was  beloved  by  two  gentle- 
men at  the  same  time :  one  vowed  to  sacrifice  the  successful  rival  to  his  resentment,  and 
watched  an  opportunity  while  the  happy  pair  were  sitting  on  the  banks  of  the  Kirile,  that 
washes  these  grounds.  ^  Ellen  |)erceivcd  the  desnerate  lover  on  the  opposite  side,  and, 
fondly  thinking  to  save  her  favourite,  interposed;  and  receiving  the  wound  intended 
for  her  beloved,  fell  and  expired  in  his  arms.  He  instantly  revenged  her  death  ;  then 
fled  into  Spain,  and  served  for  some  time  against  the  infidels  :  on  his  return  he  visited 
the  grave  of  his  unfortunate  mistress,  stretched  himself  on  it,  and  expiring  on  the  spot, 
was  interred  by  her  side.  A  sword  and  a  cross  are  engraven  on  the  tomb-stone,  with 
"  hie  jacet  Adam  Fleming;"  the  only  memorial  of  this  unhappy  gentleman,  except  an 
ancient  ballad  of  no  great  merit,  which  records  the  tragical  event.f 

Excepting  a  glen  near  Springkcld,  most  of  this  country  is  very  naked.  It  is  said  to 
have  been  cleared  of  the  woods  by  act  of  padiament,  in  the  time  of  James  VI,  in  order 
to  destroy  the  retreat  of  the  moss-troopers,  a  pest  this  part  of  the  country  was  infamous 
for :  in  fact  the  whole  of  the  borders  then  was,  as  Lindesey  expresses,  no  other  thing 
but  theft,  reiflfand  slaughter.  They  were  possessed  by  a  set  of  potent  clans,  all  of  Saxou 
descent ;  and,  like  true  descendants  of  Isnmael,  their  hands  were  against  every  man, 
and  every  man's  hand  against  them.  The  Johnstons,  of  Lough-wood,  in  Annandale  ; 
their  rivals  the  Maxwells  of  Caerlavoroc,  the  Murrays  of  Cockpool,  Glendonwyns  of 
CIcndonwin,  Carruthers  of  Hnlmain,  Irvines  of  Bonshaw,  Jari'.'ns  of  Applcgarih,  and 
the  Elliots  of  Liddcsdale,  may  be  enumerated  among  the  great  families. 

But  besides  these,  were  a  set  of  clans  aad  surnames  on  the  whole  border,  and  on  the 

•  Hume's  Hist,  of  llie  Douglas's,  folio,  p  506. 

t  Which  happened  cither  the  laittr  end  of  the  reign  of  James  V,  or  the  beginning  of  that  of  Mnry, 


Ha 


$ 


i 


i 


216 


I'ENNANT'S  SECOND  TOUK  IN  SCOTLAND. 


dcbateable  ground,  who,  as  my  author  *  says,  were  not  landed  ;  many  of  them  distin- 
guibhcd  by  norrts  de  guerre,  in  the  manner  as  several  of  cur  unfortunate  brave  are  at 

S resent,  such  as  Tom  Trotter  of  the  hill,  the  Goodman  Dickson  of  Bucktrig,  Ralph 
iurn  of  the  Coit,  George  Hall,  called  Pat*s  Geordie  there,  the  Lairds  Jok,  Wanton 
Sym,  Will  of  Powder-lampat,  Arthur  fire  the  Braes,  Gray  Will,  Will  the  lord,  Willie 
of  Gratna-hill,  Richie  Graham  the  Plump,  John  Skynbank,  Priors  John  and  his  bairnes, 
Hector  of  the  Harlaw,  the  Griefes  and  Cuts  of  Harlow ;  these  and  many  more,  meiry 
men  all,  of  Robin  Hood's  fraternity,  superior  to  the  little  distinctions  of  meum  and 
tuum. 

June  3.  Visit  the  Roman  station  at  Burrens,  in  the  parish  of  Middleby,  seated  on  a 
flat,  bounded  on  one  side  by  the  small  water  of  Mien,  and  on  another  by  a  small  bim. 
It  was  well  defended  by  four  ditches  and  five  dikes ;  but  much  of  both  is  carried  away 
by  the  winter  ^oods  in  ^'ic  river  that  bou^^ded  on  one  side :  a  hypacaust  had  been  dis- 
covered here,  inscribed  stones  dug  up,  and  coins  found,  some  of  them  of  the  lower  em- 
pire. Observed  a  place  formed  of  square  stones,  which  I  was  told  contained,  at  the 
time  of  the  discovery,  a  quantity  of  grain  :  I  was  also  informed,  that  there  had  been 
a  large  vault  a  hundred  and  twenty  feet  long,  designed  for  a  granary  ;  but  this  has  long 
since  been  destroyed  for  sake  of  the  materials.  Mr.  Horsely  imagines  it  to  have  been  the 
blatum  bulgium  of  Antonine,  being  on  the  north  side  of  the  wall,  with  a  military  road 
between  it  and  Netherby,  and  that  it  was  the  place  where  Agricola  concluded  his  se- 
cond year's  expedition.  As  that  general  was  distinguished  for  his  judicious  choice  of 
spots  of  encampment,  so,  long  after,  his  successors  made  use  of  this,  as  appears  by  a 
medal  of  Constantius  Chlorus  being  found  here,  for  that  emperor  lived  about  two 
hundred  and  twenty  years  after  Agricola. 

The  country  now  begins  to  giow  very  hilly,  but  usefully  so,  the  hills  being  verdant, 
and  formed  for  excellent  sheep-walks  :  on  the  sides  of  one  called  Burnswork,  about 
two  miles  from  Burrens,  are  two  beautiful  camps,  united  to  each  other  by  a  rampart, 
that  winds  along  the  side  of  a  hill ;  one  camp  bemg  on  the  south-east,  the  other  on  the 
north-west :  nne  has  the  praetorium  yet  visible  ;  and  on  the  north  side  are  three  round 
tumuli,  eaci';  joined  to  it  by  a  dike,  projecting  to  some  distance  from  the  ramparts,  as 
if  to  protect  he  gate  on  that  quarter,  for  each  of  these  mounts  had  its  little  fort :  the 
other  camp  had  two  of  these  mounts  on  one  side,  and  one  on  each  end ;  but  the  vestiges 
of  these  &n,  very  faint :  both  of  these  camps  were  surrounded  with  a  deep  ditch,  and  a 
strong  ranripart  both  on  the  inside  and  the  outside  of  the  foss ;  and  on  the  very  summit 
of  the  hill  is  a  small  irregular  intrenchment,  intended  as  exploratory,  for  the  view  from 
thence  is  uninterrupted  on  every  part.  These  camps  are  very  accurately  planned  by- 
Mr.  Gordon,  tab.  i.  p.  16.  These  also  were  the  work  of  Agricola,  and  highly  proba- 
ble to  be,  as  Mr.  Horsely  imagines,  the  summer  camp  of  that  at  Burrens. 

The  view  from  the  summit  is  extremely  extensive :  the  town  of  Lochmaban,  with 
its  lake  and  ruined  castle,  built  on  a  heart-shaped  peninsula ;  Queensbury-hill,  which 
gives  title  to  the  duke ;  Hartsfell,  and  the  Loders,  which  dispute  for  height ;  yet  a 
third,  the  Driifels,  was  this  day  patched  with  snow  ;  and  lastly,  Ericstone,  which  fos- 
ters the  Annan,  the  Clyde  and  the  Tweed. 

Descend  and  pass  through  the  small  tor/n  of  Ecclefechan  (ecclesia  Fechani)  noted 
for  the  great  monthly  markets  for  cattle. 

Near  this  p'lace.  on  the  estate  of  Mr.  Irvine,  writer,  was  found  an  antiquity,  whose  use 
is  rather  doubtful :  the  metal  is  gold  ;  the  length  rather  more  than  seven  inches  and 

*  Taken  from  a  fragment  of  a  quarto  book,  printed  in  1G03,  conttuning  names  of  clans  in  every  sheriff- 
dom, Sec.  8cc. 


M'iA.liiJUil(IJlkU!UJJ 


w^ 


PENNANT'S  SECOND  TOUR  IN  SCOTLAND. 


21V 


:m  distin- 
ave  are  at 
ig,  Ralph 
,  Wanton 
rd,  Willie 
is  bairnes, 
)re,  meiry 
neum  and 

rated  on  a 
small  bim. 
rried  away 

1  been  dis- 
lower  em- 
ned,  at  the 

had  been 
is  has  long 
'e  been  the 
ilitary  road 
ded  his  se- 
ts choice  of 
ipears  by  a 
about  two 

ig  rerdant, 
rork,  about 
a  rampart, 
ither  on  the 
three  round 
umparts,  as 
le  fort :  the 
the  vestiges 
ditch,  and  a 
ery  summit 

2  view  from 
planned  by 
ghly  proba- 

laban,  with 
-hill,  which 
ight;  yet  a 
,  which  fos- 

hani)  noted 

r,  whose  use 
inches  and 

I  every  sheriff- 


s, 


a  half:  th<:  weight  2  oz.  and  a  half,  and  15  gs.  It  is  round  and  very  slender  in  thc 
middle,  at  each  end  giows  thicker,  and  of  a  conoid  form,  terminating  with  a  flat  circular 
plate  :  on  the  side  of  one  end  are  stamped  the  words  Helenus  fecit :  on  the  other  is 
prick'd  ....  IIIMB.  From  the  slenderness  of  the  middle  part,  and  the  thickness  oi 
the  ends  it  might  perhaps  serve  as  a  fastening  of  a  garment,  by  inserting  it  through 
holes  on  .ach  side,  f  nd  then  twisting  together  this  pliant  metal. 

Keep  along  the  plain,  anive  again  on  the  banks  of  the  Annan,  and  have  a  very  elc- 

nt  view  of  its  wooded  margent,  the  bridge,  a  light  structure  with  three  arches,  one  of 
fty  feet,  the  others  of  twenty-five,  with  the  turrets  of  Hoddam  castle  a  little  beyond, 
Overtopping  a  very  pretty  grove. 

The  castle  consists  of  a  jjreat  square  tower,  with  three  slender  round  turrets :  the 
entry  through  a  door  protected  by  another  of  iron  bars ;  near  it  a  square  ^ole,  by  way 
of  dungeon,  and  a  staircase  of  stone,  suited  to  the  place ;  but  instead  v  ..  ii:ig  a  cap- 
tive damsel  and  a  fierce  warder,  met  wivh  a  courteous  laird  and  his  beauteous  spouse ; 
and  the  dungeon  not  filled  with  piteous  captives,  but  well  stored  with  geneious  wines, 
not  condemned  to  a  long  imprisonment. 

This  castle,  or  rather  strong  border-house,  was  built  by  John  lord  Harries,  nick- 
named John  de  Reeve,  a  strenuous  supporter  of  Mary  Stuart,  who  conveyed  her  safe 
from  the  battle  of  Langside  to  his  house  at  Terrigles,  in  Galloway,  and  from  thence  to 
the  abbey  of  Dundrannan,  and  then  accompanied  her  in  a  small  vessel  in  her  fatal  flight 
into  England.  Soon  after  it  was  surrendered^  to  the  regent  Murray,  who  appointed 
the  laird  of  Drumlanrig  governor  and  lord  of  the  marches.  Before  the  accession  of 
James  VI,  Hoddam  was  one  of  the  places  of  defence  on  the  borders;  for  •'  the  house 
of  Howdam  was  to  be  keped  with  ane  wise  stout  man,  and  to  have  with  him  four  well, 
horsed  men,  and  thir  to  have  two  stark  footmen  servants  to  keep  their  horses,  and  the 
principal  to  have  ane  stout  iootman."t 

In  the  walls  about  this  house  are  preserved  altars  and  inscriptions  found  in  the  station 
at  Burrens :  as  they  do  not  appear  to  have  fallen  under  the  notice  of  the  curious,  an 
enumeration  of  them  perhaps  will  not  be  unacceptable,  therefore  shall  be  added  in  the 
appendix. 

Near  Hoddam,  on  an  eminence,  is  a  square  building,  called  the  Tbwer  of  Repentance. 
On  it  is  carved  the  word  Repentance,  with  a  serpent  at  one  end  of  the  word,  and  a  dove 
at  the  other,  signifying  remorse  and  grace.  It  was  built  by  a  lord  Harries,  as  a  sort  of 
atonement  for  putting  to  death  some  prisoners  whom  he  had  made  under  a  promise  of 
quarter. 

Proceed  over  a  country  full  of  low  hills,  some  parts  under  recent  cultivation,  others 
in  ri  healthy  state  of  nature.  Reach,  in  a  well  cultivated  and  woody  flat,  the  castle  and 
house  of  Comlongam,  the  property  of  lord  Stormont,  and  the  birth-place  of  that  onia- 
ment  of  our  island,  lord  Mansfield. 

The  castle  consists  of  a  great  square  tower,  now  almost  in  ruins,  though  its  vigils  of 
near  thirteen  feet  in  thickness  might  have  promised  to  the  architect  a  longer  duration. 
Many  small  rooms  are  gained  out  of  the  very  thickness  of  the  sides ;  and  at  the  bottom 
of  one,  after  a  descent  of  numbers  of  steps,  is  the  noisome  dungeon,  without  light  or 
even  air-holes,  except  the  trap-door  in  the  floor,  contrived  for  the  lowering  in  of  the 
captives.  This  fortress  was  founded  by  one  of  the  ancestors  of  the  Murrays,  earls  of 
Annandale,  a  title  which  failed  in  that  name  about  the  time  of  the  Restoration. 


!i 


*  Hollinshed'sHist.  ofScotl.393. 
VOL.    III. 


W  f 


t  Border  Laws,  app.  197. 


I 


918 


PEKNANT'S  SECOND  TOtTH  IN  SCOTLAND. 


%  \ 


June  4.  Ride  along  the  shore  by  the  end  of  Lockemess,  a  morass  of  about  ten  miles 
in  length,  and  three  in  breadth,  with  the  little  water  of  Locker  running  through  it. 
This  tract,  from  recent  survey,  appears  to  have  been  overflowed  by  the  sea,  which  con- 
firms the  tradition  relating  to  such  an  event.  This  invasion  on  the  tides  was  certainly 
but  temporary,  for  from  the  numbers  of  trees,  roots,  and  other  vegetable  marks  found 
there,  it  is  evident  that  this  morass  was,  in  some  verj  distant  period,  an  extensive  forest. 
Near  a  place  called  Kilblain  I  met  with  one  of  the  ancient  canoes  of  the  primaeval  inha- 
bitants of  the  country,  when  it  was  probably  in  the  same  state  of  nature  as  Virginia, 
when  first  discovered  by  Captain  Philip  Amidas.  The  length  of  this  little  vessel  was  eight 
feet  eight,  of  the  cavity  of  six  feet  seven,  the  breadth  two  feet,  depth  eleven  inches ;  and 
at  one  end  were  the  remains  of  three  pegs  for  the  paddle :  the  hollow  was  made  with 
fire,  in  the  very  manner  that  the  Indians  of  America  for  med  their  canoes,  according  to 
the  faithful  representation  by  Thomas  Harriot,^^  in  De  Bry's  publication  of  his  draw- 
ings. Another  of  the  same  kirnl  was  found  in  1736,  with  its  paddle,  in  the  same  mo- 
rass :  the  last  was  seven  feet  long,  and  dilated  to  a  considerable  breadth  at  one  end ;  so 
that  in  early  ages  necessity  dictated  the  same  inventions  to  the  most  remote  regions.! 
These  were  long  prior  to  our  vitilia  navigia,  and  were  in  use  in  several  ancient  nations  : 
the  Greeks  called  them  M«v*((/a«  and  r**^*  :  some  held  three  persons,  others  only 
one;^  and  of  this  kind  seems  to  have  been  that  now  mentioned.  Those  used  by  the 
Germans  (  were  of  a  vast  size,  capable  of  holding  thirty  men ;  and  the  Gauls  on  the 
Rhone  had  the  same  species  of  boats,  but  /'ere  indifferent  about  their  shape,  and  content, 
if  they  wouid  but  float,  and  carry  a  large  burden.  || 

At  Mr.  Dickson's  of  Lockerwood,  saw  a  curiosity  of  another  nature,  found  in  the 
neighbourhood :  a  round  pot  of  mixed  metal,  not  unlike  a  small  shallow  mortar,  with 
two  rings  on  one  side,  and  two  handles  on  the  other. 

Over  Lockermoss  is  a  road  remarkable  for  its  origin :  a  str&'^ger,  a  great  number  of 
years  ago,  sold  some  goods  to  certain  merchants  at  Dumfries  upon  credit :  he  disap- 
peared, and  neither  he  nor  his  heirs  ever  claimed  the  money :  '<he  merchants,  in  expec- 
tation of  the  demand,  very  honestly  put  out  the  sum  to  interest ;  and  after  a  lapse  of 
more  than  forty  years,  the  town  of  Dumiries  obtained  a  gift  of  it,  and  ap^  Med  the  same 
towards  making  this  useful  ro^id.  Another  is  now  in  execution  by  the  military,  which 
is  »*so  to  pass  over  Lockermoss,  and  is  intended  to  facilitate  the  communication  between 
lAovxh  Britain  and  Ireland,  by  way  of  Port  Patrick. 

In  this  morning's  ride,  pass  by  a  square  inclosure,  of  the  size  of  half  an  acre,  moated 
round.  This  was  a  place  of  refuge ;  for  in  family  disputes,  such  was  truly  necessary, 
and  here  any  person  who  came  remained  in  inviolable  security. 

See  the  isle  of  Caerlaveroc,  with  a  border-house  in  the  middle,  built  by  a  Maxwell. 
This  place  is  far  from  the  sea ;  but  styled  an  isle,  because  moated. 

Visit  Wardlaw,  a  small  hill,  with  a  round  British  camp,  surrounded  with  two  fosses  on 
the  top :  ind  on  the  south  side  the  faint  vestiges  of  a  Roman  camp,  now  much  plough- 
ed up.  The  prospect  from  this  eminence  is  fine,  of  the  firth,  the  discharge  of  the  river 
NithorNid,  the  Nobius  of  Ptolemy,  and  a  long  extent  of  the  hilL  of  G^oway. 

The  Roman  encampment  on  this  hill  might  probably  be  the  Uxelum  of  Ft(demy, 
especially  if  we  are  to  derive  that  word  from  the  British,  uchel,  high ;  for  the  tatc  of  the 

*  A  servant  of  Sir  Walter  Raleigh,  sent  to  Virginia  to  make  drawings  and  observationi. 
t  My  ingenious  friend  Mr.  Stuart  tells  me,  that  the  Greeks  still  made  use  of  canoes  of  this  kind,  to 
cross  small  arms  of  the  sea ;  and  that  they  style  them  mw*|vxm,  from  being  formed  of  one  piece  of  wood. 
I  Polyaeni  Stratagem,  lib.  v.  c  23.  p.  509.    Velleius  Faterculus,  lib.  ii.  c.  107. 
%  Plinii  Hist.  Nat  xvl.  c.  40.  ||  Livii,  lib.  xvi.  c.  36. 


J"H(W 


mmm 


PENNANT^  SECOND  TOUR  IK  SCOTLAND 


219 


fortress  of  Caerlaveroc  is  on  such  a  flat  as  by  no  means  to  admit  of  tltat  epithet,  or  to 
be  allowed  to  have  been  the  ancient  Uxelum,  as  Mr.  Horsely  conjectures. 

The  castle  has  undergone  its  different  sieges :  the  first  that  appears  in  history,  and  the 
most  celebrated,  was  in  the  year  1300,  when  Edwurd  I,  sat  down  before  it  m  person. 
Enraged  at  the  generous  reeard  the  Scots  shewed  for  their  liberty,  and  the  unremitted 
efforts  made  by  their  hero  Wallace,  to  free  his  country  from  a  foreign  yoke,  the  English 
monarch  summoned  his  barons,  and  all  the  nobility  who  held  of  him  by  military  tenure, 
to  attend  with  their  forces  at  Carlisle  on  the  feast  of  St.  John  the  Baptist.  On  that  oc- 
casion, as  the  poet  of  the  expedition  relates,  there  ap[)eared, 
*  wisunt  et  vint  et  sept  banieres.* 

each  of  which,  with  the  arms  of  the  baron,  are  illuminated  in  a  beautiful  manner :  and 
in  the  catalogue  are  the  namesf  of  the  most  puissant  peers  of  this  kingdom,  with  a 
little  eulogie  on  each ;  as  a  specimen,  is  ^iven  that  of  Robert  Clifford,  in  whom  it  may 
be  supposed  valour  and  beauty  were  combmed : 

Se  je  estoie  une  pucellettc 
Je  le  duuroie  cuer  et  core, 
Tant  estde  lui  bonis  li  recors. 

The  poet  then  describes  the  castle  and  its  situation  with  great  exactness,  and  gives  it 
the  very  same  form  and  site  it  has  at  present ;  so  that  I  cannot  help  thinking  that  it  was 
never  so  entirely  destroyed,  but  that  some  of  the  old  towers  yet  remain : 

Kaerlaverok  casteaus  estoit 
Si  fort  ki  siege  ne  doubtoit ; 
Ainz  ki  li  rois  illicec  vcnist' 
Car  rendre  mi  le  convenist. 
James  mais  kill  fust  a  son  droit, 
Garniz  quant  besogns  en  vendroit 
De  gens  de  engins  et  de  vitaille. 
Com  uns  escus  estoit  de  taille, 
Car  ni  ot  ke  trois  costez  entour, 
Et  en  chescune  angle  une  tour. 
Mes  ki  le  une  estoit  jumilee. 
Tant  hauti  et  tant  longue  et  tau  tlei, 
'     Ke  par  desouz  estoit  la  porte 
A  pont  toumis,  bien  faite  et  fortei 
£t  autres  defenses  asseS)  fcc. 

It  is  worth  observing,  tliat  it  was  taken  by  force  of  engines,  and  the  English  as  late  as 
the  time  in  question  used  much  the  same  method  of  attack  as  the  Greeks  and  Ronians 
did ;  for  they  drove  the  enemy  from  the  walls  by  showers  of  stones,  flung  from  engines 
similar  to  the  catapults  of  the  ancients ;  and  they  used  also  arietes,  or  battering  lams. 


''1  *^«(^^\  ■ 


■  t 


.f.-'S*!-  'i 


Kiit  Hl^'   -■  '^A^         !>' 


'"':*'      ■-::j::,    l! 


Entre  Bes  ast-  lus  esmaia, 

Frere  Robert  ki  envoia 

Meinte  piere  par  Robinet ;  :  > 

Juq  au  aoir  des  le  matinet 

Le  jour  devant  cesse  ne  avoit, 

De  autre  partancore  i  levoit 

Trois  autres  engins  moult  plus  grans 

Et  il  penibles  et  engrans, 

Ke  le  chaste!  du  tout  confondi 

Tant  il  recent  mo't  piere  contonde. 

Deschocs  et  kang's  ateint  fent 

A  ses  coups  lien  ne  se  defPent. 


*  I  am  indebted  to  Marmaduke  Tunstall,  esq.  for  the  M.  S.  account  of  this  singe,  finely  copied  from  the 
original,  in  the  Museum ;  which  appears  to  have  been  composed  in  very  old  bad  French>  soon  after  the 
event  it  celebrates.  t  Appendix. 

»  F  8 


i 


'^'y^'T^X'^-'T- 


, 


f 


I 


220 


PENNANT'S  SECOND  TOUR  IN  SCOTLAND. 


On  the  surrender  Edward  behaved  with  more  moderation  than  was  usual  to  him*: 
for  his  laurels  were  wont  to  be  blighted  with  deeds  unworthy  of  his  heroism  ;  but  in 
this  case  the  poor  reliques  of  the  garrison  experienced  his  clemency  : 

Lors  son  issirent  ce  est  la  some 

Ke  de  uns  ke  de  autret  soissant  home 

A  grant  merveille  resguardcs 

Mes  tenus  furent  et  guardez 

Tant  ke  li  Roys  en  ordena 

Ki  vie  et  membre  leur  donna 

£t  a  chasm  robe  nouuele 

Lors  fu  ioieuse  la  nouuli. 

A  toute  li  ost  du  chastel  pris 

Ki  tant  estni*  ^e  noble  pris. 

It  appears  that  the  king  immediately  r       ^^?d  his  colours  on  the  castle ;  and  appointed 
three  barons  of  the  first  reputation  to  take  <    irge  of  it. 

Puis  sist  le  Roy  porter  amont 

Sa  banniere  et  la  seynt  Ey.T.sr.i 

La  saint  George  et  la  saint  Edwait 

£t  o  celes  par  droit  eswart 

La  Segrave  et  le  Herifort 

£t  cele  au  Seigneur  di  Cliffort 

A  ki  le  chasteaus  Tut  donnes. 

Notwithstanding  the  care  Edward  took  to  secure  this  place,  it  was  retaken  by  the 
Scots  the  following  year ;  but  very  soon  after  was  repossessed*  by  the  Englbh,  after  a 
very  long  siege.     It  appears  that  the  Scots  again  recovered  it,  for  in  one  of  the  invasions 
of  the  former,  the  gallant  owner,  sir  Eustace  Maxwell,  supported  a  siege  in  it    f  some 
weeks,  and  obliged  the  enemy  to  retire ;  but  considering  that  it  miglit  fall  into  the  hands 
of  the  English,  and  become  noxious  to  his  country,  generously  dismantled  it,  and  for 
that  piece  of  disinterested  service  was  properly  rewarded  by  his  prince,  who  remitted 
to  him  and  his  heirs  for  ever,  the  annual  pecuniary  acknowledgments  they  paid  to  the 
crown  for  the  castle  and  lands  of  Caerlaveroc.f    It  was  again  rebuilt ;  but  in  1355 
(being  then  in  possession  of  the  English)  was  taken  by  Roger  Kirkpatric,  and  levelled 
to  the  ground.^    Notwithstanding  these  repeated  misfortunes,  it  was  once  more  re- 
stored; and  once  more  ruined  by  the  earl  of  Sussex  in  1570.  ||     From  this  time  the 
lords  of  the  place  seem  for  some  interval  to>  have  been  discouraged  froi.i  any  attempt 
towards  restoring  a  fortress  so  distinguished  by  its  misfortunes ;  for  Camden,  in  1607, 
speaks  of  it  ns  only  a  weak  house  belonging  to  the  Barons  of  Maxwell ;  yet  once  more 
Robert  first  earl  of  Nithsdale,  in  1638,  ventured  to  re-establish  the  strong  hold  of  the 
family ;  still  it  was  ill-fated ;  for  in  the  course  of  Cromweirs  usur|jation,  it  was  sur- 
rendered  on  terms  ill  preserved,  and  a  receipt  was  given  for  the  furniture  by  one  Finch  ; 
in  which,  among  other  particulars,  is  mention  of  eighty  beds,  a  proof  of  the  hospitality 
or  the  splendour  of  the  place.    The  form  of  the  present  castle  is  triangular ;  at  two  of 
the  corners  had  been  a  round  tower,  but  one  is  now  demolished,  and  on  each  side  the 
gateway,  which  forms  the  third  angle,  are  two  rounders.     Over  the  arch  is  the  crest  of 
the  Maxwells  (placed  there  when  the  castle  was  last  repaired)  with  the  date,  and  this 

•  Maitland's  Hist.  Scot.  n.  460.       • ' .    *  t  Crawford's  Peer^p- ,  of  Scotland,  370.  ' 

4  Major  de  geslis  Scotorum,  348.  more  probably  rendered  defenceless. 

II  Camden's  annals  in  Kennct,  H.  439.  It  appears  to  me  that  the  present  are  the  ancient  towers,  so 
exactly  do  they  answer  to  the  old  poetic  description ;  but  that  the  owners,  till  the  year  1638,  neglected  it 
us  a  fortress,  yet  inhabited  it  as  a  mansion. 


'>>.»t-»e<.4ir>««AB»»wJl<'''^'"«SWS««\3l*»^'^"''  ■ 


PENNANT'S  SECOND  TOUR  IN  SCOTLAND. 


221 


motto,  ♦'  I  bid  yc  fair,"  meaning  Wardlaw,  the  hill  where  the  gibbet  stood ;  for  in 
feudal  times  it  seems  to  have  been  much  in  use. 

The  castle  yard  is  triangular  :  one  aide,  which  seems  to  have  been  the  residence  of  the 
family,  is  very  elegantly  built ;  has  three  stories,  with  very  handsome  window  cases  ; 
on  the  pedir  ?nt  of  the  lower  are  coats  of  arms ;  over  the  second  legendary  talcs  •, 
over  the  thiru,  I  think,  Ovidian  fables,  all  neatly  cut  in  stone.  The  opposite  side  is 
plain.  In  front  is  a  handsome  door-case,  leading  to  the  great  hall,  which  is  ninety-one 
eet  by  twenty-six.  The  whole  internal  length  of  that  side  a  hundred  and  twenty, 
three. 

The  ancient  castle  stood  about  three  hundred  yards  south-east  of  the  present  building. 
It  is  of  the  same  shape,  but  somewhat  less,  and  surrounded  by  a  double  ditch. 

The  Maxwells,  lords  of  Caerlavuroc,  are  of  great  antiquity  :  but  their  history  mixed 
with  all  the  misfortunes  and  all  the  disgrace  so  frequent  in  ill- governed  times.  They 
and  the  Johnstons  had  perpetual  feuds :  in  1593  the  clans  had  a  conflict  at  the  Holness 
of  Dryse ;  the  chieftain  of  the  Maxwells,  and  many  of  his  sons,  were  slain.  John,  a 
surviving  son,  takes  his  revenge  :  a  meeting  between  him  and  Johnston,  a  predecessor 
of  the  marquis  of  Annandale,  was  appointed,  in  order  to  compromise  all  differences ; 
both  met  attended  only  by  a  single  friend  to  each ;  the  friends  quarrel ;  the  laird  of 
Lockerwood  goes  to  part  them,  but  is  shot  through  the  back  by  the  other  chieftain  ; 
who  deservedly  met  his  fate  on  the  scaffold  a  few  years  after.  His  forfeiture  was  taken 
off,  and  his  brother  not  only  restored,  but  created  earl  of  Nithsdale :  in  1715  the  title 
was  lost  by  the  c  nviction  of  the  earl  of  that  day  ;  who  es«  .aped  out  of  the  tower  the  night 
before  execution,  by  the  disguise  of  a  female  dress.  The  estate  by  virtue  of  entail  was 
preserved  to  the  heirs. 

Continue  my  ride  along  the  coast  to  the  mouth  of  the  Nith,  which  empties  itself  into 
the  vast  estuary,  where  the  tide  flows  in  so  fast  on  the  level  sands  that  a  man  well 
mounted  would  find  difficulty  to  escape,  if  surprised  by  it.  The  view  of  the  opposite 
side  of  Creffel,  and  the  other  G^illoway  hills,  is  very  beautiful,  and  the  coast  appeared 
well  wooded.  In  a  bottom  lies  Newby  abbey,  founded  by  Devorgilla,  daughter  to  Alan, 
lord  of  Galloway,  and  wife  to  John  Baliol,  lord  of  Castle-Bernard,  \Vho  died  and  was 
buried  here :  his  lady  embalmed  his  heart,  and  placed  it  in  a  case  of  ivory,  bound  with 
silver,  near  the  high  altar ;  on  which  account  the  abbey  is  oftener  called  Sweet-heart  and 
Suavi-cordium. 

Pass  by  Port-Kepel,  the  firth  gradually  contracting  itself;  and  to  this  place  vessels  of 
two  hundred  tons  may  come.  The  country  on  both  sides  the  river  is  extremely  beautiful ; 
the  banks  decorated  with  numerous  groves  and  villas,  richly  cultivated  and  well  inclosed. 
The  farmers  shew  no  want  of  industry  :  they  import  as  far  as  from  Whitehaven,  lime 
for  manure,  to  the  annual  amount  of  twenty.five  hundred  pounds,  paying  at  the  rate 
of  six-pence  for  the  Winchester  bushel :  they  are  also  so  happy  as  to  have  great  quanti- 
ties of  shell  marl  in  the  neighbouring  morasses ;  and  are  now  well  rewarded  for  the  use 
of  it ;  much  wheat  and  barley  are  at  present  the  fruits  of  their  labour,  instead  of  a 
very  paltry  oat ;  and  good  hay  instead  of  rushes  now  clothe  their  meadows.  Reach 

Dumfries,  a  very  neat  and  well-built  town,  seated  on  the  Nith,  and  containing  about 
five  thousand  souls.  It  was  once  possessed  of  a  large  share  of  the  tobacco  trade,  but 
at  present  has  scarcely  any  commerce.  The  great  ^veekly  markets  for  black  cattle  are 
of  much  "advantage  to  the  place  ;  and  vast  droves  from  Galloway  and  the  shire  of  Ayr 
pass  through  in  the  way  to  the  fairs  in  Norfolk  and  Suffolk. 

The  two  churches  arc  remarkably  neat,  and  have  handsome  galleries,  supported  by 
pillars.     In  the  church-yard  of  St.  Michael  are  several  monuments  in  form  of  pyramids, 


II  : ) 


■ 


\ 


h 


222 


PENNANT'S  SECOND  TOUR  IN  SCOTLAND. 


very  ornamental,  and  on  somt*  ^vc-stones  are  inscriptions  in  memory  of  the  martyrs 
of  the  country,  or  the  poor  viutiin!>  to  the  violence  of  the  apostate  archbishop  Sharp,  or 
the  bigotry  of  James  li,  before  and  after  his  accession.  Powers  were  given  to  an  in- 
humiin  set  of  miscreants  to  destroy  upon  suspicion  of  disaffection ;  or  for  even  declining 
to  give  answers  declarative  of  their  political  principles ;  and  such  who  refused  (before 
two  witnesses)  were  instantly  put  to  dea*h.  Many  poor  peasants  were  shot  on  moors, 
on  the  shores,  cr  wheresoever  their  enemies  met  with  them :  perhaps  enthusiasm  might 
possess  the  sufferers ;  but  an  infernal  spirit  had  possession  of  their  persecutors.  '1  he 
memory  of  these  flagitious  deeds  arc  preserved  on  many  of  the  wild  moors  by  inscribed 
grave-stones,  much  to  the  same  effect  as  the  following,  in  the  church^yard  in  this 
city: 

On  John  Grierson,  who  suffered  Jan.  2,  1667. 

Underneath  this  stone  doth  lie 

Dust  sacrificed  to  tyranny  ; 

Yet  precious  in  Immanuel's  sight, 

Since  martyr'd  for  his  kingly  right ; 

\y  hen  he  condemns  these  hellish  drudges, 

By  suflerage,  saints  shall  be  their  judges. 

Another  on  James  Kirke,  shot  on  the  sands  of  Dumfries,  shall  conclude  this  dreadful 
subject : 

By  Bloody  Bruce  and  wretched  Wright 
I  lost  my  life  in  great  despight. 
Shot  dead  without  due  time  to  try 
And  fit  me  for  eternity. 
A  witness  of  prelatic  rage 
As  ever  was  in  any  age. 

This  place,  like  most  other  considerable  towns  in  Scotland,  has  its  seceders'  chapel : 
>';  wse  are  the  rigid  presbyterians,  who  possess  their  religion  in  all  its  original  sourness ; 
think  their  church  in  danger  because  their  ministers  degenerate  into  moderation,  and 
wear  a  gown  ;  or  vindicate  patronage.  To  avoid  these  horrid  innovations,  they  sepa> 
rate  themselves  from  their  imaginarjr  false  brethren ;  renew  a  solemn  league  and  cove, 
nant,  and  preserve  to  the  best  of  their  powe.  ^11  the  rags  and  rents  bequeathed  to  them 
by  John  Rnox,  which  the  more  sensible  preacii^rs  of  this  day  are  striving  to  dam  and 
patch. 

Here  I  first  found,  on  this  side  of  the  Tweed,  my  good  old  mother  church  become 
a  mere  conventicler,  and  her  cbaplsdn  supported  by  a  few  of  her  children,  disposed  to 
stick  to  her  in  all  concUtions. 

Inquired  for  the  convent  of  Dominicans,  and  the  church  in  which  Robert  Bruce  and 
his  associates  stew  John  Cummin,  lord  of  Badenoch,  and  owner  of  great  part  of  the  lord- 
ship of  Galloway.  Cummin  had  betrayed  to  Edward  I,  the  generous  design  of  Bruce 
to  relieve  his  country  from  slavery ;  in  resentment  Bruce  stabbed  him ;  on  retiring, 
was  asked  by  his  friends,  whether  he  was  sure  of  his  blow,  but  answering  with  some 
degree  of  uncertainty,  one  of  them,  Roger  Kirkpatric,  replied,  I  mac  sicker,  returned 
into  the  church  and  completed  the  deed.  In  memory,  the  family  assumed  a  bloody 
dagger  for  a  crest,  and  those  words  as  the  motto.  The  church  thus  d'  ;lled  with  blood 
was  pulled  down ;  and  another  built  in  a  different  place,  and  dedicated  to  St.  IVf  ichael, 
the  tutelar  saint  of  the  town.  Robert  Bruce  also  built  a  chapel  here,  as  soon  as  he  got 
full  possession  of  the  kingdom,  in  which  prayers  were  to  be  daily  offered  for  the  repose 
of  the  soul  of  Sir  Christopher  Seton,  who  was  most  barbarously  executed  by  Edward  I, 
for  h|s  attachment  to  Bruce,  and  for  his  defence  of  his  country. 


^tvrmfswvmmm 


PENNANT'S  SECOND  TOUR  IN  SCOTLAND. 


223 


Dumfries  was  continually  subject  to  the  inroads  of  the  English ;  and  was  Trcquently 
ruined  by  them.  To  prevent  their  invasions,  a  great  ditch  and  mound,  called  Warder's 
dikes,  were  formed  from  the  Nith  to  Lockermoss,  where  watch  and  ward  were  con- 
stantly kept ;  and  when  an  enemy  appeared  the  cry  was  a  Lorcburtit  a  Loreburn.  The 
meanmg  is  no  further  known,  than  that  it  was  a  word  of  alarm  for  the  inhabitants  to 
take  their  arms :  and  the  same  word,  as  a  memento  of  vigilance,  is  inscribed  on  a  ring 
of  silver  round  the  ebony  staff  given  into  the  hands  of  the  provost  as  a  badge  of  office, 
on  the  day  of  annual  election. 

On  most  of  the  eminences  of  these  parts  beacons  were  likewise  established,  for 
alarming  the  country  on  any  irruption  of  their  southern  neighbours :  and  the  inhabitants 
able  to  bear  arms  were  bound,  on  the  firing  of  these  signals,  to  repair  instantly  to  the 
warden  of  the  marches,  and  not  to  depart  till  the  enemy  was  driven  out  of  the  coun- 
try,  and  this  under  high  treason. 

This  regulation  was  established  in  the  days  of  Archibald  the  Grim,  earl  of  Douglas, 
and  afterwards  renewed  with  much  solemnity  by  William,  earl  of  Douglas,  who  as- 
sembled the  lordst  freeholders,  and  principal  borderers,  at  the  college  of  Lincluden,  and 
caused  them  there. to  swear  on  the  holy  evangelists,  that  they  should  truly  observe  the 
statutes,  ordinances,  and  usages  of  the  marches,  as  they  were  ordained  in  the  time 
of  the  said  Archibald. 

June'  5.  Had  a  beautiful  view  of  an  artificial  water-fall  just  in  front  of  a  briilf^c, 
originally  built  by  Devorgilla,  who  gave  the  customs  arising  from  it  to  the  Francisc  im 
convent  at  Dumfries.  It  consists  of  nine  arches,  and  connects  this  county  and  that  of 
Galloway. 

Cross  it ;  pass  through  a  small  town  at  its  foot,  and  walk  up  Gorbelly  hill,  remark- 
able  for  the  fine  circumambient  prospect  of  the  charming  windings  of  the  Nith  towards 
the  sea,  the  town  of  Dumfries,  Terregles,  a  house  of  the  Maxwells,  and  a  rich  vale  to- 
wards the  north. 

Visit  the  abbey  of  Lincluden,  about  half  a  mile  distant,  seated  on  the  water  of  the 
Cluden,  which  is  another  lx)undary  of  Galloway  on  that  side.  This  religious  house 
is  seated  on  a  pleasant  bank,  and  in  a  rich  country :  and  was  founu-^d,  and  filled  with 
Benedictine  nuns,  in  the  time  of  Malcolm  IV,*  by  Uthred,  father  to  Roland,  lord  of 
Galloway.  These  were  expelled  by  the  earl  of  Douglas  (known  by  the  titles  of  Archi- 
bald the  Black,  or  Grim,  and  the  Terrible)  probably,  as  Major  insinuates,  on  account 
of  the  impurity  of  their  !ivc:s,t  for  the  earl  was  a  man  in  piety  singular  through  his  life, 
and  most  religious  according  to  those  times.  He  fixed  in  their  places  a  provostry, 
with  twelve  beadsmen,  and  changed  the  name  to  that  of  the  college. 

Part  of  the  house  and  chancel,  and  some  of  the  south  wall  of  the  church,  are  the 
sole  remains  of  this  ancient  structure :  in  the  chancel  is  the  elegant  tomb  of  Margaret, 
daughter  of  Robert  III,  and  wife  of  Archibald  earl  of  Douglas,  first  duke  of  Teroun, 
and  son  of  Archibald  the  Grim.  Her  effigy,  at  full  length,  jay  on  the  stone,  her  head 
restmg  on  two  cushions;  but  the  figure  is  now  mutilated,  and  her  bones,  till  lately, 
were  scattered  about  in  a  most  indecent  manner,  b^  some  wretches  who  broke  open 
the  repository  in  search  of  treasure.  The  tomb  is  m  form  of  an  arch,  with  all  parts 
most  beautifully  carved :  on  the  middle  of  the  arch  is  the  heart,  the  Douglas's  arms, 
guarded  by  three  chalices,  set  crossways,  with  a  star  near  each,  and  certain  letters  I 
could  not  read.     On  the  wall  is  inscribed, 

A  L'Mde  de  Dieu.   ' 


*  Hope's  Minor  Practics.  511.    Malcohndied,  1165, 

t  Major  deGest.    Scot.  283.    Archibald  ^ed  A.  D.  1400. 


224  PENNANT'S  SECOND  TOUK  IN  SCOTLAND. 

and  at  some  distance  beneath, 

Hie  jacet  Dn«  Margarets  regit  Scotiae  filia  quodam  comitiiia  de  Douglaa  Dna  GollovidI« 
et  vallia  Annandic. 

In  the  front  of  the  tomb  are  nine  shields,  containing  as  many  arms :  in  one  are  the 
three  stars,  the  original  coat  of  this  great  house,  for  the  heart  was  not  added  till  the 
good  sir  Jumes  was  employed  in  carrying  that  of  Robert  Bruce  to  the  Holy  Land : 
besides  these,  are  the  arms  after  that  event ;  and  also  their  arms  as  lords  of  Annand<ile, 
Galloway  and  Niddcsduie.  Near  the  tomb  is  a  door-case,  richly  ornamented  with 
carving ;  and  on  the  top  the  heart  and  chalices,  as  in  the  former. 

In  other  parts  of  the  remains  of  the  church  are  the  arms  of  the  Douglasses,  or 
dukes  of  Terouan,  earls  of  Angus,  of  Ormond,  and  of  Murray ;  here  are  bchides,  the 
arms  of  John  Stewart,  earl  o^^hol,  with  the  motto,  **  Firth,  fortune,  and  fil  the 
fetters." 

Beneath  one  of  the  windows  are  two  rows  of  figures ;  the  upper  of  angels,  the 
lower  of  a  corpse  and  other  figures,  all  much  defaced,  but  seemingly  designed  to  ex- 
press the  preparations  for  the  interment  of  our  Saviour. 

Behind  the  house  are  vestiges  of  a  flower-garden,  with  the  parterres  and  scrolls  very 
visible ;  and  near  that  a  great  artificial  mount,  with  a  spiral  walk  to  the  top,  which  is 
hollowed,  and  has  a  turf  seat  around  to  command  the  beautiful  views ;  so  that  the 
provost  and  his  beadsmen  seemed  to  have  consulted  the  luxuries  as  well  as  necessaries 
of  life. 

Return  to  Dumfries,  where  Mr.  Hill,  surgeon,  favoured  me  with  the  sight  of  the 
head  of  an  old  lady,  excellently  painted,  about  forty  years  ago,  by  Mr.  John  Patoun, 
son  to  a  minister  in  this  town.  After  painting  three  years  in  Scotland,  about  the  year 
1730  he  went  to  London,  where  he  read  lectures  on  the  theory  of  his  art:-  at  length 
was  tempted  to  make  a  voyage  to  Jamaica,  where  he  died  in  a  few  weeks,  leaving  be- 
hind him  the  character  of  a  good  man  and  able  artist.  f  ;  ■"  ^i,;^ . 

Before  we  left  the  town,  we  were  honoured  with  its  freedom,  bestowed  on  us  in  the 
politest  manner  bv  the  magistrates. 

Jime  6.  Continue  my  journey  due  north  through  the  beautiful  Nithsdale,  or  vale  of 
Nith,  the  river  meandering  with  hold  curvatures  along  rich  meadows ;  and  the  country, 
for  some  space,  adorned  with  groves  and  gentlemens'  seats.  At  a  few  miles  distance 
from  Dumfries,  leave  on  the  left  Bardanna  and  Keir,  conjectured  by  Mr.  Horsely  to 
have  been  the  Carbantorigum  of  Ptolemy.  Travel  over  small  hills,  either  covered  with 
corn,  of  with  herds  of  cattle,  flocks  of  black-faced  sheep,  attended  by  little  pastors, 
wrapped  in  their  maides,*  and  setting  the  seasons  at  defiance.  The  river  still  keeps  its 
beauty,  wandering  along  a  verdant  bottom,  with  banks  on  each  side  clothed  with  wood, 
and  the  more  distant  view  hilly.  Ride  through  a  tract  covered  with  broom,  an  indica- 
tion of  barrenness ;  and  arrive  in  sight  of  Drumlanrig,  a  house  of  the  duke  of 
Queensbury,  magnificently  seated  on  the  side  of  a  hill,  an  immense  mass  embosomed 
in  trees.  Cross  a  handsome  bridge  of  two  arches,  of  a  vast  height  above  the  Nith, 
which  fills  the  bottom  of  a  deep  and  wooded  glen ;  and,  after  a  long  ascent  through 
a  fine  and  well-planted  park,  arrive  at  the  house : 

A  square  building,  extending  an  hundred  and  forty-five  fset  in  front,  with  a  square 
tnwer  at  each  corner,  and  three  small  turrets  on  each :  over  the  entrance  is  a  cupola. 


•»-  \ 


*  A  sort  of  long  cloak- 


Trmnsns*"'" 


PENNANT'S  SECOND  TOUR  IN  SCOTLANDl 


395 


whose  top  is  in  shape  of  avast  ducal  coronet :  within  is  a  courts  and  at  each  angle  a 
round  tower,  each  containing  a  stair-case :  every  where  is  a  wearisome  prufuaiun  of 
hearts  carved  in  stone,  the  Douglas  arms :  every  window,  froni  the  bottijm  to  the  third 
story,  is  well  secured  with  iron  bars;  the  two  priiicipii:  drmrs  have  their  grated  guards; 
and  the  cruet  dungeon  was  not  forgot ;  so  that  the  wh'  >le  hus  the  appearance  of  a  mag- 
nificent state  prison.  Yet  this  pile  rose  in  composed  tunes ;  it  was  built  by  William 
duke  of  Queensbury,  begun  in  1679,  and  completed  in  1089.  His  grace  seemed  to 
have  regretted  the expence  ;  for  rtport  says,  that  he  denounced,  in  a  writing  on  the 
bundle  of  accounts,  a  bitter  curse  on  any  of  his  posterity  who  oft'ercd  to  inspect  them. 

The  apartments  are  numerous  :  the  gallery  is  a  hundred  and  eight  feet  long,  uith  a 
fire  place  at  each  end :  it|is  ornamented  with  much  of  Gibbon's  carving,  and  some  good 
portraits;  observed,  among  them, 

The  first  duchess  of  Somerset,  half  length,  no  cap,  y^lk  a  small  love-lock. 

William  duke  of  Queensbury,  distinguished  in  the  reigns  of  Charles  and  James  II,  by 
manv  court  favours,  by  his  services  to  those  monarchs,  by  his  too  grateful  return  in  assist- 
ing in  the  cruel  persecutions  of  his  countrymen  averse  to  the  test,  and  by  his  honourable 
disgrace,  the  moment  James  found  him  demur  to  a  request,  subversive,  if  complied 
with,  of  the  religion  and  liberties  of  Great  Britain. 

John  earl  ci  fraquair,  lord  high  treasurer  of  Scotland  in  the  turbulent  reign  of 
Charles  I,  a  prudent  friend  of  the  indiscreet  Laud,  und  like  him  a  zealous  churchman ; 
but,  unlike  him,  waited  for  a  proper  season  for  bringing  his  project  to  bear,  instead  of 
precipitating  matters,  like  the  unfortunate  prehte.  A  faithful  servant  to  the  crown : 
yet,  from  his  wise  advice  brought  under  the  scandal  of  dn]}licity.  Was  cleared  early 
from  the  suspicion  by  the  noble  historian ;  and  soon  after  more  indisputably  by  his  im- 
peachment, and  by  his  conviction  by  the  popular  party  ;  by  his  imprisonntent ;  by  his 
taking  arms  in  tHe  royal  cause  on  his  release ;  by  his  second  confinement ;  b^  the  se- 
questration of  his  estates:  and  finally,  by  the  distressful  poverty  he  endured  till  death, 
he  gave  full  but  unfortunate  testimony  of  untainted  loyalty. 

John  earl  Rothes,  chancellor  of  Scotland,  in  his  gown,  with  the  se^jls  by  him.  He 
was  in  power  during  the  cruel  persecutions  of  the  covenanters  in  Charles  IPs  time ;  and 
discharging  his  trust  to  the  satisfaction  of  the  court,  was  created  duke  of  Rothes,  a  tide 
that  died  with  him. 

A  head  of  the  duke  of  Perth,  in  a  bushy  wig :  a  post-abdication  duke,  a  converted 
favourite  of  James  II,  and  chancellor  of  Scotland  at  the  time  of  the  revolution,  wlien  he 
retired  into  France. 

George  Douglas,  earl  of  Dumbarton,  in  armour,  a  great  wig  and  cravat.  Instructed 
in  the  art  of  war  in  the  armies  of  l^ouis  XIV,  was  general  of  the  forces  in  Scotland  un- 
der James  II,  dispersed  the  army  of  the  unfortunate  Argyle.  A  gallant  officer,  who, 
when  James  was  at  Salisbury,  generously  offered  to  attack  the  prince  of  Orange  with  his 
single  regiment  of  the  Scottisli  Royal,  not  with  the  hope  of  victory,  but  of  giving  him 
such  a  check  as  his  sovereign  might  take  advantage  of:  James,  with  equal  generosity, 
would  not  permit  the  sacrifice  of  so  many  brave  men.  Dumbarton  adhered  to  his  king 
in  all  fortunes,  <ind  on  the  abdication  partook  of  his  exile. 

General  James  Douglas,  who  in  1691  died  at  Namur. 

Earl  of  Clarendon,  son  of  the  chancellor,  half-length  in  his  robes. 

A  good  portrait  of  a  Tripoli  um   issador. 

In  the  gardens,  which  are  most  expensively  cut  out  of  a  rock,  is  a  bird  cherry,  of  a 
great  size,  not  less  than  seven  feet  eight  inches  in  girth ;  and  among  several  fine  silver 
firs,  one  thirteen  feet  and  a  half  in  circumference. 


VOL.  III. 


o  o 


220 


fP.NNANT'S  SECOND  TOUR  IN  SCOTLAND. 


June  6th.  In  my  walkn  itbout  the  park  sec  the  white  l)rced  of  wild  cattle,  derived 
from  the  nntive  race  of  the  country  ;  and  still  retain  the  primKvul  savagenebs  and  fcro- 
city  of  their  ancestors  :  were  more  shy  than  any  deer ;  ran  away  on  the  appcaruncc  of 
uny  of  the  human  species,  and  even  »et  ofl'  ut  full  ^Mn[i  on  the  least  noise  ;  so  that  I  was 
iMider  the  necessity  of  going  very  softly  under  the  shelter  of  trees  or  bushes  to  f^et  a  near 
view  of  them  :  during  summer  they  keen  opart  from  uU  other  cattle,  but  m  severe 
weather  hunger  will  compel  them  to  visit  tne  out-houses  in  search  of  food.  The  keep- 
ers are  obliged  to  shoot  them,  if  any  arc  wanted  :  if  the  beast  is  not  killed  on  the  spot, 
it  runs  at  the  person  who  gave  the  wound,  and  who  is  forced,  in  order  to  save  himself, 
to  fly  for  safety  to  the  intervention  of  some  tree. 

'1  hcse  cattle  arc  of  a  middle  size,  have  very  long  legs,  and  the  cows  are  iine  homed : 
tlic  orbits  of  the  eyes  and  the  tips  of  the  noses  are  black  :  but  the  bulls  have  lost  the 
manes  attributed  to  them  byf||pethius. 

Ride  to  Morton  castle,  about  four  miles  distant,  seated  on  a  steep  projection,  in  a  lofty 
situation,  near  the  Auchenlec  hills.  This  was  originally  the  seat  of  Dunenald«  predc- 
ccssor  of  Thomas  Randolph,  afterwards  created  earl  of  Murray  by  Robert  Bruce, 
when  that  castle  and  that  of  Auchencass,  near  Moflfat,  was  disposed  of  to  Douglas  of 
Morton,  predecessor  of  the  carls  of  Morton  :  but  at  the  time  that  title  was  conferred, 
the  castle  and  lands  of  Morton  being  settled  on  a  son  of  a  second  marriage  of  that  family, 
the  parliament,  on  a  protestation  on  his  part,  declared,  that  the  l>estowing  that  title 
should  not  prejudice  his  right  to  the  castle  and  lands,  but  that  it  was  taken  from  a  place 
called  Morton,  in  West- Lothian. 

At  present  remains  only  one  front,  with  a  number  of  small  windows,  each  to  be  as- 
cendea  on  the  inside  by  a  flight  of  steps :  at  each  end  is  also  a  rounded  tower.  I  find 
little  of  its  history,  any  farther  than  that  it  was  among  the  castles  demolished  by 
David  11,^  on  his  return  from  England,  probably  in  compliance  with  a  private  agree- 
inent  made  with  Edward  III. 

Two  miles  north  from  Morton  stood  the  castle  of  Durisdeer,  demolished  at  the  same 
time  with  the  former.  In  the  church  of  Durisdeer  is  the  mausoleum  of  the  family  of 
Drumlanrig :  over  the  door  of  the  vault  are  four  spiral  pillars  supporting  a  canopy,  all 
of  marble ;  and  against  the  wall  is  a  vast  monument,  m  memory  of  James  duke  of 
Queensbury  :  his  grace  lies  reclined  on  his  arm,  with  the  collar  of  S.  S.  round  h'ls  neck. 
The  duchess,  in  her  robes,  recumbent ;  four  angels  hold  a  scroll  above,  with  thb  in- 
scription. .  1     '     '         /;.  •  K.. 


Hie 

in  eodem  tumulo 
cum  charissimis  conjugis  cineribus 
mitci  voluit  suis 
Jacobus  Dux  Queensburix  ct  Dovemi ; 
Qui 
ad  totet  tanta  honoris       ' 
Etnegotiorum  fastigia 
QuB  nullus  antea  subditua 
attegit,  evectui,  Londoni 
fato  cesait  sexta  die 
Julii  anno  Christi  Redemptoris 


.*'':r 


■••r,   "t-s./. 


!    < 


:"^..i 


I  i*  • 


:.i 


■■"..•7:' 


■,'C 
'1U 


And  beneath  is  an  affectionate  and  elegant  epitaph  on  his  duchess,  who  died  two  years 
before  his  grace.  ♦ 

*  Guthrie,  iii.  70. 


PENNANT'S  SECOND  TOUH  IN  SCOTLAND. 


ft  derived 
and  fcro- 
tarancc  of 
that  1  was 
\f^t  unear 
severe 
'he  kccp- 
the  spot, 
^c  himsell', 

\t  homed : 
|ve  lost  the 

I,  in  a  lofty 
laid*  prede- 

irt  Bruce, 
Douglas  of 

conferred, 
that  family, 
g  that  title 
rom  a  place 

:h  to  be  as- 
ver.  I  find 
lolished  by 
vate  agree. 

at  ths  same 
ic  family  of 
canopy,  all 
es  duke  of 
nd  his  neck, 
vith  this  in- 


2-j: 


'/.» 


/'.'■• 


1  » ' 


f    r 


id  two  years 


June  7th.  Visit  Tibbir  castle,  about  a  mile  below  Drumrunliq^,  pbccd  oit  a  sm.ill  Mil 
above  the  little  stream,  the  Tiblxr.  Nothing  remains  but  the  ruiindations,  ovcr(<;rowii 
with  shrubs  :  It  is  supposed  to  have  been  a  Roman  fort,  but  that  in  after  times  the  Scots, 
profiting  of  the  situation,  and  what  had  Ix'cn  done  before,  built  on  the  place  a  sntnll 
castle  ;  which,  tradition  nays,  was  surprised  by  a  stratugtm  in  time  of  William  Walbcc* 

The  beauties  of  Drur.ilanrig  are  not  confined  tu  the  highest  part  of  the  grounds  ;  ilit 
walks  for  a  very  considerable  way,  by  the  sides  of  the  Nith,  abound  with  most  pictureM|U( 
and  various  scenery  :  below  the  bridge  the  sides  arc  prettily  wooded,  but  not  renuii  kabi} 
lofty  ;  above,  the  views  become  wildly  magnificent :  the  river  runs  through  u  deep  and 
rocky  channel,  bounded  by  vast  wooded  clifls,  that  rise  suddenly  from  its  margin  ;  and  the 

Erospect  down  from  the  summit  is  of  u  terrific  depth,  cncreascd  by  the  rolling  of  the 
lack  waters  beneath:  two  views  are  particularly  fine;  one  of  quick  repeated,  but  ex- 
tensive, meanders  amidst  broken  sharp  pointed  rock^^|iich  often  divide  the  river  into 
several  channels,  interrupted  by  short  and  foaming  rl^ras,  coloured  with  a  monry  teint. 
The  other  is  of  a  long  straight,  narrowed  by  the  sides,  precipitous  and  wooded,  approach- 
ing each  other  equidistant,  horrible  from  the  blackness  and  fury  of  the  river,  and  tlio 
fiery  red  and  black  colours  of  the  rocks,  that  have  all  the  appearance  of  having  sus> 
taitled  a  change  by  the  rage  of  another  element. 

Cross  the  bridge  again,  and  continue  my  journey  northward  for  six  or  seven  miles,  on 
an  excellent  road,  wnich  I  was  informed  was  the  same  for  above  twenty  miles  farther, 
and  made  at  the  sole  expence  of  the  present  duke  of  Qucensbury  :  his  grace  is  in  all 
respects  a  warm  friend  *.o  his  country,  and  by  praemia  promotes  the  manufactures  of 
woollen  stuffs,  and  a  very  strong  sort  of  woollen  stockings  ,  and  by  these  methods  will^ 
preserve  on  his  lands  a  useful  and  industrious  population,  that  will  be  enabled  to  eat  their 
o>vn  bread,  and  not  oppress  their  brethren,  or  be  forced  into  exile,  as  is  the  case  in 
many  other  parts  of  North  Britain. 

The  ride  was,  for  the  most  part,  above  the  Nith  that  in  many  places  appeared  in 
singula!^  forms :  the  most  striking  was  a  place  called  Hell's  Cawdron,  a  sudden 
turn,  where  the  water  eddies  in  a  large  hole,  of  a  vast  depth  and  blackness,  overhunfr, 
and  darkened  by  trees.  On  the  opposite  side  is  the  appearance  of  a  British  entrench- 
ment ;  and  near  Durisdeer  is  said  to  be  a  small  Roman  fortress :  the  Roman  road  runs 
by  it,  and  is  continued  from  thence  by  the  VVelUpath,  through  Crawford  moor,  to 
Elven-foot,  has  been%tely  repaired,  and  is  much  preferable  to  the  other  through  the 
mountains,  which  would  never  have  been  thought  of  but  fur  the  mines  in  the  lead- 
hills. 

The  river  assumes  a  milder  course  ;  the  banks  bordered  with  fields,  and  those  oppo- 
site well  wooded.  On  an  emirence  is  the  house  of  Kliock,  environed  with  trees,  once 
one  of  the  possessions  of  Cricdton,  father  to  the  Admirable;  and  before,  at  some  dis- 
tance, is  the  town  of  Sanquhar,  with  the  ruins  of  the  cnstle,  the  ancient  seat  of  the  lords 
Crichton.  The  parish  is  remarkable  for  the  manufacture  of  woollen  stockings,  and  the 
abundance  of  its  coal. 

Quit  Nithsdale,  and  turn  suddenly  to  the  right ;  pass  through  the  glen  of  Lochburn 
between  vast  mountains,  one  side  wooded  to  a  great  height,  the  other  naked,  but  finely 
grassed,  and  the  bottom  washed  by  the  Mcnoch,  a  pretty  stream  ;  the  glen  grows  very 
narrow,  the  mountains  encrease  in  height,  and  the  ascent  long  and  laborious.  Ride 
by  Wanlock-head,  in  the  parish  of  Sanquhar,  the  property  of  the  duke  of  Queens- 
bury ;  «ometimes  rich  in  lead  ore.    Cross  a  small  dike  at  the  top  of  the  mountain, 


•  Gordon's  Itin. 

o  c  2 


19. 


•ymjnvjp' 


ut 


rKNNANrs  SRCOND  TOUR  W  SCOTLAND. 


enter  Lancrk&hire,  or  Clydndule  ;  and  continue  all  night  at  the  little  village  of  Lead- 
hilU,  in  the  parish  of  Crawford  :  the  placr  consiitta  of  numbcm  of  mean  houMN,^  inhabited 
by  alKJUt  finccn  hundred  hoitls,  supported  by  the  mines  ;  for  five  hundred  are  employed 
in  the  rich  !>ous  tcrruins  of  this  tract.  Nothing  cuii  equal  ttic  barren  and  gloomy  ap- 
pearance of  the  country  round  :  neither  tree,  nor  tihrub,  nor  verdure,  nor  picturesque 
rock,  appear  to  amuste  the  eye ;  the  spcctutor  munt  plunge  into  the  bowels  of  these 
mountums  for  entertainment :  or  pleaac  himxlf  with  the  idea  of  the  good  that  is  done 
by  the  well  bestowed  ta'UHures  druwn  front  these  inexhauhtible  mines,  that  are  still  rich, 
baffling  the  eft'orts  of  two  centuries.  The  space  that  ha«  yielded  ore  is  little  more  than 
a  mile  square,  and  is  a  flat  or  pa^s  among  the  mountains :  the  veins  of  lead  run  north 
and  south ;  vary,  as  in  other  |>lii(es,  in  their  depth,  and  are  from  two  to  four  feet 
thick  :  some  have  been  found  filled  with  ore  within  two  fathoms  of  the  surface ;  others 
sink  to  the  depth  of  ninety  fatht^j^ 

The  ore  yields  in  general  ubc^ seventy  nouixls  of  lead  from  a  hundred  and  twelve 
of  ore,  but  aflbrds  very  little  silver  ;  the  varieties  are  the  common  plated  ore,  vulgarly 
called  Potter's  ;  the  small  or  Ntcel.grained  ore,  and  the  curious  white  ores,  lamelTated 
and  fit)rous,  so  much  searched  after  for  the  cabinets  of  the  curious.  The  Inst  yields 
from  fifty -eight  to  sixty-eight  pounds  from  the  hundred,  but  the  working  of  this  species 
is  much  more  pernicious  to  the  health  of  the  uorkmen  than  the  common.  The  ores 
are  smelted  in  he.ithi,  blown  by  a  great  bellows  and  fluxed  with  lime.  The  lead  is 
lent  to  Li-ith  in  sntall  curts,  that  curry  about  seven  hundred  weight,  and  exported 
free  from  duty. 

^  TIk  miners  and  smelters  iire  subject  here,  as  in  othrr  placi,  to  the  lead  distemper, 
ormill-a'ck,  us  it  is  called  here;  which  brings  on  puUies,  and  sometimes  madness, 
terminating  in  death  in  about  ten  dnys.  Yet  about  two  years  ago  died,  at  this  place, 
a  person  of  primaeval  longevity  :  one  John  Taylor,  miner,  who  worked  at  his  bu^mess 
till  he  was  a  hundred  and  twelve :  he  did  not  marry  till  he  was  sixty,  and  h^d  nine 
children  ;  he  saw  to  the  last  without  8*)ectacles,  had  excellent  teeth  till  within  :V«  yean 
before  his  death,  having  left  off  tob.u  to,  to  which  he  attributed  their  nreserVation ; 
at  length,  in  1770,  yielded  to  fate,  after  having  completed  his  hundred  and  thirty- 
second  year. 

Native  gold  has  been  frequently  found  in  this  tract,  in  the  gravel  beneath  the  peat, 
from  which  it  was  washed  In  rains,  and  collected  in  the  gullies  Iff  persons  who  at  diffe- 
rent  times  have  employed  themselves  in  search  of  this  precious  metal ;  but  of  late  years 
these  adventurers  have  scarce  been  able  to  procure  a  livelihood.  I  find  in  a  little  book, 
printed  in  1710,  called  Mincellanea  Scotica,*  that  in  old  times  much  gold  was  collected 
in  diflerent  parts  of  Scotland.  Iii  the  reign  of  James  IV,  the  Scots  did  separate  the  gold 
from  the  sand  by  washing.  In  the  following,  the  Germans  found  gold  there,  which 
aflforded  the  king  great  sums  ;  three  hundred  men  were  employed  for  several  summers, 
and  about  100,0001.  sterlinjy^  |>rocured.  They  did  not  dispose  of  it  in  Scotland,  but 
carried  it  into  Germany.  The  same  writer  says,  that  the  laird  of  Marcheston  got  gold 
in  Pentland  hills;  that  some  was  found  in  Langham  waters,  fourteen  miles  from  Lead- 
hill  house,  ill  Meggot  waters,  twelve  miles,  and  Phinland,  sixteen  miles.  He  adds, 
that  pieces  of  gold,  mixed  with  spar  and  other  substances,  that  weighed  thirty  ounces, 
were  found ;  but  the  luna;est  piece  I  liave  heard  of  does  not  exceed  an  ounce  and  a 
half,  and  is  in  the  possession  of  lord  Hopetoun,  the  owner  of  these  mines. 

Continue  my#  journey  through  dreary  glens  or  melancholy  hills,  yet  not^vithout 
seeing  numbers  of  shecp^    Near  the  small  village  of  Crawford  John,  procured  a  guide 

*  For   further  account  of  gold  found  io  Scotland,  see  p.  4 1 6,  of  tho  2d  part  of  this  Touis 


PKNNANn  irXOND  TOUR  IN  ICOTLANI). 


aso 


TLead. 
nhabited 
IT)  ployed 
miy  ap- 
ture«que 
of  these 

is  done 
till  rich, 
ore  thvn 
in  north 
bur  feet 
others 

twelve 
vulgarly 
tmelTated 
St  yields 
species 
"he  ores 
m:  lead  is 
exported 

istemper, 
nadness, 
lis  pluce, 
business 
hpd  nine 
:V«  years 
erVation ; 
d  thirty. 

t 

the  peat, 
•  at  diffe- 
ate  years 
tie  book, 
collected 
the  Bold 
:,  which 
uinmers, 
and.  but 
got  gold 
m  Lead- 
ic  adds, 
ounces, 
:e  and  a 

without 
a  guide 

ir. 


over  five  miles  of  almn.t  pathless  moors,  nnd  (IcMCcrul  into  DouetnMlnle,  wnteml  by  the 
river  that  ^ivo*  the  name;  a  valley  distiiigiiiahcd  by  the  ri'.uknoc  of  thi*  lanily  of 
Douglas^  a  race  ot  (urt;alcnt  heroes,  celebrated  throughout  Kuropc  for  dccdi  of  arms ; 
the  glory,  yet  thf  scourge  of  their  country  ;  the  terror  of  tluir  princes  ;  the  pricU-  of  the 
northern  annuls  of  chivalry. 

They  derive  their  name  from  Sholto  du  glnsse,  or  the  black  and  gray  warrior  (as 
tlieir  historv*  relates)  a  hero  in  the  reign  of  Solvathius,  kin(;  of  Scotland,  who  lived 
in  the  eighth  century  ;  with  more  certainty,  a  successor  of  hit,  of  the  name  of  Williiim, 
went  into  Italy  in  quest  of  adventures,  and  from  him  descended  the  family  of  the  Scoti 
of  Flacentiu,t  that  flourished  in  the  last  age,  and  may  to  this  time  continue  there.  But 
the  DouglasHcs  first  began  to  rise  into  power  in  the  iays  of  the  good  Sir  James,  who  died 
in  1330.  During  a  century  and  n  half  their  greatness  knew  no  bounds,  and  'heir  ar. 
roganqc  was  equally  imlimitcd  :  that  high  spirit,  w^^was  wont  to  i  .:  exerted  agaiinst 
thtr^emies  of  their  country,  now  degenerated  into^^ion*  sedition,  arid  treason  ;  they 
emulated  the  royal  authority ;  they  went  .-abroad  with  a  train  of  two  thousand  armed 
meni  created  knights,  had  their  counsellors,  established  ranks,  and  constituted  u|  par- 
liament :  it  is  certain  that  they  might  almost  have  formed  a  house  of  peers  out  of  tncir 
own  family ;  for  at  the  same  time  there  were  not  fewer  than  six  carls  of  the  name  of 
Douglas.||  They  gave  shelter  to  the  most  barbarous  banditti,  and  protected  them  in 
the  greatest  crimes :  for,  as  hoi  st  Lindcsay  exoresses,  **  Oppression,  ravishing  of 
women,  sacrilege,  and  all  other  kinds  of  mischief,  were  but  a  dalliance :  so  it  was 
thought  leisomc  to  a  depender  on  a  Douglas  to  slay  or  murder,  for  so  fearful  was  their 
name,  and  terrible  t>^  every  innocent  man,  that  when  a  mischievous  limmer  was  apprc; 
hended,  if  he  alledged  that  he  murdered  and  slew  at  a  Douglas's  command,  no  man  durst 
present  him  to  justice."} 

Douglas  castle,  the  residence  of  these  Reguli,  seems  to  have  been  prostrated  almost 
as  frequently  as  its  masters :  the  ruin  that  is  seen  there  at  present  is  the  remains  of  the 
bst  old  castle,  for  many  have  been  built  on  the  same  site.  The  present  is  an  imperfect 
pile  begun  by  the  late  duke :  in  the  front  are  three  round  towers ;  beneath  the  base 
of  one  lies  the  noble  founder,  and  the  tears  of  the  country  painted  above.  He  was 
interred  there  by  his  own  directions,  through  the  vain  fear  of  mingling  his  ashes  with 
those  of  an  injured  dead. 

The  windows  are  Gothic  :  the  apartments  are  fitting  up  with  great  elegance,  which 
shew  that  the  storms  of  ambition  have  been  laid,  and  that  a  long  calm  of  ease  and  con- 
tent *.s  intended  to  succeed. 

The  inscription  on  the  foundation-stone  of  the  present  castle  deserves  preservation,  as 
it  gives  a  little  of  the  history  :  . 

Hoc  latus 
•  HujuB  munititsimi  Prsedii 

'  FamiliK  de  Douolas  * 

Ter  solo  xquati 
1  £t  temelatque  itcrum  instaursti 

Imperantibus 
Edwaroo  primo  Anglix 
Et  bpud  Scotos  Roberto 
'-<    • '*>     '  primum  sic dicto 

.r(  ■..  Tandem  surgerc  cxpit 

*    ;,    .  Novis  munitionibus  nrmatum 


I  ' 


. « 


*  HumeV  Hist,  of  the  Houses  of  DougUs,  3. 
I  Buchanan,  Kerum  Scot.  lib.  xi.  sect.  9. 


t  Idem,  p.  5. 

II  CamdcDi  Br.  II.  12 1 1 .       $  Page  26. 


«  -1 


m 


J 


*     » 


J 


IS! 


03y  PENNANl'S  SECOND  TOUU  IN  SCO'i'LANO. 

Jutiuet  Bumpttbus 
Serenitsimi  et  potentissiini  Archibuldi 

DucU  de    DouoLA8>  Sec.    Sec.  • 

I'rincipis  femiliae  ejus  ^  ominis 
'^  In  Scot&  anttquissih'SQ 

Et  maxime  notabilis 
Anno  CHnisTY 
,  MDCCLVII. 

hoar  the  castle  are  several  very  ancient  ash-^rees,  ;vhose  branches  groaned  under  the 
weight  of  executions  when  the  family  knew  no  law  but  its  will. 

In  the  churcli  wcro  desposifed  the  remains  of  several  of  this  great  name.  First  op- 
pears  the  effigy  of  good  Sir  James,  the  most  distinguished  of  thc^  hoi  se,  the  favourite 


of  Robert  Bruce,  <>nd  the  knight  appointed,  as  most  worthy,  to  carry  nis  master's  heart 
to  be  interred  beneath  the  high  V|^in  the  temple  of  Jerusalem.  He  set  out,  attended 
with  a  train  of  two  hundred  knignts  and  gentlemen,  having  the  gold  box  containing 
the  rcyalheart  suspends  J  from  his  neck.  He  first  put  into  the  port  of  Sluys,  on  the 
coast  of  Frinders,  where  he  staid  for  twelve  days,  living  on  board  in  regal  pomp  (for 
he  did  not  deign  to  land)  and  all  his  vessels  were  of  gold.^  Here  he  was  informed, 
that  Alphonso  king  of  Spain  was  engaged  in  war  with  the  Saracen  king  of  Grenada: 
not  to  lo!se  this  blessed  opportunity  of  Bghting  against  the  enemies  of  the  cross,  he  and 
his  knights  sailed  instantly  for  Valentia,  was  most  honourably  rr.ceived  by  the  Spanish 
monarch,  luckily  found  him  on  the  point  of  giving  '^attle,  engaged  with  great  valour, 
*was  surrounded  by  the  infideh,  slain  in  the  Bght,  ard  the  heart  of  Robert  Bruce,  which 
was  happily  rescued,  instead  of  visiting  the  Holy  Land,  was  carried  to  the  convent  of 
Melross,  and  the  body  of  Sir  James  to  this  church ;  where  his  figure  lies  cross-legged, 
his  holiness  having  decreed  that  services  against  the  infidels  in  Spain  should  have  equal 
n;cnt  v.'ith  those  performed  in  Palestine. 

Near  him,  beneath  a  magnificent  tomb,  lies  Archibald,  first  earl  of  Douglas,  and 
second  duke  of  Terou-in,  in  France ;  his  father,  slain  at  the  battle  of  Vemeuil,  being 
honoured  by  the  French  king  with  that  title.  He  lies  in  his  ducal  robes  and  coronet. 
This  earl  lived  quite  independetit  of  his  prince,  James  I,  and,  through  resentment  to 
the  minister,  permitted  the  neighbouring  thieves  of  Annnnd^  le  to  lay  waste  the  country, 
when  his  powe.",  perhaps  equal  to  the  regal,  might  have  suppressed  their  barbarity.  He 
died  in  1431. 

The  Douglasses  and  Percies  were  rivals  in  deeds  of  arms ;  and  fortune,  as  usual, 
snuled  or  fiowned  alternately  on  each  of  these  potent  Tamilies. 

James  the  Fat,  seventh  earl  of  Douglas,  next  appears  in  effigy  on  another  tomb  :  a 
peaceable  chieftain,  who  seems  to  have  been  in  too  good  case  to  give  any  disturbance 
to  the  commonwealth.  He  died  in  1443,  and  his  lady,  Beatrix  de  Sinclair,  lies  by 
him.     Their  offspring  is  also  enumerated  in  the  inscription. 

Ride  for  some  time  in  Douglasdale,  a  tract  deficient  in  wood,  but  of  great  fertility ; 
the  soil  fine,  and  of  an  uncommon  depth,  yielding  fine  barley  and  oats,  most  slovenly 
kept,  and  full  of  weeds ;  the  country  full  of  gentle  risings.  Arrive  in  a  flat  extent 
ufgiuund,  descend  to  the  river  Clyde*  ^ross  a  brdge  of  three  arches,  ascend  a  steep 
road,  and  reach 

Lanerk ;  a  town  that  gives  name  to  the  county.  Here  the  gallant  Wallace  made 
his  first  effort  to  redeem  his  country  from  the  tyranny  of  the  English;  taking  the  place, 
and  slaying  the  governor,  a  man  of  rank.f    The  castle  stood  on  a  mount  on  thtf  soutli 


Frpiss^rt,  lib.  \,  c.  <!  1 , 


t  Buchanan,  lib.  viii.  c.  18. 


ijfc.<WMiiiii>*i*iiM«iwi«'i"ti    '"•>-'-t-'>^^vi^g.g''rA^ 


PENNANTS  SECOND  TOUR  IN  SCOTLAND. 


231 


usual, 


side  of  the  town  ;  and  not  far  to  the  east  is  a  niincd   church,  perhaps  belonging  to  the 
convent  of  Franciscans,  founded  by  Robert  Bruce,  in  1314. 

Not  very  far  from  Lanerk  are  the  celebrated  falls  of  the  Clyde  ;  th^'  most  distant  arc 
about  a  iialf  hour's  ride,  at  a  place  called  Cory-Lin ;  and  are  seen  to  most  advantage 
from  a  ruinous  pavilion  in  a  gentleman's  garden,  placed  in  a  lofty  situation.  The 
cataract  is  full  in  view,  seen  over  the  tops  of  trees  and  bushes,  precipitating  itself,  for 
an  amazing  way,  from  rock  to  rock,  with  short  interruptions,  forming  a  rude  slope  of 
furious  foam.  The  sides  are  bounded  by  vast  rucks,  clothed  on  their  tops  with  trees ; 
on  the  summit  and  very  verge  of  one  is  a  mined  tower,  and  in  front  a  wood,  overtopt 
by  a  verdant  hill. 

A  path  conducts  the  traveller  down  to  the  beginning  of  the  fall,  into  which  projects 
a  high  rock,  in  floods  insulated  by  the  waters,  and  from  the  top  is  a  tremendous  view  of 
the  furious  stream.  In  the  cliffs  of  this  savage  retreat  the  brave  Wallace  is  said  to  have 
concealed  himself,  meditating  revenge  for  his  injurgljlpountry. 

On  regaining  the  top,  the  walk  is  formed  near  the  verge  of  the  rocks,  which  on 
both  sides  are  perfectly  mural  and  equidistant,  except  where  they  overhang  :  the  river 
is  pent  up  between  them  at  a  distance  far  beneath  ;  not  running,  but  ramer  sliding 
along  a  stony  bottom,  sloping  the  whole  way.  The  summits  of  the  rock  are  wooded ; 
the  sides  smooth  and  naked,  the  strata  narrow  and  regular,  forming  a  stupendous 
natural  masonry.  After  a  walk  of  above  half  a  mile  on  the  edge  of  this  great  chasm, 
on  a  sudden  appears  the  great  and  bold  fall  of  Boniton,  in  a  foaming  sheet,  far-pro. 
jecting  into  a  hollow,  in  which  the  water  shews  a  violent  agitation,  and  a  far- 
extending  mist  arises  from  the  surface.  Above  that  is  a  second  great  fall  ;  two  lesser 
succeed ;  beyond  them  the  river  winds,  grows  more  tranquil,  and  is  seen  for  a 
considerable  way,  bounded  on  one  side  by  wooded  banks,  on  the  other  by  rich  and 
swelling  fields. 

Return  the  same  way  to  Lanerk  :  much  barley,  oats,  peas,  and  potatoes,  are  raised 
about  the  town,  and  some  wheat ;  the  manure  most  in  use  is  a  white  marl,  full  of 
shells,  found  about  four  feet  below  the  peat,  in  a  stratum  five  feet  and  a  half  thick  ;  it 
takes  effect  after  the  first  year,  and  produces  vast  crops.  Numbers  of  horses  are  bred 
here,  which  at  two  years  old  are;  sent  to  the  marshes  of  Ayrshire,  where  they  are  kept 
till  they  are  fit  for  use. 

June  9.  Again  pass  over  the  bridge  of  Lanerk,  in  order  to  visit  the  great  fall  of 
Stone-biers,  about  a  mile  from  the  town  :  this  has  more  of  the  horrible  in  it  than  either 
of  the  other  two,  and  is  seen  with  more  difficulty ;  it  consists  of  two  precipitous  cata- 
racts falling  one  above  the  other  int^  a  vast  chasm,  bounded  by  lofty  rocks,  forming  an 
amazing  dieatre  to  t'.ie  view  of  those  who  take  the  pains  to  descend  to  the  bottom.  Be- 
tween  this  and  Cory-Lin  is  another  fall  called  Dundofflin ;  but  being  satiated  for  tN's 
time  with  the  noise  of  waters,  we  declined  the  sight  of  it. 

Return  over  the  bridge,  and  walk  to  Cardand-crags  ;  a  zig-zag  den  of  great  extent, 
bounded  by  rocks  of  a  krery  uncommon  height,  and  almost  entirely  clothed  ;v;ih 
trees.  It  is  a  place  of  laborious  access  from  above,  so  difficult  is  it  amidst  the  shade  of 
trees  to  find  a  way  free  from  precipice.  The  bottom  is  watered  by  the  river  Mouse  ; 
and  the  ^des,  at  every  «hort  turn,  finely  varied  with  the  different  appearance  of  rock, 
wood,  and  precipice.  Emerge  into  the  open  space  ;  remount  our  horses,  and  ride  for 
some  miles  along  a  rich  vale,  with  the  Clyde  pas»ng  along  the  bottom  ;  all  parts  are 
rich  in  corn,  meadows,  orchards,  and  groves.  Cross  the  Nathan.  At  Nathan  foot, 
gain  (he  heights,  which  are  far  less  fertue ;  and,  after  going  over  the  river  Avon,  reach 
Uie  town  of  Hamilton. 


II 


P 
m 


^  -  * 


'> 


.-:f 


332 


PENITAN'ra  SECOND  TOUH  IN  SCOTLAND. 


The  original  name  of  this  place,  or  the  lands  about  it,  was  Cadzow,  or  Cadyow,  a 
barony  erunted  to  an  ancestor  of  the  noble  owner  on  the  following  occasion  :  In  the 
time  of  £dward  IL  lived  Sir  Gilbert  de  Hamilton,  or  Hampton,*  an  £n{jlishman  of 
rank  ;  who,  happening  at  court  to  speak  in  praise  of  Robert  Bruce,  received  on  the 
occasion  an  insult  from  John  de  Spenser,  chamberlain  to  the  king,  whom  he  fought  and 
slew ;  dreading  the  resentment  of  that  potent  femily,  f  he  fled  to  the  Scottish  monarch, 
who  received  him  with  open  arms,  and  established  him  at  the  place  the  family  now  pos- 
sesses ;  whose  name  in  after-times  was  changcu  from  that  of  Cadzow  to  Hamilton ;  and 
in  1445  the  lands  were  erected  into  a  lordship,  and  the  then  owner,  Sir  James,  w^X  in  par- 
liament as  lord  Hamilton. 

The  same  nobleman  founded  the  collegiate  church  at  Hamilton  in  1451,  for  a  provost 
and  several  prebendaries.  The  endowment  was  ratified  at  Rome  by  the  Pope's  bull, 
which  he  went  in  person  to  procure.  % 

The  old  castle  of  Hamilton  bete  possessed  by  certain  of  the  name  who  had  been 
guilty  of  the  deaths  of  the  earls  ofLenox  and  Murray,  was  on  the  19th  of  May  1579 
surrendered ;  and,  by  the  order  of  the  king  and  council,  entirely  demolished.  || 

Hamilton  house,  or  palace.,  is  at  the  end  of  the  town ;  a  lai^  disagreeable  pile,  with 
two  deep  wings  at  right  angles  with  the  centre ;  the  gallery  is  of  great  extent,  fumbhed 
(as  well  as  some  other  rooms)  with  most  excellent  paintings.  <"> 

That  of  Daniel  in  the  lion's  den,  by  Rubens,  is  a  great  performance  :  the  fear  and 
devotion  of  the  prophet  is  finely  expressed  by  the  uplifted  face  and  eyes,  his  clasped  hands, 
his  swelling  muscles,  and  the  violent  extension  of  one  foot :  a  lion  looks  fiercely  at  him, 
with  open  mouth,  and  seems  only  restrained  by  the  Almighty  Power  from  making  him 
fall  a  victim  to  his  hunger  :  and  the  deliverance  of  Daniel  is  more  fully  marked  by  the 
number  of  human  bones  scattered  over  the  fioor,  as  if  to  shew  the  instant  fate  of  odiers, 
in  whose  favour  the  Deity  did  not  interfere. 

The  marriage  feast,  by  Paul  Veronese,  is  a  fine  piece  ;  and  the  obstinacy  and  lesist- 
ance  of  the  intrude",  who  came  without  the  wedding  garment,  is  strongly  expressed. 

The  treaty  of  peace  between  England  and  Spain,  in  .the  reign  of  James  I,  by  Juan  de 
Pantoxa,  is  a  good  historical  picture.  There  are  six  envoys  on  the  part  of  the  Spa- 
niards, and  five  on  that  of  the  English,  with  the  names  inscribed  over  each :  the  Eng- 
lish  are  the  earls  of  Dorset,  Nottingham,  Devonshire,  Northampton,  and  Robert 
Cecil. 

Earls  of  Lauderdale  and  Lanerk  settling  the  covenant :-  both  in  black,  with  faces  full 
of  puritanical  solemnity. 

James,  marquis  of  Hamilton,  and  earl  of  Cambridge,  in  black,  by  Vansomer.  This 
nobleman  was  high  in  favour  with  James  VI,  knight  of  the  garter,  lord  hi^h  steward  of 
the  household,  and  lord  high  commissioner  of  the  parliament ,  at  !  so  much  in  the  esteem 
and  affection  of  his  master  as  to  excite  the  jealousy  of  Buckingham.  He  died  in  1625, 
at  the  early  age  of  thirty-three.  Such  symptoms  §  attended  his  death,  that  the  public 
attributed  it  to  poison,  and  ascribed  the  infamy  to  the  duke.  .  "'    ■•:  /^  ^ 

His  son  James,  duke  of  Hamilton,  with  a  blue  ribband  and  white  rod.  A  principal 
leader  of  the  presbyterian  party  in  the  reign  of  Charles  I,  dark,  uncommunicative,  cun- 
ning. He  managed  the  trust  reposed  in  him  in  such  a  manner  as  to  make  his  politics 
suspected  by  each  faction ;  and  notwithstanding  he  was  brought  up  in  the  school  of 
Gustavus  Adolphus  in  a  military  capacity,  his  conduct  was  still  more  contemptible  :  he 


*  In  Leicestershire,  vide  Burton's  Hist,  of  that  county,  p.  126.  t  Buchanan,  viii.  c.  49. 

t  Crawford's  Peerage,  119.  ||  Moyses,  34.  §  Wilson,  385, 


%13  '-.^^ 


■•'»".•   -I".  «-      '  iWWIiWll.,  ...  I.'.IH.'-">!'.'H'  »*  "t^JW 


.'ii'to^ji aa. AiMii^i.ti'i ritiHi' ... '>M  iiM'-H " 


!|i 


PENNANT<9  SECOND  TOCR  IW  SCOTLANDi 


23: 


full 


Icipal 

Icua- 

bitics 

alof 

he 


ruined  the  army  he  faintly  led  into  England,  rather  to  rnakt  his  royal  master  subservient 
to  the  design  of  the  Scots,  than  to  do  his  majesty  any  real  service.  Was  shamefully  taken, 
and  ended  nis  days  upon  a  scaffold. 

Next  to  his  is  the  portrait  of  his  brother,  and  successor  to  the  title,  William  earl  ol 
Lanerk,  who  behaved  at  the  battle  of  Worcester  with  genuine  heroism,  was  mortally 
wounded,  and  died  with  every  sentiment  of  calmness  and  piety  ;  regretting  the  enthu 
siasm  of  his  younger  days,  and  his  late  appearance  in  the  royal  cause. 

James,  duke  of  Hamilton,  who  fell  in  the  duel  with  lord  Moluin.  The  first  a  leader 
of  the  tory  party  in  the  reign  of  queen  Anne;  the  last  a  strong  wlug :  each  combatant  fell ; 
whether  the  duke  died  by  the  hands  of  an  assassin  second,  or  wiiethtr  he  fell  by  those 
of  his  antagonist,  the  violence  of  party  leaves  no  room  to  determine. 

Next  appears  a  full  length*  the  finest  portrait  in  this  kingdom  :  a  nobleman  in  a  red 
silk  jacket  and  trowsers  ;  his  hair  short  and  gray  ;  aj;un  in  his  hand,  attended  by  an 
Indian  boy,  and  with  Indian  scenery  around  ;  the  fijfit  seems  perfectly  to  start  from 
the  canvas,  and  the  action  of  his  countenance,  looking  up,  has  matchless  spirit.  It  is 
called  the  portrait  of  William  earl  of  Denbigh,  miscalled  governor  of  Barba'does.  His 
daughter  married  the  first  duke  of  Hamilton,  which  strengthens  the  opinion  of  its  being 
that  of  her  father.  The  painter  seems  to  have  been  Rubens ;  but  from  what  circumstance 
of  his  lordship's  life  he  placed  him  in  an  Indian  forest,  is  not  known. 

The  okl  duke  of  Chatelherault,  in  black,  with  the  order,  I  think  of  St.  Michael^ 
pendent  from  his  neck,  which  be  accepted  with  the  title,  and  a  pension,  from  Francis  I, 
of  France,  at  the  time  he  was  eari  of  Arran,  and  r^nt  of  Scotland.  He  was  declared 
next  in  succession  to  the  crown,  in  case  of  failure  of  heirs  in  Mary  Stuart ;  a  rank  that 
his  feeble  and  unsteady  conduct  would  have  disabled  him  from  filling  with  dignity. 

A  head  of  Catherine  Parr,  on  wood,  by  Holbein. 

Another,  said  to  have  been  that  of  Anne  Bullen,  very  handsome,  dressed  in  a  ruff  and 
kerchief,  edged  with  ermine,  a  n  a  purple  gown ;  over  her  face  a  veil,  so  tran- 
sparent as  not  to  conceal 

The  bloom  of  young  de«'''  and  purple  light  of  love. 

Maria,  Dei  Gratia  Scotorum  Regina,  1586,  ae  43.  A  >alf-length:  a  stiff  figure,  in 
a  great  ruff^  auburn  locks,  oval  but  pretty  full  face,  of  much  larger  and  plainer  fea- 
tures than  that  at  castle  Braan :  a  natural  alteration,  from  the  increase  of  her  cruel 
usage,  and  of  her  ill  health ;  yet  still  preserves  a  likene  s  to  that  portrait.  I  was  told 
here  that  she  sent  this  picture,  together  with  a  ring,  a  Kuie  before  her  execution,  to  the 
representative  of  the  Hamilton  family,  as  an  acknowledgment  of  gratitude  for  their  suf- 
ferings in  her  cause. 

Earl  Morton,  re^nt  of  Scotland  ;  a  nobleman  of  vast  bn^  "'used  abilides;  rapacious, 
licentious,  unprincipled ;   restrained  by  no  consideration       .i  gaining  his  point ;  intre- 

Eid  till  the  last  hour  of  his  being,  when  he  fell  on  the  scaffold,  with  those  penitential 
orrors*  that  the  enormous  wickedness  of  hb  past  life  did  naturally  inspire. 
The  rouffh  refimner,  John  Knox,  a  ^i  vere  re[>rover  of  the  former.  The  civl,  at  the 
funeral  of  Knox,  in  a  few  words  delivered  this  honourable  testimony  of  his  spirit: 
«*  There  lies  he  who  never  feared  die  face  of  man." 

Alexander  Henderson,  a  vain,  insolent,  and  busy  minister  during  the  troubles  of 
Charles  I,  who  was  deputed  by  hb  brethren  to  persuade  his  majesty  to  extirpate  epis- 
copacy  out  of  Scotland :  but  the  king,  an  equal  Ingot,  and  better  casuist,  silenced  his 


''..%*i 


VOL.  iii; 


*  Spotswood,  314.    Lives  of  the  DuglaBses,  356. 
H   H 


Xc> 


234 


PENNANT'S  SECOND  TOUR  IN  SCOTLAND. 


arguments ;  and  Henderson,  chagrined  with  his  success,  retired,   and  died  uf  a  broken 
heart. 

A  head  of  Hobbes  fas  a  contrast  to  the  two  former)  with  short  thin  grey  hair. 

Lord  Belhaven,  author  of  the  famous  speech  against  the  union. 

Philip  II,  a  full  length,  with  a  strange  figure  of  Fame  bowing  at  his  feet,  with  a  label, 
and  this  motto  :  "  Pro  merente  adsto." 

Two  half-lengths,  in  black,  one  with  a  fiddle  in  his  hand,  the  other  in  a  grotesque 
attitude,  both  with  the  same  countenances,  good,  but  swarthy  ;  mistakenl'.  called 
David  Rizzio*s,  but  I  could  not  learn  that  there  was  any  poru-ait  of  that  urac«rtunate 
man. 

Irresistible  beauty  brings  up  the  rear,  in  form  of  Miss  Mary  Scott,  a  full  length,  in 
white  sattin,  a  most  elegant  figure ;  and  thus  concludes  the  list  with  what  is  more  j)ow- 
erful  than  all  that  has  preceded ;  than  the  arms  of  the  warrior,  the  art  of  the  politician, 
the  admonitions  of  the  churchniHh,  or  the  wisdom  of  the  philosopher. 

About  a  mile  from  the  house,  on  an  eminence,  above  a  deep  wooded  glen,  with  the 
Avon  at  the  bottom,  is  Chatelherault,  so  called  frofn  the  estate  the  family  once  poS' 
sessed  in  France ;  is  an  elegant  banqueting-house,  with  a  dog-kennel,  gardens,  &c.  and 
commands  a  fine  vciw.  The  park  is  now  much  inclosed ;  but  I  am  told  there  are  still  in 
it  a  few  of  the  wild  cattle  of  the  same  kind  with  those  I  saw  at  Drumlanrig. 

Continue  my  journey  :  cross  the  Clyde  at  Bothwell  bridge,  noted  for  the  defeat  o^ 
small  arm}'  of  enthusiasts  in  1679,  near  the  place,  by  the  d^ke  of  Monmouth,  who  distin* 
guished  himself  that  day  more  by  his  humanity  than  his  conduct ;  but  it  is  probable  he 
disliked  a  service  against  men  to  whose  religious  principles  he  had  no  aversion :  he 
might  likewise  aim  at  future  popularity  in  the  country. 

Bothwell  church  was  collegiate,  founded  by  Archibald  the  Grim,  earl  of  Douglas,  in 
1398,  for  a  provost  and  eight  prebendaries.  The  outside  is  said  to  be  incrusted  with  a 
thin  coat  of  stone,  but  I  confess  it  escaped  my  notice.  In  it  arc  interred  the  founder 
and  his  lady,  daughter  of  Andrew  Murray,  son  to  king  David  Bruce,  with  whom  he  got 
the  lordship  of  Bothwell. 

The  castle,  now  in  ruins;  is  beautifully  seated  on  the  banks  of  the  Clyde  :  tradition 
and  h'lstory  are  silent  about  the  founder.  It  is  said  to  have  been  a  principal  residence 
of  the  Douglasses,  and  while  Edward  I,  was  in  possession  of  Scotland,  was  the  chief 
station  of  his  governor ;  and  after  the  battle  of  Bannnckbum,  was  the  prison  of  some  of 
the  Englirh  nobility  taken  in  that  fatal  field.  Majoi  *  says,  that  in  1337  it  was  taken 
by  the  puitizans  of  David  Bruce,  and  levelled  to  the  ground.  That  seems  a  favourite 
phrase  of  the  historian ;  for  to  me  it  appears  to  be  in  the  same  state  with  that  of  Caer- 
laveroc,  and  was  only  dismantled  ;  for  m  both,  some  of  the  remaining  towers  have  al 
the  marks  of  the  early  style  of  building. 

The  present  residence  of  the  family,  called  Bothwell  house,  is  modem,  built  between 
ninety  and  a  hundred  vears  ago  by  the  young  earl  of  Forfar,  who  was  killed  at  the 
battle  of  Dunblain.  lie  was  paternal  uncle  to  the  late  duke  of  Douglas,  who  sue* 
ceeded  to  the  estate.  The  centre  is  but  F.^all,  being  chiefly  taken  up  with  stair-case 
and  lobby.  The  duke  of  Douglas  added  the  wings,  in  which  -  e  the  principal  apart- 
ments.    It  stands  very  near  the  ancient  castle. 

On  the  south  side  of  the  Clyde,  opposite  to  the  castle,  are  the  remains  of  Blantyre,  a 
priory  of  canons  regular,  founded  before  the  year  1296  ;  mention  being  made  in  that 
year  of  Frere  William,  Priour  de  Blantyr.f 


•  P.  232. 


t  Keith,  2  39. 


•1/" 


\i' 


broken 


a  label, 

rotesquc 
called 
ortunate 

ngth,  in 
)re  pow- 
tolitician, 

with  the 
jnce  pos- 

&c.  and 
ire  still  in 

lefeat  o&a 
ho  distin- 
obable  he 
rsion:  he 

>ouglas,  in 
ted  with  a 
^e  founder 
iom  he  got 

:  tradition 
il  residence 
IS  the  chief 
I  of  some  of 
:  was  taken 
a  favourite 
lat  of  Caer- 
ershave  al 

jilt  between 
billed  at  the 
,  who  sue- 
:h  stdr-case 
icipal  apart- 

'  Blantyre,  a 
nade  in  that 


PBNNANT'S  SECOND  TOUR  IN  SCOTLAND. 


236 


The  country  from  Bothwell  bridge  is  open,  very  fertile,  composed  of  gentle  risings, 
diversified  with  large  plantations.    Reach 

Glasgow,  the  best  built  of  any  second-rate  city  I  ever  saw ;  the  houses  of  stone,  and 
in  general  well  built,  and  many  in  a  good  taste,  plain  and  unafifected.  The  principal 
street  nms  cast  and  west,  is  near  a  mile  and  a  half  long,  but  unfortunately  not  straight ; 
yet  the  view  from  the  cross,  where  the  two  other  great  streets  fall  into  this,  has  an  air  ol 
vast  magnificence.    The  tolbooth  is  large  and  handsome,  with  this  apt  motto  on  the  front . 

Hxc  domus  odit,  amatj  punit,  conservatt  honorat, 
nequitianiipacem,  crimtna,jura,  probos. 

Next  to  that  is  the  exchange :  within  is  a  spacious  room,  with  full-length  portraits  of 
all  our  monarchs  since  James  I ;  and  an  excellent  one,  by  Ramsav,  of  Archibald  duke 
of  Argyle  in  his  robes,  as  lord  of  sessions.  However  expert  he  might  have  been  in  the 
laws  of  his  land,  the  following  form  of  respite  to  a  wretched  convict  does  not  speak 
much  in  favour  of  his  regard  to  decency. 

Edinr  Febry  28M,  1728. 

"  I  Archibald,  earl  of  Islay,  do  hereby  prorogate  and  continue  the  life  of  John  Rud- 
dell,  writer  in  Edin%  to  the  term  of  Whitsunday  next,  and  no  longer,  by  G — d. 

"ISLAV,  I.  P.  D." 

Before  the  exchange  is  a  large  equestrian  statue  of  king  William.  This  is  the  finest 
and  broadest  part  of  the  street :  many  of  the  houses  are  built  over  arcades,  but  too  nar- 
row to  be  walked  in  with  any  conveniency.  Numbers  of  other  neat  streets  cross  this  at 
right  angles. 

The  market-places  are  great  ornaments  to  the  city,  the  fronts  being  done  in  very  fine 
taste,  and  the  gates  adorned  with  columns  of  one  or  other  of  the' orders.  Some  of 
these  markets  are  for  meal,  greens,  fish,  or  flesh :  there  are  two  for  the  last,  which 
have  conduits  of  water  out  of  several  of  the  pillars,  so  that  they  are  constantly  kept 
sweet  and  neat.  Before  these  buildings  were  constructed,  most  of  those  articles  were 
sold  in  the  public  streets ;  and  even  af^er  the  market-places  were  built,  the  magistrates 
with  great  difficulty  compelled  the  people  to  take  advantage  of  such  cleanly  innovations. 

Near  the  meal-market  is  the  public  granary,  to  be  filled  on  any  apprehension  of 
scarcity. 

The  guard-hottse  is  in  the  great  street,  where  the  inhabitants  mount  guard,  and  regu- 
larly do  duty.  An  excellent  police  is  observed  here ;  and  proper  officers  attend  the 
markets,  to  prevent  abuses. 

The  police  of  Gla^w  consists  of  three  bodies ;  the  magistrates  with  the  towir.- 
council,  the  merchants  houst?,  and  the  trades  house.  The  lord  provost,  three  bailies, 
a  dean  of  euild,  a  dmcon  convener,  a  treasurer,  and  twenty-five  council-men,  compose 
the  first.  It  must  be  ouaCkved  that  the  dean  of  guild  is  chosen  annually,  and  can  con. 
tinue  in  office  but  two  years.  The  second  consists  of  thirty-six  merchants,  annually 
elected,  with  the  provost  and  three  belies,  by  virtue  of  their  office,  which  make  the 
whole  body  forty.  The  dean  of  guild  is  head  of  this  house,  who,  in  conjunction  with 
his  council,  four  merchants,  and  four  tradesmen  (of  whibh  the  preceding  dean  is  to  be 
one)  holds  a  court  every  Thursday,  where  the  parties  only  are  admitted  to  plead,  all 
lav^'ers  being  excluded.  He  and  his  council  have  power  to  judge  and  decree  in  all 
actions  respecting  trade  between  merchant  and  merchant ;  and  those  who  refuse  to  sub- 
mit to  their  decisions  are  liable  to  a  fine  of  five  pounds.  .The  same  officer  and  his 
counciK  with  the  master  of  work,  can  determine  all  disputes  about  boundaries,  and  no 
proceedings  in  building  shall  be  stopped  except  by  him ;  but  the  plaintiff  must  lodge  a 

B  H  2 


236 


PEKNANrS  SECOND  TOUA  IN  SCOTLAND. 


sufficient  sum  in  his  hands  to  satisfy  the  defendant,  in  case  the  first  should  lay  n  ground- 
less complaint :  and  to  prevent  delay,  the  dean  and  his  assistants  are  to  meet  on  the 
spot  within  t«venty-four  hours ;  and  to  prevent  frivolous  disputes,  should  the  plaintiff 
be  found  not  to  have  been  aggrieved,  he  is  fined  in  twenty  shillings,  and  the  damage 
sustained  by  the  delay :  but  again,  should  he  imagine  himself  wronged  by  the  decision, 
he  has  power  (afler  lodging  forty  shillings  in  the  hands  of  the  de«ri)  of  appealing  to  the 
great  council  of  the  city ;  and  in  case  they  also  decide  ar^'ainst  him,  the  sum  is  forfeited 
and  appiic:*  as  the  dean  shall  think  fit.  The  same  magistrate  is  also  to  see  that  no  en- 
croachments are  made  on  the  public  streets :  he  can  order  any  old  houses  to  be  pulled 
down  thHt  appear  dangerous ;  and,  I  think,  has  also  power  in  some  places  of  disposing 
of,  to  the  best  bidder,  the  ground  of  any  houses  which  the  owner  suffers  to  lie  in  ruins 
for  three  years,  without  attempting  to  rebuild.  Besides  these  afikirs,  he  superintends 
the  weights  and  measures ;  punibMs  and  fines  transgressors :  fines  all  unqualified  per- 
sons who  usurp  the  privileges  of  freemen  i  admits  burgesses :  the  fines  to  aliens  is  1001. 
Scotch  :  and  finally,  he  and  his  council  may  levy  a  tax  on  the  guild-brethren  (not  ex- 
ceeding the  above-mentioned  sum  at  a  time)  for  the  maintenance  of  the  wives  and  chil- 
dren of  decayed  brethren ;  the  money  to  be  distributed  at  the  discretion  of  the  dean, 
his  council,  and  the  deacon  convener. 

The  third  body  is  the  trades  house  :  this  consists  of  fifty,  six,  of  which  the  deacon 
convener  is  the  head :  there  are  fourteen  incorporated  trades,  each  of  which  has  a 
deacon,  who  has  a  right  to  nominate  a  certain  number  of  his  trade,  so  as  to  form  the 
house :  these  manage  a  large  stock,  maintain  a  great  number  of  poor,  and  determine 
disputes  between  the  trades.  In  this  place  may  be  mentioned,  that  the  merchants  hos- 
pital, founded  by  the  merchants  of  Glasgow  in  1601,  has  a  large  capital  to  support  the 
poor :  that  the  town's  hospital  contains  four  hundred  indigent,  and  b  supported  by  the 
magistrates  and  town-council,  tlie  merchants  house ,  the  trades  house,  and  the  kirk 
sessions.  Hutchiniion's  hospital,  founded  in  1642  by  two  brothers  of  that  name,  has  a 
fund  of  twelve  thousand  pounds ;  the  town-couucil  a  revenue  of  six  thousand  pounds 
per  annum. 

The  old  bridge  over  the  Clyde  consists  of  eight  arches,  and  was  built  by  William  Rea, 
bishop  of  this  see,  about  four  hundred  years  ago.  A  new  one  has  been  lately  added,  of 
seven  arches,  with  circular  holes  between  each  to  carry  off  the  superfluous  waters  in  the 
grc:it  floods.  This  bridge  deviates  from  the  original  plan,  which  was  very  elegant,  and 
free  from  certain  defects  that  disgrace  the  present. 

The  city  of  Glasgow,  till  very  lately,  was  perfectly  tantalized  with  its  river :  the  water 
was  shallow,  the  channel  much  too  wide  for  the  usual  quantity  of  water  that  flowed 
down,  and  the  navigation  interrupted  by  twelve  remarkable  shoals.  The  second  incoa- 
veniencv^  continually  increased  by  the  wearing  away  of  the  banks,  caused  by  the  preva- 
lency  oi  the  south-west  winds  that  blow  here,  and  oflen  with  much  violence,  during 
more  than  half  the  year :  thus  what  is  got  in  breadth  is  lost  in  depth ;  and  shoals  are 
formed  by  the  loss  of  water  in  the  more  contracted  bed.  Spring-tides  do  not  flow 
above  three  feet,  or  ne^-tides  above  one,  at  Broomy-law-quav,  close  to  the  town ;  so 
that  in  dry  seasons  lighters  are  detained  there  for  several  weeks,  or  are  prevented  from 
arriving  there,  to  the  ^at  detriment  of  the  ci^. 

To  remedy  this  evil,  the  city  called  in  several  en^neers :  at  length  the  plan  proposed 
by  my  old  friend,  Mr.  John  Golburne,  of  Chester,  that  honest  and  able  engineer,  was 
accepted,  and  he  entered  into  contract  with  the  magistrates  of  Glasgow  to  deepen  the 
channel  to  seven  feet  at  the  quay,  even  at  neap-tides.  He  has  made  considerabfe  wo-* 
]«ress  in  tjie  work,  and  has  given  the  stipulated  depth  to,within  fourmUfsof  theptace 


■tM. 


>'.v ' ' 


-m'-^'mm 


Ml 


MMMMMI 


Mil— Mite 


•i>ij-. 


'•^'(itmm 


t 

I 


PENNANT'S  8BC0ND  TOUR  IN  SCOTLAND. 


237 


For  a  present  relief  he  has  deepened  the  intermediate  shoals,  and  particularly  he  has 
given  at  least  four  feet  of  water  immediately  below  the  quay,  in  a  shoal  called  the  Hurst, 
which  was  above  a  quarter  of  a  mile  long,  and  had  over  it  only  eighteen  inches  of 
water.  Before  this  improvement  lighters  of  only  thirty  tons  burden  could  reach  the 
quay  ;  at  present  vessels  of  seventy  come  there  with  ease. 

Near  the  bridge  is  the  large  alms-house,  a  vast  nailery,  a  stone^ware  manufactory, 
and  a  great  porter  brewery,  which  supplies  some  part  of  Ireland  :*  besides  these,  are 
manufactures  of  linens,  cambricks,  lawns,  fustians,  tapes,  and  striped  linens ;  sugar, 
houses  and  glaas*houses,  great  roperies ;  vast  manufactures  of  shoes,  boots,  and  saddles, 
and  all  sorts  (Ahorse  furniture ;  also  vast  tanneries,  carried  on  under  a  company  who 
have  60,0001.  capital,  chiefly  for  the  use  of  the  colonists,  whose  bark  is  found  unfit  for 
tanning.  The  magazine  of  saddles,  and  other  works  respecting  that  business,  is  an 
amazing  sight :  all  these  are  destined  for  America,  no  port  equalling  this  for  the  con> 
veniency  of  situation,  and  speedily  supplying  that  market.  Within  sight,  on  the  Ren. 
frew  ^e,  are  collieries,  and  much  coal  is  exported  into  Ireland,  and  into  America. 

The  great  import  of  this  city  is  tobacco.  The  foUowing  state  of  that  trade  for  the 
:^xce  last  years  exhibits  its  vast  extent  and  importance  : 


171)9. 
From  Virginia,  2S^>S7  hc^eads. 
Maryland,     9641 
Carolina,        460 

Total,    '35558 


1770. 

29815 

8242 

913 

38970 


So  that  it  appeats  the  increase  of  importation  from  Vimnia,  in  1770,  was  435  hogs- 
heads, and  from  Carolina,  453,  and  that  it  decreased  in  Maryland,  1399.  But  what  is 
remarkable,  that  in  the  same  yeiT  not  any  part  of  this  vast  stock  remained  unsold ;  the 
whole  being  disposed  of  in  the  fcllowing  proportions : 


yh*>  :i,   To  Ireland, 
f  France, 


hogsb. 
3310 
15706 
Holland,  10637 
Dunkirk,  2907 
Hamburgh,  2416 


Bremen, 
Spain,  8ic. 
Norway, 
Denmark, 
America, 


i.^4  :,       Total  exported 


»!X:*C?    »: 


37938 


which,  with  1032  sold  inland,  balances  the  account 
la  the  last  year,  1771,  the  commerce  still  improved,  fot  from 

sife'  .  ."><'  ..fAr  im;/v-'.-:    I'-  *-.,-  4,..'../.  i-  Virginia,        35493   •: 
ti.;t; . .- /M..'r."ivi./5f*> V.  ..J,  .,\.,  M.-vi^    Maryland,      12530  ■ 


U ;.;.:-!;. -i^j 


i-.  ■*  f  .-.■•;|i-.5„;ii' 


Carolina, 
Total, 


993 
49016 


"  Duoniw  extremely  capable  of  nipplying  Ireland  ivith  this  liquor,  but»  as  I  am  credibly  informed,  is 
ajfnost  pnji^ited  the  attempt  by  a  hard  and  iinpoUU(»l  tax. 


I 


•"m, 


238  PEtmANT'S  KCONO  TOUR  IN  SCOTLAND. 

The  exports  also  increased,  but  not  in  the  same  proportion  with  those  of  last  year 


■i  ,  • 


Ireland  took      3509  hogsh.     * 
France,  16098  .  ,    , 

Holland,  14546   n  *'';  '"^^i   "■ 


Dunkirk, 
Hamburg, 


5309 
2788 


•f-' 


..I    ■;. 


Bremen, 
Norway, 
Denmark, 
Spain,  &c. 
Barbadoes, 

1176 

665 

390 

297 

21 

*■        ■  *     »  " 

Total, 
Sold  inland. 

44799 
1142 

■.                   1  •           • 

So  that  this  year  it  appears  that  there  is  unsold. 
To  balance  the  great  sum  of. 


45941 
3075 

49016 


But  this  encouraging  inference  may  be  drawn  :  that,  notwithstanding  all  our  squab- 
bles with  the  colonies,  those  of  the  first  importance  improve  in  their  commerce  with 
their  mother  country:  receive  also  an  equal  return  in  the  manufactures  of  Great- 
Britain,  which  they  wisely  dispense  to  those  whom  unavailing  associations  of  prohibition 
bind  from  an  open  traifick  with  us. 

The  origin  of  foreign  trade  in  this  great  city  is  extremely  worthy  of  attention.  A 
merchant,  of  the  name  of  Walter  Gibson,  by  an  adventure,  first  laid  the  foundation  of  its 
wealth  :  about  the  year  1668  he  cured,  and  exported  in  a  Dutch  vessel,  300  lasts  of  her- 
rings, each  containing  six  barrels^  which  he  sent  to  St.  Martin's,  in  France,  where  he 
got  a  barrel  of  brandy  and  a  crown  for  each :  the  ship  returning,  laden  with  brandy  and 
salt,  the  cargo  was  sold  for  a  great  sum :  he  then  launched  farther  into  busmess, 
bought  the  vessel,  and  two  large  ships  besides,  with  which  he  traded  to  different  parts 
of  Europe,  and' to  Virginia :  he  also  first  imported  iron  to  Glasgow,  for  before  that  time 
it  was  received  from  Sterling  and  Burrowstoness,  in  exchange  for  dyed  stufl^ :  and  even 
the  wine  used  in  this  city  was  brought  from  Edinburgh.  Yet  I  find  no  statue,  no  grate- 
ful inscription,  to  preserve  the  memory  of  Walter  Gibson ! 

Glasgow,  till  long  after  the  reformation,  was  confined  to  the  ridge  that  extends  from 
the-  high  church,  or  cathedral,  and  the  houses  trespassed  but  little  on  the  ground  on  each 
side.  This  place  ^whose  inhabitants  at  this  time  are  computed  to  be  forty  thousand)  was 
so  inconsiderable,  m  1357,  as  not  to  be  admitted  in  the  number  of  the  cautionary  towns 
assigned  to  Edward  III,  for  the  payment  of  the  ransom  of  David  11.^  But  the  revenue 
of  the  archbishop  was,  at  the  reformation,  little  less  than  a  thousand  pounds  sterling  per 
annum,  besides  several  emoluments  in  corn  of  different  kinds.  Religion  was,  before 
that  period,  the  commerce  of  our  chief  cities ;  in  the  same  manner  as  commerce  is  their 
religion  in  the  present  age. 

Some  writers  attribute  the  foundation  of  this  see  to  St.  Kentigem,  in  560,  and  make 
him  the  first  bishoji :  others  will  give  him  no  other  rank  than  that  of  a  simple  saint.  It 
is  with  more  certainty  known,  tlut  the  cathedral  was  founded,  or  refounded,  in  1136, 
by  John,  governor  to  David  I,  and  who  was  the  first  certain  bishop  of  the  place ;  for  it 
was  not  erected  into  an  archbishoprick  till  1500,  when  Robert  Blacader  had  first  the 


title. 


*  Anderson's  Diet.  Commerce,  i. 


,*:.■;  •  i.t    '. 


.i.u.  :  rji-^;  •, 


'"','    ■'.J4,,'i..''^-'n  ■.■-''V  ,    'i.      .'(  * 


.IW^"P.^1|  f      '  J       -^  jUW*^ 


PENH  ANTS  SECOND  TOUR  IN  SCOTLAND. 


239 


.,•!• 


This  Ane  church  was  devoted  to  destruction  by  the  wretched  ministers  of  1578,  who 
assembled,  by  beat  of  drum,  a  multitude,  to  effect  the  demolition :  but  the  trades  of  the 
city  taking  urms,  declared  that  they  would  bury  under  the  ruins  '.he  Rrst  person  who 
attempted  the  sacrilen ;  and  to  this  sensible  zeal  are  we  indebted  Tor  so  ga-at  nn  orna- 
ment to  the  place,  ft  is  at  present  divided  into  three  places  for  divine  service  ;  two 
above,  one  beneath,  and  deep  under  ground,  where  the  congregation  may  truly  say, 
clamavi  ex  profundis.  The  roof  of  this  is  tine,  of  stone,  and  supported  lv  pillars,  but 
much  hurt  by  the  crouding  of  the  pews. 

In  the  church  yard  is  an  epitaph  on  a  iolly  physician,  whose  practice  shsuld  be  re. 
commended  to  all  such  harbingers  of  death,  who  by  their  terrific  faces  scare  the  poor 
patient  prematurely  into  the  regions  of  eternity  : 


..  it. 

'  '.'       '-■  4  I 
J'il  '111 

.1     (ii  . 
.it. 


t 


I. 


St»)r,  pMMnger,  «nd  vi«w  ihU  itone, 
For  under  it  lie*  such  a  one, 
Who  cured  many  while  he  lived  |    ' 
So  gracious  he  no  mm  grieved  i 
Yea  when  bit  phyiick't  force  oft  fidled. 
Hit  pleatant  purpose  then  prevailed  ; 
For  of  hit  God  he  got  the  grace 
To  live  in  mirth,  and  die  in  peace  ; 
Heaven  hat  his  soule,  hit  corpse  thit  ttone  ; 
Sigh,  passenger,  and  then  begone. 
,  ...  Doctor  Peter  liOW,  ISIS. 


Besides  this  church  are  the  College  Church,  Ramshome,  Trone,  St.  Andrew's,  and 
Wint.  The  English  chapel,  college  chapel,  a  highland  church,  three  seceding  meet- 
ing houses,  a  moravian,  an  independent,  a  methodist,  an  anabaptist,  a  barony  church, 
ajid  one  in  the  suburbs  of  the  Gorbels. 

But  the  most  beautiful  is  that  of  St  Andrew's,  or  the  New  Church,  whose  front, 
graced  with  an  elegant  portico,  does  the  city  great  credit,  if  it  had  not  been  disfigured 
by  a  slender  square  tower,  with  a  pepper-box  top ;  and  in  ^neral  the  steeples  in  Glas- 
gow are  in  a  remarkably  bad  taste,  beiujp;  in  fact  no  favourite  part  of  architecture  with 
the  church  of  Scotland.  The  inside  of  that  just  mentioned  is  finished  not  only  with 
neatness,  but  with  elegance ;  is  supported  by  pillars,  and  very  prettily  stuccoed.  It  is 
one  of  the  very  few  exceptions  to  the  slovenly  and  indecent  manner  in  which  the  houses 
of  God,  in  Scotland,  are  kept :  reformation,  in  matters  of  religion,  seldom  observes 
mediocrity ;  here  it  was  at  first  outrageous,  for  a  place  commonly  neat  was  deemed  to 
savour  of'^popery :  but  to  avoid  the  imputation  of  that  extreme,  they  ran  into  another  ; 
for  in  many  parts  of  North  Britain  our  Lord  seems  still  lo  be  worshipped  in  a  stable,  and 
often  in  a  very  wretched  one ;  many  of  the  churches  are  thatched  with  heath,  and  in 
some  places  are  in  such  bad  repair  as  to  be  half  open  at  top ;  so  that  the  people  appear 
to  wonhip,  as  the  Druids  did  of  old,  in  open  temples.  It  is  but  common  justice  to  say, 
that  this  IS  no  fault  of  the  clergy,  or  of  the  people,  but  entirely  of  the  landed  interest ; 
who  having,  at  the  reformation,  shared  in  the  j^under  of  the  church,  were  burthened 
with  the  building  and  repairin{|^  of  the  houses  of  worship.  It  is  too  frequently  the  case, 
that  the  gentlemen  cannot  be  induced  to  undertake  the  most  common  repairs,  without 
being  threatened  with  a  process  before  the  lords  of  sesuons,  or  perhaps  having  the  pro- 
cess actually  made,  which  is  attended  mth  odium,  trouble  and  expence,  to  the  poor  in- 
cumbents. 

Nea^he  cathedral  is  the  ruin  of  the  castle,  or  the  bishop's  palace ;  the  great  tower 
was  bflP^  John  Cameron,  prelate  in  1426.    Buchanan^  relates  an  absura  tale,  that 


jayhec 


*  Lib.  xi.  c.  35. 


"**. 


:M0 


FBMIf  ANT'I  IBCOND  TOtm  IN  SCOTLAND. 


this  bishop  was  summoned  to  the  great  tribunal  by  a  loud  preternatural  voice ;  that  he 
ataemblea  his  servants,  when  to  tiKir  great  terror  the  call  waa  repeated ;  and  the  bishop 
died  in  great  agonies.  His  of&nce  is  concealed  from  us,  for  he  appears  to  have  been  a 
good  and  an  able  man. 

Archbishop  Bethune  surrounded  the  palace  with  a  fine  wall,  and  made  a  bastion  over 
one  comer,  and  a  tower  over  another.  This  castle  waa  beiieged  in  1544,  by  the  reffeiit 
Arran,  in  the  civil  disputes  at  that  time;  who  took  it.  and  hanged  eighteen  of  the 
garrison  placed  there  by  Lenox,  a  favourer  of  the  reformation. 

In  Ghisgow  were  two  reli^ous  houses  and  au  hospital.  One  of  Dominicans,  founded 
by  the  bishop  and  chapter  m  1279,  and  another  of  Obaervantincs  in  1476,  by  John 
Laing,  bishop  of  Glasgow,  and  Thomas  Forsytli,  rector  of  the  college. 

The  university  wasTounded  in  1450,  James  II,  Pope  Nicholas  V,  gave  the  Bull,  but 
bishop  TurnbuU  supplied  the  money.  It  consists  of  one  college,  a  large  building,  with  a 
handsome  front  to  the  street,  resembling  some  of  the  old  colleges  in  Oxford.  Charles 
I,  subscribed  2001.  towards  this  worV.,  but  was  prevented  from  paying  it  by  the  ensuing 
troubles ;  but  Cromwell  afterwsids  fulfilled  the  design  of  the  royal  donor.  Here  arc 
about  four  hundred  students,  who  lodge  in  the  town,  but  the  professors  have  good 
houses  in  the  college,  where  yuung  gentlemen  may  be  boarded,  and  placed  more  im- 
mediately under  the  professor's  eye,  than  those  that  live  in  private  houses.  An  inconve* 
niency  that  calls  loudly  for  reformation. 

The  library  is  a  very  liandsome  room,  with  a  gallery,  supported  by  pillars ;  and  is  well 
furnished  with  books.  That  beneficent  nobleman,  the  first  duke  of  Chandra,  when  he 
visited  the  college,  gave  5001.  towards  building  this  apartment. 

In  possession  of  the  college  is  a  very  singular  version  of  the  bible,  bjr  the  Rev. 
Zachary  Boyd,  a  worthy,  learned  and  pious  divine  of  this  ciry,  who  lived  about  a  cen- 
tury  and  a  half  ago,  and  dying,  bequeathed  to  this  seminary  of  knowledge  his  fortune,  and 
all  his  manuscripts,  but  not  on  condition  of  printing  his  poem,  as  is  vulgarly  imagined. 
It  is  probable  that  he  adapted  his  verse  to  the  intellects  of  his  hearers,  the  only  excuse 
for  the  variety  of  gross  imagery,  of  which  part  of  the  soliloquy  of  Jonas  in  the  fish's 
belly  will  be  thought  a  sufficient  specimen :      .  ;*    ,  ^        j.^. 


5*   f ' 


I 


'!■('• 


What  house  is  this  ?  here's  neither  coal  nor  candle  ; 

Where  I  nothing  but  guts  of  fishes  handle, 

I  and  my  table  are  both  here  within. 

Where  day  ne'er  dawn'd,  where  sun  did  never  shine. 

The  like  of  this  on  earth  man  never  saw, 

A  living  man  within  a  monster's  maw  ! 

Burjed  under  mountains  which  arc  high  and  steep ! 

Plunged  under  waters  hundred  fitthoms  deep  1 

Not  so  waa  Noah  in  his  house  of  tree,  i  » >  ^i  ' 

For  through  a  window  he  the  light  did  see ;      ';    ',  ', 

He  sailed  above  the  highest  waves  t  a  wonder, 

1  and  my  boat  are  all  the  waters  under  I 

He  and  lua  ark  might  go  and  also  come  i      vip.n 

But  I  ait  still  ax  such  a  strait'ned  room  ^/  i 

As  is  most  uncouth }  bead  and  feet  together,    ' ,  ' 

Among  such  grease  as  wx^Id  a  thousand  smother  ; 

Where  I  inlombed  in  mehAcholy  sink, 

Choaked,  sufiboate  with  excrementsl  aUnk  i 


r\y 


'1 


■ff 


r»        > 


'Ji:r 


I. 


>■■:  <.^ 

■■v:,'r-t..  •.- 


Messrs.  Robert  and  Andrew  Foulis,  printers  and  booksellers  to  the  university, 
instituted  an  academy  for  pamting  and  engravii^ ;  and  like  good  citizen8,4flHpi 
promote  the  welfare  and  honour  of  their  native  place,  have,  at  vast  expence^l^Bii 


have 

US  to 

ed 


a 


PINKAim  SCCOWD  TOCm  IN  SCOTLAND 


241 


VOL. 


mott  numerous  collection  of  ptindngt  fhxn  abroad,  in  order  to  form  the  taste  of  tlietr 
dbves. 

The  printing  is  a  considerable  branch  of  buitincss,  nnd  has  long  been  celebrated  for 
the  beauty  of  me  types,  and  the  correctness  of  the  editions.  Here  are  preserved,  in 
cases*  numbers  of  monumental,  and  other  &tonc!i,  tukcn  out  of  the  walU  on  the  Ro. 
bijin  stations  in  this  part  of  the  kmgdom  :  some  arc  well  cut  and  omametited  :  most  of 
them  were  done  to  perpetuate  the  memory  of  the  vexillatio,  or  party  who  performed 
•uch  or  such  works ;  others  m  memory  of  officers  who  died  in  the  country.  Many  of 
these  sculptures  %yere  engraven  at  the  expence  of  the  univerbity ;  whose  principal  did  me 
th'T  honour  of  presenting  me  with  a  set. 

The  first  plate  is  very  beautiful :  a  victory,  reclined  on  a  globe,  with  a  palm  in  one 
hand,  a  garland  in  the  other ;  a  pediment  above,  supported  by  two  fluted  pilasters,  with 
Corinthian  capiuUs :  beneath  is  a  boar,  a  common  animal  in  sculptures  found  in  Britain, 
probably  because  they  were  in  plenty  in  our  forests.  Both  these  are  in  honour  of  the 
emperor  Antoninus  rius. 

None  is  more  instructive  than  that  engraven  in  plate  III,  on  which  appears  a  victory 
about  to  crown  a  Roman  horsenuin,  armed  with  a  spear  and  shield.  Beneath  him  are 
two  Caledonian  captives,  naked,  and  bound,  with  little  daggers,  like  tlic  modern  dirks, 
by  them.  On  another  compartment  of  the  stone  is  an  eagle  and  sea-goat,  to  denote 
some  victory  gained  in  the  course  of  their  work  near  the  sea :  for  it  was  devoted  by  a 
partv  of  the  Le^o  secunda  Augusta,  on  building  a  certain  portion  of  the  wall. 

The  XVIth  IS  monumental :  the  figure  is  very  elegant,  repreKnting  one  srracefully 
recumbent,  dressed  in  a  loose  robe:  beneath  is  a  wheel,  denoting,  that  at  \...c  time  of 
his  death  he  was  engaged  with  a  party  an  the  road :  and  by  him  is  rn  animal,  resem^ 
bling  the  Mtisimou  or  Siberian  goat. 

In  this  street  is  die  house  where  Henry  Darnly  lod^d,  confined  by  a  dangerous  illness, 
suspected  to  arise  from  poison,  administered  at  the  mstigation  of  BothwcU.  Here  the 
unhappy  prince  received  a  visit  from  Mary  Stuart,  and  took  the  fatal  resolution  of  re- 
moviitt  to  Edinburgh.  Thb  sudden  return  of  her  affection,  her  blandishments  to  en- 
veijrie  him  from  his  father  and  friends,  and  his  consequential  murder,  are  circumstances 
unravourable  to  the  memory  of  thb  unfortunate  princess. 

June  11.  Take  boat  at  the  ouay ;  and  after  a  passage  of  four  miles  down  the  Clyde, 
reach  the  litde  flying  house  of  Mr.  Golbome,  now  fixed  on  the  northern  bank,  com- 
manding a  most  elegant  view  of  part  of  the  county  of  Renfrew,  the  opposite  shore. 
After  breakfast  survey  the  machines  for  deepening  the  river,  which  were  then  at  work  : 
they  are  called  ploughs,  are  large  hollow  cases,  the  back  is  of  cast  iron,  the  two  ends  of 
wood ;  the  other  uide  open.  These  are  drawn  cross  the  river  by  means  of  capstans, 
pilaced  on  long  wooden  frames  or  flats,  and  opposite  to  each  other,  near  the  banks  of  the 
river.  Are  drawn  over  empty,  returned  with  the  iron  side  downwards,  which  scrapes 
the  bottom,  and  brings  up  u.  every  return  half  a  ton  of  gravel,  depositing  it  on  the 
bank :  and  thus  twelve  hundred  tons  are  cleared  every  day.  Where  the  river  is  too 
wide,  the  shores  are  contracted  by  jetties. 

Proceed  down  the  river ;  on  the  left  the  water  of  Inchinnan  opens  to  view ;  the  pros- 
pect up  the  most  elegant  and  the  softest  of  any  in  North  Britam ;  the  expanse  is  wide 
and  gende ;  the  one  bank  bare,  the  other  adorned  with  a  small  open  ^ve.  A  little 
isle  tufted  with  trees  divides  the  water  i  beyond  the  fine  bridge  of  Inchmnan  receiving 
the  unitqjiaiprs  of  the  white  and  black  Cart,  and  the  town  and  spire  of  Paisley,  backed 
by  a  lon^^p  fertile  range  of  rising  land,  close  the  scene. 


I  I 


i' 


U2 


yENMANT'S  SICONO  TOUM  IN  ICOTLAND. 


On  the  right  is  n  chain  ofluw  hilli,  Camsey  fells,  running  N.  W.  and  S  R.  diverg- 
ing N.  E.  and  advuncing  to  ihc  water  tide,  tcrminuting  with  the  rock  of  Dunbuc«  that 
almost  reaches  to  the  Clyde. 

Puss  under  Kirkpiiiric,  where  the  river  is  about  a  quarter  of  a  mile  broad  ;  at  this 
place  lit  a  considc-ruble  manufacture  of  all  sorts  of  hu»bandry  tools,  began  about  four 
years  ugo ;  but  it  is  far  more  celebrated  for  being  the  su|)poHca  termination  of  the  Roman 
Wall,  or  GrnhamS  dike,  built  under  the  auspices  of  Antoninus  Pius.  Not  the  least 
rrlique  h  to  be  seen  here  at  present ;  but  about  a  mile  and  a  half  to  the  eastward,  on  a 
riiiiie  ground  ubove  the  briage  of  the  burn  of  Dalmurc,  near  the  villuge  of  Duntocher, 
arc  the  vestiges  of  a  fort  and  watch'tower,  with  a  very  deep  foss.  Tne  houses  in  the 
villuge  Appear  to  have  been  formed  out  of  the  ruins,  for  many  of  the  stones  are  smoothed 
on  the  side  ;  and  on  one  are  the  lettera  N.  E.  R  O.  very  legible.  This  wall  was 
guarded  with  small  forts  from  end  to  end,  that  is  to  say,  from  near  Kirkpairic  to  within 
two  miles  of  Abcrcorn,  or,  as  Bede  calls  it,  the  monasterjr  of  Abercurnig,  or  the  Firth  of 
Forth,  a  5puce  of  thirty-six  miles  eisht  hundred  and  eighty-seven  paces ;  of  these  forts 
ten  are  |<lunnedby  the  ingenious  Mr.  Gordon,  and  numtxrs  of  the  inscriptions  found  in 
them  eugruven.  This  ppreat  work  was  (lerformed  by  the  soldiery  under  Lollius  Urbi> 
cus,  lieutenant  of  Antonmus,  in  pursuance  of  the  plan  before  pomted  out  by  the  great 
Agricola,  who  garrisoned  the  whole  space  between  the  two  firths,  removing,  as  it  was, 
the  barbarians  into  another  island.  <i^ 

Ireland  will  scarce  foreive  me,  if  I  am  silent  about  the  birth-place  of  its  tutelar  saint. 
He  first  drew  breath  at  Kirkpatric,  and  derived  his  name  from  his  father,  a  noble  Ro- 
man (a  Patrician)  who  fled  hither  in  the  time  of  persecution.  St.  Patric  took  on  him- 
self the  charge  of  Ireland  ;  founded  there  365  churches,  ordained  365  bishops,  3000 
priests,  converted  12000  persons  in  one  district,  baptised  seven  kings  at  once,  esta- 
blished a  purgatory,  ana  with  his  staff  at  once  expelled  every  reptile  that  stung  or 
croaked. 

Somewhat  lower,  on  the  same  side,  Dunglass  projects  into  the  water,  and  forms  a 
round  bay.  On  the  point  is  a  ruined  fort,  perhaps  on  the  site  of  a  Roman  ;  for  proba> 
biy  the  wall  might  have  ended  here,  as  at  this  very  place  the  water  b  deep,  and  at  all 
times  unfordable  by  foot  or  horse.  The  fort  waa  blown  up  in  1640,  as  some  say,  by  the 
desperate  treachery  of  an  English  boy,  page  to  the  earl  of  Haddington,  who,  with 
numbers  of  people  of  rank,  were  miserably  destroyed.!  Below  this  the  river  widens, 
and  begins  to  have  the  appearance  of  an  aestuary  :  the  scene  varies  into  other  beauties ; 
the  hills  are  rocky,  but  clothed  at  the  bottom  by  ranges  of  woods,  and  numbers  of  pretty 
villas  grace  the  country.  Dtinbuc  makes  now  a  considerable  figure  :  the  plain  of 
Dumbarton  opena  ;  the  vast  and  strange  bicapitated  rock,  with  the  fortress,  appears  full 
in  front ;  the  town  and  its  spire  beyond  ;  the  fine  river  Leven  on  one  side,  and  the  vast 
mountains  above  Loch- Lomond,  and  the  great  base  and  soaring  top  of  Ben-Lomond,  close 
the  viewt 

The  Roman  fleet,  in  all  probability,  had  its  station  under  Dumbarton :  the  Glota,  or 
Clyde,  has  there  sufficient  depth  of  water;  the  place  was  convenient  and  secure;  near 
the  end  of  the  wall,  and  covered  by  the  fort  at  Dunglass ;  the  pharos  on  the  top  of  the 
great  rock  is  another  strong^  proof  that  the  Romans  made  it  their  harbour,  for  the  water 
beyond  is  impassable  for  ships,  or  any  vessels  of  large  burden. 


•  Tacitua. 


t  Whitelock,  35.  Crawford'a  Peerage,  18. 


y'M,x. 


% 


I 


JI','")i|TMi.!t'Wtf«,"  *r~ 


-yi'^w't'i-'vwijiinfiii     — - 


divcrg' 
)uc,  that 

•t  this 
out  four 
;  Roman 
he  least 
ird,  on  a 
ntncher« 
es  in  the 
moothed 
wall  was 
to  within 
'  Firth  of 
icse  forts 
found  in 
\i%  Urbi. 
the  great 
s  it  was, 

elar  saint, 
oble  Ro- 
on  him- 
ps,  3000 
tee,  esta- 
:  stung  or 

i  forms  a 
br  proba* 
and  at  all 
ay,  by  the 
vho,  with 
r  widens, 
beauties ; 
a  of  pretty 
e  plain  of 
ppvars  full 
d  the  vast 
lond,  close 

I  Glota,  or 

lurc;  near 

top  of  the 

the  water 


nSNNANT'S  IKCOMD  TOUK  IN   iCOTLANU.  g^ 

After  u  long  contest  with  a  violent  adverse  wind,  and  very  turbulent  >y{itcr,  inihh 
under,  on  the  S.  shore,  Newark  ;  a  castellated  house,  with  round  towcrsi.  Vinit  I'urt. 
Glasgow,  a  connidcrable  town,  with  a  greut  pier,  and  numbers  of  large  !thi|)<i :  dc> 
pendent  on  Glasgow,  a  creation  of  that  city,  since  the  year  1668,  when  it  was  pur. 
chased  from  sir  Patric  iVfuxwell  of  Newark,  houses  built,  a  harbour  formed,  and  the 
cu.-^tom-house  for  the  Clyde  established. 

P'X)ceed  two  miles  lower  to  Greenock,  anciently  called  the  bay  of  St.  Lawrence ;  a 
place  still  more  considerable  for  its  shipping  than  the  former ;  and  like  the  other  a  port 
of  Glasgow,  twenty -two  milrs  distant  from  it.  The  Firth  here  expands  into  a  fine 
bason,  lour  miles  wide,  and  is  land-locked  on  all  sides.  Dine  here,  contract  for  a  ves> 
sel  fjr  my  intended  voyage,  and  return  to  Glasgow  at  night. 

June  13.  Cross  the  new  bridge,  at  whose  foot  on  that  side  isGorbel,  a  sort  of  subcrbs 
to  Glasgow.  The  county  of  Lunerk  still  extends  three  miles  down  the  river ;  but  after 
ashortndc.  I  enter  tht  shire  of  Renfrew. 

Leave  on  the  left  the  hill  of  Langside,  noted  for  the  battle  in  1568 ;  which  decided 
the  fortune  of  Mary  Stuart,  and  precipitated  her  into  that  fatal  step  of  deserting  her 
country,  and  flinging  herself  into  an  eighteen  years  captivity,  terminating  in  the  loss  of 
her  head,  the  disgrace  of  the  annals  of  tier  glorious  rival.  Ride  througn  a  fine  coun* 
try  to  Cruickston  castle,  seated  on  the  summit  of  a  little  hill ;  now  a  mere  fragment, 
only  a  part  t  f  a  square  tower  remaining  of  a  place  of  much  magnificence,  when  in  its 
full  glory.  The  situation  is  delicious,  commanding  a  view  of  u  welUcultivated  tract, 
divided  into  a  multitude  of  fertiie  little  hills. 

This  was  originally  the  property  of  the  Crocs,  a  potent  people  in  this  county  ;  but 
in  the  reign  of  Malcolm  II,  was  conveyed,  by  the  marriage  oi  the  heiress,  daughter, 
of  Robert  d.*  Croc,  into  the  family  of  Stuarts,  in  after-times  carls  and  dukes  of  Lenox, 
who  had  great  possessions  in  these  parts.  To  this  place  Henry  Darnly  retired  with  his 
enamoured  queen,  Cruickston  being  then,  as  Cliefden  in  the  time  of  Villiers, 

The  wBt  of  wantonnetB  and  lovv. 

Here  famt  says  that  Mary  first  resigned  herself  to  the  arms  of  her  beloved,  beneath  a 
great  yew.  still  existing ;  but  no  loves  would  smile  on  joys  commenced  beneath  the 
shade  of  this  funereal  tree  :  the  hour  was  unpropitious. 

.    \\  Ille  dies  primui  Lcthi,  primusque  malorum,  causa  fuit. 

It  was  even  said*  that  Mary,  unconscious  of  events,  struck  a  coin  on  the  occasion, 
with  the  figure  of  the  fatal  tree,  honoured  with  a  crown,  and  distinguished  by  the  motto, 
"  Dat  gloria  vires."  But  I  have  opportunity  of  contradicting  thb  opinion  from  an  ex- 
amiuAtton  of  the  coins  themselves,  whose  dates  are  1565,  1566,  and  1567.t  '^^^ 
tree  is  evidently  a  palm,  circumscribed,  "  Exurpt  Deus,  dissipentur  inimici  ejus." 
Pendent  from  the  boughs  is  the  motto  above  cited,  which  is  part  of  the  following 
lines  taken  from  Prcmcrtius,  alludmg  to  a  snail  climbing  up  the  body  of  the  tree,  a 
modest  comparison  of  the  honours  that  Henry  Darnly  received  by  the  union  with  his 
royal  spouse :  •  .  » 


t 


IT 


Magnum  iter  ascendo,  set  dat  mihi  gloria  vires, 
Non  juvat  ex  fiscili,  lata  corona  jugo. 


^Bisliop  Nicholson's  Scottish  Library,  333. 
t  See  also  Anderson's  Coins,  tab.  165. 
I  I  2 


lab.  iv.  LI.  2. 


■i  ■^f  •«""V!l.*ft*^'^^?! 


i.> 


iiU 


riNNANrS  SECOND  TOUR  IN  SCOTLAND. 


Visit  Paisley,  a  considerable  but  irregularljr  built  town ;  at  the  distance  of  two  miles 
from  Cruickston,  six  miles  west  of  Glasgow,  two  miles  south-west  cf  Renfrew,  .iid 
fourteen  south-east  of  Greenock.  If;  was  erected  into  a  burgh  of  barony  in  the  year 
1488,  and  the  affairs  of  the  community  are  managed  by  three  bailies,  of  which  the 
eldest  is  commonly  in  the  commission  of  tiie  peace,  a  treasurer,  a  town-clerk,  and  se- 
venteen counsellors,  who  are  annually  elected  upon  the  first  Monday  after  Michaelmas. 
It  stands  on  both  sides  the  river  Cart,  over  which  it  has  three  stone  bridges,  each  of 
two  arches :  the  river  runs  from  south  to  north,  and  empties  itself  into  the  Clyde, 
about  three  miles  below  the  town :  at  spriog-tides  vessels  of  forty  tons  burthen  come 
up  to  the  quay  *,  and  as  the  magistrates  are  now  clearing  and  deepening  the  river,  it 
is  hoped  that  still  larger  may  here»>fter  get  up.    The  communication  by  water  is  of 

Seat  miportance  to  the  inhabitants,  for  sending  their  goods  and  manufactures  to  Port- 
lasgow  and  Greenock,  and,  if  tlicy  choose  it,  to  Glasgow ;  and  besides,  was  the 
Sand  canal  finished,  they  will  have  an  easy  communication  with  the  Firth  of  Forth,  as 
?  canal  ioins  the  Clyde  about  three  or  four  miles  north  of  Paisley. 

Notwithstanding  it's  antiquity,  this  town  was  of  little  consequence  till  within  these  last 
fifty  years ;  before  that  period  Scarce  any  other  manufacture  was  carried  on  but  coarse 
linen  checks,  and  a  kind  of  striped  cloth,  called  Bengals;  both  which  have  long  been 
given  op  here ;  while  these  were  the  only  manufacture,  the  inhabitants  seem  to  have 
had  no  turn  for  enlar^ng  their  trade,  for  their  goods  were  exposed  to  sale  in  the  week- 
ly  market,  and  chiefly  bought  up  by  dealers  from  Glasgow :  some  of  them,  however, 
who  travelled  into  England  to  s?ll  Scots  manufactures,  picked  up  a  more  genet^ 
•knowledge  of  trade,  and  having  saved  a  little  money,  settled  at  home,  and  thought  oi 
establishing  other  branches ;  to  which  they  were  the  more  encouraged,  as  their  acquaint- 
ance in  England  was  like  to  be  of  great  use  to  them. 

About  fifty  years  ago  the  making  of  white  stitching  threads  was  first  introduced  into 
the  west  country  by  a  private  gentlewoman,  Mrs.  Millar,  of  Bargarran,  who,  very  much 
to  her  own  honour,  imported  a  twist-mill,  and  other  necessary  apparatus,  from  Hol- 
land, and  carried  on  a  small  manufacture  in  her  own  family :  this  branch,  now  of  such 
general  importance  to  Scotland,  was  soon  af^er  established  in  Paisley ;  where  it  has  ever 
since  been  on  the  increase,  and  has  now  diffiised  itself  over  all  parts  of  the  kingdom. 
In  other  places  ^ii-s  are  bred  to  it ;  here  they  may  be  rather  said  to  be  borrt  to  it ;  as  al- 
most every  family  makes  sorne  threads,  or  have  made  formerly.  It  is  generally  com- 
puted, that,  in  the  town  and  neighbourhood,  white  threads  are  annually  made  to  the 
amount  of  from  40  to  50,0001.  '"  I 

The  manufacture  of  lawns,  under  various  denominations,  is  abo  canied  on  here  to 
a  considerable  amount,  and  to  as  great  perfection  as  in  any  part  of  Europe.  Vast 
quantities  of  fbrdgn  yarn  are  annually  imported  from  France,  Germany,  See.  for  this 
branch,  as  only  the  k>wer  priced  kinds  can  be  made  of  our  home  manufactured  yam. 
it  is  thought  the  lawn  branch  here  amounts  to  about  70,0001.  annually.  The  ^ 
gauze  has  also  been  established  here,  and  brought  to  the  utmost  perfection ;  it  u  wrou^ 
to  an  amazmg  vurie^  of  patterns ;  for  such  is  the  ingenuity  of  our  weavers,  thai  nothing 
in  their  branch  is  too  hard  for  them.  It  is  Gommtmly  reckoned  that  tlu»  branch  amounts 
to  about  60,0001.  annually. 

A  manufacture  of  ribbons  has,  within  these  twelve  months,  been  established  here, 
and  both  flowered  and  plab  ape  made,  in  every  respect  as  good  as  in  aAy  |daoe  in  Eng- 
land. In  these  different  branches  a  great  number  of  people  are  empk^ed,  many  of 
them  boys  and  girls,  who  must  othervrise  have  been  idle  ix  some  years.  It  must  be 
jfixtremely  agreeable  to  every  mas  who  wishes  well  to  hb  country  to  see,  in  die  summer 


%■ 


''■'f^iiNamif!Mmr^-^.xJ5fmie£m''^''Vms:^^ 


PENNANT'S  SECOND  TOUH  IN  SCOTLAND. 


245 


season,  both  ndcfj  of  the  river,  and  s  great  many  other  fields  about  town,  covered  with 
cloth  and  threads ;  and  to  hear,  at  all  seasons,  as  he  passes  along  the  streets,  the  indus- 
trious and  agree  able  noise  of  weavers'  looms  and  twist-mills.  The  late  unfortunate 
stagnation  of  trade  has  been  felt  here,  as  well  as  in  r  ^a.  other  parts  of  the  island ;  but 
it  is  hoped,  if  things  were  a  little  more  settled,  trade  will  revive,  and  the  industrious  ar. 
tificers  be  again  all  employed. 

Besides  tl^se  general  manufactures,  several  others  of  a  more  local  kind  are  carried 
on  here ;  there  is  a  very  considerable  one  of  bard*soap  and  tallow  candles,  both  of 
which  are  esteemed  excellent  of  their  kinds,  as  the  gentlemen  concerned  spared  no 
expence  to  bring  their  manu&cture  to  perfection ;  their  candles,  especially  their  mould- 
ed ones,  are  reckoned  the  best  and  most  elegant  that  have  been  made  in  Scotland,  and 
great  quantitieri  of  them  are  sent  to  England  and  to  the  West  Indies.  They  are  made 
after  the  Kensington  manner,  and  with  thb  view  they  had  a  man  from  London,  at  very 
hi|b  wages.  There  are  also  two  tanning  works  in  town,  and  a  copperas  work  in  tbt 
neighbourhood. 

Before  the  year  173if,  the  whole  people  in  the  parish,  town  and  country,  said  their 
^yers  in  one  church,  and  the  reverend  and  learnrd  Mr.  Robert  Milter  discharged 
the  whole  duties  of  the  pastoral  c^ce  for  many  jrears,  without  an  asustant :  but  ance 
that  period  the  town  has  increased  so  much,  that  besides  the  old  church  there  are  now 
two  laige  ones«  and  two  seceding  meeting-houses.  The  church  first  built,  called  the 
Laigh,  or  low-church,  is  in  form  of  a  Greek  cross,  very  well  laid  out,  and  conUuns  a 
great  number  of  people :  the  other  called  the  high  ohurch,  is  a  very  fine  building,  and 
as  it  stands  on  the  top  of  a  hill,  its  lofty  stone  spire  a  seen  at  a  vast  distance ;  the  church 
is  an  oblong  square,  of  eighty-two  feet  by  sixty-two,  mthin  the  walls,  built  of  free- 
stone, well  smoothed,  having  rustic  comers,  and  an  elegant  stone  cornice  at  top :  though 
the  area  is  so  largn,  it  has  no  pillars ;  and  the  seats  and  lofts  are  so  well  laid  out,  that 
though  the  chtinm  contains  about  tluee  thousand  people,  every  one  of  them  sees  the 
minister :  in  the  construction  of  the  roof  (/which  is  a  pavillion,  covered  with  slate, 
having  a  platfi>rm  covered  with  lead  on  the  top)  there  is  something  very  curious ;  it  is 
admired  by  every  man  of  taste,  and,  with  the  whole  buildii^,  was  planned  and  conduct- 
ed by  the  late  very  inge  nious  Bailie  Whyte,  of  this  place.  The  town  house  is  a  very 
handsome  building  of  cat  stone,  with  a  tall  sfMre  and  a  clock :  part  of  it  is  let  for  an 
inn,  the  rest  is  used  as  a  prison  and  court  rooms ;  for  here  the  sheriff-courts  of  die  coun* 
ty  are  held.  The  flesh-market  has  a  genteel  front  of  cut  stone,  and  is  one  of  the  neat- 
est and  most  commodious  of  the  kind  in  Britain ;  butchers*  itteat,  butter,  cheese,  fish, 
wool,  and  several  other  articles,  are  sold  here  by  what  they  call  the  tron-pound  of 
twenty-two  English  ounces  and  a  half.  The  poor-house  b  a  large  building,  very  well 
laid  out,  and  stands  opposite  to  the  quay,  in  a  fine  free  air ;  it  is  supported  by  a  small 
tax,  imposed  upon  the  inhabitants  quarterly.  There  are  at  present  in  the  house  above 
Kxty,  of  which  number  about  thirty-six  are  boys  and  girls,  who  are  carefully  educated, 
and  the  boys  put  out  to  business  at  the  expence  of  the  house.  Besides  these,  many 
out-pensioners  have  weekly  supplies.  Most  of  the  mechanics  and  artificers  in  town, 
and  sever^  others,  that  fall  not  under  these  denominadons,  have  formed  themselves 
into  societies,  and  have  established  funds  for  the  aid  of  their  distressed  members  i  these 
funds  are  generally  well  managedv  and  of  very  great  benefit  to  in^viduals. 

The  old  part  of  the  tovm  runs  firom  east  to  west,  upon  the  south  slope  ci  a  ridge  of 
bills,  firom  vi^hich  there  is  a  pleasant  and  very  extenuve  prospect  of  the  city  of  Glas- 
gow, and  the  adjacent  €0unU7,  on  all  sides,  but  to  the  southward,  where  the  view  ter- 
loinates  go  a  rklge  of  green  hills,  about  two  miles  distant.    Including  die  late  buildings 


t! 


& 


^  A  ■■*  - " 


246 


PEKNANT'S  SECOND  TOUR  IN  SCOTLAND. 


and  suburbs*  it  is  about  an  English  mile  long,  and  much  about  the  same  breadth.  So 
late  as  the  year  1746,  by  a  very  accurate  survey,  it  was  found  to  contain  scarce  four 
thousand  inhabitants ;  but  it  is  now  thought  to  have  no  fewer  than  from  ten  to  twelve 
thousand,  all  ages  included.  The  earl  of  Abercorn's  burial  place  is  by  much  the 
greatest  curiosity  in  Pauley  :  it  is  an  old  Gothic  chapel,  without  pulpit  or  pew,  or  any 
ornament  whatever ;  but  has  the  finest  echo  perhaps  m  the  world :  when  the  end-door 
(the  only  one  it  has)  is  shut,  the  noise  is  equal  to  a  loud  and  not  very  distant  clap  of 
thunder ;  if  you  strike  a  single  note  of  music,  you  hear  the  sound  gradually  ascending, 
till  it  dies  away,  as  if  at  an  immense  distance,  and  all  the  while  diffusing  itself  through 
the  circumambient  air :  if  a  good  voice  sings,  or  a  musical  instrument  is  well  played 
upon,  the  effect  is  inexpressibly  agreeable.  In  this  chapel  is  the  monument  of  Niarjory 
Bruce :  she  lies  recumbent,  with  her  hands  closed,  in  the  attitude  of  prayer :  above 
was  once  a  rich  arch,  with  sculptures  of  the  arms.  Sec.  Her  story  is  singular  :  she  was 
daughter  of  Robert  Bruce,  and  wife  of  Walter,  great  Steward  of  Scotland,  and  mother 
of  Kobert  II.  In  the  year  1317,  when  she  was  big  with  child,  she  broke  her  neck  in 
hunting  near  this  place:  the  Cesarian  operation  was  instantly  performed,  and  the 
child  taken  out  alive ;  but  the  operator  chancing  to  hurt  one  eye  with  his  instrument, 
occasioned  the  blemish  that  gave  him  afterwards  the  epithet  of  Blear-eye ;  and  the 
monument  is  also  styled  that  of  queen  Bleary.  In  the  same  chapel  were  interred  Eliza- 
beth Muir  and  Euphemia  Ross,  both  consorts  to  the  same  monarch :  the  first  died  before 
his  accession.  ^ 

About  half  a  mile  south-west  of  Paisley  lies  Maxweltor. :  a  very  neat  little  village, 
erected  since  the  year  1746,  where  the  manufactures  of  silk  gauze  are  carried  on  to  a 
considerable  extent.  .  '^ 

There  is  scarce  a  vestige  remaining  of  the  monastery  founded  in  1160,  by  Walter 
son  of  Allan,  *'  Dapifer  Regis  Scotiae  pro  anima  quondam  re^s  David  et  anima  Henrici 
regis  AnglisB  et  anima  comitis  Henrici  et  pro  salute  corporis  et  animse  Malcolmi  et 
pro  animabus  omnium  parentium.  meorum,  et  benefactorum,  nee  non  et  mei  ipsius 
salute,  &c."  The  monks,  who  were  instructed  with  this  weighty  charge,  were  first 
of  the  order  of  Cluniacs,  afterwards  changed  to  Cistercii^ns  s  and  lastly,  the  first  order 
was  again  restored.  4^''^iV'T'v    '^r'      ■  -. 

The  garden  wall,  a  very  noble  and  extensive  one  of  cut  stone,  conveys  some  idea  of 
the  ancient  grandeur  of  the  place :  by  a  rude  inscription,  still  extant,  on  the  north-west 
corner,  it  appears  to  have  been  built  by  George  Shaw,  the  abbot,  in  the  year  1484,  the 
same  gentleman  who  four  years  after  procured  a  charter  for  the  town  of  Paisley.  The 
inscriptionis  too  singular  to  be  omitted:      ,  ^^    ,  ,  «>...-  .  *.,*    a^^j-  jW.^'v^  vi , 

.>■;:.•        Thy  calUt  the  abbot  George  of  Shaw,  '  f;^*^^^fTf^i^*^!>  y;** 

About  my  abbey  gart  make  this  waw  ?■»•  i*.«. 

....^..  An  hundred  four  liundredth  zear  r.^  J., 

.^;    '  "  \..   '  .      Eighty-four  the  date  but  weir. 
•  '"  ■  ^  ■    ■'•  -      -  .:C  Pray  for  Ids  salvation 

,",.;  '«!  That  laid  this  noble  foundation. 


r.tr\ 


■^4: 


As  the  ^at  stewards  of  Scotland  were  tlieir  patrons  and  bene&ctors,  they  enjoyed 
ample  privileges,  and  very  considerable  revenues ;  they  were  the  patrons  of  no  fewer 
than  thirty-one  parishes,  in  different  parts  of  the  kingdom.  The  monks  of  tlus  abbey 
wrote  a  chronicle  of  Scots  affiurs*'  called  the  black-book  of  Paisley,  an  authentic  copy  of 
which  is  said  to  have  been  burnt  in  the  abbey  of  Holyrood-house,  during  Cromwell's 
usurpation :  another  copy,  taken  from  Mr.  Robert  Spottiswood's  library,  was  carried  to 
England  by  general  Lambert.    The  chartulary  of  the  monastery  is  sud  to  be  still  ex- 


1^ 


rwrm 


PENHANrS  SECOND  TOUR  IN  SCOTLAND. 


247 


tant ;  the  account  of  the  charters,  bulls  of  confirmation,  donations,  &c.  is  brought 
down  to  the  year  1548.  John  Hamilton,  the  last  abbot,  was  natural  brother  to  the 
duke  of  Hamilton,  and,  upon  his  promotion  to  the  see  of  St  Andrew's  in  1546,  re> 
ugned  the  abbacy  of  Paisley  in  favour  of  lord  Claud  Hamilton,  third  son  of  that 
duke ;  which  resignation  was  afterwards  confirmed  by  Pope  Julius  III,  in  the  year 
1553.  This  lord  Claud  Hamilton,  tinilar  abbot  of  Paisley,  upon  the  dissolution  of 
the  monasteries,  obtained  from  king  Jan.  es  the  Vlth,  a  charter,  erecting-  the  lands  be. 
longing  to  the  abbacy  into  a  temporal  lordship :  this  charter  is  dated  at  Edinburgh, 
July  29,  1587.  He  was,  by  the  same  prince,  created  a  peer,  in  1591,  by  the  title  of 
lord  Paisley,  and  died  in  1621.  In  1604  his  eldest  son  had  been  created  lord  Aber. 
corn,  and  in  1606  was  raised  to  the  dignity  of  an  earl.  The  family  is  now  represented 
by  the  right  hon.  James  earl  of  Abercom,  baron  Hamilton  of  Straban,  in  Ireland,  &c. 
The  lordship  of  Paisley  was  disposed  of  to  the  earl  of  Angus,  in  the  year  1652,  and  by 
him  to  William  lord  Cochran,  afterwards  earl  of  Dundonald,  in  1653,  in  which 
family  it  continued  till  the  year  1764,  when  the  present  earl  of  Abercom  re-purchased 
the  paternal  inheritance  of  his  family.  The  abbey-church,  when  entire,  has  been  a 
grand  building,  in  forni  of  a  cross;  the  great  norm  window  is  a  noble  ruin,  the  arch 
very  lofty,  the  middle  pillar  wonderfully  lieht,  and  still  entire:  only  the  chancel  now 
renuuns,  which  bdlv'ied  into  a  middle  ana  two  side-aisles;  all  very  lofty  pillars,  with 
Crothic  arches ;  above  these  is  another  range  of  pillars,  much  larger,  being  the  segment 
of  a  circle,  and  above  a  row  of  arched  niches,  from  end  to  end ;  over  which  the  roof 
ends  in  a  sharp  point.  The  outside  of  the  building  is  decorated  with  a  profusion  of  or- 
naments, especially  the  great  west  and  north  doors,  than  which  scarce  any  thing 
lighter  or  richer  can  be  imagined. 

But  notwithstanding  popery  and  episcopacy  were  expelled  this  country,  yet  super- 
stition and  credulity  kept  full  possession  in  these  parts.  In  1697  twenty  poor  wretches 
were  condemned  for  the  imaginary  crime  of  witchcraft,  and  five  actually  suffered  at  the 
stake  on  June  10th  in  the  same  year.*  One  young  and  handsome  ;  to  whom  is  attri- 
buted  the  heroic  reply  mentioned  in  my  former  volume.t  So  deep  was  the  folly  of 
excess  in  belief  rooted  here,  that  full  credit  seems  to  have  been  given  to  an  account  that 
one  of  the  condemned  (a  wizzard)  was  strangled  in  hb  chair  by  the  devil,  I  suppose 
lest  he  should  make  a  confession,  to  the  detriment  of  the  service. 

The  vestiges  of  the  Roman  camp  at  P^sley  are  at  present  almost  annihilated.  Of 
the  outworks  mentioned  by  Camden,  there  are  no  traces  of  any,  excepting  one,  for  at  a 
place  called  Castle  Head  are  still  left  a  few  marks,  but  nothing  entire.  There  had 
been  a  military  road  leading  to  the  camp,  which  is  supposed  to  have  been  the  vanduara 
of  Ptolemy. 

Continue  my  journey  towards  Renfrew.  On  the  road  see  a  mount  or  tumulus, 
with  a  foss  round  the  base,  with  a  single  stone  erected  on  the  top.  Near  this  place  was 
defeated  and  slain  Sumerled,  thane  of  Argyle,  who  in  1159,  vnth  a  great  army  of 
banditti,  collected  from  Ireland j:  and  other  parts,  landed  in  the  bay  of  St.  Laurence, 
and  led  diem  in  rebellion  against  Malcolm  IV.    That  this  mount  was  raised  in  memory 

*  Narrative  of  the  diabolical  practices  of  above  twenty  wisxards,  Skc  printed  1 697. 

,t  Tb6  girl  at  Warbois  made  a  reply  equally  great.  Her  persecutors  had  only  one  circumstance  against 
her,  that  of  concealing  herself;  for  when  the  mob  came  to  seize  her  mother,  she  hid  herself  in  the  coalhole. 
On  her  trial  the  by-sunders,  pitying  her  youth  and  innocence,  advised  her  to  plead  her  belly.  She  replied, 
with  the  uUnost  ^irit,  that  notwithstanding  they  bad  power  to  put  her  to  death,  they  never  should  make 
her  destroy  her  reputation  by  so  infismous  a  plea. 

I  Major,  133.  ^.t  ..  :-r.    i%  = 


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PENNAim  8I0OMD  TOUB  IN  ICOTLAVD. 


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of  80  ugnal  an  event  is  not  improbable,  especially  as  we  are  told  bf  i  moit  respectable 
writer,*  that  his  troops  retired  unmolested;  therefore  might  have  lebure  to  fling  up  thb 
usual  tribute  to  the  honour  of  their  leader. 

Reach  Renfrew,  the  county  town,  now  an  inoonuderable  place.  Robert  II,  had  a  pa> 
lace  here,  which  stood  on  a  piece  of  ^und  of  about  half  an  acre,  still  called  the  Cas&. 
hill ;  but  nothing  remains  but  the  ditch  which  surrounded  it.  This  monarch  first  made 
Renfrew  an  independent  sheriffdom,  for  before  it  was  joined  to  that  oi  Lanerk. 

Pass  by  the  tower  of  Inch,  or  Isle,  so  called,  from  its  once  having  been,  as  tradition 
says,  surrounded  by  the  Clyde.  Mr.  Crawford,  in  his  history  of  the  county,  informs  us, 
it  had  been  the  property  of  the  barons  Ross  of  Haulkhead. 

All  the  land  m  thesie  parts  excellent,  but  most  ill  and  slovenly  dressed.  Cross  the 
Clyde,  pass  by  Partic,  a  village  where  the  bakers  of  Glasgow  have  very  considerable 
mUls  on  the  water  of  Kelvin,  and  a  great  tract  of  land,  at  present  valued  at  ten  thou- 
sand pounds ;  originally  granted  to  them  by  the  regent  Murray,  in  reward  for  their 
services  in  supplying  his  army  with  bread  previous  to  the  decisive  battle  of  Langside. 
Return  again  to  Glass^w. 

June  13.  Set  out  in  company  with  Mr.  Golborne  for  Loch  Lomond.  Pass  for  a 
fbw  miles  over  a  pleasant  country,  hilly,  well  cultivated,  and  often  prettily  planted, 
and  thick  set  with  neat  villas.  Go  over  the  ute  of  the  Roman  wall,  near  Bcmulie, 
where  had  been  a  consklerable  fort,  whose  ^ian  is  engraven  by  Mr.  Gordon.  Cross  the 
Kelvin,  and  enter  the  shire  of  Lenox,  or  sheriffdom  of  Dunbarton. 

See  on  the  right  Mugdoc  castle,  a  square  tower,  the  ancient  seat  of  the  Grahams ; 
and  near  ic  is  a  mount,  probablv  the  work  of  the  Romans,  for  they  penetrated  on  this 
side  as  far  as  the  banks  of  Loch  Lomond,  a  gold  coin  of  Nero  and  another  of  Trajan 
having  been  found  in  the  parbh  of  Dnimmond.  The  country  now  grows  hirh, 
moory,  black,  and  dreary.  Passover  Fen  wick  bridge,  flung  over  a  dark  and  rocky 
slen,  shaded  with  trees,  impending  over  a  violent  torrent.  Leave  at  some  dutance  on 
me  right  the  small  house  of  Moss,  immortalized  by  the  birth  of  the  great  Buchanan; 
Cross  a  handsome  bridge  over  the  water  of  Enneric,  and  breakfiist  at  the  village  of 
Drummin,  or  Drummond,  with  the  Rev.  Mr.  Macfarlane,  the  minister  of  the  place. 
The  parish,  which  takes  its  name  from  Druhn,  a  back,  from  the  ridses  that  run  along 
it,  is  in  extent  nine  miles  by  seven ;  and  scmie  years  ago  contained  about  a  thousand 
eight  hundred  souls,  but  the  number  is  much  reduced  by  the  unfeeling  practice  of 
melting  several  lesser  farms  into  a  greater.  Arrive  once  more  within  sight  of  the 
charming  Loch  Lomond. 

Approach  its  shores,  go  through  the  narrow  pass  of  Bualnucha,  where  the  Grampian 
hills  finish  in  the  lake.  Many  of  the  isles  run  in  a  line  with,  and  seem  to  have  been  a  ■ 
continuation  of  them ;  appearing  like  so  many  firagments  rent  firom  them  by  some 
violent  convulsion.  Arrive  in  a  beautiful  bay :  the  braes  of  the  hills  on  the  ri^  are 
lofty,  some  filled  with  small  pebbles,  others  have  a  ferruginous  look.  The  islands  are 
mountainous,  and  exhibit  variety  of  charms.  Inch>Culloch,  or  the  isle  of  nuns,  has  on  it 
the  remains  of  a  church,  b  finely  wooded,  and  is  said  to  have  been  the  seat  of  the  fair 
recluses.  Inch-Murrin,  or  the  isle  of  St.  Murrinus,  is  two  miles  long,  b  a  deer>park, 
and  has  on  it  the  ruins  of  a  house  once  belon^ng  to  the  fiimily  of  Lenox.  On  this 
island  John  Colquhoun,  laird  of  Luss,  vrith  several  of  bis  followers,  were  barbaroudy 
murdered  by  a  party  of  islanders,  who,  under  conduct  dT  Lauchlan  Maclean^  and  Mur- 
doc  Gibson,  in  X439,  carried  fire  and  sword  through  thb  part  of  North  Britain^  %^»^^^> 

*  IteT.  Or.  John  Macphersoii.  .j      -  ;?  , 


' 


, ...  ijjiiiiiiMi^^ 


'  "^^r**y' 


PIWirANrS  SECOND  TOUR  IN  SCOTLAND. 


249 


Various  other  islands  grace  this  fine  expanse :  Inch-Lonaig,  of  great  extent,  is 
blackened  with  the  deep  Rreenof  yews.  The  osprey  inhabits  a  ruinid  castle  on  Inch- 
Galbraith  ;  and  several  littie  low  and  naked  isles  serve  to  diversily  the  scene.  From 
this  spot  the  boundaries  of  the  water  are  magnificent  and  distinct ;  the  woocUd  side  of 
the  western,  and  the  soaring  head  of  Ben*Lomond  on  the  eastern,  form  u  view  thut  h 
almost  unequalled. 

The  top  of  this  great  mountain  is  composed  of  a  micaceous  slate,  mixed  with  quartz. 
The  sibbaldia  procumbens,  a  plant  unknown  in  England,  grows  on  the  upper  parts. 
Ptarmigans  inhabit  its  summit,  and  roes  the  woods  is  near  its  base,  the  most  southern  re- 
sort of  those  animals  in  our  island. 

The  height  of  Ben.Lomond  from  the  surface  of  the  lake  is  three  thousand  two  hundred 
and  forty  feet ;  the  prospect  from  the  summit  of  vast  extent ;  the  whole  extent  of  Loch> 
Lomond  with  its  wooded  isles  appears  just  beneath.  Loch-Loung,  Loch-Kettering,  Loch« 
Earn  and  the  river  Clyde  form  the  principal  waters.  The  mountains  of  Arran  appear  very 
disdnct,  and  to  the  north,  Alps  upon  Alps  fill  up  the  amazing  view. 

Return  the  same  way,  and  visit  Buchanan,  the  seat  of  the  duke  Montrose,  in  a  low 
and  most  disadvantageous  situation,  within  a  mile  of  the  lake,  without  the  least  view  of 
so  delicious  a  water.  This  had  been  the  seat  of  the  Bu-hanans  for  six  or  seven  ages, 
till  it  was  purchased  by  the  family  of  Montrose,  some  time  in  the  last  century.  Trees 
grow  well  about  the  house  ;  and  the  country  yields  a  good  deal  of  barley  and  oats,  and 
some  potatoes,  but  very  litde  wheat. 

His  grace  has  in  his  possession  a  portrait  of  his  heroic  ancestor  James,  marquis  of 
Montrose ;  his  six  victories,  great  as  they  were,  do  him  less  honour  than  his  magna- 
nimity at  the  hour  of  his  death :  he  ascended  the  gibbet  with  a  dignity  and  fortitude  that 
caused  the  ignominy  of  his  ptmishment  to  vanish  ;  he  fell  with  a  gallant  contempt  of  the 
cruellest  insults ;  with  that  intrepid  piety  that  blunted  the  malice  of  his  enemies,  and  left 
them  filled  with  the  confusion  natural  to  little  minds,  disappointed  in  the  strained  con- 
trivances of  mean  revenge. 

It  is  amusing  to  read  the  weak  effects  of  fear,  envy,  and  rancour,  in  the  reports  of  the 
times :  "  The  witches  (said  the  wretched  covenanters)  were  consulted  at  hi:i  birth  ;  it 
was  predicted  that  the  boy  would  trouble  Scotland ;  and  while  he  was  a  sucking  child 
(add  they)  he  eat  a  venomous  toad.* 

Walk  in  the  afternoon  over  the  neighbouring  environs.  See  the  water  of  Enneric, 
that  discharges  itself  here  into  the  lake.  Salmon  in  their  annual  migration  pass  up  the 
Leven,  traverse  the  lake,  and  seek  this  river  to  deposit  their  spawn. 

The  surface  of  Loch.Lomond  has  for  several  years  past  been  observed  gradually  to  in- 
crease and  invade  the  adjacent  shore ;  and  there  is  reason  to  suppose  that  churches, 
houses,  and  other  buildings,  have  been  lost  in  the  water.  Near  Luss  is  a  large  heap  of 
stones  at  a  distance  firom  the  ohore,  known  by  the  name  of  the  Old  Church ;  and  about 
a  mile  to  the  south  of  thp.t,  in  the  middle  of  a  large  bay,  between  Camstraddan  and 
the  isle  Inch-lavenack,  i^i  another  heap,  said  to  have  been  the  ruins  of  a  house.  To 
confirm  this,  it  is  evident  by  a  passage  in  Camden  ^s  Atlas  Britannica,  that  an  island, 
existing  in  his  time,  in  now  lost,  for  he  speaks  of  the  isle  of  Camstraddan,  placed  be- 
tween  the  lands  of  the  same  name  and  Inch-lavenack,  in  which,  adds  he,  was  an 
house  and  orchard.  Besides  this  proof,  large  trees  with  their  branches  still  adhering 
are  frequently  found  in  the  mud  near  the  isnore,  overwhelmed  in  former  times  by  the 
increase  of  water.    This  is  supposed  to  be  occasioned  by  the  vast  quantities  of  stone 


! 


.#'' 


VOL.    III. 


*  Stftggeriog  State  oF  Scotch  Statesmen,  p.  14. 
K   K 


^"^fmm^^M^jMW^T^ 


250 


PEKKANrS  SECOND  TOUR  IN  SCOTLANa 


and  gravel  that  is  continually  brousht  down  by  the  mountain  rivers,  and  by  the  falls  of 
the  banks  of  the  Lcvcn:  the  first  filling  the  bed  of  the  lake,  the  last  impeding  its  dis- 
charKC  through  the  bed  of  the  river. 

Mr.  Golbome,  at  the  request  of  the  several  proprietors,  has  made  a  voyage  and  sur- 
vey of  the  lake,  in  order  to  plan  some  relief  from  the  encroachment  of  the  water.  He 
proposes  to  form  a  constant  navigation  down  the  Lcven,  by  deepeninff  the  channel,  and 
cutting  through  the  neck  of  two  great  curvatures,  which  will  not  only  enable  the  inha- 
bitants of  the  environs  of  Loch-Lomond  to  convey  their  slate,  timber,  bark,  ficc.  to  the 
market ;  but  also,  by  lowering  the  surface  of  the  lake,  recover  some  thousands  of  acres 
now  covered  with  water. 

The  tide  flows  up  the  Leven  two  miles  and  a  quarter.  From  thence  as  far  as  the 
lake  is  a  rapid  current,  the  fall  being  nineteen  feet  in  five  miles ;  the  water  is  also  full 
of  shoals,  so  that  in  dry  seasons  it  becomes  unnavigablc  ;  and  even  at  best  the  vessels 
are  drawn  up  by  a  number  of  horses. 

I  must  not  leave  the  parish  of  Drummond,  without  saying,  that  the  celebrated  Na- 
pier of  Merchiston,  author  of  the  logarithms,  was  born  at  Garlies,  within  its  precincts. 

June  14  and  15.     Still  at  Glasgow :  am  honoured  with  the  freedom  of  the  city. 

June  16.  Set  out  for  Greenock,  pass  again  through  Renfrew ;  the  country  very  fine, 
the  lanes  for  some  space  well  planted  on  both  sides.  Ride  over  Inchinnan  bridge,  near 
which  Matthew,  earl  of  Lenox,  in  1506,  built  a  magnificent  palace.  Get  upon  some 
high  grounds>  and,  above  the  seat  of  lord  Glencaim,  have  a  fine  view  of  the  Clyde, 
Dunbarton,  and  all  the  northern  shore.  Reach  Greenock ;  after  dinner  take  boat  and 
cross  into  the  shire  of  Lenox,  and  land  where  the  parish  of  Rosencath  juts  out,  and 
narrows  the  bay  to  the  breadth  of  three  miles,  forming  in  that  part  a  sort  of  strait ;  the 
prospect  in  the  middle  of  this  passage  uncommonly  fine ;  a  contrast  of  fertility  and  sa« 
vage  views ;  to  the  east  were  the  rich  shores  of  the  shires  of  Renfrew  and  Lenox,  the 
pretty  seats  on  the  banks,  and  the  wooded  peninsula  of  Ardmore ;  and  to  the  west  ap- 
pears the  craggy  tops  of  the  hills  of  Ai^leshire.  Visit  Roseneath  house,  a  neat  seat 
of  the  duke  of  Ai^le,  dated  1634 ;  the  grounds  well  planted,  the  trees  thriving ;  in 
one  part  of  the  walks  am  shewn  a  precipitous  rock,  to  which  I  was  informed  that  the 
hero  Wallace  was  pursued,  and  obliged  to  leap  down  to  avoid  captivity :  his  horse  pe- 
rished ;  the  hero  escaped  unhurt.  This  country  was  the  seat  of  the  Mac  Aulays,  who 
struggled  long  with  the  Campbells  in  defence  of  their  rights,  but  their  genius  proved 
the  weaker. 

Cross  oyer  the  mouth  of  Loch-Gair,  which  runs  to  the  north  six  or  seven  miles  up 
the  country,*  the  end  overhung  with  lofty  ragged  mountains.  Visit  Airden-capel,  a 
new  house  of  lord  Frederic  Campbell,  situate  on  an  eminence,  commanding  a  most 
beautiful  view  of  the  Renfrew  shore,  and  the  prospest  of  the  ports  of  Port-Glasgow  and 
Greenock,  continually  animated  with  the  movement  of  ships,  and  the  busy  haunt  of 
commerce.  Airdin-capel  was  anciently  possessed  by  a  family  of  the  same  name ;  but 
in  the  time  of  James  III,  it  was  changed  to  that  of  Mac  Aulay,  from  the  word  Aulay 
happening  to  be  the  Christian  name  of  the  owner. 


tf^T  "■- 


:■ 

r<i  I    •  -^XfS' 

.Si- 

U   .'* 

;, 

A  VOYAGE  TO  THE  HEBRIDES. 

June  17.  Go  on  board  the  lady  Frederic  Campbell,  a  cutter  of  90  tons,  Mr.  Arclu- 
bald  Thompson,  master.  SaU  at  half  an  hour  past  two  in  the  afternoon ;  pass,  on  the 
left,  the  village  and  little  bay  of  Goureck,  a  place  of  sailors  and  fejiermen ;  on  the 


-^iilWMlil 


im 


PENNANT'S  SECOND  TOUft  IN  SCOTLANa 


•251 


right,  the  point  of  Rosetieath|  in  Lenox;  between  which,  and  tlwt  of  Strouc,  in 
Cowal,  a  portion  of  Argyleshire,  opens  Loch-Loune,  or  the  loch  of  ships,  which  runs 
north  many  miles  up  the  country.  This  is  the  Skipafiord  of  the  Norwegians,  havin);, 
in  their  tongue,  the  same  signification.  To  this  place,  in  1263,  Haco,  king  of  Norwa}, 
detached,  with  sixty  ships*  some  -yf  his  officers,  who  landed  and  destroyed  all  the 
country  round  Loch-Lomond.*  Immediately  beyond  the  point  of  Strone  the  land  is 
again  divided  by  the  Holv-Loch,  or  Loch-Seant,  extending  westward.  On  its  northern 
shore  is  Kilmun,  once  the  seat  of  a  collegiate  church,  founded  by  sir  Duncan  Camp- 
bell, in  1442,  and  since  that  time  the  burial-place  of  the  house  of  Argyle. 

Steer  south,  conveyed  rather  by  the  force  of  the  tide  than  wind ;  the  channel  strait, 
and  so  narrow  as  to  make  every  object  distinct.  On  the  eastern  shore  is  the  square 
tower  of  Leven,  and  a  little  farther  projects  the  point  of  Cloch.  Almost  opposite,  on 
the  western  side,  are  the  ruins  of  the  castle  of  Dunoon  :  this  fortress  was  |^ossessed  by 
the  Enelish  in  1334,  but  was  taken,  in  behalf  of  David  Bruce,  by  sir  Colin  Campbell, 
of  Lochow,  who  put  the  garrison  to  the  sword ;  in  reward  he  was  made  hereditary- 
governor,  and  had  the  grant  of  certain  lands  towards  its  support. 

The  view  down  the  Firth  now  appears  extremely  great ;  the  shire  of  Renfrew  bounds 
one  side ;  the  hills  of  Cowal,  sloping  to  the  water  edge,  and  varied  with  woods  and 
corn*lands,  grace  the  other :  in  front  are  the  greater  and  the  lesser  Cumrays,  the  first 
once  remarkable  for  its  church,  dedicated  to  St.  Columba^f  and  at  present  for  the 
quarries  of  beautiful  free  stone ;  the  last  for  the  abundance  of  rabbits ;  the  isle  of 
Bute,  with  its  fertile  shore,  lies  oblique,  and  the  stupendous  mountains  of  Ari'an  soar, 
at  some  distance,  far,  far  above. 

Am  carried  by  the  point  and  castle  of  Towart,  the  flat  southern  extremity  of  Cowal, 
leaving  on  the  east  the  shire  of  Ayr.  Towart  is  the  property  of  the  Lamonds,  who, 
during  the  rivil  wars,  ading  with  Montrose,  were  besieged  in  it,  and,  on  the  surren* 
der,  put  to  the  sword.|  At  a  distance  is  pointed  out  to  me,  in  that  county,  the  site 
of  Largs,  distingu'ished  in  the  Scottish  annals  for  the  final  defeat  of  the  Norwegians  in 
1263,  vyhich  put  an  en  to  theu*  invasions,  and  restored  to  Scotland  the  possession  of 
the  Hebrides. 

Steer  towards  the  coast  of  Bute,  and  in  the  evening  land  at  the  little  point  of  Squo. 
lo^,  and  walk  up  to  Mount-Stewart,  the  seat  of  the  earl  of  Bute,  a  modern  house, 
with  a  handsome  front  and  wings:  the  situation  very  fine,  on  an  eminence  in  the 
midst  of  a  wood,  where  trees  grow  with  as  much  vigour  as  in  the  more  southern 
parts,  and  extend  far  beneath  on  each  side ;  and  throstles,  and  other  birds  of  song, 
nil  the  groves  with  their  melody. 

The  Isle  of  Bute  is  about  twenty  measured  miles  long ;  the  breadth  unequal ;  per- 
haps the  greatest  is  five  miles ;  the  number  of  acres  about  twenty  thousand ;  of  in- 
habitants about  four  thousand ;  here  are  two  parbhes,  Kingarth  and  Rothesay  ;  at  the 
last  only  thlK  Erse  kngua^  is  used.  It  must  be  observed  also*  that  in  the  last  church 
were  tM^ried  two  of  the  bishops  of  the  isles,^  but  whether  it  was  at  times  the  residence 
%>{  the  prelates  does  not  appear. 

The  country  rises  into  small  hills,  is  in  no  part  mountdnous,  but  is  highest  at  the 
south  end.  The  strata  of  stone  along  the  shore,  from  Rothesay  bay  to  CiUchattan,  is  a 
red  grit,  mixed  with  pebbles ;  from  the  first,  transverse  to  Scalpay  bay,  is  a  bed  of 
slate,  which  seems  to  be  a  continuation  of  that  species  of  stone,  rising  near  Stonehive, 

*  Universas  irtllas  in  drcuitu  Lacus  Lokulofrii  vastarunt.    Torfaeus,  Hist.  Oread.  167. 

t  Dean  of  the  ides,  6.  |  Buchanan's  Clans,  part.  i.  153.  $  Keith,  ISO. 


i  , 


I 


■  -"mMM^m^-m^h's^k-^^M 


■  -  -■:---7vjT-'',T,-f., ',?<.'■'/'?>■  ■. 


252 


FKNNANrd  SBCONO  TOUR  IN  SCOTLAND. 


on  the  eastern  side  of  Scotland,  and  continued*  with  some  interruptions,  to  this  island  ; 
but  i»  of  a  bad  kind,  botii  at  its  origin  and  termination.  In  the  south  end  is  bomo 
limestone ;  some  spotted  stune,  not  unhke  lava,  is  found  near  the  south  end. 

The  quadrupeds  of  this  island  are  hares,  poleeats,  weasels,  otters,  seals,  and,  as  a 
compliment  to  the  soil,  moles.  Among  the  birds,  grouse  and  partridge  are  found 
here. 

The  cultivation  of  an  extensive  tract  on  this  eastern  side  is  very  considerable.  In  the 
article  of  inclosurc,  it  has  the  start  of  the  more  southern  counties  of  this  part  of  the 
kingdom :  the  hedges  are  tall,  thick,  and  vigorous ;  the  white-thorns  and  wicken  trees 
now  in  full  flower,  and  about  two  thousand  acres  have  been  thus  improTed.  The 
manures  are  coral  and  sea-shells,  sea- weeds,  and  lime.  I  observed  in  many  places  whole 
strata  of  corals  and  shells  of  u  vast  thicknesn,  at  present  half  a  mile  from  tne  sea,  such 
tosses  has  that  element  sustained  in  these  parts.  The  island  is  destitute  of  coal,  but  still 
much  lime  is  burnt  here,  not  only  for  private  use,  but  for  exportation  at  a  cheap  rate  to 
the  ports  of  Greenock  and  Port- Glasgow. 

1  he  produce  of  the  island  is  biiney,  oats,  and  pc^atoes.  The  barley  yields  nine 
from  one ;  the  oats  four.  Turnips  and  artificial  grasses  have  been  lately  introduced 
with  good  success :  so  that  the  inhabitants  may  have  fat  mutton  throughout  the  year. 
A  great  number  of  cattle  are  also  reared  here.  The  highest  foriD  here  ia  uxty  pounds 
a  year,  excepting  a  single  sheep  farm,  which  rents  for  two  hundred,  but  the  tnecnum  is 
about  twenty-five.  Arable  land  is  set  at  nine  or  ten  shillings  an  acre ;  the  price  of  la- 
bourers is  eight-pence  a  day.  Rents  are  at  present  mostly  paid  in  money ;  the  rent- 
roll  of  the  island  is  about  four  thousand  pounds  a  year.  Lord  Bute  possesses  much  the 
greater  share,  and  two  or  three  private  gentlemen  own  the  rest. 

The  air  is  in  general  temperate ;  no  mists  or  thick  rolling  fogs  from  the  sea,  called 
in  the  north  a  harle,  ever  infest  this  island.  Snow  is  scarcely  ever  known  to  lie  here ; 
and  even  that  of  last  winter,  so  re'markable  for  its  depth  and  duration  in  other  places, 
was  in  this  island  scarce  two  inches  deep.  The  evils  of  tlus  place  are  winds  and  rains, 
the  last  coming  in  deluges  from  th<e  west. 

When  the  present  earl  of  Bute  came  to  his  estate,  the  farms  were  possessed  by  a  set 
of  men,  who  carried  on  at  the  same  time  the  profession  of  husbandry  and  fishing,  to 
the  manifest  injury  of  both.  His  lordship  drew  a  line  between  these  tncongruent  em- 
ploys, und  obliged  each  to  carry  on  the  business  he  preferred,  distinet  from  the  other : 
yet  in  justice  to  the  old  farmers,  notice  must  be  taken  of  their  skill  in  ploughing,  even  in 
their  rudest  days,  for  the  ridges  were  strait,  and  the  ground  laid  oat  in  a  manner  that 
did  them  rtiuch  credit.  But  this  new  arrangement,  with  the  eoiample  given  by  1^ 
lordship  of  inclosing,  by  the  encouivgement  of  burning  lime  for  some,  and  by  trans- 
porting gratis  to  the  nearest  market  the  produce  of  all«  has  given  to  this  island  its  present 
nouriwing  aspect. 

This  isle,  with  that  of  Arran,  the  greater  and  the  lesser  Cumbray,  and  Inch-Marnoe, 
fbnn  a  county  under  the  name  of  Bute.  This  slure  and  that  of  Caithness  send  a  mem- 
ber to  parliament  alternately.    .4        ,v  tvV  ::# 

CivU  causes  are  determined  httt  as  iii  other  counties  of  this  part  of  the  kingdom,  by 
the  sheriff-depute,  who  is  always  resident :  he  is  the  judge  in  smaller  matters,  and  has 
a  salary  of  about  a  hundred  and  fifty  pounds  a  year.  Justices  of  peace  have  the  same 
powers  here,  and  over  the  whole  county,  as  in  other  places ;  but  in  North  Britain  no 
other  qualification  is  required,  after  nomination,  that  taking  out  their  commissions^  and 
living  the  usual  oaths. 


':<'"^ 


"J-i-ST- 


PfiNNANT't  SECOXD  TOtm  IN  SCOTLANU. 


253 


Criminals  are  lodged  in  the  county  jail  at  Rutlicsay,  but  are  removed  For  trial  to 
Inverury  ;  where  the  judges  of  the  court  of  justiciary  meet  twice  a  year,  for  the  deter- 
mining of  criminal  causes  of  a  certain  district. 

The  earl  of  Bute  is  admiral  of  the  county  by  commission  from  his  majfiit^,  but  no 
way  dependent  on  the  lord  high  admiral  of  Scotland ;  so  that  if  any  mHritiine  case 
occurs  within  this  jurisdiction  (7vcn  crimes  of  as  high  a  nature  as  murder  or  piracy) 
his  lordship,  by  virtue  of  the  powers  as  admiral,  is  suiBcient  judge,  or  he  may  delegate 
his  authority  to  any  deputies. 

June  18.  Visit  the  soutli  part  of  the  island :  ride  to  the  hill  of  Cil-chattan,  a  round 
eminence,  from  whence  is  a  vast  view  of  all  around,  insular  and  mainland.  Observe, 
on  the  face  of  the  hills,  that  the  rocks  dip  almost  perpendicularly,  and  form  lung  co- 
lumnar stacks,  some  opposing  to  us  their  sides,  others  their  angles ;  are  hard  and 
cherty,  but  not  basaltic  ;  a  term  I  apply  to  the  jointed  columns  resembling  those  of  the 
giant's  causeway. 

Descend  to  the  ruin  of  old  Kin-garth  church.  Two  cemeteries  belong  to  it,  a 
higher  and  a  lower :  the  last  was  allotted  for  the  interment  of  females  alone,  because 
in  okl  timet  certain  women,  being  employed  to  carry  a  c|uantity  of  holy  earth  brought 
firom  Rome,  lost  some  by  the  way,  and  so  incurred  this  penalty  for  their  negligence, 
that  of  being  buried  separate  from  the  other  sex. 

Near  thb  place  is  a  circular  incloaure  calksd  the  Devil's  Cauldron :  it  is  made  of 
stone,  of  excellent  masonry,  but  without  mortar,  having  the  inside  faced  in  the  most 
smooth  and  regular  m&nner.  The  walls  at  present  are  only  seven  feet  six  inches  high, 
but  are  ten  feet  in  thickness ;  on  one  side  b  an  entrance,  wide  at  the  begit.ning,  but 
grows  gradually  narrower  as  it  approaches  the  area,  which  is  thirty  feet  diameter. 

Mr.  Gordon  has  engraven  in  tab.  iii.  a  building  similar  to  this,  near  the  course  of 
the  wall,  called  Cairn-fual,  and  styles  it  a  castellum.  This,  I  presume,  could  never  have 
been  designed  as  a  place  of  defence,  as  it  is  s>«ituated  beneath  a  precipice,  from  whose 
summit  the  inmates  might  instantly  have  been  oppressed  by  stones,  or  missile  weapons ; 
periiaps  it  was  a  sanctuar;',  for  the  name  of  the  church,  Kin-garth,  implies  kin,  chief, 
or  head,  ganhi*  a  sanctuary ;  the  common  word  for  places  of  refuge,  ^rth  being  cor- 
ruptedfirmn  it 

The  south  end  of  Bute  is  more  hilly  than  the  rest,  and  divided  from  the  other  part 
by  a  low  sandy  plain,  called  Langalchorid,  on  which  are  three  great  upright  stones,  the 
remains  of  a  druidical  circle,  originally  composed  of  twelve. 

Return  over  a  coarse  country,  and  pass  by  lands  lately  inclosed  with  hedges,  grow- 
ing in  a  very  pro^rous  manner.  Pass  by  Loch-Ascog,  a  small  piece  of  water,  and  soon 
aSttr  by  Loon-Fad,  about  a  mile  and  three  quarters  long,  narrow,  rocky  on  one  side, 
pretty  wooded  on  the  other.  The  other  lochs  are  Locn-Quyen,  and  Loch-Greenan, 
and  each  has  its  river.  Reach  Rothesay,  the  capital ;  a  small  but  well  built  town,  of 
small  houaest  and  about  two  hundred  families,  and  within  these  few  years  much  im- 
proved. The  females  spin  yarn,  the  men  support  themselves  by  fishmg.  The  town 
has  a  good  |»er,  and  lies  at  the  bottom  of  a  fine  bay,  whose  mouth  exactly  opens  op- 
poaite  to  that  of  Loch-Streven,  in  Cowal:  here  is  a  fine  depth  of  water,  a  secure  re- 
treat, and  a  ready  navigation  down  the  Firth  for  an  export  trade ;  magazines  for  goods 
for  fbreign  parte  might  most  advantageously  be  established  here. 

The  castle  has  been  built  at  different  times,  the  present  entrance  by  Robert  III,  the 
rest  is  quite  round,  with  round  towers  at  the  sidest   and  is  of  unknown  antiquity. 

*  Garth  originally  means  DO  more  than  yard  or  inclosure. 


i' 


'^mum':^'^^i^Mi:i:ii?:':jS'^M'rW^^'^^^ 


'25A 


fttNNANT'H  SECOND  TOUR  IN  SCOTLAND. 


Hiisbcc,'*'^  ^rnndson  of  Somerled,  wus  killed  in  the  attack  of  a  castle  in  Bute,  perhaps 
of  this.  Hacof  took  the  castle  and  whole  island  in  the  year  1263.  It  was  seized  by 
JEldward  Baliol  in  13344  when  possessed  by  the  high  steward  of  Scotland,  a  firiend  of 
the  Bruccs,  and  heir  to  the  crown.  In  the  year  following  the  whole  island,  as  well  us 
that  of  Arrari,  wtu  ravaged  by  the  £n^li»h,  under  the  command  of  lord  Darcy,  lord 
Justice  of  Ireland.  Soon  after  the  natives  of  Arran  and  Bute  arose,)  and,  unarmed, 
made  an  attack  with  stones  on  Alan  Lite,  the  English  governor,  put  his  party  to  fliffht, 
and  recovered  the  fortress.  It  became  in  after-times  a  royal  residence :  Robert  III,|| 
lived  there  for  a  considerable  time ;  much  attention  was  bestowed  on  it,  for  in  the  reign 
of  James  V,  we  find  that  one  of  the  articles  of  accusation  against  Sir  James  Hamilton 
was  his  not  accounting  for  three  thousand  crowns,  destined  to  reform  the  castle  and 
palace  of  Rosay.1I  In  1544,  the  earl  of  Lenox,  assisted  by  the  English,  made  himself 
master  of  the  place ;  and  in  the  beginnning  of  the  last  century  (on  what  occasion  I  do 
not  recollect)  it  was  burnt  by  the  marquis  of  Argyle. 

Bute  is  said  to  derive  its  name  from  Bothe,  a  cell,  St.  Brandan  having  once  made  it 
the  place  of  his  retreat ;  and,  for  the  same  reason,  the  natives  of  this  isle,  and  also  of 
Arran,  have  been  sometimes  styled  Brandani.  It  was,  from  very  early  times,  part  of 
the  patrimony  of  the  Stuarts:  large  possessions  in  it  were  gran*  to  Sir  John  Stuart, 
natural  son  of  Robert  II,  by  one  of  hi;*  mistresses,  but  whether  b  lis  beloved  More  or 
Moreham,  or  his  beloved  MariotadeCardny,  is  what  I  cannot  detennine,** 

Continue  our  ride  along  a  hilly  country,  open,  and  under  tillage ;  past  on  the  right 
the  castle  and  bay  of  Games,  long  the  property  of  the  Bannentynes  ;  turn  to  the  west, 
descend  to  the  shore,  and  find  our  boat  ready  to  convey  us  to  the  vessel,  which  lay  at 
anchor  a  mile  distant,  under  Inch.Marnoc. 

An  island  so  called  from  St.  Marnoc,  where  appear  the  ruins  of  a  chapel,  and  where 
(according  to  Fordunft)  had  been  jx  cell  of  monks.  The  extent  of  this  little  isle  is 
about  a  mile,  has  a  hundred  and  twenty  acres  of  arable  land,  forty  of  brush  wood, 
near  three  hundred  of  moor,  and  has  vast  strata  of  coral  and  shells  on  the  west  side. 
It  is  inhabited  by  a  gentleman  on  half-pay,  who,  with  his  family,  occupies  the  place 
under  lord  Bute. 

June  19.  Weigh  anchor  at  three  o'clock  in  the  morning ;  am  teased  with  calms, 
but  amused  with  a  fine  view  of  the  circumambient  land ;  the  peninsula  of  Cantyre, 
here  lofty,  sloping,  and  rocky,  divided  by  dingles,  filled  with  woods,  which  reach  the 
water  edge,  and  expand  on  both  sides  of  the  hollows;  Inch*Marnoc  and  Bute  lie  to  the 
east ;  the  mountainous  Arran  to  the  south ;  Loch-Fine,  the  Sinus  7;,elalonnius  of  Pto- 
lemy, opened  on  the  north,  between  the  point  of  Skipnish  in  Cantyre  and  that  of  La- 
mond  in  Cowal,  and  shewed  a  vast  expanse  of  water  widely  bounded ;  numbers  of 
herring- busses  were  now  in  motion,  to  arrive  in  time  at  Campbeltown,  to  receive  the 
benefit  of  the  bounty,  and  animated  the  scene. 

Turn  northward,  leave  the  point  of  Skipnish  to  the  south-west,  and  with  lUfficulty 
get  through  a  strait  of  about  a  hundred  yards  wide,  with  sunk  rocks  on  both  sides, 
into  the  safe  and  pretty  harbour  of  the  eastern  Loch-Tarbat,  of  capacity  sufficient  for  a 
number  of  ships,  and  of  a  fine  depth  of  water.  The  scenery  was  picturesque ;  rocky 
little  islands  lie  across  one  part,  so  as  to  form  a  double  port ;  at  the  bottom  extends  a 
small  village,  on  the  Cantyte  side  is  a  square  tower,  with  vestiges  of  other  ruins, 

•  Torfaeus.  '         t  Buchanan.  ^J:  Boethius,  317. 

§  Major,  329.  ||  Boethius,  339.  f  Lindesay,  165. 

**  Vide  Sir  James  Dalrymple'i  CoUecUons.  Edinburgh,  1 705,  p.  p.  xxxviii.  Uxxiii. 
tt  Lib.ii.  c.  10. 


.,.ii;',,").i1tl 


PENNANT'S  SBCONB  TOUU  IN  SCOTLAND. 


ass 


the 


built  by  the  family  of  Arsyle  to  secure  their  iiortliern  dominions  from  tlic  inronds  of 
the  inhabitants  of  the  peninsula ;  on  the  northern  bide  of  the  entrance  of  the  h.irbuur 
the  rocks  are  of  a  most  grotesque  form  :  vast  fragments  piled  on  each  other,  the  Tuccs 
contorted  and  undulated  m  sucn  figures  as  if  created  by  fubion  of  matter  after  hunic  in* 
tense  heat ;  yet  did  not  oppear  to  me  a  lava,  or  under  any  suspicion  of  having  been  the 
recrement  of  a  volcano. 

Land  at  the  village,  where  a  great  quantity  of  whiskey  is  distilled. 

Visit  the  narrow  neck  of  land  which  joins  Cantyre  to  South  Rnupdale ;  it  is  scarcely 
a  mile  wide,  is  partly  morassy,  partly  intersected  by  strata  of  rocks,  that  arc  dipping 
continuations  from  the  adjacent  mountains  of  each  district.  There  have  been  plans  for 
cutting  a  canal  through  this  isthmus,  to  facilitate  the  navigation  between  the  western 
ocean  and  the  ports  ^  the  Clyde,  and  to  take  away  the  necessity  of  sailing  through 
the  turbulent  tides  of  the  Mull  of  Cantyre :  it  is  supposed  to  be  practicable,  but  at 
vast  expence ;  at  an  expence  beyond  the  power  of  North  Britain  to  effect,  except  it 
could  realize  those  sums  which  the  wishes  of  a  few  of  its  sons  had  attained  in  idea. 
While  I  meditate  on  the  project,  and  in  imagination  see  the  wealth  of  the  Antilles  sail 
before  me,  the  illusion  bursts,  the  shores  are  covered  with  wrecked  fortunes,  real  distress 
succeeds  the  ideal  riches  of  Alnaschar,  and  dispels  at  once  the  beautiful  vision  of  Aaron 
Hill,*^  and  the  much  affected  traveller.  ^ 

Ascend  a  small  hill,  and  from  the  top  have  a  view  of  the  western  Loch*Tarbat,  that 
winds  along  for  about  twelve  miles,  and  is  one  continued  harbour,  for  it  has  eight 
fathom  water  not  very  remote  from  this  extremity,  and  opens  to  the  sea  on  the  west 
coast,  at  Aird-Patric :  the  boundaries  are  hilly,  varied  with  woods  and  tracts  of  heath ; 
the  country  yields  much  potatoes  and  some  com,  but  the  land  is  so  interrupted  with 
rocks,  that  the  natives,  instead  of  the  ()lough,  are  obliged  to  muke  use  of  the  spade. 

The  time  of  the  tides  vary  greatly  at  the  terminations  of  each  of  these  harbours :  at 
thb  the  flood  had  advanced  in  the  east  loch  full  three  quarters,  in  the  other  only  one 
hour.  According  to  some  remarks  Mr.  James  Watts  of  Glasgow  favoured  me  with, 
the  spring-tides  in  East-Tarbat  flow  ten  feet  six  inches ;  in  West-Tarbat  only  four  feet 
six  inches,  or,  in  very  extraordinary  tides,  two  feet  higher.  The  tides  in  the  west 
loch  are  most  irregular  ;  sometimes  neither  ebb  nor  flow  ;  at  other  times  ebb  and  flow 
twice  in  a  tide,  and  the  quantity  of  false  ebb  is  about  one  foot  The  mean  height  of 
the  firth  of  Clyde  is  greater  than  that  of  West-Tarbat. 

It  is  not  very  long  since  vessels  of  nine  or  ten  tons  were  drawn  by  horses  out  of  the 
west  loch  into  that  of  the  east,  to  avoid  the  dangers  of  the  Mull  of  Cantyre,  so  dreaded 
and  so  little  known  was  the  navigation  round  that  promontory.  It  is  the  opinion  of 
many  that  these  litde  isthmuses,  so  frequendy  styled  Tarbat  in  North  Britain,  took  their 
name  from  the  above  circumstance ;  tarruing  signifying  to  draw,  and  bata,  a  boat.  This 
toomig^t  be  called,  by  way  of  pre-eminence,  the  tarbat,  from  a  very  singular  circum- 
stance related  by  Torf»us.t  Wnen  Ma^us,  the  barefooted  king  of  Norway,  obtained 
from  Donald'bane  of  Scotland  the  cession  of  the  western  isles,  or  all  those  places  that 
could  be  surrounded  in  a  boat,  he  added  to  them  the  peninsula  of  Cantyre  by  this 
fraud :  he  placed  himself  in  the  stem  of  a  boat,  held  tlie  rudder,  was  drawn  over  this 
narrow  tract,  and  by  this  species  of  navigation  wrested  the  country  (rim  hb  brother 
monarch. 

In  the  afternoon  attempt  to  turn  out,  but  am  driven  back  by  an  adverse  gale. 


.A 

y 

i 


II 


•  Vide  Tour  ofl  769,  Isted.  p.  «15.  3d.ed.  p.  338. 


t  HUt.  Oread.  73. 


•^i 


T 


.  ■':k^wm'S!s;wm^^^m^^W!^i&^'J 


',IiHI«,,"v."y;iTr"-' 


356 


FKKNANT'S  SECOND  TOUn  IN  tCOTLANO 


June  20.  Get  out  earlv  in  the  momini^  into  the  ume  expanie  as  belbre :  land  on 
Inch-Bui,  nr  the  YtHow  Isle' ;  an  entire  rock,  covered  with  tne  lichen  pttrietinun.  Sail 
by  Inch-Skuiie;  amuiied  by  the  sporting  of  hcuIs.  Hail  u  small  fishing.boat,  in  order 
to  purchase  some  of  its  cargo:  am  answered  by  the  owner  that  he  would  not  sell  any, 
but  that  part  was  at  my  service ;  a  piece  of  generosity  of  greater  merit,  as  in  this  scarce 
season  lUc  hubstnnce  of  the  whole  family  dc|Kiided  on  the  good  fortune  of  the  day.  Thus 
in  these  parts  hospitality  is  found  even  amun^  the  most  indigent. 

Most  of  the  morning  was  passed  in  a  dead  calm  ;  in  the  afternoon  succeeded  brisk 
gales,  but  from  points  not  the  most  favourable,  which  occasioned  frequent  tacks  in 
sight  of  iwrt:  in  one  broke  our  top-seal  yurd.  During  these  variations  of  our  course, 
had  gootl  opportunity  of  observing  the  composition  of  the  isle  of  Arran,  a  series  of  vast 
mountains,  running  in  ridges  across  the  whole ;  their  tops  broken,  serrated,  or  spiring : 
the  summit  of  Goatfield  rising  far  above  the  rest,  and  the  sides  of  all  sloping  towards 
the  water  edge  ;  a  scene,  at  this  distance,  of  savage  sterility. 

Another  calm  within  two  mites  of  land:  take  to  the  boat,  and  approach  Loch 
Runza,  a  fine  bay,  at  the  north  end  of  the  Isle  of  Arran,  where  I  land  in  the  evening. 
The  approach  was  magnificent :  a  fine  bay  in  front,  about  a  mile  deep,  having  a  ruined 
castle  near  the  tower  end,  on  a  low  far  projecting  neck  of  land,  that  forms  another  har- 
bour, with  a  narrow  passage  ;  but  ovithin  has  three  fathoms  of  water,  even  at  the  lowest 
ebb.  Beyond  is  a  tittle  plain  watered  by  a  streani,  and  inhabited  by  the  people  of  a  small 
village.  The  whole  is  environed  with  a  theatre  of  mountains  ;  and  in  the  back  ground 
the  serrated  crags  of  Grianan-Athol  soar  above. 

Vbit  the  castle,  which  consists  of  two  square  parts  united,  built  of  red  grit  stone :  in 
one  room  is  a  chimney-piece,  and  a  fire-place  large  enough  to  have  roasted  an  ox  ;  but 
now  strewed  with  tlie  shells  of  limpets,  the  hard  fare  of  the  poor  peopk:  who  occasion- 
ally take  refuge  here. 

This  fortress  was  founded  by  one  of  the  Scottish  monarchs,  and  is  of  some  antiquity ; 
forFordun,  who  wrote  about  the  year  1380,  speaks  of  this  and  Brodie  as  royal  casdes. 

The  village  of  Ranza  and  a  small  church  lie  a  little  farther  in  the  plain :  the  last  was 
founded  and  endowed  by  Anne,  duchess  of  Hamilton,  in  aid  of  d'.e  church  of  Kilbride, 
one  of  the  two  parishes  this  great  island  is  divided  into. 

Am  informea  of  a  basking  shark  that  had  been  har|K)oned  some  days  before,  and  lay 
on  the  shore  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  bay.  Cross  over  to  take  a  view  of  a  fish  so 
rarely  to  be  met  with  in  other  parts  of  Great  Britain,  and  find  it  a  monster,  notwith- 
standing, it  was  much  inferior  in  size  to  others  that  are  sometimes  taken:  fbr  there  have 
been  instances  of  their  being  from  thirty-six  to  forty  feet  in  length. 

This  was  twenty-seven  feet  four  inches  long.  The  tail  consisted  of  two  unequal 
lobes ;  the  upper  five  feet  long,  the  lower  three.  The  circumference  of  the  body  great  t 
the  skin  cinereous,  and  rough.  The  upper  Jaw  much  longer  than  the  lower.  The 
teeth  minute,  disposed  in  numbers  along  the  jaws.  The  eyes  placed  at  only  fourteen 
inches  distance  from  the  tip  of  the  nose.  The  apertures  to  the  gitb  very  long,  and  fur- 
nished  with  strainers,  of  the  substance  of  whalebone. 

These  fish  are  called  in  the  Erse,  Cairban,  by  the  Scotch,  Sail-fish,  from  the  appearance 
of  the  dorsal  fins  above  water.  They  inhabit  most  parts  of  the  western  coasts  of  the 
northern  seas :  Linnaeus  says,  within  the  arctic  circle ;  they  are  found  lower,  on  the 
coast  of  Norway,  about  the  Orkney  Isles,  the  Hebrides,  and  on  the  coast  of  Ireland  in 
the  bay  of  Bulishannon,  and  on  the  Welch  coasts  about  Angtesea.  They  appear  in  the 
firth  in  June,  in  small  shoals  of  seven  or  eight,  continue  there  till  the  end  of  July,  and 


.;  * 


PENNANTS  SECOND  TOUR  IN  SCaTLANOL  ngm 

then  di&nppcar.  They  are  most  inoficniiivc  flsh  ;  feed  cither  on  cxAngiiioiis  miuinc  atii. 
moll,  or  an  alg«,  nothing  being  ever  found  in  their  stomachs,  except  some  di.iholvcd 
greenish  matter. 

They  swim  very  deliberately,  with  their  two  dorsal  fins  above  water,  nnd  seem  f|ui. 
esctnt,  as  if  asleep.  They  are  very  tame  or  very  stupid,  and  permit  the  near  approach 
of  man  :  will  suffer  a  boat  to  follow  them  without  accelerating  their  motion,  till  it  conies 
almost  within  contact,  when  a  harpooner  strikes  his  weapon  into  the  nnh  .is  near  the 
gills  as  possible  ;  but  they  are  often  so  insensible  as  not  to  move  until  the  united  strength 
of  two  men  hu  forced  in  the  harpoon  deeper:  as  soon  as  they  ])erceivc  themselves 
wounded,  they  fling  un  their  tail  and  plunge  headlong  to  the  bottom,  and  rre()uently  coil 
the  rope  round  thrm  in  their  agonies,  attempting  to  disengage  themselves  from  the 
weapon  by  rolling  nn  the  grourki,  for  it  is  often  round  j^eatiy  bent.  As  soon  as  they 
ducover  that  their  efforts  are  in  vain,  they  swim  away  with  amazing  rapidity,  and  witn 
such  violencef  thut  a  vessel  of  seventy  tons  has  been  towed  by  them  against  a  fresh  gale  ; 
they  sometimes  nm  oflf  with  two  hundred  fathoms  of  line,  and  with  two  harpoons  in 
them  ;  and  '.vill  find  employ  to  the  fishers  for  twelve  and  sometimes  twenty  four  houis 
before  they  are  subdued.  When  killed,  they  are  either  hauled  on  shore,  or,  if  at  a  dis. 
tanoe,  to  the  vessel's  side.  The  liver  (the  only  useful  ^art)  is  taken  out  and  melted  into 
oil,  in  vessels  provided  for  that  purpose  :  a  large  fish  will  yield  eight  barrels  of  oil,  and 
two  of  sediment,  and  prove  a  profitable  capture. 

The  commissioners  of  forfeited  estates  were  at  considerable  expence  in  encouraging 
this  species  of  fisherj' ;  but  the  person  they  confided  in  most  shamefully  abused  their 
goodness  ;  so  at  present  it  is  only  attempted  by  private  adventurers. 

Return,  land  again,  and  walk  through  a  pretty  wood  of  small  trees,  up  the  side  of  a 
hill  that  bounds  the  western  side  of  the  bay.  A  gigantic  frog,*  of  the  species  called 
by  LinnflBus,  Bombina,  presented  itself  on  the  path.  In  the  course  of  our  ramble,  fall 
in  with  the  manse,  or  minister's  habitation  ;  pass  a  cheerful  evening  with  him,  and  meet 
with  ft  hearty  welcome,  and  the  best  fare  the  place  could  afford.  Return  to  our  ship* 
which  had  anchored  in  the  hay. 

June  21.  Procure  horses,  and  (accompanied  by  Mr.  Lindsay,  the  minister)  ride  up 
the  valley,  cross  the  Vutle  tiver  Ranza^  and  leave  that  and  a  com<mill  on  the  right.  As- 
ceikl  the  steeps  of  the  bairen  mountains,  with  precipices  of^en  on  the  one  side  of  our 
path,  of  which  our  obstinate  steeds  preferred  the  very  margin.     See  to  the  west  the 

Seat  crags  of  Grianan<Athol,  with  eagles  soaring  over  their  naked  summits.  Pass 
pough  woods  of  birch,  small,  weather-beaten,  and  blasted :  descend  by  Mac  Fariane's 
Cam,  cross  the  water  of  Sannocks,  near  the  village  of  the  same  name :  see  a  low  monu< 
mental  stone ;  keep  along  the  eastern  coast ;  hear  a  sermon  preached  beneath  a  tent 
formed  of  sails  on  the  beach ;  the  congregation  numerous,  devout,  and  attentive,  seated 
alon^  the  shore,  forming  a  groupe  picturesque  and  edifying. 

Dine  at  the  Corry,  a  small  house  belonging  to  a  gentleman  of  Ayrshire,  who  visits  this 
place  for  the  benefit  of  goats  whey. 

Much  barrenness  in  the  morning's  ride :  on  tlie  mountains  were  great  masses  of  moor, 
stone;  on  the  shore,  milestone  and  red  grtt-stone. 

The  ride  is  continued  along  the  coast  beneath  low  cliffs,  whose  summits  were  cloathed 
with  heath  that  hung  from  Uieir  margins,  and  seemed  to  distil  showers  of  crystalline 
water  from  every  leaf,  the  effect  of  the  various  springs  above.  Meet  a  flock  of  goats, 
skipping  along  the  shore,  attended  by  their  hefdsman  j  and  observed  them  collectmgas 
they  went,  and  chewing,  with  great  delight,  the  sea  plants.    Reach 


VOL.    III. 


*  Vide  Enumeration  of  Animals  and  Plants,  No.  331* 

L  L 


'^!?^i'^:^'W^''''-:'ir- 


'■.'.■.•r'.'.'-ui'^ 


258 


PENNANT'S  SECOND  VOUH  IN  SCOTLAND. 


Brodie  castle,  seated  on  an  eminence  amidst  flourisbins  plantations,  above  a  small  bay, 
open  to  the  cast.  This  place  has  not  at  present  mucTi  the  appearrnce  of  a  fortress, 
having  been  modernized  ;  is  inhabited  by  the  duke  of  Hamilton's  agent,  who  enter- 
tained me  with  the  utmost  civility.  It  is  a  place  of  much  antiquity,  and  seems  to  have 
been  the  fort  held  by  the  English  under  Sir  John  Hastings  in  1306,  when  u  was  sur. 
prised  by  the  partisans  of  Robert  Bruce,  and  the  garrison  put  to  the  sword.  It  was 
demolished  in  1456  by  the  earl  of  Ross,  in  the  rei^n  of  James  H  ;  is  said  to  have  been 
rebuilt  by  James  V ,  and  to  have  been  garrisoned  m  the  time  of  Cromwell's  usurpation. 
Few  are  the  records  preserved  of  these  distant  places,  therefore  very  wide  must  be  their 
historic  gaps. 

Arran,  or  properly  Arr-inn,  or  the  island  of  mountains,  seems  not  to  have  been  noticed 
by  the  ancients,  notwithstanding  it  must  have  been  known  to  the  Romans,  whose  navy» 
from  the  time  of  Agricola,  had  its  station  in  the  Glota  iEstuarium,  or  the  Firdi  of  Clyde : 
Cainden  indeed  makes  this  island  the  Glota  of  Antonine,  but  no  such  name  occurs  in 
bis  itinerary  ;  it  therefore  was  bestowed  on  Arran  by  some  of  his  commentators.  ^ 

By  the  immense  cairns,  the  vast  monumental  stones,  and  many  reliques  of  druidism, 
this  island  must  have  been  considerable  in  very  ancient  times.  Here  are  still  traditions 
of  the  hero  Fingal,  or  Fin-mac-coul,  who  is  supposed  here  to  have  enjoyed  the  pleasures 
of  the  chace ;  and  many  places  retain  his  name  :  but  I  can  discover  nothing  but  oral 
history  that  relates  to  the  island,  till  the  time  of  Magnus  the  Barefooted,  the  Norwegian 
victor,  who  probably  included  Arran  in  his  conquests  of  Cantyre.*  If  he  did  not  con- 
quer that  island,  it  was  certainly  included  among  those  that  Donald-bans  was  to  cede  ; 
for  it  appears  that  Acho,t  one  of  the  successors  of  Magnus,  in  1263,  laid  claim  to 
Arran,  Bute,  and  the  Cumrays,  in  cr  'sequence  of  that  promise :  the  two  first  he  subdued, 
but  the  defeat  he  met  with  at  Largs  soon  obliged  him  to  give  up  his  conquests. 

Arran  was  the  property  of  the  crown  :  Robert  Bruce  retired  here  during  his  dis- 
tresses, and  met  with  protection  from  his  faithful  vassals  -  numbers  of  them  followed 
his  fortunes  ;  and  after  the  battle  of  Bannockbourn  he  rewarded  several,  such  as  the 
Mac-cooks,  Mac-kinnons,  Mac-brides,  and  Maclouis,  or  Fullertons,  with  different 
charters  of  lands  in  their  native  country.  All  these  are  now  absorbed  by  this  great 
family,  except  the  Fullertons  and  a  Stuart,  descended  from  a  son  of  Robert  HI,  who 
gave  him  a  settlement  here.  In  the  time  of  the  Dean  of  the  Isles,  his  descendant  pos- 
sessed  castle  Douan;  and  "  heand^is  bluid,"  says  the  dean,  "  are  th.  best  men  in 
that  countrey."  ^^ 

The  manner  in  which  Robert  Bn  ace  discovered  his  arrival  to  his  friends  is  so  de- 
scriptive of  the  simplicity  of  the  times,  that  it  merits  notice,  in  the  very  words  of  the 
faithful  old  poet,  historian  of  that  great  prince  : 


'*-/!7>i.*i5,« 


■*  li«  , 


^ 


The  king  then  blew  his  horn  in  by, 
jU'.'^d'f    And  gart  his  men  that  were  him  by 
Hold  them  still  in  privitie ; 
And  syn  again  his  horn  blev  he  ; 
James  of  Oowglas  heard  him  blow. 
And  well  the  blast  soon  can  he  know ; 
And  said  surelie  yon  is  the  king, 
I  ken  him  well  by  his  blowing : 
The  third  time  therewith  als  he  blew. 
And  then  sir  Robert  Boyde  him  kne^, 
And  said,  yon  is  the  king  but  dresd, 
Go  we  will  forth  to  him  good  Rpeed. 


I'i^'fmma^ 


*i^> 


ai  .'.■}•.  i  V  r 


♦  TorfjBUs,  71, 


t  BuchapaO)  lib,  vU,  c.  63. 


' 


all  bay, 
brtress, 
>  enter- 
to  have 
vas  sur. 
It  was 
ve  been 
rpation. 
be  their 

•V!  Vii 

noticed 
senavy, 
r  Clyde: 
<:curs  in 
i. 

ruifUsm, 
raditions 
;)leasures 

but  oral 
orwe^an 

not  con- 
to  cede  ; 
clairti  to 
subdued, 

f  his  dis- 
followed 
ich  as  the 
different 
this  great 
III,  who 
dant  pos- 
St  men  in 

is  so  de- 
}rds  of  the 

•        *i     .  •  ■    ■■ 

.->»»  ,. 


PENNANT'S  SECOND  TOUR  IN  SCOTLAND. 


25& 


About  the  year  1334  this  island  appears  to  have  formed  part  of  the  estate  of  Robert 
Stuart,  great  Steward  of  Scotland,  afterwards  Robert  II.    At  that  time*  the  inhabitants 
took  arms  to  support  the  cause  of  their  master,  who  afterwards,  in  reward,  not  only 
granted  at  their  request  an  Immunity  from  their  annual  tribute  of  corn,  but  added  se 
veral  new  privileges,  and  a  donative  to  all  the  inhabitants  that  were  present. 

In  1456  the  whole  island  was  ravaged  by  Donald  earl  of  Ross,  and  lord  of  the  isles. 
At  that  period  it  was  still  the  property  of  James  II ;  but  in  the  reign  of  his  successor, 
James  III,  when  that  monarch  matched  his  sister  to  Thomas  lord  Boyde,  he  created 
him  earl  of  Arran,  and  gave  him  the  island  as  a  portion :  soon  after,  on  the  disgrace  of 
that  family,  he  caused  the  countess  to  be  divorced  from  her  unfortunate  husband ;  and 
bestowed  both  the  lady  an^  island  on  sir  James  Hamilton,  in  whose  family  it  continues 
to  this  time,  a  very  few  fani- >  excepted. 

Arran  is  of  great  extent,  being  twenty-three  miles  from  Sgreadan  point  north  to 
Eleinnean  south ;  and  the  numbers  of  inhabitants  are  about  seven  thousand,  who  chiefly 
inhabit  the  coasts ;  the  far  greater  part  of  the  country  being  uninhabitable,  by  reason 
(rf*  the  vast  and  barren  mountains.  Here  are  only  two  parishes,  Kilbride  and  Kilmore, 
with  a  sort  of  chapel  of  ease  to  each,  founded  in  the  last  century,  in  the  golden  age  of 
this  island,  when  it  Mras  blest  with  Anne  duchess  of  Hamilton,  whose  amiable  disposition 
and  humane  attention  to  the  welfare  of  Arran  render  at  this  distant  time  her  memory 
dear  to  every  inhabitant.  Blessed  pre-eminence  !  when  power  and  inclination  to  diffuse 
happiness  concur  in  persons  of  rank. 

The  principal  mountains  of  Arran  are,  Goat-field,  or  Gaoil-bheinn,  or  the  mountain 
of  the  winds,  of  a  height  equal  to  most  of  the  Scottish  Alps,  composed  of  immense  piles 
of  moor-stone,  in  form  of  woolpacks,  cloathed  only  with  lichens  and  mosses,  inhabited 
by  eagles  and  ptarmigans.  Beinn-bbarrain,  or  the  sharp-pcinted ;  Ceum-na-caillich, 
the  step  of  the  carline  or  old  hag ;  and  Grianan-Atbol,  that  yields  to  none  in  rug- 
gedness. 

The  lakes  are  Loch-Jorsa,  where  salmon  come  to  spawn ;  Loch-Tana ;  Loch-na-h- 
jura,  on  the  top  of  a  '  igh  hill ;  Loch-mhachrai,  and  Loch-knoc-a-charbeil,  full  of  large 
eels.  The  chief  rivers  are,  Abhan-mhor,  Moina-mhor,  Slaodrai-machrai,  and  Jorsa ; 
the  two  last  remarkable  for  the  abundance  of  salmon. 

The  quadrupeds  are  very  few :  only  otters,  wild  cats,  shrew  mice,  rabbits,  and  bats  : 
the  stags,  which  used  to  abound,  are  now  reduced  to  about  a  dozen.  The  birds  are, 
eagles,  hooded  crows,  wild  pidgeons,  stares,  black  game,  grous,  ptarmigans,  daws,  green 
pbvers,  and  curlews.  Mr.  Stuart,  in  ascending  Goat-fifld,  found  the  secondary  fea- 
ther of  an  eagle,  white  with  a  brown  spot  at  the  base,  which  seemed  to  belong  to  some 
unknown  species.  It  may  be  remarked  that  the  partridge  at  present  inhabits  this  island, 
a  proof  of  the  advancement  of  agriculture. 

The  climate  is  very  severe :  for  besides  the  violence  of  winds,  the  cold  is  very  riga» 
rous ;  and  snow  lay  here  in  the  valiies  for  thirteen  weeks  of  the  last  winter.  In  summer 
the  air  b  remarkably  salubrious,  and  many  invalids  resort  here  on  that  account,  and  to 
drink  the  whey  of  ^ats  milk. 

The  principal  disease  here  b  the  pleurby :  small-pox,  measles,  and  chin-cough  visit 
the  Mand  once  in  seven  or  eight  years.  The  practice  of  bleeding  twice  every  year  seems 
to  have  been  intended  as  a  preventative  against  the  pleurisy ;  but  it  is  now  performed  with 
the  utmost  regularity  at  spring  and  fall.  The  duke  of  Hamilton  keeps  a  surgeon  in 
pay,  who  at  those  seasons  makes  a  tour  of  the  island..    On  notice  of  l(is  approach,  the 


ill 


*Boethius,  3!  8. 
l-  h  9 


-«    ^TW 


-~r^,f;^'^9li^t^^i:,j.iJt^'^flf;**)., 


260 


PKMNANT'S  SECOND  TOUR  IN  SCOTLAND. 


inhabitants  of  each  farm  assemble  in  the  open  air,  extend  their  arms,  and  are  bled  into 
a  hole  made  in  the  ground,  the  common  receptacle  of  the  vital  fluid. 

In  burning  fevers  a  tea  of  wood  sorrel  is  used  with  success,  to  allay  the  heat. 

An  infusion  of  ramsons*  or  allium  ursinum,  in  brandy,  is  esteemed  here  a  good  remedy 
for  the  gravel. 

Tlie  men  are  strong,  tall  and  well  m^^de ;  all  speak  the  Erse  language,  but  the  ancient 
habit  is  entirely  laid  aside.  Their  diet  is  chiefly  potatoes  and  meal ;  and  during  winter 
some  dried  mutton  or  goat  is  added  to  their  ha:'d  fare.  A  deep  dejection  appears  in 
general  tljrough  the  countenances  of  all ;  no  time  can  be  spared  for  amusement  of  any 
kind,  the  whole  being  given  for  procuring  the  means  of  paying  their  rent,  oi  laying  in 
their  fuel,  or  getting  a  scanty  pittance  of  meat  and  clothing. 

The  leases  of  farms  are  nineteen  years.  The  succeeding  tenants  generally  find  the 
ground  little  better  than  a  capnt  mortuum  ;  and  for  this  reason,  should  they  at  the  ex- 
piration of  the  lease  leave  the  lands  in  a  good  state,  some  avaricious  neighbours  would 
have  the  preference  in  the  next  setting,  by  offering  a  price  more  than  the  person  who 
had  expended  part  of  his  substance  in  enriching  the  farm  could  possibly  do.  This  in- 
duces them  to  leave  it  in  the  original  state.  :;^_ 

The  method  of  letting  a  form  is  very  singular :  each  is  commonly  possessed  by  a 
number  of  small  tenants ;  thus  a  farm  of  forty  pounds  a  year  is  occupied  by  eighteen 
diflferent  people,  who  by  their  leases  are  bound,  conjunctly  and  severally,  for  the  pay- 
inent  of  the  rent  to  the  proprietor.  These  live  on  the  farm  in  houses  clustered  together» 
sc  that  each  farm  appears  like  a  little  village.  The  tenants  annually  divide  the  arable 
land  by  lot ;  each  has  his  ridge  of  land,  to  which  he  puts  his  mark,  such  as  he  would 
do  to  any  writing ;  and  this  species  of  farm  is  called  run-rig,  i.  e.  ridge.  They  join  in 
ploughing :  every  one  keeps  a  horse  or  more ;  and  the  number  of  those  animals  con- 
sume BO  much  corn  as  often  to  occasion  a  scarcity  ;  the  corn  and  peas  raised  being  (much 
of  it)  designed  for  their  subsistence,  and  that  of  the  cattle,  during  the  long  winter.  The 
pasture  and  moor- land  annexed  to  the  farm  is  common  to  all  the  possessors. 

All  the  farms  are  open.  Inclosures  of  any  form,  except  in  two  or  three  places,  ar0 
quite  unknown :  so  that  there  must  be  a  great  loss  of  time  in  preserving  their  com,  k,c. 
from  trespass.     The  usual  manure  is  sea  plants,  coral,  and  shells. 

The  run- rig  farms  are  now  discouraged ;  but  since  the  tenements  are  set  by  roup,  or 
auction,  and  advanced  by  an  unnatural  force  to  above  double  the  old  rent,  witliout  any 
allowance  for  inclosing ;  any  example  set  in  agricuU'ire ;  any  security  of  tenure,  by 
lengthening  the  leases  ;  affairs  will  turn  retrograde,  and  the  farms  relapse  into  their  old 
state  of  rudeness)  migration  wii!  increase  (for  it  has  begun)  ^nd  the  rents  be  reduced 
even  bebw  their  former  value  :  the  late  rents  were  scarce  twelve  hundred  a  year ;  Ihc 
expected  rents  three  thousand.  >< 

The  produce  of  the  island  is  oats,  of  which  about  five  thousand  bolls,  eaeh  eqwti  rr> 
nine  Winchester  bushels,  are  sown :  five  hundred  of  beans,  a  few  peas,  and  above  % 
thousand  bolls  oS  potatoes,  are  annually  set ;  notwithstanding  this,  five  hundred  b<to  of 
oat- meal  are  annually  imported,  to  subsist  the  natives. 

The  live  stock  of  the  ukuvd  is  3183  milch  cows ',  3000  cattle,  from  one  to  thres  years 
old ;  1058  horses ;  1500  she^p ;  and  500  goats ;  many  of  the  two  last  are  kUttd  at 
Michaelmas,  and  dried  for  winter  provision,  or  sold  at  Greenock.  The  cattle  are  sold 
from  forty  to  fifty  shillings  per  head,  which  brings  into  the  island  alx>ut  12004;  per  amuim : 
I  think  that  th?^  sale  of  horees  also  brings  in  about  3001.  Hogs  were  introduced  here 
only  two  years  ago.  The  herring- fishery  round  the  island  brings  in  3001;  the  sale  of 
herring-nets  1001;  and  that  of  mread  about  3001.  for  a  good  deal  of  flax  b  rown 


PENNANrS  SECOND  TOUR  IN  SCOTLAND. 


261 


into 


here.    These  are  the  exports  of  the  island ;  but  the  money  that  goes  out  for  mere  ne- 
cessaries is  a  melancholy  drawback. 

The  women  manufacture  the  wool  for  the  clothing  of  their  families  ;  they  set  the 
potatoes,  and  dress  and  spin  the  flax  :  they  make  butter  f^r  exportation,  and  cheese  for 
their  own  use. 

The  inhabitants  in  general  are  sober,  religious ,  and  industrious :  great  part  of  the 
summer  is  employed  m  getting  peat  for  fuel,  the  only  kind  in  use  here ;  or  in  building 
or  repairing  their  houses,  for  the  badness  of  the  materials  requires  annual  repairs :  be- 
fore  and  after  harvest  they  are  busied  in  the  herring-fishery  ;  and  during  winter  the  men 
make  their  herring-nets ;  while  the  women  are  employed  in  spinning  their  linen  and 
woollen  yam.  llie  light  they  often  use  b  that  of  lamps.  From  the  beginning  of 
February  to  the  end  of  May«  if  the  weather  permits,  they  are  engaged  in  labouring 
their  g|round :  in  autumn  they  burn  a  great  quantity  of  fern,  to  make  kelp :  so  that 
excepting  at  new-year's  day,  at  marriages,  or  at  the  two  or  three  fairs  in  the  i  sland, 
they  have  no  lebure  for  any  amusements ;  no  wonder  is  there  then  at  their  depression 
of  spirits. 

This  forms  part  of  the  county  of  Bute,  and  is  subject  to  the  same  sort  of  government : 
but  besides,  justice  is  administered  at  the  baron's  l^ily-court,  who  has  power  to  fine  as 
high  as  twenty  shilLngs  ;  can  decide  in  matters  of  property,  not  exceeding  forcy  shil- 
lings ;  can  imprison  for  a  month  ;  and  put  delinquents  into  the  stocks  for  three  hours, 
but  that  only  during  day-time. 

June  252.  Take  a  ride  into  the  country  ;  descend  into  the  valley  at  the  head  of  the 
bay ;  fertile  in  bariey,  oats,  and  peas.  See  two  great  stones,  in  form  of  columns,  set 
erect,  but  quite  rude;  these  are  cgmmon  to  many  nations;  are  frequent  in  North 
Wales,  where  thtf  are  called  Main-hirion,  i.  e.  tall  stones,  Meini-gwir,  or  men  pillars, 
and  Lleche :  are  frequent  in  Cornwall,  and  are  also  found  in  other  parts  of  our  island : 
their  use  is  of  great  antiquity ;  are  mentioned  in  the  Mosaic  writings  as  memorials  of 
the  dead,  as  monuments  of  friendship,  as  marks  to  distinguish  places  of  worship,  or  of 
solemn  assemblies.*  The  northern  nations  erected  them  to  perpetuate  the  memory  of 
great  actions,  such  as  remarkable  duels  ;  of  which  there  are  proofs  both  in  Denmark 
and  in  Scodand :  and  the  number  of  stones  was  proportionaUe  to  the  number  of  great 
men  who  fell  in  the  fight  :t  but  they  were  besides  erected  merely  as  sepulchral  for  per- 
sons of  rank,t  who  deserved  well  of  their  country. 

Not  far  from  hence  is  a  stone,  the  most  singular  that  I  ever  remember  to  have  seen, 
and  the  only  one  of  the  kind  that  ever  fell  within  my  observation  :  this  lies  on  the  ground, 
is  twelve  feet  long,  two  broad,  one  thick  ;  has  at  one  end  the  rude  attempt  to  carve  a 
head  and  shoulders,  and  was  certainly  the  first  deviation  from  the  former  species  of 
monument ;  the  first  essay  to  g^ve  to  stone  a  resemblance  to  the  human  body.  AH 
that  the  natives  say  of  thb,  that  it  was  placed  over  a  giant,  and  is  called  Mac  Bhrolchin's 
•tone. 

Ascend  a  steep  hill,  with  vast  gullies  on  the  ude ;  and,  on  descending,  arrive  in  a 
^in  inhabited  bV  curlews,  resorting  there  to  breed,  and  which  flew  round  our  heads 
Uke  lappings.  At  a  place  called  Moni-quil  is  a  small  cbcle  of  small  stones,  placed  close 
to  each  other :  whether  a  little  druidicaf  place  of  worship,  or  of  assembly ;  or  whether 


-^Jbibua,  xxhr.  36. 

t  Wormii  Monutn.  Dab.  63, 63.    Boethiusj  Scot.  PHk.  et  Recentes  More%,  10. 
Hist.  Scot.  30. 


>.?>■  1 


...t^ 


MHiriiimi 


262 


HENNANT'S  SECOND  TOUIl  IN  SCOTLAND. 


*»■ 


a  family  place  of  sepulture,  as  is  usual*  with  the  northern  nations,  is  not  easy  to  de-^ 
termine.  If  an  urn  is  found  in  the  centre  of  this  coronet,  as  is  not  uncommon,  the 
doubt  will  cease. 

Pass  by  the  river  Machrai,  flowing  through  a  rocky  channel,  which  in  one  part  has 
worn  through  a  rock,  and  left  so  contracted  a  ^p  at  the  top  as  to  form  a  very  easy 
step  a-cross.  Yet  not  long  ago  a  poor  woman,  in  the  attempt,  after  getting  one  foot 
over,  was  struck  with  such  horror  at  the  tremendous  torrent  beneath,  that  she  remained 
for  some  hours  in  that  attitude,  not  daring  to  bring  her  other  foot  over,  till  some  kinU 
passenger  luckily  came  by,  and  assisted  her  out  of  her  distress. 

Arrive  at  Tormore,  an  extensive  plain  of  good  ground,  but  quite  in  a  state  of  na< 
ture :  seems  formerly  to  have  been  cultivated,  for  there  appear  several  vestiges  of  dikes, 
which  might  have  served  as  boundaries.  There  is  a  tradition  that  in  old  times  the  shores 
were  covered  with  woods ;  and  this  'vvas  the  habitable  part. 

The  want  of  trees  in  the  internal  part  at  present,  and  the  kindly  manner  in  which  they 
grow  about  Brodie,  favour  this  opinion. 

On  this  plain  are  the  remains  of  four  circles,  in  a  line,  extending  N.  £.  by  S.  W. 
very  few  stones  are  standing  to  perfect  the  inclosure,  but  those  are  of  a  great  size ;  and 
stand  remote  from  each  other.  One  is  fifteen  feet  high  and  eleven  in  circumference. 
On  the  outside  of  these  circles  are  two  others :  one  differs  from  all  I  have  seen,  con- 
sisting of  a  double  circle  of  stones  and  a  mound  within  the  lesser.  Near  these  are  the 
reliques  of  a  stone,  chest  formed  of  five  flat  stones,  the  length  of  two  yards  in 
the  mdde :  the  lid  or  top  is  lost.  In  the  middle  of  these  repositories  was  placed  the 
urn  filled  with  the  ashes  of  the  dead,  to  prevent  its  being  broken ;  or  to  keep  the  earth 
from  mixing  with  the  burnt  remains.  In  all  probability  there  had  been  a  cairn  or  heap 
of  stones  above. 

By  the  number  of  the  circles,  and  by  their  sequestered  situation,  this  seems  to  have 
been  sacred  ground.  These  circles  were  formed  for  relinous  purposes :  Boethius  re- 
lates,  that  Munus,  son  of  Fergus  I,  a  restorer  and  cultivator  of  reli^on  after  the 
Egypdan  manner  (as  he ,  calUs  it)  instituted  several  new  and  solemn  ceremonies :  and 
caused  great  stones  to  be  placed  in  form  of  a  circle ;  the  largest  was  situated  towards  tho 
south,  and  served  as  an  altar  for  the  sacrifices  to  the  immortal  gods.t  Boethius  u  right 
in  part  of  his  account :  but  the  object  o^  the  worship  was  the  sun,:t  ^^  what  con- 
firms this,  is  the  situation  of  the  altar,  pointed  towards  that  luminary  in  his  meridian 
glory.  In  this  place  the  altar  and  many  of  the  stones  are  lost :  probi^ly  carried  to  build 
houses  and  dikes  not  very  remote  from  the  place. 

At  a  small  dbtance  farther  is  a  cairn  of  a  most  stupendous  size»  formed  of  great 
pebbles ;  which  are  preserved  from  being  scattered  about  by  a  circle  of  large  stones, 
that  surround  the  whole  base :  a  circumstance  sometimes  usual  in  these  monumencdl 
heaps.} 

Descend  through  a  narrow  cleft  of  a  rock  to  a  nart  of  the  western  shore  called 
Drum-an*duin,  or  the  ridge  of  the  fort,  ftt>m  a  rouna  tower  that  stands  above.  The 
beach  is  bounded  by  cliffs  of  whitish  grit-stone,  hollowed  beneath  into  vast  caves.  The 
most  remarkable  arc  those  of  Fin-mac-cuil,  or  Fingal,  the  son  of  Cumhal,  the  fiither  of 

*  OUus  Magnus,  lib.  i.  c.  16.  Vatiout  circles  of  this  nature  are  engraven  in  Dahlber^'a  Soecia  Hodi- 

ernaet  Antiqua,tab.  104.  Other  very  curious  antiquities,  similar  to  these,  are  preserved  m  tab.  280,  281, 

315, 333,  and  333.  if^       " 

t  Boethius, lib.  11.  p.  15.  |  Doctor  Macpherson,  p.  314,and  Mr.  Macpherion,p.  163,        ^ 

$  Borlase  Antiq.  Cornwall,  tab.  xvii.  fig.  4.  ^ 


if 


PENNANT'S  SECOND  TOUK  IN  SCOTLAND. 


'2(13 


Ossian,  who,  tradition  says,  resided  in  this  iabnd  for  the  sake  of  hunting.  One  of 
these  caverns  is  a  hundred  and  twelve  feet  long,  and  thirty  higli,  narrowing  to  the  top 
like  a  Gothic  arch ;  towards  the  end  it  branches  into  two  :  within  these  two  recesses, 
which  penetrate  far,  are  on  each  side  several  small  lioles,  opposite  to  each  other :  in 
these  were  placed  transverse  beams,  that  held  the  pots  in  which  the  heroes  seethed  their 
venison ;  or  probably,  according  to  the  mode  of  the  times,  the  bagb*  formed  of  the 
skins  of  animals  slain  in  the  chace,  which  were  filled  with  flesh,  and  served  as  kettles 
sufficiently  strone  to  warm  the  contents ;  for  the  heroes  of  old  devoured  their  meat  halt 
raw,t  holding,  that  the  juices  contained  the  best  nourishment. 

On  the  front  of  the  division  between  these  recesses,  and  on  one  side,  are  various  very 
rude  figures,  cut  on  the  stone,  of  men,  of  animals,  and  of  a  clymore,  or  twO'handed 
sword:  but  whether  these  were  the  amusements  of  the  Fingallian  age,  or  of  after-times, 
is  not  easy  to  be  ascertained ;  for  caves  were  the  retreats  of  pirates  as  well  as  heroes. 
Here  are  several  other  hollows  adjacent,  which  are  shewn  as  the  stable,  cellars,  and 
dog-kennel  of  the  great  Mac  Cuil :  one  cave,  which  is  not  honoured  with  a  name,  is 
remarkably  fine,  of  great  extent,  covered  with  a  beautiful  flat  roof,  and  very  well 
lighted  by  two  august  arches  at  each  end :  through  one  is  a  fine  perspective  of  the  pro- 
montory Cam-baan,  or  the  white  heap  of  stones,  whose  side  exhibits  a  long  range  of 
columnar  rocks  (not  basaltic)  of  hard  gray  whin-stone,  resting  on  a  horizontal  stra- 
tum of  red  stone :  at  the  extremity  one  of  the  colunuis  is  insulated,  and  forms  a  fine 
obelisk. 

After  riding  some  time  along  the  shore,  ascend  the  promontary :  on  the  summit  is 
an  ancient  retreat,  secured  on  the  land  side  by  a  great  dike  of  loose  stones,  that  incloses 
the  accessible  part ;  within  is  a  single  stone,  set  erect ;  peshaps  to  mark  the  spot  where 
the  chieftfun  held  his  council,  or  from  whence  he  delivered  his  orders. 

From  this  stone  is  u  fine  view  of  Cantyre,  the  western  side  of  Arran  being  separated 
fit>m  it  by  a  strait  about  eight  miles  wide. 

Leave  dte  hills,  and  see  at  Feorling  another  stupendous  cairn,  a  hundred  and  four. 
teeii  feet  over,  and  of  a  vast  height ;  and  from  two  of  the  opposite  sides  are  two  vast 
ridges :  the  whole  formed  of  rounded  stones,  or  pebbles,  brought  from  the  shores. 
These  imnM:nse  accumulations  of  stones  are  the  sepulchral  protections  of  the  heroes 
among  the  andent  natives  of  our  islands :  the  stone-chests,  the  repository  of  the  urns 
and  ashiK,  are  kklged  in  the  earth  beneath  :  sometimes  one,  sometimes  more,  are  found 
thus  deposited  ;  and  I  have  one  instance  of  as  many  as  seventeen  of  these  stone-chests 
bemgcfiscovered  under  the  same  cairn.  The  learned  have  assigned  other  causes  fur  these 
heaps  of  stones ;  have  supposed  them  to  have  been,  in  times  of  inauguration,  the  places 
where  the  dueftam-elect  stood,  to  shew  himself  to  the  best  advantage  to  the  people :  or 
tine  place  irom  whence  judgment  was  pronounced ;  or  to  have  been  erected  on  the. 
road  ude  ia  honour  of  Mercury  ;  or  to  have  been  formed  in  memory  of  some  solemn 
camjxict.:^  These  might  have  been  the  reasons,  in  some  instances,  where  the  evidences 
of  stone  cheats  and  urns  are  wanting ;  but  those  generally  are  found  to  overthrow  al^ 
other  systemi. 

.  These  pilei  may  be  justly  supposed  to  have  been  proportioned  in  size  to  the  rank  of 
die  person,  or  to  his  popularity :  the  people  of  a  whole  district  assembled  to  shew  their 
respect  to  the  deceased,  and,  by  an  active  honouring  of  his  memory,  soon  accumulated 
heaps  equal  to  those  thnt  astonish  us  at  this  time.  But  these  honours  were  not  merely 
those  ofthe  day  ;  as  long  as  tlie  memory  of  the  deceased  existed,  uot  a  passenger  went 

•  Major,  lib.  V.  pill."    '"  t  Boethius  Mores  Scot.  11.  . 

t  Vide  Rowland'!  Men.  Ant.  SO,  Borlase  Antiq.  Cornwall,  209. 


1! 


I 

If 


264 


PBNNANrs  SECOND  TOUB  IN  SCOTLAND. 


by  without  adding  a  stone  to  the  heap :  they  supposed  it  would  be  an  honour  to  the 
dead,  and  acceptable  to  hb  manes. 


.■.4"V 


',)  .>; 


'.ri^' 


Quanquam  fettinai,  non  eitt  mora  longa :  licebit 
.    Injecto  ter  pulvercf  currai. 


\f 


To  this  moment  there  is  a  proverbbl  expression  amon|[  the  Highlanders,  allusive  to 
the  old  practice  :  a  suppliant  will  tell  his  patron,  *'  Cum  mi  cloch  cr  do  chame,***  I 
will  add  a  stone  to  your  cairn,  meaning,  when  you  are  no  more,  I  will  do  all  possible 
honour  to  your  memory. 

There  was  another  species  of  honour  paid  to  the  chieftains,  that  I  believe  is  still  re- 
tained in  this  island,  but  the  reason  is  quite  lost :  that  of  swearing  by  his  name,  and 
paying  as  great  a  respect  to  that  as  to  the  most  sacred  oath  :t  a  familiar  one  in  Arran 
IS,  by  Nail:  it  is  at  present  unintelligible,  yet  is  suspected  to  have  been  the  name  of 
some  ancient  hero. 

These  cairns  are  to  be  found  in  all  parts  of  our  islands,  in  Cornwall,  Wales,  and  all 
parts  of  North  Britain ;  they  were  in  use  among  the  northern  nadons ;  Dahlberg,  in 
his  323d  plate,  has  given  the  figure  of  one.  In  Wales  they  are  called  Cameddau ;  but 
the  proverb  taken  from  them,  with  us,  is  not  of  the  complimental  kind:  "  Kam  ar  dy 
ben,"  or,  a  cairn  on  your  head  is  a  token  of  imprecation. 

Dine  at  Skeddag,  a  small  hamlet :  after  dinner,  on  the  road  ude,  see,  in  Shiskin  or 
Seasgain  church  yard,  a  tomb  stone,  called  that  of  St.  Maol  Jos,  that  is,  the  servant  of 
Jesits.  The  saint  is  represented  in  the  hatnt  of  a  priest,  with  a  chalice  in  his  hands, 
and  a  crosier  by  him :  the  stone  was  broken  about  half  a  year  ago  by  some  sacrilegious 
fellow,  in  search  of  treasure ;  but  an  blander,  who  stood  by,  assured  me,  that  the  at- 
faii.,^t  did  not  go  unpunished,  for  soon  after  the  audacious  wretch  was  viuted  with  a 
broken  leg. 

St.  Maol  Jos  was  a  companion  of  St.  Columba :  the  last  chose  Jona  for  the  plac6  of 
his  residence ;  this  saint  fixed  on  the  little  island  of  Lamlash,  and  officbted  by  turns  at 
Shbkin,  where  he  died  at  the  age  of  a  hundred,  and  was  there  interred. 

In  this  evening's  lide  pass  by  some  farms,  the  only  cultivated  tract  in  the  internal 
parts  of  the  country  :  saw  one  of  forty  pounds  a  year,  which  had  sixty  acres  of  arable 
land  annexed  to  it.  Am  informed  that  the  general  size  or  value  of  farms  was  eight  or 
nine  pounds  a  year. 

Return  to  Brodie  casde.  "^^ 

June  23.  Take  a  ride  to  visit  other  parts  of  the  island :  go  through  the  vfilage 
of  Brodie,  ai  a  small  distance  beneath  the  castle.  Visit  Qlencloy,  a  plain,  on  which  are 
five  earthen  tumuli,  or  barrows,  placed  in  a  row,  with  another  on  the  outside  of  them  : 
on  the  top  of  one  b  a  depression,  or  hollow ;  on  that  of  another  is  a  circle  of  stones, 
whose  ends  just  appear  above  the  earth.  These  are  probably  the  memorial  of  some 
battle :  the  common  men  were  placed  beneath  the  plain  barrows ;  the  leaders  under 
those  distinguished  by  the  stones. 

Pass  by  the  ruins  of  Kirk-michel  chapel :  visit  Mr.  Fullerton,  descended  from  the 
Mac-Louis,  originally  a  French  family,  but  settled  in  this  island  near  seven  hundred 
years.  •  He  is  one  of  the  lesser  proprietors  of  this  island :  his  farm  is  mat,  well  culti- 
vated, and  inclosed  with  very  thriving  he(^|;es.  Robert  Bruce,  out  of  eratitude  for 
the  protection  he  received  from  this  gentleman's  ancestor,  Fergus  Fuuerton,  gave 
him  a  charter,  dated  at  Arnele,  No\.  26,  in  the  2d  year  of  his  reign,  A>r  the  lands  of 


Killmichel  and  Ary  whonyne,  oi  Straith-oughlbn,  which  are  atUl  in  the  ianuiy. 


*  Ooclor  Macphenon,  319. 


t  Boethiui,  lib.  I.  p.  4. 


■^ 


'^Tmitmiii 


PENNANT'S  SECOND  TOUR  IN  SCOTLAND. 


265 


'  A  mile  furlber  is  a  retreat  of  the  ancient  inhabitants,  called  Torr-an-schian  castle, 
surrounded  with  a  great  stone  dike.  Here  Robert  Bruce  sheltered  himself  for  some  time, 
under  the  protection  of  Mac-Louis. 

Two  miles  farther  east,  near  the  top  of  a  great  hill  Dunfuin,  on  the  brow,  is  a  great 
stratum  of  most  singular  stone,  of  a  dull  black-green  cast,  smooth  glossy  surface,  shut. 
tery  in  its  composition,  semi-transparent,  in  small  pieces,  and  of  a  most  vitreous  appear, 
ance  :  it  sometimes  breaks  into  forms  raiher  regular,  and  like  those  of  that  species  called 
Iceland  crystal ;  but  cannot  be  reduced  to  that  class,  as  it  strikes  fire  with  steel,  and  re- 
fuses to  ferment  with  acids.  Some  pieces,  more  mature,  break  like  glass  ;  of  which  it 
seems  an  imperfect  species,  less  pure  than  the  Iceland  agate,*  and  like  that  to  have  been 
the  effect  of  a  volcano. 

.  The  other  fossil  productions  of  this  island,  that  I  had  an  opportunity  of  seeing,  were, 
,    An  iron  ore,  Bolus  martialis,  Cronsted,  sec.  87,  207. 

'   A  most  ponderous  white  spar,  in  all  probability  containing  lead,  found  near  Sannox. 
:    The  stone  called  Breccia  quartzosa,  Cronsted,  sect.  275. 
4.    Schistus  ardesia  of  Linnaeus,  p.  38.  No.  5.     A  fine  smooth  black  kind  of  slate. 

Granites  durus  griseus  of  Cronsted,  sect.  270,  No.  26.  Like  our  Cornish  moor, 
stone,  but  the  particles  finer. 

Very  fine  and  large  black  crystals,  that  would  be  useful  to  seal-cutters  and  lappidaries. 

Great  variety  of  beautiful  Sardonyxes :  and  other  beautiful  stones,  indiscriminately 
called  Scotch  pebbles. 

.  A  coal-mine  has  formerly  been  worked  near  the  Cock  of  Arran,  at  the  N.  end  of  the 
island.  The  coal  had  all  the  qualities  of  that  of  Kilkenny,  and  might  prove  of  the  ut- 
most benefit  to  this  country,  was  the  work  pursued  ;  not  only  as  it  might  prove  the 
means  of  restoring  the  salt-pans,  which  formerly  flourished  here,  but  be  of  the  utmost 
benefit  to  agriculture,  in  burning  the  lime-stone  which  abounds  in  many  parts. 

In  the  course  of  my  ride,  on  the  other  side  of  the  hill  of  Dunfuin,  facmg  the  bay  of 
Lamlash,  saw,  on  the  road  side,  a  cahn,  of  a  different  kind  to  what  I  had  seen  before  : 
it  was  large,  of  an  oblong  form,  and  composed  like  the  otiiers  of  round  stones :  but 
along  the  top  was  a  series  of  cells,  some  entire,  but  many  fallen  in :  each  was  co\'ered 
with  a  single  flat  stone  of  a  great  size,  resting  on  others  upright,  that  ser/ed  as  supports ; 
but  I  could  not  count  them,  by  reason  of  the  lapse  of  the  leaser  stones.  Doctor  Boriase 
says,  that  in  Cornwall  the  number  of  upright  stones  are  three ;  but  in  Wales  they  some- 
times exceed  that  number. 

These  cells  are  called  in  Wales,  Cromleh  and  Ccst-va-en,  or  stone-chests  :  are  spoken 
of  largely  by  Mr.  Rowland,!  and  by  Doctor  Borlase,|  and  by  Wormius,^  under 
the  name  of  Ara,  or  altar  :  the  first  is  divided  in  his  opinion,  for  he  partly  inclines  to 
the  notion  of  their  having  been  altars,  partly  to  their  having  been  sepulchres :  he  sup- 
poses them  to  have  been  originally  tombs,  but  that  in  after-times  sacrifices  were  per- 
formed on  them  to  the  heroes  deposited  in  them  :  but  there  can  be  no  doubt  of  the  former. 
Mr.  Keysler  preserves  an  account  of  king  Harold  having  been  interred  beneath  a  tomb 
of  thb  kind  in  Denmark :  but  Mr.  Wright  discovered  in  Ireland  a  skeleton  deposited  be- 
neath one  of  these  Cromleh.  K  The  great  similarity  of  the  monuments  throughout  the 
north  evinces  the  sameness  of  religion  to  have  been  spread  in  every  part,  perhaps  with 
some  slight  deviations.  Many  of  these  monuments  are  both  British  and  Danish ;  for  we 
find  them  where  the  Danes  never  penetrated.    It  must  not  be  forgotten,  that  at  one  end 


*  PuiACX  vitreus,  Lin.  syst.  iii. 
^105.  II  Louthiaoa. 


182. 


t  48. 


f  213,  he. 


▼OL.    III. 


u  u 


"^V^f^^il'y  ••-'■'*?p■^■^■'r'.—T^ 


t 


S6d 


PENNANT'S  SECOND  TOUR  IN  SCOTLAND. 


of  the  cairn  in  question  are  several  great  stones*  some  extending  beyond  tKe  cairn ;  and 
on  one  side  is  a  large  erect  stone,  perhaps  an  object  of  worship. 

Return  near  the  shore  at  the  head  of  Brodie  bay*  and  see  a  vast  stratum  of  coral  and 
shells,  the  gift  of  the  sea,  some  ages  ago,  some  part  being  covered  with  peat. 

June  24.  In  the  afternoon  leave  Brodie  castle,  cross  a  hill,  descend  by  the  village  of 
Kilbride,  and  rf>ach  the  harbour  of  Lamlash,  where  our  vessel  lay  at  anchor  in  the  saicflC 
port  in  the  univ    ""    "<  port perfecdy  Virgilian  :  *.»>*^  irii.  -^' » n-v-nrj ,  v>ff  %  w.^*'-" 

: '    •     -'  Hicinnilaportum       !}'      - -^vt-^ww,  r.  V  ^V«?V>  ,<?!>->- 

EiBcit  objectu  Uteram. 

u  beautiful  semilunar  bay  forms  one  part :  while  the  lofty  island  of  Lamlash  extending 
before  the  mouth  secures  it  from  the  east  winds  :  leaving  on  each  side  a  safe  and  easy 
entrance.  The  whole  circumference  is  about  nine  miles ;  and  the  depth  of  the  water  is 
sufficient  for  the  largest  ships.  This  is  a  place  of  quarantine  :  at  this  time  three  mer- 
chantmen belonging  to  Glasgow  lay  here  for  that  purpose,  each  with  the  guard  boat 
astern. 

In  the  bottom  of  the  bay  was  a  fine  circular  baun  or  pier,  now  in  ruins  ;  the  work  of 
the  good  duchess  of  Hamilton. 

Land  on  the  island  of  Lamlash,  a  vast  mountain,  in  ^reat  part  covered  with  heath ;  but 
lias  a  sufficient  pasture  and  arable  land  to  feed  a  few  milch  cows,  sheep  and  goats,  and  to 
raise  a  little  com  and  a  few  potatoes. 

In  the  year  1558,  the  £nglbh  fleet  under  the  earl  of  Sussex,  after  ravapn^  the  coOv-f. 
of  Cantyre,  at  that  time  in  possession  of  James  Mac-comel,  landed  in  this  bay,  and 
burned  and  destroyed  all  the  neighbouring  country ;  proceeded  afterwards  to  Cumray, 
and  treated  it  in  the  same  manner. 

Buchanan  gives  this  the  Latin  name  of  Molas  and  Molassa,  from  its  having  been  the 
retreat  of  St.  Maol-Jos :  for  the  same  reaiHm  it  is  called  the  holy  island,  and  Hellan 
Leneow,*  or  that  of  Samts,  and  sometimes  AM-na-molas.  St.  MtxA4oi''s  cave,  the 
residence  of  that  holy  man,  his  well  of  most  salutary  water,  a  place  for  bathing,  lus 
chair,  and  the  ruins  of  jus  chuel,  are  shewn  to  strangers ;  but  the  walk  is  iar  from 
agreeable,  as  the  island  is  greatly  infested  with  viners.  ''''!; 

The  Dean  of  the  isles  says,  that  on  thb  isle  of  Molas  was  foundit  by  John  lord  ojf  ftftf 
isles  ane  monastry  of  friars  which  is  decayit.  But  notwitstanding  this,  it  contributed 
largely  to  the  support  of  others  on  the  main  land.  Thus  Lamlash  and  the  lands  round 
theba^,  and  those  from  Corry  to  Lpch>ranza,  were  annexed  to  the  abbey  of  Ril- 
whinniiu  And  those  of  Shiskin,  Kilmore,  Torelin,  and  Benaos,  to  ^at  of  Sandale  or 
Saddel  in  Cantyre.  I  ima^ne  that  I  must  have  seen  the  site  ot  it  from  the  top  of  Carh- 
baan :  therefore  take  the  liberty  of  mentioning  it  as  having  been  a  convent  ojt  Cutet" 
cians,  founded  by  Reginaldus,  son  oi  Somerled,  lord  of  the  isles  :  the  same  Som^ifed 
who  was  slain  near  Renft'ew  in  1164.  Here  was  also  a  castle  bel(mging  to  the  succeSf^ 
of  that  petty  prince  ;  whose  owner  Angus,  lord  of  the  isles,  gave  protection  during  his 
distresses  to  Robert  Bruce. 

June  25.  Weighed  anchor  at  half  an  hour  p^st  one  in  the  morning,  atid  g^jj^ 
through  the  south  passage  of  the  harbour,  get  into  the  middle  of  the  Futb.  Irave  a 
magnificent  view  on  all  sides  of  Arran  and  I^mkoh,  and  the  coast  oi  Canty  te  on  one 
side;  and  of  tlie  coasts  of  Cunninfl^m  and  Cairick  on  the  other.  In  front  lay  the 
hills  of  Galloway  and  the  coast  of  Ireland ;  and  the  vast  crag  of  Ailsa«  appearing  4iere 

•*^  ^       •  Fordun.  lib*  u.  c.  10.^    ^      „  ^ 


■:ft'^f,>L. 


niNlfAlfr^  IICOKD  TOUR  IN  8C0TLAMD. 


'J6T 


and 


his 


like  an  inclined  hay*cock»  rose  in  the  midst  of  the  channel.  In  our  courM:  Icuvc  to 
the  west  the  little  and  low  island  of  Plada,  opposite,  and  as  if  rent  from  thut  of  Arran, 
a  circumstance  the  name,  fttmi  Bladhan,  to  break,  seems  to  import. 

Aflei'  a  very  tedious  calm  reach  the  crag  of  Ailsa,  and  anchor  o*\  the  N.  K.  within 
fifty  yards  of  the  side,  in  twelve  fathom  water,  jpravelly  bottom.  On  thi»  side  is  u 
small  beach,  air  the  rest  is  a  perpendicular  rock  for  an  amazing  height,  but  from  the 
edges  of  the  precipice  the  mountain  assumes  a  pyramidal  form ;  the  whole  circum- 
ference of  the  base  h  two  miles.  On  the  cast  side  is  a  stupendous  and  amaainu;  as> 
semblage  of  precipitous  columnar  rocks  of  great  height,  rising  in  wild  scries  one  above 
the  other ;  beneath  these,  amklst  the  ruins  that  had  fallen  from  time  to  time,  are  groves 
of  elder  trees,  the  only  trees  of  the  place  :  the  sloping  surface  being  almost  entirely 
covered  mth  fern  and  short  grass.  The  quadrupeds  that  inhabit  this  ronk  are  eoatb 
and  rabtuts ;  tlie  birds  that  nestle  in  the  precipices  arc  numerous  as  swarms  of  bees^, 
and  not  unlike  them  in  their  flight  to  and  from  the  cm  ,.  On  the  verge  of  the  preci- 
pice dwell  the  gannets  and  the  shags.  Beneath  are  guillemots,  and  (he  razor-bills, 
and  under  them  the  gray  gulls  and  kittiwakes  helped  by  their  ciy  to  f\(t  the  deafen- 
ing chorus.  The  puffins  made  themselves  burroughs  above,  the  sea-pies  found  a 
scanty  place  for  their  eggs  near  the  base.  Some  land  birds  made  this  their  haunt : 
among  them  ravens,  hooded  crows,  pigeons,  wheat-ears  and  rock -larks:  and«  what  h 
wonderful,  throstles  exerted  the  same  melody  in  this  scene  of  horror  as  they  do  in  the 
groves  of  Hertfordshire. 

Three  reptiles  appeared  here  very  unexpectedly :  tlie  naked  black  snail,  the  com' 
mon  and  the  striped  shell  snail ;  not  volunteer  inhabitants,  but  probably  brought  in 
the  salads  of  some  visitants  from  the  neighbouring  shores. 

Thu  rock  is  the  property  of  the  earl  of  Cassib^  who  rents  it  for  331.  per  ann.  to 
people  who  come  here  to  t^e  the  young  gannets  for  the  table,  and  the  other  birds  for 
the  sake  of  their  feathers.  The  last  orf  (iHuglir  wlirn  th''  foung  birds  are  ready  for 
their  flight.  The  fowler  ascends  the  rocks  wnii  uitnt  UazurA,  is  provided  with  a  long 
rod,  furnished  at  the  end  with  a  short  hair  line  wuli  u  funning  noose,  Tiiis  he  fling" 
round  the  neck  of  the  bird,  hawls  it  up«  and  repeals  it,  till  he  takes  ten  or  twelve  dozen 
in  an  evening.'^ 


Land  on  the  beach,  and  find  the  ruln^  of  a  nhnmU  aitd  (he  vestiges  of  places  inha- 

ited  by  fishermen,  who  resort  hsre  during  m  mHiiU  for  the  ca|)ture  of  cml,  which 

''        '        '  '    "  ''         ;«t  111 ut,  which  beg'         "'"  *      ' 

long  lilies,  very  little  diflercnt  (ttiw  'li'^se  f|r^»«  rlbAH  If/  flie  f//"l 

rr__i »i»i :_ .    li      ii   i  i 


bited   ,  _     „ 

abound  here  from  January  to  A[ii\l,   r/n  the  great 
Arran,  passes  this  rock ,  and  extends  three  1^ 


hich^  begins  a  little  so^^fh  of 

fish  are  taken  with 

V9)ijme  of  the  Br. 

»    I       malted,  but  there  are 


Zoology :  a  repetition  is  unnecessary  ;  iii 
seldom  sufficient  caught  for  foreign  exportatiun 

With  mb  j  difficulty  ascend  in  the  rastte.  a  ^nusi e  tower  of  three  stories,  ea^h 
vaulted,  (^ced  pretty  high  on  thi;)  only  aceesslble  paft  of  the  rock.  The  path  is  nar- 
row, over  a  vast  slope,  so  aml'ignous,  that  it  aaaH  but  Utde  of  a  true  precipice :  tlie 
wa&  is  borrttde,  for  the  depth  is  alarming.  Jt  lyotil.]  have  been  thovight  th.-it  npthitig 
but  an  eagle  would  have  fixed  nis  haliiiatiou  liete;  and  probably  it  was  somt;  chiefr^An 
not  less  an  anin^l  of  rapine.  '(V  only  mark  of  civilization  I  saw  in  the  cas^c  wa  m 
oven ;  a  conventency  wnich  many  parts  of  Not  (h  Britain  are  yet  strangers  to. 

Iq  1597  one  Barely  of  Ladjjrlaad  uridertook  the  romantic  desgn  of  possessing  him  •■ 
self  of  this  rock,  and  of  fortifying  it  for  the  service  of  the  Spaniards.     He  arrived  there 

*  I  cannot  Inrn  where  these  feathers  are  uied. 

M  M  3 


7^'f'  ^t'^'^^-'-'f-^I-f!^ 


..•trr:iT-w^ff'^4^imm  >i<  II  to^  *Vcjfc.*  • 


208 


VBNNANrS  SISCONDTOUR  IN  SCOTLAND. 


with  a  few  assistants,  as  he  imagined,  undiscovrrfd ;  but  one  day  walking  alone  on  the 
beach  he  niKxpcctcdly  encountered  Mr.  John  Knux,  who  was  neiit  to  apprehend  him; 
and  the  moment  he  law  the  unfriendly  party,  in  despair,  he  rushed  into  the  sea,  and 
{Hit  an  end  to  his  existence.* 

Made  a  hearty  dinner  under  the  shade  of  the  castle,  and  even  at  that  height  pro- 
cured fine  water  from  a  spring  within  a  hundred  yards  of  the  place.  The  view  of  the 
bay  of  Girvan  in  Curricle,  within  nine  miles,  and  that  of  Campbeltown,  about  twenty, 
two,  bounded  rach  side  of  the  Firth. 

The  weather  was  so  hot  that  we  did  not  ascend  to  the  summit,  which  is  said  to  be 
broad,  and  to  have  had  on  it  a  small  chapel,  designed  (as  is  frequent  on  the  promon- 
tories of  foreign  shores)  for  the  devout  seaman  to  oflier  up  his  prayer  of  supplication, 
for  a  Siife  voyage,  or  of  gratitude  for  a  safe  return. 

In  the  eveiung  return  on  board,  and  steer  towards  Campbeltowni  but  vofkt  very 
little  way,  by  reason  of  the  stillness  of  the  night.  'T'  >       'il/v  » '>i*tK;r  'M^r 

June  26.  In  the  morning  find  ourselves  within  nine  miles  of  the  town,  having  to  the 
south  (near  the  end  of  Cantyre)  Sanda,  or  Avoyn,  or  island  of  harbours, f  so  called 
from  its  being  the  station  of  the  Danish  fleets,  while  that  nation  possessed  the  Hebrides ; 
a  high  island,  about  two  miles  long,  inhabited  by  four  families.  In  Fordun's  time  here 
was  the  chupel  of  St.  Annian,  and  a  sanctuary  for  the  refuge  of  criminals.^  Near  it  is 
Sheep  island ;  and  a  mile  to  the  east  lies  Peterson's  rock,  dreaded  by  mariners.  The 
Mull,  or  extremity  of  Cantyre,  lies  at  a  small  distance  beyond  this  groupe.  vVt*  <^»  »<  ,•   • 

Direct  Mr.  Thompson  to  carry  the  vessel  round  the  Mull,  and  to  wait  under  the 
the  isle  of  Gigha.  Take  the  boat,  and  make  for  Campbeltown ;  after  seven  miles, 
reach  the  mouth  of  the  harbour,  crossed  by  a  small  and  high  island,  with  a  deep  but 
narrow  passage  on  one  side ;  on  the  other,  connected  to  the  land  by  a  beach,  dry  at 
the  ebb  of  the  tides,  and  so  low,  that  strange  ships,  mistaking  the  entrance,  sometimes 
run  on  shore.  The  harbour  widens  to  a  very  considerable  extent,  is  two  miles  in  length 
and  of  a  conuderable  depth  of  vrater,  even  close  to  the  town,  which  lies  at  the  bottom. 

Campbeltown  is  now  a  very  considerable  place,  having  risen  from  a  petty  fishing 
town  to  its  present  flourishing  state  in  less  than  thirty  years.  About  the  year  1744  it 
had  only  two  or  three  small  vessels  belonging  to  the  port ;  at  present  there  are  seventy, 
et^c  sail,  from  twentpr  to  eighty  tons  burthen,  all  built  for  and  employed  in  the  herrinfi;. 
JBshery,  and  about  eight  hundred  sailors  are  employed  to  man  them.  Tnistown  m 
fiact  was  created  by  the  fishery,  for  it  was  appointed  the  place  of  rendezvous  for  the 
busses  ;  two  hundred  and  sixty  have  been  seen  in  the  harbour  at  once,  bat  their  num. 
ber  declines  since  the  ill  payment  of  the  bounty.  I  do  not  know  the  gradual  increase 
of  tlic  inhabitants  here,  but  it  is  computed  that  there  are  seven  thousand  in  the  town 
and  parish.  Two  ministers  officiate,  besides  another  for  the  church  of  the  Seceders, 
called  the  Relief-house.  This  is  a  remarkable  neat  building,  and  quite  shames  that  of 
the  established  church ;  was  raised  by  a  voluntary  subscription  of  S3001.  collected 
chiefly  among  the  posterity  of  oppressed  natives  of  the  Lowlmds,  encouraged  to  settie 
here  An  times  of  pmecatibn)  by  the  Ar^le  family.  These  still  keep  tbemselveadts- 
tinct  from  the  old  inhabitants,  retain  the  zeal  of  their  aticestors,  are  obstinately  averse 
m  patroi»ge,  but  are  esteemed  the  most  industrious  peqile  in  the  countt-y. 

The  ancient  name  of  this  place  was  Cean-loch-chille-Ciurain,  or  the  end  of  the  k)ch 
of  St.  Kerran,  a  saint  of  the  neighbourhood.-    The  countiyj  of  which  it  is  the  cajri^al, 

*Spoii«wood'8  Hist.of  Scot  p.  446  and447.  .  , 

t  Buchwan,  lib.  i.  35.    Tlw  Dc«n  of  the  isles  calls  it  Avoyn,  fi-a  the  armies  of  Denmark  call  it  in  (heti- 
leid,  Havic.  M^ordun,  lib.ii.c.  ID. 


''-<ii»aMfMikV' ' 


'^'X"*"*' 


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Il 


on  the 
.  him; 
a,  and 

«  pro. 

of  the 

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to  be 
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tiottion, 

x  very 

g  to  the 
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brides ; 
me  here 
ear  it  is 
s.     The 


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etp  but 
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f  fishing 
r  1744  It 

seventy. 
:  herrtc^. 
I  town  m 
IS  for  the 
leir  num> 
1  increase 

the  town 
Seceders, 
»  that  of 

collected 
I  to  settle 
lelvea  dis. 
sly  averse 

rthe  loch 
le  capital, 

tltitinlheh- 


PIMNANrB  8IC0ND  TOl/R  IN  SCOTLAND.  .j^g 

is  Cantyte,  the  most  southern  part  of  Argyktihlre  \  derived  from  Ceann,  a  head  nnd 
tire  of  the  land ;  was  the  country  of  the  Kpidii  of  the  Romans,  and  the  extremity,  the 
Epidii  promontorium,  now  the  Mull  of  Canty  re,  noted  for  the  vif)lcnce  of  the  adverse 
tides,  compared  to  the  force  of  a  mill-race,  from  whence  the  modern  name.  Miunus 
the  Barefooted  made  a  con4|uest  of  it,  and  added  it  to  the  Hebrides,  making  an  isiaud 
of  it  by  the  ratio  ultima  rcgum.  Tortaua  »ays,  that  the  ancient  name  was  Saltiria,  or 
Saiiria,  perhapf  Norwegian.* 

This  peninsula,  from  the  Tarbat  to  the  Mull,  is  above  forty  miles  long*  and.  frr)ni 
five  to  twelve  miles  broad :  is  hilly,  but,  comparative  to  other  parts,  cannot  be  called 
mountainous;  is  open,  and  in  general  naked,  but  near  Campl)cltown  are  some  thriving 
plantations.  The  country  is  at  present  a  mixture  of  iKath  and  arable  land  ;  the  land  is 
good,  capable  of  bearing  wheat,  but  little  is  raised,  for  want  of  millH  to  grind  it ;  either 
me  inhabitants  buy  their  flour  from  England,  or  send  the  grain  they  have  to  be  ground 
in  the  shire  of  Ayr.  Much  bear  is  sown  here,  great  quantities  of  potatoes  raised,  and 
near  fiOOI.  worth  annually  exported.  Numbers  oi  black  cattle  are  reared,  but 
chiefly  killed  at  home,  and  salted  for  the  use  of  the  busses  at  Campbeltown.  Much 
butter  and  cheese  is  made ;  the  last  large  and  bad.  There  are  besides  sheep  and  goats ; 
the  last  killed  for  winter  provision. 

Notwithstanding  the  quantity  of  bear  raised,  there  is  often  a  sort  of  dearth :  the 
inhabitants  being  mad  enough  to  convert  their  bread  into  poison,  distilling  annually 
six  thousand  boils  of  grain  into  whisky.  This  seems  a  modern  liquor,  for  in  old 
times  the  distillation  was  from  thvme,  mint,  anise,t  and  other  fragrant  herbs,  and  ale 
was  much  in  use  with  them.  1  he  former  had  thte  same  name  with  the  usquebaugh, 
or  water  of  life  ;  but  by  Boethius's  account,  it  was  taken  with  modemtion. 

The  duke  of  Argylo,  the  principal  proiirietor  of  this  country,  takes  great  pains  in 
discouraging  the  pernicious  practice ;  and  obliges  all  his  tenants  to  enter  into  articles,  to 
forfeit  five  pounds  and  the  still,  in  case  they  are  detected  in  making  this  liqueur  d'enfer ; 
but  the  trakde  is  ^  profitable  tltat  many  persist  in  it,  to  the  great  neglect  of  manufac 
tures.  Before  tiu  business  got  ground,  the  women  were  accustomed  to  spin  a  great 
deal  of  ymm  (for  much  flax  is  raised  in  thc^e  parts)  but  at  present  they  employ  tliem- 
selves  in  distilling,  while  their  Husbands  are  iu  the  field. 

Rural  economy  is  but  at  a  low  ebb  here :  his  grace  does  all  in  his  power  to  promote 
that  most  useful  of  arts,  by  giving  a  certain  number  of  bolls  of  burnt  time  to  those 
Who  can  shew  (he  largest  and  bent  fallow  ;  and  allowing  ten  percent,  out  of  the  rents 
to  such  ianners,  who  lay  out  any  money  in  solid  improvements ',  for  example,  in  in- 
Oloaing,  and  the  hire.  The  duke  also  shews  much  humanity  in  ai>othcr  instance^  by 
permitting  his  tenants,  in  t^  places  of  his  estates  where  stags  inhabit,  to  destroy  thetn 
with  inpimity  ;  reugning  that  part  of  the  ancient  chieftain's  magnificence,  rather  than 
beaaiB  of  .ohasc  should  waste  the  bread  of  the  poor. 

,  'C  *yre  vms  granted  to  the  house  of  Argyle  alter  a  suppression  of  a  rebellion  of  the 
.jMHa^'u  Aids  of  the  iales  (and  I  suppose  of  tivs  peninsula)  in  the  beginning  of  the  last 
•tntitfj  X  and  ^  grant  was  afterwards  ratified  by  parliament^  The  ancient  inhabit- 
.■m^^  «^'<^'e  the  Mac-aon«ldSf  Mac-eachrans,  Mac-kays,  and  Macma  is. 

Jwie37.  Take  a  rids  Rk>ng  the  west  side  of  the  bay.  See,  in  Kilkerrun  church- 
yard, several  tombs  of  artificers,  with  the  instruments  of  th-^ir  trades  e/  s^raven :  amongst 
others  appear  a  goose  and  shears,  to  deoote  that  a  taylor  lay  benea  'h.  A  little  fur- 
ther 00  the  shore  are  the  ruins  of  Kilkenran  castle,  built  by  James  V,  \^en  he  visited 

^'lf«  jVTh!  vf%"'  *  ToHie«8,r3.  ;.  .       t  BMtbius<l«MoribuB,Scot.  11.      vl-'' 

1  Br.  Biography,  ii.  1141.        •         S  Crawford's  Peerage,  \9. 


S 


•«»«»(fe>te^sj#^afir^:r' ~  • '-" 


i 


270 


fCNNANT'S  SECOND  TOUH  IN  ICOTLANS. 


thin  place  in  order  to  fjucll  a  rebellion  :  he  was  obli)j;e(i  to  fly  to  it  for  protection,  and, 
an  is  said,  to  ubundoii  it  to  the  fury  ul'  the  insurgents,  who  took  the  t'ortresi,  and  hung 
his  governor. 

Turn  to  the  south,  and  visit  some  caves  in  the  rocks  that  face  the  Firth :  these  urc 
very  mugnificcnt,  and  very  various ;  the  tn|)s  arc  lofty,  and  resemble  Gothic  arches ; 
one  has  on  all  sides  a  range  of  natural  seats,  another  is  in  form  of  a  cross,  with  three 
fine  Gothic  porticoes,  for  entrances ;  this  had  been  the  residence  of  St.  Kerran,  had 
formerU'  a  wall  at  the  entrance,  a  second  about  the  middle,  and  a  thinl  far  up,  form- 
ing different  apartments.  On  the  floor  is  the  capital  of  a  cross,  and  a  round  baiion, 
cut  out  of  the  rock,  full  of  flne  water,  the  beverage  of  the  saint  in  old  times,  and  oj 
tailors  in  the  present,  who  of\en  land  to  dress  their  victuals  beneath  this  shelter.  An 
ancient  pair,  upwards  of  seventy  years  of  age,  once  made  this  their  habitation  for  a  con< 
siderable  time. 

Return ;  view  the  cross  in  the  middle  of  the  town :  a  most  beautiful  pillar,  richly 
ornamented  with  foliage,  and  with  this  inscription  on  one  skle  ;  Htec :  e»t :  crux :  Do- 
mini'. Yvari:  M:  It:  Eachyma:  auondam:  liectoris:  de  Kyrecan:  et:  Domini: 
Andre;  nati:  ejus:  Rectoris  de  Kit:  coman:  qui  hanc  erucem  Jieri  faciebat.  Mr. 
Gordon  (by  report)  mentions  this  as  a  Danish  obeiink,  but  does  not  venture  the  descrip. 
tion,  as  he  had  not  opportunity  of  seeing  it :  his  informant  said,  that  it  was  brought  from 
Jona,  which  concurs  with  the  tradition  of  this  place. 

At  night  am  admitted  a  freeman  of  Campbeltown,  and,  according  to  the  custom  of 
the  place,  consult  the  Oracle  of  the  Bottle  about  my  future  voyage,  assisted  by  a  nu- 
merous company  of  brother  burgesses. 

June  28.  Leave  Cambeltown  with  a  full  sense  of  all  the  civilities  received  there. 
Ride  over  a  plain  about  five  miles  wide.  See  on  the  road  side  a  great  wheel,  designed 
for  raising  the  water  from  the  neighbouring  collieries.  The  coal  is  eight  feet  thick, 
dips  one  yard  in  five,  and  points  N.  E.  by  N.  W.  is  sold  on  the  bank  for  four  shiU 
linn  per  ton ;  but  sufficient  is  not  yet  raised  for  the  use  of  the  country. 

This  plain  is  fruitful,  pretty  much  inclosed,  and  the  hedges  grow  well ;  a  great  en- 
couragement for  further  experiments ;  the  improved  land  is  rented  here  from  fifteen  to 
twenty  shillings  an  acre. 

Observe  on  the  road  side  the  ruins  of  the  chapel  of  Cill-chaovain,  or  KiLchyvain ; 
within  are  some  old  grave-stones,  engraven  with  figures  of  a  two-handed  sword,  and  of 
dogs  chasing  a  deer. 

fede  three  miles  along  the  sands  of  Machrai'-Shanais  bay,  noted  for  the  tremendous 
size  and  roaring  of  its  waves  in  stormy  seasons;  and  for  the  loss  of  many  ships,  which, 
by  reason  of  the  lowness  of  the  land,  are  received  into  destruction. 

Dine  ut  a  tolerable  house  at  Bar ;  visit  the  great  cave  of  Bealach-a'-chaochain,  near 
the  shore.  Embark  in  a  rotten,  leaky  boat,  and  passing  through  six  miles  of  njppling 
sea.  find  late  at  night  our  vessel  safe  at  anchor,  under  the  east  side  of  the  isle  of  Gigha, 
in  the  little  harbour  of  Caolas-gioglam,  protected  by  Gigha  and  the  little  isle  of  Cara 
on  the  west  and  south,  and  by  a  chain  of  vast  rocks  to  me  east :  numbers  appear  just 
peeping  above  water  in  several  parts,  and  others  that  nm  out  far  from  the  Cantyre 
shore  correspond  with  these  so  exactly,  as  to  make  it  probable  that  they  once  formed  the 
same  bed. 

June  29.  Land  on  Gigha,  an  island  about  six  miles,  and  one  broad;  the  roost 
eastern  of  the  Hebrides :  this,  with  Cara,  forms  a  parish  in  the  county  of  Bute,  in  the 
presbytery  of  Cantyre.  Has  in  it  no  high  hills,  and  is  a  mixture  of  rock,  pasture,  and 
arable  land.     Produces  barley,  bear,  oats,  flax,  and  potatoes.    Malt  1$  made  here,  and 


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PENNANT'S  SECOND  TOUR  IN  SCOTLAND. 


271 


exported :  and  about  a  hundred  and  fifty  bolls  of  bear ;  insomuch  that  sometimes  the 
natives  feel  the  want  of  it,  and  suffer  by  a  scurcity  arising  from  their  own  avarice. 
They  also  rear  mac  cattle  than  tliey  can  maintain,  and  annually  lose  numbers  for  want 
of  fodder. 

The  island  is  divided  into  thirty  marklands,  each  of  which  ought  to  maintain  fourteen 
cows  and  four  horses»  besides  producing  a  certain  quantity  of  corn.  The  bear  yields 
five,  the  oats  three  fold.  Each  markland  is  commonly  occupied  by  one  farmer,  who 
has  several  married  servants  under  him,  who  live  in  separate  cottages,  and  are  allowed 
to  keep  a  few  cattle  and  sheep.  The  wages  are  from  three  to  four  pounds  a  year  to  the 
men  servants ;  from  twenty  to  thirty  shillings  to  the  women.  The  young  men  employ 
themselves  in  the  summer  in  the  herring  fishery ;  but  during  winter  give  themselves 
up  entirely  to  an  inactive  life. 

This  island  contains  about  five  hundred  inhabitants,  and  the  revenue  is  about  six 
hundred  a  year ;  most  of  it  belonging  to  Mr.  Mac  Neile  of  Taynish.  In  old  times  the 
laird  was  styled  Thane  of  Gigha :  his  family  has  been  long  owner  of  theue  little  terri- 
tories, this  sea'girt  reign,  but  was  dispossessed  of  it  in  1549  by  the  clan  Donald,*  and 
recovered  it  again :  but  history  omits  the  time  of  restoration.  Discontent  has  even 
reached  this  small  island,  and  two  families  have  migrated  to  America. 

Breakfast  with  the  minister,  who  may  truly  be  said  to  be  wedded  to  his  flock.  The 
ocean  here  forbids  all  wandering,  even  if  inclination  excited :  and  the  equal  lot  of 
the  Scotch  clergy  is  a  still  stronger  check  to  every  aspiring  thought :  thb  bmds  them 
to  their  people,  and  invigorates  every  duty  towards  those  to  whom  the^  consider  them- 
selves connected  for  life ;  this  equal  lot  may  perhaps  blunt  the  ambition  after  some 
of  the  more  specious  accomplishments ;  but  makes  more  than  amends,  by  sharpening 
the  attention  to  those  concerns  which  end  not  with  this  being. 

Visit  the  few  wonders  of  the  isle :  the  first  is  a  little  well  of  a  most  miraculous  qual- 
ity ;  for,  in  old  times,  if  ever  the  chieftain  lay  here  wind-bound,  he  had  nothing  more 
to  do  than  cause  the  veil  to  be  cleared,  and  instantly  a  favourable  gale  arose.  But 
miracles  are  now  ceased. 

Examine  the  ruins  of  a  church,  and  find  some  tombs  with  two-handed  swords,  the 
Claidh'da-laimb  of  the  hero  deposited  beneath. 

A  litde  farther,  at  Kil-chattan,  is  a  great  rude  column,  sixteen  feet  high,  four 
broad,  and  eight  inches  thick,  and  near  it  a  cairn.  On  a  line  with  this,  at  Cnoc-a'. 
chara,  is  another,  and  still  higher  in  the  same  direction,  at  Cnoc-a*-crois,  is  a  cross  and 
three  cairns ;  probably  the  cross,  after  the  introduction  of  Christianity,  was  formed  out 
of  a  pagan  monument  similar  to  the  two  former. 

In  the  bottom,  a  little  east  from  these,  is  a  large  artificial  mount  of  a  square  form, 
growing  less  and  less  towards  the  top,  which  is  Hat,  and  has  the  vestige  of  a  breast- 
wall  around.  The  mount  Romelborg.in  Sweden,  engraven  by  M.  Dahlberg,  No.  325, 
b  somewhat  similar:  thb  probably  was  the  work  of  the  Danes,  the  neighbouring 
nation. 

Return  to  the  shore ;  observe  a  vast  bed  of  most  pure  arn^  fine  sand,  useful  in  the 
glass  manufacture :  the  same  species,  but  defiled  with  a  mixture  of  sea-sand,  appears 
again  on  the  qipoute  coast  of  Cantyre. 

The  birds  that  appear  here  at  present  are  the  common  gull,  common  sand-piper,  and 
sea-pie.  The  neat  arctic  diver,  of  the  British  Zoology,  sometimes  visits  these  seas,  and 
b  anted  in  the  Erse«  farbhuachaiUe,  or  the  herdsman  of  the  ocean ;  because,  as  is  pre- 

*  Dean  of  the  Isles,  r. 


'^ 


272 


PENNANT'S  SECOND  TOUn  IN  SCOTLAND. 


tended,  it  never  leaves  that  element^  never  flies,  and  hatches  the  young  bcnfttth  its 


win 


'1  he  weather  extremely  fine,  but  so  calm  that  Mr.  T'.ionpson  is  obliged  to  tow  the 
vessel  out  of  this  little  harbour,  which  is  of  unequal  depihs,  but  unfit  for  vessels  that 
draw  more  than  fourteen  feet  water.  Pass  under  Cara,  an  isle  one  mile  long,  divided 
by  a  narrow  channel,  south  of  Gi^ha,  is  inhabited  by  one  family,  and  had  once  a  cha^ 
\k\.  At  the  south  end  it  rises  mto  a  hill,  exactly  formed  like  a  loaf  of  bread.  The 
property  of  this  little  place  is  in  Mr.  Mac-donald,  of  Largis. 

Attempt  to  steer  for  the  island  of  Hay,  but  in  vain.  Am  entertained  with  the  variet}' 
and  greatness  of  the  views  that  bound  the  channel,  the  great  sound  of  Jura ;  to  the  east 
the  mountains  of  Arran  overtop  the  far-extending  shores  of  Cantyre ;  to  the  west  lies 
Jura,  mountainous  and  rugged ;  four  hills,  naked  and  distinct,  aspire  above  the  rest, 
two  of  them  known  to  the  seamen  by  the  name  of  the  Paps,  useful  in  navigation  :  far  to 
the  north  just  appears  a  chain  of  small  isles ;  and  to  the  south  the  Island  of  Ruthry, 
the  supposed  Ricnea,  or  Ricina,  of  Pliny,*  on  the  coast  of  Ireland,  which  stretches  be- 
vond  lar  to  tlie  west. 


A  BRIEF  HISTORY  OF  THE  HEBRIDES. 

The  leisure  of  a  calm  gave  ample  time  for  reflection  on  the  history  and  greater  events 
of  the  islands  now  in  view,  and  of  the  others,  vhe  objects  of  tl^e  voyage.  In  justice  to 
that  able  and  learned  writer,  the  Rev.  Dr.  John  Macpherson,  late  minister  of  Slate  in 
Skie,  let  me  acknowledge  the  assistance  I  receive  from  his  ingenious  essay  on  this  very 
subject ;  for  his  labours  greatly  facilitate  my  attempt,  not  undertaken  without  consultii^ 
the  authors  he  refers  to ;  and  adding  numbers  of  remarks  overseen  by  him,  and  giv. 
ing  a  considerable  continuation  of  the  history.  It  would  be  an  ostentatious  task  to 
open  a  new  quarry,  when  such  heaps  of  fine  materials  lie  ready  to  my  hand. 

All  the  accounts  left  us  by  the  Greek  and  Roman  writers  are  enveloped  with  obscu- 
rity ;  at  all  times  brief,  even  in  their  description  of  places  they  had  easiest  access  to,  and 
might  have  described  with  the  most  satisfactory  precision ;  but  in  remote  places  their 
relations  furnish  little  more  than  hints,  the  food  for  conjecture  to  the  visionary  antiquary. 

That  Pytheas,  a  traveller  mentioned  by  Strabo,  had  visited  Great  Brititin,  I  would 
wish  to  make  only  apocryphal :  he  asserts  that  he  visited  the  remoter  parts ;  and  that 
he  had  also  seen  Thule,  the  land  of  romance  among  the  ancients,  which  all  may  preteod 
to  have  seen ;  but  every  voyager,  to  swell  his  fame,  made  the  island  he  saw  last  the  ultima 
Thule  of- his  travels.  If  Pytheas  had  reached  these  parts,  he  might  have  observed  float- 
ing in  the  seas  multitudes  of  gelatinous  animals,  the  medusae  of  Linnaeus,  and  out  of 
these  have  formed  his  fable  :  he  made  hb  Thule  a  composition  (^  neither  earth,  sea, 
nor  air,  but  like  a  composition  of  them  all ;  then,  catching  his  simile  from  what  floated 
before  him,  compares  it  to  the  lungsf  of  the  sea,  the  Aristotelian  idea  of  these  bodies; 
and  from  him  adopted  by  naturalists,  successors  to  that  great  philosopher.  Strabo  very 
justly  explodes  these  absurd  tales,  yet  allows  him  merit  in  describing  thecUmateof  the 
places  he  had  s^en.  As  a  farther  proof  of  his  having  visited  the  Helvides,  he  mentions 
their  unfriendly  sky,  that  prohibits  the  growth  of  the  finer  fruits ;  and  that  the-  natives 
are  obliged  to  carry  their  corn  under  shelter,  to  beat  the  grain  out,  lest  it  should  be 
spoiled  by  the  defect  of  the  sun  and  violence  of  the  rains,  j:  This  is  the  probable  part 
of  his  narrative ;  but  when  the  time  that  the  great  gec^rapber  wrote  is*  considered ;  zt 

*  Lib.  iv.  c.  16.  t  Hist.  Ang.  lib.  XV.    Strabo,  Hb.ii.  p.  71, 

|:  Strabo,  lib.  iv.  1 39.     Thh  is  also  mentioned  by  Diodorus  Siculus. 


I>RNNANT'S  SECOND  TOUR  IN  SCOTLAND. 


a  period  that  these  islands  had  been  neglected  for  a  very  long  space  by  the  Romans,  unci 
when  the  difficulties  of  getting  among  a  fierce  and  unfriendly  nation  must  be  almost 
insuperable,  doubts  innumerable  respecting  the  veracity  of  this  relater  muut  arise  :  all 
that  can  be  admitted  in  favour  of  him  is,  that  he  was  a  great  traveller,  that  he  might 
have  either  visited  Britain,  with  some  of  the  nations  commercing  with  our  isle,  or  have 
received  from  them  accounts,  which  he  afterwards  dressed  out,  mixed  with  the  orna  • 
ments  of  fable.  A  traffic  must  have  been  carried  on  with  the  very  northern  inhabitants  of 
our  islands  in  the  time  of  Pytheas,  for  one  of  the  articles  of  commerce  mentioned  by 
Strabo,  the  ivory  bits,  were  made  either  of  the  teeth  of  the  walrus,  or  of  a  species  of 
whale  native  of  the  northern  seas. 

The  geographer  Mela,  who  flourished  in  the  reign  of  Claudius,  is  the  next  who  takes 
notice  of  our  lesser  islands.  He  mentions  the  Orcades  as  consisting  of  thirty ;  the 
iEmodte  of  seven.  The  Romans  had  then  made  a  conquest  of  the  former,  and  might 
have  seen  the  latter ;  but  from  the  words  of  the  historian,  it  is  probable  that  the  Shetland 
islands  were  those  intended  :  for  he  informs  us,  that  the  ^modse  were  carried  out  over 
against  Germany :  the  site  of  the  Hebrides  will  not  admit  of  this  descripcion,  which  agrees 
very  well  with  the  others ;  for  the  ancients  extended  their  Germany,  and  its  imaginary 
islands,  to  the  extreme  north. 

Pliny  the  elder  is  the  next  that  mentions  these  remote  places.  He  lived  later  than 
the  preceding  writers,  and  of  course  his  information  is  fuller  :  by  means  of  intervening 
discoveries,  he  has  added  ten  more  to  the  number  of  the  Orcades ;  is  the  first  writer 
that  mentions  the  Hebrides,  the  islands  in  question  ;  and  joins  in  the  same  line  the 
^modsB,  or,  as  it  is  in  the  best  editions  more  properly  written,  the  Acmodse,*  or  ex- 
treme point  of  the  Roman  expeditions  to  the  north,  as  the  Shetland  isles  in  the  highest 
probability  were.  Pliny  and  Mela  agree  in  the  number  of  the  i^modae,  or  Acmodae; 
the  former  makes  that  of  the  Haebudes  thirty  ;  an  account  extremely  near  the  truth, 
deducting  the  little  isles,  or  rather  rocks,  that  surrounded  most  of  the  greater,  and  many 
of  them  so  indistinct  as  scarcely  to  be  remarked,  except  on  an  actual  survey. 

Solinus  succeeds  Pliny :  if  he,  as  is  supposed,  was  cotemporary  with  Agricola,  he  has 
made  very  ill  use  of  the  light  he  might  have  received  from  the  expeditions  of  that  great 
general,  whose  officers  might  have  furnished  the  historian  with  better  materials  than 
those  he  has  communicated.  He  has  reduced  the  number  of  the  Hiebudes  to  five :  he 
tells  us,  that  "  the  inhabitants  were  unacquainted  with  com  ;  that  they  lived  only  on 
fish  and  milk ;  that  they  had  one  king,  as  the  islands  were  only  separated  from  each 
other  by  narrow  straits ;  that  their  prince  was  bound  by  certain  rules  of  government  to 
do  justice  ;  and  was  prevented  by  poverty  from  deviating  from  the  true  cotirse ;  being 
supported  by  the  public,  and  allowed  nothing  that  he  could  call  his  own,  not  even  a 
wife ;  but  then  he  was  allowed  free  choice,  by  turns  one  out  of  every  district,  of  any 
female  that  caught  his  affection,  which  deprived  him  of  all  ambition  about  a  suc- 
cessor, "f 

By  the  number  of  these  islands,  and  by  the  minute  attention  given  by  the  historian 
lo  the  circumstance  of  their  being  separated  from  each  other  by  very  narrow  straits,  I 
should  imagine  that  which  is  now  called  the  Long-island,  and  includes  Lexvis,  North  Uist, 
Benbecula,  South  Uist,  and  Barra,  to  have  been  the  five  Haebudes  of  Solinus  ;  for  the 
other  great  islands,  such  as  Skie,  &c.  are  too  remote  from  each  other  to  form  the  pre- 
ceding very  characteristic  description  of  that  chain  of  islands.  These  might  naturally 
&U  under  the  rule  of  one  petty  prince  ;  almost  the  only  probable  part  of  Solinus's 
narrative. 


*  Lib.  iv.c.  16. 


t  Polyhistor,  c.  35. 


VOL.    III. 


N   N 


274 


PENNANT'S  SECOND  TOUR  IN  SCOTLAND. 


After  a  long  interval  appears  Ptolemy,  the  Egyptian  geographer :  he  also  enumerates 
five  Ebudse,  md  has  given  each  a  name ;  the  western,  Ebuda  ;  the  eastern,  Ricina, 
Malt-OS,  Epidium.  Camden  conjectures  them  to  be  the  modern  Skie,  Lewis,  Raihry, 
or  Rucliiie.  Mull,  and  Ilay  ;  and  I  will  not  controvert  his  opinion. 

The  Roman  historians  give  very  little  light  into  the  geography  of  these  parts.  Ta- 
citus,  from  whom  most  migiit  have  been  expected,  is  quite  silent  about  the  names  of 
places  ;  notwithstanding  he  mforms  us,  that  a  fleet  by  command  of  Ag.  icota  performed 
the  circumnavigation  of  Britain.  All  that  he  takes  notice  of  is,  the  discovery  and  the 
conquest  of  the  Orknies :  it  should  seem  that  with  the  biographers  of  an  ambitious 
nation  nothing  seemed  worthy  of  notice,  but  what  they  could  dignify  with  the  glory  of 
victory. 

It  is  very  difficult  to  assign  a  reason  for  the  change  of  name  from  Ebudae  to  Hebrides ; 
the  last  is  modern,  and  seems,  as  the  annotator  on  Dr.  Macpherson  supposes,  to  have 
arisen  from  the  error  of  a  transcriber,  who  changed  the  u  into  ri. 

From  all  that  has  been  collected  from  the  ancients,  it  appears  that  they   were  ac- 

auainted  with  little  more  of  the  Hebrides  than  the  bare  names  :  it  is  probable  that  the 
lomans,  either  from  contempt  of  such  barren  spots,  from  the  dangers  of  the  seas,  the 
violence  of  the  tides,  and  horrors  of  the  narrow  sounds,  in  the  inexperienced  ages  of  navi< 
gation,  never  attempted  rhiir  conquest,  or  saw  more  of  them  than  what  they  had  in  sight 
auring  the  few  circumnavigations  uf  Great  Britain,  which  were  expeditions  more  of  os< 
tentation  than  of  utility. 

The  inhabitants  had  probably  for  some  ages  their  own  governors  :  one  little  king  to 
each  island,  or  to  each  groupe,  as  necessity  required.  It  is  reasonable  to  suppose,  that 
their  government  was  as  much  divided  as  that  of  Great  Britain,  which  it  is  well  known 
was  under  the  direction  of  numbers  of  petty  princes  before  it  was  reduced  under  the 
power  of  the  Romans. 

No  account  is  given  in  history  of  the  time  these  islands  were  annexed  to  the  govern- 
ment of  Scotland.  If  we  may  credit  our  Saxon  historians,  they  appear  to  have  been 
early  under  the  dominion  of  the  Picts ;  for  Bede  and  Adamnanus  inform  us,  that  soon 
afler  the  arrival  of  St.  Columba  in  their  country,  Brudeus,  a  Pictish  monarch,  made 
the  saint  a  present  of  the  celebrated  island  of  Jona.* 

But  neither  the  holy  men  of  this  island,  nor  the  natives  of  the  rest  of  the  Hebrides,  en- 
joyed a  permanent  repose  after  this  event. 

The  first  invasion  of  the  Danes  does  not  seem  to  be  easily  ascertained  :  it  appears 
that  they  ravaged  Ireland,  and  the  isle  of  Ruthry,  as  early  as  the  year  735.  In  the  fol- 
lowing centurj  their  expeditions  became  'more  frequent :  Harold  Harfager,  or  the. 
Light'haired,  pursued  in  875  several  petty  princes  whom  he  had  expelled  out  of  Nor- 
way, who  had  taket^  refuge  in  the  Hebrides,  and  molested  his  dominions  by  perpetual 
descents  from  those  islands.  He  seems  to  have  made  a  rapid  conquest :  he  gained  as 
many  victories  as  h**  fought  battles  ;  he  put  to  death  the  chief  of  the  pirates,  and  madef 
an  indiscriminate  tilaughter  of  their  followers.  Soon  after  his  return,  the  islanders  re- 
possessed their  ancient  seats  ;  and  in  order  to  repress  their  insults,  he  sent  Ketil,  the 
Flat-nosed,  with  a  fleet  and  some  forces,  for  that  purpose.  He  soon  reduced  them 
to  terms  ;  but  made  his  victories  subservient  to  his  own  ambition  ;  he  made  alliances 
with  the  Reguli  he  had  subdued  ;  he  formed  intermarriages ;  and  confirmed  to  them 
their  old  dominions.  This  effected,  he  seat  back  the  fleet  to  Harold,  openly  declared 
himself  independent,  made  himself  prince  of  the  Hebrides,  and  caused  them  to  acknow- 

*  Bede,  lib.  tii.  c.  iv.     Adamnanus  vit.  Columbsci  lib.  ii.  c.  10,  and  38.        t  Torfxus,  tO. 


>ii<<^. 


PENNANT'S  SECOND  TOUR  IM  SCOTLAND. 


■273 


[nerates 
Ricina, 
Rathry, 

».  Ta- 
ames  of 
rformed 
and  the 
nbitious 
glory  of 

ebridc'S ; 
to  have 

vere  ac- 
that  the 
seabf  the 
i  of  navi- 
d  in  sight 
ire  of  OS* 

e  king  to 
)Osev  that 
U  known 
inder  the 

i  govern- 
lave  been 
that  soon 
ch,  made 

•rides,  en- 
it  appears 
In  the  fol- 
;r,  or  the 
It  of  Nor- 
perpetual 
gained  as 
nd  madef 
anders  re- 
KetU,  the 
iced  them 
alliances 
:d  to  them 
y  declared 
:o  acknow- 

Bua,to 


ledge  him  as  such  by  the  payment  of  tribute,  and  the  badges  of  vassalage.*  Kctil  re- 
mained  during  life  master  of  the  istandii,  and  his  subjects  !ip|)car  to  hive  been  a  warlike 
set  of  freebooters,  ready  to  join  with  any  adventurers.  Thus,  when  Eric,  son  of  Harold 
Harfa^r,  after  being  driven  out  of  his  own  country,  made  an  invasion  of  England,  he 
put  with  his  fleet  into  the  Hebrides,  received  a  large  reinforcement  of  people,  fired  with 
the  hopes  of  prey,  and  then  proceeded  on  his  plan  of  rapine. t  After  the  dtath  of 
Kftil,  a  kingdom  was  in  aftcr-times  composed  out  of  them,  which,  from  the  residence  of 
the  little  monarch  in  the  isle  of  Man,  was  styled  that  of  Man.|  The  islands  became 
tributary  to  that  of  Nor  way  §  for  a  considerable  time,  and  princes  were  sent  from 
thence II  to  govern  ;  but  at  length  they  again  shook  ofl'  the  yoke.  Whether  the  little 
potentates  ruled  independent,  or  whether  they  put  themselves  under  the  p-otection  of 
the  Scottish  monarchs,  does  not  clearly  a|)pear  ;  but  it  is  reasonable  to  suppose  the  last, 
as  Donald-bane  is  accused  of  making  the  Hebrides  the  price  of  the  assistance  given  him 
by  the  Norwegians  against  his  own  subjects.  Notwithstanding  they  might  occasionally 
seek  the  protection  of  Scotland,  yet  they  never  were  without  princes  of  their  own :  from 
the  chronicles  of  the  kings  of  Man^^  we  learn  that  they  had  a  succession. 

In  1089  is  an  evident  proof  cf  the  independency  of  the  islanders  on  Norway  ;  for  on 
the;  death  of  Lagman,  one  of  their  monarchs,  they  sent  a  deputation  to  O'Brian,  king 
of  Ireland,  to  request  a  regent  of  royal  blood  to  govern  them  during  the  minority  of 
their  young  prince.  They  probably  might  in  turn  compliment  in  some  other  respects 
their  Scottish  neighbours :  the  islanders  must  have  given  them  some  pretence  to  sove- 
reignty, for, 

In  1093,  Donald-bane,  king  of  Scotland,  calls  in  the  assistance  of  Magmas,  the  Bare, 
footed,  king  of  Norway,  and  bribes  him  with  a  promise  of  all  the  Islands  iff  Magnus 
accepts  the  terms,  but  at  the  same  time  boasts  that  he  does  not  come  to  invade  the  ter- 
ritories  of  others,  but  only  to  resume  the  ancient  rights  of  Norway.  His  conquests  are 
rapid  and  complete,  for  besides  the  islands,  by  an  ingenious  fraud,|t  ^^  ^^^s  Cantyre  to 
his  dominions. 

The  Hebrides  continued  governed  by  a  prince  dependent  on  Norway,  a  species  of 
viceroy  appointed  by  that  court,  and  who  paid,  on  assuming  the  dimity,  ten  marks  of 
gold,  and  never  made  any  other  pecuniary  acknowledgment  duringlife ;  but  if  another 
viceroy  was  appointed,  the  same  sum  was  exacted  from  him. §5  These  viceroys  were 
sometimes  Norwegians,  sometimes  natives  of  the  isles.  In  1097  we  find  that  Magnus||Q 
deputes  a  nobleman,  of  the  name  of  Ingemund :  in  after-times  we  learn  that  natives 
were  appointed  t<  that  high  oflice ;  yet  they  seem  at  times  to  have  shaken  off  their 
dependency,  and  to  have  assumed  the  title  of  king.  Thus  in  1206  we  findll  king  John 
gives  to  his  brother  monarch  Reginald,  king  of  the  isles,  a  safe  conduct ;  and  in  six 
years  after,  that  Reginald  swears  fidelity  to  our  monarch,  and  becomes  his  liege-man. 
It  is  probable  they  suited  their  allegiance  to  their  ccnveniency  ;  acknowledging  the  su- 
periority of  England,  Scotland,  or  Norway,  according  to  the  necessity  of  the  times. 
Thus  were  the  Hebrides  governed,  from  the  conquest,  by  Magnus  till  the  year  1263, 
when  Acho,  or  Haquin,  king  of  Norway,  by  an  unfortunate  invasion  of  Scotland,  ter. 
minating  in  his  defeat  at  Largs,  so  weakened  the  powers  of  his  kingdom,  that  his  sue 
cessor,  Magnus  IV,  was  content  in  1266  to  make  a  cession  cf  the  islands  to  Alexan- 
der  III ;  but  not  without  stipulating  for  the  payment  of  a  lai^  sum,  and  of  a  tribute 


•  Torfiaeus,  14. 
tibid  S3. 
\  Ibid.  39. 
§  Camden,  1444. 


II  Camden,  1444. 

••  In  Camden. 

tt  Buchanan,  lib.  vii.  c.  33. 

It  Torfaeus,  73. 

V  V  2 


$$  Hist.  Normanorum,p.  1000. 

III!  Chron.  Man. 

f  Rymer's  Faedera,  1. 140,  159. 


276 


PENNANT'S  SECOND  TOUR  IN'  SCOTLAND. 


- 


of  a  hundred  marks  for  ever,  which  bore  the  nnme  of  the  annual  of  Norwav.  Ampks 
provision  was  u!so  made  by  Magnus  in  the  same  treaty,  for  the  security  of  the  rig! its 
and  properties  of  his  Norwegian  subjects  who  chose  to  continue  in  the  isles,  where  many 
of  their  posterity  remain  to  this  day. 

Notwithstanding  this  revolution,  Scotland  seems  to  have  received  no  real  acquisition 
of  strength  :  the  ihland  still  remained  governed  by  poyverfui  chicftuns,  the  descendants  of 
Somerled,  thane  of  Hereguidel,  or  Argjle,  who,  marrying  the  daughter  of  Olave,  king 
of  Man,  left  a  divided  dominion  to  his*  sonb  Dugal  and  Ucginal  i  from  the  first  were 
descended  the  Mac-^ougals  of  Lorn ;  from  the  la&t  the  powerful  clan  of  the  Mac-donalds. 
The  lordship  of  Argyle  with  Mull,  and  the  islands  north  of  it,  fell  to  the  share  of  the 
first ;  Hay,  Cantyre,  end  the  southern  Isles,  were  the  portion  of  the  last :  a  division  that 
formed  the  distinction  of  the  Siidereys  and  Nordereys,  which  will  be  farther  noticed  in 
the  account  of  Jona. 

These  chieftans  were  the  scourges  of  the  kingdom :  they  are  known  in  history  but 
as  the  devastations  of  a  tempest ;  fur  their  paths  were  marked  with  the  most  barbarous 
desolation.  Encouraged  by  their  distance  from  the  seat  of  royalty,  and  the  turbulence 
of  the  times,  which  gave  their  monarchs  full  employ,  they  exercised  a  regal  poiver,  and 
often  assumed  the  title ;  but  are  more  generally  known  in  history  by  the  stile  of  the 
lords  of  the  isles,  or  the  earls  of  Ross ;  and  sometimes  by  that  of  the  great  Mac-donald. 

Historians  are  silent  about  their  proceedings,  from  the  retreat  of  the  Danes,  in  1266, 
till  that  of  1335,  when  John,  lord  of  the  isles,  withdrew  his  allegiance.^  In  the  be* 
ginning  of  the  next  century  his  successors  were  so  independent,  that  Henry  IV,t  sent 
two  ambassadors,  in  the  years  1405  and  1408,  to  form  an  alliance  with  the  brothers 
Donald  and  John :  this  encouraged  them  to  commit  fresh  hostilities  a^inst  their  natural 
prince.  Donald,  under  pretence  of  a  claim  to  the  earldom  of  Ross,  invaded  and  made 
a  conquest  of  that  country ;  but  penetrating  as  far  as  the  shire  of  Aberdeen,  after  a 
fierce  but  undecisive  battle  with  the  royal  party,  thought  proper  to  retire,  and  in  a 
little  time  to  swear  allegiance  to  his  monarch, :|:  James  I.  But  he  was  permitted  to 
retain  the  county  of  Ross,  and  assume  the  Utle  of  earl.  His  successor,  Alexander,  at 
the  head  of  ten  thousand  men,*  attacked  and  burnt  Inverness ;  at  length,  terrified  with 
the  preparations  made  against  him,  fell  at  the  royal  feet,  and  obtained  pardon  as  to  life, 
but  was  committed  to  strict  confinement. 

His  kinsman  and  deputy,  Donald  Balloch,  resenting  the  imprisonment  of  his  chieftan, 
excited  another  rebellion,  and  destroyed  the  country  with  fire  and  sword ;  but  on  bis 
flight  was  taken,  and  put  to  death  by  an  Irish  chieftan,  with  whom  he  sought  pro- 
tection. 

These  barbarous  inroad's  were  very  frequent  with  a  set  of  banditti,  who  had  no  other 
motive  in  war  but  the  infamous  inducement  of  plunder.  In  p.  251  we  see  their  cruel 
invasion  of  the  shire  of  Lenox,  and  the  horrible  massacre  in  consequence. 

In  the  reign  of  James  II,  in  the  year  1461,  Donald,  another  petty  ^rant,  and  earl 
of  Ross,  and  lord  of  the  isles,  renewed  the  pretence  of  independency,  surprised  the  castle 
of  Inverness,  forced  his  way  as  far  as  Athol,  obliged  the  eari  and  countess,  with  the 
principal  inhabitants,  to  seek  refiige  in  Jie  church  of  St.  Bridget,  in  hopes  of  finding 
security  from  his  cruelty  by  the  sanctity  of  the  place ;  but  the  barbarian  and  his  fol- 
lowers set  fire  to  the  qhurch,  put  the  ecclesiastics  to  the  sword,  and,  with  a  great  booty* 
carried  the  earl  and  countess  prisoners  to  his  castle  of  Claig,  in  the  island  of  Ilay.(    In 


T^av    *^' 


*  Buchanan,  lib  ix.  c.  23. 

t  Rymci-'s  Faedera,  vHi.  418, 527. 


\  Roeth.  lib.  xvi.  342. 
I  fiuchanio,  lib.  xii.  c.  19. 


i«Y«  f 


Ampk) 
e  riglits 
many 

|uUition 
dants  of 
/e,  king 
"St  were 
donalds. 
of  the 
sion  that 
iticed  in 

tory  but 
arbarous 
rbulence 
\ver,  and 
e  of  the 
lonald. 
in  1266, 

the  bc- 
V,t  sent 

brothers 
ir  natural 
md  made 
I,  after  a 
and  in  a 
mitted  to 
ander,  at 
ified  with 
» to  life, 

I  chieftan, 
ut  on  bb 
light  pro- 

i  no  other 
heir  cruel 

,  and  earl 
the  castle 
,  with  the 
3f  finding 
td  his  fol- 
;at  booty. 
[lay.(     In 

■A 


f KNNAN I 'S  8RC0ND  rOUH  IN  UCOtLKSlt.  ^f 

a  second  expedition,  immediately  rollowing  the  tirst,  he  suffered  the  penalty  of  his  im< 
piety  ;  a  tempest  overtook  him,  and  overwhelmed  most  of  hiii  associateti,  und  he  cscap. 
ing  to  Iiiveritesii,  perished  by  the  hunds  of  un  Irish  hur|)er:*  his  surviving  iblluwers 
returned  to  Hay,  conveyed  the  earl  and  countess  of  Athol  to  the  sanctuary  they  hud 
violated,  and  expiated  their  crime  by  restoring  the  plunder,  and  nuiking  large  donations 
to  the  shrine  of  the  offended  saint. 

John,  successor  to  the  last  earl  of  Ross,  entered  into  an  alliance  with  Edward  IV,t 
sent  ambassadors  to  the  court  of  England,  where  Edward  empowered  the  Bishop  of 
Durham,  and  earl  of  Worcester,  the  prior  of  St.  John's  of  Jerusalem,  and  John  brd 
Wenlock,  to  conclude  a  treaty  with  him,  another  Donald  Balloch,  and  his  son  and  heir 
John.  They  agreed  to  serve  the  king  with  all  their  power,  and  to  become  his  subjects : 
the  earl  was  to  have  a  hundred  marks  sterling  for  life  in  time  of  peace,  and  two  hun- 
dred pounds  in  time  of  war ;  and  these  island  allies,  in  case  of  the  conquest  of  Scotland* 
were  to  have  confirmed  to  them  all  the  possessions  to  the  north  of  the  Scottish  sea  ;  and 
in  case  of  a  truce  with  the  Scottish  monarch,  they  were  to  be  included  in  'n.X  But 
about  the  year  1476,  Edward,  from  a  change  of  politics,  courted  the  alliance  of  James  III, 
and  dropt  his  new  allies.  James,  determined  to  subdue  this  rebellious  race,  sent  against 
them  a  powerful  army,  under  the  earl  of  Athol,  and  took  leave  of  him  with  this  good 
wish,  *'Furth,  fortune,  and  fil  the  fetters;"  as  much  as  to  say,  **Go  forth,  be  fortu- 
nate, and  bring  home  many  captives ;"  which  the  family  of  Athol  have  used  ever  since 
for  its  motto.  Ross  was  terrified  into  submission,  obtained  his  pardon,  but  was  deprived 
of  his  earldom,  which  by  act  of  parliament  was  then  declared  unalienably  annexed  to 
the  crown ;  at  the  same  time  the  king  restored  to  him  Knapdale  and  Cantyre,}  which 
ths  earl  had  resiened,  and  invested  him  anew  with  the  lordship  of  the  isles,  to  hold 
them  of  the  king  by  service  and  relief.  N 

Thus  the  great  power  of  the  isles  was  broken ;  yet  for  a  considerable  time  after  the 
petty  chieftains  were  continually  breaking  out  into  small  rebellions,  or  harrassed  each 
other  in  private  wars ;  and  tyranny  seems  but  to  have  been  multiplied.  James  V, 
Ibund  it  necessary  to  make  the  voyage  of  the  isles  in  person  in  1536  ;  seized  and  brought 
away  with  him  several  of  the  most  considerable  leaders,  and  obliged  them  to  find  secu* 
rity  for  their  own  eood  behaviour,  and  that  of  their  vassals.  'l*he  names  of  these  chief, 
tains  were  (according  to  Lindesay*"^)  Mydyart,  Mac-connel,  Mac*loyd  of  the  Lewis, 
Mac-niel,  Mac-lane,  Mac-intosh,  John  Mudyart,  Mac-kay,  Mackenzie,  and  many 
others ;  but  by  the  names  of  some  of  the  above,  there  seem  to  have  been  continental 
as  well  as  insular  malecontents.  He  examined  the  titles  of  their  holdings,  and  finding 
several  to  have  been  usurped,  reunited  their  lands  to  the  crown.  In  the  same  voyage 
he  had  the  g^ory  of  causing  surveys  to  be  taken  of  the  coasts  of  Scotland,  and  of  the 
ulands,  by  his  pilot,  Alexander  Lindesay ;  which  were  published  in  1583,  at  Paris,  by 
Nicholas  de  Nicholay,  geographer  to  the  French  monarch.-)-t 

.:.  The  troubles  that  succeeded  the  death  oS  James  occasioned  a  neglect  of  these  insulated 
parts  of  the  Scottish  dominions,  and  left  them  in  a  state  of  anarchy  :  in  1614,  the  Mac- 
donalds  made  s  formidable  insurrection,  oppugning  the  royal  grant  of  Cantyre  to  the 
earl  of  Argyle  and  his  reladons.}!  The  petty  chieftains  continued  in  a  sort  of  rebel- 
Uon,  and  the  sword  of  the  greater,  as  usual  in  weak  government,  was  employed  against 

Vr  *  Holinahed  Hut.  Scot.  2/9.  '  '  -" 

t  For  the  sake  of  making  a  dirersion  in  their  bvour,  both  Edward  III,  and  Henrj  IV,  condescended 

to  enter  into  an  alliance  with  these  Reguli. 
t  Rym.  Fed.  xi.  483, 484^  €  Boet.  Itist.  Scot.  app.  393. 

ph. 


!!    < 


rt. 


••  P.  153. 


tt  Br.  Topograph.  627. 


II  Holinshed  Chr.  Scot.  382. 
^  Feuds  of  the  clans,  99.  Biogr.  Britan.  II.  1141 . 


M 


I 


278 


PENNANT'S  SECOND  TOUR  IN  SCOTLAND. 


them :  the  encouragement  and  protection  eiven  by  them  to  pirates  employed  the 
power  of  the  Cam(»)eUs  during  the  reign  of  James  VI,  and  the  beginning  of  that  of 
Charles  I.* 

But  the  turbulent  spirit  of  old  times  continued  even  to  the  present  age.  The  heads 
of  clans  were  by  the  divisions,  and  a  false  policy  that  predominated  in  Scotland  during 
the  reign  of  William  HI,  flattered  with  an  unreal  importance :  in<4t<:'ud  cf  being  treated 
as  bad  subjects,  they  were  courted  as  desirable  allies ;  instead  of  feeling  the  hand  of 
power,  money  was  allowed,  to  bribe  them  into  the  loyalty  of  the  times.  They  would 
nave  accepted  the  subsidies,  notwithstanding  they  detested  the  prince  that  offered  them. 
They  were  taught  to  believe  themselves  of  such  consequence,  that  in  these  days  turned 
to  their  destruction.  Two  recent  rebellions  gave  legislature  a  late  experience  of  the 
folly  of  permitting  the  feudal  system  to  exist  in  any  part  of  its  dominions.  The  act  of 
1748  at  once  deprived  the  chieftains  of  all  power  of  injuring  the  public  by  their  com- 
motions.f  Many  of  these  Reguli  second  this  effort  of  legislature,  and  neglect  no  op- 
portunity of  rendering  themselves  hateful  to  their  unhappy  vassals,  the  former  instru- 
ments of  ambition.  'I  he  Halcyon  days  are  near  at  hand :  oppression  will  beget  depopula- 
tion ;  and  depopulation  will  give  us  a  dear-bought  tranquility. 

The  remainaer  of  the  day  is  past  in  the  sound  of  Jura :  about  twelve  at  noon  a  plea- 
sant but  adverse  breeze  arose,  which  obliged  us  to  keep  on  towards  the  north,  some- 
times tacking  towards  the  coast  of  lower  Knapdale,  black  with  heathy  mountains,  ver- 
dant near  the  shores  with  tracts  of  corn  :  advance  towards  upper  Knapdale,  ruggid  and 
alpine  :  am  told  of  a  dangerous  rock  in  the  middle  of  a  channel.  About  one  o'clock 
of  June  30,  receive  notice  of  getting  into  the  harbour  of  the  small  isles  of  Jura,  by  the 
vessel's  touching  ground  in  the  entrance.  On  the  appearance  of  day-light  And  our> 
selves  at  anchor  in  three  fathom  and  a  half  of  water,  in  a  most  picturesque  bay, 
bounded  on  the  west  by  the  isle  of  Jura,  with  the  paps  overshadowing  us :  and  to  the 
east  several  little  islands  cloathed  with  heath,  leaving  narrow  admissions  into  the  port  at 
North  and  South :  in  the  maps  this  is  called  the  bay  of  Meil. 

Land  on  the  greater  isle,  which  is  high  and  rocky.  A  boat  filled  with  women  niid 
children  crosses  ever  from  Jura,  to  collect  their  daily  wretched  fare,  limpets  and  perri- 
winkles.     Observe  the  black  guillemots  in  little  flocks,  \cry  wild  and  much  in  motion. 

Mr.  Campbell,  principal  proprietor  of  the  island,  is  so  obliging  as  to  send  horses : 
land  in  Jura,  at  a  little  village,  and  see  to  the  right  on  the  shore  the  church,  and  the 
minister's  manse.  Ride  westward  about  five  miles  to  Ard-fln,  the  residence  of  Mr. 
Campbell,  seated  above  the  sound  of  Hay. 

Jura,  the  most  rugged  of  the  Hebrides,  is  reckoned  to  be  about  thirty-four  miles 
long,  and  in  general  ten  broad,  except  along  the  sound  of  Hay :  is  composed  chiefly  of 
vast  mountains,  naked,  and  without  the  possibility  of  cultivation.  Some  of  the  south, 
and  a  little  of  the  Western  sides  only  are  improveable :  as  is  natural  to  be  supposed,  this 
bland  is  ill  peopled,  and  does  not  contain  above  seven  or  eight  hundred  inhabitants ; 
having  been  a  little  thinned  by  the  epidemic  migrations. 

The  very  old  clans  are  the  Mac-il-vuys  and  the  Mac-riiines :  but  it  seems  to  have 
changed  masters  more  than  once :  in  15494  Donald  of  Cantyre,  Mac-guillayne  of 
Doward,  Mac-guillayne  of  Kinlyck-buy,  and  Mac-duffie  of  Colonsay,  were  the  proprie. 

*  In  the  beginning  ofthe  last  century  the  islanders  were  continually  harassing  Ireland  with  their  plun- 
dering invasions  ;  or  landing  there  to  support  rebellions :  at  length  it  was  made  treason  to  receive  these 
Uebiidian  Redslianks,  as  they  were  styled.    Camden  II,  1407. 

t  I'he  act  for  abolishing  heritable  jurisdictions,  kc.  |  Dean  of  the  isles. 


riNNANT'S  stCCND  TOUR  IN  SCOTLAND. 


279 


tora  :  Mac-lcan  of  Mull  had  al»o  u  share  in  15B6.  At  present  Mr.  Campbell,  by  pur. 
chiiie  Iruin  Mr.  Campbell  of  Shawficld,  Mr.  Mac<neile  ol"  Culunsav,  Mr.  Campbell 
of  Sh.iwfii  Id,  and  (he  duke  of  Argyle,  divide  this  mass  of  weather-beaten  barrenness 
amon^'  the m. 

Ill  1607  Jura  was  included  in  the  lordship  of  Cantyre,  by  charter,  dated  the  last  of 
M.iv,  then  ffranted  lo  Archibald  earl  of  Argyle. 

'('he  produce  is  atx)ut  three  or  four  hundred  head  of  catOc,  sold  annually  at  31.  each, 
to  i^raziers  who  come  for  them.  About  a  hundred  horscit  are  also  sold  annually  :  here 
are  a  few  sheep  with  fleeces  of  most  excellent  fitiencss,  and  numbers  of  goats.  In  good 
seasons  sufficient  bear  and  oats  are  raised  as  will  maintain  the  inhabitants  :  but  they 
sometimes  want,  I  suppose  from  the  conversion  of  their  grain  into  whisky.  But  the 
chief  food  of  the  common  people  is  potatoes,  and  fish  and  shell  fish.  It  is  to  be  feared 
that  their  competence  of  bread  is  very  small.  Bear  produces  four  or  five  fold :  oats 
three  fold. 

Fern  ashes  bring  in  about  a  hundred  pounds  a  year :  about  two  hundred  tons  of 
kelp  is  burnt  annually,  and  sold  from  31.  10s.  to  41.  per  ton. 

aloes  are  the  only  fruits  of  the  island.  An  acid  for  punch  is  made  of  the  berries  of 
the  mountain  ash  ;  and  a  kind  of  spirit  is  also  distilled  from  them. 

Necessity  hath  instructed  the  inhabitants  in  the  use  of  native  dyes.  Thus  the  juice  of 
the  tops  of*^  heath  boiled  supplies  them  with  a  yellow  ;  the  roots  of  the  white  water  lily 
with  a  dark  brown.  Those  of  the  yellow  water  iris  with  a  black  :  and  the  Galium 
verum,  Ri^  of  the  islanders,  with  a  very  fine  red,  not  inferior  to  that  from  Madder. 

The  quadrupeds  of  Jura  are  about  a  hundred  stages.  Some  wild  cats  otters,  stoats, 
rats  and  seals.  The  feathered  game,  black  cocks,  grous,  ptarmigans,  and  snipes. 
The  sta^  must  have  been  once  more  numerous,  for  the  original  name  of  the  island 
was  Deiry,  or  the  isle  of  Deer,  so  called  by  the  Norwegians  from  the  abundance  of 
those  noble  animals. 

The  hard  fare  of  these  poor  people  seems  to  have  been  no  impediment  to  the  popula- 
tion of  the  island,  nor  yet  to  the  longevitv  of  the  natives.  The  women  are  very  pro. 
lific,  and  very  often  bear  twins.  The  inhabitants  live  to  a  great  age,  and  are  liable  to 
venr  few  distempers.  Men  of  ninety  work ;  and  there  is  now  living  a  woman  of 
eighty  who  can  run  down  a  sheep.  The  account  given  by  Martin  of  Gillour  Mac- 
crain  was  confirmed  to  me.  His  age  exceeded  that  of  either  Jenkins  or  Par :  for  he 
kept  a  hundred  and  eighty  christmasses  in  his  own  house,  and  died  in  the  reign  of 
Charles  I.  Among  the  modern  instances  of  longevity  I  forgot  to  mention  John  Arm. 
our,  of  Campbeltown,  aged  one  hundred  and  four,  who  was  a  cockswain  in  our  navy 
at  the  time  of  the  peace  of  Utrecht ;  and  within  these  three  years  was  stout  enough  to 
go  out  a  shooting. 

This  parish  is  supposed  to  be  the  largest  in  Great  Britain,  and  the  duty  the  most 
troublesome  and  dangerous :  it  consists  of  Jura,  Colonsay,  Oransay,  Skarba,  and 
several  little  isles  divided  by  narrow  and  dangerous  sounds ;  forming  a  length  of  not 
less  than  sixty  miles ;  supplied  by  only  one  minister  and  an  assistant. 

Some  superstitions  are  observed  here  at  this  time.  The  old  women,  when  they  un- 
dertake any  cure,  mumble  certain  rhythmical  incantations ;  and  like  the  ancients  en- 
deavour decantare  dolorem.  They  preserve  a  stick  of  the  wicken  tree,  or  mountain 
ash,  as  a  protection  against  elves. 

I  had  some  obscure  account  here  of  a  worm,  that  in  a  less  pernicious  degree  bears 
some  resemblance  to  the  Furia  infernalis*  of  Linnaeus,  which  in  the  vast  bogs  of  Keini 


I 


>  V 


*  Faun.  Succ.  No.  2070. 


980 


PKMXANrJI  SRCOND  TOtTR  IN  iCOTLAKn. 


drops  on  the  inhubitants,  cats  into  the  flesh,  and  occasions  a  most  excruciating  death. 
The  Fillian,  a  little  worm  of  Jura,  small  as  a  thread,  and  not  an  inch  in  length,  like  the 
Furia,  insinuates  itself  under  the  skin,  causes  a  redness  and  great  pain,  flics  swiAly  from 
part  to  part :  but  is  curable  by  a  poultice  of  cheese  and  honey. 

AAer  dinner  walk  down  to  the  Sound  of  Hay,  und  visit  the  little  island  of  Fruchlan, 
near  to  the  shore,  and  a  mile  or  two  from  the  eastern  entrance.  On  the  top  is  a  ruined 
tower,  of  a  square  form,  with  walls  nine  feet  thick  ;  on  the  west  side  the  rock,  on  which 
it  stands  ia  cut  through  to  a  vast  depth,  forming  a  foss,  over  which  had  been  the  draw- 
bridge. This  fortress  seemed  as  if  intended  to  guard  the  mouth  of  the  sound  ;  and 
WW  \  also  the  prison  where  the  Mac-donalda  kept  their  captives,  and  in  old  times  was 
called  the  castle  of  Claig. 

July  1.  Ride  along  the  shore  of  the  sound :  take  boat  at  the  ferry,  and  go  a  mile 
more  by  water :  see  on  the  Jura  side  some  sheclins  or  summer  huts  for  goatherds,  who 
keep  here  a  stock  of  eighty,  for  the  sake  of  the  milk  and  cheeses.  The  last  arc  made 
without  salt,  which  they  receive  afterwards  from  the  ashes  of  sea-tang,  and  the  tang 
itself  which  the  natives  lap  in  it*         , 

Lanf*  on  a  bank  covered  with  sheelins,  the  habitations  of  some  peasants  who  attend 
the  herds  of  milch  cows.  These  formed  a  grrctesque  groupe,  some  were  oblong, 
many  conic,  and  so  low,  that  entrance  is  forbidden,  without  creeping  through  the  litUe 
opening,  which  has  no  other  door  than  a  faggot  of  birch  twigs,  placed  there  occasionally : 
tliey  are  constructed  of  branches  of  trees,  covered  with  sods ;  the  furniture ;  a  bed  of 
heath,  placed  on  a  bank  of  3od ;  two  blankets  and  a  rug ;  some  dairy  vesselc,  and 
above,  certain  pendant  shelves  made  of  basket-work,  to  hold  the  cheese,  the  produce 
of  the  summer.  In  one  of  the  little  conic  huts  I  spied  a  little  infant  asleep,  under  the 
protection  of  a  faithful  dog. 

Crcu,  on  foot,  a  large  plain  of  ground,  seemingly  improveable,  but  covered  with  a 
deep  heath,  and  perfectly  in  a  state  of  nature.  See  the  arctic-gull,  a  bird  unknown  in 
South  Britain,  which  breeds  here  on  the  ground :  it  was  very  tame,  but,  if  disturbed, 
flew  about  like  the  lapwing,  but  with  a  more  flagging  wing.  After  a  walk  of  four 
miles,  reach  the  Paps :  left  the  lesser  to  Uie  south-east,  preferring  the  ascent  of  the 
greatest,  for  there  are  three ;  Beinn-a-chaolois,  or  the  mountain  of  the  sound ;  Bcinn- 
sheunta,  or  the  hallowed  mount&'.n  ;  and  Beinn-an-iir,  or  the  mountain  of  gold.  We 
began  to  scale  the  last ;  a  task  of  much  labour  and  difficulty  ;  being  composed  of  vast 
stones,  slightly  covered  with  mosses  near  the  base,  but  all  ^ve  bare,  and  unconnected 
with  each  other.  The  whole  seems  a  cairn,  the  work  of  the  sons  of  Saturn ;  and  Ovid 
might  have  caught  his  idea  from  this  hill,  had  he  seen  it. 


Aifectaase  Terunt  regnum  celeste  Gigantea, 
Altaque  congestoi  ttnixiue  ad  uden  montes. 


Gain  the  top,  and  find  our  fatigues  fully  recompensed  by  the  grandeur  of  the  prospect 
from  thb  sublime  sr^t:  Jura  itself  afforded  a  stupendous  scene  of  rock,  varied  with 
little  lakes  innumcr..ole.  From  the  west  side  of  the  hill  ran  a  narrow  strip  of  rock, 
terminating  in  the  sea,  called  tlie  side  of  the  okl  hag.  Such  appearances  are  very 
common  in  thb  island  and  in  Jura,  and  in  several  parts  of  North  Britain,  and  the 
North  of  Ireland,  and  all  supposed  to  be  of  vokanic  origin,  being  beds  of  lava  of 
various  breadths,  from  three  feet  to  near  seventy.  Their  depth  is  unknown  ^  ^  a^ 
to  length,  they  run  for  miles  together,  cross  the  sounds,  and  often  appear  on  it  ..  *jnpo. 
site  shores.  They  frequently  appear  three  or  four  feet  above  the  surface  of  the  ^udind, 
so  that  they  ^re  called  on  that  account  Whin-dikes,  forming  natural  dikes  or  b^^iuiiti'iies. 


)g  death, 
like  the 
iAly  from 

Truchlan, 
a  ruined 
on  which 
he  draw, 
ind ;  and 
itnctt  wab 

p  a  mile 

rds,  who 

arc  made 

the  tang 

ho  attend 
e  oblong, 
1  the  little 
lasionally : 
a  bed  of 
isclc,  and 
•  produce 
under  the 

ed  with  a 
known  in 
disturbed, 
Ik  of  four 
:nt  of  the 
1 ;  Bcinn- 
>ld.  We 
id  of  vast 
connected 
and  Ovid 


I f.  r 

e  prospect 
aried  with 
)  of  rock, 
are  very 
I,  and  the 
of  lava  of 
i»»  v^as 
ti  -  i^po. 
<e  ^i  oiind, 

UU(ttlc^iie8. 


PBNtTAKT'fl  llCOh..  .  OUB  IN  SeOTLANV. 


flSl 


The  fisiurei  were  left  empty  from  earliest  times.  It  i^  impossible  to  iix  a  period  when 
tome  tremendous  volcanic  eruption  happened,  like  that  of  late  years  infested  Iceland 
with  such  fatal  effects,  and  filled  every  chanm  and  every  channel  with  the  lujuid  lava, 
Such  a  stream  poured  itMlf  into  thetie  fissures,  tlut  cooled  and  cnnsolidntcd ;  and  retains 
evident  proofs  of  the  share  which  fire  had  tu  causing  the  wondrous  aj>()carunccs  wc  Sv> 
frequently  meet  with,  and  so  greatly  admire.  In  a  certp'ui  bav  in  the  ihIc  of  Mull,  ihcrr 
n-mains  a  fissure  which  escaped  receiving  the  firry  stream,  'rhc  s'tdcH  arc  of  graiiitc- 
the  width  only  nine  or  ten  feet ;  the  depth  not  less  than  a  hundred  and  twenty,  h 
ranges  N.  by  W.  and  S.  by  E.  to  a  vast  extent ;  zucL  appears  against  a  correspondent 
fissure  on  the  oppoute  shore.  In  the  Ph.  Trans,  tab.  iv.  is  a  view  of  this  tremendous 
gap  :  together  with  the  two  stones  which  have  accidentally  fell,  and  remained  hitched 
near  tlie  top  of  the  northern  extremity.    These  and  numbers  of  other  volcai*' 


rio- 


lities  in  the  Hebrides,  are  well  dc:>rribed  by  Abraham  Mills,  Esq.  uf  Macclesfield, 
who  in  1788  visited  several  of  the  ishuids,  and  in  the  Ixxxth  vol.  of  the  PI).  Trans,  has 
favoured  the  public  with  his  inge  lious  remarks.  To  the  south  appeared  l\ay,  extended 
like  a  map  beneath  us ;  and  beyond  tiiat,  the  north  of  Ireland  ;  to  the  west,  Giglia  and 
Car,  Cantyre  and  Arran,  and  the  Firth  of  Clyde,  bounded  by  Airshire ;  an  amazing 
tract  of  mountains  to  the  N.  E.  as  far  as  Ben-lomond;  Skarba  finished  the  northern 
view ;  and  over  the  Western  Ocean  were  scattered  Culonsay  and  Oransay  Mull,  Jona, 
and  its  neighbouring  groupc  of  isles  ;  and  still  further  the  long  extents  of  Tirey  and  Col 
just  apparent. 

On  the  summU  are  several  lofly  cairns,  not  the  work  of  devotion,  but  idle  herds,  oi 
curious  travellers.  Even  this  vast  heap  of  stonri  was  not  uninhabited  :  a  hind  passed 
along  the  sides  full  speed,  and  a  brace  of  ptarmigans  ollten  favoured  us  with  their  a^). 
pearance,  even  near  the  summit. 

The  other  paps  are  seen  very  distinctly  :  each  inferior  in  height  to  this,  but  all  of  the 
same  figure,  perfectly  mamillary.  Mr.  Banks  and  his  friends  mounted  that  to  the  soutli, 
and  found  the  height  to  be  two  thousand  three  hundred  and  fifty.nine  feet :  but  Beinn- 
an-i6r  far  over-topped  it ;  seated  on  the  pinnacle,  the  depth  below  was  tremendous  on 
every  side. 

The  stones  of  this  mountain  are  white  (a  few  red)  quartzy  and  composed  of  small 
grains ;  but  some  are  brecciated,  or  filled  with  cirstalline  kernels,  of  an  amethystine 
colour.  The  other  stones  of  the  island,  that  fell  under  my  observation,  were  a  cinereous 
slate,  veined  with  red,  and  used  here  as  a  whet  stone :  a  micaceous  sand  stooe  ;  and 
between  the  small  isles  and  Ardefin,  abundance  of  quartzy  micaceous  rock-stone. 

Return  by  the  same  road,  cross  the  Sound,  and  not  findino;  tlie  vessel  arrived,  am 
most  hospitably  received  by  Mr.  Freebaim  of  Freeport,  near  Fort-askaig,  his  residence 
on  the  southern  side  of  the  water,  in  the  island  of  Hay. 

July  2.  Walk  into  the  interior  parts :  on  the  way  see  abundance  of  rock  and  pit 
marie,  convertible-  into  the  best  of  manures.  Visit  the  mines,  carried  on  under  the  di- 
rections of  Mr.  Freebaim,  unce  the  year  1763;  the  ore  is  of  lead,  much  mixed  with 
copper,  which  occasions  expence  and  trouble  in  the  separation  :  the  veins  rise  to  the 
surface,  have  been  worked  at  intervals  for  ages,  and  probably  in  the  time  of  the  Nor- 
wegiatu,  a  nation  of  miners.  The  old  adventurers  worked  by  trenching,  which  is  ap- 
parent  every  where :  the  trenchea  are  not  above  six  feet  deep ;  and  the  veins  which 
opened  into  them  not  above  five  or  mx  inches  thick  ;  yet,  by  means  of  some  instrume;>t, 
unknown  to  us  at  present,  they  picked  or  ^scooped  out  the  ore  with  good  success,  fol- 
lowing it  in  that  narrow  space  to  the  length  of  four  feet. 

VOL.  III.  o  o       . 


i; 


y 


382 


PENNANT'S  SECOND  TOUR  IM  SCOTLAND. 


The  veins  are  of  various  thicknesses ;  the  strings  numerous,  conducting  to  large 
bodies,  but  quickly  exhausted.  The  lead-ore  is  good  :  the  copper  yields  tnirtv>threc 
pounds  per  hundred  ;  and  forty  ounces  of  silver  from  a  ton  of  the  metal.  The  lead 
ore  is  smelted  in  an  air.furnace,  near  Frceport ;  and  as  much  sold  in  the  pig,  as,  since 
th*;  first  undertaking  by  this  gentleman,  has  brought  in  six  thousand  pounds.  / 

Not  far  from  these  mines  are  vast  strata  of  that  species  of  iron  called  bog-ure,  of  the 
concreted  kind :  beneath  that  large  quantities  of  vitriolic  mundic. 

On  the  top  of  a  hill,  at  some  little  distance,  are  some  rocks,  with  great  veins  of  emery, 
running  in  the  midst,  in  a  horizontal  direction,  and  from  one  to  three  feet  thick. 

A  small  quantity  of  quicksilver  has  been  found  in  the  moors,  which  ought  to  encou* 
rage  a  farther  search. 

Continue  the  walk  to  the  neighbouring  hill  of  Dun-Bhorairaig :  on  the  summit  is  a 
Danish  fort,  of  a  circular  form,  at  present  about  fourteen  feet  high,  formed  of  excellent 
masonry,  but  without  mortar  *  the  walls  are  twelve  feet  thick ;  and  within  their  very 
thickness  is  a  gallery,  extending  all  aruund  the  caserne  for  tlie- garrison,  or  the  place 
where  the  arms  were  lodged  secure  from  wet.  The  entrance  is  low,  covered  at  top  with 
great  flat  stone,  and  on  each  side  is  a  hollow,  probably  intended  for  guard-rooms ;  the 
inside  of  the  fort  is  a  circular  area,  of  fifty-two  feet  diameter,  with  a  stone  seat  running 
all  round  the  bottom  of  the  wall,  about  two  feet  high,  where  might  have  been  a  general 
resting-place  of  chieftains  and  soldiers. 

On  the  outside  of  the  fort  is  another  work,  under  which  is  the  vestige  of  a  subter- 
raneous passage  conducting  into  it,  a  sort  of  sally  port  Round  the  whole  of  thb  an- 
cient fortress  is  a  deep  foss.  Three  of  these  forts  are  generally  within  sight,  so  that  in 
case  of  any  attempt  made  on  any  one,  a  speedy  alarm  might  be  given  to  the  others. 
Each  was  the  centre  of  a  small  district ;  and  to  them  the  inhabitants  might  repair  for 
shelter  in  case  of  any  attack  by  the  enemy  :  the  notice  was  given  from  the  fort,  at  night 
by  the  light  of  a  torch,  in  the  day  by  the  sound  of  trumpet :  an  instrument  celebrated 
among  the  Danes,  sometimes  made  of  brass,  sometimes  of  horn.*  The  northern  Bards 
speak  h\  perbolically  of  the  effect  of  the  blast  blown  by  the  mouth  of  the  heroes.  The 
great  Roland  caused  his  trumpet  Olivantf  to  be  heard  twenty  miles,  and  by  the  sound 
scattered  about  the  very  brains  of  one  of  his  hearers. 

Return,  and  see  on  the  road  side  the  ruins  of  a  chapel  dedicated  to  St  Columba ;  and 
near  it  an  ancient  cross. 

July  3.  Several  gentlemen  of  the  island  favour  me  with  a  visit :  and  offer  their  ser- 
vice to  conduct  me  to  whatever  was  worthy  of  attentioti.  Set  out,  in  their  company,  on 
horseback,  and  ride  south,  crossing  the  country  ;  find  the  roads  excellent,  but  the 
country  quite  open  i  and  too  much  good  land  in  a  state  of  nature,  covered  with  heath, 
but  mixed  with  plenty  of  natural  herba^.  See  some  stunted  woods  of  birch  and  hazels, 
giving  shelter  to  black  game.  On  Imiriconart,  or  the  plain  ridge,  are  the  vestiges  of 
some  butts,  where  the  great  Mac-donald  exercised  his  men  at  archery.  Reach  and  dine 
at  Kilarow,  a  village  seated  on  Loch-in-daal,  a  vast  bay,  that  penetrates  very  deeply  into 
tk'.e  island.  Opposite  Bomore,  ships  of  three  hundred  tons  may  ride  with  safety :  which 
renders  it  a  very  convenient  retreat. 

Near  Kilarow  is  the  seat  of  the  proprietor  of  the  island.  In  the  church  yard  is  now 
prostrate  a  curious  column,  perhaps  the  shaft  of  a  cross,  for  the  top  b  broken  off*;  and 

*  Wormii  Museum,  378.    Boate'sNat.  Hist.  Ireland,  197.   -Smith's  Hist.  Cork.  ii.  404.  f,:-/ 


t    WormiiMon.  Dan.  381. 


PBNNANT'S  SBCOND  TOUR  IN  SCOTLAND. 


283 


jsr  to  large 

thirty -three 

The  lead 

g,  as,  since 

■ore,  of  the 

ins  of  emery. 

lick. 

It  to  encou* 

summit  is  a 
of  excellent 
in  their  very 
or  the  place 
1  at  top  with 
•r(X)ms;  the 
seat  running 
sen  a  general 

of  a  subter- 
;  of  this  an- 
it,  so  that  in 
}  the  others, 
tit  repair  for 
brt,  at  night 
nt  celebrated 
>rthem  Bards 
teroes.  The 
ly  the  sound 

olumba ;  and 

ffer  their  ser- 
company,  on 
llent,  but  the 
d  with  heath« 
^  and  hazels, 
lie  vestiges  of 
each  and  dine 
■y  deeply  into 
lafety :  which 

h  yard  is  now 
iken  off ;  and 

rk.ti.404.        ' 


;- 


■1      .'■       """'        ■'        : 


near  it  is  a  flat  stone,  with  a  hole  in  the  middle,  the  probable  pedestal.     The  figures  and 
inscriptions  are  faithfully  expressed  in  the  plate  given  by  Mr.  Pennant. 

The  two  most  remarkable  grave-stonea  are,  one  of  a  warrior,  in  a  close  vest  and 
sleeves,  with  a  sort  of  phillebeg  reaching  to  his  knees,  and  the  covering  of  his  heed  of 
a  conic  form,  like  the  Bared  of  the  ancient  Irish  :*  a  sword  in  his  hand,  and  dirk  by  his 
side.  The  other  has  on  it  a  great  sword ;  a  beautiful  running  pattern  of  foilage  round 
it ;  and  a  griflin,  a  lion,  and  another  animal  at  one  end  :  near  to  them  is  a  plain  tablet* 
whether  intended  to  be  engraven,  or  whether  like  Peter  Papin,  lord  of  Utrique,  he  was 
anew  knight,  and  wanted  a  device,  must  remain  undetermined. 

On  a  little  flat  hill,  near  the  village,  are  the  remains  of  the  gallows  :  this  was  the 
place  of  execution  in  the  days  of  the  lords  of  the  isles.  From  hence  is  a  pretty  view 
of  the  loch,  and  the  church  and  village  of  Bomore. 

This  part  of  the  island  is  in  many  places  bounded  by  a  sort  of  tcrrass  near  twenty, 
two  feet  high,  entirely  formed  of  rounded  sea- worn  pebbles,  now  some  hundred  yards 
distant  from  the  medium  line  between  high  and  low  water  mark ;  and  above  twenty- 
five  yards  above  it.  This  is  another  proof  of  the  loss  sustained  by  the  sea  in  the  Scot- 
tish islands ;  which,  we  know,  makes  more  than  reprizals  in  other  places. 

Ride  along  the  head  of  the  bay ;  at  Tralaig,  on  a  heathy  eminence  that  faces  the 
sands,  are  three  deep  hollows ;  their  inside  once  lined  with  stone :  these  had  been  the 
watch-towers  of  the  natives,  to  attend  the  motions  of  any  invaders  from  the  sea.  Ob> 
serve  near  them  a  great  column  of  rude  stone. 

Pass  by  two  deep  channels,  at  present  dry :  these  had  been  the  harbour  of  the  great 
Mac-donald ;  had  once  piers,  with  doors  to  secure  his  shipping :  a  great  iron  hook,  one 
of  the  hinges  having  lately  been  found  there. 

The  vessels  then  in  use  were  called  Birlings,  probably  corrupted  from  Bydinga.f  a 
species  of  ship  among  the  Norwegians :  but  by  the  size  of  the  harbours,  it  is  plam  that 
the  navy  of  this  potentate  was  not  very  considerable. 

Turn  a  little  out  of  the  road  to  see  the  site  of  one  of  his  houses,  called  Kil-choman, 
and  a  deep  ^en,  wluch  b  pointed  out  to  me  as  the  place  where  he  kept  his  fat  cattle ; 
such  a  conveniency  was  very  necessary,  as  most  of  the  establishment  of  the  great  Mac- 
donald*s  household  was  paid  in  kind.  Mr.  Campbell,  of  Ballole,  favoured  me  with  the 
state  of  it  in  1542,  which  was  as  follows : 


North  Cantyre. 


South  Cant}'re. 

In  money,  1621. 8  B.  48. 
Meal,  480  st.  2  pt. 
Malt,  25  ch.  14  B.  2  fir. 
Marts,  48. 
Mutton,  53. 
Cheese,  342  st.  three-quarters. 


Inmoney,  1251.  10  B. 
Oat-meal,  386  stones  three-quarters. 
Malt,4ch.  10 bolls.  .♦  .  i        i      .  -^ m, 
Marts,  L  e.  a  stall-fed  ox,  6.      ".-^ .     >    ^ 

Cow,  1.  V  r'  ■■"  '■ 

Muttons,  41.  i'  r^v-.     ?  •"     :f-"     '.i: 

Cheese,  307  st  three-quarters. 

Hay  and  Reinds.:): 

Money,  4^.  Id.    Meal,  2593  st   Marts,  301.    Mutton,  301.    Cheese,  2161',  3  pt. 
Geese,  301.    Poultry,  301. 

•  Mr.  O'Connor's  Diss.  Hist.  Ireland,  1  IS.  t  Torfaeus,  106. 

4  A  tract  of  llay  to  the  west,  between  Kilarow  and  Sunderland. 

o  o  2 


i; 


:i'H-  ■.%-.-■:" 3'ia->-\'Sii.'v, 


, 


^ 


'iU 


KBKNAirrd  saooKOTOtm  w  scotlakd. 


•>/• 


,  J^m        3m         ill 


w  ".;♦>'.>'>.:. ^.♦r ■:»«■-■( 


Total  in  money,  3321.  18  B;  6.  332  18    d  "^' 

Meal,  3061  st.  three-quarters,  2  pt.  at  2  B.  366    2  10  '  ' 

Malt,  30  chal.  8  bolls,  2  6r.  at  5  B. 

Marts,  356,  at  2  marks, 

Mutton,  595,  at  2  B.    '         .      ^       ' 

Cheese, 

Geese,  301,  at  4d. 

Poultry,  301.  i     .    . 


;! 


In  Scotch  money 


122  2    d 

553  6    8 

45  11  10 

237  2    0 

6  0    4 

2  18    3 

1666    2  11 


■  •  •f--rt:-«m 

»'fr  '.iri.'i}'''''' 

■■■■  ffr  h 

T      .- 

•    ,•    .    t 

"f  ivi>-«{  ■; 

1.     <■         •;      »■>,     .; 

ti.i-  -i  >', 

*",  \lt  ■»  .f. . 

Observe,  near  this  place,  a  tract  quite  covered  with  clover,  sown  by  nature.  Prooeed 
vvest,  and  am  conducted  tu  Sunderland,*  the  seat  of  <-~— .  Campbell,  esq.  The  im> 
provements  of  his  lands  are  excellent,  and  the  grass  so  good,  and  the  fields  so  clean,  as 
to  vie  with  any  place.  Near  the  house,  in  a  well-sheltered  nook,  is  an  appte-orchard, 
which  bore  plentifully  :  these,  with  strawberries,  are  the  fruits  of  these  remote  islands ; 
the  climate  denies  other  luxuries  of  this  nature :  and  even  in  these  articles,  Pomona 
smiles  but  where  she  finds  a  warm  protection. 

About  a  mile  from  the  house,  on  the  coast,  separated  from  the  land  by  a  deep  but  dry 

chasm,  is  a  lai^  rock,  with  a  pretty  large  area  on  the  top :  on  it  are  vesdges  of  various 

habitations,  the  retreat  of  the  ancient  natives  in  times  of  irresistible  invasion  :  here  they 

/  were  secure,  for  the  ascent  is  as  difficult  and  haaardous  as  most  I  liave  undertaken. 

The  place  is  called  Burg-coul,  and  by  the  name  refers  to  Fingal,or  Fin*mac.ouil. 

Sat  up  late,  which  gave  me  opportunity  of  knomng  the  lightness  of  the  night  in  tlie 
island  at  this  season :  for  at  half  an  hour  past  one  in  trc  mommg*  I  could  read  the  small 
print  of  a  newspaper.  /  »ii!.*»  « -"*, 

July  4.  Visit  Loch-Guirm,  about  two  miles  dbtant  fix>m  Sunderland  i  a  water  of 
four  miles  in  circumference,  shallow,  but  abounding  with  trout.  It  is  most  remarkaMe 
for  a  regular  fort  of  the  Mac-Donakls,  placed  in  a  small  island,  but  now  in  rums :  the 
form  is  square,  with  a  round  bastion  at  each  comer  t  and  in  the  middle  are  some  walls, 
the  remains  of  the  buildings  that  sheltered  the  garrison :  beneath  one  side,  between  the 
two  bastions,  was  the  place  where  Mac-Donald  secured  hb  boats :  they  were  drawn  be. 
neath  the  protection  of  the  wall  of  the  fort,  and  had  another  on  their  outside,  biult  in 
the  water,  as  an  additional  security.  The  Dean  of  the  isles  says,  that  ki  his  time  this 
castle  was  usurped  by  Mac-killayne,  of  Doward. 

Dine  at  Mr.  Campbell's  of  Balnabbi.  His  land  is  quite  riante ;  his  pastures  in  good 
order ;  and  his  people  busily  employed  in  hay-making :  observed  one  piece  of  good 
grass  ground,  which  he  assured  me  was  very  lately  covered  with  heath,  how  quite  de- 
stroyed by  t^c  use  of  shell-sand.  Perhaps  it  may  seem  trifling  to  mention,  that  some 
excellent  new  potatoes  were  served  up  at  dinner ;  but  thb  circumstance,  with  the  for- 
\vardness  of  the  hay  harvest,  shews  what  may  be  eflfected  by  culture  in  this  isbuid, 
when  the  tenure  is  secure,  for  both  Sunderland  and  Balnabbi  are  proprietors. 

See,  near  the  house,  three  upright  stones,  of  a  stupendous  size,  placed  nearly  equi- 
distant :  the  largest  was  seventeen  feet  high,  and  three  broad.  /u  ;,i 

Bide  two  miles  N.  W.  to  Doun-voUan,  where  some  high  rocks  prdect  one  behind 
the  other  into  the  sea,  with  narrow  isthmuses  between:  on  the  ascent  o/^each  are  strong 
dikes,  placed  transversely,  and  a  path  leading  towards  the  top ;  and  on  somepar^  ate 

*  Near  thisplace  is  the  dangerouft  bay  of  Sallego.    '  f '         ■  ' '.  '  !^' '  * 


L 


MNirANTV  SECOND  TOUR  IN  SCOTLAND. 


285 


1 ,' 


t*     ■■; 

Proceed 
The  im- 
clean,  as 
.orchard, 
iblands; 
PodKMia 

p  but  dry 
>f  various 
liere  they 
tdertaken. 
111. 

I^ht  in  tlie 
the  small 

water  of 
smarkable 
ruins:  the 
«pe  walls, 
:tween  the 
drawn  be- 
e,  built  in 

time  this 

es  in  good 
xof  good 
r  quke  de- 
that  some 
ith  the  for- 
tliis  isbmd, 

early  equi- 

Mie  behind 
1  are  strong 
le  parts  are 


hollows,  probably  the  lodging  of  the  occupiers.  The  last  of  these  rocks  terminates  in  a 
precipice  over  the  sea,  and  was  the  dernier  resort  of  the  defendants :  such  were  the  for. 
tifications  of  the  barbarous  ages :  here  were  the  assailants  successful,  the  garrbon  had  no 
alternative  but  to  perish  by  the  edge  of  the  sword,  or  to  precipitate  themselves  into  the 
ocean. 

In  various  parts  of  this  neighbourhood  are  scattered  small  holes,  formed  in  the 
ground,  large  enough  to  hold  a  single  man  in  a  sitting  posture :  the  top  is  covered  with 
a  broad  stone,  and  that  with  earth :  into  these  unhappy  fu^tives  took  shelter  after  a  de- 
feat, and  drawing  together  sods,  found  a  temporary  conceidment  from  enemies,  who  in 
early  times  knew  not  the  giving  or  receiving  of  quarter.  The  incuruons  of  barbarians 
were  always  short ;  so  that  the  fugitives  could  easily  subsist  in  their  earths  till  the  dan- 
ger was  over.  Men  were  then  almost  in  a  state  of  nature :  how  strong  was  their  re- 
semblance  to  beasts  of  prey  I  The  whole  scenerjr  of  this  place  was  unspeakably  savage, 
and  the  Inhabitants  suitable.  Falcons  screamed  incessantly  over  our  heads,  and  we  dis< 
Curbed  the  easles  perched  on  the  precipice. 

Continue  clambering  among  the  rocks  impending  over  the  sea,  and  split  by  intervals 
into  chasms,  narrow,  Mack,  and  of  a  stupendous  depth ;  whose  bottom  appeared  and'dis- 
appeared  accon'ing  to  the  momentary  coruscations  of  the  furious  foam  of  the  waves,  roll- 
ing from  the  hsavy  ocean.  Proceed  along  a  narrow  path,  surrounding  the  face  of  a 
promontory  hanging  over  the  water,  skipping  nimbly  over  a  way  that  fear  alone  could 
make  dangerous,  laughing  at  a  bulky  companion  whom  the  rest  had  distanced. 

Descend  a  deep  tract,  and  found  part  o^  our  company  (who  chose  a  less  picturesque 
road)  in  possession  of  the  fine  cave  of  Saneg-mor :  the  entrance  was  difficult :  but  aft^r 
some  travel  found  the  inside  of  an  august  extent  and  height ;  the  roof  solid  ruck,  which 
returned,  with  the  noise  of  thunder*  the  dischaige  of  our  muskets.  Within  tlus  cave 
was  another  straight  before  us,  with  a  fine  arched  entrance:  several  of  the  company  had 
got  into  it,  and  passing  with  their  tapers  backwards  and  forwards,  from  recess  to  recess, 
appeared  at  our  distance  like  the  gliding  spectres  of  Shakespeare  in  the  (Mt  of  Acheron. 
We  followed,  and  found  our  grotto  divided  into  numbers  of  far- winding  passages,  some-' 
times  c^)ening  into  fine  expanses,  again  cloung,  for  a  long  space,  into  galleries,  passable 
but  with  difficulty:  a  perfect  subterraneous  Iab3rrinth.  A  bagpiper  preceded:  at 
times  the  whole  space  was  filled  with  the  sound,  which  died  away  by  oegrees  to  a  mere 
murmur,  and  soon  after  again  astonished  us  with  the  bellowing,  according  as  the  mean, 
ders  conducted  him  to  or  from  our  singular  stations. 

ivAfS.  Take  leave  of  dve  hospitable  family  of  Sunderland:  ride  along  adiffi:rent 
road  across  the  island ;  pass  by  some  cairns,  and  some  ancient  fences  on  the  heaths. 
Reach  the  head  of  I..ock-Druinard,  a  place  celebrated  fbr  the  battle  of  Trui-dhruinard, 
in  1S98,  between  the  k>rd  of  the  isles,  and  Sir  Lauchlan  Mac-lean,  of  Mull:  the  last, 
with  fifteen  .'^nndred  men,  invaded  Hay,  with  a  view  of  usurpii^  it  from  his  nephew ; 
the  first  had  only  eleven  hundred,  and  was  at  first  obUged  to  retreat,  till  he  was  joined 
by  a  hundred  and  twenty  fresh  forces :  this  decided  the  engagement.  Sir  Lauchlan  was 
slain,  with  four-score  of  hb  principal  kinsmen,  and  two  hundred  of  his  soldiers,  who 
'  lay  surrounding  the  body  of  their  chieAain.  A  stone  on  the  spot  was  erected  in  me- 
mory of  his  falL 

Sir  Lauchlan  consulted  a  witch,  the  oracle  of  Mull,  before  he  set  out  on  his  expedi- 
tion ;  and  received  three  pieces  of  advice :  first,  not  to  land  on  a  Thursday :  a  storm 
forced  him  into  disobedience.  The  second,  not  to  drink  of  a  certun  spring :  which  he 
did  through  ignorance.  The  third,  not  to  fight  beside  Loch-druinard :  but  this  the 
fates  may  be  supposed  to  have  determined. 


iV 


i*l 


286 


PENNANT'S  SECOND  TOUR  IN  SCOTLAND. 


Ride  by  Loch-finlac^n,  a  narrow  piece  of  water,  celebrated  for  its  isle,  a  principal 
residence  of  the  great  Mac-donald.  The  ruins  of  this  place  and  chapel  still  exist,  and 
also  the  stone  on  which  he  stood  when  he  was  crowned  king  of  the  isles.  This  custom 
seems  to  have  been  common  to  the  northern  nations.  The  Danes*  had  therr  Kong- 
stolen. 

The  ceremony  (after  the  new  lord  had  collected  his  kindred  and  vassals)  was  truly 
patriarchal.  After  putting  on  his  armour,  his  helmet  and  his  sword,  he  took  an  oath  to 
rule  as  his  ancestors  had  done ;  that  is,  to  govern  as  a  father  would  his  children :  his 
people  in  return  swore  that  they  would  pay  the  same  obedience  to  him  as  children  would 
their  parent.  The  dominions  of  this  potentate  about  the  year  1586  consisted  only  of 
Ilay,  Jura,  Knapdale  and  Cantyre.  So  reduced  were  they,  from  what  they  had  been  be- 
fore  the  deprivation  of  the  great  e;«rl  of  Ross,  in  the  reien  of  James  IIL 

Near  this  is  another  little  isle,  where  he  assembled  nis  council :  Illan  na  Corlle,  or. 
The  island  of  council ;  where  thirteen  judges  constantly  sat,  to  deride  differences  among 
his  subjects ;  and  received  for  their  trouble  the  eleventh  part  of  tiie  value  of  the  affair 
tried  before  them.f 

In  the  first  bland  were  buried  the  wives  and  children  of  the  lords  of  the  bles ;  but 
their  own  persons  were  deposited  in  the  more  sacred  ground  of  Jona. 

On  the  shores  of  the  lake  are  some  marks  of  the  quarters  of  his  Carnauch  and  Gilli- 
glasses,  the  military  of  the  isles :  the  first  signifying  a  strong  man ;  the  last,  a  grim-look- 
inp;  fellow.  The  first  were  lij^t  armed,  and  fought  with  darts  and  da§^rs ;  the  last 
with  sharp  hatchets.:):  These  are  the  troops  that  Shakespeare  alludes  to,  when  he 
speaks  of  a  Donald,  who .  >        ;     ,       ,  ♦  '.  a?    ,.;/i;i   .-wm 

From  the  western  isles        *-  «''*^"  ' 
Of  Kernes  and  Gallew  glasses  was  supplied. 

Upon  the  shore  are ,  remains  of  a  pier,  and  on  a  stone  is  cut,  A.  II.  or,  CEneas  the 
second,  one  of  the  loi^ds  of  the  isles,  m  whose  reign  it  was  founded.}  This  proves  suf- 
ficiently that  Mac.donald  was  not  their  general  tiUe,  as  some  have  imagined :  the  mis- 
take arose  from  two  of  the  name  of  Donald,  who  were  most  remarkable  for  the  ravages 
they  made  in^  Scotland)  in  the  reign  of  Edward  Baliol,  in  1368,  and  that  of  James  I,  in 
1410.    As  the  title  is  popular  still  in  the  isles,  I  choose  to  continue  what  is  so  much.ia 

Besides  those  already  mentioned,  the  lords  had  a  house  and  chapel  at  Laganon,  on 
the  south  side  of  Loch-an-daal :  a  strong  castle  on  a  rock  in  the  sea,  at  Dunoimick,  at 
the  south-east  end  of  the  country  ;  for  they  made  this  island  their  residence  after  their 
expulsion  from  that  of  Man,  in  1304. 

There  is  a  tradition,  that  while  the  isle  of  Man  was  part  of  the  kingdom  of  the  isles, 
that  the  rents  were  for  a  time  paid  in  this  country :  tliose  in  silver  were  paid  on  a  rock 
still  called  Creig-a-nione,  or  the  rock  of  the  silver  rent :  the  other,  Creig.apnairgid,  or 
the  rock  of  rents  in  kind.  These  lie  opposite  to  each  other,  at  the  mouth  of  a  harbour, 
on  the  south  side  of  this  island.  ■■,.., 


*' Stephanisnotx  in  Sax.  Gramm.  39. 

t  These  were  the  Armin  or  Tiemai  heads  of  the  principal  families ;  who  fdto  asusted  the  lord  of  the 


trxi/.  ,.,i-^'vj(P,'i.- 


ff-  f^'  ~  .'*i-i'~ 


•«.-,ji:.-'i*,ifta.    -til 


isles  ivith  their  advice 
%  Camden,  1431. 
^  BoethiuB,  383.    Fordun  says,  that  the  lord  of  the  isles  had  here  duas  mansbnes  et  Castnim  Doma- 


norum. 


.. u'  .^Kiy,  i.("i4 


.-»'- 


>;*1-   •;-}.  iia.-'  l*j 


..^ct-^^iw I  H-H K*-;^,  .<7J*-ji;*r' 


!'-^", 


H 


PENNANrS  SECOND  TOUR  IN  SCOTLANa 


287 


principal 
:xist,  and 
is  custom 
efr  Kong. 

was  truly 
an  oath  to 
dren:  his 
ren  would 
d  only  of 
1  been  be> 

Corlle,  or, 

ces  among 

the  affair 

isles;  but 

and  Gilli- 

^m-look- 

i ;  the  last 

when  he 


Eneas  the 
proves  suf> 
:  the  mis* 
he  ravages 
James  I,  in 
io  much  in 

tganon,  on 
lOMWck,  at  , 
after  their 

)f  the  isles, 
1  on  a  rock 
•nairfpd,  or 
a  harbour, 

le  lord  of  the 
itnimDonu* 


Return  to  Freeport,  and  go  on  board  my  vessel,  now  at  anchor  on  the  Jura  side  of 
the  aound,  in  VVitefa  lane  bay. 

The  isle  of  Hay,  Isla,  or,  as  it  is  called  in  Erse,  He,  is  of  a  square  form,  deeply  in. 
denttd  on  the  south  by  the  great  bay  of  Loch  an-daal,  divided  from  Jura,  on  the  north, 
east,  by  the  sound,  which  is  near  fourteen  miles  long,  and  about  one  broad.  The  tides 
the  most  violent  and  rapid ;  the  channel  clear,  excepting  at  the  soutli  entrance,  where 
there  are  bome  rocks  on  the  Jura  side. 

The  length  of  Hay,  from  the  point  of  Ruval  to  the  Mull  of  Kinoth,  is  twenty.eight 
miles ;  is  divided  into  the  parishes  of  Kildalton,  Kilarow,  Kilchoman,  and  Kilmenie. 
The  latitude  *  of  Freeport,  55°  52'  29"  N.  The  face  of  the  island  is  hilly,  but  not 
high :  the  loftiest  hills  are  Aird-inisdail,  Diur-bheinn,  and  Sgarb-bhein.  The  land  in 
many  parts  is  excellent,  but  much  of  it  is  covered  with  heath,  and  absolutely  in  a  state 
of  nature. 

The  produce  is  corn  of  different  kinds ;  such  as  bear,  which  sometimes  yields  eleven 
fo*d,  and  oats  six  fold ;  a  ruinous  distillation  prevails  here,  insomuch  that  it  is  supposed 
that  more  of  the  bear  is .  drank  in  form  of  whisky,  than  eaten  in  the  shape  of  bannocs. 
Wheat  has  been  raised  with  good  success  in  an  inclosure  belon^ng  to  the  proprietor ; 
but  in  an  open  country,  where  most  of  the'cattle  go  at  large,  it  is  impossible  to  cultivate 
that  grain,  and  the  tenants  are  unable  to  inclose.  Much  flax  is  raised  here,  and  about 
20001.  worth  sold  out  of  the  island  in  yarn,  which  might  be  better  manufactured  on 
the  spot,  to  give  employ  to  the  poor  natives. 

A  set  of  people  worn  down  with  poverty ;  their  habitations  scenes  of  misery,  made  of 
loose  stones,  without  chimnies,  without  doors,  excepting  the  faggot  opposed  to  the 
\vind  at  one  or  other  of  the  apertures,  permitting  the  smoke  to  escape  through  the 
other,  in  order  to  prevent  the  pains  of  suffocation.  The  furniture  perfectly  corresponds : 
a  pothook  hangs  from  the  middle  of  the  roof,  with  a  pot  pendent  over  a  grateless  fire, 
filled  with  fare  that  may  rather  be  called  a  permission  to  exist,  than  a  support  of  vigo> 
rous  life ;  the  inmates,  as  may  be  expected,  lean,  withered,  dusky,  and  smoke-dried.. 
But  my  picture  is  not  of  this  island  only. 

Notwithstanding  the  excellency  of  the  land,  above  a  thousand  pounds  worth  of 
meal  is  annually  imported ;  a  famine  threatened  at  this  time,  but  was  prevented  by  tlw 
seasonable  arrival  of  a  meal  ship ;  and  the  inhabitants,  like  the  sons  of  Jacob  of  old, 
flocked  down  to  buy  food. 

Ale  is  firequently  made  in  this  island  of  the  young  tops  of  heath,  mixing  two  thirds 
of  that  plant  with  one  of  malt,  sometimes  adding  hops.  Boethius  relates  that  this  liquor 
was  much  used  among  the  Picts,  but  when  that  nation  was  extirpated  by  the  Scots,  the 
secret  of  making  it  perished  with  them.f 

The  country  blest  with  fine  manures ;  besides  sea-wrack,  coral,  shell-sand,  rock  and 
pit  marie,  it  possesses  a  tract  of  thirty-six  square  miles  of  limestone.  What  treasures, 
if  properly  applied,  to  bring  wealth  and  plenty  into  the  island. 

Numbers  of  cattle  are  bred  here,  and  about  seventeen  hundred  are  annually  exported, 
at  the  price  of  fifty  shillings  each.  The  island  is  often  overstocked,  and  numbers  die 
in  March  for  want  of  fodder.  None  but  milch  cows  are  housed ;  cattle  of  all  other 
kinds,  except  the  saddle-horses,  run  out  during  winter. 

The  number  of  inhabitants  is  computed  to  be  between  seven  and  eight  thousand. 
About  seven  hundred  are  employed  in  the  mines  and  in  the  fishery ;  the  rest  are 

■  ■    * 

*  I  un  greatlf  indebted  to  Dr.  Lind  for  the  true  latitude ;  and  for  a  beautiful  map  of  the  isle,  from 
which  1  take  1117  measurements.  t  Descr.  Regni  Scotorum. 


'^.'5%vn<';--.^t'-iTTjv^t^j^»-3aT;_*.\(^|(J7  . 


388 


pimrAirrs  second  TOim  ik  Scotland. 


genUemen-farmen,  subtenants  or  servants.    Tiie  women  spin.    Few  as  yet  hive  mi- 
grated. 

The  aervanu  are  paid  in  kind ;  the  sixth  part  of  the  crop.  They  have  houses  gratis: 
the  master  gives  them  the  seed  for  the  first  year,  and  lendb  them  horses  to  plough  an- 
nually the  land  annexed. 

The  air  is  less  healthy  than  that  of  Jura :  the  present  epidemical  diseases  are  dropsies 
and  cancers,  the  natural  ef&cts  of  bad  food. 

The  quadrupeds  of  thb  island  are  stoats,  weasels,  otters,  and  hares  r  the  last  small, 
dark-€oloured,  and  bad  runners.  The  birds  are  eagles,  peregrine-falcons,  blade  and 
red  game,  and  a  very  few  ptarmi^is.  Red-breasted  goosanders  breed  on  the  shore 
among  the  kxrae  f/oxies,  wild  geese  m  the  moors.  Herons  in  the  island  in  Loch>Guirm. 
The  fish  are  piaise,  smeardw,  large  dabs,  mullets,  ballan,  lump-fisli,  black  goby, 
greater  dragonet,  and  that  rare  fish  the  lepadogaster  of  M.  Gouan. 

Vipers  swarm  in  the  heath ;  the  natives  retain  the  vulgar  error  of  their  stinging 
with  their  forked  tongues ;  that  a  sword  on  which  the  poison  has  fallen  will  hiss  in 
water  like  a  red  hot  iron ;  and  that  a  poultice  of  human  ordure  is  an  infallible  cure  for 
the  bite. 

In  this  island  several  ancient  diversions  and  superstitions  are  still  preserved;  the 
hut  indeed  are  ahnost  extinct,  or  at  most  lurk  only  among  the  very  meanest  of  the 
peorile. 

The  late  wakes  or  funerals,  Uke  those  of  the  Romans,  were  attended  with  sports  and 
dramatic  entertainment^  composed  of  many  parts,  and  the  actors  often  dianged  their 
dresses  suitabk  to  their  characters.  The  subject  of  the  drama  was  historical,  and  pre- 
served by  memmy. 

The  active  sports  are  wrestling.    Another  is  performed  by  jumping  on  a  pole  held 
up  horizontally  by  two  men :  the  performer  lights  on  his  knees,  takes  hold  with  both 
hands,  bends  and  kisses  it,  and  then  springs  oC   He  who  succeeds  in  the  feat  when  the 
^  noil  is  at  highest  elevation  carries  the  prize. 

A  second  game  of  activity  is  played  by  two  or  three  hundred,  who  form  a  circle ; 
and  every  one  places  his  addc  in  the  ground  before  him  by  way  of  barrier.  A  person, 
called  ttie  odd  man,  stands  in  the  middle,  and  delivers  his  bonnet  to  any  one  in  the 
ring.  Thb  is  nimbly  handed  round,  and  the  owner  is  to  recover  it :  and  on  succeed- 
ing, takes  the  place  of  the  person  whom  he  took  it  from,  and  that  person  again  takes 
the  nuddle  phioe. 

There  are  two  other  triab  of  strength :  first,  throwing  the  sledge-hammer.  The 
other,  seems  k>cal.  Two  men  sit  on  the  ground  foot  to  foot :  each  lays  holds  of  a  short 
stick,  and  the  champion  that  can  pull  the  other  over  is  the  w^ner.  aui  \  -  >u ;.  . 

The  power  of  fiiscination  is  as  strongly  believed  here  as  it  was  by  the  slM^erds  of 
Italy  in  times  of  old. 

NeBdo  quis  teneroi  oculis  mihi  fasdnat  agnos  ?  ^ 

But  here  the  power  of  the  evil  eye  affects  more  die  milch  cows  than  lambsl  If  the 
good  housewife  perceives  the  e^t  of  the  malicious  on  any  of  her  kine,  she  takes  as 
much  milk  as  she  can  drain  firom  the  enchanted  herd,  for  the  witch  commonly  leaves 
very  Uttle.  She  then  bmls  it  with  certain  herbs,  and  adds  to  them  flints  and  untem- 
pered  steel ;  after  diat  she  secures  the  door,  and  invokes  the  three  sacned  persons.  This 

Euts  the  witch  into  such  an  agony,  that  she  comes  riilling-willbg  to  the  house,  begs  to 
e  adtmtted,  to  obtain  relief  by  touching  the  powerfiil  pot;  the  good  woman  then 


PENNANT'!  SECOND  TOUll  IN  SCOTLANb 


28!^ 


:  hive  mi- 

ises  gratis: 
plough  an- 

redropues 

last  small, 

blade  and 

It  the  shore 

»ch>Guinn. 

lack  goby, 

iir  stinging 
n^lhiss  in 
ale  cure  for 

erved;  the 
meat  of  the 

1  sports  and 
langed  their 
»1,  and  pre- 

apole  held 
1  with  both 
•at  when  the 

rm  a  circle ; 

A  person, 

'  one  in  the 

on  succeeds 

again  takes 

nmer.  The 
ds  of  a  short 

shepherds  of 

nbsl  If  the 
she  takes  as 
monljr  I^avea 
and  uDtem- 
eraons.  This 
Duse,  b^  to 
woman  then 


makes  her  terms  ;  the  witch  restores  the  milk  to  the  cattle,  and  in  return  is  freed  from 
her  pains. 

But  sometimes,  to  save  the  trouble  of  those  charms  (for  it  may  happen  that  the  dis. 
order  may  arise  from  other  causes  than  an  evil-eye,)  the  trial  is  made  by  iminerging  in 
milk  a  certain  herb,  and  if  the  cows  are  super-natunilly  affected,  it  instantly  distils 
blood. 

The  unsuccessful  lover  revenges  himself  on  his  happy  rival  by  charms  potent  as  those 
ofthe  shepherd  Alphesibaeus,  and  exactly  similar: 


Necte  tribal  nodis  ternos  AmarylH  colores: 
Necte,  Amarylli  modo.      „ 


■> 


DonaM  takes  three  threads  of  different  hues,  and  ties  three  knots  on  each,  three  times 
imprecating  the  most  cruel  disappointments  on  the  nuptial  bed :  but  the  bridegroom, 
to  avert  theliarm,  stands  at  the  aitar  with  an  untied  shoe,  and  puts  a  sucpence  beneath 
his  foot.     ^ 

A  present  was  made  me  of  a  clach  dun  ceilach,  or  cock-knee  stone,  believed  to  be 
obtained  out  of  that  part  of  the  bird  ;  but  I  have  unluckily  forgotten  its  virtues.  Not 
so  with  the  cUch  crubain,  which  is  to  cure  all  pains  in  the  joints.  It  is  to  be  presumed 
both  these  amulets  have  been  enchanted ;  for  the  first  very  much  resembles  a  common 
pebble,  the  other  is  that  species  of  fossil  shell  called  Oryphites. 

I  was  also  ^voured  with  several  of  the  nuts,  commonly  called  Molucca  beans,  which 
are  frequently  found  on  the  western  shores  of  this  and  others  of  the  Hebrides.  They 
are  the  seeds  of  the  Dolichos  urens,  Guilandina  Bonduc.  G.  Bonducetta,  and  mimosa 
scandensofLinneeus,  natives  of  Jamaica.  The  fifth  is  a  seed  called  by  Bauhin,  fructus 
exot :  orbicularis  sulcis  nervisque  quatuor,  whose  place  is  unknown.  The  four  first  grow 
in  quantities  on  the  steep  banks  of  the  rivers  of  Jamaica,  and  are  generally  supposed  to 
drop  into  the  water,  ana  to  be  carried  into  the  sea ;  from  thence,  by  tides  and  currents, 
and  the  predonunancy  of  the  east  wind,  to  be  forced  through  the  gulf  of  Florida  into 
die  North  American  ocean,  in  the  same  manner  as  the  Sargasso,  a  plant  growing  on 
the  rocks  in  the  seas  of  Jamaica.  When  arrived  in  that  part  of  the  Atlantic,  they  fall 
in  with  the  westerly  winds,  which  generally  blow  two-thirds  of  the  year  in  that  tract ; 
which  may  help  to  convey  them  to  the  shores  of  the  Hebrides  and  Orknies.*  I  was 
for  resolving  this  phenomenon  into  shipwrecks,  and  suppodng  that  they  might  have  been 
flung  on  these  coasts  out  of  some  unhappy  vessels ;  but  this  solution  of  mine  is  abso- 
lutely denied,  from  the  frequency  and  regularity  of  the  appearance  of  these  seeds. 
American  tortoises,  or  turtles*  have  more  than  once  been  taken  alive  on  these  coasts, 
tempest-driven  from  then*  warm  seas ;  and  part  of  the  mast  of  the  Tilbury  man  of  war, 
burnt  at  Jamaica,  was  taken  up  on  the  western  coast  of  Scotland ;  facts  that  give  proba- 
bili^  to  the  first  opinion. 

mstory  furnishes  very  few  materials  for  the  great  events  or  revolutions  of  Hay.  It 
seems  to  have  been  long  a  seat  of  empire,  probably  jtnntly  with  the  isle  of  Man,  as 
being  most  conveniently  »tuated  for  the  government  of  the  rest  of  the  Hebrides; 
for  Crovan*  the  Norweg^,  after  his  conquest  of  that  island  in  1066,  retired  and 
finished  his  days  In  Ilay.f  There  are  more  Danish  or  Norwegian  names  of  places  in 
this  island  than  anv  other;  dmost  all  the  present  farms  derive  their  titles, from  them, 
such  as  Persibus,  l*orridal£,  Torribolse,  and  the  like.  On  the  retreat  of  the  t)anes  it 
t|]^.  seat  of  their  successors,  the  Iprdfiof  the  isles,  and  continued  after  their 


\ 


a 


ii 


''f 


*  Phil.  Trans,  abridged,  iii.  540, 
VOL.    XII.  V  V 


t  Chron.  Man. 


■^  ■>  •• 


290 


f^NNANl-'H   Sli^CUNU   iUUIi  IN  BCOTLANli. 


' 


puwrr  was  broken,  in  the  reign  oF  James  III,  in  their  descendants,  the  Mac-donalds, 
who  held,  or  ought  to  have  held  it  from  the  crown.  It  wan  in  the  pov.i ■^sion  of  a  Sir 
James  Mac-donald,  in  the  year  1598,  the  same  who  won  the  battle  of  1  raii-dhruinard 
before  mentioned.  His  power  gave  umbrage  to  James  VI,  who  dircctid  the  lord  of 
^iac-lcod,  Cameron  of  Lochicl,  and  the  Mac-nciles  of  Barra,  to  support  the  Mac- 
leancs  in  another  invasion.  The  rival  purtiis  met  near  the  hill  of  B< n  bigger,  eubt  of 
Kilarow  ;  a  fierce  engagement  ensued,  and  the  Mac-donalds  were  deft  .ited,  and  almost 
entirely  cut  off*.  Sir  James  escaped  to  Spain ;  but  returned  in  1620,  was  pardoned, 
received  a  pension,  and  died  the  same  year  at  Glasgow,  and  in  hin»  expired  the  last 
of  the  great  Mac*dotialds.  But  the  king,  irritated  by  the  disturbances  mi<«ed  by  private 
wars,  waged  between  these  and  other  dans,  resumed  *  the  grant  made  by  his  prede. 
cessor,  and  transferred  it  to  Sir  John  Campbel,  of  Calder,  who  held  it  on  paying  an 
annual  feu-duty  of  five  hundr'^'1  pounds  sterling,  which  is  paid  to  thift  diiy.  I'he  island 
was  granted  to  Sir  John  as  a  reward  for  his  undertaking  the  conquest,  but  the  fiimily 
considered  it  as  «  dear  acquisition,  by  the  loss  of  many  gallant  tollowers,  and  by  the 
cxpcnces  inouited  in  suppt^rt  of  ii.  At  present  k  is  in  posseision  c^  Mr;  Campbel,  of 
Shawfield,  and  the  rentii  ure  about  23001.  per  annum. 

July  6.  Weigh  anchor  at  thr»B. o'clock  in  the  morning),  with  the  assistance  of  the 
tide  get  out  of  the,  Sound.  See  ori'fhe  north- weiit  side  the  plM^' where  that  gallant 
enemy  Tliurok  llqp»  at  di|kr^  timeSi*  ^ipecting  the  fit  opportunity  of  his  invasion,  to 
be  determShed  ty^ht  neivt'tioifiwl  of  die  dlicoeas  of  the  Brest  s(]uadron.  He  Was  told 
that  he  lay  in  a  dangerous  place :  but  he  knew  that  his  security  consisted,  in  case  a 
superior  force  came  against  him,  in  being  able  either  to  take  to  sea,  or  escape  through 
the  Sound,  according  to  the  quarter  the  attack  came  from.  His  generosity  and  hu- 
manity arc  spoken  of  in  high  terms  by  the  islanders ;  and  his  distress  appeared  very  deep, 
when  he  was  informed  of  the  miscarriage  of  Conflan's  fleet. 

Leave  on  the  coast  of  Hay,  near  the  mouth  of  the  Sound,  the  celebrated  cave  of 
Uamh-Fheamaig,  or  Uam>mh6r.  Fourteen  or  fifteen  families  retire  to  it  during  the 
fine  season,  as  their  sheelins,  or  summer  residence,  and  three  families  reside  in  it  the 
whole  year. 

About  eight  or  nine  miles  from  the  mouth  of  the  Sound  lie  the  isles  of  Oransay  anid 
Colonsay.  The  stillness  of  the  day  made  the  passage  tedious,  which  induced  us  to  take 
boat ;  the  view  midway  was  very  fine  of  Hay  and  Jura,  of  the  opening  into  Loch- 
Tarbat,  a  bay  penetrating  deep  into  Jura,  and  affording  anchorage  for  larp;e  vessels ;  as 
was  experienced  a  very  lew  years  ago  by  one  of  eight  hundred  tons,  driven  in  during 
night:  the  master  found  an  opening,  and  passed  providentially  between  two  rocks,  at 
a  small  distance  from  each  other ;  and,  finding  himself  in  smooth  water,  dropped  an- 
chor, and  lay  secure  in  a  fine  natural  wet  do(^.  A  discovery  worthy  the  attention  of 
mariners.! 

Beyond  Jura  appears  the  gulf  of  Corry-vrekan,  bounded  by  the  isle  of  Skarba ; 
the  mountains  of  Mull  succeed;  and  before  us  extend  the  shores  of  the  two  islands, 
the  immediate  objects  of  our  visit.  Land  about  one  o'clock  on  Oransay  ;  the  ship  ar- 
rives soon  after,  and  anchors  within  Ghudimal,  which,  with  two  or  three  other  little 
rocky  isles,  forms  a  harbour. 

*  Femls  of  the  Isles,  99. 

t  Mariners  have  overlooked  the  account  ofthis  harbour  given  by  Alexander  Lindsay,  pilot  to  James  V, 
in  Ills  navigation  round  Scotland,  in  '  536,  who  pronounces  it  to  have  good  anchorage.  James  in  person 
executed  the  great  dcsi{;ii  of  taking  cliarts  of  the  coasts  of  his  dominions,  and  sounding  the  most  distant 
ptid  dangerous  rocks. 


-■.y,iq;fl'"'i'>Bif'; 


S%^(';ffi^r5!5^ 


?.'n^^/!^^;^vST3^T!r~' 


ionalds, 
of  a  Sir 
hruinard 
:  lord  of 
te  Muc- 
',  eabt  of 
id  almost 
ardoncdi 
1  the  last 
y  private 
is  prede> 
Ay'mft  an 
he  island 
le  family 
d  by  the 
npbcl,  of 

X  of  the 
at  gallant 
rasion,  to 
was  told 
in  case  a 
through 
and  hu- 
rery  deep, 

1  cave  of 

aring  the 

in  It  the 

insay  antd 
IS  to  take 
ito  Loch> 
:ssels ;  as 
in  during 
rocks,  at 
ipped  an- 
tention  of 

r  Skarba; 
ra  islands, 
e  ship  ar> 
ther  tittle 


;o  James  V, 
:s  in  person 
nost  distant 


o< 


:^. 


n^. 


:<rv  V 


\ 


f  •'  ^/^'•'//Mi  ///    A^nt    f/w/  tf  f/r4$A//f/  ///•//'  t>/  //f     ■  Af/h 


t-y* 

■'■  r 


^      /  ^r//,y^    /.' 


. 


1.1 


■■■/;'>■»■■:■ 


, 


IL. 


:^^^-*a.jii*«*«-w>»ta*.#«ii*^'-=    ■    -v*.wW'-«»«— •^^    ■    ■'■**■'• 


PEMMANT'S  SBCOND  TOUR  IN  SCOTf.ANU. 


an 


AHer  about  a  mile's  walk  reach  the  ruins  of  the  anciciu  mnniistcr) ,  t'ouiKlcd  (.is 
some  say)  by  St.  Columba,  but  with  more  probability  by  one  of  thr  lords  of  the  iilcs, 
who  fixed  here  a  priory  of  canons  rcj;ular  of  AuKustinc,  dtpcndcfit  on  the  ablx-y  of 
Holyrood  in  Kdinburgh.  The  church  is  fifty.ninc  feet  by  cightecri,  and  contains  the 
tombs  of  numbers  of  the  ancient  islanders,  two  of  warriors  recumlx'nt,  seven  feet  loii^; : 
a  flattery  perhaps  of  the  sculptor,  to  give  to  future  ages  exulted  notions  of  their  prowess. 
Besides  these,  arc  scattered  ovei-  the  floor  lesser  figures  of  hemes,  priests  and  females ; 
the  last  seemingly  of  some  order:  and  near  them  is  a  figure,  cut  in  stone,  of  full  si;i:e, 
apparently  an  abbess. 

In  a  side  chapel,  beneath  an  arch,  lies  an  abbot,  of  tlie  name  of  Mac-dufie,  with  two 
of  his  fingers  elated,  in  the  attitude  of  benediction  :  in  the  same  place  is  a  stone  enriched 
with  foliage,  a  stag  surrounded  with  dogs,  and  a  ship  with  full  sail :  round  is  inscribed, 
"  Hicjacet  Murchardus  Mac^dufic  de  CoUonsa,  An.  Do.  1539,  mensc  mart,  ora  mc  illc. 
ammen.*' 

This  Murchardus  is  said  to  have  been  a  great  oppressor,  and  that  he  was  executed, 
by  order  of  the  lord  of  the  isles,  for  his  tyranny.  Near  his  tomb  is  a  long  pole,  placed 
there  in  memory  of  the  ensign-staff  of  the  family,  which  had  been  preserved  miraculously 
for  two  hundred  years :  on  it  (report  says)  depended  the  fate  of  the  Mac-diifian  race, 
and  probably  the  original  perished  with  this  Murchardus. 

Adjoining  to  the  church  is  the  cloister,  a  square  of  forty-one  feet :  one  of  the  sides 
of  the  inner  wall  is  ruined  ;  on  two  of  the  others  arc  seven  low  archei^  one  seven  feet 
high,  including  the  columns,  which  are  nothing  more  than  two  thin  stones,^  three  feet 
I,  with  a  flat  stone  on  the  top  of  each,  serving  as  a  plinth  ;  and  on  them  two  other 
thm  stones,  meeting  at  top,  and  forming  an  acute  angle,  by  way  of  arch  :  on  the  fore- 
side  are  five  small  round  arches ;  these  surround  a  court  of  twenty-eight  feet  eight 
inches.  This  form  is  peculiar  (in  our  part  of  Europe)  to  this  place  ;  but  I  am  told  that 
the  same  is  observed  in  some  of  the  religions  houses  in  the  islands  of  the  Archipelago. 

Several  other  buildings  join  this,  all  in  a  ruinous  state  ;  but  a  most  elegant  cruss  is 
yet  standing,  twelve  feet  high,  one  foot  seven  broad,  five  inches  thick. 

St.  Columba,  when  he  lef^  Ireland,  made  a  vow  never  to  settle  within  sight  of  itis 
native  country  ;  accordingly,  when  he  and  his  friend  Oran  landed  here,  they  ascended 
a  hill,  and  Ireland  appeared  in  full  view.  This  induced  the  holy  men  to  make  a  sudden 
retreat ;  but  Oran  had  the  honour  of  giving  name  to  the  island. 

July  7.  Ascend  the  very  hill  that  the  saint  did  :  lofty  and  eragg)',  inhabited  by  red- 
billed  choughs  and  stares.  On  the  top  is  a  retreat  of  the  old  inhabitants,  protected  by 
a  strong  stone  dike  and  advanced  works.  On  the  plain  below  is  a  large  round  mount, 
flat  at  top,  on  which  had  probably  been  a  small  Danish  fort,  such  as  arc  frequently  seen 
in  Ireland.  Nearer  the  shore  in  the  east  side  of  the  island  is  a  large  conic  tuirulus  ;  and 
on  the  same  plain,  a  small  cross  placed,  where  a  Mac«dufie's  corps  is  said  to  have  rested. 

Take  a  boat  and  visit  Bird  island,  and  some  other  rocks  divided  by  narrow  passages, 
filled  by  a  most  rapid  tide.  Saw  several  eider  ducks  and  some  shicldrakes.  The 
islanders  neglect  to  gather  the  down  of  the  former,  which  would  bring  in  a  little 
money.  ^ 

This  is  the  bird  called  by  the  dean  of  the  isles  cotk.     From  the  circumstance  of  its 

•depluming  its  breast,  he  fables,  that  '•  at  that  time  her  fleiche  of  fedderis  falleth  of  her 

hailly,  and  sayles  to  the  mayne  sea  againe,  and  never  comes  to  land  quli}  II  the  zcir  end 

again,  and  then  she  comes  with  her  nev  fleiche  of  fedderis :  this  floiche  that  she  leaves 

zeirly  upon  her  nest  hes  nae  pens  in  the  fedderis?  bot  utter  fine  downes." 

*  On  one  of  these  there  is  an  inscription,  which  was  copied,  but  by  some  accident  lost, 

r  p  2 


■'^m^m- 


ii92 


••».N.\AKI'H  SKCONU  lOLH  IM  M;urLA^m 


' 


The  seals  urc  here  numerous :  a  few  arc  caught  in  netn  placed  Ixrtween  thete  rotk«. 
The  great  b|)ceies  is  taken  on  Du  hirtach,  n  grcut  rock,  aliuut  u  mile  ruunU,  ten  kagucf 
to  the  west ;  reported  to  Ik*  the  nearest  of  nny  tu  America. 

Oransay  is  three  miles  long  :  the  south  part  low  and  sandy,  the  rest  high  and  rocky : 
is  (iivided  from  Colonnuy  by  u  narrow  sound,  dry  nt  low  water.  This  island  is  a  single 
farm,  yielding  bear,  flux,  and  much  potatm-s,  which  are  kit  in  tluir  iK'ds  the  «vhir)le 
winter,  covered  with  seu>wruck,  tu  protect  them  from  the  frost.  The  manure  is  shell, 
bitnd  nnd  wrack  :  the  last  laid  on  grans  will  produce  but  one  crop ;  on  eorn.land  it  will 
produce  two.  Sixty  milch  cows  are  kept  itcrc :  and  this  year  eighty  head  of  cattle 
were  sold  from  the  island,  at  three  pounds  apiece :  some  butter  and  cheese  are  also 
exported. 

This  island  is  rented  by  Mr.  Mac-Neile,  brother  to  the  proprietor  of  Imth  islands. 
The  rent  is  not  more  than  forty  pounds  u  year ;  yet,  according  to  the  custom  of  ttic 
Isles,  the  farm  employs  a  number  of  servants,  viz.  n  chi<  f  labourc  r,  who  has  fifty  shU- 
lings  a  year,  und  a  stone  f)f  nual  per  week  ;  a  principal  herdsman,  whose  wages  are  grass 
for  two  cows,  and  meal  sufficient  for  his  family ;  n  cow-herd,  who  has  twenty-four 
shillings n  vear,  und  shoes;  one  under  him,  whose  wages  arc  about  sixteen  shillings: 
and  a  calf-herd,  who  is  allowed  ten  shillings.  Besides  thrsc  are  two  other  men,  culled 
from  their  employ  aoireannan,  who  have  the  charge  of  cultivating  a  certain  portion  of 
IuikI,  and  also  overseeing  the  cattle  it  supports  :  these  have  grass  for  two  milch  cows 
and  bix  sheep,  and  the  tenth  sheaf«  the  produce  of  the  ground,  and  as  many  potatoes  as 
they  choose  to  plant.  The  maid  servants  are  a  housekeeper,  at  ihrte  pounds  a  year ;  a 
principal  dairy  maid,  twelve  marks  Scots  each  half  ycwr ;  and  five  other  women,  five 
marks. 

Cross  the  soimd  at  low  water,  and  enter  the  island  of  Colonsay,  twelve  miles  long, 
three  broad,  full  of  rocky  hills,  running  transversely,  with  variety  of  pretty  meandering 
vales  full  of  grass,  and  most  excellent  for  pasturage.  Even  the  hills  have  plenty  of 
herbage  mixed  with  the  rock.  The  vallies  want  inclosures  and  want  woods,  the  com- 
mon  defect  of  all  the  Hebrides:  they  yield  bear  and  potatoes  ;  much  of  the  first  is  used 
in  distillation,  tu  the  very  starving  of  the  islanders,  who  are  obliged  to  import  meal  for 
their  subsistence.  About  two  hundred  and  twenty  head  of  cattle  are  annually  exported, 
at  31.  each.  In  1736  the  price  was  only  five-anid-twenty  shillings ;  but  the  rise  com- 
menced two  years  after  the  rebellion.  Yet  even  this  advance  does  twt  enrich  the  people 
of  this  pretty  island,  for  their  whole  profit  is  exhausted  in  the  purchase  of  bread,  which 
their  own  industry  ought  to  supply. 

Oats  arc  sown  here  about  the  middle  of  April,  and  yield  three  and  a  half.  Bear  pro- 
duces eight  fold.  Forty  or  fifty  tons  of  kelp  are  annually  made  in  both  islands.  The 
materials  are  collected  on  the  shores  in  the  middle  of  April,  and  the  kelp  exported  in 
August,  at  the  rate  of  31. 10s.  or  41.  per  ton. 

Their  poverty  prevents  them  from  using  the  very  means  Providence  has  ^ven  them 
of  raising  a  comfortable  subsistence.  They  have  a  good  soil,  plenty  of  limestone,  and 
sufficient  quantity  of  peat.  A  sea  alx>unding  with  fish ;  but  their  distressed  state  disables 
them  from  cultivating  the  one,  and  faking  the  other.  These  two  islands  contain  eight 
thousand  four  hundred  acres,  of  which  about  two  thousand  six  hundred  are  arable. 
How  inadequate  then  is  the  produce  of  cattle  :  and  how  much  more  so  is  that  of  corn  ! 

The  soil  of  this  island  is  far  superior  in  goodness  to  that  of  Oransay  ;  yet  hov/  dis- 
proportionubly  less  are  thef  exports  :  Oransay  owes  its  advantage  to  the  good  manage* 
ment  of  the  tenant. 


PKNNANl'ii  MtCONU  TOUH  IM  tCOTt.AND 


io. 


rorkb. 
cagues 

rrtcky : 

•  khcll, 
,  it  will 
I'  cattle 
tre  al«o 

inlands. 

1  of  tlM5 

rty  shiU 
re  grass 
nty-four 
hiillings : 
1,  cutlcd 
>rtion  of 
ch  cows 
tatocB  as 
year;  a 
kcn,  five 

Ics  long, 
andrring 
;)lenty  of 
he  corn- 
it  it  used 
meal  for 
exported, 
rise  com- 
le  people 
id,  which 

Icar  pro- 
ds. The 
ported  in 

iven  them 
tone,  and 
e  disables 
itain  eight 
re  arable, 
of  corn ! 
ho>v  dis- 
manage. 


In  bnili  islands  are  between  five  ami  six  hundred  kouK.  'I'hr  old  il)luhitant^  wrre  ilic 
M  H  -duru-h  and  iIm:  Macvureths.  The  firnt  were  chief;  ••  'I'hin  isir  (Hay>  ilu  dian)  iit 
b;  iiUit  be  aiu-  gentle  c.ipitane  callit  Mac>dufykc  niul  prrtenc  d  '  f  auid  to  ClHiuloiiuld  of 
Kvnivre,"  and  it  is  now  briikii  Ik*  ane  gtntlc  capitane  c.tljit  Mac-nrile,  who  has  nrver 
raised  hiH  rents,  has  preserved  the  love  of  hit  pople,  and  lott  but  a  «iuglc  family  by  mi. 
gr.tiioii. 

'l'hi>i  island,  hince  the  time  of  the  dean,  wan  the  property  of  ihe  Argyle  family,  who 
sold  it  to  A\)  anceitor  of  the  present  proprietor  about  Hixty  years  ago.  1  conjecture  that 
thr  aiuient  owner  nii;|;ht  have  forfeiteu  by  engaging  in  the  last  rebellion  of*  the  Mac- 
dunaldi;  and  that  it  was  included  in  the  large  grant  of  ibiands  made  to  the  Cumpbels, 
in  M'Murd  (or  their  services. 

Met  with  nothing  very  interesting  in  the  ride.  P.ihh  by  a  chain  of  small  lakes  cnllcd 
Loch-fad,  by  two  great  erect  intones  nioiuintental  at  Cil-chaltan,  and  by  a  ruined  chapel. 
There  are  three  others ;  but  notwithstanding-,  from  thi^  circuins'ance,  Oransay  and  Co- 
loiisay  might  be  supposed  to  have  Ikcii  isles  of  sanctity,  yet,  from  the  reformation  till 
within  the  last  six  years,  the  sacrament  had  tx:cn  only  once  administered. 

Hcach  Cil-oran,  the  scat  of  the  proprietor,  Mr.  \lac-ncile,who  entertained  us  with 
much  politeness.  His  house  is  well-sheltered,  and  trees  grow  very  vigorously  in  its 
neighbourhood.  There  is  scarcely  an  island,  where  vallies  protected  from  winds  may 
not  be  found,  in  which  trees  might  be  planted  to  great  advantage.  Ash  and  maple 
would  succeed  particularly  well ;  and  in  many  places  the  best  kinds  of  willows  would 
turn  to  good  account,  and  produce  a  manufacture  of  baskets  and  hampers,  articles  our 
commercial  towns  have  a  great  demand  for. 

Rabbits  abound  here ;  about  a  hundred  and  twenty  dozen  of  their  skins  nrc  annually 
exported. 

Bernacles  appear  here  in  vast  Rocks  in  September,  and  retire  the  latter  end  of  April 
or  beginning  of  May.  Among  the  domestic  fowls  I  observed  peacocks  to  thrive  well  in 
the  farm  at  Oransay  ;  so  far  north  has  this  Indian  bird  been  naturalized. 

Neither  frogs,  toads,  nor  vipers,  are  found  here  ;  or  any  kind  of  serpent,  except  the 
harmless  blind-worm. 

I  met  with  no  remarkable  fossils.  Black  talc,  the  mica  lamellata  martialis  nigra  of 
Cronsted,  sect.  95,  is  found  here,  both  in  large  detached  flakes,  and  immersed  in  indu- 
rated clay.  Also  rock  stone  formed  of  glimmer  and  quartz.  An  imperfect  granite  is 
not  unfrequent. 

July  8.  In  the  morning  walk  down  to  the  eastern  coast  of  the  island,  to  a  creek 
guarded  by  the  little  rocky  isle  of  Olamsay,  where  small  vessels  may  find  shelter.  Find 
Mr.  Thompson  plying  off  at  a  mile's  distance.  Go  on  board,  and  sail  for  Jona.  The 
lofty  mountains  of  Mull  lay  in  the  front  :  the  eastern  views  were  Hay,  Jura,  Scarbu, 
and  the  entrance  of  the  r^ulf  of  Corry  vrekan  ;  beyond  lies  Lorn,  and  at  a  distance  soars 
the  high  hill  of  Crouachun. 

Steer  to  the  north  west ;  but  our  course  greatly  delayed  by  calms:  take  numbers 
of  gray  gurnards  in  all  depths  of  water,  and  find  young  herrings  in  their  stomachs. 

Towards  evening  arrive  within  sight  of  Jona,  and  a  tremendous  chain  of  rocks  lying 
to  the  south  of  it,  rendered  more  horrible  by  the  perpetual  noise  of  breakers.  Defer 
our  entrance  into  the  sound  till  day-light. 

July  9.  About  eight  of  the  clock  in  the  morning  very  narrowly  escape  striking  on 
the  rock  B6nirevor,  apparent  at  this  time  by  the  breaking  of  a  wave  :  our  master  was 
at  some  distance  in  his  boat,  in  search  of  sea-fowl,  but  alarmed  with  the  danger  of  his 


♦ 


294 


PENNANT'S  SECOND  TOUR  IN  SCOTLAND. 


vessel,  was  hastening  to  its  relief;  but  the  tide  conveyed  us  out  of  reach  of  the  rock, 
and  saved  him  the  trouble  of  landing  us,  for  the  weather  was  s)  calm  as  to  free  us  from 
any  apprehensions  about  our  lives.  After  tiding  for  three  hours,  anchor  in  the  sound 
of  Jona,  in  tliree  fathoms  water,  on  a  white  sandy  bottom ;  but  the  safest  anchorage  is 
on  the  east  side,  between  a  little  isle  and  that  of  Mull :  this  sound  is  three  miles  lung 
and  one  broad,  shallow,  and  in  some  parts  dry  at  the  ebb  of  spring  tides :  it  is  bounded 
on  the  cast  by  the  island  of  Mull ;  on  the  west  by  that  of  Jona,  the  most  celebrated  of  the 
Hebrides. 

Multitudes  of  gannets  were  now  fishing  here  :  they  precipitated  themselves  from  a 
vast  height,  plunged  on  their  prey  at  least  two  fathoms  deep,  and  took  to  the  air  again 
as  soon  as  they  emerged.  Their  sense  of  seeing  must  be  exquisite ;  but  they  are  often 
deceived,  for  Mr.  Thompson  informed  me  that  he  bad  frequently  taken  them  by  placing 
a  herring  on  a  hook,  and  sinking  it  a  futhom  deep,  which  the  gannet  plunges  for,  and  is 
taken. 

The  view  of  Jona  was  very  picturesque :  the  east  side,  or  that  which  bounds  the  sound, 
exhibited  a  beautiful  variety  ;  an  extent  of  pluin,  a  little  elevated  above  the  v/r.tcr,  and 
almost  covered  with  the  ruins  of  the  sacred  buildings,  and  with  t\\f  .emains  of  the  old 
town,  still  inhabited.  Beyond  these  the  island  rises  into  little  rocky  hills,  with  narrow 
verdant  hollows  between  (for  they  merit  not  the  name  of  vallies)  and  numerous  enough 
for  every  recluse  to  take  his  soluary  walk,  undisturbed  by  society. 

The  island  belongs  to  the  parish  of  Ross,  m  Mull ;  is  three  miles  long  and  one  broad ; 
the  east  side  mostly  flat ;  the  middle  rises  into  small  hills ;  the  west  side  very  rude  and 
rocky ;  the  whole  is  a  singular  mixture  of  rock  and  fertility. 

The  soil  is  a  compound  of  sand  and  comminuted  sea-shtlls,  mixed  with  black  loam  ; 
is  very  favourable  to  the  growth  of  bear,  natural  clover,  crowsfoot,  and  daisies.  It  is 
in  perpetual  tillage,  and  is  ploughed  thrice  before  the  sowing :  the  crops  at  this  time 
made  a  promising  appearance,  but  the  seed  was  committed  to  the  ground  at  very  dif- 
ferent times  ;  some,  I  think,  about  the  beginning  of  May,  and  some  not  three  weeks 
ago.  Oats  do  not  succeed  here :  but  flax  and  potatoes  come  on  very  well.  I  am  in- 
formed that  the  soil  in  Col,  Tir-I,  and  North  and  South  Uist,  is  similar  to  that  in  Jona. 

The  tenants  here  run-rig,  and  have  the  pasturage  in  common.  It  supports  about  a 
hundred  and  eight  head  of  cattle,  and  about  five  hundred  sheep.  There  is  no  heath  in 
this  island  :  cattle  unused  to  that  plant  give  bloody  milk  ;  which  is  the  case  with  the 
cattle  of  Jona  transported  to  Mull,  where  that  vegetable  abounds ;  but  the  cure  is  soon 
efliected  by  giving  them  plenty  of  water. 

Servants  are  paid  here  commonly  with  a  fourth  of  the  crop,  grass  for  three  or  four 
cows  and  a  few  sheep. 

The  number  of  inhabitants  is  about  a  hundred  and  fifty ;  the  most  stupid  and  the 
most  lazy  of  all  the  islanders ;  yet  many  of  them  boast  of  their  descent  from  the  com- 
panions of  St.  Columba. 

A  few  of  the  more  common  birds  frequent  this  island :  wild  geese  breed  here,  and 
the  young  are  often  reared  and  tamed  by  the  natives. 

The  beautiful  sea-bugloss  makes  the  shores  gay  with  its  glaucous  leaves  and  purple 
flowers.     The  eryngo,  or  sea-holly,  is  frecjuent ;  and  the  fatal  belladonna  is  found  here. 

The  granites  durus  rubescens,  the  same  with  the  Egyptian,  is  found  in  Nuns-isle,  and 
on  the  coast  of  Mull :  a  breccia  quartzusa,  of  a  beautiful  kind,  is  common ;  and  the 
rocks  to  the  south  of  the  bay  of  Martyrs  is  formed  of  the  Swedish  trapp,  useful  to  glass- 
makers.* 

•  Cronsted,  No.  cclxvii. 


'VSf'i'K^-i' 


^^^iKlPi 


n--f 


K>>ir^?^"^->'^-5'-*wK'*.»5C'i 


PENNANT'S  SECOND  TOUR  IN  SCOTLAND 


20S 


Lhc  rock, 
us  from 
le  sound 
lorage  is 
ilcs  long 
bounded 
ted  of  the 

s  from  a 
air  again 
are  often 
ly  placing 
3r,  and  is 

he  sound, 
,T.tcr,  and 
of  the  old 
h  narrow 
is  enough 

ne  broad ; 
rude  and 

ick  loam  ; 

ies.  It  is 
this  time 
very  dif- 

ree  weeks 
I  am  in- 

in  Jona. 

ts  about  a 

0  heath  in 
e  with  the 
re  is  soon 

ee  or  four 

id  and  the 

1  the  com- 

l  here,  and 

and  purple 
»und  here, 
ns-isle,  and 
[1 ;  and  the 
ful  to  glass. 


Jona  derives  its  name  from  a  Hebrew  word  signifying  a  dove,  in  allusion  to  the  name 
of  the  gnat  saint,  Columba,  the  founder  of  its  fanie.  This  holy  man,  instigated  by  his 
2c  al,  Icfi  his  native  country,  Ireland,  in  the  yejr  565,  with  the  pious  design  of  preaching 
the  gospel  to  the  Picts.  It  appears  that  he  left  his  native  soil  with  warm  resentment, 
vowing  never  to  make  a  settlement  within  s,ight  of  that  hated  island.  He  made  his  first 
tri.»l  at  Oransay,  and  on  finding  that  place  too  near  Ireland,  succeeded  to  his  wish  at 
Hy,  for  that  was  the  name  of  Jona  at  the  time  of  his  arrival.  He  repatcd  here  the  ex- 
periment  on  several  hills,  erecting  on  each  a  heap  of  stones;  and  that  which  'le  last 
ascended  is  to  this  day  called  Carnan-chul-rch-Eirinn,  or  the  eminence  of  the  back 
turned  to  Ireland. 

Columba  was  soon  distinguished  by  the  sanctity  of  his  manners:  a  miracle  that  he 
wrought  so  operated  on  the  Pictish  king,  B.  adens,  that  he  immediately  made  a  present 
of  the  little  isle  to  the  saint.  It  seems  that  his  majesty  had  refused  Columba  an  audi- 
ence, and  even  proceeded  so  far  as  to  order  the  palace  gates  to  be  shut  against  him  ;  but 
the  saint,  by  the  power  of  his  word,  instantly  caused  them  to  fly  open. 

As  soon  as  he  was  in  possession  of  Jona  he  founded  a  cell  of  monks,  borrowing  his 
institutions  from  a  certain  oriental  monastic  order.*  It  is  said  that  the  first  religious 
were  canons  regular,  of  whom  the  founder  was  the  first  abbot ;  and  that  his  monks,  till 
the  year  716,  differed  from  those  of  the  church  of  Rome,  both  in  the  observation  of 
Easter,  and  the  clerical  tonsure.  Columba  led  here  an  exemplary  life,  and  was  highly 
respected  for  the  sanctity  of  his  manners  for  ?»  considerable  nuinber  of  years.  He  is 
the  first  on  record  who  had  the  faculty  of  second-sight,  for  he  told  the  victory  of  Aidan 
over  the  Picts  and  Saxons  on  the  very  instant  it  happenedo  He  had  the  honour  of  bu- 
rying in  this  island  Convallus  and  Kinnatil,  two  kings  of  Scotland,  and  of  crowning  a 
third.  At  length,  worn  out  with  age,  he  died  in  Jona,  in  the  arms  of  his  disciples ;  was 
interred  there,  but  (as  the  Irish  pretend)  in  after-times  translated  to  Dow*  where,  ac- 
cording to  the  epitaph,  his  remains  were  deposited  with  those  of  St.  Bridget  liiid  St. 
Patrick. 

Hi  tres  in  Dur.o  tumulo  tumulantur  in  uno  ; 
Bi'igida,  Patricius,  atque  Columba  pius. 


this  is  totally  denied  by  the  Scots;  who  affirm  that  the  contrary  is  shewn  in  the 
the  saint,  extracted  out  of  the  pope's  library,  and  translated  out  of  the  Latin  into 


But 

life  of  the         ,  ^.^ ,  „ _.  . ^„„..  ..„,, 

Erse,  by  father  Cal-o-horan,  which  decides  in  favour  of  Jona  the  momentous  dispute.f 

After  the  death  of  St.  Columba,  the  island  received  the  name  of  Y-columb-cill,  or 
the  isle  of  the  cell  of  Columba.  In  process  of  time  the  island  itself  was  personified,  and 
by  a  common  blunder  in  early  times  converted  into  a  saint,  and  worshipped  under  the 
title  of  St.  Columb-killa. 

The  religious  continued  unmolested  during  two  centuries  ;  but  in  the  year  807  were 
attacked  by  the  Danes,  who,  with  their  usual  barbarity,  put  part  of  the' monks  to  the 
sword,  and  obliged  the  remainder,  with  their  abbot  Cellach,  to  seek  safety  by  flying 
from  their  rage.  The  monastery  remained  depopulated  for  seven  years ;  but  on  the 
retreat  of  the  Danes  received  a  new  order,  being  then  peopled  by  Cluniacs,  who  con- 
tinued there  till  the  dissolution,  when  the  revenues  were  united  to  the  see  of  Argyle. 

Took  boat  and  landed  on  the  spot  called  the  Bay  of  Martyrs,  the  place  where  the 
bodies  of  those  who  were  to  be  interred  in  this  holy  ground  were  received  during  tlic 
period  of  superstition. 

»  Sir  Roger  Twisden's  Rise  of  Monastic  States,  36.  t  M-  S.  in  Advoc.  Libr.  169". 


i 


296 


P£NNfANT'S  SECOND  TOUR  IN  SCOTLAND. 


i 


Walked  about  a  quarter  of  a  mile  to  the  south,  in  order  to  fix  on  a  convenient  spot 
for  pitching  a  rude  tent,  formed  of  oars  and  sails,  as  our  day  residenced  during  our  stay 
on  the  island. 

Observe  a  little  beyond  an  oblong  inclosure,  bounded  by  a  stone  dike,  called  Cluch. 
nan  Druinach,  a  nd  supposed  to  have  been  the  burial-place  of  the  Druids,  for  bones  ol 
various  sizes  are  found  there.  I  have  no  doubt  but  that  druidism  was  the  original  reli- 
gion of  this  place;  yet  I  suppose  this  to  have  been  rather  the  common  cemetery  of  the 
people  of  the  town,  which  lies  almost  close  to  the  bay  of  Martyrs. 

Having  settled  the  business  of  our  tent,  return  through  the  town,  consisting  at  pre- 
sent of  about  fifty  houses,  mostly  very  mean,  thatched  with  straw  of  bear,  pulled  up  by 
the  roots,  and  bound  tight  on  the  rcof  with  ropes  made  of  heath.  Some  of  the  houses 
that  tie  a  little  beyond  the  rest  seemed  to  have  been  better  constructed  than  the  others, 
and  to  have  been  the  mansions  of  the  inhabitants  when  the  place  was  in  a  flourishing 
state,  but  at  present  are  in  a  very  ruinous  condition. 

Visit  every  place  in  the  order  that  they  lay  from  the  village.  The  first  was  the  ruin 
of  the  nunnery,  filled  with  canonesses  of  St.  Augustine,  and  consecrated  to  St.  Oran. 
They  were  permitted  to  live  in  commimity  for  a  considerable  time  after  the  reforma- 
tion, and  wore  a  white  gown,  and  above  it  a  rotchet  of  fine  linen.* 

The  church  was  fifty-eight  feet  by  twenty  :  the  roof  of  the  east  end  is  entire,  is  a 
pretty  vault,  made  of  very  thin  stones,  bound  together  by  four  ribs  meeting  in  the  centre. 
The  floor  is  covered  some  feet  thick  with  cow-dung,  this  place  being  at  present  the 
common  shelter  for  the  cattle ;  and  the  islanders  are  too  lazy  to  remove  this  fine  ma- 
nure, the  collection  of  a  century,  to  enrich  their  grounds. 

With  much  difficulty,  by  virtue  of  fair  words  and  a  bribe,  prevail  on  one  of  these 
listless  fellows  to  remove  a  great  quantity  of  this  dunghill,  and  by  that  means  once  more 
expose  to  light  the  tomb  of  the  last  prioress.  Her  figure  is  cut  on  the  face  of  the  stone ; 
an  angel  on  each  side  supports  her  head ;  and  above  them  is  a  little  plate  and  a  comb. 
The  prioress  occupies  only  one  half  of  the  surface  ;  the  other  is  filled  with  the  form  of 
the  Virgin  Mary,  with  head  crowned  and  mitred ;  the  child  in  her  arms ;  and  to  denote 
her  queen  of  Heaven,  a  sun  and  moon  appear  above.  At  her  feet  is  this  address,  from 
the  prioress :  •'  Sancta  Maria  ora  pro  me."  And  round  the  lady  is  inscribed.  "  Hie 
jacet  Domina  Anna  Donaldi  Terleti  f  ia  quondam  priorissa  de  Jona  quas  obiit  an  no  m" 
d°  xi""'  ejus  animam  altissimo  commendamus  " 

Mr.  Stuart,  who  some  time  past  visited  this  place,  informed  me  that  at  that  time  he 
observed  this  fnigment  of  another  inscription :  '*  Hie  jacet  Mariota  filia  Johan :  Lauch- 
lani  Domini  de  .  .  .  ." 

B-esides  this  place  of  sepulture,  was  another  on  the  outside,  allotted  for  the  nuns ; 
where,  at  a  respectable  distance  from  the  virtuous  recluses,  lies  in  solitude  a  frail  sister. 

This  nunnery  could  never  have  been  founded  (as  some  assert )  in  the  days  of  St.  Co- 
lumba,  who  was  no  admirer  of  the  fair  sex :  in  fact  he  held  them  in  such  abhorrence,  that 
he  detested  all  cattle  on  their  account,  and  would  not  permit  a  cow  to  come  within  sight 
of  his  sacred  walls ;  because  *'  'Sfar  am  bi  bo,  bi'dh  bean,  'Sfar  am  bi  bean,  bi'dh 
malaclui :"  "  Where  there  is  a  cow,  there  must  be  a  woman;  and  where  there  is  a 
woman,  there  must  be  mischief." 

Advance  from  hence  along  a  broad  paved  way,  which  is  continued  in  a  line  from  the 
nunnery  to  the  cathedral ;  another  branches  from  it  to  the  bay  of  Martyrs ;  and  a  third, 
nanowcr  than  the  others,  points  towards  the  hills. 


Keiih,  280. 


t  Or  Charles. 


.  ^,.5ir'<«K".»:»i*!».A(»<, 


.'■«t:^Tiiiiiii.  liniii**'- j»«ti 


PENH  ANT'S  SECOND  TOUR  IN  SCO  II.ANu.  ,  .y^ 

On  this  road  is  a  large  and  elegant  cross,  called  that  of  Macleane,  one  ot  three  hun. 
dred  and  sixty  that  were  standing  in  this  island  at  tlic  reformation,*  but  imimdiatcly 
after  were  almost  entirely  demolished  by  order  of  the  provincial  assembly  held  in  the 
island.  It  seems  to  have  been  cnstomary  in  Scotland  for  individuals  to  erect  crosses 
probably  in  consequence  of  some  vow,  or  perhaps  out  of  a  vain  hope  of  perpetuaiinc^ 
their  memory. 

Arrive  at  Reilig  Ourain.  or  the  buryingplace  of  Oran,  a  vast  enclosure  ;  the  great 
place  of  interment  for  the  number  of  monarchs  wlio  were  deposited  here,  and  for  the 
potentates  of  every  isile,  and  their  lineage  ;  for  all  were  ambitious  of  lyinw  in  this  holy 
spot.  The  place  is  in  a  manner  filled  with  grave-stones,  but  so  overgrown  with  weeds, 
especially  with  the  common  butter-bur,  that  very  few  are  at  present  to  be  seen. 

I  was  very  desirous  of  viewing  the  tombs  of  the  kings,  described  by  the  Dean  of  the 
isles,  and  from  him  by  Buchanan  :  the  former  says.f  that  in  his  time  "there  were  three, 
built  in  form  of  little  chapels;  on  one  was  inscribed,  "  Tumulus  Regum  Scotiae." 
In  this  were  deposited  the  remains  of  forty-cight  Scottish  monarchs,  beginning  with 
Fei^us  II,  and  ending  with  the  famous  Macbeth  :  for  his  successor,  Malcolm  Canmore, 
decreed  for  the  future  Dumferline  to  be  the  place  of  royal  sepnlture.t  Of  the  Scottish 
monarchs  interred  in  Jona,  sixteen  are  pretended  to  be  of  the  race  of  Alpin,  and  are 
styled  Righrid  Ailpeanaeh. 

Fergus  was  the  founder  of  this  mausoleum  (Boethius  calls  it  abbatia^  and  not  only 
directed  that  it  should  be  the  ser  ulchrc  of  his  successors,  but  also  caused  an  office  to  be 
composed  for  the  funeral  ceremony. 

The  next  was  inscribed,  *♦  Tumulus  Regum  Hibemiae,"  containing  four  Irish  mo- 
narchs ;  and  the  third,  '*  Tumulus  Regum  Norwegiae,"  containing  eight  Norwegian 
princes,  or  more  probably  viceroys,  of  the  Hebrides,'  while  they  were  subject  to  that 
crown. 

That  so  many  crowned  heads,  from  different  nations,  should  prefer  this  as  the  place  of 
their  interment,  is  said  to  have  been  owing  to  an  ancient  prophecy  : 

Seachd  bliadna  roimh'n  bhraa 
Thig  muir  thar  Eirin  re  aon  tra* 
Sthar  He  gliu  irm  ghlais 
Ach  Sn&mhaidh  I  cholum  clairicki. 

Which  is  to  this  effect :  "  Seven  years  before  the  end  of  the  world,  a  deluge  shall 
drown  the  nations :  the  sea,  at  one  tide,  shall  cover  Ireland,  and  the  green-headed  Hay  ; 
but  Columba's  isle  shall  swim  above  the  flood." 

But  of  these  celebrated  tombs  we  could  discover  nothing  more  than  certain  slight 
remains,  that  were  built  in  a  ridged  form,  and  arched  within  ;  but  the  inscriptions  were 
lost.  These  are  called  Jomaire  nan  righ,  or,  the  ridge  of  the  kings.  Among  these  stones 
were  found  two  with  Gaelic  inscriptions,  and  the  form  of  a  cross  carved  on  each  :  the 
words  on  one  were,  *'  Cros  Domhail  Fat'asich,"  or,  the  cross  of  Donald  Longshanks  ; 
the  other  signified  the  cross  of  Urchvine  o  Guin.  The  letters  were  those  of  the  most 
ancient  Irish  alphabet,  exhibited  in  Valiancy's  Irish  grammar. 

Among  the  same  stones  is  also  the  following  :  '*  Hicjacent  quatuorprioresde — ex 
una  natione  V :  Johannes,  Hugonius,  Patricius  :  in  decretis  olim  Bacularius,  alter  Hu- 
gonius  II  qui  obiit  an.  Dom.  milless""  quingentessimo." 


*  Short  descr.  of  Jona,  1693. 
§  Lib.  vii  p.  119. 
VOL.  III. 


Advoc.  Libr.  M.  S.  f  P.  19.  #  Boethius,  lib.  vii.  p. 

II  Corrected  by  John  Lloyd,  Esq.  of  Wyg-fair,  Flintshire. 


-i98 


PENNANTS  SECOND  TOUIl  IN  SCOTLAND. 


1  am  indebted  to  Mr.  Stuart  for  these  three  inscriptions,  which  he  met  with  in  his 
former  voyage,  :irriving  before  the  growth  of  the  iiU. covering  weeds.  Mr.  Frazier, 
son  to  the  dean  of  the  isles,  informed  M*".  Sachcverel,  governor  of  the  isle  of  Man,  who 
visited  Jona  in  1688,  that  his  father  had  collected  there  three  hundred  inscrip  ions,  and 
presented  them  to  the  earl  of  Argylc  ;  which  were  afterwards  tost  in  the  troubles  of  the 
family. 

The  chapel  of  St.  Oran  stands  in  this  space,  which  legend  reports  to  have  been  the 
first  building  attempted  by  St.  Coluniba  ;  by  the  working  of  some  evil  spirit,  the  wails 
fell  down  as  fast  as  they  were  built  up. 

After  some  consultation  it  was  pronounced  that  they  never  would  be  permanent,  till 
a  human  victim  was  buried  alive  :  Oran,  a  companion  of  the  sanit,  generously  offered 
Inmself,  and  was  interred  accordingly  :  at  the  end  of  three  days  St.  Columba  had  the 
curiosity  to  take  a  farewell  look  at  his  old  friend,  and  caused  the  earth  to  be  removed. 
To  the  surprize  of  all  beholders,  Oran  started  up,  and  began  to  reveal  the  secrets  of 
his  prison-house  ;  and  particularly  declared,  that  all  that  had  been  said  of  hell  was  a 
mere  jokf^.  This  dangerous  impiety  so  shocked  Columba,  that,  with  great  policy,  he 
insiai-tly  ordered  the  earth  to  be  flung  in  again  ;  poor  Oran  was  overwhelmed,  and  an 
end  for  ever  put  to  his  prating.  His  grave  is  near  the  door,  distinguished  only  by  a  plain 
red  stone. 

Be  thius*  gives  us  reason  to  suppose,  before  this  period,  Jona  to  have  been  the 
habitation  of  the  weird  sisters  and  cacodaemons ;  for  king  Natholocus,  like  Saul  of  old, 
gonsulted  in  this  island  an  old  witch,  of  uncommon  fame :  no  wonder,  therefore,  that 
the  prince  of  darkness  should  be  interested  in  the  overthrow  of  edifices  that  were  to  put 
an  end  to  his  influence. 

In  Orai^'s  chapel  are  several  tombs,  and  near  it  many  more  :  within,  beneath  a  re- 
cess formed  with  three  neat  pointed  arches,  is  a  tomb-stone,  with  a  ship  and  several  orna- 
ments. I  forgot  whether  the  sails  were  furled  :  in  that  case  the  deceased  was  descended 
from  the  ancient  kings  of  Man  of  the  Norwegian  f  race,  who  used  those  arms. 

Near  the  south  end  is  the  tomb  of  the  abbot  Mac-kinnan*s  father,  inscribed,  Haec  est 
crux  Lauciilani  Mc.  Fingon  et  ejus  filii  Johunnis  Abbatis  de  Hy.  facta  an.  Dom.  mo-f--h 
uccelxxxix. 

Another  of  Macdonald  of  Hay  and  Cantyre,  commonly  called  Jnnus,  or  Angus  oig, 
the  chief  of  the  name.  He  was  a  strong  friend  to  Robert  Bruce,  and  was  with  him  at 
the  battle  of  Bannockbourne.  His  inscription  is,  Hie  jacet  corpus  Angusii  filii  Domini 
Angusii  Mc.  Domhnill  de  Hay. 

In  another  place  lies  the  grave-stone  of  Ailean  Nan  Sop,  a  Ceatharnarch,  or  head  of 
a  party,  of  the  name  of  Macleane  ;  from  whom  is  descended  the  family  of  Torloisg. 
'Ihe  stone  is  ornamented  with  carving  and  a  ship. 

A  Macleane,  of  Col,  appears  in  armour,  with  a  sword  in  his  left  hand.  A  Macleane, 
of  Duart,  with  armour,  shield  and  two-handed  sword.  And  a  third,  of  the  same  name 
ot  the  family  of  Lochbuy  :  his  rieht  hand  grasps  a  pistol,  his  left  a  sword.  Besides 
these,  are  numliers  of  other  ancient  heroes,  wh(»se  very  names  have  perished,  and  they 
deprived  of  their  expected  glory  :  thi  ir  lives  were,  like  the  path  of  an  arrow,  closed  up 
and  lost  as  soon  as  past ;  and  probably,  in  those  times  of  barbarism,  as  fatal  to  their  fel- 
low creatures. 

About  seventy  feet  south  of  the  chapel  is  a  red  unpolished  stone  ;  beneath  which  lies 
a  nameless  king  of  France.     But  the  memory  of  the  famous  old  doctor  of  Mull  has  had 


♦  lAb.  vi.  p.  w. 


t  Doctor  Macplierson. 


PENNANT'S  SECOND  TOUU  IN  SCOTLAND  jy;. 

a  better  fate,  and  is  preserved  in  these  words  :  Hie  jacct  Johannes  Betonus  Macl.nonnn 
familiie,  medicus,  qui  mortuus  est  19  Novembris  1657.  /Et.  G3.  DonaUlus  Bctonus 
fecit.  1674. 

Eccc  cadit  jaculo  victricis  mortis  itiiquac ; 
Qui  toties  alois  solverat  ipse  nialis. 
Soli  Deo  Gloria. 

A  little  north-west  of  the  door  is  the  pedestiU  of  a  cross  :  on  it  are  certain  stones, 
that  seem  to  have  been  the  support  of  a  tomb.  Numbers  who  visit  this  island  (I  sup- 
pose the  elect,  impatient  for  the  consummiition  of  all  things)  think  it  incumbent  on  them 
to  turn  each  of  these  thrice  round,  according  to  the  course  of  the  sun.  They  are  called 
Clacha-braih ;  for  it  is  thought  that  the  brllh,  or  end  of  the  world,  will  not  arrive  till 
the  stone  on  which  they  stand  is  worn  through.  Originally,  says  Mr.  Sachevcrcl, 
here  were  three  noble  globes,  of  white  marble,  placed  on  three  stone  basons,  and  these 
were  turned  round  ;  but  the  synod  ordered  them,  and  sixty  crosses,  to  be  thrown  into 
the  sea.     The  present  stones  are  probably  substituted  in  place  of  these  globes. 

The  precinct  of  these  tombs  was  held  sacred,  and  enjoyed  the  privileges  of  a  Girth, 
or  sanctuary.*  These  places  of  retreat  were  by  the  ancient  Scotch  law  not  to  shelter 
indiscriminately  every  oifender,  as  was  the  case  in  more  bigotted  times  in  Catholii. 
countries :  for  here  all  atrocious  criminals  were  excluded ;  and  only  the  unfortunate 
delinquent,  or  the  penitent  sinner,  shielded  from  the  instant  stroke  of  rigorous  justice. 
The  laws  are  penned  with  such  humanity  and  g;ood  sense,  that  the  reader  cannot  be  dis- 
pleased  with  seeing  them  in  their  native  simplicity.t 

"Gif  any  fteis  to  Halie  Kirk  moved  with  repentance  confesses  there  that  he 
heavily  sinned,  and  for  the  love  of  God  is  come  to  the  house  of  God  for  safctie  ot 
himself,  he  sail  nocht  time  life  nor  limme  bot  quhat  he  has  taken  frae  anie  man  he 
sail  restore  same-ikill  to  him,  and  sail  satisfie  the  king  according  to  the  law  of  the 

countrie.  .       .         ^     .        ,. 

"  And  swa  sail  swere  upon  the  Halie  Evangell  that  thereafter  he  sail  never  commit 

reifnortheift."    Alex.  11.  c.  6.  _      .,     ,.,     u        ,,u       i 

••If  ane  manslayer  takes  himself  to  the  immumtie  of  the  kirk,  he  sould  be  admon- 

issed  and  required  to  come  forth  and  present  himself  to  the  law :  to  know  gif  the 

■slauchter  was  committed  be  forthocht  felonie  or  murther. 

"And  gif  he  be  admonissed,  and  will  not  come  furth  ;  fra  that  time  furth  m  all  time 

thereafter  he  sal  be  banished  and  exiled  as  ane  committer  of  murther  and  forethocht 

felonie ;  keep  and  reservand  to  iiim  the  immunitie  of  the  kirk  to  the  whilk  he  take 

himself."    Rob.  11.  c  9.  .  .  .        ,    •       u  •       . 

Particular  care  was  also  taken  that  they  should  receive  no  injury  during  their  retreat : 
penalties  were  enacted  for  even  striking ;  but  for  the  murder  of  any,  "  the  king  was 
to  have  from  the  slayer  twentye  nine  kyes  and  ane  zoung  kow  ;  and  the  offender  was 
also  to  assithe  to  the  friends  of  the  defunct  conforme  to  the  laws  of  the  countrie." 

Wil.  c.  5. 

The  cathedral  lies  a  little  to  the  north  of  this  inclosure :  is  in  the  form  of  a  cross. 
The  length  from  east  to  west  is  a  hundred  and  fifteen  feet.  The  breadth  twenty -three. 
The  length  of  the  transept  seventy.  Over  the  centre  is  a  handsome  tower :  on  each  ot 
which  is  a  window,  with  some  stone  work  of  different  forms  in  every  one. 

On  the  south  side  of  the  chancel  arc  some  Gothic  arches  supported  by  pillars,  nine 
feet  eight  inches  high,  including  the  capitals ;  and  eight  feet  nine  inches  m  circumfer- 


*  Fordun,  lib.  ii.  c,  10. 


Q.^2 


t  From  the  regiam  majestatem. 


300 


PENNANT'S  SECOND  TOUR  IN  SCOTLAND. 


ence.     The  capitals  arc  quite  peculiar  ;  carved  round  with  various  superstitious  figures, 
among  others  is  an  aiigd  weighing  of  souls. 

The  altar  was  of  white  marble  veined  with  gray,  and  is  vulgarly  supposed  to  have 
reached  from  side  to  side  of  the  chance. :  buc  Mr.  Sachevercl,*  who  saw  it  when  aU 
most  entire,  assures  us,  that  the  size  was  six  feet  by  f  jr. 

The  demolition  of  this  stone  was  owing  to  the  Iwlief  of  the  superstitious,  who  were 
of  opinion,  that  a  piece  of  it  conveyed  to  the  pojssessor  success  in  whatever  he  undertook. 
A  very  small  portion  is  nuw  left ;  and  even  that  we  contributed  to  diminish. 

Near  the  altar  is  the  tomb  of  the  abbot  Mac-kinnon.  His  ti^ure  ties  recumbent, 
with  this  inscription  round  the  margin.  "  Hie  jacet  Johannes  M.ic  Fingone  abbas  de  Hy, 
qui  obiit  anno  Domini  Millessimo  quingentessimo,  cujus  animae  propitieiur  Deus  altissi- 
nms.     Amen.'* 

On  the  other  side  is  the  tomb  and  Hgure  of  Abbot  Kenneth. 

On  the  floor  is  the  effigy  of  an  armed  knight,  with  a  whilk  by  his  side,  as  if  he  just 
had  returned  from  the  feast  of  shells  in  the  hall  of  Fingal. 

Among  these  funeral  subjects,  the  interment  (a  few  years  ago)  of  a  female  remarkable 
for  her  lineage  must  not  be  omitted.  She  was  a  direct  descendant,  and  the  last  of  ihc 
Clan  an-oister,  ostiarii,  or  door-keejxrrs  to  the  monastery.  The  first  of  the  family  tame 
over  withColumba,  but  falling  under  his  displeasure,  it  was  decreed,  on  the  imprecation 
of  this  irritable  saint,  that  never  more  than  five  of  his  clan  should  exist  at  one  time ; 
and  in  consequen  e,  when  a  sixdi  was  born,  one  of  the  five  was  to  look  for  death. 
This,  report  says,  alway  happened,  till  the  period  tliat  the  race  was  extinguished  in  this 
woman. 

It  is  diificult  to  say  when  the  present  church  was  built :  if  we  may  credit  Boethius,  it 
was  rebuilt  by  Malduinus,  in  the  seventh  century,  out  of  the  ruins  of  the  former.  But 
the  present  structure  is  far  too  magnificent  for  that  age.  Mo>t  of  the  walls  are  built  with 
red  granite  from  the  Nuns  isle  in  the  sound. 

From  the  south-east  corner  are  two  parallel  walls,  about  twelve  feet  high,  and  ten  feet 
distant  from  each  other.  At  present  they  are  called  Dorus  targh,  or  the  door  to  the 
shore :  are  supposed  to  have  been  continued  from  the  cathedral  to  the  sea,  to  have 
been  roofed,  and  to  have  formed  a  covered  gallery  the  whole  way. 

In  the  church-yard  is  a  fine  cross,  fourteen  feet  high,  two  feet  two  inches  broad,  and 
ten  inches  thick,  made  of  a  single  piece  of  red  granite.     The  pedestal  is  three  feet  high. 

Near  the  south-east  end  is  Mary's  chapel.  Besides  this,  we  are  informed  that  there 
were  several  other,  founded  by  the  Scottish  monarchs,  and  the  Reguli  of  the  isles.! 

The  monastery  lies  behind  the  cathedral.  It  is  in  a  most  ruinous  state,  a  small  rem- 
nant of  a  cloister  is  left.  In  a  corner  are  some  black  stones,  held  so  sacred,  but  for 
whatreas'-n  I  am  ignorant,  that  it  was  customary  to  swear  by  them  :  perhaps  from  their 
being  neighbours  to  the  tutelar  saint,  whose  grave  is  almost  adjacent. 

Boethiust  gives  this  monastery  an  earlier  antiquity  than  perhaps  it  can  justly  claim. 
He  says,  that  after  the  defeat  of  the  Scots,  at  the  battle  of  Munda,  A.  D.  379,  the 
survivors  with  all  religions  fled  to  this  island :  and  were  the  original  founders  of  this 
house.  But  the  account  given  by  the  venerable  Bede  is  much  more  probable,  that  St. 
Columba  was  the  original  founder,  as  has  been  before  related. 

This  isle,  says  the  Dean,  hes  beine  richlie  dotat  by  the  Scotch  kings  :  and  mentions 
:ieveral  little  islands  that  belonged  to  it,  which  he  calls  Soa,  Naban,  Moroan,  Reringe, 


•P.  132. 

\  Lib.  vi.  p.  108,  109. 


t  Buchanan,  lib.  i.  c.  37.    Pean  of  the  isles,  19. 


figures, 

to  have 
vhtn  aU 

'ho  were 
tdcTtouk* 

uitnbent, 
dc  Hy, 
lb  altibtki- 


if  he  just 

markable 
it  of  ihe 
ily  came 
jrecation 
ne  time ; 
ar  death. 
sd  m  this 

thius,  it 
er.  But 
milt  with 

I  ten  feet 

or  to  the 

to  have 

oad,  and 
^et  high, 
hat  there 
;s.t 

lall  rem. 
,  but  for 
om  their 

\y  claim. 

379,  the 

s  of  this 

that  St. 

mentions 
Reringe, 


fENNAN  I'd  SKCUNU  lUUH  IN  htUTLANI). 


JOl 


Inch  Kenzie,  Eorsny,  and  K^innuy.  If  these  had  Jx*en  all  the  endowments,  they  would 
never  serve  to  lead  the  rclif^iuus  into  the  temptution  of  luxury  ;  but  they  were  in  pos- 
session of  a  considerable  number  of  churches  and  chapels  in  Galway,  v/ah  large  esi.iies 
annt  xed,  all  which  were  taken  from  them,  and  granted  to  the  canons  of  Hoi)  rood  house 
b;   William  I,  between  the  years  1172  and  1180.* 

Coiuinb.i  was  the  first  nbbot :  he  and  his  successors  maintained  a  jurisdiction  over  all 
the  oilier  monasteries  that  branched  from  this;  and  over  all  the  monks  of  this  abbey 
that  exeicJNed  the  priestly  or  even  episcopal  function  in  '  ther  places.  One  of  the  insti- 
tmes  of  Loyola  stem^  here  t(»  have  been  very  early  established,  fur  the  eleves  of  this 
house  secMi  not  to  think  themselves  freed  from  their  vow  of  oljedience  to  the  abbot  of 
Juna.  Bedef  speaks  of  the  singular  pre-eminence,  and  says  that  the  island  always  had 
for  a  governor  an  abbot-presbyter,  whose  powei  (by  a  very  uncommon  rule)  not  only 
every  province,  but  even  the  bishops  themselves,  obeyed.  From  this  account  the  ene- 
mies to  episcopacy  have  inferred,  that  the  rank  of  bishop  was  a  novelty,  introduced  into 
the  church  in  corrupt  times ;  and  the  authority  they  assumed  was  an  errant  usurpa> 
tion,  since  a  simple  abbot  for  so  considerable  a  space  was  permitted  to  have  the  superi. 
ority.  In  answer  to  this,  archbishop  Usher  %  advances,  that  the  power  of  the  abbot  of 
Jona  was  only  local ;  and  extended  only  to  the  bishop  who  resided  there  :  for  after  the 
conquest  of  the  isle  of  Man,  by  the  English,  and  the  division  of  the  see  after  that  event, 
the  bishop  of  the  isles  made  Jona  his  residence,  which  before  was  in  Man.  But  not- 
withstanding this,  the  venerable  Bede  seems  to  be  a  stronger  authority,  than  the  Ulster 
annals  quoted  by  the  archbishop,  which  pretend  no  more  than  that  a  bishop  had  always 
resided  in  Jona,  without  even  an  attempt  to  refute  the  positive  assertion  of  the  most  re- 
spectable author  we  have  (relating  to  church  matters)  in  those  primitive  times. 

North  of  the  monastery  arc  ihc  remains  of  the  bishop's  house  :  the  residence  of  the 
bishops  of  the  isles  afler  the  isle  of  Man  was  separated  from  them.  This  event  happened 
in  the  time  of  Edward  I.  On  their  arrival  the  abbots  permitted  to  them  the  use  of 
their  church,  for  they  never  had  a  cathedral  of  their  own,  except  that  in  the  isle  of 
Man.  During  the  time  of  the  Norwegian  reign,  which  lasted  near  two  hundred  years, 
the  bishops  were  chosen  without  res|)ect  of  country,  for  we  find  French,  Norwegian, 
English  and  Scotch  among  the  prelates,  and  they  were  generally,  but  not  always,  con- 
secrated at  Drontheim.  Even  after  the  cession  of  the  Ebudae  to  Scotland  by  Magnus, 
the  patronage  of  this  bishoprick  was  by  treaty  reserved  to  the  archbishop  ^  of  Drontheim. 
This  see  was  endowed  with  ||  thirteen  islands ;  but  some  of  them  were  forced  from 
them  by  the  tyranny  of  some  of  the  little  chieftains ;  thus,  for  example.  Rasa,  as  the 
honest  Dean  says,  was  perteining  to  Mac-Gyllychallan  by  the  sword,  and  to  the  bishop 
of  the  isles  by  heritage. 

The  title  of  these  prelates,  during  the  conjunction  of  Man  and  Soder,  had  been  univer- 
sally mistaken,  till  the  explications  of  that  most  ingenious  writer  Dr.  Macpherson  :^  it 
was  always  supposed  to  have  been  derived  from  Soder,  an  imaginary  town,  either  in 
Man  or  in  Jona :  whose  derivation  was  taken  from  the  Greek  Soter,  or  Saviour.  Dur- 
ing the  time  that  the  Norwegians  were  in  possession  of  the  isles,  they  divided  them  into 
two  parts :  the  northern,  which  comprehended  all  that  lay  to  the  north  of  the  point  of 

*  SirJamesDalrympIe's  Coll.  271,273. 

t  Habere  autem  solet  ipsa  insula  rectorem  semper  Abhatem  Presbyterum,  ciijus  juri  et  omnis  Provin- 
da  et  ip«i  etiam  Kpiscopi  ordine  inusitato  debeant  esse  subject!.     Lib.  iii.  c.  4. 
I  De  Brit.  Lccles.  Primord.  cap.  xv.  p.  701. 

$  Sir  David  Dalrytnple's  Annals  of  Scotland,  178.  ||  The  Dean. 

*r  P.  282,  and  Torfxus,  in  many  parts  of  his  history  of  the  Orkneys. 


"'■ '  •**^itlS-tj)^;^> 


«*(, 


aoa 


PENKAKT'S  SECOND  TOUR  IN  SCOTLAND 


Arnamurcliai),  and  wore  called  the  Nordcreys,  from  nordcr,  North,  and  cy,  an  island. 
And  the  Sudcrcys  took  in  those  that  lay  to  the  south  of  that  promontory.  This  was 
only  a  civil  division,  for  the  sake  of  governing  these  scattered  dominions  with  more 
facility ;  for  a  separate  viceroy  was  sent  to  each,  but  both  were  subject  to  the  same 
jurisdiction,  civil  and  ecclesiastical.  But  as  the  Sudereys  was  the  most  important, 
that  had  the  honour  of  giving  name  to  the  bishoprick,  and  the  isle  of  Man  retained  both 
titles,  like  a»  England  unites  that  of  France,  notwithstanding  many  centuries  havQ 
elapsed  since  our  rights  to  the  now  usurped  titles  are  lost. 

rrocccd  on  our  walk.  To  the  west  of  the  convent  is  the  abbot's  mount,  overlooking 
the  whole.  Beneath  seem  to  have  been  the  gardens,  once  well  cultivated,  fur  we  arc 
told  that  the  monks  transplanted,  from  other  places,  herbs  both  esculent  and  medicinal. 

Beyond  the  mount  are  the  ruins  of  a  kiln,  and  a  granary  ;  and  near  it  was  the  mill. 
The  lake  or  pool  that  served  it  lay  behind  ;  is  now  drained,  and  is  the  turbery,  the  fuel 
of  the  imtives  :  it  appears  to  have  been  once  divided,  for  along  the  middle  runs  a  raised 
way,  poiiiting  to  the  hills.  They  neglect  at  present  the  conveniency  of  a  mill,  and  use 
only  querns. 

North  from  the  granary  extends  a  narrow  flat,  with  a  double  dike  and  foss  on  one 
side,  and  a  single  dike  on  the  other.  At  the  end  is  a  square  containing  a  cairn,  and 
surrounded  with  a  stone  dike.  This  is  called  a  burial  place :  it  must  have  been  in  very 
early  times  cotemporary  with  other  cairns,  perhaps  in  the  days  of  Druidism ;  for  b:- 
shop  Pocock  mentions,  that  he  had  seen  two  stones  seven  feet  high,  with  a  third  laid 
across  on  their  tops,  an  evident  cromleh :  he  also  adds,  that  the  Irish  name  of  the 
island  was  Ilish  Drunish ;  which  agrees  with  the  account  I  have  somewhere  read,  that 
Jona  had  been  the  seat  of  Druids  expelled  by  Columba,  who  found  them  there. 

Before  I  quit  this  height,  I  must  observe,  that  the  whulc  of  their  religious  buildings 
were  covered  on  the  north  side  by  dikes,  as  a  protection  from  the  northern  invaders,  who 
paid  little  regard  to  the  sanctity  of  their  characters. 

The  public  was  greatly  interested  in  the  preservation  of  this  place,  for  it  was  the  re- 
pository of  most  of  the  ancient  Scotch  records.*  The  library  here  must  also  have 
been  invaluable,  if  we  can  depend  upon  Boethius,  who  asserts  that  Fergus  the  II,  assist- 
ing Alaric  the  Goth,  in  the  sacking  of  Rome,  brought  away,  as  his  share  of  the  plunder, 
a  chest  of  books,  which  he  presented  to  the  monastery  of  Jona.  yEneas  Sylvius  (after- 
wards pope  Pius  II,)  intended,  when  he  was  in  Scotland,  to  have  visited  the  library  in 
search  of  the  lost  books  of  Livy,  but  was  prevented  by  the  death  of  the  king,  James  I. 
A  small  parcel  of  them  were  in  1525  brought  to  Aberdeen,!  and  great  pains  were 
taken  to  unfold  them,  but  through  age,  and  the  tenderness  of  the  parchment,  little  could 
be  read :  but  from  what  the  learned  were  able  to  make  out,  the  work  appeared  by  the 
style  to  have  rather  been  a  fragment  of  Sallust  than  of  Livy.  But  the  register  and 
records  of  the  island,  all  written  on  parchment,  and  probably  other  more  antique  and 
valuable  remains,  were  all  destroyed  by  that  worse  than  Gothic  synod.J  which  at  the 
reformation  declared  war  against  all  science. 

At  present,  this  once  celebrated  seat  of  learning  is  destitute  of  even  a  school-master  ; 
and  this  seminary  of  holy  men  wants  even  a  minister  to  assist  them  in  the  common 
duties  of  religion. 

•  Vide  Mac-kenzie,  Stillingfleet,  LIuyd. 

t  Doetliius,  lib.  vii.  p.  1 U.  Paulus  Jovius,  quoted  bf  Usher,  Br.  Eccl.  597. 

I  am  informed  that  numbers  of  the  records  of  the  Hebrides  were  preserved  at  Drontheim  till  the^ 

wre  destroyed  by  the  B[reat  fire  wliich  happened  in  that  city  either  in  the  last  or  present  century. 

t  M.  S,  Advocates  Library. 


.K...*. ,  ij'mt  I 


■opa 


:;h;:w,w^^.ij»r  ■j'ci;. 


PENNANT'S  SKCUNU  TOUH  IN  SCOTLANU 


island, 
his  was 
h  rourc 
ie  same 
portant, 
led  both 
?8  have 

riooking 
we  arc 
ledicinal. 
he  mill, 
the  fuel 
a  raised 
and  use 

s  on  one 
lirn,  and 
1  in  very 
;  for  b:- 
:hird  laid 
e  of  the 
sad,  that 
ere. 

buildings 
ers,  who 

IS  the  re- 
ilso  have 
[I,  assist- 
plunder, 
us  (after- 
library  in 
James  I. 
lins  were 
ttle  could 
d  by  the 
ister  and 
ique  and 
:h  at  the 

l-master ; 
common 


n  till  they 
itury. 


303 


Julv  10.  Cross  the  island  over  a  most  fertile  elevated  tract  to  the  soutli.\vc<tt  side,  t«j 
visit,  the  Luding-place  of  Si.  Columba;  a  small  bay,  with  a  pebbly  beach,  mixed  with 
variety  of  preity  stones,  such  as  violet-«;oloured  (piartz,  nephritic  stones,  and  fraf^ments 
of  purphyr) ,  giaiiite  nnd  Zceblitz  marble  :  a  vast  tract  near  this  place  was  covered  with 
heajs  of  atones,  ofune(|ual  sizes:  these,  as  is  said,  were  the  penances  of  monks,  who 
were  to  raise  h«aps,  of  dnnensions  equal  to  their  crin\es  :  and  to  judge  by  some,  it  is  no 
krach  of  charity  to  think  there  were  among  them  enormous  sinners. 

On  one  side  is  shewn  an  oblong  heap  of  earth,  the  supposed  size  of  the  vessel  that 
transported  St.  Columba  and  his  twelve  disciples  from  Ireland  to  this  island. 

On  my  return  saw,  on  the  right  hand,  on  a  small  hill,  u  small  circle  of  stones,  and  a 
little  cairn  in  the  middle,  evidently  Druidical,  but  called  the  hill  of  the  Angels,  Cnoc 
nar-aimgcal ;  from  a  tradition,  that  thr  holy  man  had  there  a  conference  with  those  cc- 
lestial  beings  soon  after  his  arrival.  Bishop  I'ocock  informed  me,  that  the  natives  were 
accustomed  to  bring  their  horses  to  this  circle  at  the  feast  of  St.  Michael,  and  to  course 
round  it.  I  conjecture  that  this  usage  originated  from  the  custom  of  blessing  the  horses 
in  the  days  of  su|)crstition,  when  the  priest  and  the  holy  water  pot  were  called  in  :  but 
in  latter  times  the  horses  are  still  assembled,  but  the  reason  forgotten. 

The  traveller  must  not  neglect  to  ascend  the  hill  of  Dim-ii ;  from  whose  summit  is  a 
most  picturesqiie  view  of  the  long  chain  of  little  islands,  neighbours  to  this ;  of  the  long 
low  isles  of  Col  and  Tir-I  to  the  West ;  and  the  vast  height  of  Rum  and  Skie  to  the 
north. 

July  11.  At  eight  of  the  clock  in  the  morning,  with  the  first  fair  wind  we  yet  had, 
set  sail  for  the  sound  :  the  view  of  Jona,  its  clustered  town,  the  great  ruins,  and  the  fer- 
tility of  the  ground,  were  fine  contrasts,  in  our  passage  to  the  red  granite  rocks  of  the 
barren  Mull. 

Loch-Screban,  or  Loch-Leven  in  Mull,  soon  opens  to  our  view.  After  passing  a 
cape,  placed  in  our  maps  far  too  projecting,  sec  Lochin-a.Gaal ;  a  deep  bay,  with  the 
isles  of  Ulva  and  Gometra  in  its  mouth.  On  Ulva  are  basaltic  columns  of  a  lighter 
colour  than  usual.  In  Loch-Screban  that  intelligent  voyager  Mr.  Mills,  in  1788,  dis- 
covered  in  a  glen,  near  Ardlun  head,  a  wonderful  collection  of  basaltic  columns,  variously 
disposed,  some  erect,  others  bending,  as  if  pressed  by  the  incumbent  weight,  and  attend* 
en  by  lava  and  vitrified  matter.  An  insulated  rock  oi  a  very  surprizing  compositon  is 
to  be  seen  at  the  extremity  of  the  glen,  supported  by  lofty  basaltic  pillars  slightly  inclined. 
The  greater  part  of  the  rock  is  formed  of  rude  lava,  but  one  side  consists  of  pillars  lying 
horizontally  upon  the  others,  and  regularly  resting  on  them  till  they  reach  the  summit 
of  the  lava,  and  form  on  that  part  a  most  beautiful  and  singular  facing.* 

On  the  west  appears  the  beautiful  groupe  of  the  Treashunish  isles.f  Nearest  lies 
Staffa,  a  new  giant's  causeway,  rising  amidst  the  waves ;  but  with  columns  of  double  the 
height  of  that  in  Ireland  ;  glossy  and  resplendent,  from  the  beams  of  the  eastern  sim. 
Their  greatest  height  was  at  the  southern  point  of  the  isle,  of  which  they  seemed  the 
support.  They  decreased  in  height  in  proportion  as  they  advanced  along  that  face  of 
Staffa  opposed  to  us,  or  the  eastern  side ;  at  length  appeared  lost  in  the  formless  strata : 
and  the  rest  of  the  island  that  appeared  to  us  was  formed  of  slopes  to  the  water  edge,  or 
of  rude  but  not  lofty  precipices.  Over  part  of  the  isle,  on  the  western  side,  was  plainly 
to  be  seen  a  vast  precipice,  seemingly  columnar,  like  the  preceding.     I  wished  to  make  a 

•  Phil.  Trans.  Ixxx.  p.  73.  tab.  iv. 

t  These  are  most  erroneously  placed  in  the  maps  a  very  considerable  distance  too  far  to  the  north- 


/ 


304 


PENNANT':i  SECOND  TOUR  IN  SCOTLAND. 


nearer  approach,  but  the  prudence  of  Mr.  Thompson,  who  was  unwilling  to  venture  in 
thcite  rocky  seus,  prevented  my  further  seakrh  of  this  wondrous  isle ;  I  could  do  no 
more  than  cause  an  accurate  view  to  be  taken  of  its  eastern  side,  and  of  those  of  the 
other  picturesque  islands  then  in  sight.  But  it  is  a  great  consolation  to  me,  that  I  am 
able  to  lay  before  the  public  a  most  accurate  accour.t,  communicated  to  me  through  the 
friendship  of  Sir  Joseph  Bunks,  who,  on  August  12  of  this  summer,  visited  these  parts, 
on  his  interesting  voyage  to  Iceland. 


ACCOUNT  or  STAI  FA,  DY  SIR  JOSEPH  BANKS,  BARONET. 

August  12.  '*  In  the  sound  of  Mull,  we  came  to  anchor,  on  the  Morven  side, 
opposite  to  a  gentleman's  house,  called  Drumnen:  the  t^u  ter  of  it,  Mr.  Maclcanc, 
having  found  out  who  we  were,  very  cordially  asked  us  ashore ;  v/e  accented  his  invi* 
tation,  and  arrived  at  his  house,  where  we  met  an  English  gentleman,  Mr.  Leach,* 
who  no  sooner  saw  us,  than  he  told  us  that  about  nine  leagues  from  us  was  an  island, 
where  he  b(.*licved  no  one  even  in  the  Highlands  had  been,t  on  which  were  pillars 
like  those  of  the  Giant'S'Causcway  :  this  was  a  great  object  to  mc,  who  had  wished  to 
have  seen  the  causeway  itself,  would  time  have  allowea ;  I  therefore  resolved  to  pro- 
ceed directly,  especially  as  it  was  just  in  the  way  to  the  Colamb-kill :  accordingly, 
having  put  up  two  days  provisions,  and  my  little  tent,  we  put  oflf  in  the  boat  about 
one  o'clock  for  our  intended  voyage,  having  ordered  the  ship  to  wait  for  us  in  Tobir- 
morc,  a  ver}-  fine  harbour  on  the  Mull  side. 

'*  At  nine  o'clock,  after  a  tedious  passage,  having  had  not  a  breath  of  witKl,  wc 
arrived,  under  the  direction  of  Mr.  Madleane's  son,  and  Mr.  Leach.  It  was  too  dark 
to  sec  any  thing,  so  wc  carried  our  tent  and  baggage  near  the  only  house  upon  .the 
island,  and  began  to  cook  our  suppers,  in  order  to  be  prepared  for  the  earliest  dawn, 
to  enjoy  that  which  from  the  conversation  of  the  gentlemen  we  had  now  raised  the 
highest  expectations  of. 

*♦  The  impatience  which  every  body  felt  to  see  the  wonders  we  had  heard  so  largely 
described  prevented  our  morning's  rest ;  every  one  was  up  and  in  motion  before  the 
break  of  day,  and  with  the  first  light  arrived  at  the  south-west  part  of  the  island,  the 
seat  of  the  most  remarkable  pillars ;  where  we  no  sooner  arrived,  than  we  were  struck 
with  a  scene  of  magnificence  which  exceeded  our  expectations,  though  formed,  as  we 
thought,  upon  the  most  sanguine  foundations ;  the  whole  of  that  end  of  the  island, 
supported  by  ranges  of  natural  pillars,  mostly  above  fifty  feet  high,  standing  in  natural 
colonnades,  according  as  the  bays  or  points  of  land  formed  themselves ;  upon  a  firm 
basis  of  solid  unformed  rock,  above  these,  the  stratum  which  reaches  to  the  soil  or  sur- 
face of  the  island  varied  in  thickness,  as  the  island  itself  formed  into  hills  or  vallies ; 
each  hill,  which  hung  over  the  columns  below,  forming  an  ample  pediment ;  some  of 
these  above  sixty  feet  in  thickness,  from  the  base  to  the  point,  formed  by  the  sloping 
of  the  hill  on  each  side,  almost  into  the  shape  of  those  used  in  architecture. 

*  "  I  cannot  but  express  the  obtigations  I  have  to  this  gentleman  for  his  very  kind  intentions  of  informing 
me  of  thit  mittcliless  curiosity  ;  tor  I  am  informed  that  he  pursued  me  in  a  boat  for  two  miles,  to  acquaint 
rac  with  what  he  liad  observed  ;  but,  unfortunately  for  me,  we  out-sailed  his  liberal  intention." 

t  *'  When  i  by  in  the  sound  of  Jona,  two  gentlemen,  from  the  isle  of  Mull,  and  whose  settlements  were 
there,  seemed  to  know  nothing  of  this  place  ;  at  least  they  never  mentioned  it  as  any  thing  wonderful." 


irenture  in 
J  Id  do  no 
mc  of  the 
that  I  am 
rough  the 
^esc  parts, 


.'^^^ 


•    ;.  •   y»l   MT-^'    "«*.■•      .V 


'Itt*i 


i' 


rvcn  side, 
Maclcane, 
1  his  invi< 
.  Leach,* 
an  island, 
sre  pillars 
wished  to 
:d  to  pro- 
cording^y, 
oat  about 
in  Tobir- 


■  ki^ 


wikKl,  wc 

too  dark 

upon  .the 

est  dawn, 

raised  the 

so  largely 
aefore  the 
stand,  the 
ere  struck 
cd,  as  we 
he  island, 
in  natural 
}on  a  firm 
ail  or  sur- 
ir  vallies; 
;  some  of 
le  sloping 


tfinforming 

to  acquaint 
» 

ments  were 
ronderful." 


•*-. 


■>.-:* 


-iiMSttUi. 


/ 


^^■ 


prNNANT'i  «r.i;oNi)  ruiu  ix  «ctni.,\M. 


y»» 


uA 


.1: 


"Compared  to  thin,  what  arc  the  cathedrnUor  the  palaccH  hiiilt  by  iiicu!  nurc  mo- 
dels  or  pl.ivthiiigs,  imiiMii<iii«  us  dimituitive  an  his  works  will  always  In,  when  cjinparcd 
to  those  of  nattirr.  \V  lure  is  now  the  hoast  of  the  archittct  ?  rcpriitariiy.  the  imly  puit 
ill  which  he  f-'ticird  himself  lo exceed  his  misircss,  Nature,  is  here  fiiiiid  in  lurpoj. 
session,  uiid  here  it  huH  been  for  u^-s  undeseribed.*  Is  nut  thin  the  ttchool  where  the 
art  was  originally  studied,  and  what  lins  liecn  added  to  this  by  the  whole  Greci.iM 
icho<jl  ?  a  eapitui  to  urnumcnt  die  column  ol  nature,  of  which  iliey  could  execute  only 
a  hkhUI  ;  and  for  that  very  capital  tljcy  were  oblii^ed  to  a  ba«»h  of  Acanlhuit ;  how 
nmpiv  iloca  nature  repay  thouc   who  study  her  womlerful  works ! 

"  With  our  minds  full  of  sucli  reflections  we  proceeded  along  the  shore,  trcadinf** 
upon  another  Giant's  Causeway,  every  stone  being  regularly  formed  into  a  certain 
number  of  sides  and  angles,  till  in  a  nhort  time  wu  arrived  at  the  mouth  of  a  cave, 
the  most  magnificent,  I  suppose,  that  has  ever  Ixcn  dci^cribcd  by  travellers. 

"  I'he  mind  can  hardly  form  an  idea  more  magnificent  that  such  n  space,  supported 
on  each  side  bv  raAges  of  columns ;  and  roofed  by  the  bottoms  of  those,  which  have 
been  broke  off  in  order  to  form  it ;  between  the  angles  of  which  a  yellow  stalagmitic 
matter  has  exuded,  which  serves  to  define  the  angles  precisely ;  and  at  the  same  time 
vary  the  colour  with  a  great  deal  of  elegimce  ;  and  to  render  it  still  more  agreeable, 
the  whole  is  lighted  from  without ;  so  that  the  farthest  extremity  is  very  plainly  seen 
from  without,  and  the  air  within,  bein^  agitated  by  the  flux  and  reflux  of  the  tides, 
is  perfectly  dry  and  wholesome,  free  entirely  from  the  damp  vapours  with  which  na- 
tural caverns  in  general  abound. 

"We  asked  the  name  of  it.  Sa'd  our  guide,  the  cave  of  Fhinn;  what  is  Fhinii? 
said  we.  Fhinn  Mac  Cot!,  vhon  the  translator  of  Ossian's  works  has  called  Fingal. 
How  fortunate,  that  in  this  cave  we  should  meet  with  the  remembrance  of  that  chief, 
whose  existence,  as  well  as  th^t  of  the  whole  epic  poem,  is  almost  doubted  in  England. 

**  Enough  for  the  beauiies  cf  Staffa ;  I  shall  now  proceed  to  describe  it  and  its  pro- 
ductions more  philosopVkally  : 

"The  little  island  of  Suffa  lie^  on  the  west  coast  of  Mull,  about  three  Ungues 
north-east  from  Jona,  or  the  Columb  Kill ;  its  greatest  length  is  about  an  English  mile, 
and  its  breadth  about  half  a  one.  On  the  weut  side  of  the  isle  is  a  small  bay,  where 
boats  generally  land ;  a  little  to  the  southward  of  which  the  first  appearance  of  pillars 
are  to  be  observed ;  they  are  small,  and,  instead  of  being  placed  upright,  lie  down  on 
their  sides,  each  forming  a  segment  of  a  circle  ;  from  thence  vou  pass  a  small  cave, 
above  which  the  pillars,  now  grown  a  little  larger,  are  inclining  in  all  directions  :  in 
one  place  in  particular  a  small  mass  of  them  very  much  resemble  the  ribs  of  a  ship  ;| 
from  hence,  having  passed  the  cave,  which,  if  it  is  not  low  water,  you  must  do  in  a 
boat,  you  come  to  the  first  ranges  of  pillars,  which  are  still  not  above  half  as  large  as 
tho>e  a  litde  beyond.  Over  against  this  place  is  a  small  island,  called  in  Erse,  Bou-sha- 
la.  or  more  properly  Bhuacha-ille,  or  the  herdsman,  separated  from  the  main  by  a 
channel  not  many  fathoms  wide ;  this  whole  island  is  composed  of  pillars,  without  any 

*  <•  Stajfa  is  taken  notice  of  by  Buchanan,  but  in  the  sUghtest  manner  ;  and  atnon;;  thu  thousands  who 
hare  navigated  these  seas, none  have  paid  the  least  atten'ion  to  its  grand  and  striking chaiacteristic,  till  thi<i 
present  year. 

<*  This  island  is  the  property  of  Mr.  Lauchlan  M<ic  Quaire  of  Ulva,  and  is  now  to  be  disposed  of. 

t"  The  Giant's  Caustway  has  its  bending  pillars ;  but  I  imagine  them  to  be  very  difTercnt  from  these. 
Those  I  saw  were  erer.t,and  ran  along  the  face  of  a  high  clifT,  bent  strangely  in  their  middle,  as  ifunablv. 
at  their  original  formation,  «rhiie  in  a  soft  state,  to  support  the  mass  oi  incumbent  earth  that  pressed  f<fi 
them. 

VOL.  iii«  R    a 


500 


PENNANT'S  SPXOND  TOUK  IN  SCOTLAND. 


Stratum  above  them  ;  they  are  still  small,  but  by  much  the  neatest  formed  of  any  about 
the  place. 

**  The  first  division  of  the  island,  for  at  high  water  it  is  divided  into  two,  makes  a 
kind  of  a  cone,  the  pillars  converging  together  towards  the  centre ;  on  the  other, 
they  arc  in  general  laid  down  flat,  and  in  the  front  next  to  the  main  you  see  how 
beautifully  they  are  packed  together,  their  ends  coming  out  square  with  the  bank 
which  they  form  :  all  these  have  their  transverse  sections  exact,  and  their  surfaces 
smooth,  which  is  by  no  means  the  case  with  the  large  ones,  which  are  cracked  in  all 
directions.  I  much  question,  however,  if  any  one  of  this  whole  island  of  Bhuachailte 
is  two  feet  in  diameter 

"  The  main  island  opposed  to  Boo-sha-la  and  farther  towards  the  north-west  is 
supported  by  ranges  of  pillars  pretty  erect,  and,  though  not  tall  (as  they  are  not  un- 
covered to  the  base)  of  large  diameters  ;  and  at  their  feet  is  an  irreguhr  pavement 
made  by  the  upper  sides  of  such  as  have  been  broken  off,  which  extends  as  far  under 
water  as  the  eye  can  reach.  Here  the  forms  of  the  pillars  are  apparent :  these  are  of 
three,  four,  five,  six,  and  seven  sides,  but  the  numbers  of  five  and  six  are  by  much 
the  most  prevalent.  The  largest  I  measured  was  of  seven  ;  it  was  four  feet  five  inches 
in  diamr'ier.  I  shaU  give  the  measurement  of  its  sides,  and  those  of  some  other  forms 
which  I  met  with. 


"  No.  1.  4  sides,  diam.  1  ft.  5  in. 


No.  2.  5  sides,  diam.  2  fit.  10  in. 


Ft.  In. 

Side  1.     1  5 

2.  1  1 

3.  1  6 

4.  1  1 


"  No.  3.  6  sides,  diam.  S  ft.  6  in. 


No.  4. 


1. 

0  10 

2. 

2    2 

3. 

2    2 

4. 

1  11 

5. 

2    2 

6. 

Q    9 

Sidel.     1 

la. 

10 

2.     1 

10 

3.     1 

5 

4.     1 

7i 

S.    1 

8 

sides,  diam. 

4(1 

1.    2 

10 

2.    2 

4 

3.     1 

10 

4.    2 

0 

5.     1 

1 

6.     1 

6 

7.     1 

3 

"  The  surfaces  of  these  large  pillars  in  general  are  rough  and  uneven,  full  of  cracks 
in  all  directions :  the  transverse  figures  in  the  upright  ones  never  kail  to  run  in  their 
true  directions :  the  surfaces  upon  which  we  walked  were  often  flat,  having  neither 
concavity  nor  convexity :  the  larger  number  however  were  concave,  though  some 
Mvtr^  very  evidently  convex ;  in  some  places  the  interstices  within  the  perpendicular 
figure^^  were  filled  up  with  a  yellow  spar ;  in  one  place  a  vein  passed  in  among  the  mass 
of  pillars,  carrying  here  and  there  small  threads  of  spar  1  hough  they  were  broken 
snd  cracked  through  and  through  in  all  directions,  yet  their  perpendicular  figures 
irJght  easily  b:;  traced :  from  whence  it  is  easy  to  infer,  that  whatever  the  accident 
might  have  been  that  caused  the  dislocation,  it  happened  after  the  formation  of  the 
pillars. 


PENNANT'S  SECOND  TOUR  IN  SC0TLA)4D. 


307 


■  any  about 

3,  makes  a 
the  other, 
11  see  how 
I  the  bank 
:ir  surfaces 
;ked  in  all 
Bhuuchaille 

>rth-we8t  is 
ire  not  un- 

■  pavement 
s  far  under 
these  arc  of 
re  by  much 
;  five  inches 
other  forms 


I  in. 


>  m« 


;ull  of  cracks 
run  in  their 
iving  neither 
hough  some 
perpendicular 
ong  the  mass 
were  broken 
cular  figures 
the  accident 
[nation  of  the 


Fl. 

371 

(i 

250 

0 

53 

20 

0 

117 

ti 

70 

0 

39 

6 

54 

0 

18 

0 

9 

0 

•' Ffjm  hence  proceeding  along  shore,  you  arrive  at  Fingal's  cave:  its  dimcntsioiis 
though  I  have  given,  I  shall  here  again  repeat  in  the  form  of  a  tabic  : 

"  Length  of  the  cave  from  the  rock  without 

from  the  pitch  of  the  arch 
I  ^eadth  of  ditto  at  the  mouth  .  .  > 

at  the  farther  end 
Height  of  the  arch  at  the  r  outh 

at  the  end 
Height  of  an  outside  pillar 

of  one  at  the  N.  W.  corner 
Depth  of  water  at  the  mouth 
at  the  bottom 

The  cave  runs  into  the  rock  in  the  direction  of  N.  E.  by  £.  by  the  compass. 

"  Proceeding  farther  to  the  N.  W.  you  meet  with  the  highest  ranges  of  piiiars,  the 
magnificent  appearance  of  which  is  past  all  description  :  here  they  are  bare  to  their  very 
basis,  and  the  stratum  below  them  is  also  visible ;  in  a  short  time  it  rises  many  feet 
above  the  water,  and  gives  an  opportunity  of  examining  it-i  quality.  Its  surface  rough, 
and  has  often  large  lumps  of  stone  sticking  in  it,,  as  if  half  immersed ;  itself,  when 
broken,  is  composed  of  a  thousand  heterogeneous  parts,  which  togtmer  have  very 
much  the  appearance  of  a  lava ;  and  the  more  so,  as  many  of  the  lunips  appear  to  be 
of  the  very  same  stone  of  which  the  pillars  are  formed :  this  whole  stratum  lies  in  an 
inclined  position,  dipping  gradually  towards  the  S.  £.  As  hereabouts  is  the  situation 
of  the  highest  pillars,  1  shall  mention  my  measurements  of  them,  and  the  different  strata 
in  this  place,  premising  t!.3t  the  measurements  were  made  with  a  line,  held  in  the  hand 
of  a  person  who  stood  at  the  top  of  the  cliff,  and  reaching  to  the  bottom,  to  the  lower 
end  of  which  was  tied  a  white  mark,  which  was  observed  by  one  who  staid  below  for 
the  purpose ;  when  this  mark  was  set  off  from  the  water,  the  person  below  noted  it 
down,  and  made  signal  to  him  above,  who  made  then  a  mark  in  his  rope  :  whenever  chis 
mark  passed  a  notable  place,  che  same  signal  was  made,  and  the  name  of  the  place  noted 
down  as  before ;  the  line  being  all  hauled  up,  and  the  distances  between  the  marks 
measured  and  noted  down,  gave,  when  compared  with  the  book  kept  below,  the  dis- 
tances, as  for  instance  in  the  cuve  : 

"  No.  1.  in  the  book  below,  was  cal'ed  from  the  water  to  the  foot  of  the  first  pillar,  in 
the  book  above ;  No.  1.  gave  36  feet  8  inches,  the  highest  of  that  ascent,  which  was 
composed  of  broken  pillars. 

"  No.  1.     Pillar  at  the  west  corner  of  Fingal's  cave : 

1.  From  the  water  to  the  foot  of  the  pillar  •  •  - 

2.  Height  of  the  pillar  .  .  ■  . 

3.  Stratum  above  the  pillar 

Na  2.    Fingal's  cave  : 

1.  From  the  water  to  the  foot  of  the  pillar 

2.  Height  of  the  pillar 

3.  From  the  top  of  the  pillar  to  the  top  of  the  arch 

4.  Thickness  of  the  stratum  above  ... 
By  adding  together  the  three  first  measurements,  we  got  the  height  of  the 

arch  from  tne  wa^er  .  .  . 

R   R  S 


Ft. 

111. 

12 

10 

37 

3 

66 

9 

36 

8 

39 

6 

31 

4 

34 

4 

117  6 


i 


■'i 
,•■» 


i** 


30« 


I'LNNANT'S  SECUND  TOUR  IN  SCOTLAND. 

No.  3.     Corner  pillar  to  the  westward  of  Fingal's  cave : 


Stratum  liclow  the  pillar  of  lava-like  matter 
Length  of  pillar 
Stratum  above  the  pillar 


Stratum  below  the  pillar 
Height  of  the  pillar 
Stratum  above 

No.  5. 
Stratum  below  the  pillar 
Height  of  the  pilLr 
Stratum  above 


No.  4.     Another  pillar  to  tlie  westvvard : 


■ ' .   •**. 


■  'rf  ■ >%   ■  ■  ■        > 


-.•4««.i"^-  -vi 


vi*  •■  ■'  i<r: 


ft  K 

11  0 

54  0 

61  6 


17    1 

50  0 

51  1 


Another  pillar  farther  to  the  westward : 


J:i.^-ii}fy-\'-X^ 


19 
55 
54 


"  The  stratum  above  the  pillu-s,  which  is  here  mentioned,  is  UDiformly  the  r<i  le, 
I  onsi<)ting  of  numberless  small  pillars,  bending  and  inclining  in  all  directions,  so.  i^. 
times  so  irregularly,  that  the  stones  can  dhly  be  said  to  have  an  inclination  to  assume  a 
columnar  iorm  ;  in  others  more  regular*  but  never  breaking  into  or  disturbing  the 
stratum  of  large  pillars,  whose  tops  eery  where  keep  an  uniform  and  irregular  line. 

"  P.  .^ceding  now  along  bhore  roui.i  the  north  end  of  the  island,  you  arrive  at  Oua 
na  scarve,  o*-  the  Corvnraat^s  Cave  :  here  the  stratum  under  the  pillars  b  lifted  up  very 
iiigh ;  the  pillars  above  it  are  considerably  less  than  those  at  the  N.  W.  end  of  the 
iisland,  but  still  very  considerable.  Beyond  is  a  bay,  which  cuts  deep  into  the  island, 
rendering  it  in  that  place  not  more  than  a  quarter  of  a  mile  over.  On  tlie  sides  of 
this  bay,  especially  beyond  a  little  valley,  which  almost  cuts  the  island  ii»o  two,  are 
two  stages  of  pillars,  but  small ;  however,  having  a  stratum  between  them  exactly  the 
same  as  that  above  them,  formed  of  innumerable  little  pillars,  shaken  out  of  their 
places,  and  leaning  in  all  directions. 

"  Having  passed  this  bay,  the  pillars  totally  cease ;  the  rock  is  of  a  dark  brown 
stone,  and  no  signs  of  regularity  occur  till  you  have  passed  round  the  S.  E.  end  of  the 
ibland  (a  space  almost  as  large  as  that  occupied  by  the  pillars)  which  you  meet  again 
on  the  west  side,  beginning  to  form  themselves  irregularly,  as  if  the  stratum  had  an 
inclination  to  that  furm,  and  soon  arrive  at  the  bending  pillars  where  1  began. 

"  The  stone  of  which  the  pillars  are  formed  is  a  coarse  kind  of  basahes,  very  much 
resembling  the  Giant's  Causeway  in  Ireland,  though  none  of  them  arc  near  so  neat  as  the 
specimens  of  the  latter  which  1  have  seen  at  the  British  Museum ;  owing  chiefly  to 
the  colour,  which  in  ours  is  a  dirty  brown,  in  the  Irish  a  fine  black  ;  indeed  the  whole 
pro*^'  'ction  seems  very  nmch  to  resemble  the  Giant's  Causeway  ;  with  which  I  should 
willingly  compare  it,  had  I  any  account  of  the  former  before  me."* 

Proceed  with  a  fine  breeze ;  see,  beyond  Staffa,  Baca-brg,  and  the  Dutchman's- 
I  ap,  formed  like  a  Phrygian  bonnet ;  and  composed  of  rude  basaltic  pil liars.  Next 
•succeeds  Lunga,t  varying  into  grotesque  shapes  as  we  recede  from  it;  the  low  flats  of 

* ".' ' 

■*  As  this  account  is  copied  from  Mr.  Banks's  Journal,  I  take  the  liberty  of  sayin(j;  (Hrhat  by  this  time 
''at  gentleman  is  well  acquainted  with^  that  StaHa  is  a  |-enuine  mass  of  hasaltes,  of  Gu.m's  Qauseway,  but 
it>  most  rtspccts  siipeiioi  to  the  Irish  in  grandeur.  I  must  add,  that  the  name  is  Norwegbn  ;  and  most 
l>ri/|)crl}  bcstoweci)  on  account  of  its  singular  structure  :  StafiU  being  derived  froHh  Etttf^  »  'Mff^  prop,'or, 
figuratively,  a  colu  mn. 

t(l/  At  tne  boiiom  of  the  pvint  of  the  rocks  of  Cannay  is  a  very  singular  view  of  Lunga,  and 
tlie  Duiclimau's  cap,  as  they  itppearfd  about  eight  or  nine  miles  distant^  the  first  S.  S.  by  W.  the  last 
S.  W.by  S. 


-U.r!Jlwa«J  .^  j^--  ^ 


FL  Ik 

11  0 

54  0 

61  6 


17  1 

50  0 

51  1 


19  8 
55  1 
54  T 

e  f=i.'  le. 

ssume  a 
bing  the 
ine. 
:  at  Oua 

up  very 
id  of  the 
e  island, 

sides  of 
two,  are 
actly  the 

of  their 

k  brown 
id  of  the 
:et  again 
1  had  an 

ry  much 
cat  as  the 
chiefly  to 
he  whole 
I  should 

tchman's- 
-s.  Next 
IV  flats  of 

ly  this  time 
useway,  but 
I ;  and  most 
tff,  prop/or, 

[junga*  and 
W.  the  last 


% 


^ 

^ 


\ 


s? 


»-:• 


.1- 

■*■: 


.!lV 


_^i<'^i 


AUG  13  1890 


■■>>  ^_^  ^  >'  <:..s4  ■Mt-'i'sSt;'^'*^ 


■?-■#*?«;»>  ft'fl-'v% 


-«j-,-.;:*f 


ff^-^^'.. 


-    -1 


ft, 

.  ,1  ;• 


i^^ 


.;•:    ■«^- 


..pJ- 


-n  "'■ 

-T"    , 

!-■■*''  ' 

i/f  •■■■■ 

■?;if,i 

•<;<-.;;■ 

/.  ..rJ. 

.'    t-ss 

PENNANT'S  SECOND  TOUU  IN  SCOTLAND 


009 


FJada  next  shew  themselves  ;  and,  lastly,  the  isles  of  Cairn-berg  more  and  beg,  with 
columnar  appearances:  the  first  noted  for  us  ancient  fortress,  the  oiitguird  to  the  Sude- 
reys,  or  southern  Hebrides. 

In  the  year  1249,  John  Dungadi,  appointed  by  Acho  of  Norway,  king  of  the  north- 
crn  Heb  des,  was  intrusted  with  the  defence  of  this  castle;  and,  in  return  for  that 
confidence,  declined  to  surrender  it  to  Alexander  HI,  of  Scotland,  who  meditated 
the  conquest  of  these  islands.  It  was  in  those  days  called  Kiarnuburgh,  or  Biarnn> 
burgh.*  The  Macleanes  possessed  it  in  1715,  and  during  the  rebellion  of  that  year 
was  taken  and  re-taken  by  each  party. 

In  our  course  observe,  at  a  distance,  Tirey,  or  Tir-I,  famous  for  its  great  plain,  and 
the  breed  of  litile  horses.  To  the  north,  separated  from  Tirey  by  a  small  sound,  is 
the  isle  of  Col.  I  must  not  omit  observing,  that  the  first  is  reported  bv  a  very  sensible 
writer  to  be  well  adapted  for  the  culture  of  tobacco. f 

Pass  the  point  Ruth-an-i-sleith,  in  Mull,  when  Egg  high  and  rounded,  Muck  small, 
and  the  exalted  tops  of  the  mountainous  Rum,  and  lofty  Skie,  appear  in  view .  Leave, 
on  the  east,  Calgarai  bay  in  Mull,  with  a  few  houses,  and  some  signs  of  cultivation  ; 
the  first  marks  of  population  that  had  shewn  themselves  in  this  vast  island. 

The  entrance  of  the  sound  of  Mull  now  opens,  bounded  to  the  north  by  cape  Ard- 
namurchan,  or,  the  height  of  the  boisterous  sea ;  and  beyond,  inland,  soar  the  vast  sum- 
mits  of  Benevish,  Morvern,  and  Crouachan. 

Towards  afternoon  the  sky  grows  black,  and  the  wind  freshens  into  a  gale,  attended 
with  rain,  Jiscouraging  us  from  a  chase  of  seals,  which  we  proposed  on  the  rock 
Heiskyr,  a  little  to  the  west,  where  they  swarm.  To  the  west  of  Cannay  have  a  sight 
of  the  rock  Humbla,  formed  of  basaltic  columns.^ 

Leave,  three  leagues  to  the  west,  the  cairns  of  Col,  a  dangerous  chain  of  rocks,  ex- 
tending from  its  northern  extremity. 

Sail  under  the  vast  mountains  of  Rum,  and  the  point  of  Bredon,  through  a  most 
turbulent  sea,  caused  by  the  clashing  of  two  adverse  tides.  See  several  small  whales, 
called  here  Pollacks,  that,  when  near  land,  are  often  chased  on  shore  by  boats :  they 
are  usually  about  ten  feet  long,  and  yield  four  gallons  of  oil.  At  seven  o'clock  in  the 
evening  find  ourselves  at  anchor  in  four  flithom  water,  in  the  snug  harbour  of  the  isle 
of  Cannay.  Formed  on  the  north  side  by  Cannay,  on  the  south  by  the  little  isle  of 
Sanda ;  the  mouth  lies  opposite  to  Rum,  and  about  three  miles  distant ;  the  western 
channel  into  it  is  impervious  by  reason  of  rocks.  On  that  side  of  the  entrance  next  to 
Sanda  is  a  rock  to  be  shunned  by  mariners. 

As  soon  as  we  had  time  to  cast  our  eyes  about,  each  shore  appeared  pleasing  to  hu- 
manity ;  verdant,  and  covered  with  hundreds  of  cattle :  both  sides  gave  a  full  idea  of 
plenty,  for  tlie  verdure  was  mixed  with  very  litde  rock,  and  scarcely  any  heath  ;  but  a 
short  conversation  with  the  natives  soon  dispelled  this  agreeable  error ;  they  were  at 
this  very  time  in  such  want,  that  numbers  for  a  long  time  had  neither  bread  nor  meal 
for  their  poor  babes ;  fish  and  milk  was  their  whole  subsistence  at  this  time  :  the  first 
was  a  precarious  relief,  for  besides  the  uncertainty  of  success,  to  add  to  their  distress, 
their  stock  of  fish-hooks  was  almost  exhausted ;  and  to  ours,  that  it  was  not  in  our 
power  to  supply  them.  The  rubbans,  and  other  trifles  I  had  brought,  would  have  been 
insults  to  people  in  distress.  I  lamented  that  my  money  had  been  so  uselessly  laid  out  ; 
for  a  few  dozens  of  fish-hooks,  or  a  few  pecks  of  meal',  would  have  made  them  happy. 

•  Torfaeus,  164.  t  Account  current  betwixt  England  and  Scotland,  by  John  Sprucl. 

I  This  was  discovered  by  Mr.  Murdoch  Mackenzie. 


310 


PENNANT'S  SECOND  TOUR  IN  SCOTLAND. 


The  Turks  erect  caravanscras.  Christians  of  different  opinions  concur  in  establishing 
hospitia  ^imong  the  dreary  Alps,  for  the  reception  of  travellers.  I  could  wish  the  public 
bounty,  or  private  charity,  would  found  in  fit  parts  of  the  isles,  or  mainland,  magazines 
of  meal,  as  preservatives  against  famine  in  these  distant  parts. 

The  crops  had  failed  here  the  last  year ;  but  the  little  corn  sown  at  present  had  a 
promising  aspect ;  and  the  potatoes  are  the  best  I  had  scen>  but  these  were  not  fit  for 
use.  The  isles  I  fear  annually  experience  a  temporary  famine ;  perhaps  from  impro* 
vidcnce,  perhaps  from  eagerness  to  increase  their  stock  of  cattle,  which  they  can  easily 
dispose  of  to  satisfy  the  demands  of  a  landlord,  or  the  oppressions  of  an  agent.  The 
people  of  Cannay  export  none,  but  sell  them  to  the  numerous  busses  who  put  into  this 
rortus  Salutis  on  different  occasions. 

The  cattle  are  of  a  middle  size,  black,  long  legged,  and  have  thin  staring  manes,  from 
th^'  neck  along  the  back  and  upper  part  of  the  tail :  they  look  well,  for  in  several  parts  of 
the  islands  they  have  good  warm  recesses  to  retreat  to  in  winter.  About  sixty  head  are 
exported  annually. 

Each  conpic  of  milch  cows  yielded  at  an  average  seven  stones  of  butter  and  cheese  ; 
two'thirds  of  the  first,  and  one  of  the  last.  The  cheese  sold  at  three  and  sixpence  a 
stone,  the  butter  at  eight  shillings. 

Here  are  very  few  sheep,  but  horses  in  abundance.  The  chief  use  of  them  in  this 
little  district  is  to  forni  an  annual  cavalcade  at  Michaelmas.  Every  man  on  the  island 
mounts  his  horse,  unfurnished  with  saddle,  and  takes  behind  him  either  some  young  girl, 
or  his  neighbour's  wife,  and  then  rides  backwards  and  forwards  from  the  village  to  a  cer- 
tain  cross,  without  being  able  to  g^ve  any  reason  for  the  origin  of  this  custom.  Af\er 
the  procession  is  over,  they  alight  at  some  public*house,  where,  strange  to  say,  the  fe- 
males treat  the  companions  of  their  iide.  When  thev  retire  to  their  houses,  an  enter, 
tainment  is  prepared  with  primaeval  simplicity :  the  chief  part  consists  of  a  great  oat-cake, 
called  Struan  Micheil,  or  St.  Michael's  cake,  composed  of  two  pecks  of  meal,  and 
formed  like  the  quadrant  of  a  circle ;  it  is  daubed  over  with  milk  and  eggs,  and  then 
placed  to  harden  before  the  fire. 

Matrimony  is  held  in  such  esteem  here,  that  an  old  maid  or  old  batchelor  is  scarcely 
known ;  such  firm  belief  have  they  in  :'  e  doctrine  of  the  ape-leading  disgrace  in  the 
world  below :  so  to  avoid  that  danger  the  yo  jth  marry  at  twenty,  the  lasses  at  seventeen. 
The  £iir  sex  are  used  here  with  more  tenderness  than  common,  being  employed  only 
in  domestic  affairs,  and  never  forced  into  the  labours  of  the  field.  Here  are  plenty  of 
poultry  and  of  eggs. 

Abundance  of  cod  and  ling  might  be  taken,  there  being  a  fine  sand-bank  between 
this  isle  and  the  rock  Heisker,  and  another  between  Skie  and  Barra ;  but  the  poverty 
of  the  inhabitants  will  not  enable  them  to  attempt  a  fijthery.  When  at  Campbeltown  I 
inquired  about  the  apparatus  requisite,  and  found  that  a  vessel  of  twenty  tons  was  neces- 
sary, which  would  cost  two  hundred  pounds ;  that  the  ctew  should  be  composed  of 
eight  hands,  whose  monthly  expences  would  be  fourteen  pounds ;  that  six  hundred 
fathom  of  long  line,  five  hundred  hooks,  and  two  stuoy  lines  (each  eighty  fathoms 
long)  which  are  placed  at  each  end  of  the  long-lines,  with  buoys  at  top  to  mark  the 
place  when  sunk,  would  altogether  cost  five  guineas ;  and  the  vessel  must  be  provided 
with  four  sets ;  so  that  the  whole  charge  of  such  an  adventure  u  very  considerable,  and 
past  the  ability  of  these  poor  people.* 

The  length  of  the  island  is  about  three  miles,  the  breadth  near  one  ;  its  surface  hilly. 
This  was  the  property  of  the  bishop  qfthe  isles,  but  at  present  that  of  Mr.  Macdonald 
of  Cliin-Ronald.     His  factor,  a  resident  agent,  rents  most  of  tfie  island,  paying  two 


J-u  V- 


In  Br.  Zool.  III.  No.  73,  is  an  account  of  a  fiahery  of  this  nature. 


ii'twi-'jw''ji..i  II.II  nHi.  ^f^f^Hummimmm 


PENNANT'S  SECUNU  TOUK  IN  SCOTLAND. 


311 


guineas  for  each  penny.land ;  and  these  he  sets  to  the  poor  people  at  four  (guineas  and  a 
half  each  ;  and  exacts,  besides  this,  three  days  labour  in  the  quarter  from  cac'i  person. 
Another  head  tenant  possesses  other  penny.lands,  which  he  sets  in  the  same  munncr,  to 
the  impoverishing  and  very  starving  of  the  wretched  inhabitants. 

The  penny-lands  derive  tlieir  name  from  some  old  valuation.  The  sum  requisite  to 
stock  one  is  thirty  pounds :  it  maintains  seven  cows  and  two  horses ;  and  the  tenant 
can  raise  on  it  eight  bolls  of  small  black  oats,  the  produce  of  two  ;  and  four  of  Ix-ar  from 
half  a  boll  of  seed;  one  boll  of  potatoes  yields  seven.  The  two  last  arc  manured  with 
sea-tang. 

The  arable  land  in  every  farm  is  divided  into  four  parts,  and  lots  are  cast  for  them  at 
Christmas  :  the  produce,  when  reaped  and  dried,  is  divided  among  them  in  proportion 
to  their  rents ;  and  for  want  of  mills  is  ground  in  the  quern.  Alt  the  pasture  is  com« 
mon,  from  May  to  the  beginning  of  September. 

It  is  said  that  the  factor  has  in  a  manner  banished  sheep,  because  there  is  no  good 
market  for  them ;  so  that  he  does  his  best  to  deprive  the  inhabitants  of  clothing  us  well 
as  food.  At  present  they  supply  themselves  with  wool  from  Rum,  at  the  rate  of  eight- 
pence  the  pound. 

All  the  clothing  is  manufactured  at  home  :  the  women  not  only  spin  the  wool,  but 
weave  the  cloth  :  the  men  make  their  own  shoes,  tan  the  leather  with  the  bark  cf  wil- 
low, or  the  roots  of  the  tormentilla  erecta,  or  tormentil,  and  in  defect  of  wax-threa  J,  use 
split  thongs. 

About  twenty  tons  of  kelp  are  made  in  the  shores  every  third  year. 

Sickness  seldom  visits  this  place  :  if  any  disorder  seizes  them,  the  patients  do  no  more 
than  drink  whey,  and  lie  still.     The  small-pox  visits  them  about  once  in  twenty  years. 

All  disputes  are  settled  by  the  factor,  or,  if  of  great  moment,  by  the  justices  of  the 
peace  an  Skie. 

This  island,  Rum,  Muck,  and  E^,  form  one  parish.  Cannay  is  inhabited  by  two 
hundred  and  twenty  souls,  of  which  all,  except  four  families,  are  Roman  Catholics  ;  but 
in  the  whole  parish  there  is  neither  church,  manse,  nor  school :  there  is  indeed  in  this 
island  a  catechist,  who  has  nine  pounds  a  year  from  the  royal  bounty.  The  minister 
and  the  popish  priest  reside  in  Lgg ;  but,  by  reason  of  the  turbulent  seas  that  divide 
these  isles,  are  very  seldom  able  to  attend  their  flocks.  I  admire  the  moderation  of 
their  congregations,  who  attend  the  preaching  of  either  indifferently,  as  they  happen  to 
arrive.  As  the  Scotch  are  oeconomists  in  religion,  I  would  recommend  to  them  the 
practice  of  one  of  the  little  Swiss  mixed  cantons,  who,  through  mere  frugality,  kept  but 
one  divine,  a  moderate,  honest  fellow,  who,  steering  clear  of  controversial  points,  held 
forth  to  the  Calvinist  flock  on  one  part  of  the  day,  and  to  his  Catholic  on  the  other.  He 
lived  long  among  them,  much  respected,  and  died  lamented. 

The  protestant  natives  of  many  of  the  bles  observe  Yule  and  Pasch,  or  Christmas  and 
Easter ;  which  among  rigid  presbyterians  is  esteemed  so  horrid  a  superstition,  that  I  have 
heard  of  a  minister  vmo  underwent  a  censure  for  having  a  goose  to  dinner  on  Christmas 
day ;  for  having  been  convicted  of  holding  that  one  day  was  more  holy  than  another,  or 
to  be  distinguished  by  any  external  marks  of  festivity. 

In  popish  times  here  was  probably  a  resident  minister  ;  for  here  are  to  be  seen  the 
ruins  of  a  chapel,  and  a  small  cross. 

Much  rain  and  very  hard  gales  the  whole  night,  the  weather  being,  as  it  is  called  in 
these  parts,  broken. 

July  12.  Bad  weather  still  continues,  which  prevented  us  from  seeing  so  much  of 
this  island  as  we  intended,  and  also  of  visiting  the  rock  Humbla.  Go  on  shore  at  the 
nearest  part,  and  visit  a  lofty  slender  rock,  that  juts  into  the  sea  :  on  one  side  is  a  little 


\^: 


•ji-iffimii^^. 


^^^ 


^^^'J\^.%V^^X  '.•<;'{'  .v^ 


312 


|»£NNANT'S  S&COND  TOUU  IN  SCOTLAND. 


lower,  at  a  vast  height  above  us,  accessible  by  a  narrow  and  horrible  path  ;  it  seems  so 
small  as  scarce  to  be  able  to  contain  half  a  dozen  people.  Tradition  says,  that  it  was 
built  by  some  jealous  regulus,  to  confine  a  handsome  wife  in. 

To  tnc  north-west  above  this  prison  is  the  Compass-hill,  in  Erse  called  Sgar-dhearg, 
or  the  red  projecting  ruck.  On  the  top  the  needle  in  the  mariner's  compass  was  ob- 
served to  vary  a  whole  quarter ;  the  north  point  standing  due  west :  an  irregularity  pro- 
bably  oyf'm^  to  the  nature  of  the  rock,  highly  impregnated  with  iron.  Mr.  Mills  ob- 
served in  this  island  basaltic  columns. 

In  the  afternoon  some  coal  was  brought,  found  in  the  rocks  Dun-eudain,  but  in  such 
small  veins  as  to  be  useless.  It  lies  in  beds  of  only  six  inches  in  thickness,  and  about  a 
foot  distant  from  each  other,  divided  by  strata  of  whin-stone.  Fuel  is  very  scarce  here, 
and  often  the  inhabitants  are  obliged  to  fetch  it  from  Rum. 

July  13.  A  continuation  of  bad  weather.  At  half  an  hour  after  one  at  noon  loose 
(torn  Cannay,  and  after  passing  with  a  favourable  gale  through  a  rolling  sea,  in  about 
two  hours  anchor  in  the  isle  of  Rum,  in  an  open  bay,  about  two  miles  deep,  called 
Loch-Sgriosard,  bounded  by  high  mountains,  black  and  barren  :  at  the  bottom  of  the 
bay  is  the  little  village  Kinlock,  of  about  a  dozen  houses,  built  in  a  singular  manner, 
with  walls  very  thick  and  low,  with  the  roofs  of  thatch  reaching  a  little  beyond  the  inner 
edge,  so  tliat  they  serve  as  benches  for  the  lazy  inhabitants,  whom  we  found  ntting  on 
them  in  great  numbers,  expecting  our  landing,  with  that  avidity  for  news  common  to  the 
whole  country. 

Entered  the  house  with  the  best  aspect,  but  found  it  little  superior  in  goodness  to 
those  of  Hay  ;  thb  indeed  had  a  chimney  and  windows,  which  distinguished  it  fVom  the 
others,  and  denoted  the  superiority  of  the  owner ;  the  rest  knew  neither  windows  nor 
chimnies.  A  little  hole^n  one  side  gave  an  exit  to  the  smoke :  the  fire  is  made  on  the 
floor  beneath ;  above  hangs  a  rope,  with  the  pot-hook  <it  the  end,  to  hold  the  vessel  that 
contains  their  hard  fare,  a  little  fish,  milk,  or  potatoes.  Yet,  beneath  the  roof  I  entered, 
I  found  an  address  and  politeness  from  the  owner  and  his  wife  that  were  astonishing : 
such  pretty  apologies  for  the  badness  of  the  treat,  the  ^urds  and  milk  that  were  oflR:red, 
which  were  tendered  to  us  with  as  much  readiness  and  good* will,  as  by  any  of  old  He 
mer's  dames,  celebrated  by  him  in  his  Odyssey  for  their  hospitality.  I  doubt  much 
whether  their  cottages  or  their  fare  was  much  better  ;  but  it  must  be  confessed  that  they 
might  be  a  little  more  cleanly  than  our  good  hostess. 

Rum,  or  Roiun,  as  it  is  called  by  the  dean,  is  the  property  of  Mr.  Macleane  of  Col ; 
a  landlord  mentioned  by  the  natives  with  much  afiection :  the  length  is  about  twelve 
miles,  the  breadth  six ;  the  number  of  souls  at  thb  time  three  hundred  and  twenty-five ; 
of  families  only  fifty-nine,  almost  all  protestant.  The  heads  of  families,  with  their  wives, 
were  at  this  time  all  alive,  except  five,  three  widowers  and  two  widows.  They  had  with 
them  a  hundred  and  two  sons,  and  only  seventy-six  daughters :  this  dispri^xmion  pre- 
vails in  Cannay,  and  the  other  little  islands,  in  order,  in  the  end,  to  preserve  a  balance 
between  the  two  sexes ;  as  the  men  are,  firom  their  way  of  life,  so  perpetually  exposed  to 
danger  in  these  stormy  seas,  and  to  other  accidents,  that  might  occasion  a  depopulation, 
was  it  not  so  providentially  ordered.* 

The  island  is  one  great  moantain,  divided  into  several  points ;  the  highest  called 
Aisgobhall.  About  this  bay,  and  towuds  the  east  side,  the  land  slopes  towards  the 
water  side ;  but  on  the  south-west  forms  precipices  of  a  stupendous  height.  The  sur. 
face  of  Rum  is  in  a  manner  covered  with  heath,  and  in  a  state  of  nature  ;  the  heights 
rocky.    There  is  very  little  arable  land,  excepting  about  the  nine  little  hamlets  that 

*  In  Chester,  and  otiier  large  towns,  though  the  number  of  males  exceeds  the  iramber  of  females 
born,  jret  when  arrived  at  the  age  of  puberty  the  females  are  much  more  numero:  .Han  males  ;  because 
(lie  latter,  in  every  period  of  life,  are  more  liable  to  btal  diseases. 


«:J'_y!V'  "•ijju_t:'- 


PENNANTS  SECOND  TOUR  IV  SCOTl-ANn. 


31.'. 


the  natives  have  grouped  in  diiTcrcnt  places,  near  which  the  corn  in  !<o\vn  in  diminutive 
patches  ;  for  the  tenants  here  run-rijj  as  in  C.iunuy.  The  greatest  larnicr  holdi  live 
pounds  twelve  shillings  a  year,  and  pays  his  rent  in  money.  The  whole  of  the  island  is 
two  thousand  marks.* 

The  little  corn  and  potatoes  they  raise  is  very  good ;  but  so  small  is  the  quantity  o. 
bear  and  oats,  that  there  is  not  a  fourth  part  produced  to  supply  tlicir  annual  wants  ; 
all  the  subsistence  the  poor  people  have  besides  is  curds,  milk,  and  fish.  They  are  ;i 
well  made  and  well  looking  race,  but  carry  fumine  in  their  aspect :  are  often  a  whuk 
summer  without  a  grain  in  the  island;  which  they  regret  not  on  tlicir  own  account,  hut 
for  the  sake  of  their  poor  babes.  In  the  present  oeconomy  of  the  island,  the  re  is  no 
prospect  of  any  improvement.  Here  is  an  absurd  custom  of  allotting  a  certitin  stock  to 
the  land;  for  example,  a  farmer  is  allowed  to  keep  fourteen  head  of  cattle,  thirty  sheep, 
and  six  mares,  on  a  certain  tract  called  a  penny-lund.t  'I'lie  person  who  keeps  mr)re 
is  obliged  to  repair  out  of  his  superfluity  any  loss  his  neighbour  may  sustain  in  his  herds 
or  flocks. 

A  number  of  black  cattle  is  sold  at  thirty  or  forty  shillings  per  head,  to  graziers  who 
come  annually  to  Skie,  and  other  places.  The  mutton  here  is  small,  but  the  most  deli, 
cate  in  our  dominions,  if  the  goodness  of  our  appetites  did  not  pervert  our  judgment: 
the  purchase  of  a  fat  sheep  was  four  shillings  and  sixpence :  the  natives  kill  u  few,  and  also 
of  cows,  to  salt  for  winter  provisions.  A  few  goats  are  kept  here :  abundance  of  mares, 
and  a  necessary  number  of  stallions ;  for  the  colts  are  an  article  of  commerce,  but  they 
never  part  with  the  fillies. 

Every  penny-land  is  restricted  to  twenty  .eight  sums  of  cattle  :  one  milch  cow  is  reck- 
oned a  sum,  or  ten  sheep  ;  a  horse  is  reckoned  two  sums.  By  this  regulation,  every 
person  bat  liberty  to  make  up  his  sums  with  what  species  of  cattle  he  pleases  ;  but  then 
is  at  the  same  time  prevented  from  injuring  his  neighbour  (in  a  place  wherc  grazing  is  in 
common)  by  rearing  too  great  a  stock.  This  rule  is  often  broken  ;  but  by  the  former 
regulation,  the  sufferer  may  repair  his  loss  from  the  herds  of  the  avaricious. 

No  hay*b  made  in  thb  island,  nor  any  sort  of  provender  for  winter  provision.  The 
domestic  animals  support  themselves  as  well  as  they  can  on  spots  of  grass  preserved  for 
that  purpose.  In  every  farm  is  one  man,  from  his  office  called  Fear  cuartuich,  whose 
sole  business  is  to  preserve  the  grass  and  corn  :  as  a  reward  he  is  allowed  grass  for  four 
cows,  and  the  produce  of  as  much  arable  land  as  one  horse  can  till  and  harrow. 

Very  few  poultry  are  reared  here,  on  account  of  the  scarcity  of  grain. 

No  wild  quadrupeds  are  found,  excepting  stags :  these  animals  once  abounded  here, 
but  they  are  now  reduced  to  eightv,  by  the  eagles,  who  not  only  kill  the  fawns,  but  the 
old  deer,  seizing  them  between  the  horns,  and  terrifying  them  till  they  fail  down  some 
precipice,  and  become  their  prey. 

The  birds  we  observed  were  ring-tail  eagles,  ravens,  hooded-crows,  white  ^vagtaiis, 
wheat.ears,^  titlarks,  ring  ouzels,  grous,  ptarmigans,  curlews,  green  plovers,  fasced'- 
dars  or  arctic  gulls,  and  the  greater  terns :  the  dean  mentions  gannets,  but  none  appeared 
while  we  were  in  the  island. 

At  tiie  foot  of  Sgor-mor,  opposite  to  Cannay,  are  found  abundance  of  agates,  of  that 
species  called  by  Cronsted,  sect.  IxL  6,  Achates  chalcedonisans,  improperly,  white  cor. 
nelians :  several  singular  strata,  such  as  gray  quartzy  stone,  Cronsted,  sect,  cclxxiv  ; 
another,  a  mixture  of  quttz  andbasaltes,  a  black  stone,  spotted  with  white,  like  por. 

*  A  Scotch  mark  is  little  more  than  thirteen-pence-farthing. 

t  The  division  into  penny-lands,  and  much  of  the  rural  ceconomjr,  agree  in  both  island?. 
▼OL.  III.  8  8 


If 


J14 


PiNNANr'b  HCCUNU  'lOlU  IN  SCOTLAND. 


phvry,  but  with  the  appcanincc  of  u  lavu  :  fine  grit,  ur  frcc>stonc,  and  the  cincrcoiia 
iiKloriitcd  bole  ot  CioiiMcd,  stcct.  Ixxxvii. 

July  14.  L.iiid  again  :  walk  five  miles  up  the  hides  of  the  idaiid,  chiefly  over  heath 
uiid  luuon  gioiiiid  :  cross  twu  deep  gullies,  vuried  with  several  pretty  cascudcs,  fulling 
from  rock  tu  rock  :  pass  by  great  masses  of  stone,  corroded,  as  if  they  h:id  lain  on  the 
shore.  AAer  u  long  ascent  reach  LochMiangrun,  a  piece  of  water  amidst  the  rocks, 
beneath  some  of  the  highest  peaks  of  the  mountains.  Abiuidance  of  terns  inhabit  this 
luch.   Return  txcessivel)  wet  with  constant  ruin. 

Notwithstanding  this  island  has  several  streams,  here  is  not  a  single  mill ;  all  the 
molinary  operations  are  done  ai  home  :  the  corn  is  graddunned,  or  burnt  out  of  the  ear, 
instead  of  being  thrashed  :  this  is  performed  two  ways^  first  by  cutting  oflT  the  ears, 
and  dr\ing  them  in  a  kiln,  then  setting  fire  to  them  on  a  floor,  and  picking  out  the 
grains,  by  this  operation  rei^dcred  as  black  as  coul.  The  other  method  is  more  expc* 
ditious,  for  the  whole  sheaf  is  burnt,  without  the  trouble  of  cutting  off"  the  ears:  a  most 
ruinous  pr.ictice,  as  it  destroys  both  thutch  and  manure,  and  on  that  account  has  been 
wisely  prohibited  in  some  of  the  islands.  Gradanned  corn  was  the  parched  corn  of 
Holy  Writ.  Thus  Boaz  presents  his  beloved  Ruth  with  parched  com.  and  Jesse  sends 
David  with  an  Ephah  of  the  same  to  his  sons  in  the  camp  of  Saul.  The  grinding  was 
also  pet  formed  by  the  same  sort  of  machine,  the  quern,  in  which  two  women  were  ne> 
cessarily  employed  :  thus  it  is  prophesied  '*  two  women  shall  be  grinding  at  the  milli 
one  shall  be  taken,  the  other  left."  I  must  observe  too,  that  the  island  lasses  are  as 
merry  at  their  work  of  grinding  the  Graddun,  the  »-;t*«  of  the  ancients,  as  those  of  Greece 
were  in  the  days  of  Anstuphunes, 

Who  worbled  as  they  ground  their  parched  com.* 

The  quern  or  bra  is  made  in  some  of  the  neighbouring  counties,  in  the  mainland,  and 
costs  about  fourteen  shillings.  This  method  of  grinding  is  very  tedious  :  for  it  employs 
two  pair  of  hands  four  hours  to  grind  only  a  single  bushel  of  corn.  Instead  of  a  hair 
sieve  to  siil  the  meal,  the  inhabitants  here  have  an  ingenious  substitute,  a  sheep's  skin 
stretched  round  a  hoop,  and  perforated  with  small  holes  made  with  a  hot  iron.  They 
knead  their  bannock  with  water  only,  and  bake  or  rather  toast  it,  by  laying  it  upright 
against  a  stone  placed  near  the  fire. 

For  want  of  lime  they  dress  their  leather  with  calcined  shells  :  and  use  the  same  me* 
thod  of  tanning  it  as  in  Cannay. 

The  inhabitants  of  Rum  are  people  that  scarcely  know  sickness :  if  they  are  attacked 
with  a  dysentery,  they  make  use  of  a  decoction  of  the  roots  of  the  Tormentilla  erecta  in 
milk.  The  small* pox  has  visited  them  but  once  in  thirty-four  years,  only  two  sickened, 
and  both  recovered.     The  measles  come  often. 

It  is  not  wonderful  that  some  superstitions  should  reign  in  these  sequestered  parts. 
Second  sight  is  firmly  believed  at  this  time.  My  informant  said,  that  Lauchlan  Mac- 
Kerran  of  Cannay  had  told  a  gentleman  that  he  could  not  rest  from  the  noise  he  heard 
of  the  hammering  of  nails  into  hb  coffin :  accordingly  the  gentleman  died  within  fifteen 
days. 

Molly  Mac-leane  (aged  forty)  lias  the  power  of  foreseeing  events  through  a  well, 
scraped  blade  bone  of  mutton.  Some  time  ago  she  took  up  one,  and  pronounced  that  five 
graves  were  soon  to  be  opened  ;  one  for  a  grown  person ;  the  other  four  for  children ; 
one  of  which  was  to  be  of  her  own  kin :  and  so  it  fell  out.    These  pretenders  to  second 


*  Nubes,  act  v.  scene  1 1.  Craddan  is  derived  from  Grad,  quick,  as  the  process  is  expeditious. 


:incrcou{i 


l'ENNANT'8  SECOND  TOUU  IN  SCOTLAND. 


3i:. 


sight,  like  the  Pythian  priestess,  during  their  inspiration  full  into  trances,  (u;iin  at  the 
mouth,  grow  pale,  and  feign  to  abstain  from  food  for  a  monlii,  so  overpowered  arc  tluy 
by  the  visions  impartt  d  to  them  during  their  paroxysms. 

I  must  not  omit  a  most  convenient  six:cics  of  second  sight,  possessed  by  a  gentleman  ol 
a  neighbouring  itie,  who  foresees  all  visitors,  so  has  time  to  prepare  accordingly  :  but 
enough  of  these  tales,  founded  on  impudence  and  nurtured  by  folly. 

Here  are  onlv  the  ruins  of  a  church  in  this  island  ;  so  the  minister  is  obligi  d  to  preach , 
the  few  times  ne  visits  his  congregation,  in  the  open  air.  The  attention  of  our  popish 
ancestors  in  this  article  delivers  down  a  great  reproach  on  the  negligiiicc  of  their  re. 
formed  descendants  ;  the  one  leaving  not  even  the  most  distant  and  savage  part  of  our 
dominions  without  a  place  of  worship ;  the  other  suffering  the  natives  to  want  both  in- 
structor and  temple. 

July  15.  The  weather  grows  more  moderate ;  at  one  o'clock  at  noon  sail  from 
Rum,  with  a  favourable  ana  brisk  gale,  for  the  isle  of  Skie.  Soon  reach  the  |K)iiit  of 
Slate,  at  the  south  end,  a  division  of  that  great  island,  a  mixture  of  grass,  u  litt'c  corn, 
and  much  heath.  Leave  on  the  right  the  point  of  Arisalg.  Pa8«  beneath  Armadale  in 
Skie,  a  seat  beautifully  wooded,  gracing  most  unexpectedly  this  almost  treeless  tract. 
A  litde  farther  to  the  west  opens  the  mouth  of  Loch-in-daal,  a  safe  harl)our,  and  oppo- 
site  to  it  on  the  mainland,  that  of  LochJurn,  or  the  lake  of  Hell,  with  black  mountains 
of  tremendous  height  impending  above. 

The  channel  between  the  shire  of  Inverness  and  Skie  now  contracts;  and  enlarges 
again  to  a  fine  bay  opposite  Glenelg,  between  the  mainland  and  Dunan-ruagh,  where 
is  good  anchorage  under  Skie.  At  the  north  end  of  this  expanse,  the  two  sides  suddenly 
contract,  and  at  KuUri  form  a  strait,  bounded  by  high  lands,  not  a  quarter  of  a  mile 
broad;  the  flood,  which  runs  here  at  the  sprin^;  tides  at  the  rate  of  seven  knots  an  hour, 
carried  us  through  with  great  rapidity  into  another  expanse,  perfectly  land  locked,  and 
very  picturesque.  We  were  now  arrived  amidst  an  amphitheatre  of  mountains  ;  the 
country  of  Kintail  bounded  us  on  the  north  and  east ;  and  Skie  (which  from  Loch-in. 
daal  became  more  lofty)  confined  us  with  its  now  wooded  cliffs  to  the  south.  The 
ruins  of  an  ancient  castle,  seated  on  the  pinnacle  of  a  rock,  and  some  little  isles,  formed 
our  western  view.  These  of  old  belonged  to  the  Mac-kinnons,  a  very  ancient  race, 
who  call  themselves  Clan*  Alpin,  or  the  descendants  of  Alpin,  a  Scotch  monarch  in  the 
9th  century.     Some  of  the  line  have  still  a  property  in  Skie. 

The  violent  squalls  of  wind  darting  from  the  apertures  of  the  hills  teazed  us  for  an 
hour,  but  ailer  various  tacks  at  last  Mr.  Thompson  anchored  safely  beneath  Mac-kin- 
non's  castle,  amidst  a  Beet  of  busses,  waiting  with  anxiety  for  the  appearance  of  herrings, 
this  year  uncommonly  late.  The  hard  rains  were  no  small  advantage  to  our  scenery. 
We  lay  beneath  a  vast  hill  called  Glaisbhein,  clothed  with  birch  and  oaks,  inhabited 
by  roes:  cataracts  poured  down  in  various  places  i^midst  the  woods,  reminding  me  of 
the  beautiful  cascades  between  Scheideck  and  Meynngen,  in  the  canton  of  Under wald. 
This  part  is  in  the  district  of  Strath,  another  portion  of  Skie. 

July  16.  Land  at  a  point  called  the  Kyle,  or  passage,  where  about  fourscore  horses 
were  collected,  to  be  transported  a  la  nage  to  the  opposite  shore,  about  a  mile  distant,  in 
the  same  manner  as,  Polybius*  informs  us,  Hannibal  passed  his  cavalry  over  the  rapid 
Rhone.  They  were  taken  over  by  fours,  by  little  boats,  a  pair  on  each  side,  held  with 
halters  by  two  men,  after  being  forced  off  a  rock  into  the  sea.  We  undertook  the  con- 
reyance  of  a  pair.    One,  a  pretty  gray  horse,  swam  admirably  :  the  other  was  dragged 


*  Lib.  iiu  c.  8. 
8  B  2 


310 


I'r.NNANl'S  bP  UNU  TUUtt  IN  itCUTLANl). 


a!ort(;  Itkr  ^i  iiif(;  but  Ui  sooa  a%  it  arrived  within  bccnt  of  his  companions  before, 
l.titdidi  revived,  dis(.'nga^cd  itscli,  iiiul  took  to  the  nhorc  with  great  ulucrity.  Sonic 
>cry  gciiticmaii>liktf  men  aitcodcd  thcbc  unimals,  und  with  great  politeness  oHcred  their 
services. 

Among  tl)c  crowd  wn^  a  Ind  ercctis  tiuribu^ ;  his  cars  had  never  been  swaddled  down, 
ui^d  they  stood  out  as  nature  ordained ;  and  I  dure  !>uy  his  sense  of  hearing  was  more 
accurate  by  thislil)erty. 

The  horned  cuttle  of  Skic  are  swam  over,  at  the  narrow  passage  of  KuUri,  at  low 
water;  six,  eight,  or  twelve  arc  parsed  over  ut  a  time,  tied  with  ropes  made  of  twisted 
withes  fahteneu  from  the  under  jaw  of  the  one  to  the  tail  of  the  preceding,  and  so  to  the 
next ;  the  first  is  fa>teii(d  to  a  boat,  and  thus  are  conveyed  to  the  opposite  shore.  This 
is  the  great  pass  into  the  island,  but  is  destitute  even  of  a  horse-ferry. 

July  17.  At  five  in  (he  morning  quit  our  bituation,  and  [Kissing  through  a  narrow 
:ind  short  sound,  arrive  in  another  fine  expanse,  beautifully  land-locked  by  Uie  mainland 
(part  of  Kosshirc)  the  islands  of  Rona  and  Croulin,  Rosa,  distinguished  by  die  high 
liilluck,  called  Duncanna  ;  Scalpa,  and  the  low  verdant  isle  of  Pabay,  in  old  times  the 
beat  of  assassins.*"  Skie  shews  a  verdant  slope  for  part  of  its  shore  :  beyond  soar  the 
eonic  naked  hills  of  Straith,  and  still  farther  the  ragged  heights  of  Blaven. 

See,  behind  us,  the  rnins  of  the  castle,  and  the  entrance  of  the  buy  we  had  left, 
openings  into  the  great  lochs  of  Kisserne  and  Carron,  and,  as  a  back<ground,  i  boi 
less  chain  of  rugged  mountains.     The  day  was  perfectly  clear,  and  the  sea  smooth  as  a 
mirror,  disturbed  but  by  the  blowing  of  two  whales,  vviic  entertained  us  for  a  consider- 
able space  by  the  jet  d'eaux  from  their  oiiHces. 

Mr.  Mac-kinnon,  junior,  one  of  the  gentlemen  we  saw  with  the  horses,  ove'.akes  us 
in  a  bout,  and  pressed  us  to  accept  the  entertainment  of  his  father's  house  of  Coire- 
chattachan,  in  the  neighbouring  part  of  Skie.  After  landing  near  the  isle  of  Scalpa,  and 
walking  about  two  miles  along  a  flat,  arrive  at  the  quarters  so  kindly  provided  ;  directing 
Mr.  Thompson  to  carry  the  vessel  lo  the  north  part  of  Skie. 

The  country  is  divided  by  low  banks  of  earth,  and,  like  the  other  islands,  has  more 
pasturage  than  corn.  In  my  walk  to  Kilchrist,  the  church  of  the  parish  of  Strath,  saw 
on  the  road-side  strata  of  lime-stone  and  stone-marle,  the  former  gray,  the  last  white, 
and  in  many  parts  dissolved  into  an  impalpable  powder,  and  ready  to  the  hands  of  the 
farmer.     It  is  esteemed  a  fine  manure,  but  better  for  corn  than  grass. 

Near  the  church  are  vast  strata  of  fine  white  marble,  and  some  veined  with  gray, 
which  I  recognized  to  have  been  the  bed  from  whence  the  altar  at  Jona  had  oeen 
formed.  Observe  also  great  quantities  of  white  granite  spotted  with  black.  Messrs. 
Lightfoot  and  Stuart  ascend  the  high  lime-stone  mountain  ot  Beinn-shuardal,  and  find  it 
in  a  manner  covered  with  that  rare  plant  the  Dryas  actopela. 

On  my  return  am  entertained  witUa  rehearsal,  I  may  call  it,  of  the  Luagh,  or  walk- 
ing of  cloth,  a  substitute  for  the  ft'mn^-mill :  twelve  or  fourteen  women,  divided  into 
two  equal  numbers,  sit  down  on  each  side  of  a  long  board,  ribbed  lengthways,  placing 
the  cloth  on  it :  first  they  be^^n  to  work  it  backwards  and  forwards  with  their  hands, 
singing  at  the  same  time,  as  at  the  quern :  when  they  have  tired  their  hands,  every  fe- 
male uses  her  feet  for  the  same  purpose,  and  six  or  seven  pair  of  naked  feet  are  in  the 
most  violent  agitation,  working  one  against  the  other:  as  by  this  time  they  grow 
very  earnest  in  their  labours,  the  fury  of  the  song  rises ;  at  length  it  arrives  to  such 
a  pitch,  that  without  breach  of  charity  you  would  imagine  a  troop  of  female  demoniacs  to 
have  be  en  assembled. 

*  In  the  time  of  the  Desn  all  these  little  isles  were  full  of  woods,  at  present  quite  naked. 


5 


rC.NNANT'ft  SECOND  TOUR  IN  SCOTLAND 


517 


They  sing  in  the  snmc  manner  when  duy  nrc  cutunf?  doun  the  rnn,  when  thirty  or 
forty  join  in  chorusi,  kccpin^r  timt:  U)  the  HOund  of  u  l)ii|Lmi(x*,  us  the  Grt'ci;m  lanstH  were 
v/ont  to  do  to  that  of  u  lyre  (!iirin((  vintage  in  the  duy^i  of  Homer.*  The  subject  of  the; 
6')ng!i :it  the  Luu^hadh,  the  <|iicrn,  and  on  this  occusion,  aic  sometimes  love,  Minidi  lUs 
puncf<yi-ic,  mid  often  a  rehcuraul  of  the  decdn  of  the  ancient  heroes,  but  conimoiil)  all 
the  tines  itiow  and  melancholy. 

Sinf(iim  at  the  (loern  h  now  almost  out  of  date  since  the  introrluction  of  water-mills. 
Th«.  iuird  can  oblige  his  tenants,  as  in  Kngland,  to  make  use  of  thi:*  more  cxpediiiou:* 
kitid  of  grinding  ;  and  empowers  his  miller  to  search  out  nnd  break  anv  querns  he  can 
find,  a*  machines  that  defraud  him  of  the  toll.  Manv  centuries  past,  the  legislature  at- 
tempted to  discourai^c  i!y.>se  auk  ward  mills,  so  prejiulicial  to  the  lanu'ords,  who  hud  Iven 
At  the  cxpcnce  of  others.  In  1284,  in  the  time  of  Alexander  III,  it  *vas  provided,  that 
"  na  mai.  sail  presume  to  grind  tjnheit  maishloch,  or  rye,  with  hands  mylnt,  except  he 
be  compeiicd  by  sturm,  or  be  in  luck  of  mills  (luhilk  sould  grind  the  sanicn.  And  in 
this  case  gif  a  tnun  grindes  at  hand  mylnes,  he  sal  gif  the  thrcttin  measure  as  multer,  and 

frif  aiiie  man  coi\truv'nii»  this  cur  prohibition,  he  suit  tine  his  hand  mylnes  perpetuul- 
ic." 

July  18.  Walk  up  Bcinn-:  aillish,  or,  the  hill  of  the  old  hag  ;  one  of  those  pic- 
turesqi.'e  mountains  that  made  such  u  figure  from  the  sea.  After  ascending  a  small  part, 
find  its  sides  covered  with  vast  loose  stones,  like  the  paps  of  Jura,  the  shelter  of  ptarmi- 
gans :  the  top  flat  and  naked^  with  an  artificial  cairn,  of  a  most  enormous  size,  reported 
to  have  been  the  place  of  sepulture  of  a  gigantic  woman  in  the  days  of  Fingal.  The 
prospect  to  the  WL:>t  was  that  of  desolation  itself;  a  savage  series  of  rude  mountains,  dis- 
coloured, black  and  red,  nn  if  by  the  rage  of  fire.  Nearest,  joined  to  this  hill  by  a  ridge, 
is  Beia  an  ghrianan,  or  the  mountain  of  the  Sun  ;  perhaps  venerated  in  ancient  times. 
MaUmore,  or  the  round  mountain,  appears  on  the  north.  The  serrated  tops  of  Blavcn 
affect  with  astonishment ;  and  beyond  them  the  clustered  height  of  Quillin,  or  the 
mountain  of  Cuchullin,  like  its  ancient  hero.f  "  stood  like  a  hill  that  catches  the  clouds 
of  heaven."  The  drep  recesses  between  these  Alps,  in  times  of  old,  possessed  "  the 
sons  of  the  narrow  vales,  the  hunters  of  deer;"  and  to  this  time  are  inhabited  by  a  fine 
race  of  stags. 

The  view  to  the  north-east  and  south-west  is  not  less  amusing :  a  sea  sprinkled  over 
with  vario«js  isles,  and  the  long  extent  of  coast  soaring  into  all  the  forms  of  Alpine  wild- 
ness.  I  must  npt  omit  that  the  point  of  Camisketel,  on  the  south  of  Skie,  was  shewed 
to  me  at  a  distance,  famous  for  the  cave  which  gave  shelter  for  two  nights  to  the  young 
adventurer,  and  his  faithful  guide,  the  ancient  Mac-kinnon. 

Leave  Coire-chattachan,  after  experiencing  every  civility  from  the  family  ;  and  from 
the  Rev.  Mr.  Nicholson,  the  minister.  Wind  along  the  bottoms  of  the  steep  hills.  Pass 
by  the  end  of  Loch-slappan  to  the  south.  See  a  stone  dike  or  fence  called  Paraicnam 
fiadh,  or  the  '.nclosure  of  a  deer,  which  seems  once  to  have  been  continued  up  a  neigh- 
bouring hill,  in  oue  angle  is  a  hoi!ow,  in  the  days  of  Ossian  a  pitfall,  covered  with 
boughs,  for  the  destruction  of  the  anvnals  chased  into  it.  Places  of  this  name  are  very 
common,  and  very  niccessary,  when  tl.e  food  of  mankind  was  the  beasts  of  the  field. 

Turn  towards  the  northern  coast ;  pass  by  the  end  of  Loch-fligachan,  and  soon  after 
by  the  Ride  of  the  small  fresh  water  Loch-na-caiplicb,  filled  with  that  scarce  plant 

*  Iliad,  xviii.  line  570. 

t  Hi*  residence  is  said  to  have  been  at  DunKaich,  in  this  islaod.  The  literal  meaning  of  Quillin,  or 
CuUiDi  is  a  narrow  dark  hollow. 


St 


318 


PENNANT'S  SECOND  TOUR  IN  s::OTLAND. 


Eriocaulon  dccangiilare,  first  discovered  by  Mr.  James  Robertson.  Breakfast  at  Scon* 
ser,  OIK*  of  tht  post-olfkes,  an  inn  opposite  to  Uasa,  an  island  nine  miles  long  and  three 
broad,  divided  from  Skic  by  a  sound  a  mile  broad.  On  the  shore,  the  house  of  Mr. 
Maclend,  the  owner  of  Rasa,  makes  a  pretty  figure.  The  Dean  speaks  of  this  island, 
'*  as  having  maney  deires,  pairt  of  profitable  landes  inhabit,  and  manurit,  with  iwa 
castle:,,  to  wit,  the  castle  of  Kilmorocht,  and  the  castle  of  Brolokit,  with  twu  fair  orchards 
at  the  saids  twa  castles  with  ane  parish  kirke,  called  Kilmolowockc.  In  his  time,  he 
says,  it  perteining  to  Mac-ghyllichalla>^  of  Raarsay  be  the  sword,  and  to  the  bishope  of 
the  isles  be  heritage."  This  usurper  was  a  vassal  of  Macleod  of  Lewis,  who  probably 
consigi\edutohis  chieftain,  from  whom  the  present  proprietor  derivei.  his  family. 

Continue  our  journey  poiiiting  to  the  south-west.  Mret  ^Teat  droves  of  fii^e  cattle, 
on  their  way  to  change  of  pasture.  See  a  small  quantity,  of  very  poor  flax,  raised  from 
the  seed  of  their  country,  a  very  unprofitable  management :  but  the  greatest  part  of  the 
land  was  covered  with  heath.  Leave  to  the  left  the  mountains  of  Cuchullin,  Cullin,  or 
Quillin,  which  r^ach  to  the  sea.  Come  to  the  end  of  Loch  Bracadale,  which  pierces 
the  island  on  this  side.  Skie  is  so  divided  by  branches  of  the  sea,  that  there  is  not  a  place 
^ive  miles  distant  from  a  port;  such  numbers  of  good  harbours  are  there  in  a  place 
destitute  of  trade,  and  without  a  single  town.  Near  the  end  of  this  loch  the  ground  is 
more  cultivated  i  but  all  the  corn  land  is  dug  with  the  cas-chrom  or  crooked  spade, 
instead  of  being  ploughed :  eight  men  are  necessary  to  dig  as  much  in  a  day  as  a  single 
plough  would  turn  up :  the  harrows  are  coiimonly  tied  to  the  horses  tails  ;  but  in  very 
wet  land,  the  men  and  women  break  the  ;>ods  by  dragging  over  them  a  block  of  wood, 
with  testh  and  a  long  handle,  called  Raachgan. 

Desceiid  ttirough  a  narrow  pass,  and  arrive  instantly  in  a  tract  flat  as  any  in  Holland, 
opening  to  the  west  a  fine  distant  view  of  north  and  south  Uist,  and  other  parts  of  the 
Long  island :  bounded  on  the  other  three  sides  by  high  precipices ;  enlivened  with  cata- 
racts formed  by  the  heavy  rains.  In  a  wood  in  a  snug  corner  lies  Talyskir,  inhabited  bv 
Mr.  Macleod^  lieutenant-colonel  in  the  Dutch  service,  who  with  the  utmost  hospitality 
sheltered  us  from  the  inclemency  of  the  day.  This  house  belongs  to  the  chief  of  the 
name ;  and  in  old  times  was  always  the  portion  of  a  second  son  :  he  enjoyed  it  for  life, 
with  the  view  of  ^ving  him  the  means  of  educati'  g  his  children  ;  who  after  that  were 
left  to  the  care  of  fortune ;  which  custom  filled  foreign  service  with  a  gallant  set  of 
ofii.cers.  Daughters  of  chieftains  were  generally  portioned  with  cattle ;  and  ofben  with 
a  i;et  of  stout  men,  who  in  feudal  times  were  valuable  acquisitions  to  the  husband,  who 
e'itimateu  his  wealth  by  the  power  of  his  people,  for  he  instantly  adopted  and  incorporated 
them  with  his  own  clan. 

It  will  not  be  impertinent  to  mention  here  the  origin  of  the  Scotch  regiments  in  the 
Dutch  service.  They  were  formed  out  of  some  independent  companies,  sent  over  either 
in  the  reign  of  Elizabeth  or  James  VI.  At  present  the  common  soldiers  are  but  notni- 
naily  national,  for  since  the  scarcity  of  men,  occasioned  by  the  late  war,  Holland  is  no 
longer  permitted  to  draw  her  recruits  out  of  North  Britain.  But  the  officers  are  all 
Scotch,  who  are  obliged  to  take  oaths  to  our  government,  and  to  qualify  in  presence  of 
our  ambassador  at  the  Hague. 

June  20.  See  here  a  Cly-more,  or  great  two-handed  sword,  probably  of  the  same  kind 
with  the  ingentes  gladii  of  the  Caledonians  mentioned  by  Tacitus  :  an  unwieldy  weapon, 
two  inches  broad,  doubly  edged ;  the  length  of  the  blade  three  feet  seven  inches ;  of 
the  handle,  fourteen  inches ;  of  a  plain  transverse  ^ard  one  foot ;  the  weight  ux 
pounds  and  a  half.  These  long  swords  were  the  original  weapons  of  our  country,  as 
appears  by  a  figure  of  a  soldier,  found  among  the  ruins  of  London,  after  the  great  fire. 


ii^>»ii*-i>B.^>ifj)ii,ij»ia^)H,«f»";«* 


,jWy*»'  ^ittno 


t. 


ast  at  Scoti. 
g  and  tliree 
u&e  of  Mr. 
this  island, 
with  twa 
air  orchards 
liis  time,  he 
:  bibhope  of 
10  probably 
imily. 

f  fine  cattle, 

'aised  from 

part  of  the 

i«  Cullin,  or 

lich  pierces 

s  not  a  place 

i  in  a  place 

ic  ground  is 

>ked  spade, 

y  asA  single 

but  in  very 

ck  of  wood, 

in  Holland, 
parts  of  the 
d  with  cata> 
nhabi'ied  bv 
t  hospitality 
chief  of  the 
d  it  for  life, 
:r  that  were 
allant  set  of 
I  often  with 
sband,  who 
ncorporated 

lents  in  the 
over  either 
;  but  nofiii- 
oUand  is  no 
:ers  are  all 
presence  of 

same  kind 
iy  weapon, 
inches;  of 
^ight  six 
ountry,  hs 
great  fire. 


PENNANT'S  SECOND  TOUH  IN  SCOTLAND . 


319 


A.  D.  1666,  and  preserved  at  Oxford  :*  his  sword  is  of  a  vast  length,  his  hair  B(jwing, 
his  legs  bare,  his  lower  garment  short,  and  fastened  by  a  girdle  round  his  waist ;  tiie 
sagum  is  fiung  carelessly  over  his  breast  and  one  arm,  ready  to  he  flung  off,  us  custom 
was,  in  time  of  action.  The  great  broad  sword,  and  much  the  same  kind  of  dress,  were 
preserved  in  the  Highlands  to  the  last  age,  at  the  battle  of  Killicraiikie :  the  upper  gar. 
ment  was  thrown  off  by  the  Highlanders,  in  order  to  enable  thcin  to  use  this  two> 
handed  instrument  with  greater  effect.  But  the  enormous  length  of  weapon  has  been 
found  useless  against  the  firmness  of  determined  troops,  from  the  battle  of  the  f  Mons 
Grampius,  to  the  recent  victory  of  Culloden.  The  short  swords  of  the  forces  of  Agri- 
cola,  and  the  bayonets  of  the  British  regulars,  were  equally  superior. 

Colonel  Macleod  favours  me  with  a  weapon,  common  to  the  Romans,  Scandinavians, 
and  Britons.  It  is  a  brazen  sword,  whose  blade  is  twenty-two  inches  long ;  the  handle 
(including  a  round  hollow  pummel)  five  and  a  half;  the  middle  of  the  blade  swells  out 
on  both  sides,  and  the  edges  very  sharp ;  the  end  pointed ;  we  are  told  |  that  the  scab- 
bards  are  of  brass,  but  this  was  destitute  of  one.  The  weapon  was  found  in  Skie. 
The  same  kind  is  met  with  in  many  parts  of  Scotland  and  of  Wales,  which  the  Danes 
have  visited ;  and  they  have  been  frequently  discovered  in  tumuli,  and  other  sepulchres, 
in  Denmark  and  Holsace,  deposited  there  with  the  urns  in  honour  of  the  deceased.^ 
Others,  similar,  have  been  found  in  Sweden.  || 

Walk  down  the  east  side  of  the  vale,  and  see  the  well  of  CuchuUin.  Take  boat  near 
the  lofty  insulated  rock,  Stach  in  nuchidar,  or  that  of  the  fuller,  pyramidal  and  inclin- 
ing :  am  rowed  beneath  a  range  of  magnificent  cliffs,  at  whose  base  were  lodged  plenty 
of  white  crystallized  zeolite,  and  vast  rocks  of  stone,  of  the  appearance  of  lava,  filled 
with  rounded  kernels. 

Our  boat's  crew  were  islanders,  who  gave  a  specimen  of  marine  music,  called,  in  the 
Erse,  Jorrams :  these  songs,  when  well  composed,  are  intended  to  regulate  the  strokes 
of  the  oars,  and  recall  to  mind  the  customs  of  classical  days. 


'T.i..       ,•      -  ' 


Medix  atat  margine  puppis 
Qui  voce  altemos  nautarum  temperet  ictus, 
£t  remis  dictet  aonitem,  pariterque  relatis. 
Ad  numerutn  plaudat  resonaniia  caerula  tonsis. 


SrLius,  lib.  iv. 


But  in  modem  times  they  tCte  generally  sung  in  couplets,  the  whole  crew  joining  in 
chorus  at  certain  intervals  :  the  notes  are  commonly  long,,  the  airs  solemn  and  slow, 
rarely  cheerful,  it  being  impo^ible  for  the  oars  to  keep  a  quick  time  :  the  words  gene- 
rally have  a  reiinous  turn,  consonant  to  that  of  the  people. 

July  21.  Visit  a  high  hill,  called  Briis-mhawl,  about  a  mile  south  of  Talyskir,  having 
lin  the  front  a  fine  series  of  genuine  basaltic  columns,  resembling  the  Giant's  Cau^^.way : 
the  pillars  were  above  twenty  feet  high,  consisting  of  four,  five  and  six  angles,  but  mostly 
of  five :  the  columi^s  less  frequently  jointed  than  those  of  the  Irish ;  the  joints 
being  at  great  and  unequal  dbtances,  but  the  majority  are  entire  :  even  those  that  are 
jointed  are  less  concave  and  convex  on  their  opposite  surface  than  the  columns  of  the 
former.  The  stratum  that  rested  on  this  colonadc  was  very  irregular  and  shattery,  yet 
seemed  to  make  some  effort  at  form.    The  ruins  of  the  columns  at  the  base  made  a 

*  Montfaucon,  Andq,  iv.  16.  tab.  X.        h  i.  ,i„.        t  Taciti.  vit.  Agric.  c.  36.  ,..  , . 

I  SibbaldAppend.  Hist.  Fife,p.  18.  '      ' 

$  Wormii.  Mon.  Dan.  p.  48.  tab.  p.  50.  Worm.  Mus.  354.    Jacob.  Mus.  Reg.  Havnix,  pars  1 1 . 

«iect.lil.       u.        ..-       u,      II  Dal»lberg,  Suec.  Aiit.tab.  314.  . 


)  1 


-),t'1'.»<.'! 


WJ 


ff^ 


^^ 


i 


f 


3v«0 


I'ENNANT'8  SECOND  TOUR  IN  SCOTLAND. 


grand  appearance  :  these  were  the  ruins  of  the  creation ;  those  of  Rome,  the  work  of 
human  art,  seem  to  them  but  as  the  ruins  of  yesterday. 

At  a  small  distance  from  these,  on  the  slope  of  a  hill,  is  a  tract  of  some  roods  entirely 
formed  of  the  tops  of  several  series  of  columns,  even  and  close  set,  forming  a  reticulated 
surface  of  amazing  beauty  and  curiosity.  This  is  the  most  northern  basaltes  I  am  ac« 
quainted  with :  the  last  of  four  in  the  British  dominions,  all  running  from  south  to 
north,  nearly  in  a  meridian ;  the  Giant's  Causeway  appeai  s  first ;  Stana  succeeds ;  the 
rock  of  Humbla,  about  twenty  leagues  further ;  and,  finally,  the  column  of  Briis- 
mhawl :  the  depth  of  ocean,  in  all  probability,  conceals  the  lost  links  jf  this  chain. 

Take  leave  oi'  Talyskir.  See  very  near  to  the  house  the  vestiges  of  some  small 
buildings,  and  by  them  a  heap  of  stones,  with  a  basaltic  column  set  erect  in  the  middle. 
Cross  a  range  of  barren  lands  for  four  miles;  reach  Loch-Bracadale.  Exchange  our 
horses  for  a  boat.  Pass  over  this  beautiful  land-locked  harbour,  abounding  with  safe 
creeks.  Cod-fish  swarm  here  in  the  herring  season  pursuing  the  shoals :  a  man  with 
a  single  hand  line  caught  in  three  hours  as  man^  as  were  sold  for  three  guineas,  at 
the  rate  of  two-pence  a  piece.  Land,  after  a  traject  of  four  miles,  and  find  ready  a 
new  set  of  horses. 

This  seems  to  me  the  fittest  place  in  the  island  for  the  forming  of  a  town.  The 
harbour  is  deep  and  unspeakably  secure.  It  is  the  Milford  haven  of  these  parts ;  it 
opens  at  its  mouth  to  the  best  part  of  the  sea.  Skie  has  not  in  it  a  single  town  or  even 
village.  But  what  is  a  greater  wonder,  there  is  not  a  town  from  Campbelton  ia 
the  Firth  of  Clyde  to  Thurso  at  the  end  of  Caithness,  a  tract  of  above  two  hundred 
miles. 

Proceed :  ride  by,  at  Struam,  a  beautiful  Danish  fort  on  the  top  of  a  rock,  formed 
with  most  excellent  masonry.  The  figure  as  usual  circular.  The  diameter  from  out- 
side to  outside  sixty  feet ;  of  the  inside  forty-two.  Within  are  the  v^sti^s  of  five 
apartments,  one  in  the  centre,  four  around;  the  walls  are  eighteen  feet  high.  The 
entrance  s'.x  feet  high,  covered  with  great  stones. 

About  a  furlong  north-west  of  this,  is  another  large  rock,  precipitous  on  all  sides 
but  one.  On  that  is  the  ruin  of  a  very  thick  wall,  and  the  traces  of  a  dike  quite  round, 
even  on  the  inaccessible  parts.  Between  which  and  the  wall  is  a  large  area.  This 
seems  to  have  been  built  without  regularity,  yet  probably  belon^d  to  the  same  nation. 
Each  seems  designed  to  cover  an  assemblage  of  people  who  lived  beneath  their  pro- 
tection in  a  hostile  country,  for  under  both  are  remains  of  numbers  of  small  buildings 
with  regular  entrances.  The  last  inclosure  b  supposed  to  have  been  designed  for  the 
security  of  the  cattle,  of  which  these  free-booters  had  robbed  thenaUves;  and  this 
species  is  distinguished  by  the  name  of  Boaghun.  • "  '  • '  f=  >  i^;*^p  f'*^  )i-        %r  '^ 

These  fortresses  are  called  universally,  in  the  Erse,  jjuns.    I  find  that  they  are  viery 
rare  in  the  country  from  whence  they  took  their  origin  ;  no  people  will  give  themselves 
the  trouble  of  fortifying  against  the  security  of  friends.     Mr.  Frederic  Suhm  of  Copen* 
hagen,  whom  I  had  the  pleasure  of  addressing  on  this  subject,  could  pdnt  oy  t  but  a  ' 
single  instance  of  a  similar  tower,  and  that  on  the  Suallsbery,  a  mountain  half  a  Nor-"' 
wegian  league  distant  from  Drontheim.     But  we  may  expect  further  elucidations  from  ' 
a  skilful  antiquary  now  on  the  tour  of  the  country. 

About  two  miles  farther,  see  near  the  road  side  two  large  conoid  cairns;  pass  near 
the  end  of  Doch-ca-roy,  a  branch  of  the  noble  Loch-Bracadale,  and  soon  after  reach ' ' 
the  castle  of  . 

Dun-vegan,  the  seat  of  Mr.  Macleod,  a  ^ntlenun  descended  from  one  of  the  Kor- 
wegian  vice-roys,  governors  of  the  isles  while  they  bore  a  foreigfi  ydce.    But  the  an- 


■'•.?«!'^1T"  '    " 


FBNNAWrs  SECOND  TOUR  IN  SCOTLAND. 


I  work  of 

Is  entirely 
'eticulated 

I  am  ac* 

south  to 
eeds;  the 

of  Briis- 
hain. 

ime  small 
ic  middle, 
bange  our 

with  safe 
man  with 
piineas,  at 
d  ready  a 

wn.  The 
parts;  it 
n  or  even 
>belton  in 
>  hundred 

k,  formed 
from  out- 
^s  of  five 
feh.    The 

n  all  sides 
ite  round, 
:a.  This 
ie  nation, 
their  pro- 
buildmgs 
;d  for  the 
;  and  thb 

r  are  very 
temselves 
3fCopen> 
oyt  but  a 
a  Nor- 
ions  fix>m 

pass  near 
iter  reach 

theKor. 
It  the  an- 


321 


tiquityof  his  descent  is  an  accident  that  would  convey  little  honour  to  him,  had  he 
not  a  nrach  more  substantial  claim ;  for,  to  all  the  milkiness  of  human  nature  usually 
concomitant  with  his  early  age,  is  added,  the  sense  and  firmness  of  more  advanced 
life.  He  feels  for  the  distresses  of  his  people,  and  insensible  of  his  own,  with  uncom- 
mon disinterestedness,  has  relieved  his  tenants  IVom  their  oppressive  rents ;  has  received, 
instead  of  the  trash  of  gold,  the  treasure  of  warm  affections,  and  unfeigned  prayer. 
He  will  soon  experience  the  good  effects  of  his  generosity :  gratitude,  the  result  of  the 
sensibility  still  existing  among  those  accustomed  to  a  feudal  goverment,  will  shew  itself 
in  more  than  empty  words  ;  and  in  time  they  will  not  fail  exerting  every  nerve  to  give 
his  virtue  die  due  reward.  Feudal  governments,  like  that  of  unmixed  monarchy,  has 
its  conveniences  and  its  blessings.  The  last  rarely  occur,  from  the  imperfection  of 
human  nature  :  One  Bein|;  only  can  lay  claim  to  that ;  therefore  it  is  the  business  of 
every  honest  mm  to  resist  the  vcvy  appearance  of  undivided  power  in  a  prince,  or 
the  shadow  of  independency  in  a  subject.  The  Highlanders  may  bless  the  hand  that 
loosened  their  bonds  ;  for  tyranny  more  often  than  protection  was  the  attendance  on 
their  vassalage.  Yet  still,  from  long  habitude,  and  from  the  fleams  of  kindness  that 
darted  every  now  and  then  amidst  the  storms  of  severity,  was  kmdled  a  sort  of  filial  re- 
verence to  their  chieftain  :  this  still  is  in  a  great  d^;ree  retained,  and  may,  by  cherish- 
ing, return  with  more  than  wanted  vigour.  The  noxious  part  of  the  feudal  reign  h 
abolished ;  the  delegated  rod  of  power  is  now  no  more.  But  let  not  the  good  part  be 
k>st  with  the  bad :  the  tender  relation  that  patriarchal  government  experiences  should 
still  be  retained  ;  and  the  mutual  inclination  to  beneficence  preserved.  The  chieftain 
should  not  lose,  with  the  power  of  doing  harm,  the  disposition  of  doing  good.  Such  are 
the  sentiments  of  Mr.  Macleod,  which  ripen  iuio  actions,  that,  if  persisted  in,  will  bring 
lasting  comfort  into  his  ow  hom,  and  the  most  desired  of  Uessings  amongst  a  nu- 
merous dan. 

The  castle  of  Dun-ve^n  is  seated  on  a  high  rock,  over  a  loch  of  the  same  name,  a 
branch  of  loch  Falart.  Fart  is  modernized,  but  the  greatest  portion  is  ancient :  the 
oldest  is  a  square  tower,  which,  with  a  wall  round  tht  edge  of  the  rock,  was  the  origi* 
nal  strength  of  the  place.  Adjacent  is  a  village  and  the  post-office  ;  for  from  hence  a 
pacquet-boat,  supported  by  subscriptioni  sails  every  fortt  ght  for  tt.e  Long  Island. 

Here  is  preserved  the  Braolauch  shi,  or  fairy  fla;  -  of  the  tamily,  bestowed  on  it  by  Ti- 
tania,  the  Ben-shi,  or  wife,  to  Oberon  king  of  the  fiiries.  She  blessed  it  at  the  same  time 
widi  powers  (^  the  first  importance,  which  were  to  be  exerted  on  only  three  occasions: 
but,  on  the  last,  after  the  end  was  obtained,  an  invisible  being  is  to  arrive  and  carry  oft'' 
standafd  and  standard-bearer,  never  more  to  be  seen.  \  family  of  Clan  y  Faitter  had 
this  dangerous  office,  and  held  b^  it  free  lands  in  P      .dale. 

The  mig  has  been  produced  thnce.  The  first  time  in  an  unequal  engagement  against 
the  Clan-Rdand,  to  whose  ught  the  Macleods  were  multiplied  ten-fdd.  The  second 
piTserved  die  heir  (^the  fiunily,  bring  then  produced  to  save  the  lon^n^  of  the  lady  ; 
and  the  third  dme,  to  save  my  own;  but  it  was  so  tattered,  that  Titania  did  not  seem 
todiink  it  worth  semJUng  for. 

This  was  a  superstition  derived  fi-om  the  Norv7egian  ancestry  of  the  house ;  the 
fable  was  caught  from  the  country,  and  might  be  of  use  to  animate  the^  clan.^  The 
Danes  had-ther  magical  standard,  Reafinii  or,  the  raven,  embroidered  in  an  instant 
by  the  three  daughters  of  Lodbroke,  and  sisters  of  Hin^ar,  Hubba,  or  Ivar.*  Sigurd 
had  ai)  enchanted  flag  given  him  by  hb  mother,  with  curcumstances  somewhat  similar 


4<« 


VOL.    XII. 


*  Asser.  vit.  Airred.  10. 
T  T 


•  I'.ti  iW'.W.wlgrtrg-g^'-  S 


333 


FENNANT'S  SECOND  TOUR  IH  SCOTLAND. 


to  the  Dun-vegan  colours  :  whosoever  bore  it  in  the  day  of  battle  was  to  be  killed  ;  ac- 
cordingly, in  one  of  his  battles  three  standard-bearers  were  successively  slain ;  but  on  the 
death  of  the  last  he  obtained  the  victor),* 

Here  is  preserved  a  great  ox-horn,  tipped  with  silver;  the  arm  w**.:  twisted  round 
its  spires ;  the  mouth  brought  over  the  elbow,  and  then  drank  oflf.  The  ^0'  them  na- 
tions  held  this  species  of  cup  in  high  esteem,  and  used  the  capacious  horns  o'  the  great 
Aurochs.t  They  graced  the  hospitable  halls  of  kings,:|:  and  out  of  them  the  ancient 
her(x;s  quenched  t>eir  thirst :  Haquin,)  weary  with  slaughter,  calls  aloud  for  the  mighty 
draught : 


Heu  labor  immenmit,  fetaot  qu«in  vellicat  artus ! 
Quis  roihi  jam  prxbet  cornua  plena  mero  i 


In  this  castle  is  also  preserved  a  round  shield,  made  of  iron,  that  even  in  its  decayed 
state  weighs  near  twenty  pounds  ;  itself  a  load  in  these  degenerate  days  :  yet  they  were 
in  use  no  longer  ago  than  in  the  beginninp;  of  the  last  century.  Each  chieftain  had  his 
armour-bearer,  who  preceded  his  master  m  time  of  war,  and,  by  my  author's  ||  account, 
in  time  of  peace  ;  for  they  went  armed  even  to  church,  in  the  manner  the  North- 
Americans  do  at  present  in  the  frontier  settlement,  and  for  the  same  reason,  the  dread 
of  savages. 

In  times  long  before  those,  the  ancient  Scotch  used  round  targets,  made  of  oak, 
covered  with  the  hides  of  bulls  ;  and  long  shields,  narrow  below  and  broad  above, 
formed  of  pieces  of  oak  or  willow,  secured  with  iron :  I  guess  them  to  be  of  the  same 
kind  with  the  Norwegian  shields  figured  by  Wormius,1f  and  probably  derived  from  the 
same  country.  They  had  also  a  guard  for  their  shoulders,  called  Scapul ;  and  for 
offensive  weapons  had  the  bow,  sword,  two-handed  sword,  and  Lochaber  axe,  a  weapon 
likewise  of  Norwegian  origin.  But  the  image-tombs  of  ancient  warriors  are  the  best 
lectures  on  this  subject. 

Mr.  Macqueen  informs  me,  that  near  this  place  is  an  Anait,  or  druidical  place  of 
worship,  of  which  there  are  four  in  Skie,  much  of  the  same  situation  and  construction. 
This  lies  in  the  heart  of  an  extensive  moor,  between  the  confluence  of  two  waters. 
To  the  east  stands  one  hill,  to  the  west  another :  which  gradually  slope  down  toward 
the  plr.tn,  and  frOm  which  a  clear  prospect  might  be  had  of  all  that  passed  below. 
From  out  of  these  waters  to  the  other  is  a  strong  stone  wall,  forming  an  equilateral 
triangle  ;  the  rocks  face  it  towards  the  water,  and  every  crevice  b  filled  with  stones 
regularly  laid  ;  so  that  it  seems  to  have  been  on  that  spot  inaccessible  in  former  days. 
Near  the  centre  of  this  triangle  is  a  small  square  edifice  of  quarried  stones,  and  on 
each  side  of  the  entrance  which  leads  to  it  from  the  wall  are  the  remains  of  two 
houses,  both  within  and  without.  In  those  lodged  the  priests  and  their  families ;  the 
servants  most  probably  on  the  outdde.  A  strong  turf  rampart  protected  also  the  wall 
froni  water  to  water,  across  a  rising  ground,  which  hath  bet  n  cut  through  by  a  road 
leading  from  the  Tempul  na  Anait  (as  the  edifice  b  called)  u  great  way  into  the 
moor.  There  is  no  tradition  of  the  use  of  this  place.  My  learned  friend  supposes  it 
to  have  been  designed  for  the  worship  of  the  Earth,  Bendis,  or  Diana,  which,  accord- 
ing to  Hesychius,  was  supposed  to  be  the  same.  JPlutarch  gives  the  same  goddess  the 
title  of  Anait,  the  name  of  this  place  of  worship  ;  uid  Pliny  speaks  of  a  country  in 

•  Torf«UB,a7. 

t  Urorum  comibua,  Batbari  aeptentrionales  potant,  umaaque  binas  capida  uniua  cornua  implent  PUcdi 


II.  c. 


^"f'  i  Saxo  Grammat.  94. 

Timothy  Pom's  M.  S.  Advo.  Library. 


t  Worm. 


$  Wormji  Mon.  Dan,  389. 


'iW^<^W,i^;-i(^^^;/r;:-.i^- :-  ■ 


nthe 

'ound 
■n  na- 
great 
ncient 
lighty 


Iccayed 
:y  were 
had  his 
iccount, 
North- 
c  dread 

of  oak, 
I  above, 
he  same 
from  the 

and  for 
i  weapoQ 

the  beat 

place  of 
[struction. 
o  waters. 
In  toward 
pd  below, 
equilateral 
fun  stones 
•mer  days. 
|s,  and  on 
IS  of  two 
lilies  i  the 
othe  wall 
by  a  road 
into  the 
supposes  it 
'i,  accord- 
Jdess  the 
[country  in 

jplentPUni* 

}9. 


PENH ANT*8  SECOND  TOUR  W  SCOTLANI). 


323 


Amenia,  called  Anaitica,  from  Anaitis,  a  goddess  in  great  repute  there,  where  a 
noble  temple  had  been  built,  which  was  plundered  of  its  immense  riches  by  the  soldiers 
of  Anthony,  in  his  Parthian  expedition.  Pausanias  also  speaks  of  the  temple  of  Diana 
the  Anait.  These  temples  were  erected  when  the  purity  of  the  Celtic  religion  had 
been  debased  by  the  extravagance  of  fancy,  and  idols  introduced.  Here  we  may  sup. 
pose  that  this  deity  was  worshipped  in  the  utmost  simplicity. 

July  22.  Proceed  on  our  journey ;  pass  over  a  black  and  pathless  tract  of  moor 
and  Dog,  for  about  fifteen  miles.  Dine  on  a  soft  spot  of  heath,  with  that  appetite 
which  exercise  and  the  free  air  never  fail  to  create.  Arrive  on  the  banks  of  Loch* 
Griseniis,  a  branch  of  Loch-Snisart :  take  boat ;  observe  that  the  ropes  for  the  fishing- 
nets  are  made  of  the  purple  melic  grass,  the  pund-glass  of  the  Highlanders,  remarkable 
for  lasting  long  without  rotting.  After  a  passage  of  a  mile,  land  at  Kingsburgh ;  im- 
mGi:talizMl  by  its  mistress,  the  celebrated  Flora  Mac-donald,  the  fair  protectress  of  a 


(juaintance  at  the  first  Sir  Watkin  William  Wynne 
time  I  unfortunately  found  that  she  was  absent  on  a  visit. 

Mr.  Mac-donald  did  me  the  favour  of  presenting  me  with  three  very  cu  rious  pieces 
of  antiquity:  an  urn,  a  Glain-naidr,  or  serpent-bead,  and  a  Denarius,  found  not  re- 
mote firom  his  house.  The  first  is  an  urn  of  elegant  workmanship,  found  in  a  stone 
chest,  formed  of  six  flags,  as  before  described :  this  urn  was  filled  with  ashes ;  was 
placed  not  prone,  as  that  mentioned  in  the  former  volume,  but  with  the  mouth  up, 
and  covered  with  a  light  thin  stone.  This  was  discovered  beneath  an  immense 
cairn. 

The  Glain-naidr,  or  Druidical  bead,  as  it  is  vulgarly  called,  is  an  unique  in  its  kind, 
being  of  a  triangular  shape ;  but,  as  usual,  made  of  glass,  marked  with  figures  of  ser- 
pents coiled  up.  The  common  people  in  Wales  and  in  Scotland  retain  the  same 
superstitions  relating  to  it  as  the  ancients,  and  call  it  by  the  name  of  Serpent-stone, 
The  Gauls,  taught  by  their  priests,  believed  the  strangest  tales  of  their  serpents,  de- 
scribed fipom  the  prose  of  Livy,  in  a  most  spirited  manner,  by  the  ingenious  Mr.  Mason, 
who  thus  makes  his  Druid  demand  of  a  sapient  brother : 


n? 


H  •»? 


But  tell  me  yet  '^f- 

From  the  grot  of  charms  and  spelltj 
Where  our  matron  sister  dwells ; 
Brennvs,  has  thy  holy  hand 
Safely  brought  the  Druid  wand,  '     ' 

And  the  potent  adder-stone, 
btsder*!]  'fore  the  autumnal  moon  ? 
When,  in  undulating  twine,  i  ..»v ' 

The  foaming  snakes  prolific  join ; 
Whenthey  hiss,  and  when  they  bear      ^  '' 

Their  wond'rous  egg  aloof  in  air ; 
Thence,  before  to  earth  it  fall,         <^ 
The  Pruid,  in  his  holy  pall} 
Iteceives  the  price. 

And  ipstant  flies,  '' ^  '"' " 

Follow'd  by  the  envenom'd  brood,    /  '*<'  •    - - 
Till  be  crou  the  ^Tcr  flood.  t      t^.     ;•  >■ 


,<•> 


The  ancients  and  modems  agree  in  their  belief  of  its  powers ;  that  good  fortune 
attends  the  possessor  wherever  he  goes.    The  stuiHd  Claudius,  that  Luubrium  aulae 

T  T  8 


r?r!rrJ.'»'-iJ.*?PT.'tr?l''.''; ... ,  ".-'r 


>^4 


PENNANT'S  SECOND  TOUR  IN  SCOTLAND. 


Augusti,  put  to  death  a  Gaulish''^  knight,  for  no  other  reason  than  that  he  carried  ovum 
anguinum,  a  serpent.stonc,  about  him.  The  vulgar  of  the  present  uge  attribute  to  it  other 
virtues ;  such  as  its  curing  the  bite  of  the  adder,  and  giving  ease  to  women  in  child- 
birth, if  tied  about  the  knee :  so  difficult  is  it  to  root  out  follies  that  have  the  sanction  of 
antiquity. 

The  last  favour  that  I  was  indebted  to  Mr.  Mac-donaid  for,  is  a  denarius  of  the  em- 
peror Trajan,  found  on  a  moor  near  the  shore  c/  Loch  Grisernis ;  a  probable,  but  not 
a  cetiuin.  evidence  that  the  Romans  had  landed  in  this  island.  We  have  no  lights  from 
history  to  enable  us  to  say  what  was  done  during  the  reign  of  that  emperor  :  in  the  suc« 
ceeding.  Adrian  reduced  the  bounds  of  the  empire  to  the  place  still  called  his  wall,  and 
lost  all  communication  with  the  islands ;  but  in  the  following  reign  they  were  extended 
\o  their  ancient  bounds,  and  the  isles  might  be  visited  from  the  Glota  estuarium,  the 
station  of  the  fleet,  and  the  money  in  question  lost  at  that  time  in  Skie.  But  its  being 
found  there  may  be  accounted  for  by  another  supposition  ;  that  of  its  having  been  the 
booty  uf  an  island  soldier,  taken  from  the  Romans  in  some  of  the  numberless  skirmishes 
in  one  of  the  following  reigns,  and  brought  here  as  a  mark  of  victory. 

I  observe  that  the  great  scallop-shell  is  made  use  of  in  the  dairies  of  this  country  for 
the  skimming  of  milk.  In  old  times  it  had  a  more  honourable  place,  being  admitted 
into  the  hulls  of  heroes,  and  was  the  cup  of  their  festivity.  As  Doctor  Mac-pherson 
expresses  it,  '*The  whole  tribe  filled  the  hall  of  the  chieftain;  trunks  of  trees  covered 
with  moss  were  laid  in  form  of  tables  from  one  end  to  the  other;  whole  beeves  or  deer 
were  roasted,  and  laid  before  them  on  rough  boards,  or  hurdles  of  rods  woven  together : 
the  pipers  played  while  they  sat  at  tabic,  and  silence  was  observed  by  all.  After  the 
feast  was  over,  they  had  ludicrous  entertainments ;  a  practice  still  continued  in  part  of 
the  Highlands :  the  females  retired,  and  the  old  and  young  warriors  sat  in  order,  down 
from  the  chieftain,  according  to  their  proximity  in  blood  to  him :  the  harp  was  then 
touched,  the  son^  was  raised,  and  the  sliga>crechin,  or  the  drinking-shell,  went  round." 

Am  lodged  this  night  in  the  same  bed  that  formerly  received  the  unfortunate  Charles 
Stuart.  Here  he  lay  one  night,  after  having  been  for  some  time  in  a  female  habit  un- 
der the  protection  of  Flora  Mac-donald.  Near  this  place  he  resumed  the  dress  of 
his  own  sex,  by  the  assistance  of  the  master  of  the  house,  Mr.  Alexander  Mac  donald, 
%vho  suffered  a  long  imprisonment  on  that  account ;  but  neither  the  fear  of  punishment,  nor 
the  promises  of  reward,  could  induce  him  to  infringe  the  rights  of  hospitality,  by  be- 
traying an  unhappy  man  who  had  Tung  himself  under  his  protection.  He  presented  me 
with  a  pair  of  gloves  worn  by  Charles  Stuart  while  he  appeared  in  the  character  of  the 
tender  sex  :  they  are  kept  as  a  memorF,al  of  a  daring  adventure,  most  unequally  sup- 
ported. 

July  23.  Leave  Kinsburgh,  travel  on  a  good  horse  road,  pass  by  a  cairn,  with  a 
great  stone  at  the  top,  called  the  high-stone  of  U^.  I  must  remark,  that  the  Danes 
left  behind  them  in  many  places  the  names  of  their  deities,  their  heroes,  and  their  bards : 
thus  in  the  rock  Humbla  is  [perpetuated  the  name  of  Humblus.f  one  of  their  ancient 
kings ;  the  isle  of  Gunnaj:  assumed  the  Utie  of  one  of  the  Valkyrias,  the  fatal  sisters  ; 
Ulva  takes  its  name  from  the  bear-begotten  hero  Ulvo;5  and  the  stone  of  Ugg  seems 
to  have  been  erected  in  memory  of  the  poet  Uggerus.|| 

Beneath  is  the  fertile  bottom  of  Ugg,  lauglung  with  corn :  ascend  a  hill,  and  on  the 
other  side  descend  into  the  parish  of  Kilmore,  the  granary  of  Skie.    Leave,  on  the  left 

*  Plinii,  lib.  xxix.  e.  3.    Equitem  Romanum  e  Vocontiis,  a  people  of  Daupbiny. 
Sax.  Gram.  5.  i  TmfKus,  36.  $  Sax.  Gram.  193.  ||  Ibid.  88. 


':'.iJ!.„i"'ffl'l!ii 


'y''%,^SW*ff8SiC8ilP'''''<lta« 


PENNANT'S  SECOND  TOUR  IN  SCOTLAND. 


325 


Muggastot,  the  principal  house  of  Sir  Alexander  Mac-donald,  lineally  descended  from 
the  lords  of  the  isles :  all  the  estates  at  present  possessed  by  that  gentleman  were  be- 
stowed by  John,  the  last  Rcgulus,  and  earl  of  Koss,  on  his  brother  Hugh,  and  con- 
firmed by  a  charter  dated  at  Aros,  in  the  year  1449,  and  afterwards  by  James  IV, 
at  Sterling,  in  1495. 

^  Beneath  the  house  was  the  lake  of  St.  Columba,  now  drained ;  once  noted  for  a  mo. 
nastery  of  great  antiquity,  placed  in  an  island.  The  ruins  evince  its  age,  being  built 
with  great  stones,  without  mortar,  in  the  manner  customary  in  the  times  of  Druidi'>m. 
The  cells  and  several  rooms  are  still  very  di&tiiiguishable.  The  chapel  is  of  a  later  date, 
and  built  with  mortar*  as  are  all  the  other  chapels  in  Skie,  and  ir  the  little  islands  along 
its  shores :  these  chapels  were  served  by  the  monks :  the  pl^ce  they  landed  on,  in  order 
to  discharge  these  religious  duties,  was  called  Pein-orah,  or  the  land  of  prayer ;  for  after 
solemnly  recommending  themselves,  and  the  objects  of  their  journey,  to  the  Most  High, 
they  separated,  and  took  their  respective  routes. 

Pursue  our  journey.  A  minister  who  gave  us  the  pleasure  of  his  company  observed 
to  us,  that  a  couple  were  in  pursuit  of  him  in  order  to  have  their  nuptials  celebrated  : 
unwilling  to  be  the  cause  of  deferring  their  happiness,  I  begged  he  would  not  on  my 
account  delay  the  ceremony  :  we  took  possession  of  a  cottage ;  the  minister  laid  before 
tliem  the  duties  of  the  marria^  state,  asked  whether  they  took  each  other  willingly  ? 
joined  their  hands,  and  concluded  with  a  prayer.  I  observed  that  the  bridegroom  put 
all  '.he  powers  of  magic  to  denance,  for  he  was  married  with  both  shoes  tied  with  their 
latchet. 

Not  many  years  have  elr^psed  since  it  was  customary  in  some  parts  of  the  north  of 
Scotland  for  the  lairds  to  interfere  in  the  marriages  of  their  vassals,  and  direct  the  pair- 
ing of  their  people.  These  strange  tyrannies,  these  oppressions  of  inclination,  seem  to 
have  occasioned  the  law  of  Alexander  I,  to  prevent  such  a  foundation  for  domestic  mi* 
sery ;  it  is  indeed  the  case  of  the  widow  only  that  he  took  into  consideration.  "  Na 
widow  (says  the  statute)  sould  be  compelled  to  marie  gif  sche  please  to  live  without  ane 
husband,  but  sche  sould  give  securitie  that  sche  sail  not  marie  without  consent  of  hir 
lord,  gif  sche  holds  of  ane  o^her  than  the  king." 

Take  a  repast  at  the  house  of  Sir  Alexander  Mac-donald's  piper,  who,  according  to 
ancient  custom,  by  virtue  of  his  office,  holds  his  lands  free,  His  dwelling,  like  many 
others  in  this  country,  consists  of  several  apartments:  tl.;  first  for  his  catde  during 
winter ;  the  second  is  his  hall ;  the  third  for  the  reception  of  strangers ;  and  the  fourth 
for  the  lodging  of  his  family  :  all  the  rooms  within  one  another. 

The  owner  was  quite  master  of  his  instrument,  and  treated  ns  with  several  tunes. 
In  feudal  times  the  Mac-donalds  had  in  this  island  a  college  of  pipers,  and  the  Macleods 
had  the  like ;  these  had  regular  appointments  in  land,  and  received  pupils  from  all  the 
neighbouring  chieftains.  The  Mac-karters  were  chief  pipers  to  the  first ;  the  Mackru- 
mens  to  the  last. 

The  ba^ipe  has  been  a  favourite  instrument  with  the  Scots,  and  has  two  varieties  : 
die  one  with  short  pipes,  played  on  with  the  fingers ;  the  other  with  long  pipes,  and 
sounded  with  the  mouth :  Viis  is  the  loudest  and  most  ear-piercing  of  all  music,  is  the 
genuine  highland  pipe,  and  suited  well  the  warlike  genius  of  the  people,  roused  their 
courage  to  battle,  alarmed  them  when  secure,  and  collected  them  when  scattered ;  so- 
laced them  in  their  long  and  painful  marches,  and  in  times  of  peace  kept  up  the  me- 
mory of  the  gallantry  of  their  ancestors,  by  tunes  composed  after  signal  victories ;  and 
too  often  kept  up  the  spirit  of  revenge,  by  airs  expressive  of  defeats  or  massacres  from 
rival  clans.    One  of  the  tunes,  wild  and  tempestuous,  is  said  to  have  been  played  at  the 


996 


I'ENNANT'S  SECOND  TOUR  IN  SCOTLAND 


blnody  battle  of  Harlaw,  when  Donuld,  lord  of  the  isles,  in  1410,  opposed  the  powers 
of  James  I,  under  the  conduct  of  Alexander  Siuurt,  earl  of  Mar. 

Neither  of  these  instruments  were  the  invention  of  the  Danes,  or,  as  is  commonly 
supposed,  of  any  of  the  northern  nations;  for  their  ancient  writers  prove  them  to  have 
been  animated  with  the  clangor  tubarum.  Notwithstanding  they  have  had  their  hoeclc- 
pipe  long  amongst  them,  as  their  old  songs*i»  prove,  yet  we  cannot  allow  them  the  ho* 
nour  of  inventing  this  melodious  instrument;  but  must  assert  that  they  burrowed  it 
from  the  invaded  Caledonians-  We  must  still  eo  farther,  and  deprive  even  that  ancrnt 
race  of  the  credit ;  and  derive  its  origin  from  the  mild  climate  of  Italy,  perhaps  from 
Greece. 

There  is  now  in  Rome  a.most  beautiful  bas.relievo,  a  Grecian  sculpture  of  the  high* 
est  antiquity,  of  a  bagpiper  playing  on  his  instrument,  exactly  like  a  modern  Highlander. 
The  Greeks  had  their  Ar»mufim.  or  instrument  composed  of  a  pipe  and  blown-up  skin : 
the  Romans  in  all  probability  burrowed  it  from  them,  and  introduced  it  among  their 
swains,  who  still  use  it,  under  the  names  of  piva  and  cornu  musa.f 

That  master  of  music,  Nero,  used  one  ;X  and  had  not  the  empire  been  so  suddenly 
deprived  of  that  great  artist,  he  would  (as  he  graciously  declared  his  intention)  have 
treated  the  people  with  a  concert ;  and,  among  other  curious  instruments,  would  have 
introduced  the  utricularius,  or  bagpipe.  Nero  perished,  but  the  figure  of  the  instru> 
ment  is  preserved  on  one  of  his  coins,  but  highly  improved  by  that  great  master.  It  has 
the  bag  and  two  of  the  vulgar  pipes,  but  was  blown  with  a  bellows,  like  an  organ,  and 
had  on  one  side  a  row  of  nine  unequal  pipes,  resembling  the  syrinx  of  the  god  Pan.( 
The  bagpipe,  in  the  unimproved  state,  is  also  represented  in  an  ancient  sculpture,  and 
appears  to  have  had  two  long  pipes  or  drones,  ||  and  a  single  short  pipe  for  the  fingers. 
Tradition  says,  that  the  kind  plaved  on  by  the  mouth  was  introduced  by  the  Danes. 
As  their's  was  wind  music,  we  will  admit  that  they  might  have  made  improvement,  but 
more  we  cannot  allow :  they  were  skilled  in  the  use  of  the  trumpet ;  the  Highlanders  in 
the  piohb,  or  bagpipe. 

Non  tuba  in  usa  illis,  conjecta  at  tibia  in  utrem 

Dat  belli  signum,  et  martem  vocat  horiida  in  arma.f 

Proceed  two  miles  farther ;  pass  under  a  high  hill,  with  a  precipitous  front,  styled 
Sgor-morc,  or  the  great  projection ;  and  immediately  after  reach  Dun-tuilm  castle,  or 
the  castle  of  the  round  grassy  eminence,  placed  at  the  verge  of  a  high  precipice  over  the 
sea ;  the  ground  adjacent  formed  of  fine  verdant  turf. 

Find  our  vessel  at  anchor  under  the  little  rocky  Elan.tuilm,  lofty,  and  of  a  picturesque 
form. 

Take  leave  of  several  gentlemen,  who,  according  to  the  worthy  custom  of  these 
islands,  convoyed  us  from  place  to  place,  and  never  left  us  till  they  had  delivered  us 
over  to  the  next  hospitable  roof,  or  seen  us  safely  embarked.  Among  others  who  did 
me  this  honour  was  Doctor  John  Maclean,  whose  family  have  been  hereditary  physi- 
cians for  some  centuries  to  that  of  Mac-donald.  They  have  been  educated  at  the  ex- 
pence  of  the  chieftain ;  and  receive  to  this  day  an  appointment  in  land,  holding  the  farm 
of  Shulista,  at  the  gates  of  the  ancient  residence  of  the  Macdonalds,  the  castle  of  Dun- 
tuilm,  which  the  Doctor  enjoys,  together  with  a  pension,  firom  the  late  sir  James  Mac- 
donald. 


*  From  Dr.  Solander.  t  From  Dr.  Bumey. 

^  Montfaucon,  Antiq.  Suppl.  iii.  IBS,  tab.  73.  f.  3.  1 


i  Suetonius,  lib.  vi.  c.  54. 
Ibid.  f.  1 .  K  MeWini  Topog.  Scotia, 


PENNANT'S  SECOND  TOUK  IM  8CUTLANU. 


327 


Dnn-tuiltn  castle  is  a  ruin,  but  was  inhubitcd  as  late  a«  W15.  It  was  the  ori|;inul 
seat  uf  the  Muc-donuld»  in  Skic  :  near  it  a  hill,  called  Cnock  an  eirick,  or  the  hill  of 
plcasi :  such  eminences  are  frtnucnt  near  the  houstes  of  all  the  go. at  men,  for  on  thc<>e, 
oy  the  assistance  of  their  friends,  they  determined  all  dift'crences  be:  ween  their  people  : 
the  place  was  held  sacred,  and  to  the  respect  paid  to  the  deci*tions  delivered  from  the 
summit  may,  in  some  measure,  be  attributed  the  strict  obedience  of  a  fie  -ce  and  military 
race  to  their  cheiftain. 

Near  this  place  was  pointed  to  me  the  spot  where  an  incestuous  pair  (a  brother  and 
sister)  had  been  buried  alive,  by  order  of  the  cheiftain. 

In  the  rocks  are  abundance  of  small  compressed  ammonite,  and  on  the  shores  saw 
fragments  of  white  quartz,  the  hectic  stone  so  often  mentioned  by  Martin. 

)kie  is  the  largest  of  the  Hebrides,  being  above  sixty  measured  miles  long  ;  the 
breadth  unequal,  by  reason  of  the  numbers  of  lochs  that  penetrate  far  on  both  sides. 
It  is  supposed  by  some  to  have  been  the  Eastern  iEbudas  or  the  ancients ;  by  others  to 
have  been  the  Dumna.  The  modern  name  is  of  Norwegian  origin,  derived  from  Ski, 
a  mist,  and  from  the  clouds  (that  almost  continually  hang  on  the  tops  of  its  lofty  hills) 
was  styled  Ealand  skianach,  or  the  cloudy  island.*  Nu  epithet  could  better  suit  the 
place ;  for,  except  in  the  summer  season,  there  is  scarcely  a  week  of  fair  weather  :  the 
summers  themselves  are  also  generally  wet,  and  seldom  warm. 

The  westerly  wind  blows  here  more  regularly  than  any  other,  and  arriving  charged 
with  vapour  from  the  vast  Atlantic,  never  fails  to  dash  the  clouds  it  wafts  on  the  lofty 
summits  of  the  hills  of  Cuchullin,  and  their  contents  deluge  the  island  in  a  manner  un> 
known  in  other  places.  What  is  properly  called  the  rainy  season  commences  in  August : 
the  rains  begin  with  moderate  winds,  which  grow  stronger  and  stronger  till  the  autumnal 
equinox,  when  they  rage  with  incredible  fury. 

The  husbandman  then  sighs  over  the  ruins  of  his  vernal  labours ;  sees  his  crops  feel 
the  injury  of  climate  ;  some  laid  prostrate ;  the  more  ripe  corn  shed  by  the  violence  of 
the  elements.  The  poor  fures^ce  famine,  and  consequential  disease  :  the  humane  tacks* 
men  agonize  over  distresses  that  inability,  not  want  of  indinution,  deprives  them  of  the 
power  of  remedying.  The  nearer  calls  of  family  and  children  naturally  first  excite 
their  attention :  to  maintain  and  educate  are  all  their  hopes,  for  that  of  accumulating 
wealth  is  beyond  their  expectation  ;  so  that  the  poor  are  left  to  Providence's  care  :  they 
prowl  like  other  animals  along  the  shores  to  pick  up  limpets  and  other  shell-fish,  the 
casual  repasts  of  hundreds  dunng  part  of  the  year  in  these  unhappy  islands.  Hundreds 
thus  annually  drag  through  the  season  a  wretched  life  ;  and  numbers  unknown,  in  all 
parts  of  the  western  island  (nothing  local  is  intended)  fall  beneath  the  pressure,  some 
of  hunger,  more  of  the  putrid  fever,  the  epidemic  of  the  coasts,  originating  from  un- 
wholesome food,  the  dire  effects  of  necessity.  Moral  and  innocent  victims !  who  exult 
in  the  change,  first  finding  that  place^  "  where  the  wioked  cease  from  troubling,  and 
where  the  weary  are  at  rest." 

The  farmer  labours  to  remedy  this  distress  to  the  best  of  his  power,  but  the  wetness 
of  the  land  late  in  spring  prevents  him  from  putting  into  the  ground  the  early  seed  of 
future  crops,  bear,  and  small  oats :  the  last  are  fitted  for  the  climate ;  they  bear  the 
fury  of  the  winds  better  than  other  grain,  and  require  less  manure,  a  deficiency  in  this 
island.  Poverty  prevents  him  from  making  ex|}eriments  in  rural  (economy :  the  ill 
success  of  a  few  made  by  the  more  opulent  determines  him  to  follow  the  old  tract,  as 
attended  with  more  certainty,  unwilling,  like  the  dog  in  the  fable,  to  grasp  at  the  sha- 
dow and  lose  the  substance,  even  as  poor  as  it  is. 

*  Doctor  Macphersoiii  282. 


328 


I'ENNAKT'S  SECOND  TOUR  IN  SCOTLA.fD. 


Tlic  i>rnd(ice  of  the  crops  very  rarely  are  in  any  degree  proportioned  to  the  wants  of 
the  inhabitant!! :  goklcn  sicusuns  have  happened,  when  they  have  had  superfluity  ;  but 
the  years  of  famine  arc  as  ten  to  one.  The  helfM  of  the  common  years  are  potatoes  : 
it  is  difficult  to  say  whether  the  discovery  of  America  by  the  Spaniards  has  contributed 
to  preserve  more  lives  by  the  introduction  of  this  vegetable,  or  to  have  caused  more  to 
perinh  by  the  insatiable  lust  after  the  precious  metals  of  the  new  world. 

The  difliculties  the  farmer  undergoes  in  thi  >  bad  climate  urc  unknown  in  the  south ; 
there  he  sowh  his  seed,  and  sees  it  flourish  beneath  a  benign  sun,  and  secured  from  every 
invusion.  Here  a  wet  sky  brings  a  reluctant  crop  :*  the  ground,  inclosed  only  with 
turf  mounds,  accessible  to  every  animal,  a  contmual  watcn  employs  numbers  of  his 
people  :  some  again  are  occupied  in  repairing  the  damages  sustamed  by  their  houses 
from  storms  the  preceding  yea** ;  others  arc  labouring  at  the  turberrics,  to  provide  fuel 
to  keep  ofi'thc  rigour  of  the  severe  season  ;  or  in  fencing  the  natural  (the  only)  grasses 
of  the  country,  to  preserve  their  cattle  from  starving,  which  are  the  true  and  proper 
staple  of  these  islaiuls. 

The  quantity  of  corn  raised  in  tolerable  seasons  in  this  island  is  esteemed  to  be  about 
nine  thousand  bolls.  The  number  of  mouths  to  consume  them  in  the  presbytery  of 
Skief  near  thirteen  thousand  :  migration,  and  depression  of  spirit,  the  last  a  common 
cause  of  depopulation,  having  since  the  year  1750  reduced  the  number  from  fifteen 
thousand  to  between  twelve  and  thirteen :  one  thousand  having  cros.  d  the  Atlantic, 
others  sunk  beneath  poverty,  or  in  despair,  ceased  to  obey  the  first  great  command, 
**  increase  and  multiply." 

In  that  year  the  whele  rent  of  Skie  was  three  thousand  five  hundred  pounds.  By 
an  unnatural  force  some  of  the  rents  are  now  doubled  and  trebled.  People  long  out 
of  all  habit  of  industry,  and  used  to  the  convivial  tables  of  their  chieftain,  were  unable 
instantly  to  support  so  new  a  burden :  in  time  not  very  long  preceding  that  they  felt 
the  return  of  some  of  their  rents ;  they  were  enabled  to  keep  hospitality ;  to  receive 
their  chieftain  with  a  welUcovered  board,  and  to  feed  a  multitude  of  poor.  Many  of 
the  greater  tacksmen  were  of  the  same  blood  with  their  chieftains ;  they  were  attached 
to  them  by  the  ties  of  consanguinity  as  well  as  affection  :  they  felt  from  them  the  first 
act  of  oppression,  as  Caesar  did  the  wound  from  his  beloved  Brutus. 

The  high  advance  in  the  price  of  cattle  is  a  plea  for  the  high  advance  of  rents  ;  but  the 
sitviation  of  the  tacksman  here  is  particular :  he  is  a  gentleman,  and  boasts  the  same  blood 
with  his  laird :  (of  five  hundred  fighting  men  that  followed  Macleod  in  1745  in  his 
majesty's  army«  four  hundred  were  of  his  kindred)  has  been  cherished  by  him  for  a  series 
of  years,  often  with  paternal  affection :  has  been  used  to  such  luxuries  as  the  place  af- 
fords, and  cannot  instantly  sink  fi-om  a  good  board  to  the  hard  fare  of  a  common  far. 
men  When  the  chieftains  riot  in  all  the  luxuries  of  South  Britain,  he  thinks  himself 
entitled  to  share  a  due  degree  of  the  good  things  of  this  life,  and  not  to  be  for  ever 
confined  to  the  diet  of  brochan,  or  the  compotation  of  whiskey.  During  the  feudal 
reign  their  love  for  their  chieftains  induced  them  to  bear  many  things,  at  present  into- 
lerable. They  were  their  pride  and  their  glory  :  they  strained  every  nerve  in  support 
of  them,  in  the  same  manner  as  the  French,  through  vanity,  refuse  nothing  to  aggrandize 
their  Grand  Monarque. 

*  The  moment  the  corn  is  cut  down,  a  certain  number  of  sheaves  are  gathered  in  a  heap,  and  thatched ' 
on  the  top:  the  first  dry  moment  that  happens,  the  thatch  ii  taken  ofl*,  and  the  sheaves  now  dry  are  carried 
in  i  and  this  is  repeated  till  the  whole  crop  is  secured. 

t  Which  comprehends  Rumi  Cannny,  Muck,  and  Egg,  besides  the  seven  parishes  in  this  great  island. 


(rants  of 
y  ;  but 
Dtutoes  : 
tributed 
more  to 

e  south ; 
)m  every 
Illy  with 
s  of  his 
houses 
vide  fuel 
)  grasses 
d  proper 


be  about 
Dylery  of 
common 
m  fifteen 
Atlantic, 
)mmand, 

nds.  By 
long  out 

re  unable 
they  felt 

0  receive 
Many  of 

attached 

1  the  first 

I ;  but  the 
ime  blood 
45  in  his 
or  a  series 
place  af- 
imon  far- 
:a  himself 
c  for  ever 
the  feudal 
sent  into- 
n  support 
ggrandize 


md  thatched 
r  are  carried 

great  island. 


PENNANT'S  SRCOND  TOUR  IN  SCOTLAND  ^^^ 

Resentment  drove  many  to  seek  a  retreat  beyond  the  Atlantic  :  thry  sold  then-  sio(  k, 
and  in  numbers  made  their  first  essay.  They  found,  or  thought  tlioy  fomul,  while 
their  passions  were  warm,  an  happy  chancre  of  situntinn  :  ihcy  wrote,  in  ttrniH  savfiurinj; 
of  romance,  an  account  of  their  situation:  their  friends  caught  the  contnj^ion ;  and 
numbers  followed;  and  others  were  preparing  to  follow  tluir  example.  The  t.uks 
men  from  a  motive  of  indi- pendency  :  the  poor  from  attachment;  and  from  excess  ol 
misery.  Policy  and  humanity,  as  I  am  informed,  have  of  late  checked  this  s\w  it  sn 
detrimental  to  the  public.  The  wisdom  of  legislature  may  perhaps  fall  on  some  nu  th^nls 
to  conciliate  the  affections  of  a  valuable  part  of  the  community  :  it  is  unlMcoming  nij 
little  knowledge  of  the  comUry  to  presume  to  point  out  the  metluHls.  It  is  to  he 
hoped  that  the  head  will,  while  time  permits,  recollect  the  use  of  the  mobt  distant 
memliers. 

The  proper  products  of  this  and  all  the  Hebrides,  are  men  and  cattle  :  the  use  of  thi. 
first  need  not  be  insisted  on,  for  England  cannot  have  forgot  its  sad  deficiency  of  re 
cruits  towards  the  end  of  the  late  long  and  destructive  war  :  and  what  it  owed  in  the 
course  of  it  to  North-Britain.  In  respect  to  cattle,  this  in  particular  bears  the  pre-cmi 
nencc  of  havinfj  the  largest  breed  of  all  the  Highlands.  The  greater  tenants  keep  their 
cattle  during  wmter  in  what  are  called  winter-parks,  the  drie«.t  and  l)est  ground  they 
have :  here  they  are  kept  till  April,  except  the  winter  proves  very  hard,  when  they 
are  foddered  with  straw :  in  April  the  farmer  turns  them  to  the  moor.grass  (cotton- 
grass)  which  springs  first,  and  at  night  drives  them  into  the  dry  grounds  again. 

The  poorer  tenants,  who  have  no  winter-parks,  are  under  the  neces^itv  of  keeping 
the  cattle  under  the  same  roof  with  themselves  dunng  night ;  and  often  _rc  obliged  to 
keep  them  alive  with  the  meal  designed  for  their  families.  The  cows  arc  often  forced, 
through  want  of  other  food,  to  have  recourse  to  the  shores,  and  feed  on  the  sea-plants 
at  low  water:  by  instinct  they  will,  at  ebb  of  tide,  hasten  from  the  moors,  notwith- 
standing they  are  not  within  sight  of  the  sea. 

One  of  the  greater  farms  in  Skic  is  thus  stocked : 

Fifty  cows,  and  their  followers,  viz.  20  young  heifers,  fit  for  bull ;  30  ditto,  three 
years  old;  35  ditto,  two  years  old;  40  yearlings,  or  sturks.  Of  these  the  owner  can 
sell  only  20  cows  at  459.  each  at  an  average  ;  can  make  butter  and  cheese  for  his  family, 
but  none  for  sale,  for  their  best  cow  will  not  yield  above  three  English  quarts  of  milk 
at  a  meal.  Such  (a  farm  was  formerly  rented  for  161.  a  year,  at  present  is  raised  to  501. 
The  greatest  rent  in  the  island  is  801.  but  the  medium  from  301.  to  401. 

In  Skie,  when  a  tacksman  has  a  greater  farm  than  he  can  manage,  he  often  sets  oft' 
part  to  a  Bowman  or  Aireach,  who  takes  care  of  the  stock  of  cattle  on  a  certain  tract ; 
and  binds  himself  to  give  to  the  tacksman  every  year  four  stone  of  cheese,  and  two  of 
butter,  from  each  couple  of  milch  cows.  If  there  is  any  arable  ground,  he  is  provided 
with  horses  and  a  plough ;  and  seed  sufficient  to  sow  it ;  and  receives  part  of  the  crop ; 
and  some  additional  grass  ground  for  two  or  three  milch  cows,  for  his  trouble. 

There  is  certainly  much  ill  management  in  the  direction  of  the  farms :  a  tacksman  of 
fifty  pounds  a  year  often  keeps  twenty  servants ;  the  laziest  of  creatures,  for  not  one 
will  do  the  least  thing  that  does  not  belong  to  his  department.  Most  of  them  are  mar- 
ried, as  in  Hay.  Their  common  fond  is  Brochan,  a  thick  meal  pudding,  with  milk, 
butter  or  treacle ;  or  a  thinner  sort,  called  Easoch,  taken  with  their  bannncs.  This 
number  of  servants  seemed  to  answer  the  retainers  in  great  families  before  that  perni- 
cious custom  was  abolished  by  Henrj'  VII,  in  feudal  times  they  were  kept  here  for  the 
same  bad  end.   The  cause  is  now  no  more,  but  the  habit  cannot  suddenly  be  sluken  off; 

tol.  III.  V  u 


330 


rtNNANI'*)!  SECOND  TOUR  IX  IICUTI.ANO. 


ctmrit)  forbidn  one  (o  \vi>«h  it,  tilt  some  employ  is  thoufi;lit  of  fur  them  ',  otherwise,  like 
the  poor  cuitugcrs  Ix-rorc-mciitioncd,  sturvin^^  must  be  their  portion. 

Cattle  is  at  prc»ciit  the  only  tr.idc  ui'  the  ihland  :  about  Tonr  thousand  are  annually 
nold,  from  forty  %hillin(;%  to  three  poutuU  n  head.  The  tosH  sustuiiied  in  Skic  by  the  se< 
verity  of  the  lust  winter,  and  the  general  failure  of  the  crops  the  preceding  season,  amount- 
ed to  five  thousand ;  perhaps  in  some  measure  otving  to  the  farms  being  over.stocked. 

About  two  hundred  and  fifty  horses  arc  purchased  from  hetice  every  year. 

H«TC  are  no  sheep  but  what  arc  kept  fi»r  home  consumption,  or  for  the  wool  for  the 
clothing  of  the  inhabitants.  Hog^  are  not  introduced  here  yet,  for  want  of  proper  food 
(or  those  animals. 

Gouts  might  turn  to  good  advantage,  if  introduced  into  the  wooded  parts  of  the  isbnd. 
These  animals  might  be  procured  from  the  neighbourhood  of  Loch.ness;  for  being 
naturalized  to  the  climate,  would  succeed  better  than  any  imported  from  the  southern 
parts  of  Europe,  or  from  Barbary.  As  an  inducement,  I  must  inform  the  natives  of  the 
Hebrides,  that  in  the  Alpine  part  of  Wutes  a  well  haired  goat-bkin  sclU  for  seven  and  six- 
pence or  half  a  guinea. 

About  three  hundred  tons  of  kelp  are  made  here  annually,  but  it  is  thought  not  to 
answer,  as  it  robs  the  land  of  so  much  manure. 

There  are  not  above  two  or  three  slated  houses  in  the  island ;  the  general  thatch  is 
fern,  root  and  stalk,  which  will  lust  above  twenty  years. 

The  roots  of  the  orobus  tuberosus,  the  cor-meillc  or  carmel  of  the  Highlanders,  arc 
in  high  esteem  in  this  and  the  other  islands  :  thev  sometimes  chew  them,  at  others  make 
a  fermented  liniior  with  them.  They  imagine  tnat  they  promote  expectoration,  and  that 
they  arc  very  efficacious  in  curing  any  disorders  of  the  breast  or  lungs  ;  they  also  use  it 
as  a  remedy  against  hunger,  chewing  it  as  some  of  our  poorest  people  do  tobacco,*  to 
put  off  that  uneasy  sensation. 

Ligiisticum  Scoticum,  Scotch  parsley,  or  the  shunis  of  this  island,  is  also  much  valued; 
in  medicine,  the  root  is  reckoned  a  good  carminative,  and  an  infusion  of  the  leaves  is 
th()ught  u  good  purge  for  calves.  It  is  besides  used  as  a  food,  either  as  a  sallad,  raw,  or 
boiled  as  greens. 

Very  few  superstitions  exist  here  at  present :  pretenders  to  second-sight  arc  quite  out 
of  repute,  except  among  the  most  ignorant,  and  at  present  very  shy  of  making  boasts  of 
their  faculties. 

Poor  Browny,  or  Robin  Good-fellow,  is  also  put  to  flight.  This  serviceable  sprite 
was  wont  to  clean  the  houses,  helped  to  churn,  thrashed  the  corn,  and  would  belabour 
all  who  pretended  to  make  a  iest  of  him.  He  was  represented  as  stout  and  blooming, 
had  fine  long  flowing  hnir,  and  went  about  with  a  wand  in  his  hand.  He  was  the  very 
counterpart  of  Milton's  Lubbar  fiend,  who 

Tells  how  the  drudging  goblin  swcftt 
To  earn  his  cream-bowl  duly  set ; 
'  When  in  one  nit^ht,  ere  glimpse  of  mom,  <; 

His  shadowy  flalc  hath  thrash'd  the  com  ^  t     ' 

That  ti-n  day -likb'rera  could  not  end  ;  .,  ; 

Then  lays  him  down  the  lubbar-fiend,  ,    _  .'. 

And  strctch'd  along  the  chimney's  length,  "^ 

Basks  at  the  fire  his  hairjr  strength. 

The  Gruagach  is  a  deitv  in  form  representing  the  last ;  and  who  was  worshipped  in 
old  times  by  libations  of  milk ;  and  milkmaids  still  retain  the  custom  by  pouring  some 


*  Vide  Mr.  Spence's  life  of  Mr.  Robert  HiU)tayIor,  p.  102. 


••tNNANrS  SrcOND  TOUn  IS  SCOTLAND. 


>rwisc,  like 

re  annually 
i  by  the  se. 

on,  amount* 
'•stocked. 

• 

wool  for  the 
proper  food 

>f  the  isbnd. 
;  for  being 
he  southern 
ativeb  of  the 
ven  and  six- 
ought  not  to 
ral  thatch  is 

ilanders,  are 
others  make 
ion,  and  that 
y  also  use  it 
tobacco,*  to 

nuch  valued; 
the  leaves  is 
illad,  raw,  or 

arc  quite  out 
ing  boasts  of 

ceable  sprite 
>uld  belabour 
nd  blooming, 
was  the  very 


3J1 


•t    < 


*■      '•*! 


worshipped  in 
touring  some 


on  certain  atones  that  bear  his  name.  Gruagach  stignirtcN  the  fuir-liairrd,  and  is  suppo<scil 
by  Mr.  Macqucen^  to  have  been  an  emblem  uf  Apoitu,  or  the  Sun;  und  to  corre. 
spond  with  the  epithet  x^,>**»»f,rt.  A  htonc  \\i\n  dug  up  near  MuHicihurgh,  dcdu:;\tcd 
Apollini  Granno  Grianacti  the  Sunny,  ati  cphithet  prnWiibly  borrowed  liom  the  Cale- 
donians. The  same  d(  *ty  might  also  receive  the  title  oi  Gaiuxiuii  fruiu  the  libjtiuii  ol' 
milk  still  retained  in  thoi>c  parts. 

A  wild  species  of  ina^ic  was  practised  i«;  the  district  nf  Trottcrncss,  thiit  was  atlci.tUd 
with  a  horrible  sulcniniiy.  A  family  who  pretended  to  oracular  kuowlt dge  piaciised 
these  ceremonies.  In  this  country  is  a  vast  cut  tract,  whose  waters  failiuf^  ironi  a  hi^li 
rock,  jet  so  far  as  to  form  a  dry  hollow  beneath,  between  them  and  die  pieeipice.  One 
of  these  impostors  was  sowed  up  in  the  hide  of  an  ox,  and,  to  idd  terror  to  the  cere- 
mony, was  placed  n  this  concavity  ;  the  trembling  incjuiier  was  brought  to  the  place. 
where  the  shade  and  the  roaring  of  the  waters,  cucil  tied  the  dread  of  the  occabion. 
The  question  is  put,  and  the  person  in  the  hide  deliver;*  his  answer,  and  su  ends  thi.«> 
species  of  divinatirp,  styled  Taghairm. 

But  all  these  idle  tales  are  totally  exploded,  and  good-sense  and  polished  manners  pre- 
vail, instead  of  that  barbarity  which  in  1598  induced  Jamcit  VI,  to  ^nkI  here  a  new  colony 
to  civilize  dir  natives  ;  who  were  so  little  disposed  tu  receive  their  instructors,  that  his 
majesty  wj.b  in  the  end  obliged  to  desist  from  his  design.f  At  present  the  island  forms 
part  of  the  shire  of  Inverness.  The  sheriff  of  that  county  appoints  a  substitute,  who  resides 
here  aad  takes  cognisance  of  small  disputes  about  property,  and  petty  crimes  ;  but,  on 
account  of  the  rlistance,' avoids  harassing  ti»c  inhabitants,  by  requiring  their  attendance 
oi\  the  lords  of  Sessions  and  Justiciary  courts  at  Inverness,  die  jurymen  being  selected 
from  among  the  gentry  and  inhabitants  of  the  mainland. 

July  24.  Af\er  a  most  tempestuous  niglit,  loose  from  our  harbour  at  two  o'clock  at 
noon.  Go  through  a  narrow  channel  at  the  north  end,  a  rock  lying  in  the  middle. 
Having  to  the  west  a  view  of  Fisher's  rock  ;  and  to  the  north  a  strange  chain  of  rocky 
isles,  very  singular  in  their  appearance ;  and  varying  in  their  forms  \n  the  process  of  our 
course.  The  highest  is  called  Bordh-mor-inhicleod,  or  Macleod's  great  tahle.| 
Another  is  called  Flada.  On  the  first  Mr.  Thompson  took  in  our  absence  the  little 
Petrel,  which  with  numbers  of  others  were  lurking  beneath  the  loose  stones,  and  be- 
trayed themselves  by  loud  twittering.  These  are  the  least  of  palmipeds  ;  the  dread  of 
mariners,  who  draw  a  certain  presage  of  a  storm  (rom  their  appearance;  for  they  al- 
ways collect  in  numbers  at  the  approach  of  a  tempest  beneath  the  stern  ;  running  alon^ 
the  waves  in  the  wake  of  the  ship*  with  a  swiftness  incredible.  This  bird  is  the  Camilla 
of  the  ocean :  like  her, 

She  swept  the  seas,  and  as  she  <>1<imm'd  along, 
He  i)>'lng  feet  unbath'd  on  billows  hung. 

The  seamen  call  them  Mother  Gary's  chickens :  some  devotees  styled  them  Petrels, 
from  the  attempt  of  the  apostle  St.  Peter  to  tread  the  water.  They  are  ar.cn  in  all  parts 
of  the  ocean ;  and  were  not  overlooked  by  the  ancients,  who  named  ti.em  Cypselli, 
and  take  notice  of  this  remarkable  particular. 

*  See  Mr.  Macqueen's  curious  account  in  the  Appendix  to  the  third  volume, 
t  Jonstoni  Rerum  Dritan.    Hist.  Lib.  viii.  p  249. 

i  Two  views  of  these  wild  rocks  (3)  as  ihey  appeared  .from  Dun-Tuilm  ;  the  other  (3)  as  they  ap- 
peared from  the  east,  are  engraved  at  the  bottom  of  a  view  in  Loch-Jum,  given  by  Mr.  Pennant. 

u  u  2 


< :; 


332 


I'EN.VANT'S  SECOND  TOUR  IV  SCOTLANU. 


Mr.  Thompson  also  shot  one  of  those  enormous  seals,  or  the  great  seal  syn  i|uad. 
No.  2G0 ;  hut  to  my  great  regret  it  sunk  as  soon  as  killed. 

Have  a  full  view  of  the  isle  of  I^ewis,  the  Lodhiis  of  the  Norwegians:  and  off  it  a 
groupc  of  little  isles,  called  Slant,  or  Sc'iant,  and  somewhat  to  the  north  of  those  is  the 
fine  luirbour  and  town  of  Stornaway.  It  was  my  intenti(iii  to  have  steered  for  that 
port,  but  was  dissuaded  from  it  by  the  accounts  I  had  from  the  gentlemen  of  Skie,  that 
a  putrid  lever  raged  there  with  great  violence. 

Direct  our  course  for  Loch-Broom,  in  the  county  of  Ross.  An  easy  breeae  carries 
us  off  the  cape  Ruth  an  ri,  in  the  maps  Rovv-rie.  About  eight  o'clock  in  the  morning 
of  July  25,  —  find  ourselves  near  a  considerable  number  of  small  isles,  with  a  most 
dreary  ap[)earance,  miscalled  the  Summ*.'r  islands.  Within  is  a  great  bay,  six  miles 
broad  and  eight  deep,  bounded  by  vast  and  barren  mountains,  patched  with  snow. 
The  wind  chops  about  and  blows  very  fresh,  so  that  after  many  teazing  tacks,  about 
nine  o'clock  in  the  evening  drop  anchor  under  isle  Martin,  in  the  bottom  of  the  bay, 
which  is  here  called  Loch>Kinnurd.  To  the  south  is  a  hill,  which  we  landed  on,  aAd 
ascended,  and  saw  on  the  other  side  great  Loch-Broom,  or  Braon,  narrow,  of  a  vast 
depth,  nnd  running  manv  niiles  up  the  country.  At  its  head  receives  a  river  fre< 
quented  by  salmon  in  April. 

This  parish  is  one  of  the  largest  on  the  mainland  of  Scotland,  being  thirty-six  miles 
long  and  twenty  broad.  It  has  in  it  seven  places  of  worship,  three  catechists,^  and 
about  two  thousand  examinable  persons :  but  is  destitute  of  a  parochial  school.  None 
of  the  people  except  the  gentry  understand  English.  The  country  is  inhabited  by  the 
Mackenzies,  even  quite  from  Kintail,  whose  chieftain  is  the  earl  of  Seaforth. 

It  is  a  land  of  mountains,  a  mixture  of  rock  and  heath,  with  a  few  flats  between 
them  producing  bear  and  black  oats,  but  never  sufficient  to  supply  the  wants  of  the  in- 
habitants. 

Cattle  are  the  great  support  of  the  country,  and  are  sold  to  graziers,  who  come  for 
them  even  as  far  as  from  Craven  in  Yorkshire,  at  the  rate  of  thirty  shillings  to  three 
pounds  a  head.  A  great  deal  of  butter  and  cheese  is  sold  to  the  busses.  Land  is  set 
here  by  the  Davoch  or  half  Davoch ;  the  last  consists  of  ninetj.six  Scotch  acres  of  arable 
land,  such  ar  i<.  is,  with  a  competent  quantity  of  mountain  and  grazing  ground.  This 
maintains  sixty  cows  and  their  followers;  and  is  rented  for  fifty -two  pounds  a  year. 
To  manage  this  the  farmer  keeps  eight  men  and  eight  women  servants ;  and  an  overseer, 
who  are  all  paid  partly  in  money  and  partly  in  kind.  The  common  servants  have  thirty 
shillings  per  annum,  house,  ^rden,  six  bolls  of  meal  and  shoes.  The  dairy  maids 
thirteen  shillings  and  four-pence  and  shoes :  the  common  drudges  six  and  eight-pence 
and  shoes. 

The  tender  cattle  are  housed  during  winter.  The  common  manure  of  the  countr}'  is 
dung,  or  sea-wrack. 

July  27.    Still  on  board.    The  weather  very  bad.  "  '   ,. 

July  28.  Land  at  the  bottom  of  tlw  bay,  in  Ross-shire.  Procure  horses.  Observe 
some  houses  built  for  the  veteran  soldiers  and  sailors ;  but  as  usual  all  deserted.  Pro- 
ceed up  Strath  Kennard,  which  with  Coygach  that  bounds  the  north  side  d'the  bay  is  a 
forfeited  estate,  and  unalienably  annexed  to  the  crown.  The  commissioners  give  all 
possible  encouragement  to  the  tenants ;  and  have  pcwer  to  grant  longer  leases  than  the 

**  A  catecbist  is  one  who  goes  from  bouse  to  house  to  instruct  tbe  people  in  tbe  principles  of  religion, 
and  in  the  cdtechisms,  approved  hj  Ute  generd  assemblf ;  and  appointed  bf  its  committee,  and  are  sup- 
ported out  of  bis  majesty's  bounty. 


PENNANT'S  SECOND  TOUK  IN  SCOTLAND. 


333 


three 

is  set 
'  arable 
This 

year, 
rerseer, 
B  thirty 

maids 
(•pence 


lairds  are  incnncd  to  do<  which  keeps  the  people  under  the  government  contented,  and 
banishes  from  their  minds  all  thoughts  of  migrutioi.. 

Kindness  and  hospitality  possess  the  people  of  these  parts.  Wc  scarce  passed  u  farm 
but  the  good  woman,  long  before  our  approach,  sallied  out,  and  stood  on  the  road  bide> 
holding  out  to  us  a  bowl  of  milk  or  whey. 

Ascend  a  very  high  mountain,  and  puss  through  a  birch-wood  impending  over  a  pretty 
little  luch ;  various  other  woods  of  the  same  kind  were  scattered  over  the  bottoms,  but 
the  trees  were  small.  Roots  of  pines  filled  all  the  moors,  bu^  1  saw  none  of  those  trees 
standing.  Pass  under  some  great  precipices  of  limestone,  mixed  with  marble  ;  from 
hence  a  most  tremendous  view  of  mountains  of  stupendous  height,  and  generally  of 
conoid  forms.  I  never  saw  a  country  that  seemed  to  have  been  so  torn  and  convulsed ; 
the  shock,  whenever  it  happened,  shook  off  all  that  vegetates ;  among  these  aspiring 
heaps  of  barrenness,  the  sugar-loaf  hill  of  SuiUbhein  made  a  conspicuous  figure  ;  at 
their  feet,  the  blackness  of  the  moors  by  no  mc.^ns  assisted  to  cheer  our  ideas.  Enter 
Askynt,  in  Sutherland  :  ride  by  Loch-Camloch  ;  eiiioy  some  diversity  of  the  scene,  for 
it  was  prettily  decorated  with  little  wooded  islands.  Reach  Led-beg,  where  we  obtained 
quarters*  and  rough  hospitality. 

This  country  is  environed  with  mountains  and  all  the  strata  near  their  base,  and  in 
the  bottoms,  are  composed  of  white  marble,  fine  as  the  Parian :  houses  are  built  with 
it,  and  walls  raised;  burnt,  it  is  the  manure  of  the  couiUry,  but  oftener  nature  dissolves, 
and  presents  it  ready  prepared  to  the  lazy  farmer. 

This  tract  seems  to  be  the  residence  of  sloth,  the  people  almost  torpid  with  idleness, 
and  most  wretched ;  their  hovels  most  miserable,  made  of  poles  wattled  and  covered 
with  thin  sods.  Theiie  is  not  corn  raised  sufficient  to  supply  half  the  wants  of  the  in- 
habitants ;  climate  conspires  with  indolence  to  make  matters  worse,  yet  there  is  much 
improvable  land  here  in  a  state  of  nature,  but  till  famine  pinches  they  will  not  bestir 
themselves ;  they  are  content  with  little  at  present,  and  are  thoughUess  of  futurity ; 
perhaps  on  the  motive  of  Turkish  vassals,  who  are  oppressed  in  proportion  to  their  im- 
provements.     Dispirited  and  driven  tc  despair  by  bad  management,  crowds  were  now 

Gssing,  emaciated  with  hunger,  to  the  eastern  coast,  on  the  report  of  a  ship  being  there 
iden  with  meal.  Numbers  c^  the  miserables  of  this  country  were  now  migrating ; 
the^  wandered  in  a  state  of  desperation ;  too  poor  to  pay,  they  madly  sell  themselves  for 
their  passage,  preferring  a  temporary  bondage  in  a  strange  land  to  starving  for  life  in  their 
native  soil. 

£very  country  has  had  its  prophets :  Greece  its  Cassandra,  Rome  its  Sibyls,  England 
its  Nixon,  Wales  its  Robin  Ddu,  and  the  Hig^ilands  their  Kenneah  Oaur.  Kenneah 
long  since  predicted  the  migrations  in  these  terms :  "  Whenever  a  Macleane  with  long 
hai^,  a  Fraaer  with  a  black  spot  on  his  face,  a  Macgregor  with  the  same  on  his  knee, 
and  a  club-footed  Macleod  of  Rasa,  should  have  existed ;  whenever  there  should  have 
been  successively  three  Macdonalds  of  the  name  of  John,  and  three  Mackinnons  of  the 
same  Christian  name ;  oppressors  would  appear  in  the  country,  and  the  people  change 
their  own  laixl  for  a  strange  one."  The  predictions,  say  the  good  wives,  have  been  fuU 
filledi  and  not  a  single  breach  in  the  oraailar  effusions  of  Kenneah  Oaur. 

Ill  a  country  where  ^norance  and  poverty  prevail,  it  is  less  wonderful  that  a  tragical 
a&ir  should  happen,  similar  to  that  at  Tring,  near  our  polished  capital.  About  three 
years  ago  lived  m  this  neighbourhood,  a  woman  of  more  than  common  strength  of 
understanding :  she  was  often  consulted  on  the  ordinary  occurrences  of  life,  and  ob- 
tained a  sort  of  respect,  which  excited  the  envy  of  another  female  in  the  same  district. 
The  last  gave  out  that  her  neighbour  was  a  witch ;  that  she  herself  had  a  good  genius, 


-M'-'-^-JwrM-^^-TT-—' '-*?:'-r-  V  S!S-£r*e'i.'.(*>j:i-.-- 


334 


PENNANT'S  SECOND  TOUR  IN  SCOTLAND- 


ll 

li 
I 


and  could  counteract  the  evils  dreaded  from  the  other :  at  length,  she  so  worked  on 
the  weak  minds  of  the  simple  vulvar,  that  they  determined  on  destroying  her  rival, 
and  effected  their  purpose  by  instigating  a  parcel  of  children  to  strangle  her.  The 
murder  was  inquired  into,  but  the  inciters  had  so  artfully  concealed  themselves,  that 
they  C3ca[x:d  their  reward,  and  no  punishment  was  inflicted,  except  what  was  suited  to 
the  tender  years  of  the  deluded  children. 

Assynt  parish  contains  between  three  and  four  thousand  souls  ;  and  sends  out  five 
hundred  head  of  cattle  annually ;  and  about  two  or  three  lasts  of  salmon  are  taken 
every  year  in  the  water  of  Innard,  on  the  coast. 

I  saw  here  a  male  and  female  red-throated  diver ;  which  convinces  me  of  my  mistake 
in  supposing  another  to  have  been  of  this  species.* 

July  28.  It  was  our  design,  on  leaving  the  ship,  to  have  penetrated  by  land  as  far  as 
the  extremity  of  the  island ;  but  we  were  informed  that  the  way  was  impassable  for 
horses,  and  that  even  an  island  foot  messenger  must  avoid  part  of  the  hills  by  crossing 
an  arm  of  the  sea.  Return  the  same  road,  through  a  variety  of  bog  and  hazardous 
rock,  that  nothing  but  our  shoeless  little  steeds  could  have  carried  us  over.  At  length 
we  arrive  safely  on  board  the  ship, 

A  wond'rous  token 
Of  Heaven's  kind  care,  with  necks  unbroken. 

Found  in  our  harbour  some  busses,  just  anchored,  in  expectation  of  finding  the 
shoals  of  herrings  usually  here  at  this  season,  but  at  present  were  disappointed  :  a  few 
were  taken,  sufficient  to  convince  us  of  their  superiority  in  goodness  over  those  of  the 
south ;  they  were  not  larger,  but  as  they  had  not  wasted  themselves  by  bein^  in  roe, 
their  backs,  and  the  part  next  to  the  tail,  were  double  the  thickness  of  the  others,  and 
the  meat  rich  beyond  expression. 

Mr.  Anderson  f  gives  to  the  Scotch  a  knowledge  of  great  antiquity  in  the  herring 
fishery :  he  says  that  the  Netherlanders  resorted  to  these  coasts  as  early  as  A.  D.  836, 
to  purchase  salted  fish  of  the  natives ;  but  imposing  on  the  strangers,  they  learned  the 
art  and  took  up  the  trade,  in  after-times  of  such  immense  emolument  to  the  Dutch. 

Sir  Walter  Raleigh's  observations  on  that  head,  extracted  from  the  same  author, 
are  extremely  worthy  the  attention  of  the  curious,  and  excite  reBections  on  the  vast 
strength  resulting  from  the  wisdom  of  well  applied  industry. 

In  1603,  remarks  that  great  man,  the  Dutch  sold  to  different  nations,  as  many  her- 
rings as  amounted  to  1,759,0001.  sterling. 

In  the  year  1615,  they  at  once  sent  out  2000  busses,  and  employed  in  them  37,000 
fishermen. 

In  the  year  1618,  they  sent  out  3000  ships,  with  50,000  men,  to  take  the  herrings, 
and  9060  more  ships  to  transport  and  sell  the  fish,  which  by  sea  and  land  employed 
150,000  men,  besides  those  first  mentioned.  All  this  wealth  was  gotten  on  our  coasts  $ 
while  our  attention  was  taken  up  in  a  distant  whale  fishery.  ^    >!w^*^  > 

The  Scottish  monarchs  for  a  long  time  seemed  to  direct  all  their  attention  to  the 
preservation  of  the  salmon  fishery ;  probably  because  their  subjects  were  such  novices 
in  sea  affairs.  At  length  James  III,  endeavoured  to  stimulate  his  great  men  to  these 
patriotic  undertakings ;  for  by  an  act  of  his  third  parliament,  he  compelled  "  certain 
lords  spiritual  and  temporal,  and  burrows,  to  make  ships,  bushes,  and  boats,  with  nets 
and  other  pertinents  for  fishing.     That  the  same  should  be  made  in  each  bui^gh ;  in 


*  Br.  Zool.  ii.  No.  240. 


t  Diet.  Commerce,  i.  41. 


'^.~-, 


JLIJ  '!-   laemmtf/amm 


PENNANTS  SECOND  TOUK  IN  SCOTLAND. 


335 


number  according  to  the  substance  of  each  burgh,  and  the  Icnst  of  them  to  be  of  twenty 
tons  :  and  that  all  idle  men  be  compelled  by  the  sheriffs  in  the  country  to  go  on  board 
the  same." 

But  his  successors,  by  a  very  false  policy,  rendered  this  wise  institution  of  little  ciTect ; 
for  they  in  a  manner  prevented  their  subjects  from  becoming  a  maritime  people,  by 
directing  that  no  white  6sh  should  be  sent  out  of  the  realm,  but  that  strangers  may 
come  and  buy  them ;  *  that  free  ports  be  first  served ;  the  cargoes  sold  to  freemen, 
who  are  to  come  and  transport  the  ;  ime.f  The  Dutch  at  this  very  time  having  an 
open  trade. 

It  is  well  known  that  there  have  been  many  attempts  made  to  secure  this  treasure 
to  ourselves,  but  without  success ;  in  the  late  reign  a  very  strong  effort  was  made,  and 
bounties  allowed  for  the  encouragement  of  British  adventurers ;  the  first  was  of  thirty 
shillings  per  ton  for  every  buss  of  seventy  tons  and  upwards.  This  bounty  was  after- 
wards raised  to  fifty  shiUings  per  ton,  to  be  paid  to  such  adventurers  who  were  entitled 
to  it,  by  claiming  it  at  the  places  of  rendezvous.  The  busses  are  from  twenty  to 
ninety  tons  burden,  but  the  best  size  is  eighty.  A  vessel  of  eighty  tons  ought  to  take 
ten  lasts,  or  a  hundred  and  twenty  barrels  of  herrings,  to  clear  expences,  the  price  of 
the  fish  to  be  admitted  to  be  a  guinea  a  barrel :  a  ship  of  this  size  ought  to  have 
eighteen  men  and  three  boats ;  one  of  twenty  tons  should  have  six  men ;  and  every 
five  tons  above  rer^iiire  an  additional  hand. 

To  every  ton  are  two  hundred  and  eighty  yards  of  nets ;  so  a  vessel  of  eighty  tons 
carries  twenty  thousand  square  yards ;  each  net  is  twelve  yards  long,  and  ten  deep, 
and  every  boat  takes  out  from  twenty  to  thirty  nets,  and  puts  them  together  so  as  to 
form  a  long  train :  they  are  sunk  at  each  end  of  the  train  by  a  stone,  which  weighs  it 
down  to  the  full  extent  ;  the  top  is  supported  by  buoys,  made  of  sheep's  skin,  with  a 
hollow  stick  at  the  mouth,  fastened  tight ;  through  this  the  skin  is  blown  up,  and  then 
stopt  with  a  peg,  to  prevent  the  escape  of  the  air.  Sometimes  these  buoys  are  placed 
at  the  top  of  the  nets ;  at  other  times  the  nets  are  suffered  to  sink  deeper,  by  the 
lengthening  the  cords  fastened  to  them,  every  cord  being  for  that  purpose  ten  or 
twelve  fhthoms  long.    But  the  best  fisheries  are  generally  in  more  shallow  water. 

The  nets  are  made  at  Greenock,  in  Knapdale,  Bute,  and  Arran ;  but  the  best  are 
procured  fi'om  Ireland,  and,  I  think,  from  some  part  of  Caernarvonshire. 

The  fishing  is  always  performed  in  the  night,  unless  by  accident.  The  busses  re- 
main  at  anchor,  and  send  out  their  boats  a  little  before  sun-set,  which  continue  out,  in 
winter  and  summer,  till  day-light ;  often  taking  up  and  emptying  their  nets,  which 
they  do  ten  or  twelve  times  in  a  night  in  case  of  good  success.  During  winter  it  is  a 
most  dangerous  and  fatiguing  employ,  by  reason  of  the  greatness  and  frequency  of  the 
gales  in  ;hese  seas,  and  in  such  gales  are  the  most  successful  captures ;  but,  by  the 
providence  of  Heaven,  the  fishers  are  seldom  lost,  and,  what  is  wonderful,  few  are 
visited  with  illness.  They  go  out  well  prepared,  with  a  warm  great  coat,  boots,  and 
skin  aprons,  and  a  good  provision  of  beef  and  spirits.  The  same  good  fortune  attends 
the  busses,  who,  in  the  tempestuous  season  and  in  the  darkest  nights,  are  continually 
shifting  in  these  narrow  seas  from  harbour  to  harbour. 

Sometimes  eighty  barrels  of  herrings  are  taken  in  a  night  by  the  boats  of  a  single 
vessel.  It  once  nappened  in  Loch-Slappan,  in  Skie,  that  a  buss  of  eighty  tons  might 
have  taken  two  hundred  barrels  in  one  night,  with  ten  thousand  square  yards  of  net ; 
but  the  master  was  obliged  to  desist,  for  want  of  a  sufficient  number  of  hands  to  pre- 
serve the  capture. 


i 


1^ 


•  James  VjParliam.  VII. 


t  James  IV,  and  James  VI. 


336 


PENNANT'S  SECOND  TOU^l  IN  SCOTLAND. 


The  herrings  are  preserved  by  salting,  after  the  entrails  are  taken  otit ;  an  operation 
perfurmed  by  the  country  people,  who  get  three>pence  per  barrel  for  their  trouble, 
and  som<  times,  even  in  the  winter,  can  get  fifteen  pence  a  day.  This  cniploys  both 
women  and  children,  but  the  suiting  is  only  entrusted  to  the  crew  of  the  busses.  The 
fish  are  laid  on  their  backs  in  the  barrels,  and  layers  of  salt  between  them.  The  en< 
trails  arc  not  lost,  for  they  are  boiled  into  an  oil :  eight  thousand  fish  will  yield  ten 
gallons,  valued  at  one  shilling  the  gallon. 

A  vessel  of  eighty  tons  takes  out  a  hundred  and  forty>four  barrels  of  salt :  a  draw- 
back of  two  shillings  and  eight  pence  is  allowed  for  each  barrel  used  for  the  foreign  or 
Irish  exportation  of  the  fi>>h  ;  but  there  is  a  duty  of  one  shilling  per  barrel  for  the  home 
consumption,  and  the  same  for  those  sent  to  Ireland. 

The  banvls  are  made  of  oak-staves,  chiefly  from  Virginia ;  the  hoops  from  several 
parts  of  our  own  island,  and  are  made  either  of  oak,  birch,  hazel,  oir  willow  ;  the  last 
from  Holland,  liable  to  a  duty. 

The  barrels  cost  about  three  shillings  each ;  they  hold  from  five  to  eight  hundred 
fish,  according  to  the  size  of  the  fish,  are  made  to  contain  thirty -two  gallons.  The 
barrels  are  inspected  by  proper  officers  ;  a  cooper  examines  if  they  are  statuteable  and 
good  ;  if  faulty,  he  destroys  them,  and  obliges  the  maker  to  stand  to  the  loss. 

The  herrings  in  general  are  exported  to  the  West  Indies,  to  feed  the  negroes,  or  to 
Ireland,  for  the  Irish  are  not  allowed  to  fish  in  these  seas.  By  having  a  drawback  of 
five-pence  a  barrel,  and  by  repacking  ux  fish  in  new  ba:  ^rls  of  twenty-eight  gallons, 
they  are  enabled  to  export  them  to  our  colonies  at  a  cheaper  rate  than  the  Scots  can  do. 

The  trade  declines  a-pace ;  the  bounty,  which  was  well  paid  at  first,  kept  up  the 
spirit  of  the  fishery,  but  for  the  last  six  years  the  detention  of  the  arrears  has  been  very 
injurious  to  several  adventurers,  who  have  sold  out  at  thirty  per  cent  loss,  besides  that 
of  their  interest. 

The  migrations  of  the  herrings  have  been  very  fully  treated  of  in  the  third  volume  of 
the  British  Zoology :  it  is  superfluous  to  load  this  work  with  a  repetition,  I  shall  there- 
fore only  mention  the  observations  that  occur  to  me  in  this  voyage,  as  pertinent  to 
the  present  place. 

Loch-Broom  has  been  celebrated  for  three  or  four  centuries  as  the  resort  of  herrings. 
They  generally  appear  here  in  July  ;  those  tliat  turn  into  this  bay  are  part  of  the  brigade 
that  detaches  itself  from  the  western  column  of  that  great  army  that  annually  deserts 
the  vast  depths  of  the  iirctic  circle,  and  come,  heaven  directed,  to  tlie  seats  of  popula* 
tion,  offered  as  a  cheap  food  to  millions,  whom  wasteful  luxury  or  iron-hearted  avarice 
hath  deprived,  by  enhancing  the  price,  of  the  wonted  supports  of  the  poor. 

The  migration  of  these  fish  from  their  northern  retreat  is  regular :  their  visits  to 
the  western  isles  and  coasts  certain ;  but  their  attachment  to  one  particular  loch  ex- 
tremely precarious.  All  have  their  turns:  that  which  swarmed  with  fish  one  year, 
is  totally  deserted  the  following,  yet  the  next  loch  to  it  is  crowded  with  the  shoals. 
These  changes  of  place  give  often  full  employ  to  the  busses,  who  are  continually 
shifting  their  harbour  in  quest  of  news  respecting  these  important  wanderers. 

They  commonly  appear  here  in  July,  the  latter  end  of  August  they  go  into  deep 
water,  and  continue  there  for  some  time,  \iathout  any  apparent  cause ;  in  November 
they  return  to  the  shallows,  when  a  new  fishery  commences,  which  continues  till 
January,  at  that  time  the  herrings  become  full  (^  roe,,  and  are  useless  as  articles  of 
commerce.  Some  doubt  whether  these  herrings  that  appear  in  November  aie  not 
part  of  a  new  migration ;  for  they  are  as  fat,  and  make  the  same  appearance,  as  those 
that  composed  the  first,         ,,_.,. ;  :  a.     . 


'  ^.yw)M'.l.|l'i'ii"""*M.i»«rtn»'i.*'' 


sr 


■■■-4s:Vi:.  -JyfiTyf'': 


PENNANTS  SECOND  TOUR  IM  SCOTLAND. 


3n  »• 
0/ 


The  ugns  of  the  arrival  of  the  herrings  are  flocks  of  gulls,  who  catch  up  tlic  fish  whilr 
th?v  sk>m  on  the  surface  ;  and  of  gannets,  who  plunge  and  bring  them  up  from  con- 
siderabit  depths.    Both  these  birds  are  closely  attended  to  by  the  fishers. 

Cod'fish,  haddocks,  and  dog.fish,  follow  the  herrings  in  vast  multitudes  :  these  vora- 
cious fish  keep  on  the  outsides  of  the  columns,  and  may  be  a  concurrent  reason  of  driving 
the  shoals  into  bays  and  creeks.  In  summer  they  come  into  the  buys  generally  with  the 
warmest  weather,  and  with  easy  gales.  During  winter  the  hard  gales  from  north-west 
are  supposed  to  assist  in  forcing  them  into  shelter.  East  winds  are  very  unfavourable 
to  the  fishery. 

In  a  fine  day,  when  the  fish  appear  near  the  surface,  they  exhibit  an  amazing  brilliancy 
of  colours  :  all  the  various  coruscations  that  dart  from  the  diamond,  sapphire,  and  eme- 
rald, enrich  their  tract ;  but  during  night,  if  they  break,  i.  e.  play  on  the  surface,  the 
sea  appears  on  fire,  luminous  as  the  brightest  phosphorus. 

During  a  gate,  that  part  of  the  ocean  which  is  occupied  by  the  great  shoals  appears  as 
if  covered  with  the  oil  that  is  emitted  from  them. 

They  seem  to  be  greatly  affected  by  lightning :  during  that  phsnomenon  they  sink 
towards  the  bottom,  and  move  regularly  in  parallel  shoals,  one  above  the  other. 

The  enemies  that  assail  these  fish  in  the  winter  season  are  varied,  not  diminished :  of 
the  birds,  the  gannets  disappear ;  the  gulls  still  continue  their  persecutions ;  whales, 
pollacks,*  and  porpesses,  are  added  to  their  number  of  foes  :  these  follow  in  droves ;  the 
whales,  deliberately  opening  their  vast  mouths,  taking  them  by  hundreds.  These  mon* 
sters  keep  on  the  outside,  for  the  body  of  the  phalanx  of  herrings  is  so  thick  as  to  be  im- 
penetrable by  these  unwieldy  animals. 

The  herring-fishers  never  observe  the  remains  of  any  kind  of  food  in  the  stomachs  of 
that  fish,  as  long  as  they  are  in  good  condition :  as  soon  as  they  become  foul  or  poor, 
they  will  greedily  rise  to  the  fly,  and  be  taken  like  the  whiting-pollack. 

They  do  not  deposit  their  spawn  in  sand,  or  mud,  or  weeds,  like  other  fish,  but  leave 
it  in  the  water,  suspended  in  a  gelatinous  matter,  of  such  a  gravity  as  prevents  it  from 
floating  to  the  surface,  or  sinking  to  the  bottom.  The  fishermen  discover  this  by  find- 
ing the  slimy  matter  adhering  to  the  hay  ropes  sometimes  in  use  to  hold  the  stone  that 
smks  the  nets,  the  middle  part  being  slimed  over,  the  top  and  bottom  clear. 

Before  I  leave  this  bay  it  must  be  observed,  that  there  are  here,  as  in  most  of  the 
lochs,  a  few,  a  very  few  of  the  natives  who  possess  a  boat  and  nets,  and  fish  in  order  to 
sell  the  capture  fresh  to  the  busses :  the  utmost  these  poor  people  can  attain  to  are  the 
boat  and  nets  ;  they  are  too  indigent  to  become  masters  of  barrek,  or  of  salt,  to  the 
great  loss  of  the  public  as  well  as  themselves.  Were  magazines  of  salt  established  in 
ttwse  distant  parts,  was  encoufagement  given  to  these  distant  Britons,  so  that  they  might 
be  enabled  by  degrees  to  furnish  themselves  with  the  requisites  for  fishing,  they  would 
soon  form  themselves  into  seamen,  by  the  course  of  life  they  must  apply  themselves  to ; 
the  busses  would  be  ctrtai.i  of  finding  a  ready  market  of  fish  ready  cured  ;  the  natives 
taught  industry,  which  would  be  quickened  by  the  profits  made  by  the  commodity,  which 
they  might  afford  cheapev,  as  taken  at  their  very  doors,  without  the  wear  and  tear  of  distant 
voyages,  as  in  the  pre^tent  case.  Half  of  the  hands  employed  now  in  fishing  and  curing 
generally  come  out  as  raw  seamen  as  the  inhabitants  of  these  parts  :  they  do  not  return 
with  much  greater  experience  in  the  working  of  a  ship,  being  employed  entirely  in  the 
boats,  or  in  salting  oi  the  herrings,  and  seem  on  board  as  aukward  as  marines,  in  com- 
parison  of  able  seamen.   A  bounty  on  these  home  captures  would  stimulate  the  people 


VOL.  III. 


*  A  small  whale,  whose  species  I  cannot  determine. 

X  X 


JJ< 


PENNANT'S  SECOND  TOUR  IN  SCOTLAND. 


to  industry  ;  would  drive  from  their  minds  the  thoughts  of  migrations ;  and  would 
never  lessen  the  number  of  seamen,  as  it  would  be  an  incitement  for  more  adventurers 
to  fit  out  vessels,  because  they  would  have  a  double  chance  of  freight,  from  their  own 
captures,  and  from  those  of  tiic  residents,  who  might  form  a  stock  from  shoals  of  fish, 
which  often  escape  while  the  former  are  wind-bound,  or  wandering  from  loch  to  loch. 

July  29.  Weigh  anchor,  and  sajl  with  a  favourable  breeze  towards  the  mouth  of  the 
bay,  with  a  design  of  returning  south  ;  but  towards  evening  the  wind  changes,  cold 
weather  and  hard  adverse  gales  succeed,  which  oblige  us  to  tack  and  anchor  in  the  mouth 
of  Little  Loch-Broom,  an  arm  of  the  sea,  about  seven  miles  long,  and  not  half  a  mile 
broad,  bounded  by  high  mountains,  covered  in  many  parts  with  birch  woods.  The  hill 
Talloch-Essie  may  vie  with  the  highest  I  have  seen. 

For  two  hours  amuse  ourselves  with  taking  with  hand  lines  abundance  of  cod,  some 
dog-fish,  and  a  curious  ray. 

I'he  night  was  most  tempestuous :  our  situation  was  disagreeable,  as  Mr.  Thomp- 
son thought  our  vessel  would  drive,  and  that  he  should  be  obliged  to  cut  his  cables  and 
put  to  sea;  which,  under  the  circumstances  of  a  black  nightv  a  furious  storm,  and  rocky 
narrows,  did  not  contribute  to  the  repose  of  fresh- water  seamen. 

July  30.  The  wind  grows  moderate  :  in  weighing  anchor  discover  on  the  cable 
several  very  uncommon  asteriae.  No  sooner  was  our  anchor  on  board,  but  a  furious 
squall  arises,  and  blows  in  blasts  like  a  hurricane,  driving  us  before  it  at  a  vast  rate,  till 
we  arrived  within  a  mile  of  the  bottom  of  tlie  loch.  Drop  anchor,  but  without  effect; 
are  obliged  to  weigh  again,  while  the  furious  gale  engages  an  attention  to  the  sails,  and 
flings  u!f  into  a  double  perplexity  in  this  narrow  strait,  where  for  an  hour  our  tacks 
were  almost  perpetual,  and  the  vessel  frequt-ntiy  in  no  small  danger.  The  blasts  from 
the  mountains  were  tremendous,  not  only  raising  a  vast  sea,  but  catching  up  the  waves 
in  eddies,  and  raising  them  up  in  the  air  to  a  surprising  height.  At  length  we  were 
relieved  from  our  distress  by  a  successful  anchorage,  under  a  high  and  finely  wooded 
hill,  in  eight  fathom  water,  but  within  a  small  distance  of  eighty. 

Pi  oci.re  horses,  by  favour  of  Kenneth  Mac-kenzie,  Esq.  of  Dundonnel.  Ride  about 
a  mile  on  the  side  of  the  hill,  above  the  loch ;  arrive  in  a  small  but  fertile  plain,  winding 
among  the  vast  mountains,  and  adorned  with  a  pretty  river  and  woods  of  alder.  Here  we 
were  rejoiced  with  the  sight  of  enclosures  long  strangers  to  us  :  the  hay  was  good,  the 
bear  and  oats  excellent ;  but  the  manner  of  manuring,  called  in  these  parts  tathing,  was 
very  singular  :  many  of  the  fields  were  covered  with  the  boughs  of  alders,  lately  cut : 
these  are  left  during  the  whole  winter  to  rot;  in  March  the  ground  is  cleared  of 
the  undecayed  parts,  and  then  ploughed.  Fern  is  also  used  for  the  same  end.  Reach 

Dundonnel.  Determined  to  go  by  land  to  visit  Loch-maree,  a  great  lake  to  the  south ; 
and  direct  Mr.  Thompson  to  sail  and  wait  for  us  at  Gair.loch. 

We  found  ourselves  seated  in  a  spot  equalized  by  few  in  picturesque  and  magnificent 
scenery.  The  banks  of  the  river  that  rushes  by  the  house  are  fringed  with  trees,  and 
the  course  often  interrupted  by  cascades.  At  a  small  distance  the  ground  begins  to  rise : 
as  we  mount,  the  eyes  are  entertained  with  new  objects  ;  the  river  rolling  beneath  the 
dark  shade  of  alders,  an  extent  of  plain  composed  of  fields  bounded  by  groves  ;  and  as 
the  walk  advances,  appears  a  deep  and  tremendous  hollow,  shagged  with  trees,  and 
winding  far  amidst  the  hills.  We  are  alarmed  with  the  roar  of  invisible  cataracts,  long 
before  their  place  is  discovered ;  and  find  them  precipitating  themselves  down  narrow 
chasms  of  stupendous  depth,  so  narrow  at  top,  that  Highlanders  in  the  eagerness  of  the 
chase  will  fearlessly  spring  over  these  barathra.  They  meander  for  miles  amidst  the 
mountains,  and  are  the  agfe>wom  work  of  water,  branch  off  into  every  glen,  hid  with  trees 


PENNANT'S  SECOND  TOUR  IN  SCOTLAND. 


339 


long 


of  various  species.  Torrents  roll  over  their  bottoms,  often  darting  down  precipices  of  a 
thousand  forms,  losing  themselves  beneath  the  undermined  rocks,  and  ap|x^aring  again 
white  with  the  violence  of  the  fall.  By  laying  aside  the  boughs,  and  creeping  to  the 
▼erge,  got  sight  of  these  otherwise  latent  cataracts ;  but  the  prospect  sutticicntly  tired 
my  head.  Besides  these  darksome  waters,  multitudes  of  others  precipitate  themselves 
in  full  view  down  the  steep  sides  of  tlie  adjacent  hills,  and  create  for  several  hundreds 
effect  a  series  of  most  magnificent  falls. 

Above  rises  a  magnificent  hill,  which,  as  far  as  the  sight  can  reach,  is  clothed  with 
birch  and  pines^  the  shelter  of  stags,  roes,  and  black  game. 

To  the  west  is  a  view  where  the  awful,  or  rather  the  horrible,  predominates.  A 
chain  of  rocky  mountains,  some  conoid,  but  united  by  links  of  a  hei}i;ht  equal  to  most 
in  North  Britain,  with  sides  dark,  deep,  and  precipitous,  with  summits  broken,  shurp, 
serrated,  and  spiring  into  all  terrific  forms ;  with  snowy  glacieres  lodged  in  the  deep 
shaded  apertures.  These  crags  are  called  Squr.fein,  or  hills  of  wine :  they  rather  merit 
the  title  of  Squr>shain,  or  rocks  of  wind  ;  for  here  iEolus  may  be  said  to  make  his  rcsi* 
dence,  and  ever  employed  in  fabricating  blasts,  squalls,  and  hurricanes,  which  he  scat« 
ters  with  no  sparing  nand  over  the  subjacent  vales  and  lochs. 

July  31.  Most  agreeably  detained  with  the  good  family  of  Dundonnel  by  a  violent 
fall  of  rain,  which  rendered  the  waters  impassable.  Observe  after  dinner  that  cloud* 
berries,*  that  grow  on  the  adjacent  mountains,  were  served  as  a  desert. 

August  1.  After  taking  a  deoch-an-doruis,  or  a  door-cup,  proceed  south,  ascend  a 
steep  nill  far  above  a  bank  wooded  with  various  trees,  among  others  the  wych-elm 
grew  native.  To  the  west  were  the  vast  mountains,  naked,  rugged  and  dreary,  their 
bases  sloping,  furrowed  with  long  clefts,  emptying  their  precipitated  waters  into  the 
river  beneath.  Descend  into  a  vale  with  birch-trees  thinly  scattered  over  it ;  and  the 
extremity  ctossed  by  a  high  cock  wooded,  and  divided  in  the  middle  by  a  vast  and  foam- 
ing cataract,  the  waters  of  Loch-nan-niun,  or  the  lake  of  birds.  On  the  west  side  is  an 
amazing  mountain,  steepH  sloping,  composed  of  a  whitish  marble,  so  extensive,  smooth, 
glossy,  and  even, '  as  to  appear  like  an  enormous  sheet  of  ice  ;  and  is,  I  doubt  not,  as 
slippery.  Our  guide  called  the  hill  Lecach.  The  opposite  side  of  the  vale  was  preci. 
pitous ;  varied  with  trees  and  cascades,  that  fell  among  the  branches.  The  whole  of 
this  scene  was  truly  alpine. 

Ascend  again.  Arrive  amidst  strata  of  red  and  white  marble,  the  way  horrible, 
broken,  steep,  and  slippery ;  but  our  cautious  steeds  tried  every  step  before^they  would 
venture  to  proceed.  Black  morassy  heaths  succeed,  named  Glian-dochartai.  Dine  on 
the  side  of  a  rill  at  the  bottom,  on  plentiful  fare  provided  by  our  kind  host,  whose  son, 
Mr.  Mackenzie,  and  another  gentleman  of  the  name,  kindly  undertook  the  charge  of 
us  to  the  next  stage.  Ride  through  a  narrow  strath  called  Kin-loch-ewe,  where  we  first 
saw  the  signs  of  houses  and  a  little  cultivation  since  morning.  This  terminates  in  a 
meadowy  plain,  closed  at  the  end  with  Loch-maree :  the  night  proved  wet  and  tem- 
pestuous ;  we  therefore  determined  to  defer  the  voyage  till  the  next  day,  and  to  take 
shelter  in  a  whbke^  house,  the  inn  of  the  place.  Mr^  Mackenzie  complimented  Mr. 
Lightfoot  and  me  with  the  bedstead,  well  covered  with  a  warm  litter  of  heath :  we  lay  in 
our  clothes,  wrapped  ourselves  in  plaids,  and  enjoyed  a  good  repose.  We  slept  like  the 
Lusitanians  of  old,t  super  thoros  herbaceos.  Our  friends  did  not  lose  their  sleep ;  but 
great  was  our  surprise  to  see  them  form  their  bed  of  wet  hay,  or  rather  grass,  collected 
m)m  the  fields  i  uiey  flung  a  plaid  over  it,  undressed,  and  lay  most  comfortably,  without 


i 


*  Rubus  Chamaeinorus. 


X  X  2 


t  Strabo,tib.iii.  353. 


m^niF^^'^ 


340 


VENNANT'S  SECOND  TOUR  IN  SCOTLAND. 


injury,  in  what  in  a  little  time  must  have  become  an  errant  hot.bed ;  lo  blest  with  hardy 
constitutions  are  even  the  gentlemen  of  this  country  t 

August  2.  At  seven  in  the  morning  take  a  six-oared  boat,  at  the  east  end  of  Loch< 
maree  :  keep  on  the  north  shore  beneath  steep  rocks,  mostly  filled  with  pines  waving 
over  our  heads.  Observe  on  the  shore  a  young  man  of  good  appearance,  hailing  the 
boat  in  the  Erse  language.  I  demanded  what  he  wanted ;  was  informed  a  place  in  the 
lx)nt.  As  it  was  entirely  filled,  I  was  obliged  to  refuse  his  request.  He  follows  us  for 
two  miles  through  every  difficulty,  and  by  hu  voice  and  gestures  threatened  revenge. 
At  length  a  rower  thought  fit  to  acquaint  us  that  he  was  the  owner  of  the  boat,  and 
only  wanted  admission  in  lieu  of  one  of  them.  The  boat  was  ordered  to  shore,  and  the 
master  taken  in,  with  proper  upologies  and  attempts  to  soothe  him  for  his  hard  treatment. 
Instead  of  insultin^^  us  with  abuse,  as  a  Charon  of  South  Britain  would  have  done,  he 
instantly  composed  himself,  and  told  us,  through  an  interpreter,  that  he  felt  great  pride 
in  finding  that  his  conduct  had  guined  any  degree  of  approbation. 

Continue  our  course.  The  lake,  which  at  the  beginning  was  only  half  a  mile  broadf 
now,  nearly  half  its  length,  widens  into  a  great  bav,  bending  towards  the  south,  about 
four  miles  in  breadth,  filled  with  little  isles,  too  much  clustered  and  indistinct. 

Land  on  that  called  Inch-maree,  the  favoured  isle  of  the  saint,  the  patron  of  all  the 
coast  from  Applecross  to  Loch* Broom.  The  shores  are  neat  and  gravelly;  the  whole 
surface  covered  thickly  with  a  beautiful  grove  of  oak,  ash,  willow,  wicken,  birch,  fir, 
hazel,  and  enormous  hollies.  In  the  midst  is  a  circular  dike  of  stones,  with  a  regular 
narrow  entrance ;  the  inner  part  has  been  used  for  ages  as  a  burial-place,  and  is  still  in 
use.  I  suspect  the  dike  to  nave  been  originally  druidical,  and  that  the  ancient  supersti- 
tion of  Paganism  had  been  taken  up  by  the  saint,  as  the  readiest  method  of  making  a 
conquest  over  the  minds  of  the  inhabitants.  A  stump  of  a  tree  is  shewn  as  the  altar, 
probably  the  memorial  of  one  of  stone ;  but  the  curiosity  of  the  place  is  the  well  of  the 
saint,  of  power  unspeakable  in  cases  of  lunacy.  The  patient  is  brought  into  the  sacred 
island,  is  made  to  kneel  before  the  altar,  where  his  attendants  leave  an  offering  in  money : 
he  is  then  brought  to  the  well,  and  sips  some  of  the  holy  water ;  a  second  dfering  is 
made ;  that  done,  he  is  thrice  dipped  m  the  lake ;  and  the  same  operation  is  repeated 
every  day  for  some  weeks ;  and  it  often  happens,  by  natural  causes,  the  patient  receives 
some  relief,  of  which  the  saint  receives  the  credit.  I  must  add,  that  the  visitants  draw 
from  the  btate  of  the  well  an  omen  of  the  dbpoution  of  St.  Maree :  if  his  well  is  full, 
they  suppose  he  will  be  propitious ;  if  not,  they  proceed  in  their  operations  with  fears 
and  doubts ;  but  let  the  event  be  what  it  will,  he  is  held  in  high  esteekn :  the  common 
oath  of  the  country  is  by  his  name :  if  a  traveller  passes  by  any  of  his  resting-places,  he 
never  neglects  to  leave  an  o&ring ;  but  the  saint  is  so  moderate  as  not  to  {Mt  him  to  any 
expence :  a  stonct  a  stick,  a  bit  of  rag,  contents  him. 

This  is  the  most  beautiful  of  the  isles ;  the  others  have  only  a  few  trees  sprinkled  over 
their  surface. 

About  a  mile  farther  the  lake  again  contracts.  Pass  beneath  a  high  rock,  formed  of 
short  precipices,  with  shelves  between,  filled  with  multitudes  of  self-sown  pines,  making 
a  most  beautiful  appearance. 

The  south  side  of  the  water  is  bounded  with  mountains,  adorned  with  birch  woods, 
mixed  with  a  few  pines:  a  military  road  runs  along  its  length.  The  mountains  are 
not  very  high,  but  open  in  many  parts  to  give  a  view  of  others,  whose  naked  and 
broken  tops,  shooting  into  sharp  crags,  strangely  diversify  the  scene,  and  form  a  noble 
termination. 


' '--  ■■ ' '  in  ifiHirriMlttiMHIIIjS^ 


"■»W.w 


i'ENNAHTS  SECOND  TOUR  IN  SCOTLAND  34) 

Towards  the  bottom  of  the  lake  is  a  headiand,  6nely  wooded  to  the  very  summit. 
Here  the  wutc  suddenly  narrows  to  the  breadth  of  a  hundred  yards,  and  continuiH  so 
for  near  a  mite,  the  banks  clothtd  with  trees,  and  often  bending  into  little  semilunar 
bays  to  the  verv  extremity ;  from  whence  its  waters,  after  the  course  of  a  mile,  a  con- 
tinuul  rapide,  discharge  into  a  deep  and  darksome  hole,  called  Pool-fiwe,  which  opens 
into  the  large  bay  of  Loch-I'.we^ 

The  lake  we  had  left  ii)  ei^een  miles  long :  the  waters  are  said  to  be  specifically 
lighter  than  most  others,  and  very  rarely  frozen  :  the  depth  is  various,  in  some  places 
sixty  fathoms ,  but  the  bottom  is  very  uneven :  if  ten  feet  of  water  were  drained  away, 
the  whole  would  sppear  a  chain  of  little  lakes. 

The  fish  are  salmon,  char,  and  trout ;  of  the  last  is  a  species  weighing  thirty  pounds. 

Land ;  are  received  by  the  Rev.  Mr.  Dounie,  minister  of  Gairloch,  whom  we  attend 
to  church,  and  hear  a  very  edifying  plain  comment  on  a  portion  of  scripture.  He  takes 
us  home  with  him,  and  by  his  hospitality  makes  us  experience  the  difference  between 
the  lodgings  of  the  two  nights. 

August  3.  Take  a  view  of  the  environs :  visit  the  mouth  of  the  river,  where  the 
saImon>fishery  supplies  the  tenant  with  three  or  four  lasts  of  fish  annually.  On  the 
bank  are  the  remains  of  a  very  ancient  iron  furnace.  Mr.  Dounie  has  seen  the  back 
of  a  grate,  marked  S.  G.  Hay,  or  sir  George  Hay,  who  was  head  of  a  company  here 
in  the  time  of  the  queen  Regent,  and  is  supposed  to  have  chosen  this  remote  place  for 
the  sake  of  quiet  in  those  turbulent  times. 

Potatoes  are  raised  here  on  the  very  peat.moors,  without  any  other  drains  than  the 
trenches  between  the  beds.     The  potatoes  are  kiln-dried  for  preservation. 

It  is  to  be  hoped  that  a  town  will  form  itself  here,  as  it  is  the  station  of  a  government 
packet.^that  sails  regularly  from  hence  to  Stornaway,  in  Lewis,  a  place  now  growing 
considerable,  by  the  encouragement  of  lord  Seaforth,  the  proprietor.  This  is  a  spot 
of  much  concourse ;  for  here  terminates  the  military  road,  which  crosses  from  the  east 
to  the  west  sea,  commencing  at  Inverness,  and  passing  by  Fair.burn  and  Strath-braan  to 
this  place.  Yet  I  believe  the  best  inn  on  the  last  thirty  miles  is  that  of  Mr.  Roderick 
Mac-donald,  our  landlord  the  last  night  but  one. 

Ride  above  six  miles  south,  and  reach  Gair.loch,  consisting  of  a  few  scattered  houses, 
on  a  fine  bay  of  the  same  name.  Breakfast  at  Flowerdale,  a  good  house,  beautifully 
seated  beneath  hills  finely  wooded.  This  is  the  seat  of  sir  Hector  Mackenzie,  whose 
ancestor  received  a  writ  of  fire  and  sword  against  the  ancient  rebellious  owners :  he  sue* 
ceeded  in  this  commission,  and  received  their  lands  for  his  pains. 

The  parish  of  Gair-loch  is  very  extensive,  and  the  number  of  inhabitants  evidendy 
increase,  owing  to  the  simple  method  of  life,  and  the  convetiiency  they  have  of  drawing 
a  support  from  the  fishery.  If  a  young  man  is  possessed  of  a  herring.net,  a  hand-line, 
and  three  or  four  cows,  he  immediately  thinks  himself  able  to  support  a  family,  and  mar- 
ries.   The  present  number  of  souls  are  about  two  thousand  eight  hundred. 

Herrings  oficr  themselves  in  shoals  from  June  to  January  :  cod-fish  abound  on  the 
great  sand-bank,  one  corner  of  which  reaches  to  this  bay,  and  is  supposed  to  extend  as 
far  as  Cape-Wrath,  and  south  as  low  as  Rona,  off"  Skie ;  with  various  branches,  all 
swarming  with  cod  and  ling.  The  fishery  is  carried  on  with  log-lines,  begins  in  Fe- 
bruary, and  ends  in  April.  The  annual  capture  is  uncertain,  from  five  to  twenty, 
seven  thousand.  The  natives  labour  under  some  oppressions,  which  might  be  easily  re- 
moved,  to  the  great  advancement  of  this  commerce.  At  present  the  fish  are  sold  to 
some  merchants  from  Campbeltown,  who  contracted  for  them  with  the  liurd,  at  two< 


i 


942 


PENNAKT'S  8CC0>a)  TOUR  IN  SCOTLAND 


IKnce-halfpcnny  a  piece,  aher  being  cured  and  dried  in  the  sun.  The  merchants  take 
only  those  that  measure  eighteen  inches  from  the  gills  to  the  setting  on  of  the  tail,  and 
oblige  the  people  to  let  tiKm  have  two  for  one  of  all  that  are  licneath  that  length.  The 
fish  arc  sent  to  Bilboa  :  ling  has  also  been  carried  there,  but  was  rejected  by  the  Spa- 
niards. This  trade  is  far  from  bcirig  pushed  to  its  full  extent,  is  monopolized,  and 
the  poor  fishers  cruelly  forced  to  sell  their  fish  for  three-hulfiience  a  piece  to  those  who 
sell  it  to  the  merchants. 

The  want  of  a  town  is  very  sensibly  felt  in  all  those  parts :  there  is  no  one  commo- 
dity, no  one  article  of  life,  or  implement  of  fishery,  but  what  is  gotten  with  difficulty, 
and  at  a  great  price«  brought  from  a  distance  by  those  who  are  to  make  advantage  of 
the  necessities  of  the  people.  It  is  much  to  be  lamented  that,  after  the  example  of  the 
carl  of  Scaforth,  they  do  not  collect  a  numlier  of  inhabitants  by  feuing  their  lands,  or 
granting  leases  for  a  length  of  years  for  building ;  but  still  so  much  of  the  spirit  of  the 
chieftain  remains,  that  tney  dread  giving  an  independency  to  their  people ;  a  false  pO' 
Hey !  as  it  would  enrich  both  parties,  and  make  the  landlord  more  respectable,  as  master 
of  a  set  of  decent  tenants,  than  of  thousands  of  bare-footed  half- starved  vassals.  At 
present  adventurers  from  distant  parts  take  the  employ  from  the  natives :  a  town  would 
create  a  market ;  a  market  would  soon  occasion  a  concour*  ^  shii)ping,  who  would 
tlien  arrive  with  a  certainty  of  a  cargo  ready  taken  for  them  i  aiid  the  mutual  wants  of 
stranger  and  native  would  be  supplied  at  an  easy  rate. 

These  and  various  other  hints,  flung  out  to  this  respectable  part  of  our  island,  in  dif- 
ferent parts  of  these  travels,  have  been  adopted,  and  acts  of  parliament  framed  to  carry 
them  into  execution.  I  have  only  to  wish  every  success  to  their  efforts  ;  and  shall  think 
labours  undergone  in  pointing  out  to  my  northern  fellow -subjects  their  local  advan- 
tages fully  repaid,  by  the  reflection  of  having  by  my  mite  contributed  to  their  happiness 
and  improvement.  Let  them  not  fight  with  the  heavens,  and  they  will  succeea.  Let 
them  cnerish  men,  cattle,  and  fisheries,  and  the  benefits  will  be  felt  from  the  extreme 
north  to  the  most  southern  promontory  of  our  happy  island. 

By  example  of  a  gentleman  or  two,  some  few  improvements  in  farming  appear. 
Lime  is  burnt ;  sea-tang  used  as  manure  ;  and  shell  sand  imported  by  such  who  can 
afford  the  freight.  But  the  best  trade  at  present  is  cattle :  about  five  hundred  are  an- 
nually sold  out  of  this  parish,  from  the  price  of  one  pound  seven  to  two  pounds  five  a 
piece.  About  eighty  norses,  at  three  pounds  each,  and  a  hundred  and  fifVy  sheep,  at 
three  pounds  per  score.  The  cattle  am  blooded  at  spring  and  fall :  the  blood  is  pre- 
servea,  to  be  eaten  cold. 

We  found  our  vessel  safely  arrived  at  anchor,  with  many  others,  under  the  shelter  of 
a  little  isle,  on  the  south  side  of  the  bay.  Weigh  and  get  under  sail  with  a  good  breeze. 
Pass  by  the  mouth  of  Loch-Torridon  :  a  few  leagues  farther  by  Apple-cross  bay,  small, 
with  populous  and  well  cultivated  shores.  The  back  ground  most  uncommonly  moun- 
tainous. 

Apple-cross  house  is  inhabited  by  a  most  hospitable  gentleman,  as  fame  reports :  we 
lamented  therefore  our  inability  to  pay  our  respects. 

On  the  right  leave  the  isles  of  Rona  and  Rasa  and  Scalpay  :  before  us  is  Croulin, 
and  beyond  soar  the  vast  hills  of  Skie.  SaiJ  close  under  Croulin,  inhabited  by  two 
families,  producing  a  little  com  and  a  few  cattle.  AlitiOst  opposite  to  its  southern  end 
is  the  common  entrance  into  the  two  great  lochs,  Kissernc  and  Carron. 

Pass  the  sound  between  Skie  and  Kintaili  anchor  sdwut  nine  o'clock*  and  once  more 
sleep  beneath  Mac-kinnou's  castle. 


U.V: 


PENNANT'S  SCCOND  TOUM  IN  SCOTLAND. 


349 


August  i.  In  sailing  down  the  bay,  had  to  the  north-east  a  full  view  or  KitUuil  in  Rois- 
shire,  uic  original  (teat  of  the  Muc-kcnzies,  or  rather  Mac-Kenncthn,'*  a|)utronyniic  from 
their  great  ancestor  Kenneth,  son  of  Colin  Fitzgerald,  of  the  house  of  Desmond  in 
Ireland.  To  him  Alexander  III.  made  u  grant  of  these  lands  for  his  good  scrvice<i  at 
the  battle  of  Largs.  His  posterity,  a  warlike  race«  filk-d  ull  the  KukU  ;  for  the  heroes 
of  North.Britain,  like  Polypes,  multiply  the  more  exceedingly  by  cuts  and  wounds. 

Leave  to  the  vant  the  fniruiicc  into  Loch-Uing  and  Loch-duuch  ;  two  miles  from  the 
south  side  of  the  last  are  ttie  dangerous  passes  of  Glen-sheil  and  Strachcll ;  where,  on 
June  the  10th,  1719,  a  pttty  rebellion,  projected  by  Cardinal  Alberoni,  and  to  have 
been  supported  by  the  Spaniards,  was  suppressed.  A  tempest  dispersed  the  hostile 
squadron,  and  only  about  three  hundred  forces  arrived.  The  Highlanders  made  a  poor 
stund  at  Strachell ;  but  were  quickly  put  to  flight,  when  they  had  an  op|X)rtunity  of 
destroying  the  king's  forces  by  rollinfj;  down  stones  from  the  heights.  I  must  not  omit, 
that  among  the  clans  that  appeared  in  a;ms  was  a  large  body  lent  by  a  neighbouring 
chieftain,  merely  for  the  battle  of  that  one  day  ;  and  win  or  lose  was  to  return  home  that 
night. 

Pass  through  the  Kil-ru,  buflfettcd  severely  on  the  way  by  violent  squalls.  Land  on 
the  east  side  in  the  parish  of  Glenelg,  in  the  county  of  Inverness.  The  vessel  anchors 
three  miles  distant  on  the  oppoiiite  side  of  the  bay,  under  Skic. 

Walk  up  to  the  church  ;  and  observe  near  it  a  singular  tree,  whose  lioughs  had  bent 
to  the  ground,  and  taking  root  formed  a  strange  arbour.  Pass  by  the  barracks  of  Ber- 
nera,  built  in  1723,  handsome  and  capacious,  designed  to  hold  two  hundred  men: 
at  present  occupied  by  a  corporal  and  six  soldiers.  The  country  lament  this  neglect. 
They  are  now  quite  sensible  of  the  good  effects  of  the  military,  by  introducing  peace  and 
security  ;  they  fear  lest  the  evil  days  should  return,  and  the  ancient  theAs  be  renewed, 
as  soon  as  the  banditti  find  this  protection  of  the  people  removed. 

Walk  up  the  valley  of  Gleii-clg,  or  the  vale  of  Deer:  visit  Mr.  Macleod,  the 
minister,  and  receive  all  the  welcome  that  the  Ros  angusta  Domiks  would  permit.  He 
shewed  us,  at  a  small  distance  from  his  house,  the  remains  of  a  mine  of  black  lead,  ne* 
glected  on  account  of  the  poverty  of  what  the  adventurers  found  near  the  surface  ;  but 
it  is  probable,  that  at  a  proper  depth  it  may  be  found  to  equal  that  of  Cumberland.  A 
poor  kind  of  bog  iron  ore  is  also  found  here. 

Above  the  manse,  on  the  top  of  a  hill,  is  a  British  fortreiss,  diked  round  with  stone, 
and  in  the  middle  is  the  vestige  of  a  circular  inclosure,  perhaps  of  a  building,  the  shelter 
of  the  oiHccrs.  Within  sight  is  another  of  these  retreats,  which  are  called  in  the  Erse, 
Bkdhun,  or  the  place  of  refuge. 

•  These  were  the  chief  gentlemen,  in  Ifion,  in  the  sheriffdom  of  Inverness,  which  at  that  time  includ. 
ed  the  ihire  of  that  name«  itoss,  Strathnavern,  CaithncsK,  Sutherland,  and  the  Northern  Hebrides. 


Macloyd,  of  Lewes, 
Macloyd>  of  liarries, 
Donald  Gormesoun, 
Macneil  of  Barray, 
Mulcalloun,  ofRosay, 
John  Mudiart,  captain  of 

the  Clanrannalts, 
The  laird  of  Glengarry, 
The  L.  of  Kneydart, 
Mac-kenzic, 
L.  of  Gurloche, 
L.  of  Balnagowne) 


L.  of  Fowles, 

Sherrife  of  Cromartie, 

Dumbeith, 

Forse, 

Otunsceale,       ' 

Mackye, 

Neil  Hutchesoun,  in  Assent, 

Mackentokche,  captain  of  the 

Clanchaniroun, 
L.  of  Glenewes, 
Raynold  Mac«raynold,  of 

Kcppschc. 


■■'■^:i<ii:^a^iki-'m^^xMw^''M-: 


.144 


PBldf  ANTS  IBCONO  TOUtt  IN  ICOTUIND. 


I 


This  valley  is  the  property  of  Mr.  Macleod,  of  Dunve^an,  acquired  by  a  marriage  of 
an  ancestor  with  a  daushter  of  lord  Briaaet.  The  parish  is  of  vast  extent,  and  comprC' 
hends  Knodiurt  and  North  Morar.  Glenelg  has  near  seven  hundred  inhabitants,  all 
protectants  i  the  other  two  disihcta  are  almost  entirely  of  the  popiah  persuasion.  The 
reader,  who  has  the  curiosity  to  know  the  number  of  Roman  Catholics  in  these  parts  of 
North  Britain,  may  satisfy  his  curiosity  in  the  Appendix,  from  an  abstract  taken  from  the 
Report  made  by  the  gentlemen,  appointed  by  the  General  AnHrmbly,  in  1760,  to  visit 
these  remote  Highlands,  and  the  Hebrides,  for  the  purpose  of  inquiring  into  the  state  of 
religion  in  those  parts. 

This  part  ofGlen-EIg  is  divided  into  twovallies ;  Glen*more,  where  the  barracks  are, 
from  which  is  a  military  road  of  fifty^one  miles  extent,  reaching  to  Fort-Augustus  : 
the  other  is  Glen-beg.  The  parish  sends  out  a  considerable  number  of  cattle  :  these 
vallies  would  be  fertile  in  com,  was  it  not  for  the  plague  of  rain,  which  prevents  tillage  to 
such  a  degree,  that  the  poor  inhabitants  feel  the  same  distresses  as  their  neighbours. 

VValk  back  by  the  barracks  to  Glen.beg,  to  visit  the  celebrated  edifices  attributed  to 
the  Danes  :  the  first  in  placed  about  two  miles  from  the  mouth  of  the  valley.  The 
more  entire  side  appears  of  a  most  elegant  taper  form :  the  present  height  is  thirty  feet 
six  inches  ;  but  in  1722,  some  Goth  purloined  from  the  top  seven  feet  and  a  half, 
under  pretence  of  applying  the  materials  to  certain  public  buildings.  By  the  sppear- 
ancc  of  some  ruins  that  now  lie  at  the  ba!«c,  and  which  have  fallen  off  since  that  time, 
I  believe  three  feet  more  may  be  added  to  the  height,  which  will  make  the  whole  about 
forty-one. 

The  whole  is  built  with  dry  walls,  but  the  courses  most  beautifully  disposed.  On 
one  side  is  a  breach  of  at  least  one  quarter  of  the  circumference.  The  diameter  within 
is  thirty-threc  feet  and  a  luilf,  taken  at  a  distance  of  ten  feet  fVom  the  bottom  :  the  wall  in 
that  part  is  seven  feet  four  inches  thick,  but  b  formed  thinner  and  thinner  till  it  reaches 
the  top,  whose  breadth  I  forgot  to  cause  to  be  measured.  This  inside  wall  is  quite  per. 
pendicular,  so  that  the  inner  diameter  must  have  been  equal  from  top  to  bottom  :  but 
the  exterior  wall  slopes,  encreasing  in  thickness  till  it  reaches  the  ground. 

In  the  thickness  of  the  wall  were  two  Ralleries  ;  one  at  the  lower  part,  about  six  feet 
two  inches  high,  ar<d  two  feet  five  at  tne  bottom,  narrowing  to  the  top;  flas;ged, 
and  also  covered  over  with  great  flat  stones.  This  gallery  ran  quite  round,  and  that 
horizontally,  but  was  divided  into  apartments:  in  one  place  with  six  flags,  placed  equi. 
distant  from  each  qthcr ;  and  were  accessible  above,  by  means  of  a  hde  from  another 
gallery :  into  the  lower  were  two  entrances  (before  the  ruin  of  the  other  side  there  had 
been  two  others)  above  each  of  these  entrances  were  a  row  of  holes,  running  up  to  the 
top,  divided  by  flags,  appearing  like  shelves :  near  the  top  was  a  circle  of  projecting 
stones,  which  probably  were  intended  to  hold  the  beams  that  formed  the  roof:  above 
is  another  hole  like  the  former.  None  of  these  openings  pass  through,  for  there  is  not 
the  appearance  of  window  nor  opening  on  the  outside  wall.  All  these  holes  are  square ; 
are  too  small  to  admit  the  human  body,  so  were  probably  designed  to  lodge  arms,  and 
different  other  matters,  secure  from  wet  or  harm. 

Over  the  first  gallery  was  another,  divided  from  it  only  by  flags.  This  also  went 
round,  but  was  free  from  any  separation :  the  height  was  five  feet  six ;  only  twenty 
inches  wide  at  bottom.    This  was  also  covered  with  flags  at  top. 

At  a  distance  above,  in  the  broken  sides  of  the  wall,  was  another  hole ;  but  it  seemed 
too  small  for  a  gallery.  The  ascent  was  not  safe,  so  coukl  not  venture  up.  The  height 
was  taken  by  a  little  boy,  who  scrambled  to  the  top. 


Lf.^j 


■iv a.iwciv».i»'-— awLu*   ■ 


■ismmmmtm 


niTMANri  ICCOND  TOUR  IN  ICOTLANU. 


345 


The  entrance  wu  a  iquarc  hole,  on  the  west  side :  before  it  were  tltc  remuiti.1  of 
gome  btMlding,  with  a  narrow  opening  that  led  to  the  door.  Almost  contiguous  to  this 
entntnce,  or  portico,  was  a  small  circle  formed  of  rude  stones,  which  was  callrd  tlic 
foundation  of  the  Druids'  houses.  It  probably  was  formed  for  some  religious  pur. 
pose.    I  was  tolo  there  were  raant.  othcrH  of  this  kind  scattered  over  the  valley. 

At  less  thai,  a  auarter  of  a  mile  distant  from  this  stands  the  second  tower,  on  a  little 
flat  on  the  side  of  the  UWl  The  form  is  similar,  but  the  number  of  galleries  diflcrs  : 
here  are  three,  the  lowest  Roes  entirely  round ;  but  at  the  east  end  is  an  aperture,  now  of 
a  small  depth,  but  once  of  such  extent,  that  the  goats  which  sheltered  in  it  were  often 
lost :  on  that  account  the  entrance  was  filled  with  stones.  This  is  six  feet  high,  four 
feet  two  inches  broad,  and  flagged  above  and  below. 

A  second  gallery  was  of  the  same  height,  but  the  breadth  of  the  floor  only  three  feet 
five. 

The  third  gallery  was  of  such  difficult  access,  that  I  did  not  attempt  to  get  up :  it 
was  so  narrow  and  low,  that  it  was  with  difliculty  that  the  child  who  climbed  to  it  could 
creeo  through. 

Tne  present  height  of  this  tower  is  only  twenty.four  feet  five  inches ;  the  diameter 
thirty  ;  the  thickness  of  the  lower  part  of  the  wall  twelve  feet  four. 

I  could  not  perceive  any  traces  of  the  winding  stairs  mentioned  by  Mr.  Gordon :  but 
OS  these  buildings  have  suffered  greatly  since  that  gentleman  saw  them,  1  have  no  doubt 
of  his  accuracy. 

These  were  in  all  probabilitv  places  of  defence ;  but  it  is  difficult  to  say  any  thing  on 
the  subject  of  their  origin,  or  by  what  nation  they  were  erected.  They  are  called  here 
Caisteal  Teilbah,  or  tne  castles  of  Teilba,  built  by  a  mother  for  her  four  sons,  as  tra- 
dition, delivered  in  this  translation  of  four  Erse  lines,  informs : 

Mf  four  tont,  a  fair  clan, 
I  left  in  the  Strath  of  one  glen } 
M7  Malcombt  my  lovely  Chonil, 
My  Telve,  my  Troddain. 

There  had  been  two  others,  now  totally  demolished,  and  each  named  after  her  chiU 
dren.  Mr.  Gordon  mentions  others  of  this  kind ;  one  at  Glen«dunin,  two  at  Easter 
Feam  in  Ross-shire,  and  two  or  three  in  lord  Reay's  country :  one  of  which  is  called 
the  Dune  of  Domadilla,  from  ^.n  imaginary  prince,  who  reigned  two  hundred  and  sixty 
years  before  the  christian  aera.  This  appears  to  be  so  well  described  by  an  anonymous 
writer  in  the  Edinburgh  niagazine,  that  it  will  possibly  be  acceptable  to  the  reader  to 
find  it  copied  in  the  note.  *  * 


*  "  In  tbfi  moat  northern  part  of  Scotland,  callrJ  lord  Reay's  country,  not  far  from  Tongue,  and  near 
the  head  of  the  river  whkh  runt  into  the  North  Sc&  at  lAch-Eribol,  ia  the  remains  of  a  stone  tower,  which 
I  apprehend  to  be  a  Druidic  work,  and  to  be  the  greatest  piece  of  antiquity  in  this  island.  It  is  surpri- 
sing that  It  is  so  little  known  even  to  the  natives  of  that  country  :  I  don't  remember  to  have  ever  seen  it 
lacntioned  in  any  book  whatever,  nor  do  I  recollect  whether  Mr.  Pennant  has  received  any  inrormation 
concerning  It.  This  tower  is  called  by  the  neighbouring  inhabitants,  the  Dune  of  Uornadiila.  It  is  of  a 
circular  form,  and  now  nearly  resembling  the  fnutrvm  of  a  cone:  whether,  when  perfect,  it  terminated 
in  a  point,  I  cantxn  pretend  to  guess  {  but  it  sesms  to  have  been  formerly  higher,  by  the  rubbish  which 
lies  round  it.  It  is  built  of  stone,  without  cement,  and  I  take  it  to  be  between  20  and  30  feet  high  still. 
The  entrance  is  by  a  very  low  and  narrow  door,  to  pais  through  which  one  is  obliged  to  stoop  much ;  but, 
perhapa,  the  ground  may  have  been  raised  since  the  first  erection. 

*<  When  one  is  got  in,  and  placed  in  the  centre,  it  is  open  over  head.  All  round  the  sides  of  the  walls 
are  ranged  stone  shelves,  one  above  another,  like  the  shelves  in  a  circular  twaufait,  reaching  from  near  the 
bottom  to  the  top.    The  stones  which  compose  these  ahelves  are  supported  chiefly  by  the  stones  which 

VOL.    III.  t    Y 


11 


!»'■ 


346 


PENNANT'S  SECOND  TOUR  IN  SCOTLAND. 


The  rain,  which  poured  a  deluge  during  the  whole  of  this  walk,  attended  with  a  most 
violent  gale,  prevented  us  from  going  abroad :  but  we  found  a  most  comfortable  lodg- 
ing under  the  hospitable  roof  of  the  good  minister. 

August  5.  The  whole  morning  continued  wet  and  boisterous.  In  the  evening  cross 
over  to  Skie  :  see,  near  the  shore,  cut  on  the  live  rock,  an  inscription  in  rude  charac- 
ters. It  must  have  been  of  great  antiquity,  as  it  was  discovered  by  the  accidental  digging 
of  p^^at  at  the  depth  of  four  feet. 

August  6.  Weigh  anchor  at  eight  o'clock  in  the  morning,  and  turn  out  with  wind 
and  tide  adverse.  After  a  struggle  of  three  or  four  miles,  put  into  Luch-Jurn,  or  the 
lake  of  hell,  on  the  Inverness  coast,  and  anchor  about  two  o'clock  near  a  little  ule  to  the 
south  side,  four  miles  ivithin  the  mouth.  Land  on  the  north  side,  three  miles  distant 
from  our  ship,  and  visit  Mr.  Macleod  of  Arnisdale :  I  shall  never,  forget  the  hospitality 
of  the  house  :  before  I  could  utter  a  denial,  three  glasses  of  rum  cordializcd  with  jellv 
of  bilberries,  were  poured  into  me  by  the  irresistible  hand  of  ^ood  Madam  Maclieoa. 
Messrs.  Lightfoot  and  Stuart  sallied  out  in  high  spirits  to  botanize  :  I  descended  to  my 
boat,  to  make  the  voyage  of  the  lake. 

Steer  S.  £.  After  a  small  space  the  water  widens  into  a  large  bay,  bending  to  the  south, 
which  bears  the  name  of  Barrisdale  :  turn  suddenly  to  the  east,  and  pass  through  a  very 
narrow  strait,  with  several  little  isles  on  the  outside ;  the  water  of  a  great  depth,  and 
the  tide  violent.  For  four  miles  before  us  the  loch  was  straight,  but  of  an  oval  form  ; 
then  suddenly  contracts  a  second  time.  Beyond  that  was  another  reach,  and  an  instan- 
taneous and  agreeable  view  of  a  great  fleet  of  busses,  and  all  the  busy  apparatus  of  the 
herring  fishery  ;  with  multitude  of  little  occasional  hovels  and  tents  on  the  shore,  for  the 
accommodation  of  the  crews,  and  of  the  country  people,  who  resort  here  at  this  season 
to  take  and  sell  herrings  to  the  p'rangers.  An  unexpected  sight  at  the  distance  of  thirteen 
mi'es  from  the  sea,  amidst  the  wildest  scene  in  nature. 

A  little  farther  the  loch  suddenly  turns  due  south,  and  has  a  very  narrow  inlet  to  a 
third  reach  :  this  strait  is  so  shallow  as  to  be  fordable  at  the  ebb  of  spring-tides ;  yet 
has  within,  the  depth  of  ten  and  seventeen  fathom  :  the  length  is  about  a  mile ;  the 
breadth  a  quarter.  About  seven  years  ago  it  was  so  filled  with  herrings,  that  had 
crowded  in,  that  the  boats  could  not  force  their  way,  and  thousands  lay  dead  on 
the  ebb. 

The  scenery  that  surrounds  the  whole  of  this  lake  has  an  Alpine  wildness  and  magni- 
ficence i  the  hills  of  an  enor^riotis  iieight,  and  for  the  most  part  clothed  with  extensive 


^ 
A 


I 


form  the  v.  alls,  and  which  project  all  rnv.nd  just  in  that  place  where  the  shelvea  are  and  in  no  others;  each 
of  the  vhel  t^cs  is  separated  into  several  divisions  as  in  a  tx>ok  case.  There  is  some  remains  of  an  awkward 
stair-case.  What  use  the  shelves  could  be  applied  to  I  cannot  conceive.  It  could  not  be  of  any  mili- 
tary use.  from  its  situation  at  the  bottom  of  a  sloping  hill,  which  wholly  commands  it.  The  most  learned 
among  the  inhabitants,  such  as  the  gentry  and  clergy,  who  all  speak  the  Irish  language,  could  give  no 
inforn-.ation  or  tradition  concerning  its  use,  or  the  origin  and  meaning  of  its  name.  But  somt:  years  since  I 
happened,  at  an  auction  of  books  in  London,  to  look  into  a  French  book,  containing  Gaulish  antiquities, 
and  there  I  saw  a  print  of  the  remains  of  a  Druidic  temple  in  France,  which  greatly  resembles  the  towsr 
I  am  speaking  of,  having  like  shelves  in  it.  And  reading  a  late  pamphlet  on  the  antiquity  of  the  Irish  lan- 
guage, I  thitik  I  can  parUy  trace  the  origia  of  the  name  DomadiUa.  At  page  24,  the  author  says,  that 
Dom  means  a  round  stone,  so  that  abdorn  would  mean  the  round  stone  of  the  priests ;  na  is  of,  and  Di  is 
God ;  at  page  45,  he  says,  in  the  last  line,  uUa  means  a  place  of  devotion  ;  so  ihat  Dom-na  Di-ulia 
will  signify  tiie  round  stone  place  of  the  worship  of  God  ;  or  perhaps  it  might  allude  to  some  round  stone 
preserved  within  as  a  sacred  emblem  of  divinity.  Ad  I  am  not  acqi'ainted  with  the  Irish  language,  if  any 
pf  your  correspondents  can  give  any  better  account,  either  of  the  nature  of  such  Druidic  temples,  or  of  this 
name  in  particular,  it  will  perhaps,  be  acceptable  to  others,  af  well  as  your  humble  servant." 


V_" 


'■'^'W?*»'*M'>'"'i 


PENNANT'S  SECOND  TOUR  IN  SClOTLAND. 


347 


forests  of  oak  and  birch,  often  to  the  ?ery  summits.  In  many  places  are  extensive 
tracts  of  open  space,  verdant,  and  only  varied  with  a  few  trees  scattered  over  them : 
amidst  the  thicllest  woods  aspire  vast  gray  rocks,  a  noble  contrast !  nor  are  the  bft^ 
headlands  a  less  embellishment ;  for  through  the  trees  that  wave  on  their  summit  is  an 
awful  sight  of  sky,  and  spiring  summits  of  vast  mountains. 

On  the  south  side,  or  the  country  of  Knodyart,  are  vast  numbers  of  pines,  scattered 
among  the  other  trees,  and  multitudes  of  young  ones  springing  up.  A  conflagration  had 
many  years  ago  destroyed  a  fine  forest ;  a  loss  which,  m  a  little  time,  it  is  to  be  hoped 
will  be  repaired.  Besides  this,  I  can  add  some  other  pine  forests  to  my  former  list  :* 
that  near  Loch.maree ;  Abemethy,  and  Roth-murchu ;  both  belonging  to  gentlemen 
of  the  name  of  Grant ;  Glen-more,  the  duke  of  Gordon's :  and  Glen-tancr,  the  pro- 
perty of  lord  Aboyne.  Our  old  botanists  are  silent  about  these  British  productions, 
till  the  time  of  Mr.  Evct;^  and  Mr.  Ray.  This  species  of  pine  seems  not  to  have  been 
cultivated  in  England,  tkl  the  former,  as  he  says,  received  some  seeds  from  that  unhappy 
person,  the  late  Marquis  of  Argyle  :  but  Speed,  in  his  chronicle,  mentions  the  vast  size 
of  those  on  the  banks  of  Loch-Ai^icke,  and  their  fitness  for  masts,  as  appeared  by  the 
report  from  commissioners  sent  there  for  that  purpose  in  the  time  of  Jamesf  VI. 
Taylor,  the  water.poet,  speaks  in  high  terms  of  those  m  Brae-mar,  *'  That  there  are  as 
many  as  will  serve  to  the  end  of  the  world,  for  all  the  shippes,  carracks,  hoyes,  galleys, 
boates,  drumlers,  barkes  and  water  craftes,  that  are  now  in  the  world,  or  can  be  these 
forty  years." J  . : ,  ■ 

It  is  not  wonderful,  that  the  imagination,  amidst  these  darksome  and  horrible  scenes, 
should  figure  to  itself  ideal  beings,  once  the  terror  of  the  superstitious  inhabitants :  in 
less-enllghtened  times  a  dreadful  spectre  haunted  these  hills,  sometimes  in  form  of  a 
great  dog,  a  man,  or  a  thid  gij^ntic  hag,  called  Glas-lich.  The  exorcist  was  called  in 
to  drive  away  these  evil  Genii :  he  formed  circle  within  circle,  used  a  multitude  of 
charms,  forced  the  Daemon  from  ring  to  ring,  till  he  got  it  into  the  last  entrenchment, 
when,  if  it  proved  very  obstinate,  by  adding  new  spells  he  never  failed  of  conquering 
the  evil  spirit,  who,  like  that  which  haunted  the  daughter  of  Raguel,  was 

With  a  vengeance  sent 
,    ■^,.  From  Media  post  to  Egypt,  there  fast  bound. 

In  our  return  from  the  extremity  of  this  sequestered  spot,  are  most  agreeably  amused 
with  meeting  at  least  a  hundred  boats,  rowing  to  the  place  we  were  leaving,  to  lay  their 
nets ',  while  the  persons  on  shore  were  busied  in  lighting  fires  and  preparing  a  repast 
for  their  companions,  against  their  return  from  their  toilsome  work. 

So  unexpected  a  prospect  of  the  busy  haunt  of  men  and  ships  in  this  wild  and  ro- 
mantic tract,  a£forded  this  agreeable  reflection :  that  there  is  no  part  of  our  dominions 
so  remote,  so  inhospitable,  and  so  unprofitable,  as  to  deny  employ  and  livelihood  to 
thousands ;  and  that  there  are  no  parts  so  polished,  so  improved,  and  so  feitilt',  but 
which  must  stoop  to  receive  advantage  from  the  dreary  spots  they  so  effectually  despise  ; 
and  must  be  obliged  to  acknowledge  the  mutual  dependency  of  part  on  part,  howsoever 
remotely  placed,  and  howsoever  dinerent  in  modes  or  manner  of  living.  Charles  Bran<. 
don's  address  to  his  royal  spouse  may  well  be  applied  to  both  extremes  of  our  isle : 


''it- 


Cloth  of  Gold,  do  not  despise, 
Altho'thou  art  raatch'd  with  cloth  of  frlze. 
Cloth  of  frize,  be  not  too  bold, 
Altho'  thou  art  match'd  with  clotli  of  gold. 


*  1st,  2d,  3d  edit.  pp.  183,  194,  313. 
tPennilesse  Pilgrimage,  136. 


t  Speed's  Chronicle,  p.  9. 

T   Y   3 


1.^ 


»1 


I 


(■■' 

II 

'I 


r 


•  .n 


i 
I 


348 


i'ENNANrS  SECOND  TOUU  IN  SCOlXANU. 


■II, 


Return  to  Armisdalc,  and  pass  a  most  cheerful  evening  Mr.  Lightfoot  returned, 
happy  in  having  found  the  azalea  procumbens ;  Mr.  Stuart  loaden  with  fine  specimens 
of  amianthus  and  black  talc. 

Return  (m  board  at  midnight :  the  night  mosr  excessively  dark,  but  every  stroke  of 
our  oars,  every  progressive  motion  of  our  boat,  flung  a  most  resplendent  glory  aroundv 
and  left  so  long  and  luminous  a  t^ain  in  our  wake,  as  more  than  com|)ensated  the 
want  of  stars  in  the  firmament.  This  appearance  was  occasioned  by  myriads  of  nocti- 
lucous Nereids,  that  inhabit  the  ocean,  and  on  every  agitation  become  at  certain  times 
appareit,  and  often  remain  sticking  to  the  oars,  and,  like  glow-worms,  give  a  fine 
light.  Mr.  ThompiK>n  informed  us,  that  they  were  most  brilliant  before  rain  and 
tempests.    He  was  not  deceived  in  his  predictions. 

There  is  not  an  instance  of  any  country  having  made  so  sudden  a  change  in  its 
morals  as  this  I  have  just  visited,  and  the  vast  tract  intervening  between  these  coasts 
and  Loch-ness.  Security  and  civilization  possess  every  part ;  yet  thirty  years  have 
not  elapsed  since  the  whole  was  a  den  of  thieves,  of  the  most  extraordinary  kind. 
They  conducted  their  plundering  excursions  with  the  utmost  policy,  and  reduced  the 
whole  art  of  theft  into  a  regular  system.  From  habit  it  lost  all  the  appearance  of  cri- 
minality ;  they  considered  it  as  labouring  in  their  vocation,  and  when  a  party  was 
formed  for  an  expedition  against  their  nei^bour's  property,  they  and  their  friends 
prayed  as  earnestly  to  heaven  for  success,  as  if  they  were  engaged  in  the  most  laudable 
design. 

1  he  constant  petition  at  grace  of  the  old  Highland  chieftains  was  delivered  with 
great  fervour,  in  these  terms :  "  Lord !  turn  thou  the  world  upside  down,  that  Chris, 
tians  may  make  bread  out  of  it."  The  plain  English  of  this  pious  *%quest  was,  that 
the  world  might  become,  for  their  benefit,  a  scene  of  rapine  and  confusion. 

They  paid  a  sacred  regard  to  their  oath ;  but  as  superstition  must,  among  a  set  of 
banditti,  mfallibly  supersede  piety,  each,  like  the  distinct  casts  of  Indians,  had  his  par- 
ticular object  of  veneration ;  one  would  swear  upon  his  dirk,  and  dread  the  penalty 
of  penury,  yet  make  no  scruple  of  forswearing  himself  upon  the  Bible ;  a  second  would 
pay  the  same  respect  to  the  name  of  his  chieftain ;  a  third  again  would  be  most  re> 
ligiously  bCi  .^nd  by  the  sacred  book,  and  a  fourth  regard  none  of  the  three,  and  be 
credited  only  if  he  swore  by  his  crucifix.  It  was  always  necessary  to  discover  the  in- 
clination of  the  person,  before  you  put  him  to  the  test :  if  the  object  of  his  veneration 
was  mistaken,  the  oath  was  of  no  signification. 

The  greatest  robbers  were  used  to  preserve  hospitality  to  those  that  came  to  their 
houses,  and,  like  the  wild  Arabs,  observed  the  strictest  honour  towards  their  guests,  or 
those  that  put  implicit  confidence  in  them.  The  Kennedies,  two  common  thieves,  took 
the  young  Pretender  under  protection,  and  kept  him  with  faith  inviolate,  notwith9t'«nd- 
ing  they  knew  an  immense  reward  was  offered  for  his  head.  They  ofken  robl>?dl  'or 
iiis  support,  and,  to  supply  him  with  linen,  they  once  surpriiied  the  baggage  horses  of 
one  of  our  general  officers.  They  often  went  in  disguise  to  Inverness,  to  buy  pro- 
visions for  him.  At  length,  a  very  considerable  time  after,  one  of  these  poor  fellows, 
who  had  virtue  to  resist  the  temptation  of  thirty  thousand  pounds,  was  hanged  fw 
stealing  a  cow,  value  thirty  shillings. 

The  greatest  crime  among  these  felons  was  that  of  infidelity  among  themselves :  a 
criminal  underwent  a  summary  trial,  and,  if  convicted,  never  missed  of  a  capital  punish- 
ment. The  chieftain  had  his  officers,  and  different  departments  of  government ;  ht 
had  his  judge,  to  whom  he  entrusted  the  decision  of  all  civil  disputes ;  but,  in  criminai 
causes,  the  chief,  assisted  perhaps  by  some  favourites,  always  undertook  the  process. 


PENNANT'S  SECOND  TOUB  IN  SCOTLAND. 


349 


The  principal  men  of  his  family,  or  his  officers,  formed  his  council ;  where  every 
thing  wu!>  debated  respecting  their  expeditions.  Eloqueoce  was  ht- Id  in  great  esteem 
among  them,  for  by  tnat  they  could  sometimes  work  on  their  chieftam  to  change  his 
opinion ;  for  notwithstanding  he  kept  the  form  of  a  council,  he  always  reserved  the 
dficbive  vote  in  himself. 

When  one  man  had  a  claim  on  another,  but  wanted  power  to  make  it  good,  it  was 
held  lawful  for  him  to  steal  from  his  debtor  as  many  cattle  as  would  satisfy  his  demand, 
provided  he  sent  notice  (as  soon  as  he  ^ot  out  of  reach  of  pursuit)  that  he  had  them, 
and  tvould  return  them,  provided  satisfaction  was  made  on  a  certain  day  agreed  on. 

Wl)en  a  creach,  or  great  expedition,  had  been  made  against  distant  herds,  the 
owners,  as  soon  as  discovery  was  made,  rose  in  arms,  and,  with  all  their  friends,  made 
instati'  pursuit,  tracing  the  cattle  by  their  track  for  perhaps  scores  of  miles.  Their 
nicety  in  distinguishing  that  of  their  cattle  from  those  that  were  only  casually  wander- 
ing. Of  driven,  was  amazingly  sagacious.  As  soon  as  they  arrived  on  an  estate  where 
tlie  track  was  lost,  they  immediately  attacked  the  proprietor,  and  would  oblige  him  to 
recover  the  track  from  his  land  forwards,  or  to  make  good  the  loss  they  had  sustained. 
Thb  custom  had  the  force  of  law,  which  gave  to  the  Highlanders  this  surprizing  skill  in 
the  art  of  tracking. 

li  has  been  observed  before,  that  to  steal,  rob,  and  plunder,  with  dexterity,  was  es* 
teemed  as  the  higliest  act  of  heroism.  The  feuds  between  the  great  families  was  one 
great  cause.  There  was  not  a  chieftain  but  that  kept,  in  some  remote  valley  in  the 
depth  of  woods  and  rocks,  whole  tribes  of  thieves,  in  readiness  to  let  loose  against  his 
neighbours ;  when,  from  some  public  or  private  reason,  he  did  not  judge  it  expedient 
to  resent  openly  any  real  or  imaginary  affront.  From  this  motive  the  greater  chieftain- 
robbers  always  supported  the  lesser,  and  encouraged  no  sort  of  improvement  on  the 
estates  but  what  promoted  rapine. 

The  greatest  of  the  heroes  in  the  last  century  was  Sir  Ewin  Cameron,  whose  life 
is  given  in  the  other  volume.  He  long  resisted  the  power  of  Cromwell,  but  at  length 
was  forced  to  submit.  He  lived  in  the  neighbourhood  of  the  garrison  fixed  by  the 
usurper  at  Inveriochy.  His  vassals  persisted  in  their  thefts,  till  Cj^mwell  sent  orders 
to  the  commanding-officer,  that  on  the  next  robbery  he  should  seize  on  the  chieftain, 
and  execute  him  in  twenty. four  hours,  in  case  the  thief  was  not  delivered  to  justice. 
An  act  of  rapine  soon  happened ;  Sir  Ewin  received  the  message,  who,  instead  of 
giving  himself  the  trouble  of  looking  out  for  the  offisnder,  laid  hold  of  the  first  fellow 
ne  met  with,  sent  him  bound  to  Inveriochy,  where  he  was  instantly  hanged.  Crom- 
wclK  by  this  severity,  put  a  stop  to  the  excesses,  till  the  time  of  the  restoration,  when 
they  were  renewed  with  double  violence  till  the  year  1745. 

Rob  -Ro^  Macgregor  was  another  distinguished  hero  in  the  latter  end  of  the  last,  and 
the  beginning  of  the  present  century.  He  contributed  greatly  towards  forming  his 
profession  into  a  science,  and  establishing  the  police  above  mentioned.  The  duke  of 
Montrose  unfortunately  was  his  neighbour ;  Rob-Roy  frequently  saved  his  grace  the 
trouble  of  collecting  his  rents ;  used  to  extort  them  from  the  tenants,  and  at  the  same 
time  gave  them  formal  discharges.  But  it  was  neither  in  the  power  of  the  duke  or  of 
any  of  the  gentlemen  he  plundered  to  bring  him  to  justice,  so  strongly  protected  was 
he  by  several  great  men  to  whom  he  was  useful.  Roy  had  h!s  good  qualities,  he  spent 
his  revenue  generousJy ;  and,  strange  to  say,  was  a  true  friend  to  the  widow  and 
orphan. 

Every  period  of  time  gives  ncjv  improvement  to  the  arts.  A  son  of  Sir  Ewin  Ca- 
meron refined  on  those  of  Rob-Roy,  and,  instead  of  dissipating  his  gains,  accumulated 


H 


I 

Is 

If 


mm  wEMr^ifitiiM— —  Wfm 


350 


PENNANT'S  SECOND  TOUR  IN  SCOTLAND. 


wealth.  He,  like  Jonathan  Wild  the  Great,  never  stole  with  his  own  hands,  but  con- 
ducted his  commerce  with  an  address,  and  to  an  extent  unknown  before.  He  em- 
ployed  several  companies,  and  set  the  more  adroit  knaves  at  their  head,  and  never  suf- 
fered merit  to  go  unrewarded.  He  never  openly  received  their  plunder,  but  em- 
ployed agents  to  purchase  from  them  their  cattle.  He  acquired  considerable  pro- 
perty, which  he  was  forced  to  leave  behind,  after  the  battle  of  Culloden  gave  the  fatal 
blow  to  all  their  greatness. 

The  last  of  any  eminence  was  the  celebrated  Barrisdale,  who  carried  these  aris  to 
the  highest  pitch  of  perfection :  besides  exertin?  all  the  common  practices,  he  im- 
proved that  article  of  commerce  called  the  black  meal  to  a  degree  beyond  what  was 
ever  known  to  his  predecessors.  This  was  a  forced  levy,  so  called  from  its  being 
commonly  paid  in  meal,  which  was  raised  far  and  wide  on  the  estate  of  every  nobleman 
and  gentleman,  in  order  that  their  cattle  might  be  secured  from  the  lesser  thieves,  over 
whom  he  secretly  presided,  and  protected.  He  raised  an  income  of  five  hundred  a 
year  b^  these  taxes ;  and  behaved  with  genuine  honour  in  restoring,  on  proper  con- 
sideration, the  stolen  cattle  of  his  friends.  In  this  he  bore  some  resemblance  to  our 
Jonathan,  but  differed  in  observing  a  strict  fidelity  towards  his  own  gang;  yet  he  was 
indefatigable  in  bringing  to  justice  any  rogues  that  interfered  with  his  own.  He  was  a 
man  of  polished  behaviour,  fine  address,  and  fine  person.  He  considered  himself  in  a 
very  hi^h  light,  as  a  benefactor  to  the  public,  and  preserver  of  general  tranquility,  for 
on  the  silver  plates,  the  ornaments  of  his  Baldrick,  he  thus  addressed  his  broad-sword  : 

Hse  tibi  eriAit  artei,  pacis  cotnponere  mores ; 
Parcere  subjectis  et  debellare  superbos. 

Aug.  7.  After  a  most  tempestuous  and  rainy  night,  sail  at  eight  o'clock  in  the  mom- 
ingf  ^signing  to  reach  the  sound  of  Mull,  but  the  wind  proving  contrary,  we  ran 
over  to  Isle  Oransay  in  the  isle  of  Skie,  a  safe  harbour ;  where  we  continued  confined 
by  adverse  winds  till  the  next  day. 

Aug.  8.  At  half  an  hour  after  one  at  noon,  sail.  As  soon  as  we  got  out,  we  found 
a  vast  swell  from  the  fury  of  the  last  night's  storm  ;  the  waves  mountainous,  but,  thanks 
to  a  gentle  breeze,  we  made  our  way  finely  through  them. 

Pass,  on  the  east,  Loch-nevish,  or  the  lake  of  Heaven,  a  fine  and  picturesque  inlet. 

Pol-morrer,  where  small  crafl  may  lie.  About  half  a  mile  inland  from  this  bay  is 
the  great  fresh-water  lake  called  Loch-morrer ;  next  is  the  country  of  Arisaig,  and  its 
celebrated  point ;  for  within  this,  a  little  to  the  south,  in  Loch-nan-ua,  or  the  bay  of 
caves,  landed  the  young  Pretender,  on  July  25,  1745 ;  and  from  hence  concluden  his 
Phaetonic  expedition,  l^ptember  20th  of  the  following  year.  The  two  frigates  ihui  lay 
there  in  May  of  the  same  summer,  with  arms  and  ammunition,  had  an  engagement  off 
this  point  with  two  of  ours,  and  maintained  their  station.  They  landed  part  of  their 
stores,  but  finding  the  cause  desperate,  returned  to  Fmitoe  with  several  of  the  fugitives 
from  the  battle  of  Culloden. 

Sail  by  Loch-Hallyort,  and  the  country  of  Moydnrt,  the  most  southerly  part  of  the 
shire  of  Inverness.  Leave  to  the  west  the  point  of  Slate  in  Skie ;  the  vast  hUls  of  Bla- 
ven  and  Cuchullin  open  to  view,  then  succeeds  the  mountainous  Rum;  keep  close 
under  the  isle  of  Egg,  distinguished  by  the  lofty  spire  of  Squr-egg.  Pass  immediately 
under  the  point  of  Ard  na-murchan,  the  most  northern  part  of  Argj'leshire.  Turn 
\a\Q  the  (»ound  of  Mull,  a  fine  opening,  five  miles  broad :  to  the  east  of  the  point  is 
Jjoch-synail,  penetiating  deeply  into  the  country  of  Morven.    At  the  head  b  Stron- 


U"5h.:T^ 


MgrgTi-ri. 


PENNANT'S  SECOND  TOUR  IN  SCOTLAND. 


351 


con- 
em- 
suf- 
em- 
pro- 
fatal 


tian,  noted  for  a  lead-mine.     About  nine  o'clock  at  night  anchor  in  Tobir  Moire  bay, 
in  the  isle  of  Mull. 

This  bay  is  a  niost  beautiful  circular  bason,  formed  by  Mull  on  one  side,  and  the  isle 
of  Calve  on  the  other.  All  the  banks  are  verdant,  and  embclliiihed  ut  this  time  with 
three  cascades.  It  takes  its  name  from  a  chupel  and  well,  dedicated  to  the  Virgin 
Mary.  Here  in  1588  the  Florida,  one  of  Philip's  invincible  Arniuda,  was  blown  up 
after  the  dispersion  of  the  fleet ;  some  say  by  accident,  others  by  the  desperate  resolu- 
tion of  a  Scotchman.  Several  attempts  were  made  to  recover  the  sunk  treasure.  One 
in  1688,  by  William  Sacheverel,  Eaa.  who  fitted  up  diving  bells,  and  tried  them  with 
success  at  the  depth  of  ten  fathom,  and  report  says,  he  got  up  much  treasure.  A  pieoe 
of  the  vnreck  was  given  me  by  an  old  inhabitant  of  the  place,  to  be  preserved  in  me- 
mory of  this  signal  providence,  so  beautifully  acknowledged  by  queen  Elisabeth  in 
the  motto  of  the  medal  struck  on  the  occasion : 

.  ^,.  Afflavit  Deus,  et  dissipantur. 

In  this  bay  also  the  unfortunate  earl  of  Argyle  may  be  said  to  have  wrecked  both  life 
and  fortune,  in  the  year  1686  ;  for  in  this  place  he  made  the  first  landing  with  a  few 
friends,  in  his  fatal  mvasion  in  concert  witn  the  duke  of  Monmouth.  The  most  in- 
human  medal  I  ever  saw  (next  to  that  in  memory  of  the  massacre  of  Paris,  by  Charles 
IX,)  is  one  in  my  possession,  struck  by  James  II,  on  occasion  of  the  sad  catastrophe  of 
these  two  noblemen.  Their  heads  are  placed  on  two  altars,  at  whose  base  are  their 
bleeding  corpses ;  the  motto, 

Ambhio  malesuadaruit. 

A  little  north  is  Bloody-bay,  so  called  from  a  sea-fight  between  a  Macdonald  of  the 
isles  and  his  son.  The  former  was  supported  by  Hector  Obhar  Macleane,  the  same  who 
died  gloriously  at  the  battle  of  Floddon,  covering  his  monarch,  James  IV,  from  the 
arrows  of  the  English  archers. 

On  the  opposite  shore  of  Morven  is  Dun-an-gal,  a  ruined  castle  of  the  Macleanes. 
In  this  the  rebels  of  1719  put  a  small  garrison,  which  soon  surrendered  to  one  of  our 
men  of  war  ^at  attacked  it. 

Aug.  9.  Leave  Tober  Moire  at  eight  o'clock  in  the  morning,  and  about  half  past 
ten.  anchor  opposite  to  Aros  castle,  seated  on  a  rock  above  the  sea,  and  once  a  seat  of 
Macdonald  of  me  bles.  At  the  foot  of  the  rock  is  the  ruin  of  an  oval  pier,  where  he 
secured  his  boats. 

Breaicfast  with  Mr.  Campbel  of  Aros,  and  collect  a  few  particulars  of  this  rough 
islaod :  that  it  is  twenty-four  Scotch  miles  long,  and  about  the  same  in  breadth  ;  that 
it  is  (tivided  into  three  great  parishes,  viz.  Torcay;  Ross,  and  Kilmore,  or  Kil-ninian, 
containing  in  all  near  four  thousand  catechisable  persons ;  that  it  is  in  general  rocky 
and  barren,  and  does  not  vield  corn  enough  for  its  inhabitants ;  that  it  sends  out  an- 
nually about  eijghteen  huncired  head  of  cattle,  sold  from  tlurty  to  fifty  shillings  a  piece ; 
that  there  are  uMt  few  sheep ;  that  the  graziers  have  suffered  greatly  this  year  by  the 
loss  of  cattle,  \^ni  that  none  of  the  people  have  as  yet  migrated.  That  the  usual  manure 
is  shell  sand,  which  the  farmers  procure  from  Tir-ey.  That  there  is  coal  in  the  island 
nearlv  inaccessible  by  the  badness  of  the  roads !  and  that  this  most  important  article, 
whicn  alone  would  bring  wealth  and  comfort  to  the  isle,  is  unaccountably  neglected ! 

The  island  was  originally  part  of  the  dominions  of  the  lords  of  the  Isles,  but  in 
after-times  became  the  possession  of  the  ancient  and  valiant  family  of  the  Macleanes, 
who  still  retain  half.    The  other  moiety  is  the  litigated  property  of  the  duke  of  Ar- 


( 


fr 


r<i' 


il 


■*«a?,'f^n37i^:^.- 


352 


PENNAKT'I  SECOND  TOUR  IN  SCOTLAND. 


gyle,  whose  ancestor  possessed  himself  of  it  in  1674,  on  account  of  a  debt ;  and  after 
the  courts  of  law  had  made  an  adjudication  in  his  favour,  he  was  obliged  to  support 
their  decree  by  force  of  arms. 

Sail  again  down  the  sound,  which  in  general  is  about  four  miles  broad ;  the  coast 
on  both  sides  slopes,  and  is  patched  with  corn-land.  The  northern  coast  is  Morven,  the 
celebrated  country  of  Fingal. 

Leave  on  the  side  Loch-aylin,  a  safe  harbour,  with  a  moit  contracted  entrance.  A 
little  farther  "is  Castlc-ardtornish,  a  ruin  on  a  low  headland  ji|tting  into  the  sound, 
where,  in  1641,  John  earl  of  Ross,  and  lord  of  the  hies,  fived  in  regal  state.*  His 
treaty  with  Edward  IV^  is  dated,  ex  castello  nostro  Ard-thornis  Octobris  19,  A.D.  1441.t 

On  the  Mull  side  is  Mac-allester's  bay,  and  below  that,  where  the  sound  opens  to 
the  cast,  is  Castle«duart,  once  the  seat  of  the  Macleanes,  londs  of  the  island,  but  now 
garrisoned  by  a  lieutenant  and  a  detachment  from  Fort-William.  Morven,  near  Ard- 
tornish,  begins  to  grow  lofty  and  wooded  ;  and  the  Mull  beyond  this  castle  appears 
very  mountainous. 

Traverse  the  broad  water  of  Loch-linnh^,  which  leads  up  to  Lochaber.  Have  a 
fine  view  of  the  vast  mountains,  and  the  picturesque  hills  of  Glen-ca  Pass  to  the 
southern  end  of  Lismore,  and  steer  north  between  that  isle  and  Middle  Lorn.  San  b/ 
the  isle  of  Kerrera,  noted  for  the  death  of  Alexander  II,  in  1249,  while  he  lay  there 
with  a  mighty  fleet,  meditating  the  conquest  of  the  Hebrides,  then  posaesspd  by  the  Nor- 
wegians. 

Opposite  to  this  island,  in  Lorn,  is  the  bay  of  Oban,  where  are  the  custom-housc 
and  post-office. 

On  a  great  rock  within  land,  precipitous  on  three  sides,  is  the  castle  of  Dunolly,  once 
the  residence  of  the  chieftains  of  Lorn. 

Continue  our  course;  and,  passing  with  difficulty  through  a  venf  narrow  sound, 
Irmed  by  the  Ilan  Beach  and  the  main  land,  arrive  in  a  fine  bay.  Andior  under  the 
ancient  castle  of  Dunstaffage,  or  Stephen's  Mount ;  and  instantly  receive,  and  accept, 
a  most  polite  invitation  from  the  owner,  Mr.  Campbel. 

This  castle  is  fabled  to  have  been  founded  by  Ewin,  a  Pictish  monaRihg  cotemporary 
with  Julius  Caesar,  naming  it  after  himslf  Evonium.  In  fact,  the  foim|l|:  is  unknown, 
but  it  is  certainly  of  great  antiquity,  and  the  first  seat  of  the  Pictish  ai^Hmttish  princes. 
In  this  place  was  long  preserved  the  famous  stone,  the  I^dladium  (xl^  !^|prth  Britain ; 
brought,  says  Legend,  out  of  Spain,  where  it  was  first  used  as  a  sMl^cf  jiq^tice  by  Ge- 
thalus,  coeval  with  Moses.  It  continued  here  as  the  ooronatiqn^^«^^«|^the  reign  of 
Kenneth  the  Second^  who  removed  it  to  Scone,  in  order  to  se^^^  wS" »  f°''»  ^- 
cording  to  the  inscription, 

Ni  fallat  fatunit  Scoti,  quocumiue  locatum 
Invenient  lapidem,  regnare  tenentur  ibidem, 

Mr.  Campbel  shewed  to  me  a  very  pretty  little  ivoi^y  itaage,  found  in  a  ruinous  part 
of  the  castle,  that  was  cerc^Iy  cut  in  memory  of  thh  cMir,  «ttd  ftmem  to  have  been 
an  inauguration  sculpture.  A  crowned  monarch  h  irepreietttiiEd  nmng  in  it,  with  a 
book  in  one  hand,  containing  the  laws  of  the  land^  wnicli  he  was  swearing  to  ob- 
serve. They  never  took  the  oath  by  kissing  the  tiibte,  but  by  hokling  up  tlie  right 
hand.J 

*  Guthrie,  iv.  68.  f  Rymer's  Fxd.  ix.  487. 

t  Anonymous  Correspondent,  dating  Gray's  Inn,  Nov.  SBth,  1780. 


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PENNANT'S  SECOND  TOUR  IN  SCOTLAND. 


351 


The  castle  is  square ;  the  inside  only  eighty-seven  feet,  partly  ruinous,  Partly  Inhit. 
able.  At  three  of  the  corners  are  round  towers,  one  of  them  proju-cts  very  little.  The 
entrance  is  towards  the  sea,  »t  present  by  a  stair.casc,  in  old  times  probably  by  a  dr.iw- 
bridge,  which  fell  frono  a  little  gateway.  The  masonry  appears  very  anci)  nt,  the  tups 
battlemented.  This  pile  is  seated  on  a  rock,  whose  sides  n»vc  been  pared  to  render  it 
precipitous,  and  to  make  it  conform  to  the  shape  of  the  castle. 

In  1307  this  castle  was  possessed  by  Alexander  Macdoiigal,  lord  of  Argyle,  a  fi  iend 
to  the  English  ;  but  was  that  year  reduced  by  Robert  Bruce,  wlieu  Macdougul  sued  for 
peace  with  that  prince,  and  was  received  into  favour.^ 

I  find,  about  the  year  1455,  this  to  hare  been  a  residence  of  the  lord  of  thi-  Isles  ;  for 
here  James  last  earl  of  Douglas,  after  his  defeat  in  Annandale,t  fled  to  Donald,  the  Regti- 
lus  of  the  time,  and  prevailed  on  him  to  take  arms,  and  carry  on  a  plundoriutr  war 
against  his  monarch,  lames  the  Second. 

At  a  small  distance  from  the  castle  is  a  ruined  chapel,  once  an  elegant  building,  and 
at  one  end  an  inclosure,  a  family  cemetry,  built  in  '  /40.  Opposite  to  these  is  a  high 
precipice,  ending  abrupt,  and  turning  suddenly  toward  the  south  east.  A  person  con- 
cealed in  the  recess  of  the  rock,  a  little  beyond  the  angle,  surprises  friends  siutiuned  ut 
some  distance  beneath  the  precipice  with  a  very  remarkable  echo  of  any  word,  or  even 
sentence  he  pronounces,  which  reaches  the  last  distinct  and  unbroken.  The  repetition 
is  single,  but  remarkably  clear. 

Aug.  10.  After  breakfast  ride  along  the  edge  of  a  beautiful  bay,  with  the  borders 
fertile  m  spots.  The  bear  almost  ripe.  Cross  a  ferry  at  Connel,  or  Conf-huil.  or  the 
raging  flood,  from  a  furious  cataract  of  salt-watcr  at  the  ebb  of  spring  tides.  Thi ^  place 
is  the  discharge  of  the  waters  of  Loch-etivt  into  the  sea,  where  it  suddenly  contracts  to  a 
small  breadth  ;  and  immediately  above,  certain  rocks  jut  out,  which  more  immediately 
direct  the  vast  pent  up  waters  to  this  little  strait,  where  th<  y  gush  out  with  amazing 
violence,  and  form  a  fall  of  near  ten  fcf  I. 

Loch,  etive  runs  far  up  the  country,  uriij  inijvE<4(hc  waters  of  Lochawat  Bunuw. 
Here  is  at  times  a  considerable  salmon  fislicry,  bril  i«t  present  very  [)Oor„  Sec  at  a  dis> 
tance,  on  the  northern  bank,  the  site  of  Ardcliatf^n,  a  priory  of  monks  of  V  His 
Caulium,  founded,  A.  D.  V2S0,  by  Duncan  Mm  noijl,  ancestor  of  the  Maedougala  of 
Lorn.     Here  B<)bert  Bruce  is  said  to  limi  It^ld  a  parliament,  but  more  probably  a  conn 

h  '     '  '  '  I  - 

Scotland. 


cil  ;  for  he  remained  long  master  of  tlih  iniui^if    belbie   lie  got  entire  possession  of 


'-r 


A  mile  from  Connel,  necjthe  bhuir,  is  pun  Mm  Sniochain,  the  ancient  Beiegonium, 
city  as  Usesar  found  in  our  islanil  >it  i\: 


Borogomum.     The  fuuiidRtion  of  this 


tS    CHV,    ^H  H  I 

hbtofy  to  Fergus  II,  and  was  ut\U  ij  l|i^  >'\\]ff\u  '^ 
such  a  city  as  Caesar  found  in  our  isia 


u .  <.iav 


is  attributed  by  Sjjo/.ryphal 
iges  :  it  WAS  at  best 
,  an  oppidum,  or  forti- 
fied town,  placed  in  a  thick  wood,  siirrountKi  ^v  lumpart  and  fons,  a  place  of  re- 
treat from  invaders.^  Along  the  top  hj  the  f)eaf;)i  is  a  raised  mound,  the  defence  against 
a  sudden  landing.  This,  from  the  iaca  H  ;  having  been  a  city,  is  styled  Siraida- 
mhargai,  or  market  sUreet ;  uithin  this  an  >  !U(1(^  erect  columns,  about  six  feet  high, 
and  nme  and  a  half  in  girth/  behind  these  a  peat  moss,  on  one  side  a  range  of  low 
hills,  at  whose  nearest  extremity  is  an  entt(  nchment  called  Dun-vaiiri.  On  the  western 
ude  of  the  morass  is  an  oblong  insulated  hill,  on  whose  summit  the  country-people  nay 
there  had  been  seven  towers.  1  could  Qri|v  perceive  three  or  four  excavations  of  no  ccr- 
tam  form,  and  a  dike  around  dirm.         ** 

*  Barbour.  t  Lives  of  the  Douglauei)  203, 

i  Oe  B«Uo  Gallico,  lib-  v.  c.  31. 

VOL.  III.  z  z 


■\ 


limuiiit^ 


1 


354  FENNANlli  SECOND  TUUIl  IN  BCOTLANU 

Tn  most  parts  of  the  liill  arc  dug  up  great  quantities  of  different  lorts  of  pumices,  or 
hcoiiu  ofdiHl-rent  kindn  :  of  thcni  one  in  the  piimex  cincrurius  ;  the  other  the  P.  moiaria 
of  Linnxus ;  the  last  very  much  resembling  some  that  Mr.  Banks  favoured  me  with 
from  the  iitlund  of  Iceland.  The  hill  is  doubtless  the  work  of  a  volcano,  of  which  this 
is  nut  the  only  vestige  in  North  Britain. 

Hide  on  a  iitic  road  to  Ard-muchnage,  the  scat  of  the  late  Sir  Duncan  Campbell ;  a 
very  handsome  house,  and  well  finished.  Sir  Duncan,  at  the  age  of  forty,  began  te 
)lant,  and  lived  to  sec  the  extensive  plantations  in  his  garden,  and  on  the  picturesque 
lills  round  his  lands,  arrive  to  perfection.  The  country  about  rises  into  a  lofty  but  nar- 
row eminence,  now  finely  wooded,  extending  in  a  curvature,  forming  one  side  of  an 
enchanting  bay,  the  other  impending  over  the  sea. 

On  my  return  observe,  near  the  hill  of  die  seven  towers,  a  druidical  circle,  formed 
of  round  stones  placed  close  together.  The  area  is  twenty-six  feet  in  diameter ;  and  about 
ten  feet  distant  from  the  outside  is  an  erect  pillar,  seven  feet  high.  At  such  stones  as 
these,  my  learned  friend,  the  late  Dr.  William  Borlase,*  remarks,  might  have  stood  the 
ofliccrs  of  the  high  priest,  to  command  silence  among  the  people,  or  some  inferior  per. 
son  versed  in  the  ceremonies,  to  observe  that  none  were  omitted,  by  warning  the  offici- 
ating priest,  in  case  any  escaped  his  memory. 

Return,  and  lie  on  board. 

August  11.  Weigh  anchor  at  six  o'clock  in  the  morning.  Sail  by  the  back  of  Loch- 
ncl  hill,  forming  a  most  beautiful  crescent,  partly  cultivated,  partly  covered  with  wood 
to  the  summit.  Land  near  the  north  end  of  the  ble  of  Lismore,  which  is  about  nine 
miles  long,  one  and  a  half  broad,  and  contains  about'fideeu  hundred  inhabitants.!  It 
derives  its  name  from  Liosmor,  or  the  great  garden  ;  but  tradition  says  it  was  originally 
a  great  deer  forest ;  and  as  a  proof,  multitudes  of  stag  horns  of  uncommon  sizes  are 
perpetually  dug  up  in  the  mosses.  At  present  there  is  scarce  any  wood  ;  but  the  lesser 
vegetables  grow  with  uncommon  vip;our.  The  chief  produce  of  the  land  is  bear  ;md 
oats  :  the  first  is  raised  in  great  quantity,  but  abused,  by  being  distilled  into  whisk  . 
The  crops  of  oats  are  generally  applied  to  the  payment  of  rent ;  so  that  the  inhabitants  are 
obliged  for  their  subsistence  annually  to  import  much  meal. 

The  ground  has  in  most  parts  the  appearance  of  great  fertility,  but  is  extremely  ilU 
managed,  and  much  impoverished  by  excess  of  tillage,  and  neglect  of  manure.  Pit  and 
rock  marie  are  found  here.  The  whole  isle  lies  on  a  lime-stone  rock,  which  in  many 
places  peeps  above  ground,  forming  long  series  of  low  sharp  ridges.  No  use  can  be 
m^dc  of  this  as  a  manure,  for  want  of  fuel  to  burn  it.  The  peat  here  is  very  bad,  being 
mixed  with  earth  ;  it  must  first  be  trampled  with  the  feet  into  a  consistence :  is  then 
formed  into  small  flat  cakes,  and  must  afterwards  be  exposed  on  the  ground  to  dry. 

About  a  hundred  head  of  cattle  are  annually  exportea,  which  are  at  present  remark- 
ably ^mall :  they  seem  to  have  degenerated,  for  I  saw  at  Ard-muchnage  the  skull  of  an 
ox  dug  up  in  this  island,  that  was  of  much  larger  dimensions  than  any  now  living  in 
Great  Britain. 

Hors<::s  are  in  this  island  very  short-lived :  they  are  used  when  about  two  or  three  years 
old ;  and  are  observed  soon  to  lose  all  their  teeth.  Both  they  and  the  cows  are  housed 
during  winter,  and  fed  on  straw. 

Otters  are  found  here  ;  but  neither  foxes,  hares,  nor  rats.  Mice  are' plentiful,  and  very 
destructive. 

There  are  three  small  lakes :  two  abound  with  fine  trout ;  the  third  only  with  eels. 
Variety  of  the  duck  kind  frequent  these  waters  during  winter. 


*  Antiq.  Coniwal}. 


f  Or  between  900  and  1000  examinable  persona. 


«.  I II—.- 


>>«w*«iM«V%«an' 


PENNANT'S  SCCOMO  TOUH  IN  liCOTLANU. 


355 


Walk  up  to  a  Danish  fort ;  at  present  the  height  is  seventeen  feet ;  witliin  ihc  wall  is 
r,  and  rouitd  the  area  a  scat,  as  in  that  described  in  Hay. 
^isit  the  church,  now  a  mean  modern  building.  In  the  church.yard  arc  two  ur  three 
old  tombs,  with  clymurcs  engraven  on  them  '  here  is  also  a  remarkable  tomb,  consisting 
of  nothing  more  than  a  thick  log  of  oak.  This  substitute  for  a  gravestone  must  have, 
been  in  this  country  of  great  antiquity,  there  being  no  word  in  the  Erse  language  to 
express  the  lasi,  it  not  being  stilcd  Icichd  lithidh,  r.  grave  stone,  but  darag  iithidh,  or  u 
grave  log.  On  alive  rock  are  cut  the  radii  of  a  dial,  but  the  index  is  lost.  On  another 
rock  is  a  small  excavated  bason,  perhaps  one  of  the  rock  basons  of  Dr.  Dorlasc,  in  times 
of  druidism  used  for  religious  purposes. 

This  island  had  been  the  site  of  the  bishop  of  Argylc  :  the  see  was  disjoined  from  thai 
of  Dunkeld  about  the  year  1200«  at  the  request  of  John  the  Englishman,  bishop  of  that, 
diocese.  There  are  no  reliques  of  the  cathedral  or  the  bishop*s  house,  whose  residence 
was  supposed  to  have  been  latterly  in  the  castle  of  Achanduin,  on  the  west  skle  of  the 
isle,  opposite  to  Duart,  in  Mull. 

The  inhabitants  in  general  arc  poor,  arc  much  troubled  with  sore  eyes,  and  in  the 
spring  are  afflicted  with  a  costiveness  that  often  proves  fatal.  At  that  season  all  their 
provisions  arc  generally  cotisunvcd.  and  they  are  forced  to  live  on  shecps'  milk  boiled, 
to  which  the  distemper  is  attrihuted. 

The  isle  of  Lismorc  forms  but  a  small  part  of  the  parish  :  the  extent  is  not  to  he  com> 

Erehendedby  an  Englishman.  From  the  point  of  Lismorc  to  the  extremity  of  Kinloch- 
eg  is  forty-two  computed  miles,  besides  nine  in  Kingerloch.  It  comprehends  this  isle, 
Appin  Duror,  Glenco,  .Glencreran,  and  Kingerloch,  and  contains  three  thousand  exa< 
minable  persons,  under  the  care  of  one  minister  and  two  missionaries. 

Get  on  board,  and  have  in  mid-channel  a  most  delightful  view :  the  woods  of  Loch- 
nell ;  the  house  of  Airds  ;  beyond  is  the  castle  of  Ellerstalker,  seated  in  a  little  isle  ;  the 
country  of  A  -pin  ;  the  vast  mountains  of  Lochaber ;  Dunolly,  Lismore,  and  various 
other  isles  of  ,  'otesque  appearance.*  To  the  south  appear  the  Slate  islands,  Scarba, 
Jura,  and  Ilay ;  ^ad  to  the  v^est,  Oransay  and  Colonsay. 

Sail  between  Inch  and  the  Maire  isles,  caving  the  noted  Slate  island  of  Eusdale  to 
the  east,  and  close  to  it  Suil  diid  Luing,  chiefly  the  property  of  the  carl  of  Breadalbanc  : 
within  these  are  the  harbours  of  Eusdale,  of  Cuain,  between  Luing  and  Suil ;  Bardrise, 
off  Luing ;  and  below  is  that  of  Black-muil  bay. 

Opposite  to  Luing,  on  the  west,  is  i  groupe  of  rough  little  isles,  of  which  Plada  and 
BelnO'hua  are  productive  of  slate.  In  the  broad  bason  between  these  and  Luing  is  a 
most  rippling  tide ;  even  in  this  calm  forces  us  along  with  vast  celerity  and  violence  : 
die  whole  surface  is  disordered  with  eddies  and  whirlpools,  rising  first  with  furious  boil, 
ings,  driving  and  vanishing  with  the  current.  Anchor  under  the  cast  side,  beneath  the 
ytto*  mountain  of  Scarba,  an  island  of  great  height,  about  five  miles  long,  chiefly  covered 
naxh  I  but  on  this  side  are  some  woods,  and  marks  of  cultivation.  Mr.  Macleane 
l;ve£.  on  this  side,  and  favours  us  with  a  visit,  and  offers  his  servi'-e  to  shew  us  the  cele> 
Incafi.  gulf  of  Corry.vrekan ;  which  we  did  not  wait  till  morn;  ^  to  see,  as  our  ex- 
pec  u.iions  were  raised  to  the  highest  pitch,  and  we  thought  of  no  iiing  less  than  that  it 
would  prove  a  second  Mal'Strom.  We  accordingly  took  a  most  fatiguing  walk  up  the 
mountain,  through  heath  of  an  uncommon  height,  swan.iing  with  g  ous.  We  arrived 
in  an  ill  hour,  for  the  tide  did  noc  suit,  and  we  saw  little  more  liian  a  very  strong 
current.  ,  ' 


*  Among tliera  that  of  Durisfuirc. 
z  z  2 


J 


356 


rCNNANT'li  SECOND  TUUII  IN  SCOTLAND. 


AiigUHt  12.  This  morning  wc  tukc  bout,  and,  tifter  rov^ing  two  milcit,  lund  and  walk 
ulung  the  rocks  till  wc  n-ach  u  fit  pUcc  tor  kurvcying  thitt  ptiKnomcitou.  The  channel 
(K-twccn  tliiH  i<»lc  und  Juru  is  uliout  ii  mile  bruvd,  cx|)UM:d  tu  the-  weight  of  the  Atluntic, 
v.'liicli  pournin  its  wutcr!t  here  with  gnat  force,  their  courM.*  being  directed  und  contined 
by  the  hound  between  Colon^uy  und  Mull.  The  tide  had  at  thi«i  time  made  two  hours 
flood,  and  ran  with  a  furious  cuirent.grcut  boilings,  attended  with  much  foam«*  and  in 
iii;iny  places  formed  ronsidemhle  whirlpools.  On  the  side  of  Jura  the  current  datthes, 
as  i»  reuHunuble  to  huppo^c,  aguiiiiit  home  uunk  rocks.  It  forms  there  a  moHt  dreadful 
buck-tide,  which  in  tempests  catchcH  up  the  vessels  that  the  whirlpools  fling  into  it ;  so 
that  almost  certain  destruction  attends  those  that  are  so  unfortunate  us  to  be  ioiced  in  at 
those  seasons.  It  was  our  ill-luck  to  see  i*.  in  a  very  pacific  state,  and  passable  widuMit  the 
least  hazard. 

The  chief  whirlpool  lies  on  the  Scarba  sid':-,  near  the  west  end.     Here,  as  that  skilful 

{>ilot  Mr.  Murdock  Mackenzie  assured  mc,  it  is  of  various  depths,  vis.  30,  47,  83  and9i 
uthonis,  and  at  some  places  unfathomable :  the  transitions  sudden  from  the  lesser  to 
the  greater  depths  :  the  bottom  all  sharp  rocks,  with  vast  chasms  between ;  and  a  fa- 
thomless one  where  the  greatest  vortex  lies,  from  which,  to  the  eastern  end  of  Scarba, 
close  to  shore,  the  depths  are  13,  9, 12. 

There  is  another  whirlpool  vSa  little  isle  on  the  west  end  of  Jura,  which  contributes 
to  the  horrors  of  the  place.  In  great  storms  the  tides  run  at  the  rate  of  fifteen  miles  an 
hour  i  the  height  of  the  boilings  are  said  to  be  dreadful,  and  the  whole  rage  of  the  wa- 
ters  unspeakable.  It  is  not  therefore  wonderful  that  there  should  have  been  here  a  clia- 
pel  of  the  Virgin,  whose  assistance  was  often  invoked,  for  my  historianf  says,  that  she 
>vorkcd  numbers  of  miracles,  doubtlessly  in  favour  of  distressed  mariners. 

Scarba  contains  forty  inhabitants.  Mr.  Mac-leane,  the  proprietor,  resides  here. 
When  he  favoured  us  uith  his  company,  he  came  with  two  of  his  sons  and  their  tutor; 
for  in  North  Britain  there  is  no  gentleman,  of  ever  so  small  an  estate,  but  strictly  attends 
to  the  education  of  his  chiklren,  as  the  sure  foundation  of  their  future  fortune.  A 
person  properly  qualified,  and  easily  procured  at  a  cheap  rate,  attends  in  the  family,  where 
the  father  sees  Uiat  justice  is  done  to  them,  at  far  less  expcnce  than  if  he  sent  them  to 
distant  schools. 

Leave  Scarba  ;  pass  between  Nether-Lorn  and  the  isles  of  Luing  and  Suil  to  the  eut, 
and  of  Toracy  ai^d  Shuna  to  the  west,  uU  inhabited,  and  the  first  almost  covered  with 
excellent  corn.  In  Toracy  is  an  ancieilt  tower,  once  belonging  to  the  great  Mac-dunald, 
who  made  it  his  half-way  hunting  seat  in  his  progress  from  Canty  re  to  his  northern 
isles  ;  for  which  reason  it  was  cailed  Dog  castle  ;  and  here  he  made  it  a  most  laudable 
rule  to  reside,  till  he  had  spent  the  whole  of  his  revenue  collected  in  the  neighbourhood. 
According  to  the  report,^  these  isles  and  part  of  the  neighbouring  mainland  form  a 
parish,  whose  church  is  in  Suil. 

Take  boat ;  turn  at  the  point  of  Suil,  am  carried  by  a  rapid  tide  through  the  gut  of 
Cuan  ;  visit  Eusdale,  the  noted  slate  island,  whose  length  is  about  half  a  mile,  and  com- 
posed entirely  of  slate,  intersected,  and  in  some  parts  covered,  with  whin-stone,  to  the 
thickness  of  sixteen  feet :  the  stratum  of  slate  is  thirty-six,  dipping  quick  south-east  to 
north-west.  In  order  to  be  raised,  it  is  at  first  blasted  with  powder  ;  the  greater  pieces 
are  then  divided,  carried  off  in  wheel-barrows,  and  lastly  split  into  the  merchantable 

*  From  its  varied  colours  it  i«  called  Coire-bhreacain,  or  the  spotted  or  plaided  cauldron. 
tFordun,lib.  ll.c.  10. 

i  Mttde  by  the  gentleman  tent  in  1760,  by  order  of  the  general  auemblf,  to  inspect  the  state  ofreli- 
giOQ  in  the  islands,  kc.  MS. 


ind  walk 
cliuiincl 
\tluiitic, 
cuiitiived 
'O  hours 
*  ttiul  in 
dttkhes, 
drcddful 
tu  it  i  so 
cd  ill  St 
ilioutthe 


it  skilful 
13  and  91 
Icttscr  to 
Aivd  a  fa- 
[  Scarba, 

intributes 
miles  an 
'  the  wa- 
c  a  cha- 
that  she 

des  here. 
;ir  tutor; 
ly  attends 
tune.  A 
ly,  where 
i  them  to 

the  east, 
;ivd  with 
ic-dunald, 

northern 
t  laudable 
Ixiurhood. 
id  form  a 


he  gut  of 
and  com- 
le,  to  the 
th-east  to 
ter  pieces 
rchantable 


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Photographic 

Sciences 

Corporation 


23  WfiST  MAIN  STREET 

WEBSTER,  N.Y.  14S80 

(716)  872-4503 


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Canadian  Institute  for  Historical  Microreproductions  /  Institut  canadien  de  microreproductions  historiques 


pH 


l>ENNAin"!J  SECOND  TOUR  IN  SCOTLAND. 


357 


sizes,  from  eighteen  by  fourteen  inches  to  nine  by  six,  and  put  on  board  at  the  price 
of  twenty  shillings  per  thousand.  About  two  millions  and  a  half  are  sold  annually  to 
England,  Norway,  Canada,  and  the  West  Indies.  In  the  slates  are  multitudes  of  cubic 
pyritse.  In  one  place,  about  sixteen  feet  above  high-water-mark,  just  over  the  ilates,  is 
a  thick  bed  of  small  fragments,  worn  smooth,  as  if  by  the  action  of  the  waves,  and  mixed 
with  them  are  multitudes  of  the  common  sea  shells  ;  a  proof  of  the  vast  retreat  of  the 
ocean  in  these  parts. 

There  aie  many  other  good  slate  quarries  in  this  neighbourhood,  as  on  the  isles  of 
Suil,  Luing,  Balna-hua,  and  Kerrera,  and  some  few  opposite  to  them  on  the  coast  of 
Nether-Lorn. 

The  boat  takes  us  the  length  of  the  western  side  of  Suil.  At  the  north  point,  turn 
into  Clachan  Firth,  the  narrowest  strait  I  ever  was  in,  dividing  that  island  from  Lorn, 
in  parts  so  contracted  as  would  admit  the  flinging  an  arch  from  shore  to  shore.  The: 
depth  is  very  various :  in  some  parts  fifty  fathoms ;  in  others  so  shallow,  as  to  be  ford- 
able  at  the  ebb  of  spring-tides.  On  the  banks  of  the  island  and  mainland,  the  strata  of 
stone  rise  in  form  of  walls,  of  a  great  height,  and  not  above  two  feet  and  a  half  thick, 
extending  far,  so  as  easily  to  be  mistaken  for  the  bounds  of  an  inclosure. 

Arrived  in  the  beautiful  bay  of  Ard-maddie,  or  the  height  of  the  wolves.  A  house 
small,  but  elegant,  stands  in  front,  and  the  sides  of  the  bay  high,  entirely  clothed  with 
wood.  Here  I  find  the  kindest  welcome  from  my  worthy  ac(^uaintance,  captain  Archi- 
bald Campbell,  tenant  here  to  the  earl  of  Breadalbane,  who,  with  the  utmost  friendship, 
during  the  voyage  charged  himself  with  the  care  of  my  groom  and  my  horses.  Here 
I  also  took  leave  of  Mr.  Archibald  Thomson,  whose  attention  to  the  objects  of  my 
inquiries,  obliging  conduct  throughout,  and  skill  in  his  profession,  demand  my  warmest 
acknowledgments.  Thus  ended  this  voyage  of  amusement,  successful  and  satisfactory 
in  every  part,  unless  where  embittered  with  reflections  on  the  sufferings  of  my  fellow- 
creatures.  Gratitude  forbids  my  silence  respecting  the  kind  reception  I  universally  met 
with ;  or  the  active  zeal  of  every  one  to  facilitate  my  pursuits ;  or  the  liberal  commu- 
nication of  every  species  of  information,  useful  or  entertaining. 

I  retired  to  my  chamber,  filled  with  reflections  on  the  various  events  of  my  voyage ; 
and  every  scene  by  turns  presented  itself  before  my  imagination.  As  soon  as  my  eyes 
were  closed,  I  discovered  that  *'  the  slumber  of  the  body  was  but  the  waking  of  the 
soul."*  All  I  had  seen  appeared  to  have  been  dull  and  clouded  to  my  apprehension, 
serving  to  evince  '*  that  our  waking  conceptions  do  not  match  the  fancies  of  our  sleep. "f 
I  imagined  myself  again  gently  wafted  down  the  sound  of  Mull,  bounded  on  each  side 
by  the  former  dominions  of  mighty  chieftains,  or  of  heroes  immortalized  in  the  verse  of 
Ossian.     My  busy  fancy  was  worked  into  a  species  of  enthusiasm,  and  for  a  time  it 

Boclied  forth 
The  form*  of  thing$  unknown ; 
'^  '•  '■  Turned  them  to  shape,  and  gave  to  airy  nothing 

■riy:  A  local  habitation  and  a  name. 

A  JBgure  dressed  in  the  garb  of  an  ancient  warrior,  floated  in  the  air  before  me :  his 
target  and  his  clymore  seemed  of  no  common  size,  and  spoke  the  former  strength  of 
the  hero.  A  graceful  vigour  was  apparent  in  his  countenance,  notwithstanding  time 
had  robbed  him  of  part  of  his  locks,  and  given  to  the  remainder  a  venerable  hoariiies>s 
As  soon  as  he  had  fixed  my  attention,  he  thus  seemed  to  address  himself  to  me : 


,1 

n 


i ) 


'  H 


■I 


* 


!i 


13 


I 


n 


1^ 


tl 


*  Brown's  Religio  Medici. 


t  Ibid. 


358 


I'ENNANT'S  SECOND  TOUR  IN  SCOTLAND. 


"  Stranger,  thy  purpose  is  not  unknown  to  me ;  I  have  attended  thee  (invisible)  in 
ull  thy  voyage ;  have  sympathised  with  thee  in  the  rising  tear  at  the  misery  of  my  once 
loved  country  ;  and  sighs,  such  as  a  spirit  can  emit,  have  been  faithful  echoes  to  those 
cf  thy  corporeal  frame. 

"  know«  that  in  the  days  of  my  existence  on  earth  I  possessed  an  ample  portion  of  the 
tract  thou  seesi  to  the  north.  I  was  the  dread  of  the  neighbouring  chieftams ;  the  de- 
light of  my  people,  their  protector,  their  friend,  their  father :  no  injury  they  ever  re- 
ceived passed  unrevenged ;  for  no  one  excelled  me  in  conferring  benefits  on  my  clan,  or 
in  repaying  insults  on  their  enemies.  A  thousand  of  my  kindred  foUov/ed  me  in  arms, 
wheresoever  I  commanded.  Their  obedience  was  to  me  implicit,  for  my  word  was 
to  them  a  law ;  my  name  the  most  sacred  of  oaths.  I  was  (for  nothing  now  can  be  con- 
ccaled)  fierce,  arrogant,  despotic,  irritable  :  my  passions  were  strong,  my  anger  tremen- 
dous ;  yet  I  had  the  arts  of  conciliating  the  affections  of  my  people,  and  was  the  darling 
of  a  numerous  brave.  They  knew  the  love  I  bore  them  :  they  saw  on  a  thousand  oc> 
casions  the  strongest  proofs  of  my  afifection.  In  the  day  of  battle  I  have  covered  the 
weak  with  my  shield,  and  laid  at  my  feet  their  hostile  antagonists.  The  too  ^teful 
vassal,  in  return,  in  the  niext  conflict  has  sprung  before  me,  and  received  in  his  own 
bosom  the  shaft  that  has  been  levelled  at  mine.  In  retreats  from  over-powering  num- 
bers, I  was  ever  last  in  the  field.  I  alone  have  kept  the  enemy  at  bay,  and  purchased 
safety  for  my  people  with  a  hundred  wounds.  .     / 

"  In  the  short  intervals  of  peace  my  hall  wfRs  filled  with  my  friends  and  kindred :  my 
hospitality  was  equal  to  my  deeds  of  arms;  and  hecatombs  of  beeves  and  deer  covered 
my  rude  but  welcome  tables.  My  nearest  relations  sat  next  to  me,  and  then  succeeded 
the  bravest  of  my  clan ;  and  below  them«  the  emulous  youth  leaned  forward  to  hear 
the  gallant  recital  of  our  past  actions.  Our  bards  rehearsed  the  valiant  deeds  of  our 
great  ancestors,  and  inflamed  our  valour  by  the  sublimity  of  their  verse,  accompanied 
with  the  inspiring  sound  of  the  ear-piercing  peebirechts. 

"  The  crowds  of  people  that  attended  at  an  humble  distance  partook  of  my  bounty : 
their  families  were  my  care ;  for  I  beheld  in  their  boys  a  future  support  of  the  greatness 
of  my  house,  an  hereditary  race  of  warriors. 

"  My  numerous  kindred  lived  on  lands  the  gift  of  m^  distant  progenitors,  who  took 
care  to  i)Iant  their  children  near  the  main  stock :  the  scions  took  firm  root,  and  proved 
in  after-times  a  grateful  shelter  to  the  parent  tree,  against  the  fury  of  the  severest  storms. 
These  I  considered,  not  as  mercenary  tenants,  but  as  the  friends  of  good  and  of  adverse 
fortune.  Their  tenures  were  easy,  their  duchas^  inviolate :  I  found  my  interest  inter- 
woven with  theirs.  In  support  of  our  mutual  welfare,  they  were  enabled  to  keep  a  be- 
coming  hospitality.  They  cherished  their  neighbouring  dependents;  and  could  receive 
my  visits  in  turn  with  a  well  covered  board. 

"  Strong  fidelity  and  warm  friendship  reigned  among  us ;  disturbed  perhaps  by  the 
momentary  gusts  of  my  passions :  the  sun  that  warmed  them  might  experience  a  short 
obscurity ;  but  the  cloud  soon  passed  away,  and  the  beams  of  love  returned  with  im- 
proved advantage,  I  lived  beloved  and  revered :  I  attained  the  fulness  of  years  and  of 
gloq^' ;  and  finished  my  course,  attended  to  my  grave  with  the  fuU  coranich  of  my  la- 
menting people. 

*'  My  progeny  for  a  time  supported  the  great  and  wild  magnificence  of  the  feudal 
reign.    Their  distance  from  court  unfortunately  prevented  them  from  knowing  thit 

*  From  dulhalch,  native  country.  They  held  their  forms  at  a  small  rent,  from  father  to  son,  by  a  i.^ir'l 
of  prescribed  right,  which  the  Highlanders  called  duchas.  This  tenure)  in  the  feudal  times,  was  esteemed 
eacred  and  inviolable. 


PENNANT'S  SECOND  TOUR  IN  SCOTLAND. 


359 


tlicy  had  a  superior ;  and  their  ideas  of  loyalty  were  regulated  only  by  the  respect  or 
attention  paid  to  their  funcicd  independency.  Their  vassals  were  happy  or  miserable, 
according  to  the  disposition  of  the  little  monarch  of  the  time.  Two  centuries,  from  my 
days,  had  elapsed,  before  their  greatness  knew  its  final  period.  The  shackles  of  the 
feudal  government  were  at  length  struck  oif,  and  possibly  happiness  was  announced  to 
the  meanest  vassal.  The  target,  the  dirk,  and  the  clymore,  too  long  abused,  were 
wrested  from  our  hands,  and  we  were  bid  to  learn  the  arts  of  peace,  to  spread  the  net, 
to  shoot  the  shuttle,  or  to  cultivate  the  ground. 

The  mighty  chieftains,  the  brave  and  disinterested  heroes  of  old  times,  by  a  most 
violent  and  surprising  transforraaticn,  at  once  sunk  into  rapacious  landlords ;  determined 
to  compensate  the  loss  of  power  with  the  increase  of  revenue ;  to  exchange  the  warm 
aifections  of  their  people  ior  sordid  trash.  Their  visits,  to  those  of  their  forefathers, 
are  like  the  surveys  of  a  cruel  land-jobber,  attended  by  a  set  of  quick  sighted  vultures, 
skilled  in  pointing  out  the  most  exquisite  methods  of  oppression,  or  to  instruct  them  in 
the  art  of  exhausting  their  purses  of  sums  to  be  wasted  in  distant  lands.  Like  the  task- 
masters of  Egypt,  they  require  them  to  make  brick  without  straw.  They  leave  them 
in  their  primaeval  poverty,  uninstructed  in  any  art  for  their  future  support ;  deprived 
of  the  wonted  resources  of  the  hospitality  of  their  lord,  or  the  plentiful  boards  of  his 
numerous  friends.  They  experience  an  instantaneous  desertion ;  are  flung  at  once  into 
a  new  state  of  life,  and  demand  the  fostering  hand  as  much  as  the  most  infant  colony. 
When  I  hover  over  our  vales,  I  see  the  satne  nakedness  exist,  the  same  misery  in  habita- 
tion, the  same  idle  disposition.  Would  I  could  have  seen  the  same  spirit  and  vigour  as 
in  days  of  yore !  But  the  powers  of  their  souls  are  sunk  with  oppression,  and  those  of 
their  bodies  lost  with  want.  They  look  up  in  despair  at  our  deserted  castles ;  and,  worn 
out  with  famine  and  disease,  drop  into  an  unnoticed  grave. 

**  The  ties  of  aflfection  amongst  relations  are  now  no  more ;  no  distinction  is  at  pre- 
sent made  betwixt  proximity  of  blood  and  the  most  distant  stranger.  Interest  alone 
creates  the  preference  of  man  to  man.  The  thousands  that  with  joy  expected  the  return 
of  their  chieftain,  now  retire  with  sullen  grief  into  their  cottages ;  or,  in  little  groupes, 
express  their  rage  in  curses  both  loud  and  deep.  No  vassal  now  springs  to  receive  the 
weapon  levelled  at  the  breasit  of  the  lord,  but  rather  wishes  to  plant  his  own  in  the  bosom 
of  the  oppressor. 

"  The  ancient  native,  full  of  the  idea  of  the  manly  look  of  the  warriors  and  friends 
of  his  youth,  is  lost  in  admiration  at  the  degenerate  progeny:  feature  and  habit  are 
changed ;  the  one  effeminated,  the  other  become  ridiculous  by  adopting  the  idle  fa- 
shions of  foreign  climes :  lost  to  the  love  of  their  country !  lost  to  all  the  sweet  aifections 
of  patriarchal  life !  What  then,  may  I  say,  are  the  fruits  of  your  travels  ?  What  arts 
have  you  brought  home,  that  will  serve  to  bring  subsistence  to  your  people  ?  To  re- 
compence  them  for  your  drafted  revenues  ?  What  to  clothe  the  naked  ?  To  feed  the 
hungry  ?  To  furnish  them  with  more  comfortable  protection  from  the  inclemency  of 
the  weather  ?  They  require  no  great  matters ;  a  small  portion  of  raiment,  a  little  meal. 
With  sad  comparison  they  learn,  that  chieftains  still  exist,  who  make  their  people  their 
care ;  and  mth  envy  they  hear  of  the  improving  stati  of  the  vassals  of  an  Argyle,  an 
Atliol,  a  Breadalbane,  and  a  Bute. 

"  Return  to  your  country ;  inform  them  with  your  presence ;  restore  them  to  the 
laudable  part  of  the  ancient  manners ;  eradicate  the  bad.  Bring  them  instructors,  and 
they  would  learn.  Teach  them  arts  adapted  to  their  climate ;  they  would  brave  the 
fury  of  our  3eas  in  fishing.  Send  them  materials  for  the  coarser  manufactures ;  they 
would  with  patience  sit  down  to  the  loom ;  they  would  weave  the  sails,  to  waft  your 


^ 


1! 

1 


'I  i 


360 


PENNANT'S  SECOND  TOUR  IN  SCOTLAND. 


navies  to  victory ;  and  part  of  them  rejoice  to  share  the  glory  in  the  most  distant 
combats.  Select  a  portion  of  them  for  the  toils  of  the  ocean :  make  your  levies,  en- 
roll them ;  dicipline  them  under  able  veterans,  and  send  annually  to  our  ports 
the  smaller  vessels  of  your  tremendous  navy.  Trust  them  with  swords,  and  a  small  re- 
taining pay.  If  you  have  doubts,  establish  a  place  d'armes,  in  vacant  times,  the  depo- 
site  of  their  weapons,  under  proper  garrison.  They  would  submit  to  any  restrictions ; 
and  think  no  restraints,  founded  on  the  safety  of  the  whole,  an  infringement  of  liberty, 
or  an  invasion  of  property.  Legislature  has  given  them  their  manumission  ;  and  they 
no  longer  consider  themselves  as  part  of  the  live  stock  of  their  chief'iin.  Draft  them 
to  distant  climes«  and  they  will  sacrifice  their  lives  in  the  just  cause  of  government  with 
as  much  zeal  as  their  fore-fathers  did  under  the  lawless  direction  of  my  valiant  ancestors. 
Limit  only  the  time  of  their  warfare,  sweeten  it  only  with  the  hopes  of  a  return  to  their 
native  country,  and  they  will  become  willing  substitutes  for  their  Southern  brethren. 
Occupied  in  the  soft  arts  of  peace,  those  should  extend  your  manufactures ;  and  these 
would  defend  your  commerce.  Persuade  their  governors  to  experience  their  zeal ;  and 
let  courtly  favour  rise  and  fall  with  their  actions.     Have  not  thousands  in  the  late  war 

E roved  their  sincerity  ?  Have  not  thousands  expiated  with  their  blood  the  folly  of  re* 
ellion,  and  the  crimes  of  their  parents  ? 

*'  If  you  will  totally  neglect  them  ;  if  you  will  not  reside  among  them  ;  if  you  will 
not,  by  your  example,  instruct  them  in  the  science  of  rural  oeconomy,  nor  cause  them 
to  be  taught  the  useful  arts :  if  you  cannot  obtain  leave  for  them  to  devote  themselves  to 
the  service  of  their  country,  by  deeds  of  arms ;  do  not  at  least  drive  them  to  despair, 
by  oppression :  do  not  force  them  into  a  distant  land,  and  necessitate  them  to  seek  tran- 
quillity by  a  measure  which  was  once  deemed  the  punishment  of  the  most  atrocious  crimi- 
nals. Do  not  be  guilty  of  treason  against  your  country,  by  depriving  it  of  multitudes  of 
useful  members,  whose  defence  it  may  too  soon  want,  agamst  our  natural  enemies.  Do 
not  create  a  new  species  of  disaffection ;  and  let  it  not  receive  a  more  exalted  venom,  in 
a  continent  replete  with  the  most  dangerous  kind.  Extremes  of  change  are  always  the 
worst.  How  dreadful  will  be  the  once-existent  folly  of  Jacobitism,  transformed  into  the 
accursed  spirit  of  political  libertinism ! 

"  Leave  them  (if  you  will  do  no  more)  but  the  bare  power  of  existence  in  their  na- 
tive country,  and  they  will  not  envy  you  your  new  luxuries.  Waste  your  hours  in  the 
lap  of  dissipation ;  resign  yourself  up  to  the  fascinations  of  Acrasia  ;  and  sport  in  the 
bower  of  bliss.  Cover  your  tables  with  delicacies,  at  the  exi)ence  of  your  famished 
clans.  Think  not  of  the  wretches  at  those  seasons,  least  your  appetite  for  the  hors 
d'  ouvres  be  palled,  and  you  feel  a  momentary  remorse  for  death  occasioned  by  ye,  ye 
thoughtless  deserters  of  your  people  !  With  all  my  failings,  I  exult  in  innocence  of  such 
crimes ;  and  felicitate  myself  on  my  aerial  state,  capable  of  withdrawing  from  the  sight 
of  miseries  I  cannot  alleviate,  and  Of  oppressions  I  cannot  prevent."  ^^-n  i^j  ^^  i :  ; 


ITINERARY. 


4t 

DOWNING,  to 

Lancaster,^ 
Hess- Bank, 
Cartmcl  sands, 
Cartmel, 


'•St*..- 


ri^.'.. 


Miles. 

95 
4 

n 


'i'lf 


Ulverstone,  ,6 

Whitrig  iron-mines,  and  back  tor  -^tifftw 

Ulverstone,  .  ^.,.  .^,    /      ii^ 

Hawkshead,       - 


3,Gr^thwaite, 


.A'^k^'<- 


*  Vide  Itineraiy  of  Tour  1769. 


.ST./I 


PEKKANTS  SECOND  TOUR  IN  SCOTLAND 

361 

Boulness, 

Ambleside, 

Keswick  16,  Ormathwaite  2, 

Cockermouth  (byBridekerk) 

Whitehaven, 

Workington, 

Mary.port, 

MUes. 

4  Allanby, 

TiWigton, 
18  Carfisle, 

15  Warwick,  Corbie,  and  back  to 
13      Carlisle, 

8  Netherby, 

7  Langholme,  and  back  to  Netherby, 

SCOTLAND. 

Miles. 

5 

11 

10 

IS 
12 

Annan, 

Ruthwel,  and  back  to  Annan, 

Spring-keld, 

Burnswork-hill, 

Hoddam  3,  Murray thwaite  1, 

Comlongan, 

Caerlaveroc, 

Dumfries, 

Lincluden,  and  back  to  Dumfries, 

Drumlanrig, 

Morton-castle  4,  Durisdeer  2, 

Drumlanrig  3, 
Lead-hills, 


Mount  Stuart,  in  the  isle  of  Bute, 

CiUchattan  hill, 

Kingarth  manse  2,  Rothesay  5, 

St.  Ninian's-Point, 

Inch-Mamoc, 

Loch-Tarbat, 

Loch-Ranza, 

Bro£c*castle, 

Fin<mac-cwl's  cav  ,  and  back  to 

Brodic, 
lUrk-nuchel,  Dunfion,  and  ag»n 

to  Brodic, 
Lamlash  isle, 
Cnugofi^sa, 
Campbeltown, 
Kilkerran  caves,  and  back. 
Bar, 

Gigha  isle,  ~ 
Small  isles  of  Jura, 
Ardfin, 
Paps  of  Jura, 

VOL.   III. 


MUea. 
14 
12 
7 
4 
4 
4 
6 
8 
3 


9 
13 


Douglas, 

Lanerk, 

Hamilton, 

Glasgow, 

Greenock,  and  back  to  Glasgow, 

Cruickston.castle, 

Paisley  2,  Renfrew  2,  Glasgow  5, 

Drummond, 

Loch-Lomond, 

Buchannan, 

Glasgow, 

Greenock,  by  land, 


VOYAGE. 


Miles. 
16 
5 
7 

n 

12 
14 
12 

22 

10 

6 
24 
22 

6 
12 

6 
15 

4 
10 


Miles. 

12 

8 

14 

13 

44 

4 

9 

17 

4 

3 

SO 
.     21 


Miles. 

Port  Freebaim,  in  the  isle  of  Hay, 

7 

Brorarag, 

3 

Killarow,                        1 

9 

Sunderland, 

9 

Sanneg  cove,  and  back  to  Sunder- 

land, 

10 

Fort  Free-bairn, 

18 

Oransay, 

15 

Killoran,  in  CoUonsay, 

9 

Port  Olamsay, 

1 

Jona, 

18 

Cannay, 

63 

Loch-Sgriosart,  in  Rum, 

12 

Point  of  Slate,  in  Skie, 

18 

Mac-kinnon*s  castle, 

24 

Sconser, 

10 

Talyskir, 

18 

Loch-Bracadale, 

4 

Cross  the  Loch, 

4 

Dunvegan, 

6 

Kingsburg^, 

3    A 

12 

I 

i 


i» 


'J 


302 


PENNANT'8  SECOND  TOUR  IN  SCOTLAND. 


Dun-Tuilm, 

Loch-Broom, 

Little  Loc-h.Broom, 

Dundonnel, 

Loch>maree,  the  East  end, 

Loch«maree,  the  West  end, 

Pol-ewe,  1,  Gairloch,  6, 

Mac-innon's  castle, 

Glen-elg, 

Glen.beg,  and  back  to  G!en>elg, 

LochJum,  extremity  of, 

Arnisdale, 

Isle  Oransay, 


Miles. 
15 
51 
15 

3l 
18 
18 

7 
42 

9 

6 
24 
10 
12 


Ard-na-murchan  point, 

Tobir-moire  bay,  in  Mull^ 

Aros, 

Castlc-Duart, 

Dunstaffage, 

Bercgonium, 

Ard>muchnagc, 

Dunstaffage, 

Lismore, 

Scarba, 

Ardmaddie, 

Circuit  round  Suit,  Sec. 


Miles. 

40 

9 

8 

12 

10 

4 

8 

e 

4 
18 
12 
15 


A  TOUR  IN  SCOTLAND,  &c PART  IL 


ADVERTISEMENT. 

THIS  second  part  brings  my  journies  of  1769  and  1772  to  a  conclusion.  I  beg 
leave  to  return  thanks  to  tlie  several  gentlemen,  who  gave  themselves  the  trouble  of 
supplying  me  with  materials,  and  with  variety  of  remarks  and  strictures  that  have  served 
to  correct  the  many  mistakes  I  may  have  committed.    I  hold  myself  pecuharly  m- 

debted  to 

Frazer,  Esq.  of  Inverness ; 

The  Rev.  Mr.  Mac-intyre,  of  Glenurchie ; 
The  Rev.  Dr.  Ferguson,  of  Mouline ; 
The  Rev.  Dr.  Bisset,  of  Logierait; 
John  Machenzie,  Esq.  of  Delvin ; 
Mr.  Thomas  Marshall,  of  Perth  ; 

Dr.  Drummond; 

The  Rev.  Mr.  Duff,  of  Tibbermoor ; 

The  Rev.  Mr.  Scott,  of  Meigle ; 

John  Haliburton,  Esq.  of  Dundee : 

The  Rev.  Mr.  Bell,  of  Aberbrothic  ;  ' 

Patrick  Scott,  Esq.  of  Rossie  ; 

Mr.  Alexander  Christie,  late  Provost  of  Montrose; 

Robert  Barclay,  Esq.  of  Urie ; 

Professor  Watson,  of  St.  Andrews ; 

George  Skene,  Esq.  of  Careston ; 

Mr.  James  Gillies,  of  Brechin ; 

George  Chalmers,  Esq.  of  Dumferline  ; 


and  superlatively  to 


Mr.  George  Allan,  of  Darlington. 


Miles. 

40 

0 

8 

12 

10 

4 

2 

6 

4 

18 

12 

IS 


PBNKAKrS  SECOND  TOUH  IN  SCOTLAND. 


JG3 


I  must  apologize  to  the  public  for  so  hastily  passing  over  two  places,  ot  whicli  amplci 
accounts  might  have  been  expected.  I  have  lived  so  lon^  in  Chester,  that  a  more 
minute  history  of  it  ought  to  have  been  given ;  but  after  all,  it  would  have  seemed  tri. 
vial,  on  the  appearance  of  the  labours  of  the  Rev.  Dr.  Foot  Gowcr,  which  the  Public 
has  very  long  expected.  I  shall  rejoice  on  a  future  occasion  to  have  opportunity  of 
drawing  from  so  rich  a  magazine,  a  variety  of  materials  for  a  farther  elucidation  of  the 
respectable  capital  of  so  respectable  a  county. 

I  wish  I  could  assign  as  good  a  reason  for  my  worse  than  neglect  of  the  venerable 
Lincoln.  When  I  passed  through  it  in  1769,  I  must  have  been  planet-struck,  not  to 
have  observed  the  amazing  beauties  of  the  external  as  well  as  internal  architec- 
ture of  the  cathedral.  I  could  not  stifle  my  remorse.  Last  year  I  hastened  thi. 
ther,  and  with  all  signs  of  contrition  made  the  amende  honorable  before  the  great  door. 
I  trust  that  my  penitence  was  accepted  by  the  whole  chapter.  A  recantation  of  the 
little  respect  I  paid  to  its  external  elegance  will  be  a  subject  of  a  future  volume,  a 
Tour  through  the  eastern  parts  of  the  Mercian  kingdom. 

Downing,  Marcli,  1, 1776.  THOMAS  Pl-.WNANT. 

Fornumbers  of  corrections  in  the  present  edition  lam  obliged  to  friendly  strictures  I 
received  from  sir  David  Dalrymple,  Baronet,  of  Hails.  T.  P. 

Downing,  Dec,  36, 1790. 


PART  II. 

AUGUST  15.  Pass  this  day  at  Ard-maddie.  The  house  commands  a  beautiful 
view  of  the  bay,  and  the  isle  of  Suil,  where  the  parish  church  and  the  manse  of  the 
minister  of  the  parish  are  placed,  accessible  at  all  times,  by  reason  of  the  narrowness  of 
the  channel  of  Clachan.  This  tract  is  hilly,  finely  wooded  near  the  house,  and  on  the 
adjacent  part  of  the  shore ;  contains  about  eleven  hundred  examinable  persons,  and 
abounds  with  cattle.  A  quarry  of  white  marble,  veined  with  dull  red,  is  found  on  the 
west  side  of  the  bay. 

This  parish  lies  in  Nether>Lorn,  a  district  of  the  vast  county  of  Argyle.  These  di- 
visions (for  there  are  three  Lorns)  were,  in  the  time  of  Robert  Bruce,  possessed  by  the 
Mac-dougals,  opponents  of  that  prince ;  passed  from  them  to  the  Stuarts ;  but  in  the 
fifteenth  century  were  transferred*  into  the  family  of  the  Campbels,  by  the  mar- 
riages of  three  co-heiresses,  daughters  of  the  last  Stuart,  lord  of  Lorn.  Sir  Colin  of 
Glenurchie,  sumamed  the  black,  took  to  his  share  Isabel  the  eldest ;  disposed  of  the 
second  to  his  half  brother  Archibald ;  and  reserved  for  his  nephew  (Colin,  first  earl  of 
Argyle,  then  under  his  guardianship)  the  youngest,  Narrate  Na  Nhaghn,  or  Margaret 
the  Rhymer. 

This  county  was  part  of  the  ancient  Ergadia,  or  Jarghael,  or  land  of  the  western 
Caledonians,  which  extended  as  far  as  Gairloch,  in  the  shire  of  Ross.  It  formed  part 
of  the  dominions  of  the  old  Scots,  whose  kingdom  reached  from  the  Firth  of  Clyde 
along  the  whole  coast,  even  as  far  as  Dungsby  head,  in  Caithness.! 

August  14.  Leave  Ard-maddie.  Ride  along  a  fine  road,  for  some  time  by  the 
&ide  of  an  arm  of  the  sea,  called,  from  the  plenty  of  shells,  Loch-fuchan.    Go  by  a 


MS.  Hist,  of  the  Campbels. 


3  A  2 


t  Doctor  MacpliersoD)  334. 


:\6A 


I'liNNANT'S  SKCOND  TOLU  IN  SCOTLANIJ. 


I 


iicap  of  stoiieti,  called  Culm- Alpine,  because  from  heiicc  the  bodies  of  the  Alpiniades,  or 
sncccsiiors  of  that  monarch,  were  cn\barked  for  interment  in  the  sucred  ground  ui  Juna. 
Alter  quitting  this  loch  arrive  in  a  barren  tract  of  black  heathy  land,  enlivened  now 
and  then  with  some  prerty  lakes.  Reach  the  bankH  of  Loch-Aw,  wh^  re  that  fine 
water  is  contracted  to  the  breadth  of  about  three  quarters  of  a  mile.  Am  walled  over 
in  a  horse  boat ;  land  on  a  spot  styled  Portsonnachun,  and  after  about  ten  miles  ridingt 
pass  between  hills,  finely  planted  with  several  sorts  of  trees,  such  as  Weymouth  pines,  liic. 
and  reach  the  town  and  castle  of  Inveraray,**^  seated  on  a  small  but  beautiful  plain,  on 
the  side  of  Loch-Fine.  This  had  long;  been  the  seat  of  the  Campbels.  It  was  inhabited 
about  the  latter  end  of  the  fourteenth  century  by  Colin,  surnumed  Jun^allach,  or  the 
Wonderful,  on  account  of  his  marvellous  exploits;  and,  I  may  add,  his  odd  whims: 
among  which,  and  not  the  least,  may  be  reckoned  the  burning  of  his  house  at  Inveraray 
on  receiving  a  visit  from  the  O'Neiles  of  Ireland,  that  he  might  have  pretence  to  enter- 
tain his  illustrious  guests  in  his  magnificent  field  equipage.  The  ^eat  tower,  which 
was  standing  till  very  lately,  was  bunt  by  the  black  sir  Colin,  for  his  nephew,  the  first 
earl  of  Argyle,  at  that  time  a  minor.f  I  do  not  discover  any  date,  to  ascertain  the  time 
of  its  foundation,  any  further  than  that  it  was  prior  to  the  year  1480,  the  time  of  sir 
Colin's  death.  The  power  of  the  family,  and  tne  difficult  approach  to  the  place,  pre- 
served  it  from  the  insult  of  enemies,  excepting  in  two  instances :  in  December,  1644, 
amidst  the  snows  of  this  severe  climate,  the  enterprilin^  Montrose  poured  down  his 
troops  on  Inverara}',  through  ways  its  chieftain  thought  impervious.  The  marquis  of 
Argyle  made  his  escape  in  a  little  fishing  boat,  and  left  his  people  to  the  merciless  wea- 
pons of  the  invaders,  who  for  a  twelvemonth  carried  fire  and  sword  through  the  whole 
Campbel  race,  retaliating,  as  is  pleaded,^  the  similar  barbarities  of  its  leader. 

Alter  the  unfortunate  expedition  of  his  son,  in  1685,  this  place  and  people  ex- 
perienced a  fresh  calamity :  another  clan,  deputed  by  the  government  to  carry  destruc- 
tion throughout  the  name,  was  let  slip,  armed  with  the  dreadful  writ  of  fire  and  sword, 
to  act  at  discretion  among  an  unhappy  people ;  seventeen  gentlemen  of  the  name  were 
instantly  executed.  On  the  spot  is  erected  a  column,  with  an  inscription,  commemo- 
rating, with  a  moderation  that  does  honour  to  the  writer,  the  justice  of  the  cause  in 
which  his  relation  fell. 

In  1715,  Archibald,  duke  of  Argyle,  then  earl  of  Hay,  collected  a  few  troops  in 
this  place,  in  order  to  prevent  the  rebels  from  becoming  masters  of  bo  important  a  pass, 
through  which  they  might  have  led  their  forces  to  Glasgow,  and  from  thence  into  the 
north  of  England.  General  Gordon  approached  within  a  small  distance,  reconnoitred 
it,  and  actually  cut  fascines  to  make  the  attack ;  but  was  deterred  from  it  by  the  de- 
termined appearance  of  the  garrbon. 

The  figure  of  the  magnificent  bridge  over  the  Aray  is  engraved  by  Mr.  Pennant. 
That  fine  structure,  built  at  the  expence  of  government,  was  destroyed  by  the  violent  au- 
tumnal flood  of  this  year. 

The  portraits  in  the  castle  are  few ;  of  them  two  only  merit  notice.  The  first  is  a 
head  of  the  marquis  of  Argyle,  his  hair  short,  his  dress  black,  with  a  plain  white  turn- 
over. A  distinguished  person  during  the  reign  of  Charles  I,  and  the  consequent  usurpa- 
tion. A  man,  as  his  own  father  styled  him,  of  craft  and  subtilty.  In  his  heart  no  firiend 
to  the  royal  cause,  temporizing  according  to  the  complexion  of  the  tiroes ;  yiekiing  an 

*  In  Gaelic,  Inner  aoro. 

t  In  the  quarto  edition  of  the  Tour,  1  ^69,  is  a  print,  aupposed  to  be  that  of  tkr  old  caatle,  copied  from 
one  inscribed  with  its  name  ;  but  the  Gordons  claim  it  as  a  view  of  Castle  Gordon,  the  seat  of  their 
chieftains.  \  Montrose's  Wars,  p.  43. 


,  .imW!" "-.ill.ij'.'.g    !'i|IH>ll 


-v^^^t^SawMM 


•.is"S«. 


PENNANT'S  SKCOND  TOUR  IN  SCOTLAND. 


305 


hearty  but  secret  concurrence  with  iho  disafffcted  powers,  and  extendinpf  a  feigned  and 
timid  aid  tu  the  sliuckled  ruyulty  of  Charles  II,  when  he  entrusted  him^ietfto  his  northern 
subjects,  in  1650.  At  all  timesi  providiog  pleas  of  merit  with  both  parties,  upparently 
sincere  with  the  usur|x:rs  only.  With  them  he  took  an  active  pjut*  during  their  pleni. 
tude  of  power,  yet  at  first  claimed  only  protection,  freedom,  and  payment  of  his  debts 
due  from  the  English  parliament. f  His  interest  seem.s  to  have  been  constantly  in  view. 
While  Charles  was  in  his  hands,  he  received  from  that  penetrating  prince  a  promissorv 
note  for  great  honours  and  great  emoluments.!  He  is  charged  with  encouraging  his 
people  in  various  acts  of  murder  and  cruelty ;)  but  the  provocations  he  had  received 
by  the  horrible  ravages  of  Montrose  may  perhaps  extenuate  retaliation  on  such  ot  his 
neighbours,  who,  for  any  thing  that  appears,  partook  of  the  excesses.  He  is  charged 
niso  with  possessing  himself  of  the  estates  of  those  who  were  put  to  death  by  his  au- 
thority  {  a  charge  not  repelled  in  his  fine  defence  on  his  trial.  His  generosity,  in  de- 
clining to  take  an  open  part  in  the  prosecution  of  his  arch  enemy  Montrose,  would 
have  done  him  great  honour,  had  he  not  meanly  placed  himself  m  a  window,  to  see 
the  fallen  hero  pass  in  a  cart  to  receive  judgment.  ||  On  the  restoration  he  fell  a 
victim  to  his  manes.  It  was  inteiidcd  that  he  should  undergo  the  same  ignominious 
death,  which  was  afterwards  changed  to  that  of  beheading.  '*  I  could  (says  he)  die 
like  a  Roman,  but  I  choose  rather  to  die  like  a  Christian."  He  fell  with  heroism  ;  in 
his  last  moments  with  truth  exculpating  himself  from  having  any  concern  in  the  mur. 
der  of  his  royal  master ;  calming  his  conscience  with  the  opinion,  that  his  criminal 
compliances  were  but  the  epidemic  disease  and  fault  of  the  times.  His  guilt  of  trea- 
son was  indisputable ;  but  the  act  of  grace  in  1641,  and  the  other  in  1651,  ought  to 
have  been  his  securities  from  a  capital  punishment. 

Here  is  also  a  head  of  his  son,  the  earl  of  Argylc,  a  steady,  virtuous,  but  unfor. 
tunate  character.  Firm  to  his  trust  through  all  the  misfortunes  of  his  royal  master, 
Charles  I.  Was  appointed  colonel  of  his  guards  in  1650,  hut  scorned  to  receive 
his  commission  from  the  tyrannical  states  of  his  country,  and  insisted  on  receiving 
it  from  his  majesty  alone.  Neither  the  defeats  at  Dunbar,  or  at  Worcester,  abated  his 
zeal  for  the  desperate  cause ;  he  betook  himself  to  the  Highlands  and  for  a  long  time 
resisted  the  usurping  powers,  notwithstanding  he  was  cast  off,  and  his  adherents  declared 
traitors  by  the  zealous  marquis  his  father.f  Suffered,  after  his  submission  to  the 
irresistible  tyranny  of  the  times,  a  long  imprisonment.  His  release  at  the  restoration 
subjected  him  but  to  fresh  troubles :  ingratitude  seems  to  have  been  the  first  return  to 
his  services.  A  bare  recital  of  hb  success  with  the  king,  in  repelling  certain  injuries 
done  him,  was  entitled  Leasing*  making,  or  creating  dissensions  between  his  majesty 
and  his  subjects.  For  this*  by  the  Scottish  law,  he  was  condemned  to  lose  his  head :  a 
sentence  too  unjust  to  be  permitted  to  be  put  into  execution.  After  a  long  imprison- 
ment, was  restored  to  favour,  to  his  fortune,  and  to  the  title  of  earl.  In  all  his  actions 
he  preserved  a  patriotic,  yet  loyal,  moderation  ;  but  in  1681,  delivering  in  an  explana- 
tion of  an  oath  he  was  to  take,  as  a  test  not  to  attempt  any  alteration  in  church  or 
state,*^  he  was  again  disgraced,  tried,  and  a  second  time  condemned ;  and  the  infamous 
sentence  would  have  been  executed,  hud  he  not  escaped  from  the  power  of  his  ene« 
mies.  In  1685,  in  concert  with  the  duke  of  Monmouth,  he  made  a  fatal  attempt  to 
restore  the  liberties  of  his  country,  then  invaded  by  James  II.  He  failed  in  the  design, 
and  was  put  to  death  on  his  former  sentence; 


•  Whitelocke,  563,  567. 
§  State  Trials,  ii.  417. 
**  State  Trials,  lit. 44 1. 


t  The  same,  529. 
11  Carte,  iv.6S9. 


t  Biogr.  Br.  ii.  1150.  (Edit.  1748.) 
f  Whitelocke,  563. 


i 


,/ 


1 


II 


.(')] 


S66 


PKNNAN'f'8  SECOND  TOUR  IN  SCOTLAND. 


On  the  day  of  execution  he  cat  hiii  dinner,  uiid  took  his  afternoon's  nap  with  his  usual 
coni|)Osurr,  falliiiK  with  a  ailn)nc:»!t  und  constancy  suitable  to  the  ^oodncbs  of  \m  life. 

JuHt  before  he  left  the  priiton,  his  wife,  a  frugal  ladv,  asked  him  for  the  golden  but- 
tons he  wore  in  his  sleeves,  lest  the  executioner  should  get  them.  '*  Is  this  u  time  for 
buch  a  rcciucbt?"  suys  die  brave  earl.  lie  ascended  the  scaffold,  and  then  took  ihcin 
out,  and  ordered  them  to  be  delivered  to  his  countess. 

A  little  before  his  death  lie  composed  his  epitaph,  I  think  still  to  be  seen  in  the  Grcy- 
fryar's  church-yard,  Edinburgh.  The  verses  are  rather  to  be  admired,  as  they  shewed 
the  serenity  of  his  mind  at  that  awful  period,  than  for  the  smoothness  of  the  numbers ; 
but  the  Latin  translation,  by  the  Rev.  Mr.  Jamison  of  Glasgow,  cannot  but  be  acceptable 
to  c  cry  reader  of  taste : 

Audi,  hoipet.  quicunque  venia,  tumulumque  reviiii> 

lit  rogatii  qiiali  crimine  tinctui  eram. 
Non  me  crimen  habet,  non  me  malut  abitulit  error, 

Lt  vitium  nullum,  me  pepulit  patria. 
Solus  amor  patriae,  verique  Immenia  cupido 

Disiuctus  ju&sit  sunicre  tela  manus. 
Opprimor,  en !  rediens,  vi  aola  et  fruude  meorum, 

Hoitibu*  et  axvia  vicliina  tema  ,udo 
Sit  licet  hie  noster  labor  Irritui,  baud  Deua  cquus 

Detplcie(  populum  saecula  cuncta  tuum. 
Namque  alius  veniet  faiis  melioribus  ortus 

Qui  totien  ruptum  nine  beal)lt  opiii. 
Sat  milii  credo  (quumvisca  ut  cnsc  secetur) 

Hinc  peter  xtherel  lucida  templa  poli. 

Thou,  paasenger,  who  ahalt  have  so  much  time, 
As  view  my  grave,  and  ask  what  was  my  crime : 
No  stain  of  error,  no  black  vices'  brand, 
Did  me  compel  to  leave  my  native  land. 
Love  to  my  country,  truth  condemn'd  to  die. 
Did  force  mv  hands  forgotten  arms  to  try. 
More  from  friends'  fraud  my  fall  proceeded  hath 
Than  foes,  tho'  thrice  they  did  attempt  my  death. 
On  my  design  tho'  Providence  did  frown, 
Yet  God,  at  last,  will  surely  raise  his  own. 
Another  hano,  with  more  successful  siMsed, 
Shall  raise  the  remnant,  bruise  the  serpent's  head. 

The  fine  woods  and  cascades  at  Esachossen  must  not  pass  unnoticed ;  nor  the  fertile 
tract  of  corn-land  between  it  and  the  sea ;  nor  the  deer-park,  called  Beauchamp,  with 
its  romantic  gleno ;  nor  the  lake  Du-loch,  near  the  foot  of  Glenshiera,  a  fresh  water, 
communicating  with  Loch-fine,  which  receives  into  it  salmon,  sea-trout,  flounders,  and 
even  herrings,  so  that  the  family,  during  the  seasons,  find  it  a  never-failing  reservoir 
of  fish. 

The  tunny*  frequents  this  and  several  other  branches  of  the  sea,  on  the  western  coast 
during  the  season  of  jrrings,  which  they  pursue :  the  Scotch  call  it  the  Mackerel' 
sture,  or  stor,  from  its  enormous  size,  it  being  the  largest  of  the  genus.  One  that  was 
taken  off  Inveraray,  when  I  was  there  in  1769,  weighed  between  four  and  five  hundred 
pounds.  These  fish  are  taken  by  a  hook,  baited  with  a  herring,  and,  notwithstanding 
their  vast  bulk,  soon  lose  their  spirit,  and  tamely  submit  to  their  fate.  Their  captt  -^  s 
not  attended  to  as  much  as  it  merits,  for  they  would  prove  a  cheap  and  whuU  ..<  >a)e 

*  Br.  Zool.  iii.  No.  133.  tab.  52. 


../v« 


•1 


PCNNANrS  SKCcmD  TOUR  IN  ICOTLANU. 


3G7 


food  to  the  poor.  The  few  that  tire  cniight  are  cut  in  pieces,  and  cither  sold  fresh,  or 
8ul(cd  in  casks.  TuniiicH  arc  the  g;rcut  support  of  the  cuiivciiti  in  the  cuuntricit  that 
bound  the  Mediterranean  hcu,  where  they  ^warm  at  stated  seasons,  particularly  beneath 
thi  j^reat  promontories  of  Sicily,  the  Thunnosconia  •of  the  ancients,  bccau!»c  watchmrn 
were  placed  on  them  to  obtervc  the  motions  ot  the  tunnies,  and  ^ive  si^n^iU  of  their 
appruuuh  to  the-  lishermcn.  In  Scotland  they  arrive  on!y  in  small  herds  of  five  or  six, 
•re  discovered  by  their  playing  near  the  Kurfaa^  and  by  their  agility  and  frequent  leaps 
out  of  the  water. 

In  the  midst  of  the  duke's  estate,  not  far  from  ihe  castle,  is  a  tract  of  about  a  him* 
dred  a  year  value,  the  property  of  the  earl  of  Breadalbanc  ;t  a  git\  of  a  chieftain  of 
this  house  to  an  ancestor  of  his  lordship,  in  order  to  maintain  the  vast  train  of  followers 
thiit  attended  on  the  great  in  feud  •!  days :  so  that,  whenever  the  owner  of  T  .-uth 
paid  his  respects  to  his  lord  in  Invcr  ray,  the  suite  might  be  properly  accommodated, 
the  difficulty  of  supplying  so  vast  an  addition  to  the  family  tvith  forage  might  be  ob- 
viated, and  ouarrels  prevented  bciween  two  such  little  armies  of  retainers. 

Aug.  15.  Return  north,  and  reacii  Cladich,  a  village  on  the  banks  of  Loch-aw,  so 
named  from  Evah,  heiress  of  the  country  about  the  year  1066,  when  the  name  was 
first  changed  from  that  of  Loch-cniachan.  I  have  here  the  pleasure  of  meeting  Mr. 
Macintyre,  minister  of  Clachandysart,  in  the  beautiful  vale  of  Glenurchie.  He  con- 
ducts me  to  a  cairn,  in  which  had  been  found  the  ashes  perhaps  of  some  ancient  hunter 
and  the  head  of  a  deer,  probably  buried  with  them,  from  the  opinion,  that  the  dc« 
parted  spirit  mi^ht  still  be  delighted  with  its  favourite  employ  dunng  the  union  with 
the  body ; 

Eadem  mqu  itur  tellure  repostoa. 

The  custom  of  burning  the  dead  was  common  to  the  Caledonians  as  well  as  the  Gau!s.| 
Both  were  attentive  to  the  security  of  these  poor  remains  ;  thought  a  neglect  impiety, 
and  the  violation  of  them  the  greatest  act  of  enmity.  The  Highlatidcrs  to  this  day  re- 
tain a  saying,  derived  from  this  very  remote  custom.  If  they  would  express  the  malice 
of  an  enemy,  they  would  tell  him,  that  was  it  in  his  power  "  he  would  wish  to  see  their 
ashes  floating  on  the  water :  Dhurigc  tu  mo  lu  ath  le  Uisge." 

Take  boat,  and  visit  Inch-hail,  a  little  isle,  on  which  had  been  a  cell  of  Cistercians, 
dependent  on  Dunkeld.  Amidst  the  ruins  of  the  church  are  some  tombs  of  rude 
sculpture ;  among  others,  one  of  a  Campbel,  of  Inveraw,  of  uncommon  workmanship 
indeed ! 

Pass  under  Fraoch  Elal,  a  small  but  loAy  island,  tufted  with  trees,  with  the  ruins  of  a 
fortress  appearing  above. 

A  little  higher  to  the  north  opens  the  discharge  of  the  lake ;  a  narrow  strait,  shag- 
ged on  each  side  with  woods.  From  hence,  after  a  turbulent  course  of  three  miles,  a 
series  of  cataracts,  the  water  drops  into  Loch  Etive,  an  arm  of  the  sea. 

On  the  side  of  this  strait  is  a  military  road,  leading  from  Dalmalie  to  Bunaw ;  and 
near  it  is  the  cave  of  Mac-Phaidan,  a  chieftain,  who,  taking  part  against  his  country 
with  Eldw.  I,  was  pursued  and  slain  in  this  retreat  by  the  hero  Wallace. 

Visit  Kilchurn  castle,  a  magnificent  pile,  now  in  ruins,  seated  on  a  low  isle,  near  the 
southern  border  of  the  lake,  whose  original  name  was  Elan-keiUguhirn.  The  furt^-'ess 
was  built  by  Sir  Colin  Campbel,  lord  of  Lochow,  who  died,  aged  80,  in  1480 :  others 

Strabo,  lib.  v.     Oppian.  Halieut.  lib.  iii.  638. 
t  It  has  lately  been  exchang<:d  by  lord  Breadalbane,  to  accommodate  the  duke, 
i  Cum  mortuis  cremaRt  atque  defodiunt  apta  vlventibus  olim.  Mela.  lib.  iii,  c.  2. 


f 

I 


II 


•1' 


368 


rSNNANrS  SECOND  TOUR  IN  SCOTLAND. 


say  by  his  lady,  during  the  time  of  his  absence,  on  an  expedition  ag^nst  the  infidels, 
to  which  he  might  have  been  obliged  by  his  profession,  being  a  knight  of  Rhodes. 
His  successors  added  greatly  to  it.  Within  are  some  remains  of  apartments,  elegant, 
and  of  no  great  antiquity.  The  view  from  it  of  the  rich  vale,  bounded  by  vast  moun- 
tains,  is  fine ;  among  which  Crouachan  soars  pre.eminently  lofty. 

This  bland  was  probably  the  original  seat  ot  the  O'Duimhms,  lords  of  Lochow,  the 
ancestors  of  the  Campbels,  who,  in  the  reigti  of  Malcolm  Canmore,  assumed  their  pre- 
sent name,  on  account  of  the  marriage  of  a  Malcolm  Mac-Duimhm  (who  had  gone 
into  France  in  quest  of  adventures)  with  the  heiress  of  Bellus  Campus,  or  Beauchamp, 
in  Normandy.  From  those  lands  Giallaespig.  or  Archibald,  his  son,  took  the  name  <^ 
Campbel,  came  into  £ngland  with  the  Conqueror,  and,  visiting  the  country  of  hu  an- 
cestors, married  Evah,  sole  daughter  of  the  cheiftain ;  and  thus  became  possessor  of  the 
estate  of  Lochow.  This  barony,  and  the  land  of  Ardscordyrche,  were  confirmed  by 
Robert  I,  to  Colin,  son  of  Nigel  Campbel,  by  the  tenure  of  providing  for  the  king's 
service,  whenever  it  was  demanded,  a  ship  of  forty  oars,  completely  furnuhed  and 
manned,  and  the  attendance  customary  with  the  other  barons  of  Argyleshire.* 

I  must  not  leave  this  parish  without  mentioning  a  deep  circular  hollow,  in  form  and 
of  the  size  of  a  large  cauldron,  in  a  morass  near  Hamilton's- Pass,  on  the  south  ude  of 
the  lake.  There  is  a  tradition  that  this  was  one  of  the  vatts  frequent  in  the  Highland 
turberies,  from  which  the  old  natives  drew  an  unctuous  substance,  used  by  them  to 
dye  their  cloth  black,  before  the  introduction  of  copperas,  &c.  The  ingredient  was 
collected  from  the  sides  of  the  hole  and  surface  of  the  water ;  the  cloth  or  yam  was 
boiled  in  it,  and  received  a  lasting  colour. 

Aug.  16.  Continue  my  Journey  for  some  time  through  the  vale  of  Glenurchie,  pos- 
sessed by  the  Campbels  f  since  the  time  of  Sir  Colin  before  mentioned,  ancestor  of  the 
Breadalbane  line,  the  famous  knight  of  Rhodes,  surnamed  from  his  complexion  and 
from  his  travels  Duibh  Na  Roimh,  or  Black  Colin  of  Rome4  This  tract  is  of  great 
fertility,  embellished  with  little  groves,  and  watered  by  a  fine  stream.  The  view  bounded 
on  one  side  by  the  great  hill  of  Crouachan,  and  on  the  other  by  that  of  Benlaoighe. 
The  valley  now  contracts  into  a  glen,  abounding  with  cattle,  yet  destitute  both  of  arable 
land  and  meadow ;  but  the  beasts  gather  a  good  sustenance  from  the  grass  that  springs 
among  the  heath.  See  frequently  on  the  road  sides  small  verdant  hillocks,  styled  by  the 
common  people  Shi-an,  or  the  Fairy-haunt,  because  here,  say  they,  the  fairies,  who 
love  not  the  glare  of  day,  make  their  retreat,  after  the  celebration  of  their  nocturnal 
revels. 

Pass  by  a  little  lake,  whose  waters  run  into  the  western  sea.  On  the  road  side  a 
lead-mine  is  worked  to  some  advantage,  by  means  of  a  level.  The  veins  are  richest 
near  the  surface,  but  dwindle  away  towards  the  soles.  At  this  place  enter  the  district 
of  Breadalbane,  in  Perthshire,  and  breakfast  at  Tyendrum,  or  the  house  of  height, 
being  the  most  elevated  habitation  in  North  Britain.  Breadalbane  also  signifying  the 
loftiest  tract  of  Albin,  or  Scotland.  These  hills  are  a  part  ef  that  lofty  range  com- 
me^icing  at  Lock  Lomond,  traversing  the  country  to  the  firth  of  Dornoch,  and  called, 
by  some  writers,  Drum-Albin.  In  my  passage,  in  1769,  from  the  King's-house  to  this 
place,  I  rode  near  the  mountains  of  Bendoran.  One  of  them  is  celebrated  for  the 
hollow  sound  it  sends  forth  about  twenty-four  hours  before  any  heavy  rain.  The 
spirit  of  the  mountain  shrieks  §,  warns  the  peasants  to  shelter  their  flocks ;  and  utters 
the  same  awful  prognostics,  tlTat  Virgil  attributes  to  those  of  Italy ; 


*  Anderson's  Diplomata.  No.  XLVII. 
\  MS.  Hist,  of  the  Campbels. 


t  Buchanan's  Clans,  139. 
§  Ossian. 


tmml^ifiM—' 


^"■■■4^ 


infidels, 
r  Rhode*. 

elegant, 
1st  moun- 

€how,  the 

their  pre- 

had  gone 

auchamp, 

le  name  d 

of  hb  an- 

ssor  ofthe 

firmed  by 

the  king's 

lished  and 

form  and 
ith  ude  of 

Highland 
ty  them  to 
:dient  was 

yam  was 

rchie,  pos- 
stor  of  the 
exion  and 
of  great 
w bounded 
tenlaoighe. 
Ii  of  arable 
liat  springs 
led  by  the 
irie3,  who 
nocturnal 

oad  side  & 
are  richest 
he  dbtrict 
of  height, 
lifying  the 
tnge  com- 
ind  called, 
use  to  this 
ed  for  the 
ain.  The 
and  utters 


PENNANTS  SECOND  TOUR  IN  SCOTLAND 

Continuo  ventis  ■urgcntibu8»  aut  freta  ponti 
Incipiunt  agitata  tutnescere,  et  aridua  altia 
Montibut  audiri  fragor. 

When  winds  approach,  the  vex'd  sea  heaves  around  ; 
From  the  bleak  mountain  comes  a  hollow  sound. 


369 


Whabton. 


Immediately  below  the  village  of  Tyendrum  rises  the  river  Tay,  which  takes  its 
course  into  the  eastern  sea ;  such  opposite  currents  have  two  streams,  not  half  a  mile 
distant  from  each  other.  Ride  over  the  small  plain  of  Dalrie,  perhaps  the  seat  of  the 
Dalreudini  mentioned  by  Bede,*  or  the  ancient  government  of  Dalrieta,  noticed  by 
Camden,  or  perhaps,  from  having  been  the  scene  of  the  following  action,  was  called  Dal- 
rie, or  the  king's  fiekL  On  this  spot  was  the  conflict  between  Robert  Bruce  and  the 
forces  of  Araryteshire,  under  Macdougal  chieftain  of  Lorn,  when  the  former  was  defeated. 
A  servant  of  Lorn  had  seized  on  Bruce,  but  the  prince  escaped  by  killing  the  fellow 
with  a  blow  of  his  battle-ax  ;  but  at  the  same  time  lost  his  mantle  and  brotche,  which  the 
assailant  tore  away  in  his  dying  agonies.  The  brotche  was  long  preserved  in  the  family,  at 
length  destroyed  by  a  fire  that  consumed  the  house  of  Dunolly,  the  residence  of  the 
representative.  One  I  have  seen  had  been  the  property  of  Macleane  of  Lochbuy,  in  the 
isle  of  Mull,  and  is  said  to  be  made  of  silver  found  on  the  estate.  The  workmanship 
is  elegant,  and  seems  to  be  of  the  time  of  ^ueen  Elizabeth.!  It  is  about  five  inches  di- 
ameter at  bottom.  Round  the  upper  margin  is  a  low  upright  rim  ;  within  that  are  ten 
obelisks,  about  an  inch  and  a  quarter  high,  prettily  studded,  and  the  top  of  each  orna- 
mented with  a  river  pearL  These  surround  a  second  rim ;  from  that  rises  a  neat  case, 
whose  sides  project  into  ten  demi-rounders,  all  neatly  studded.  In  the  center  is  a  round 
crystalline  ball,  a  magical  gem,  such  as  described  in  the  tour  of  1769.  This  case  may 
be  taken  off;  has  a  considerable  hollow,  in  which  might  haVe  been  kept  amulets  or 
retiques ;  which,  with  the  assistance  of  the  powerful  stone,  must  needs  prove  an  infalli- 
blepreservative  against  all  harms. 

Enter  Strath-fiUan,  or  the  vale  of  St.  Fillan,  an  abbot,  who  lived  in  the  year  703, 
and  retired  the  latter  end  of  hb  days.  He  is  pleased  to  take  under  his  protection  the 
disordered  in  mind ;  and  works  wonderful  cures,  say  his  votaries,  even  to  this  day. 
The  unhappy  lunaticks  are  brought  here  by  their  friends,  who  first  perform  the  ceremony 
of  the  Deasil  thrice,  round  a  neighbouring  cairn ;  afterwards  ofSer  on  it  their  rags*  or  a 
little  bunch  of  heath  tied  with  worsted ;  then  thrice  immerge  the  patient  in  a  holy  pool  of 
the  river,  a  second  Bethesda ;  and,  to  conclude,  leave  him  fast  bound  the  whole  night  in 
the  neighbouring  chapel.  If  in  the  morning  he  is  found  loose*  the  saint  is  supposed  to 
be  propitious ;  for  if  he  continues  in  bonds,  his  aire  remains  doubtful ;  but  it  often  hap- 
pens that  deaU)  proves  the  angel  that  releases  the  afiUcted  before  the  morrow,  from  all 
the  troubles  of  this  life. 

The  Deasil,^  or  turning  from  east  to  west,  accordii^g  to  the  course  of  the  sun,  is 
a  custom  of  high  antiqi'ity  in  religious  ceremonies.  The  Romans  ^  practised  the  mo- 
tion in  the  manner  now  performed  in  Scotland.  The  Gaulbh  Druids  made  their  cir- 
cumvolution in  a  manner  directly  reverse :  but  the  Druids  of  Gaul  and  Britain  had 
probably  the  same  reason  for  these  circum-ambulations  ;  for  as  they  held  the  omni- 
presence of  their  God,  it  might  be  to  instruct  their  disciples,  that  wheresoever  they 

t  This  fine  ornament  is  in  the  possession  of  the  Rev.  D.  Lort,  late  Greek  Professor  at  Cambridge, 
who  favoured  me  with  the  loan  of  it. 
I  From  Deas  or  Des,  the  right  hand,  and  Syl,  the  sun.  §  PUnii.  Hist.  Nat.  lib.  xxviii.  c.  3. 

VOL.  III.  3  B 


V 


I 


I 


370 


PENNANT'S  SECOND  TOUR  IN  SCOTLAND. 


turned  their  face,  they  were  sure  to  meet  the  aspect  of  the  Deity.*  The  number  of 
turns  was  also  religiously  observed  in  very  ancient  days :  thus  the  arch  enchantitss 
Medea,  in  all  her  charms,  attends  to  the  sacred  three  : 

Ter  le  convertit,  ter  sumtis  flumine  crinem 
Irroravit  aquis  ;  tcrnisululatiliusora 
Solviti  et  in  dura  submisso  poplite  terra 
Nox,  ait,  &c. 

She  tum'd  her  thrice  around,  and  thrice  she  threw 

On  her  long  tresses  the  nocturnal  dew ;  -       ,  '       : 

Then  yelling  thrice  a  most  terrific  sound. 

Her  bare  knee  bended  on  the  flinty  ground. 

The  saint,  the  object  of  the  veneration  in  question,  was  of  most  ungular  service  to 
Rol3ert  Bruce,  according  to  the  credulous  Boethius,  inspiring  his  sddiery  with  un- 
common courage  at  the  battle  of  Baimockbum,t  by  a  miracle  wrought  the  day  before 
in  his  favour.  His  majesty's  chaplain  was  directed  to  bring  with  him  into  the  Geld  the 
arm  of  the  saint,  lodged  in  a  silver  shrine.  The  good  man,  fearing,  in  case  of  a  defeat, 
that  the  English  might  become  masters  of  the  precious  limb,  brought  only  the  empty 
cover ;  but,  while  the  king  was  invoking  the  aid  of  St.  FilUn,  the  lid  of  the  shrine, 
placed  before  him  on  the  altar,  opened  and  shut  of  its  own  accord :  on  injection,  to 
the  wonder  of  the  whole  army,  the  arm  was  found  restored  to  its  place  ;  the  soldiers 
accepted  the  omen,  and,  assured  of  victory,  fought  with  an  enthusiasm  that  ensured  suc- 
cess. In  gratitude  for  the  assistance  he  received  that  day  from  the  saint,  he  founded 
here,  in  1314,  a  priory  of  canons  regular,  and  consecrated  it  to  him.  At  the  dissolu- 
tion, this  house,  with  all  the  revenues  and  superiorities,  were  granted  to  an  ancestor  of 
the  present  possessor,  the  earl  of  Breadalbane.  j: 

This  part  of  the  country  is  in  the  parish  of  Killin,  very  remote  from  the  church.  As 
the  chapel  here  is  destitute  of  a  resident  minister,  lady  Glenurchy,  with  distinguished 
piety,  has  just  established  a  fund  for  the  support  of  one ;  has  built  a  good  house -^  for  his 
accommodation,  and  lord  Breadilbane  has  added  to  the  glebe. 

The  tract  is  at  present  almost  entirely  stocked  with  south-country  sheep,  which  have 
in  a  manner  expelled  the  breed  of  black  cattle.  Sheep  are  found  to  turn  more  to  the 
advantage  of  the  proprietors ;  but  whether  to  the  benefit  of  the  community,  is  a  doubt. 
The  live  stock  of  cattle  of  this  kingdom  decreases;  from  whence  will  our  navy  be 
victualled  ?  or  how  will  those,  who  may  be  able  to  purchase  animal  food,  be  supplied, 
if  the  mere  private  interest  of  the  farmer  is  suffered  universally  to  take  place  ?  Millions 
at  this  time  look  up  to  the  legislature  for  restrictions,  that  will  once  more  restore  plenty 
to  these  kingdoms.  ...  .  %' 

Pass  near  the  seat  of  Rob-Roy,  the  celebrated  free-booter  mentioned  in  the  former 
volume. 

Enter  Glen-Dochart,  and  go  by  the  sides  of  Loch-Dochart,  beautifully  ornamented 
with  trees.  In  a  lofty  island,  embosomed  in  wood,  is  the  ruin  of  a  castle,  one  of  the 
nine  under  the  rule  of  the  great  knight  of  Lochow.  It  was  once  taken  by  the  Mac- 
gregors,  in  a  manner  that  did  credit  to  the  invention  of  a  rude  age.  The  place  was 
not  accessible  during  summer ;  the  assailants  therefore  took  advantage  of  a  frost,  formed 
vast  fascines  of  straw  and  boughs  of  trees,  rolled  these  before  them  on  the  ice,  to  pro- 
tect them  against  the  arrows  of  the  garrison,  till  they  could  get  near  enough  to  make 


Borlase's  Antq.  Corwal,  133. 


t  Boethius,  302. 


i  Keith.  241 


'■.■».W 


PENNANrS  SECOND  TOUR  IN  SCOTLAND. 


371 


their  attack,  by  scaling  at  once  the  walls  of  the  fortress.  The  Veltae*  of  the  northern 
nations  were  of  this  kind:  the  ancient  Swedes  and  Goths  practiM.d  an  attack  of  the 
same  nature ;  but  did,  what  perhaps  the,Mac-Grcgors  might  also  have  done,  wait  for  a 
high  wind  in  their  favour,  roll  the  V eltae  as  near  as  possible  to  the  fort,  set  them  on  fire, 
and,  under  favour  of  the  flame  distressing  the  besieged,  never  failed  of  a  successful 
event 

I  must  observe  that  the  Mac-greg:ors  were  of  old  a  most  potent  people.  They  pos- 
sessed Glenurchie,  were  owners  of  Cxlcn-Lion,  and  are  even  Sc^iil  to  l^avc  been  the  ori' 
ginal  founders  of  Balloch,  or  Taymouth,  or  at  least  to  have  had  their  rcbidence  there, 
before  they  were  succeeded  by  the  Campbels.t 

Somewhat  farther,  opposite  to  the  farmof  Achessan,  is  a  small  lake,  noted  for  a  float 
ing  island,  fifty-one  feet  long,  and  twenty.nine  broad,  that  shifts  its  quarters  with  the 
wind.  It  has  (like  the  islands  of  the  Vadimonian  lake,  so  elegantly  de!.crilx>d|  by  the 
younger  Pliny)  strength  sufficient  to  carry  an  involuntar\'  voyage  the  cattle  that  might 
be  surprised  feeding  on  this  mobile  solum,  deceived  with  the  appearance  of  its  lx:ing  firm 
land.  It  cannot  indeed  boast  of  carrying  on  its  surface  the  darksome  groves  of  those  on 
the  Cutilian  waters ;  but,  like  the  Lydian  Calamina,}  may  be  launched  from  the  sides 
of  the  lake  with  poles,  and  can  shew  plenty  of  coarse  grass,  some  small  willows,  and  a 
little  birch  tree.|| 

Proceed  by  the  sides  of  the  river,  since  its  passage  through  Loch-Dochart,  assuming 
the  name  of  that  lake.  The  pearl-fishery  in  this  part  of  the  river  some  years  ago  was 
carried  on  with  great  success,  and  the  pearls  were  esteemed  the  fairest  and  largest  of  any. 

The  military  road  through  this  country  is  planned  with  a  distinguished  want  of  judg- 
ment :  a  series  of  undulations,  quite  unnecessary,  distress  the  traveller  for  a  considerable 
part  of  the  way.  Near  Achline  the  eye  be^ns  to  be  relieved  by  the  sight  of  inclosures ; 
and  some  plantations  begin  to  hide  the  nakedness  of  the  country.  On  approaching  the 
village  of  Killm,  every  road  and  every  path  was  filled  with  groupes  of  people,  of  both 
sexes,  in  neat  dresses,  and  lively  plaids,  returning  from  the  sacrament.  A  sober  and 
decent  countenance  distinguished  every  party,  and  evinced  the  deep  sense  they  had  of 
so  solemn  a  commemoration.  Breadalbane  in  general  is  exempt  from  the  charge  of 
impropriety  of  conduct  on  these  occasions,  which  happens  sometimes ;  and  by  the  un- 
discerning  the  local  fault  b  indiscriminately  attributed  to  the  whole. 

Cross  two  bridges.  The  river  here  forms  two  blands,  beautifully  planted  with  firs : 
Inishbuy,  the  most  easterly,  is  remarkably  picturesque,  the  water  rolhng  with  tremen* 
dous  force  on  each  side  for  a  long  tract  over  a  series  of  broken  rocks,  and  short  but 
quick-repeated  cataracts,  in  a  channel  of  unspeakable  rudeness. 

Reach  Killin,  or  Cill-Fhin,  from  the  tradition  of  its  having  been  the  burial-place  of 
Fingal.  Here  is  an  excellent  inn,  built  by  lord  Breadalbane,  who,  to  the  unspeakable 
comfort  of  the  traveller,  established  others  at  Dalmalie,  Tyendruni,  and  Kenmore, 
where  they  are  as  acceptable  as  caravanseras  in  the  East. 

Mount  Strone  Clachan,  a  hill  above  Mr.  Stuart's,  the  minister's  house,  and  am  over- 
paid for  the  labour  of  the  ascent  by  a  most  enchanting  view.  A  most  delicious  plain 
spreads  itself  beneath,  divided  into  verdant  meadows,  or  glowing  with  ripened  corn ; 

*  Olaus  Magnus  de  Gent.  Sept.  lib.  vii.  c.  8,  9.  '  t  Buchanan's  Clans,  1 38, 1 39. 

t  Epiat.  lib.  vui.  Ep.  30.  $  Plin'ii  Nat.  Hist.  lib.  ii  c.  95. 

II  The  thicknes  of  this  isle  is  twenty-five  inches.  Perhaps,  as  Mr.  Gahn  affirms  to  be  the  case  of  other 
floating  islands,  this  might  have  originated  from  the  twisted  roots  of  the  schsnus  mariscus,  and  scirpus 
csespitosus,  converted  into  a  more  firm  mass  by  the  addition  of  the  carex  csespitosus.  Vide  Amaen. 
Acad.  VII.  166. 

3  B  2 


07ii 


1>ENNANT'9  SECOND  TOUR  IN  8C0TLANB. 


I 


embellished  will)  woods,  and  watered  with  rivers  uncommonly  contrasted.  On  one 
side,  pours  down  its  rocky  channel  the  furious  Dochart ;  on  the  other,  glides  between 
its  wooded  banks  the  gentle  Lochy,  forming  a  vast  bend  of  still  water,  till  it  joins  the 
first ;  both  terminating  in  the  great  expanse  of  Loch-Tay.  The  northern  and  southera 
boundaries  suit  the  magnificence  of  the  lake ;  but  the  northern  rise  with  supenot'  ma- 
jesty  in  the  rugged  heights  of  Finlarig,  and  the  wild  summits  of  the  still  loftier  Laurs, 
often  patched  with  snow  throughout  the  year.  Extensive  woods  clothe  both  sidesi  the 
creation  of  the  noble  proprietor. 

At  the  foot  of  the  first,  amidst  woods  of  various  trees,  lie  the  ruins  of  the  castle  of 
the  same  name,  the  old  seat  of  the  Campbels,  the  nights  of  Glenurchie,  and  buiR  by 
sir  Colin  between  the  years  1513  and  1523.*  The  venerable  oaks,  the  vast  chesnuts, 
the  ash  trees,  and  others  of  ancient  growth,  give  a  fine  solemnity  to  the  scene,  and  com* 
pliment  the  memory  of  progenitors,  so  studious  of  the  benefit  of  posterity.  Tradition 
is  loud  in  report  of  the  hospitality  of  the  place,  and  blends  with  it  tales  of  gallantry ; 
one  of  festivity,  terminating  in  blood  and  slaughter.  Amidst  the  mirth  of  a  christening, 
in  the  great  hall  of  Finlarig,  inhabited,  I  think,  at  that  time  by  sir  Robert,  son  of  the 
chieftain,  news  arrived  that  the  Mac-Donalds  of  Keppoch  had  made  a  creach  into  the 
lands  of  some  of  their  friends,  had  acquired  a  great  booty,  and  wq«^  at  that  time  passing 
in  triumph  over  the  hill  of  Strone-clachan.  The  Campbels,  who  were  then  assembled 
in  numbers  to  honour  the  occasion,  took  fire  at  the  insult,  and,  warm  with  the  convivial 
cheer,  started  from  the  table  to  take  sudden  revenge.  They  ascended  the  hill  with 
thoughtless  bravery  to  begin  the  attack,  were  overpowered,  and  twenty  cadets  of  the 
family  left  dead  upon  the  spot.  News  of  the  disaster  was  immediately  sent  to  Taymouth, 
the  residence  of  the  chieftam,  who  dispatched  a  reinforcement  to  those  who  had  escaped. 
They  overtook  the  Mac-Donalds  at  the  braes  of  Glenurchie,  defeated  them«  slew  the 
brother  of  the  chieftain,  rescued  the  booty,  and  returned  back  triumphing  in  the  com- 
pletion of  their  revenge.  •   «' 

August  17.  Cross  a  large  arch  over  the  Lochy,  winding  to  the  north-west,  throttg^ 
9  small  but  elegant  glen,  whose  fertile  bottom  is  finely  bounded  by  woods  (m  both  udes. 
Turn  short  to  the  east,  and  oontinue  my  journey  on  .a  fine  road,  at  a  considerable  height 
above  Loch-Tay.  The  land  slopes  to  the  water  edge,  and  both  above  and  bek>w  the 
highway  forms  a  continued  tract  of  cultivated  ground,  rich  in  com,  and  varied  with 
groves  and  plantations.  The  abundance  of  inhabitants  on  this  side  surpasses  that  of 
any  place  in  Scotland  of  equal  extent ;  for  from  Finlarig  to  the  forks  of  the  Lion,  about 
fifteen  miles,  there  are  not  fewer  than  seventeen  hundred  and  eighty  souls,  ham)y  under 
a  humane  chieftain.  Their  habitations  are  prettily  grouped  along  the  sides  of  the  hill, 
are  small  and  mean,  often  without  windows  or  doors,  and  are  the  only  disgrace  to  the 
magnificence  of  the  scenery.  | 

The  opposite  part  of  the  lake  is  less  poi)ubus,  and  less  fertile ;  yet  from  the  patches 
of  corn-land,  and  the  frequent  woods,  exhibits  a  most  beautiful  view. 

In  going  through  Laurs  observe  a  druidical  circle,  less  complete  than  one  that  should 
have  been  mentioned  before,  at  Kinnel,  a  little  south-wi^st  of  Killin ;  wluch  consists  of 
six  vast  stones,  placed  equi-distantfrom  each  other. 

The  windings  of  the  lake  in  the  course  of  the  ride  become  ver3r  conspicuous,  appear- 
ing to  form  three  great  bendings.  Its  length  is  about  fifteen  miles,  the  breadth  one : 
the  depth  iri  many  places  a  hundred  fathoms ;  and  even  within  as  many  yards  of  the 
shore  is  fifty  ^thorns  deep.    It  abounds  with  fish,  such  as  pike,  perch,  salmmi,  char, 

*  Black  Book  at  Taymouth. 


On  one 

between 
oins  the 
iouthera 
lOK'  ma* 
'  Laura, 
des,  the 

castle  of 
buik  by 
hesnuts, 
ndcom- 
^radition 
allantiy; 
istening, 
m  of  tm 
into  the 
I  passing 
Bsembled 
convivial 
hill  with 
^s  of  the 
lymouth, 
escaped, 
slew  the 
the  com- 

,  through 
oth  sides. 
»le  height 
»elow  the 
ried  with 
s  that  of 
yn,  about 
tpy  under 
fthe  hUl, 
ice  to  the 

e  patches 

Bt  should 
Mttbts  of 

i,  appear- 
dth  one: 
ds  of  the 
oa,  char» 


PENNANT'S  SPXOND  TOUR  IN  SCOTLAND. 


to 


trout,  samlets,  minnows,  lampries,  and  eels.    A  species  of  trout  is  found  here  that 
weighs  thirty  pounds. 

All  this  country  abounds  with  game,  such  as  grous,  ptarmigans,  stags,  roes,  &.c. 

Roes  are  in  a  manner  confined  to  Glen  Lion,  where  they  are  protected  by  the  prin. 
cipal  proprietor.  Foxes  are  numerous  and  destructive.  Martms  are  rare ;  but  the 
yellow-breasted  was  lately  taken  in  the  birch  woods  of  Rannoch.  The  otter  is  common. 
The  vulgar  have  an  opinion  that  this  animal  has  its  king,  or  leader ;  they  describe  it  as 
being  of  a  larger  size,  and  varied  with  white.  They  believe  that  it  is  never  killed, 
without  the  sudden  death  of  a  man  or  some  other  animal  at  the  same  instant;  that  its 
skin  is  endued  with  great  virtues,  is  an  antidote  against  all  infection,  a  preservative  to  the 
warrior  from  wounds,  and  insures  the  mariner  from  all  disasters  on  the  watery  element. 

The  cock  of  the  wood,  or  capercaille,  or  capercaize,  a  bird  of  this  genus,  once  fre- 
quent in  all  parts  of  the  Highlands,  is  now  confined  to  the  pine  forests  north  of  Loch- 
nesi  t  from  the  size  it  b  called  the  horse  of  the  woods,  the  male  sometimes  weighing 
fifteen  pounds.  The  colour  of  the  breast  is  green,  resembling  that  of  the  peacock  : 
above  each  eye  is  a  rich  scarlet  skin,  common  to  the  grous  genus :  the  feet  of  this  and 
the  black  cock  are  naked,  and  the  edges  of  the  toes  serrated ;  for  these  birds,  sitting 
upon  trees,  do  not  want  the  thick  feathery  covering  with  which  nature  hath  clothed 
those  of  the  red  ^me  and  ptarmigan,  who  during  winter  are  obliged  to  reside  bedded 
in  the  snows.  Bishop  Lesly*  describes  three  of  the  species  found  in  Scotland ;  the 
capercaize,  which  he  truly  says  feeds  on  the  extreme  snoots  of  the  pine,  the  common 
grous,  with  its  feathered  feet,  and  the  black  cock :  he  omits  the  ptarmigan.  It  has  been 
my  fortune  to  meet  with  every  kind :  the  three  last  frequently ;  the  capercaize  only  at 
Inverness. 

Woodcocks  appear  in  Breadalbane  in  the  beginning  or  middle  of  November ;  but 
do  not  reach  Ard-maddie,  or,  I  may  say,  any  part  of  the  western  coast  of  the  Highlands, 
till  the  latter  end  of  December,  or  the  beginning  of  January  :  they  continue  there  in 
plenty  till  the  middle  or  latter  end  of  March,  according  to  the  mildness  or  ri^ur  of  the 
season,  and  then  disappear  at  once.  InMhe  first  season  they  continue  arriving  in  suc- 
cession for  a  month ;  and  in  every  county  in  Scotland  (where  they  are  found)  fly  regu- 
larly from  east  to  west.  Their  first  landing-places  are  in  the  eastern  counties,  such  as 
Ai^us,  Mems,  Sec.  usually  about  the  end  of  October ;  but  their  stay  in  those  parts  is 
yery  short,  as  woods  are  so  scarce.  Woodcocks  are  very  rarely  seen  m  Caithness ;  and 
there  are  still  fewer  in  the  Orknies,  or  in  the  more  remote  Hebrides :  one  or  two  ap- 
pear there,  as  if  by  accident,  driven  thither  by  tempests,  not  voluntary  migrants.  There 
is  no  account  of  these  birds  having  ever  bred  in  Scotland,  any  more  than  of  the  fieldfare 
and  redwing ;  yet  all  three  make  their  summer  residence  in  Norway,  from  whence,  in 
all  probability,  many  of  them  visit  our  islands. 

Sea  eagles  breed  in  ruined  towers,  but  quit  the  country  in  winter ;  the  biack  eagles 
continue  there  the  whole  year.  They  were  so  numerous  a  few  years  ago  in  Rannoch, 
that  the  commissioners  of  the  forfeited  estates  gave  a  reward  of  five  shilling  for  every 
one  that  was  destroyed.  In  a  little  time  such  numbers  were  brought  in,  that  the 
honourable  board  mought  fit  to  reduce  the  reward  to  three  shillings  and  six. 
pence ;  but  a  small  advance,  in  proportion  as  the  birds  grew  scarcer,  in  all  probability 
would  have  efifected  their  extirpation.  But  to  resume  the  journey.  The  whole  road 
on  the  ude  of  the  lake  b  excellent,  often  crossed  by  gullies,  the  effects  of  great  rains,  or 
torrents  from  the  melted  snow.    The  public  are  indebted  to  lord  Breadalbane  not  only 

*  Hut.  ScoUaCip.  24.    The  female  of  the  capercaize  is  of  the  colour  of  the  common  grous. 


I 


I 


374 


l'£NNAirrs  SECOND  TOUR  IN  SCOTLAND. 


for  the  goodness  of  the  way,  but  for  above  thirtv  bridges,  all  made  at  his  expence,  to 
facilitate  the  passage.  Cross  the  opening  into  the  little  plain  of  Fortinjral,  mentioned 
in  my  former  Tour,  noted  for  its  camp,  the  most  northern  work  of  the  Romans  that  I 
could  get  any  intelligence  of.  It  seems  to  have  been  the  castellum  of  some  advanced 
party  in  the  time  of  Antonine,  or  Commodus,  or  perhaps  a  temporary  station  in  that  of 
Severus,  in  whose  reign  the  Romans  abandoned  these  parts.  A  copper  vessel,  with  a 
beak,  handle,  and  three  feet,  was  found  in  it.  I  did  not  hear  of  any  coins  met  with  on 
the  spot ;  but,  in  digging  the  foundation  of  a  tower  near  Taymouth,  fourteen  silver 
denarii  were  discovered*  but  none  of  a  later  date  than  Marcus  Aurelius. 

I  must  also  commemorate  again  the  wonderful  yew-tree  in  the  church-yard  of  Fortin* 
gal,  whose  ruins  measure  fifty>six  feet  in  circumference.  The  middle  part  is  now  de- 
cayed to  the  K^ound ;  but  within  memory  was  united  to  the  height  of  three  feet : 
captain  Campbell,  of  Glen-lion«  having  assured  me,  that  when  a  boy,  he  has  often 
climbed  over,  or  rode  on,  the  then  connecting  part  Our  ancestors  seem  to  have  had 
a  classical  reason  for  plar'ing  these  dismal  trees  among  the  repositories  of  the  dead ; 
and  a  political  one,  for  placing  them  about  their  houses :  in  the  first  instance,  they  were 
the  substitutes  of  the  mvisa  cupressus ;  in  the  other,  theyt  <  sre  the  designed  prov'isioii 
of  materials  for  the  sturdy  bows  of  our  wariike  ancestors, 

-1     ,  i  '•    ■  ■'         *■'   ■' 
Who  drew,  ,  ,  , ,. 

And  almost  joined,  the  horaa  of  the  tough  jrew. 

In  the  days  of  archery  so  great  was  the  consumption  of  this  species  of  wood,  that  the 
bow;^ers  were  obliged  to  import  staves  of  yew  *  for  making  the  best  sort  of  bows.  This 
tree  is  not  universally  dispersed  through  England  in  its  native  state ;  or  at  least  is  now 
in  most  parts  eradicated,  on  account  of  its  noxious  qualities ;  yet  it  is  still  to  be  found 
in  quantities  on  the  lofty  hills  that  bound  the  water  of  the  Winander,  those  near  Rydal 
in  Westmoreland,  and  on  the  face  of  many  precipices  in  different  parts  of  this  kingdom. 

Not  far  from  the  church  is  the  house  of  colonel  Campbell,  of  Glen-lion,  a  beautiful  vale, 
that  runs  several  miles  up  the  country,  watered  4>y  a  river  of  the  same  name. 

I  must  add  to  my  account  of  the  crystal  gem  in  possession  of  that  gentleman,  that 
there  was  a  remarkable  one  in  possession  of  Sir  Edward  Harley,  of  Brampton-Brian,  set 
in  a  silver  ring,  resembling  the  meridian  of  a  globe,  with  a  cross  on  the  top,  and  on  the 
rim  the  powerful  names  of  Uriel,  Raphael,  Michael,  and  Gabriel.  This  predicted 
death,  dictated  receipts  for  the  cure  of  all  curables  ;t  and  another,  of  much  the  same 
kind,  even  condescended  to  recover  lost  goods.^  It  was  customary  in  early  times  to 
deposit  these  balls  in  urns  or  sepulchres.  Thus  twenty  were  found  at  Rome  in  an  ala- 
basuine'um,  cased  with  two  great  stQQe%  and  lodged  in  a  hollow  made  in  each  to  receive 
it.  The  contents  were  (besides  the  balls)  a  ring,  with  a  stone  set  in  it,  a  needle,  a  comb, 
and  some  bits  of  gold  mixed  with  the  ashes;  the  needle  shewed  these  remain9*to  have 
been  those  of  a  lady. 

In  the  tomb  of  Childeric^  king  of  France,  was  found  another  of  these  balls.  Some 
Meriin  might  have  bestowed  it  on  him  ;  whfch  must  have  been  an  invaluable  gift,  if  it 
had  the  same  powers  with  that  given  by  our  magician  to  the  Britbh  prince. 


Such  was  the  glassy  globe  that  Merlin  made, 
And  gave  unto  king  Ryence  for  his  gard, 

That  never  foes  his  kingdom  might  invade. 
But  he  it  knevr  at  home  before  he  hard 

Tydings  thereof,  and  so  them  still  debar'd ; 


•  H^ 


•  Statute  33  Hen.  VIII,  c.  9.  sect.  6. 


t  Aubrey's  Miscellanies. 


J  Ibid. 


-"fi!fv- 


PENHANT'S  SECOND  TOUR  IN  SCOTLAND.  jjj; 

It  was  a  famous  present  for  a  prince, 

And  worthy  worke  of  infinito  rewarde« 
That  treasons  cou'd  betray,  and  foes  convince  ; 
Happy  this  realme  had  it  remayned  ever  since  1* 

Approach  near  Taymouth,  keeping  still  on  the  side  of  the  lake.  Leave  on  the  right, 
not  far  from  the  shore,  the  pretty  isle  of  Loch-Tay,  tufted  with  trees,  shading  the 
ruins  of  the  priory.  From  the  ancient  inhabitants  of  this  noly  island,  the  present 
^oble  owner  has  hberty  of  fishing  in  the  lake  at  all  times  in  the  year ;  which  is  denied 
.  to  the  other  land-owners  in  the  neighbourhood*  But  it  was  necessary  for  the  monks 
to  be  indulged  with  that  privilege,  as  their  very  existence  dependea  on  it.  To  this 
•  island  the  Campbels  retreated  at  the  approach  of  the  marquis  of  Montrose,  where  they 
defended  themselves  for  some  time  against  that  hero.  A  shot  narrowly  missed  him, 
which  enraged  him  to  that  degree  as  to  cause  him  instantly  to  carry  fire  and  sword 
through  the  whole  country.  It  was  taken  and  garrisoned ;  but  in  1654  was  surren> 
dered  to  general  Monk.t 

On  the  right  is  a  plantation^  the  orchard  of  the  monastery.  In  it  is  a  black  cherry-tree, 
that  measures,  four  feet  from  the  ground,  ten  feet  three  inches  in  circumference. 

Cross  the  Tay  on  a  temporary  bridge,  just  below  its  dischaige  from  the  lake,  where 
it  properly  begins  to  assume  that  name.  A  most  elegant  bridge  is  now  constructing  in 
this  place,  under  the  direction  of  captain  Archibald  Campbel,  after  a  design  by  Mr. 
Baxter,  partly  at  the  expence  of  lord  Breadalbane,  partly  by  that  of  the  neighbouring 
gentry,  and  partly  by  aid  of  die  commissioners  of  forfeited  estates.  It  consists  of  three 
large  arches,  and  a  smaller  on  each  side,  in  case  of  floods.     Reach 

Taymouth,  his  lordship's  principal  house,  originally  called  Balloch  castle,  or  the  castle 
at  the  discharge  of  the  lake ;  was  built  by  sir  Colin  tiampbel,  sixth  knight  of  Lochow, 
who  died  in  me  year  1583.  The  place  has  been  much  modernized  since  the  days  of 
the  founder,  has  the  addition  of  two  wings,  and  lost  its  castellated  form,  as  well  as  the 
old  name.  We  are  itiformed  that  this  sir  Colin  *'  was  an  great  justiciar  all  his  tyme 
throchtht  quhille  he  sustenit  that  dadlie  feid  of  the  Clangregour  ane  lang  space.  And 
besydis  that  he  caused  execust  to  the  dea;h  many  notable  lymmeris.  lu  behaddit  the 
laird  M'greg'  himselfi*  at  Candomir  in  presence  of  the  erle  of  AthoU,  the  justice  clerk, 
and  sundrie  other  noblemen."| 

By  a  poem  I  met  with  in  the  library  at  Taymouth,  it  appears  that  this  unfonunate 
chiefudn,  surnamed  Duncan  Laider,  or  the  Strong,  made  a  very  good  end :  and  deli, 
vered,  in  penitential  rhymes,  in  Spenser's  manner,  an  account  of  his  past  life,  his  sorrow 
for  his  sins,  and  his  pathetical  farewell  to  the  various  scenes  of  his  plundering  exploits. 
Like  Spenser,  he  personifies  the  vices.  The  two  first  stanzas  will  suffice  for  a  specimen 
of  tus  manner:       j       u  .>=.>.     .,  -- 


■  ■'■■■■■■   )      '  . 


Quhn  passit  wes  the  tyme  of  tendir  age. 
And  youth  with  insolence  maid  acquentance. 

And  wickitness  enforced  evill  courage, 
Quhill  Might  with  Crueltie  maid  alliance  ; 
Then  Falshead  tuke  on  him  the  governance, 
And  me  betaucht  ane  houshald  for  to  gyde 

Callit  evil  companie.  baith  to  gang  and  ryde. 

My  maister  houshald  wes  heicht  Opt>ressioun, 
Reif  my  steward  that  cairit  of  na  wrang  ; 
Murthure,  Slauchtir,  ay  of  ane  professioun, 
My  cubicularis,  bene  thir  yearis  lang ; 
Reccpt,  that  oft  tuik  mony  ane  fang. 
Was  porter  to  the  yettis,  to  oppin  wyde, 
And  Covatice  wes  chamberlane  at  all  tyde. 

*  Spenser's  Fidiy  Queen,  Book  III.  c.  3.  stanza  21.        t  Whitelock's  Mem.  592.        4  Black  Book. 


1 


I 


ilMi 


376 


PKNNANrs  SECOND  TOUR  IN  SCOTLAND. 


The  most  remarkable  part  of  the  furniture  of  Taymouth  is  the  portraits;  here  being 
a  most  considerable  collection  of  the  works  of  Jameson,  the  Scotch  Vandyck,  an  eleve 
of  this  family. 

In  the  same  room  with  the  ftmous  genealogical  picture  are  about  twenty  heads  of 
persons  of  the  same  family.  Among  them  is  the  last  Sir  Duncan  Campbell,  a  favourite 
of  James  VI,  and  not  less  so  of  Anne  oi  Denmark ;  who,  after  the  accession,  often  by 
letter  solicited  his  presence  at  her  new  court ;  and  sent  him,  as  a  mark  of  innocent 
esteem,  a  ring  set  with  dimonds,  and  ornamented  with  a  pair  of  doves. 

The  other  pictures  of  Jameson's  performance  are  in  a  small  parlour ;  but  unfortu- 
nately much  injured  by  an  attempt  to  repair  them.    There  are  the  heads  of 

William  Graham,  earl  of  Airth,  1637.  He  was  originally  earl  of  Menteith,  a  title 
derived  from  a  long  train  of  ancestors.  He  was  much  fiivoured  by  Charles  1,  who  in- 
dul^d  his  pride,  by  conferring  on  him,  at  his  request,  the  earldom  of  Strathem, 
which  he  pretended  to,  as  being  jescended  from  David  Stuart,  nephew  to  David  IL 
Unfortunately  his  vanity  inducra  him  to  hint  some  pretensions  to  the  crown.  Charles 
punished  his  folly  by  depriving  him  of  both  earldoms ;  but,  relenting  soon  after,  created 
him  earl  of  Airth,  with  precedence  due  to  the  creation  of  Maliae  E.  of|  Menteith,  by 
James  I. 

John  lord  Lessly,  1636,  afterwards  duke  of 'Rothes.*  He  died  in  1^81 ;  and  had, 
according  to  the  extravagant  folly  of  the  times,  a  funeral  of  uncommon  magnificence.! 
The  duke  of  York,  beir^^  at  that  time  in  Scotland,  was  asked  how  he  should  be  buried? 
his  highness  answered,  as  chanceltor  of  Scotland  {  his  relations,  ill  versed  in  courtly  lan- 
guage, concluded  that  his  funeral  was  to  be  at  the  public  expence,  and  bestowed  on  it  a 
sum  their  circumstances  would  not  admit  of.  But  a  happy  consequence  of  this  vani^ 
was  a  law  restricting  the  idle  expence  of  costly  funerals.  ^' 

James,  marquis  of  Hamilton,  1636,  afterwards  duke  of  Hamifton. 

Mary,  marchioness  of  Hamilton,  1636,  daughter  to  ihc  former,  and,  on  the  death  of 
her  brother,  heiress  to  the  title  and  fortune.  This  lady  is  distinguished  for  her  works  of 
piety  and  charity,  in  the  isle  of  Arran,  by  the  glorious  title  of  the  Good. 

Archibald  lord  Napier,  1637,  grand>son  of  the  celebrated  John  Napier,  author  of 
the  Logarithms. 

William  earl  Marbhal,  1637,  a  remarkable  sufiferer  in  the  causes  of  Charles  I,  and  11, 
rewarded,  on  the  restoration,  with  the  privy  seal  of  Scotland. 

The  lord  of  Loudon,  1637,  afterwards  chancellor  of  Scotland. 

Thomas  Hamilton,  lord  Binning,  son  of  the  first  earl  of  Hadington,  and  successor 
to  the  title.  In  1640,  being  commandant  of  the  garrison '  of  Dun^as,  then  held  for  the 
Covenanters,  was  blown  up,  with  several  other  persons  of  Quality,  by  the  desperate 
treacheiT  of  his  page,  an  English  boy,  who  had  been  insulted  by  the  company  on, ac- 
count of  some  success  of  the  Scots,  and  in  revenge  set  fire  to  the  powder  magazine ; 
one  gentleman,  who  at  the  time  stood  at  an  open  window,  was  blown  out,  and  survived ; 
the  boy's  arm  was  found  in  the  ruins,  wiUi  a  ladle  in  it,  with  which  he  was  supposed  to 
have  carried  the  fuel. 

John  eari  of  Mar,  1636,  made  knight  of  the  Bath  at  the  creation  of  Henry,  prince 
of  Wales.  ;    .^ 

Sir  Robert  Campbell,  of  Gknurchie,  1641.  .  c       r     ;  ■■         .         r  »   '  i  ^ 


Sir  John  Campbell,  of  Glenurchie,  1642. 


jhf, 


•  Vide  Vol.  1. 108. 


t  Represented  in  four  large  plates,  published  by  Thomas  Sommers. 


'V' 


prince 


PCNNAMT'S  SECOND  TOUR  IK  ICOTLANU. 


377 


In  the  drawing  room  are  two  portraits,   by  Vantlyclc,  of  two  nolilc  brothers,  diitiii- 

Sjished  characters  in  the  unhap|)y  times  of  Charles  1.  The  first  may  be  styU-d  one  oi 
e  most  cfapital  of  that  great  painter's  performances.  Sir  Robert  vValpolc,  the  l>cst 
judge  of  paintings  in  his  time,  was  of  that  opiiuon,  and  woulc?  have  given  any  price  for 
It.  There  is  particular  reason  for  the  exquisite  finishing  of  this  pi<:turc  ;  Vandyck  was 
patronized  by  his  lordship,  lived  with  him  at  Holland  house,  and  had  all  opportunity  to 
complete  it  at  full  leisure.  The  beautiful,  the  courteous,  the  gallant  Henry  Uich,  carl  of 
Holland,  is  represented  at  full  length,  diessed  with  theeJcgiince  he  might  liavc  ap|)earcd 
in  to  win  the  affi^tions  of  the  queen  of  his  unfortunate  master.  He  appears  in  a  white 
and  gold  doublet ;  a  scarlet  mantle,  laced  with  gold,  flows  gracefully  from  him ;  hh 
white  boots  are  ornamented  with  point ;  his  armour  lies  by  nim.  Charles  was  struck 
with  jealousy  at  the  partiality  shewn  to  this  favourite  by  Henrietta.  He  direct<!:d  his 
lordship  to  confine  himself  to  his  house  ;  nor  was  the  restraint  taken  off,  till  the  (jueeu 
refused,  on  that  account,  to  cohabit  with  her  royal  spouse.*  But  r  :ither  loyalty  to  his 
roaster,  nor  tenderness  to  his  fair  mistress,  could  prevent  him  from  joining  the  popular 
party,  after  receiving  every  favour  from  the  court,  his  earldom,  the  garter,  command  of  the 
guard,  and  arroom  of  the  stole.  With  unsettled  principles,  he  again  deserted  his  new 
friends,  shifting  from  side  to  side.  At  length,  immediately  before  the  murder  of  his 
sovereign,  roused  by  the  dangers  of  one  to  whom  he  was  so  much  indebted,  he  made 
a  single  effort  in  his  favour  ;  out,  on  the  first  appearance  of  danger  (as  he  had  done 
more  than  once)  fled  the  attack,  was  taken,  and  ended  his  days  on  the  scaflbid,  fulling 
timidly,  inglorious,  unpitied. 

In  the  same  room  is  the  portrait  of  his  elder  brother  Robert  earl  of  Warwick,  high 
admiral  of  Endand,  in  the  service  of  the  parliament.  The  ships  in  the  back  ground 
denote  his  profession.  Hispenon,  like  the  earl  of  Holland's,  elegant;  his  mind  more 
firm,  and  his  political  conduct  more  coherent.  He  left  a  court  he  had  no  obligation  to ; 
adhered  to  the  Parliament  as  long  as  it  existed,  and  supported  himself,  by  the  power  of 
Cromwell,  as  soon  as  the  tyrant  had  destroyed  that  instrument  of  his  amHition.  He 
was  of  great  pq)ularity  with  the  puritani«d  party,  kept  open  house  for  the  divines  of  the 
times,  was  a  constant  attendant  at  their  sermons,  *'  made  merry  with  them,  and  at  them, 
which  they  dispensed  with.  He  became  the  head  of  their  party,  and  got  the  style  of  a 
godly  man.  Yet  of  such  a  licence  in  his  words  and  in  hb  actions,  that  a  man  of  less  virtue 
could  not  be  found  out"t  What  a  picture  of  fimatical  priest-hood  ?  which  could  en- 
dure, for  its  own  end,  the  vices  of  the  ^at ;  yet,  at  the  same  time,  be  oumigeous 
against  the  innocent  pleasures  of  the  multitude.     < 

In  the  dining  room  are  portraits  of  a  later  time.  John,  the  first  earl  of  Breadalbane, 
a  half  length,  in  his  robes.  His  lady,  daughter  to  the  unfortunate  Holland,  is  in  an- 
other firame,  near  him.  Hb  lordship  was  unhappily  a  distinguished  character  in  the 
reign  of  kin^  William.    He  had  formed  a  humane  plan  for  conciliating  the  afiections 


proposals  ;  and,  at  the  same  time,  gave 
their  old  master,  that  they  would  preserve  terms  no  longer  than  was  consistent  with  his 
interest.  Enraged  at  their  perfidy,  and  j^rhaps  actuated  by  feudal  resentment,  he 
formed  the  common  scheme  in  North  Britain,  of  extirpation  by  fje  and  sword.  The 
most  pernicious  indeed  of  the  clans  was  singled  out  for  execution ;  but  the  manner  and 
the  season  were  attended  with  circumstances  of  such  a  nature,  that  caused  the  indifferent 
to  shudder,  the  clans  to  resent  with  a  long  and  fatal  revenge. 


*  Royal  and  Noble  Authors,  L  133.  3d.  ed. 
VOL.   III.  3   c 


t  ClarendoQ. 


378 


PCNNANTi  8CCUNU  TOUK  IN  SCOTLAND 


one  of  the  few 


In  the  library  is  a  history  of  Thebes,  in  verse. 

The  will  of  Duncan  Laider,  before  quoted  ;  a  Ions  poem  in  manuscript. 

His  lordship's  policy  *  surrounds  the  house,  which  stands  in  a  park,  on 
in  North  Britain  where  fallow  deer  are  seen. 

The  ground  is  in  remarkably  fine  order,  owing  to  his  lordship's  assiduity  in  clearing 
it  from  tne  stones  with  which  it  was  once  covered.  A  blaster  was  kept  in  constant  em« 
ploy,  to  blast  with  gunpowder  the  great  stones ;  for  by  reason  of  their  size,  there  was 
no  other  method  of  removing  them. 

The  Berceau  walk  is  very  maenificent,  composed  of  great  lime  trees,  forming  a  fine 
Gothic  roof,  four  hundred  and  fifty  yards  long.  The  south  terrace  on  the  banks  of  the 
Tay  is  eighteen  hundred  yards  long ;  tha!  on  the  north,  two  thousand  two  hundred, 
and  is  to  extend  as  fur  as  the  junction  of  the  Tay  and  the  Lion,  about  eighteen  hun« 
dred  more  :  each  is  fifty  feet  wide,  and  kept  with  the  neatness  of  the  walks  ojf  a  London 
villa.  The  river  runs  with  great  rapidity,  is  clear,  but  not  colourless  ;  for  its  pellucid- 
ness  is  that  of  brown  crystal,  as  is  the  case  of  most  of  the  rivers  in  Scotland. 
The  Tav  has  here  a  wooden  bridge,  two  hundred  feet  long,  leading  to  a  white  seat  on  the 
side  of  the  hill,  commanding  a  fine  view  up  and  down  Strath-Tay.  The  rich  meadows 
beneath  the  winding  of  the  river,  the  beginning  of  Loch<Tay,  the  discharge  of  the  river 
out  of  it,  the  pretty  village  and  church  of  Kinmore,  form  a  most  pleasing  and  magnifi* 
cent  prospect. 

The  view  from  the  temple  of  Venus  is  that  of  the  lake,  with  a  nearer  sight  of  the 
church  and  village :  the  two  sides  of  the  fine  water  are  seen  to  vast  advantage. 

Much  flax  is  cuUivated  in  these  parts.  A  few  years  ago,  when  praemia  were  given 
for  the  greatest  crops,  from  seventy  to  a  hundred  and  twenty  hoesheads  of  lin-seed  were 
annually  sown  ;  and  each  peck  yielded  two  stones  (^dresaed  Sax ;  and  when  the  yarn 
sold  highest,  two  thousand  pounds  worth  has  been  sold  out  of  thr  country.  The  present 
low  price  aflfects  the  trade  of  the  country,  yet  still  more  ft|«  )N>  in^rted  than  the  land 
produces.  *  : 

Oats,  bear,t  and  potatoes,  are  the  other  crops.  Oats  yield  from  four  to  six.fold  at  the 
most,  oftener  less ;  bear,  from  ei^ht  to  ten,  at  an  average,  six.  The  com  raised  sel- 
dom suffices  the  number  of  inhabitants ;  for  they  are  often  obliged  to  have  recourse  to 
importation. 

Every  person  has  his  potatoe-garden ;  and  they  often  change  the  sort :  the  London- 
Lady  has  been  found  to  succeed  best,  which  in  some  farms  ^iekb  from  seven  to  ten  fold. 
Some  people  have  distilled  from  thb  root  a  very  strong  spirit,  which  has  been  found  to 
be  cheaper  than  what  is  distilled  from  any  grain.  Starch  is  also  made  of  it ;  and,  in  S3me 
families,  bread. 

Corcar,  or  the  Lichen  omphaloides,  ban  article  of  commerce ;  great  quantities  have 
been  scraped  from  the  rocks,  and  exported  for  the  use  of  the  dyers,  at  the  price  of  a 
shilling  or  sixteen  pence  a  stone. 

A  good  many  sheep  are  now  reared  here.  The  best  fiit  weathers  sell  for  eleven  shil- 
lings each.  Those  of  the  old  small  kind  for  only  six.  Much  wod  is  sent  oUt  of  the 
country.  :  .  .•■'    •  ••  j. -j  «-  •.••,( 

The  best  black  cattle  have  been  sold  for  five  {^^linens  per  head;  but  the  usual  price  of 
the  four  year  old  is  about  five  and  forty  killings.    While  on  thb  subject,  I  cannot  help 

*  This  wor4  tiKnifiet  here,  improvementt,  or  demesne. 

t  A.varietf  of  barley,  with  square  heads,  and  four  rows  of  grain,  called  by  oldGerrard,  beare 
barley,  or  barley  big,  and  Hordeuni  polystichum  vemum,  to  distinguish  it  from  the  common  kind,  which 
lie  styles  Hordeum  dystichon.    It  suits  barren  lands,  and  ripens  early,  which  recommends  the  use  ia 

;  rainy  climate. 


■  ~irii»»>i 


PitNNANrS  SECOND  TOUR  IN  inOTLAM) 


379 


the  few 

:learing 
ml  em* 
ere  was 

g  a  fine 

;9  of  the 

undred, 

«n  hun* 

London 

)cUucid* 

kotiand. 

at  on  the 

neadows 

the  river 

magnifi' 

It  of  the 

te  given 
ced  were 
,  the  yarn 
le  present 
\  the  land 

old  at  the 
ruaed  Bel- 
course  to 

London- 
)  ten  fold, 
n  found  to 
d,  in  some 

tities  have 
price  of  a 

even  shil- 
out  of  the 

lal  price  of 
sannot  help 


errard,  beare 
t  kindi  wbich 
dathe  utein 


mentioning  the  distrcasful  state  of  this  country,  previous  to  the  rclicllion  ;  for,  till  the 
year  1745,  lord  Brcudalbane  was  obliged  to  keep  a  constant  guard  for  the  protection 
of  his  vassals  caule,  or  to  retain  spies  among  the  thievish  clans,  having  too  much  spirit 
to  submit  to  pay  the  infamous  tax  of  black  meal  to  the  plundering  chieftains. 

Few  horses  are  reared  here.  Such  which  feed  on  the  tops  ofthe  hisher  hilU  are  of. 
ten  affected  with  a  distemper  that  commonly  proves  fatal,  if  a  remedv  is  not  applied 
within  twenty-four  hours.  It  attacks  them  in  the  months  of  July  and  August,  usually 
ail\er  a  fall  of  rain,  on  or  before  the  dew  rises  in  the  morning.  An  universal  swelling 
spreads  over  the  body ;  the  remedy  is  exercise,  chasing,  or  any  method  that  promotes 
urine  and  perspiration.  The  vulgar  attribute  this  evil  to  a  certain  animal  that  scatters 
its  venom  over  the  grass ;  but  more  probably  it  arises  from  some  noxious  vegetable 
hitherto  unobserved. 

.  August  19.  Cross  the  Lion  at  a  ford  near  its  union  with  the  Toy.  To  the  north 
soars  tne  rocky  hill  of  Shi'hallii),  or  the  paps ;  and  to  the  left  ties  tiie  road  to  Ram* 
poch«  noted  for  its  lake  and  pine  forest. 

Viut  Castle  Menzies,  the  seat  of  sir  Robert  Menzies,  placed  romanticly  at  the  foot 
of  the  northern  side  of  Strath* Tay.  The  woods  that  rise  boldly  above,,  and  the  gray 
rocks  that  peep  between,  are  no  small  embellishment  to  the  vale.  For  up  the  hill  are 
the  remains  of  a  hermitage,  formed  by  two  sides  of  native  rock,  and  two  of  wall,  some 
centuries  past  the  retreat  of  the  chief  of  the  family,  who,  disgusted  with  the  world,  re* 
tired  here,  and  resigned  his  fortune  to  a  younger  brother. 

Cross  Tay-bridjge,  and  visit  on  the  opposite  side,  Moness,  a  place  Mr.  Fleming  is  so 
happy  as  to  call  himself  owner  of.  A  neat  walk  conducts  you  along  the  sides  of  a  deep 
and  weU'Wooded  glen,  enriched  with  a  profusion  and  variety  of  cascades,  that  strike 
with  astoniriiment  The  first,  which  lies  on  the  left,  runs  down  a  rude  staircase  with 
numbers  of  landing-places,  and  patters  down  the  steps  with  great  beauty.  Advancing 
along  the  bottom,  on  the  right,  is  a  deep  and  darksome  chasm,  water-worn  for  ages ; 
the  end  filled  with  a  great  cataract,  consisting  of  several  breaks.  The  rocks  more  pro> 
periy  arch  than  impend  over  it,  and  trees  imbrown  and  shade  the  whole. 

Aaotad  a  zig-zag  walk,  and,  after  a  long  labour,  cross  the  first  cascade.  The  path 
n  continued  among  the  woods  to  the  top  of  the  hill :  emerge  into  a  corn*fiek),  re*enter 
the  wood,  and  discover,  firom  the  verge  of  an  immense  precipice,  another  cataract, 
forroinjs  one  vast  sheet,  tumbling  into  the  deep  hollow,  from  whence  it  gushes  furiously, 
and  is  mstantly  lost  in  a  wood  beneath. 

No  Btran^r  must  omit  visiting  Moness,  it  being  an  epitome  of  every  thing  that  can 
be  admired  in  the  curiosity  of  water-falls. 

Auffuat  30.  Leave  Taymouth.  Soon  reach  the  eastern  extremity  of  lord  Bread- 
albanrs  estate ;  which,  I  may  now  say  from  experience,  reaches  near  a  hundred  miles ; 
having  seen  the  other  end  among  the  shite  islands  in  the  western  sea.  The  ancestor  of 
lord  Breadalbane,  bemg  asked  whv  he  placed  h'ls  house  at  the  extremity  of  his  estate, 
answered,  that  he  inteiided  it  should  be  in  time  in  the  middle  of  it  In  those  days  he 
midhthave  a  prospect  of  making  his  words  good. 

Kide  akxig  the  banks  ofthe  Tay.  The  river  flows  in  frequent  reaches  of  consider- 
able teo^^h,  which  are  finel)^  bonfcred  with  corn-fields,  intermixed  with  small  groves ; 
both  which  spread  on  both  udes,  far  up  the  hills.  Cross  Tay.Bridge,  and  continue  the 
same  sort  of  pleaung  ride,  with  one  variation  only,  and  that  fbi-  a  small  space,  where 
the  banks  heiehten,  and  are  clothed  with  hanging  woods ;  and  near  them  are  a  few 
risn^  covered  with  broom. 

3  c  a 


380 


VtyS^ST»  tCCOND  tour  in  tCOTLAND. 


A  little  \yc\o\r  Tay.brid(i;c  enter  that  diviitiun  of  Penhnhire,  called  Athol,  inUmoiit, 
«ays  Camden,  Tor  iti  witches  :  with  more  truth,  at  present,  to  be  admired  for  ita  high 
imnrovcmc-nta,  natural  and  moral. 

kilter  the  narinh  of  Lo^iemit,  containing  about  2,200  inhabitants.  Go  through  the 
little  town  of  Logierait,  in  feudal  dayn  the  »eat  of  the  regality  court,  where  tlie  family  of 
Athol  had  an  cxicntiivc  civil  and  criminal  jurisdiction.  By  power  delegated  from  the 
crown,  the  great  men  had  Ibrmcrly  courts,  '*  with  «iock,  sack,  pitt*)*  and  galious,  toitt 
and  liame,  infangtiiief  and  ouifiuigthicf,  had  power  to  hald  courts  for  alauchter ;  and 
to  doe  iusiice  u|)an  anc  man  taken  with  thrift,  that  is  sciM-d  thairwith  in  hand  have>and, 
or  on  back  bearand."  JuMice  was  administered  with  great  expedition,  and  too  often 
with  vindictive  severity  :  originally  the  time  of  trial  and  execution  was  to  be  within  three 
suns  :  about  the  latter  end  of  the  last  century,  the  execution  was  extended  to  nine  daji 
after  sentence  :  but,  on  a  rapid  and  unjust  execution  in  Hamilton,t  in  the  year  1720, 
the  time  was  to  be  deferred  fur  forty  days  on  the  south,  and  sixty  on  the  north,  of  the 
Tay,  that  the  case  might  reach  the  royal  ear,  and  mujescy  have  opportunity  of  exerting 
its  brightest  prerogative. 

Above  the  town  is  tlie  |)oor  remnant  of  the  castle,  defended  on  the  accessible  side  bjr 
a  deep  ditch  :  the  other  ib  of  great  s'eepness.  It  is  said  tu  hftve  been  a  hunting  seat  of 
Alexander  III.  The  prosiiect  from  hence  is  fine ;  for  three  beautiful  vaiea,  and  two 
great  rivers,  the  Tay  and  the  Tumel,  unite  beneath.  This  was  selected  as  the  place  of 
execution,  that  the  criminal  might  appear  Ubtrikinr  example  of  justice  to  so  great  an  ex- 
tent of  country.  I  must  add,  that  I'executeur  dc  iu  haute  Justice  had  his  house  free,  and 
two  pecks  of  meal,  and  a  certain  fee,  for  every  discharge  of  his  office. 

Descend,  and  am  ferried  over  the  Tumel :  reach  the  great  road  to  Blair,  and  turn- 
ing to  the  left  reach  Dalshian  (  where,  on  the  summit  Of  a  little  hill,  in  an  area  of  a 
hundred  and  sixty  feet  diameter,  is  the  ruin  of  St.  Catherine's  chapel :  on  the  acces- 
sible side  of  a  hill  is  a  ditch  of  ^eat  depth.  This  place  seems  to  have  been  an  ancient 
British  post ;  and  that  in  ufter*ttmea  the  founder  or  thia  chapel  mi^t  prefer  the  aitua- 
tion  on  account  of  the  security  it  might  afford  to  the  devotees  in  a  barbarous  age. 
There  are  in  other  parts  of  this  parish  remains  of  chapels  and  other  religious  founda- 
tions, as  at  Killichassie,  Tillipurie,  Chapeltown,  and  Pilgir ;  and  at  Killidiange  may  be 
seen  a  ruin,  surrounded  with  woods,  with  the  rolling  waters  of  the  Tumel  adding  so- 
lemnity  to  the  situation. 

Enter  the  parish  of  Mouline,  Ma.oline,  or  the  little  lake,  from  the  wet  situation  of 
part :  tliat  called  the  Hollow  of  Mouline  is  the  most  fertile.  The  parish  contains  about 
two  thousand  five  hundred  souls.  Their  manufactures,  and  those  of  Lc^erait,  are  the 
same :  in  both  great  quantities  of  fiax  being  spun  into  yam ;  and  much  fiax  imported 
from  Holland  and  the  Baltic  for  that  purpose,  besides  what  is  raised  in  the  country. 
Notwithstanding  the  apparent  fertility  of  these  vales,  the  produce  of  oats,  bear,  and 
potatoes,  is  not  equal  to  the  consumption ;  but  quantities  oi  meal  are  imported.  Bar- 
ley bread  is  much  used  in  these  parts,  and  esteemed  to  be  very  wholesome. 

To  the  honour  of  the  landlords  of  all  the  tracts  I  passed  over  since  my  landing,  none 
of  the  tenants  have  migrated.  They  are  encouraged  in  manufactures  and  rural  (eco- 
nomy. The  ladies  promote  the  article  of  cleanliness  among  the  lower  order  of  iemalei 
by  little  pnemia :  for  example,  the  duchess  of  Athol  rewards  with  smart  hats  the  lasses 
who  appear  neatest  in  those  parts,  where  her  grace's  influence  extends. 

*  Women  were  usually  punished  by  drowniog.        t  Lift  of  captain  Portcoua.    LondoD  1 737,  p.  3^ 


PINIf  Aim  MCOIfO  TOUM  IN  KOTLAND. 


Ml 


In  this  Mfish  arc  cotidiileniblc  nutural  woods  of  nok  :  they  are  cut  down  In  twenty 
years  for  the  sake  of  the  burk,  which  is  here  an  im|)ortant  article  of  commerce.  'I'he 
Umber  sells  at  little  or  no  price,  being  toa  small  for  use. 

Ttw  common  diseases  of  this  country  (I  may  uy  of  the  Highlands  in  general)  are 
fevers  and  colds.  Tttc  putrid  fever  makes  great  ravages.  Amoitg  the  nova  cohors 
febrium  which  have  visited  the  earth,  the  ague  was  tiUof  lute  a  stranger  here.  The 
Glacach,  or,  n  it  is  sometimes  called,  the  Mac.donakls  disorder,  ia  not  ui>common. 
The  afflicted  finds  a  tightness  and  fulnesa  in  his  chest,  as  is  irequent  in  the  beginning 
of  consumptions.  A  family  of  the  name  of  Macdonald,  an  hereditary  race  of  Mac- 
kiaons,  pretend  to  the  cure  by  glacach,  or  handling  of  the  part  affected,  in  the  same 
manner  as  the  Iriith  Mr*  Greatreaks,  in  the  last  century,  cured  b^  stroking.  The  Mac- 
donakU  touch  the  port,  and  mutter  certain  charms }  but,  to  theu*  credit,  never  accept  a 
fce  on  any  entreaty. 

CommoD  colda  are  cured  by  Brocluui,  or  water  gruel,  sweetened  with  honey ;  or 
by  a  dose  of  butter  and  honey  melted  in  spirits,  aiul  administered  as  hot  as  poA»sible. 

As  1  am  on  this  subject,  I  shall  in  this  place  continue  the  lut  of  natui^  remedief, 
whwh  wcra  fouiid  efficacioui  before  they  began  to 

Fe«  ths  Doctor  for  hU  nauMous  draught. 

Adult  persona  freed  themselves  from  colda,  in  the  dead  of  winter,  b<  plunging  into 
the  river ;  immediately  going  to  bed  under  a  load  of  clothes,  and  sweating  away  their 
coniplainl. 

Warm  cow's  milk  in  the  morning,  or  two  parts  milk  and  one  water,  a  little  treacle 
and  vinegar  made  into  whey,  and  drank  warm,  freed  the  Highlander  from  an  inveterate 
cough. 

The  chin-cough  was  cured  by  a  decoction  of  apples,  and  of  the  mountain  ash, 
sweetened  with  brown  sugar. 

Consumptions,  and  all  the  disorders  of  the  liver,  found  a  simple  remedy  in  drinking 
of  butter-milk. 

Stale  urine  and  bran  made  very  hot,  and  applied  to  the  part,  freed  the  rheumatic 
from  his  excruciating  pains. 

Fluxes  were  cured  oy  the  use  of  meadow  sweet,  or  jelly  of  bilberry,  or  a  poultice  of 
flour  and  suet ;  or  new  churned  butter ;  or  strong  cream  and  fresh  suet  boiled,  and 
drank  plentifriOy  morning  and  evening. 

Formerly  the  wild  carrot  boiled,  ut  present  the  garden  carrot,  proved  a  relief  in  can- 
cerous, or  ulcerous  cases.  Even  the  faculty  admit  the  salutary  efiect  of  the  carrot. poul- 
tice in  sweetening  the  iotolerable  foetor  of  the  cancer,  a  property  till  lately  neglected 
or  unknown.  How  reasonable  would  it  be,  therefore,  to  make  trial  of  these  other  re- 
medies, founded,  m  all  probability,  on  rational  observation  and  judicious  attention  to 
nature  f 

Persons  afiected  with  the  scrophula  imagined  they  found  benefit  by  exposing  the 
part  every  day  to  a  stream  of  cold  water. 

Flowers  of  daisies,  and  narrow  and  broad  leaved  plantane,  were  thought  to  be  reme- 
dies for  the  ophthalmia. 

Scabious  root,  or  the  bark  of  ash  tree  burnt,  was  administered  for  the  tooth-ache. 

The  water  ranunculus  is  used  instead  of  eantharides  to  raise  blisters. 

But  among  the  useful  plants,  the  Curr  or  Cor-meille*  must  not  be  omitted,  whose 
loots  dried  are  the  support  of  the  Highlanders  in  long  journies,  amidst  the  barren  hills 

*  Orobus  tuberosus,  wood  pease.    Huds.  Fl.  Ang.  374, 


s' 


382 


PENNANT'S  SECOND  TOUR  IN  SCOTLAND. 


m 


h 


jii' 


destitute  of  the  supports  of  life ;  and  a  small  quantity,  like  the  alimentary  powders,  will 
for  a  long  time  repel  the  attacks  of  hunger.  Infused  in  liquor  it  is  an  agreeable  bever- 
age, and,  like  the  Nepenthe  of  the  Greeks,  exhilarates  the  mii^d.  From  the  similitude 
of  sound  ill  the  name,  it  seems  to  be  the  same  with  Chara,  the  root  discovered  by  the 
8oldicrt>  of  Caisar  at  the  siege  of  Dyrrachium,*  which  steeped  in  milk  was  such  a  relief 
to  the  fkimished  army.  Or  we  may  reasonably  believe  it  to  have  been  the  Caledonian 
food  described  by  Dio,t  of  which  the  quantity  of  a  bean  would  prevent  both  hunger 
and  thii-st :  and  this,  says  the  historian,  they  have  ready  for  all  occasions. 

Among  the  pUnts  of  mere  rarity  must  be  reckoned  the  trailing  thyme  leaved  Azalea, 
and  the  reclining  Sibbaldia.  The  first  is  found  on  Crouachan,  and  on  Denmore ;  the 
last  on  Benmore. 

Mr.  John  Stuart  informed  me  that  he  had  discovered,  in  some  part  of  Breadalbane, 
the  Betula  Nana,  or  Dwarf  Birch.  This  plant  grows  in  plenty  in  some  b(^^  p;round 
in  the  canton  of  Schweitz,  where  the  n&tives  believe  it  to  be  the  species  with  which  our 
Saviour  was  scourged ;  and  from  that  period  it  was  cursed  with  a  stunted  growth. 

For  bums,  they  boil  cream  till  it  becomes  oil,  and  with  it  anoint  the  part. 

The  Itch  declines  in  proportion  as  cleanliness  gains  ground.  It  may  happen  that 
that  disorder  may  be  sought  in  the  purlieus  of  St  Giles's,  and  other  :K:ats  of  filth,  po* 
verty,  and  debauchery,  in  our  great  towns. 

During  the  unhappy  civil  wars  of  this  kingdom  in  the  last  century,  a  loathsome  and 
horrible  distemper,  originating  from  the  vices  of  mankind,  made  its  appearance  in  the 
Highlands,  and  was  supposed  to  have  been  communicated  first  by  the  parliament's  gar- 
rison at  Inverlochy.  It  has  since  diffused  itself  over  most  parts  of  the  Highlands,  and 
even  crept  into  the  Lowlands,  seeming  to  have  accomplished  the  divine  menace,  in  visit- 
ingthe  sins  of  the  father  upon  the  children  to  the  third  and  fourth  generation. 

The  recital  is  disa^eeble,  but  too  curious  to  be  suppressed ;  and  therefore,  not  to 
betray  the  delicate  mind  into  a  disgusting  narrative,  I  throw  it  into  the  Appendix,  and 
leave  the  perusal  to  the  choice  of  the  reader. 

I  shall  now  proceed  from  the  disorders  of  the  body  to  those  of  the  soul ;  for  what 
else  are  the  superstitions  that  infect  mankind  ?  a  few  unnoticed  before  are  still  preserved, 
or  have  till  within  a  small  space  been  found  in  the  places  I  have  vbited,  and  which  may 
merit  mention,  as  their  existence  in  a  little  time  may  be  happily  lost. 

After  marriage,  the  bride  immediately  ^valks  round  the  church,  unattended  by  the 
bridegroom.  The  precaution  of  loosening  every  knot  about  the  new-joined  pair  is 
strictly  observed,  for  fear  of  the  penalty  denounced  in  the  former  volumes.  It  must 
b^  remarked  that  the  custom  is  observed  even  in  France,  nouer  I'aiguilietta  being  a 
common  phra::e  for  disappointments  of  this  nature. 

Matrimony  is  avoided  in  the  month  of  January,  which  is  called  in  the  Erse  the  cold 
month ;  but  what  is  more  singular,  the  ceremony  is  avokied  even  in  the  enlivening 
month  of  May.  Perhaps  they  might  have  caught  this  superstition  from  the  Romans, 
who  had  the  same  dread  of  entering  into  the  nuptial  state  at  that  season ;  for  the  amo- 
rous Ovid  informs  us. 


Nee  viduae  txdia  eadem,  nee  virginis  apta 
Tempora,  quae  nupait  non  diuturna  niit. 

Hac  quoque  de  causa,  si  te  proverbia  Ungunt, 
Mense  malas  Maio  nubere  vu^s  ait. 


Fasti,  V.  487. 


*  Cxsar,  de  Bel.  Civil,  lib.  iii. 


t  lovitaSeverL 


v^. 


^^ 


\ 


^  f>  ■«{i^j<»yRif»«"»*«;<'»>-'w»  «m*«  »iiiiiii<i»»  '•K^-aiiB«i«f.».*«»«*<'^--i.'- 


PENNANT'S  SECOND  TOUR  IN  SCOTLAND.  <ju<j 

No  taper*  then  shnll  bum ;  For  neyer  bride, 
Wed  in  ill  season,  long  her  bliss  enjoy'd. 
If  you  are  fond  uf  proverbs,  always  say. 
No  lass  proves  thnfty,  who  is  wed  in  May. 

After  baptism,  the  first  meat  that  the  company  tastes  is  crowdie,  a  mixture  of  meat 
and  water,  or  meal  and  ale  thoroughly  mixed :  of  this  every  person  takes  three  spoon, 
fulls. 

The  mother  never  sets  about  any  work  till  she  has  been  kirked.  In  the  church  of  Scot- 
land there  is  no  ceremony  on  the  occasion ;  but  the  woman,  attended  by  some  of  her 
neighbours,  goes  into  the  church,  sometimes  in  service  time,  but  oflener  when  it  is  emnty ; 
out  agam,  surrounds  it,  refreshes  herself  at  some  public>house,  and  then  reams 
!icme.  Before  this  ceremony  she  b  looked  on  as  unclean,  never  is  permitted  to  eat 
with  the  family ;  nor  will  any  one  eat  of  the  victuals  she  has  dressed. 

It  has  happened  that,  after  baptism,  the  father  has  placed  a  basket  filled  with  bread 
and  cheese  on  the  pot  hook  that  impended  over  the  fire  in  the  middle  of  the  room, 
which  the  company  sit  around  ;  and  the  child  b  thrice  handed  acrms  the  fire,  with  the 
design  to  frustrate  all  attempts  of  evil  spirits  or  evU  eyes.  This  originally  seems  to  have 
been  designed  as  a  purification,  and  of  idolatrous  origin,  as  the  Israelites  made  their 
children  pass  through  the  fire  to  Moloch.  The  word  used  for  charms  in  general  is  colas, 
or  knowledge,  a  proof  of  the  high  repute  they  were  once  held  in.  Other  charms  were 
styled  puders,  a  word  taken  from  the  Pater  noster.  A  necklace  is  called  padreuchain, 
because  on  turning  every  bead  they  used  one  of  these  paidcrs.  Other  charms  again  arc 
called  toisgeuls,  from  the  use  of  particular  verses  of  the  gospel. 

The  superstition  of  making  pilgrimages  to  ceruun  wells  or  chapels  is  still  preserved  : 
that  to  St.  Phillan's  is  much  in  vogue ;  and  others  ^;ain  to  different  places.  The  ob. 
ject  is  relief  from  the  disorders  mankind  labour  under.  In  some  places  the  pilgrims 
only  drink  of  the  water ;  in  others  they  undergo  immeruon. 

A  Highlander,  in  oider  to  protect  himself  from  an;y  harms  apprehended  from  the 
{airy  trit^,  will  draw  round  himself  a  circle  with  a  sapling  of  the  oak.  Thi>  may  be  a 
relique  of  druidism,  and  only  a  continuation  of  the  respect  paid  to  the  tree  held  in  such 
veneration  by  thf^  priesthood  of  our  ancestors. 

They  pay  great  attention  to  their  lucky  and  unlucky  days.  The  Romans  could  not 
be  more  attentive  on  similar  occasions ;  and  surely  the  Highlander  may  be  excused  the 
superstition,  since  Augustus  *  could  say  that  he  never  went  abroad  on  the  day  following 
the  Nundinae,  nor  began  any  serious  undertaking  on  the  Nonae,  and  that  merely  to  avoid 
the  unlucky  omen.  The  Scottish  mountaineers  esteem  the  14th  of  May  unfortunate, 
and  the  day  of  the  week  that  it  has  happened  to  fall  on.  Thus  Thursday  is  a  black  day 
for  the  present  year. 

They  are  also  very  classical  in  observing  what  they  first  meet  on  the  commencement 
of  a  journey.  They  consider  the  looks,  garb,  and  character  of  the  first  person  they  see. 
If  he  has  a  good  countenance,  is  decently  clad,  and  has  a  fair  reputation,  they  rejoice  in 
the  omen;  if  the  contrary,  they  proceed  with  fears,  or  return  home,  and  beg^n  their 
journey  a  second  time. 

The  beltein,  or  the  rural  sacrifice,  on  the  first  of  May,  O.  S.  has  been  mentioned 
before.  Hallow  eve  is  also  kept  sacred :  as  soon  as  it  is  dark,  a  person  sets  fire  to  a 
bush  of  broom  fastened  round  a  pole,  and,  attended  with  a  crowd,  runs  about  the  village. 
He  then  flings  it  down,  keeps  g^eat  quantity  of  combustible  matters  in  it,  and  makes  a 
great  bonfire.    A  whole  tract  is  thus  illuminated  at  the  a^me  time,  and  makes  a  fine 

*  Suetonius,  vit.  Aug.  c.92. 


384 


PENNANT'S  SECOND  TOUR  IN  SCOTLAND. 


I 


^'4 


appearance.  The  carrying  of  the  fiery  pole  appears  to  be  a  relique  of  druidism ;  for, 
says  Doctor  Borlase,*  faces  preferre  was  esteemed  a  species  of  paganism,  forbidden  by 
the  Gallic  councils  and  the  accensores  facularum  were  condemned  to  capital  punishment, 
as  if  they  sacrificed  to  the  devil. 

The  Highlanders  form  a  sort  of  almanack  or  presage  of  the  weather  of  the  ensuing 
year  in  the  following  manner :  They  make  observation  on  twelve  days,  beginning  at 
the  last  of  December,  and  hold  as  an  infallible  rule,  that  whatsoever  weather  happens 
on  each  of  those  days,  the  same  will  prove  to  agree  in  the  correspondent  months.  Thus, 
January  is  to  answer  to  the  weather  of  December  the  31st ;  February  to  that  of  January 
1st ;  and  so  with  the  rest.    Old  people  stili  pay  great  attention  to  this  augury. 

To  these  superstitions  may  be  added  certain  customs,  now  worn  out,  which  were  pe« 
culiar  to  this  country. 

In  old  times  the  great  Highland  families  sent  their  heir,  as  soon  as  he  was  weaned, 
to  some  wealthy  tenant,  who  educated  him  in  the  hardy  manner  of  the  country,  at  his 
own  expence.  When  the  foster.father  restored  the  chikl  to  his  parents,  he  always  sent 
with  him  a  number  of  cows,  proportioned  to  his  abilities,  as  a  mark  of  the  sense  he  had 
of  the  honour  done  him.  A  strong  attachment  ever  after,  subsisted  between  the  two  fa« 
milics  :  the  whole  family  of  the  foster-father  was  received  under  the  protection  of  the 
chieftain,  and  held  in  the  highest  esteem. 

To  this  day  the  greater  chieftains  are  named  by  their  clans  from  some  of  dieir  an  - 
cestors,  eminent  for  strength,  wisdom,  or  valour.  Thus  the  duke  of  Argyle  is  styled 
Mac-chailean  mhoir,  the  son  of  the  great  Colin.  Lord  Breadalbane,  Mac>chailean 
mhic  Dhonachi,  the  son  of  Colin,  son  of  Duncan.  The  head  of  the  family  of  Dunstaf- 
fage,  Mac-In  nais  an  Duin,  or  the  son  of  Angus  of  the  hill. 

Most  of  the  old  names  of  the  Highlanders  were  derived  from  some  personal  property. 
Thus  Donald  or  Don-shuil  signifies  brown  eye ;  Fin-lay,  wliite  head ;  Dun«can,  brown 
head ;  Colin,  or  Co-aluin,  beautiful ;  and  Gorm-la,  a  bkie  eye. 

The  old  Highlanders  were  so  remarkable  for  their  hospitality  that  their  doors  were 
always  left  open,  as  if  it  were  to  invite  the  hungry  travellers  to  walk  in  and  partake  of 
their  meals ;  but  if  two  cross  sticks  were  seen  at  the  door,  it  was  a  sign  that  the  family 
was  at  dinner,  and  did  not  desire  more  guests.  In  this  case  the  churl  was  held  in  the 
highest  contempt :  nor  would  the  most  presung  necessity  induce  the  passenger  to  turn 
Great  hospitality  is  still  preserved  ^nrough  all  parts  of  the  country  to  the  stranger. 


in. 


whose  character  or  recommendations  ck  im  the  most  distant  preten^ons.  But  this  virtue 
must  cease,  or  at  best  lessen,  in  proportion  as  the  inundation  of  travellers  increases  :  a 
quick  succession  of  new  guests  will  be  found  to  be  a  trouble,  and  an  expence  unsupport- 
able ;  but  they  will  have  this  consolation,  that  good  inns  will  be  the  consequence  even 
of  a  partial  subversion  of  the  hospitable  system. 

Strict  fidelity  is  another  distinguishing  character  of  the  Highlanders.  Two  instances, 
taken  from  distant  periods,  will  be  sufficient  proofs  of  the  high  degree  in  which  they 
possess  this  shining  virtue.  In  the  reign  of  James  V,  when  the  Clan  chattan  had  raised 
a  dangerous  insurrection,  attended  with  all  the  barbarhies  usual  in  those  days,  the  earl 
of  Murray  raised  hb  people,  suppressed  the  insurgents,  and  ordered  two  hundred  of  the 
principal  prisoners  to  execution.  As  they  were  led  one  by  one  to  the  galbws,  the  earl 
offered  them  a  pardon,  in  case  they  would  discover  the  lurking  place  of  their  chieftain ; 
but  they  unanimously  told  him,  that  were  they  acquainted  with  it,  no  sort  of  punishment 
should  ever  induce  them  to  be  guilty  of  a  breach  of  trust  to  their  leader.f 


Antiq.  Cornwall,  136. 


t  Lesly  de  origine,  moribus,  et  rebus  gestis  Scotonun,  405. 


r-Tgr-JTsfar  — jiLf  uii:sf.a»B> 


PENNANT'S  SECOND  TOUR  IN  SCOTLAND. 


386 


The  other  example  is  taken  from  more  recent  and  mercenary  days.  In  the  year  1746, 
when  the  young  pretender  preferred  the  preservation  of  an  unhappy  life,  by  an  inglorious 
flight,  to  the  honour  of  falling  heroically  with  his  faithful  followers  in  the  field  of  CuUo. 
den,  he  for  five  months  led  the  life  of  a  fugitive,  amidst  a  numerous  and  various  set  of 
mountaineers.  He  trusted  his  person  often  to  the  lowest  and  most  dissolute  of  the  \)eo- 
pie ;  to  men  pinched  with  poverty,  or  accustomed  to  rapine  ;  yet  neither  the  fear  of 
punishment  for  assisting  the  wretched  wanderer,  nor  the  dazzling  allurement  of  the  re- 
ward of  thirty  thousand  pounds,  could  ever  prevail  on  any  one  to  violate  the  laws  of 
hospitality,  or  be  guilty  of  a  breach  of  trust.  They  extricated  him  out  of  every  dilfi' 
Cuit^  ;  tliey  completed  his  deliverance,  preserving  his  life  for  mortificuiJons  more  af- 
flicting than  the  dreadful  hardships  he  sustained  during  his  long  flight. 

Soon  after  entering  the  parish  of  Mouline,  leave  on  the  right  Edradour.  At  this  place, 
on  the  top  of  a  steep  den,  are  tlie  remains  of  a  circular  building,  called  the  Black  castle, 
about  sixty  feet  diameter  within  side,  and  the  walls  about  eight  feet  thick.  It  is  sup- 
posed to  have  been  inhabited  by  an  English  baron  who  married  a  Scots  heiress  in  the 
reign  of  Edward  I.  There  is  another  about  a  mile  west  from  the  village  of  Mouline, 
near  Balyou'an,  and  a  third  on  an  eminence  south  of  the  former.  One  of  these  answers 
to  another  similar  at  Killichange,  in  the  parish  of  Logierait.  Some  conjecture  these 
round  buildings  to  have  been  intended  for  making  signals  with  fires  in  case  of  invasions ; 
others  think  them  to  have  been  Tigh  Fasky,  or  a  storehouse  for  the  concealment  of  valu- 
able effects  in  case  of  sudden  inr')acU.  The  first  is  a  very  probable  opinion,  as  I  can  trace, 
approaching  towards  the  west  ^.a,  a  chain  of  these  edifices,  one  within  sight  of  the  next, 
for  a  very  consklerable  way.  It  is  not  unlikely,  if  search  was  made,  but  that  they  may 
even  extend  to  the  east  sea,  so  as  to  form  a  series  of  beacons  cross  this  part  of  the 
kingdom. 

My  worthy  fellow.voyager,  Mr.  Stuart,  has,  from  remarks  on  several  in  the  neigh- 
bourhood of  Killin,  enabled  me  to  trace  them  for  several  miles.  To  begin  with  the 
most  eastern,  next  to  those  I  have  mentioned,  there  is  one  on  the  hill  of  Drummin,  op- 
posite  to  Taymouth,  ontheade  of  the  vale ;  another  lies  within  view,  above  the  church 
ofFortingal:  on  the  hill  Druim-an-timhoir  is  a  third,  opposite  to  Alt-mhuic,  east  of 
Miggemy  :  one  under  the  house  of  Cashly,  called  Cast^Uinhic-neil ;  and  another,  about 
half  a  mile  west,  of  the  name  of  Castal-a-chon-bhaican,  a  crooked  stone,  called  Con. 
bhacan,  being  erected  about  two  hundred  feet  east  from  it,  and  so  named,  from  a  tra- 
dition that  the  Nimrods  of  old  times  tied  their  do^s  to  it  with  a  leathern  thong,  when  they 
returned  from  the  chase.  The  figure  of  this  buitdmg  differs  from  the  others,  being  oval  :^ 
the  greatest  length  within  the  wall  is  seventy  one-feet ;  the  breadth  forty  ;  the  thickness 
at  the  sides  twelve  feet,  at  the  ends  only  eight.  The  door  at  the  east  end  low  and  narrow, 
covered  with  a  flag. 

But  the  most  entire  is  that  styled  Castal-an  dui,  lying  at  the  foot  of  the  hill  Grlanan, 
on  the  farm  of  Cashly,  three  miles  west  firom  Miggerny.  On  the  north-west  side  is  a 
stono  twenty-nine  feet  long,  and  nine  thick,  which  supplies  part  of  the  building  on  the 
outside.  The  form  of  this  building  is  a  circle :  the  thickness  from  eleven  to  twelve  feet ; 
and  within  the  place  where  the  great  stone  stands  is  an  additional  strength  of  ^vall,  about 
eight  feet  thick.  The  most  complete  place  is  nine  feet  and  a  half  high :  the  diameter 
within  the  wall  is  forty-five  feet.  The  greatest  part  of  the  stones  used  in  this  edifice  arc 
from  three  to  six  feet  long,  and  from  one  and  a  half  to  three  feet  thick. 

*  The  Faghs  na  ain  eighe,  or  the  work  of  one  night,  engraved  book  iii.  tab.  viii.  of  Mr,  Wright'^ 
Louthiana,  is  similar  to  this. 

VOL.   III.  3   D 


386 


I'fiNNANT'S  SECOND  TOUR  IN  SCOTLAND. 


About  three  hundred  yards  west  from  this  is  another,  called  Castal-an  Deire.  A  mile 
farther  west  is  another,  of  the  name  of  Fiam-nam>b6inean  ;  and  lastly,  withm  sight  of 
this,  five  niiles  distant,  on  the  side  of  a  hill  called  Ben-chastal,  is  one  more,  the  most 
westerly  of  any  we  have  yet  had  intelligence  of.  Most,  if  not  all  c'  these,  lie  in  Glen-Lion^ 
The  tradition  of  the  inhabitants  respecting  them  is  included  in  these  lines : 

Dd  chaiBteal-deu)!^  aig  Feann 
Ann  an  crom-ghleann  nar  clach. 


That  is,  **  Fingal,  the  king  of  heroes,  had  twelve  towers  in  the  winding  valley  of  the 
gray-headed  stones." 

I  must  mention  two  others,  that  are  out  of  the  line  of  these,  yet  mi^ht  be  subservierit 
to  their  use.  One  lies  on  the  north  side  of  Lock.Tay,  about  five  miles  east  of  Killin, 
above  the  public  road.    The  other  called  Caisteal  Baraora,  on  the  south  side,  about  a 

2uarter  of  a  mile  from  the  lake,  and  a  measured  mile  east  of  Achmore,  the  seat  of  Mr. 
lainpbel,  of  Achalader. 

On  the  top  of  a  great  eminence,  a  furlong  from  this,  are  the  remains  of  a  vast  in< 
closure,  a  strong  hold,  of  the  same  nature  with  that  I  saw  in  Glen-elg,^  to  which  the 
inhabitants  might  drive  their  cattle  in  time  of  invasion,  on  the  signals  given  from  the 
round  towers.  The  form  tends  to  an  oval ;  the  greatest  length  is  three  hundred 
and  sixty  feet ;  the  breadth  one  hundred  and  twenty.  No  part  of  the  wall  is  entire, 
but  the  stones  that  formed  it  lie  in  ruins  on  the  ground  to  tne  breadth  of  fifteen  feet. 
Within,  near  the  east  end,  is  the  foundation  of  a  rectangular  building,  thirty-eight  feet 
long,  ten  broad.  This  post  commands  a  vast  view  of  the  west  end  of  Breadalbane, 
almost  to  the  hea^  of  the  vallies  of  Glen-Dochart  and  Glen-Lochy  ;  and  at  a  very  small 
distance  from  it  is  seen  the  hill  of  Drummin,  from  whose  round  tower  the  signal  might 
easily  be  received. 

The  round  edifices  of  this  internal  part  of  Scotland,  and  those  of  the  coast  and  of  the 
islands,  seem  to  have  been  erected  for  the  same  purpose,  but  probably  by  different  ar- 
chitects. The  former  are  the  labours  of  much  less  skilful  workmen ;  the  stones  more 
rude,  the  tucings  less  exact  and  elegant,  but  not  inferior  to  the  manner  now  in  use  in  the 
common  dry  walled  houses  of  the  country. 

I  cannot  but  think  that  all  these  buildings  were  originally  constructed  by  the  natives ; 
and  that  those  so  frequent  in  the  islands,  and  of  such  superior  workmanship,  might  have 
been  rebuilt  by  the  Danes  and  Norwegians  on  the  same  model,  but  more  artificially 
than  those  they  found  on  the  spot.  From  all  the  inquiries  I  have  made  among  the 
natives  of  Scandinavia,  I  do  not  learn  that  any  such  buildings  are  known  there,  a  smgle 
instance  excepted  on  the  Sualesberg,t  a  mountain  half  a  Norwegian  league  distant  from 
Drontheim.  If  no  more  are  discovered,  it  is  probable  that  the  invaders  did  not  bring 
this  mode  of  building  with  them.  But  they  might  have  considered  the  use  and  conve- 
niency  of  these  structures,  and  adopted  the  plan,  making  such  improvements  as  ap- 
peared to  them  nece^iy.  Thus,  in  some  they  formed  walls,  with  galleries  within ;  and 
in  others,  erected  small  buildings  in  the  areas.f  to  protect  them  from  the  inclemency 
of  the  weather ;  for  being  in  an  enemy's  country,  the  Danes  were  obliged  to  use  them 
as  little  garrisons  :  on  the  contrary,  the  natives  never  might  consider  them  in  any  other 

*  Voyage  to  the  Hebride9«p.  336.— p.  261  of  this  volume. 

t  The  building  alluded  to  was  the  work  of  king  Suerre,  who  died  in  1302,  about  a  hundred  and  four 
years  after  these  isles  were  made  subject  to  Norway  by  Magnus  the  Barefooted.    Suerre  might  there- 
fciehave  taken  the  model  of  this  single  tower  from  the  Hebrides. 

Vide  the  Voyage  to  the  Hebrides,  p.  2 1 9,  292,  358.— p.  265  of  this  volume. 


!i: 


(i 


"*», 


PENNANT'S  SECOND  TOUR  IN  SCOTLAND 


387 


light  than  as  short  and  temporary  retreats  from  an  invading  enemy.  It  h  also  pretty 
certain,  that  the  Danes  either  never  reached  some  of  the  places  where  we  now  see  these 
buildings,  or  at  least  never  made  any  more  than  a  short  inroad.  On  the  other  hand, 
they  possessed  the  islands  and  some  of  the  coasts  for  a  long  series  of  years,  and  had  ample 
time  to  form  any  improvements  that  were  agreeable  to  them. 

A  few  other  antiquities  are  also  found  in  this  parish.  On  a  plain  below  Dirnancnii 
in  Strath* Ardle  is  a  circular  mount,  composed  of  small  round  stones,  mixed  with  earth, 
coated  with  turf,  on  whose  summit  is  an  erect  four-sided  stone,  of  a  considerable  size. 
This  seems  a  sepulchral  memorial  of  some  person  of  rank,  whose  urn  is  probably  be- 
neath. Another  stone  of  the  same  kind  is  also  to  be  seen  at  some  distance  from  it,  at 
the  edge  of  the  river. 

At  the  east  end  of  the  same  plain  is  the  appearance  of  a  grave,  sixteen  feet  long, 
with  a  large  stone  at  each  end.  In  the  language  of  the  country  this  is  styled  the  grave 
of  high  blood,  from  a  tradition  that  a  Danish  prince  was  slain  and  interred  here.  It  is 
suspected  that  a  skirmish  might  have  been  fought  here,  and  the  slain  in  general  buried 
in  this  plr.ce. 

Of  castles  of  a  more  modern  date,  this  parish  boasts  only  one,  in  the  hollow  of  Moii- 
line,  of  a  square  form,  built  with  bad  whin  stone,  cemented  with  hot  lime,  so  strong  as 
scarcely  to  be  broken.  Two  round  towers  yet  remain,  and  a  transverse  wall.  The 
vestige  of  the  ditch  is  still  to  be  traced.  The  inhabitants  ascribe  the  building  to  one  of 
the  Cummins ;  but  sir  James  Balfour,))^  with  more  certainty,  gives  it  to  Thomas  of 
Galloway,  carl  of  Athol,  and  acquaints  us  that  it  was  the  residence  of  the  ancient  earls. 

Proceed  on  my  way ;  and,  after  a  short  ride  through  a  barren  and  dreary  tract,  am 
again  enraptured  with  the  charms  of  Faskally,  which  appears  like  fairy  ground,  amidst 
the  wild  environs  of  craggy  mountains,  skirted  with  woods ;  it  is  seated  in  a  beautiful 
meadow,  on  one  side  bordered  with  woods,  on  the  other  bounded  by  the  Tumel,  rival 
in  size  to  the  Tay,  which  at  a  small  distance  appears  again  gushing  from  between  the 
wooded  rocks»  and  tumbling  down  a  precipice  of  great  height,  to  water  these  delicious 
scenes. 

Salmons  annually  force  their  passage  even  up  this  furious  cataract,  and  are  taken  here 
in  a  most  artless  manner :  a  hamper,  fastened  to  a  wicker<rope,  pinned  into  a  cleft  of 
the  rock  by  a  stick,  is  flung  into  the  stream  :  now  and  then  a  fish,  in  the  fall  from  its 
effort  to  get  up,  drops  into  this  little  ware.  It  is  not  to  be  supposed  that  the  owner  can 
enrich  himself  by  the  capture :  in  fact,  the  chance  of  his  good  fortune  is  hired  out  at  the 
annual  rent  of  one  pound  fourteen  shillings. 

At  other  times  the  fisher  flings  <nto  the  stream  below  a  crow-foot,  or  caltrop,  fas- 
tened to  a  long  rope.  On  this  instrument  the  salmons  often  transfix  themselves,  and 
are  drawn  up  to  land.  Another  method,  of  much  risque  to  the  adventurer,  is  at  times 
practised.  A  person  seats  himself  on  the  brink  of  the  precipice,  above  the  cataracts, 
and  fixes  one  foot  in  the  noose  of  a  wicker-cord :  here  he  expects  the  leap  of  a  salmon, 
armed  with  a  spear :  the  moment  the  fish  rises,  he  darts  his  weapon,  at  the  hazard  of  fall- 
ing into  the  water  by  his  own  effort,  or  the  struggle  of  his  prey. 

A  little  to  the  east  of  this  fall  the  Carrie  unites  itself  with  the  Tumel,  a  river  that 
rises  from  a  lake  thirteen  computed  miles  above  Blair.  The  noted  pass  of  Killicraiikie 
is  formed  by  the  hills  that  impend  over  it  on  each  side ;  the  waters  of  the  Garrie  rush- 
ing beneath  in  a  deep,  darksome,  and  horrible  channel ;  in  the  last  century  a  pass  of 
much  danger  and  difficult,  a  path  hanging  over  a  tremendous  precipice,  threatening 

•MS. 
3  D  2 


SB« 


I'UNNAM'b  SECOND  TOUR  IN  SCOTLANU. 


(leatructioiv  to  the  least  false  step  of  the  traveller  ;  at  present  a  fine  road,  formed  by  the 
soldiery  lent  by  government,  and  encouraged  by  sixpence  per  day  added  to  the  pay, 
gives  an  easy  access  to  the  remoter  Highlands.  '  A  fine  arch  over  the  Garrie  joins  the 
once  impervious  sides. 

Near  the  north  end  of  this  pass,  in  its  unimproved  and  arduous  state,  on  an  open 
space,  was  fought  the  celebrated  battle  of  Killicrankie ;  when  the  gallant  viscount  Dun- 
dee fell  in  the  moment  of  victory,  and  with  him  all  the  hopes  of  the  abdicating  monarch. 
The  enemies  of  this  illustrious  hero  made  his  eulogy  :  Mackay,  the  defeated  general,  in 
the  course  of  his  flight,  pronouncing  the  death  of  his  antagonist :  **  Was  Dundee  alive," 
says  he,  "  my  retreat  would  not  have  been  thus  uninterrupted."  His  body  was  inter- 
red in  the  church  of  Blair.  His  glory  required  no  inscription  to  perpetuate  it ;  yet  the 
elegance  of  his  epitaph,  composed  by  Doctor  Archibald  Pitcairn,  merits  repetition,  doing 
equal  honour  to  the  hero  and  poet : 

Ultime  Scotoruin,potuitquo80ipite  solo 

Liburtas  patriae  salva  fuisse  tux. 
Te  moriente  novos  accepit  Scotia  civea  ; 

Accepitque  novos  de  moriente  Deos. 
Ilia  tibi  superessc  negat,  tu  non  potes  illi , 

Ergo  Caledonix  nomen  inane  vale. 
Tuque  vale  geniis  piiscx  fortiasirae  doctor, 

Optime  Scotorum  atque  ultime,  Grame.  vale. 

O  last  and  best  of  Scots !  who  didst  maintain 
Thy  country's  freedom  from  a  foreign  reign ; 
New  people  fill  the  land,  now  they  are  gone  ; 
New  gods  the  temples,  and  new  kings  the  throne : 
Scotland  and  thou  did  each  in  other  live, 
Thou  could'st  not  her,  nor  cou'd  she  thee  survive  ; 
Farewell,  thou,  living,  that  didst  support  the  state, 
And  cou'dst  not  fall,  but  by  thy  country's  fate.  D&tdbv. 

August  21.  Continue  my  ride  to  Athol-house,  in  the  Blair  of  Athol,  seated  on  an 
eminence  above  a  plain  watered  by  the  Garrie  ;  a  most  outrageous  stream,  whose  ra- 
vages have  greatly  deformed  the  valley,  by  the  vast  beds  of  gravel  it  has  left  behind. 

The  house  or  castle  is  of  uncertain  antiquity  :  the  oldest  part  is  called  Cummin's 
tower,  being  supposed  to  have  been  built  by  John,  commonly  called  de  Strathbog^,  who 
enjoyed  the  title  of  Athol  in  right  of  his  wife.  It  became  the  principal  seat  of  his  sue 
cessors.  •  In  1644  the  Marquis  of  Montrose  possessed  himself  of  it,  and  was  joined  by  a 
large  body  of  the  Athol  Highlanders,  to  whose  bravery  he  w?s  indebted  for  the' victory 
at  Tibbiri-oor.  In  the  troubles  of  1653,  the  place  was  taken  by  storm  by  Colonel 
Daniel,*  an  officer  of  Cromwell,  who,  unable  to  remove  a  magazine  of  provision  lodged 
there,  destroyed  it  by  powder.  In  1689,  it  occasioned  one  of  the  greatest  events  of 
the  time,  being  the  cause  that  brought  on  the  celebrated  battle  of  Killicrankie.  An 
)fficer  belonging  to  Viscount  Dundee  flung  himself  into  it,  and  refusing  to  deliver  it  to 
lord  Murray,  son  to  the  rnarquis  of  Athol,  was  by  him  threatened  with  a  siege.  His 
lordship,  to  effect  the  reduction,  assembled  a  body  of  forces,  and  marched  towards  the 
place.  Dundee  knew  the  importance  of  preserving  this  pass,  and  the  communications 
with  the  Highland  clans,  in  whom  he  had  the  greatest  confidence.!  With  his  usual 
expedition  he  joined  the  garrison  ;  and  in  a  few  days  after  concluded  his  glorious  life 
with  the  well-known  defeat  of  the  royal  forces  under  Mackay. 


*  Whilclock,  582. 


t  Balcarras's  Memoirs,  99. 


!  !' 


I>ENNANT'S  SECOND  TOUR  IN  SCOTLANU. 


i89 


The  last  siege  it  experienced  was  in  1746,  'hen  it  was  gallantly  defended  by  Sir 
Andrew  Agnew  against  the  rebels,  who  retired  from  before  it  a  few  weeks  preceding 
the  battle  of  Culloden.  As  soon  as  peace  was  established,  a  considerable  part  of  that 
fortress  was  reduced  in  height,  and  the  inside  most  magnificently  furnished. 

The  views  in  front  of  the  house  are  planted  with  so  much  form  as  to  be  iltr  from 
pleasing,  but  the  picturesque  walks  among  the  rocks  on  the  other  side  cannot  fail  to 
attract  the  admiration  of  every  traveller  of  taste.  The  late  noble  owner,  with  great 
judgment,  but  with  no  less  difficulty,  cut,  or  rather  bkoted  out,  walks  along  the  vast 
rocks  and  precipices  that  bound  the  rivers  Banovy  and  Tilt.  The  waters  are  violent, 
and  form  in  various  places  cascades  of  great  beauty.  Pines  and  trees  of  several  species 
wave  solemnly  over  the  head,  and  darken  the  romantic  scene.  The  place  appearcH.  to 
great  advantage :  for  the  Highlands,  as  well  as  other  beauties,  have  their  good  and  their 
bad  days.  The  glen,  that  in  1769  I  thought  deficient  in  water,  now,  by  reason  of  the 
rains,  looked  to  great  advantage,  and  finished  finely  the  rich  scener}*^  of  rock  and  wood. 

The  York  cascade,  a  mile  from  the  house,  merits  a  visit.  It  first  appears  tumbling 
amidst  the  trees,  at  the  head  of  a  small  glen.  The  waters  are  soon  joined  by  those  of 
another  that  dart  from  the  side.  These  united  waters  fall  into  a  deep  chasm,  appear 
again,  and,  afler  forming  four  more  cataracts,  are  tost  in  the  Tilt,  which  likewise  dis- 
appears, having  for  a  considerable  space  excavated  the  rock  we  stood  on ;  running  in- 
visible, with  a  roaring  torrent,  before  it  emerges  to  day. 

It  is  but  of  late  that  the  North  Britons  became  sensible  of  the  beauties  of  their  coun- 
try ;  but  their  search  is  at  present  amply  rewarded.  Veiy  lately  a  cataract  of  uncommon 
height  was  discovered  on  the  Bruer,  a  large  stream  about  two  miles  north  from  this 
place.  It  is  divided  into  five  falls,  visible  at  once,  and  in  a  line  with  each  other :  the 
four  uppermost  form  together  a  fall  of  a  hundred  feet ;  the  fiflh  alone  is  nearly  the 
same  height ;  so  that  when  the  whole  appear  in  front,  in  high  floods,  they  seem  one 
sheet  of  near  two  hundred  feet :  a  sight  scarcely  to  be  paralleled  in  Europe. 

Trees  of  all  kinds  prosper  here  greatly  :  larches  of  twenty  years  growth  yield  plank 
of  the  breadth  of  fifteen  inches.  The  late  duke  annually  lessened  the  nakedness  of  the 
hills,  and  extended  his  plantations  far  and  wide.  His  attention  to  the  culture  of  rhubarb 
must  not  pass  unnoticed :  for  his  benevolent  design  of  rendering  common  and  cheap 
this  useful  medicine  is  blest  with  the  utmost  success.  The  roots  which  he  had  culti. 
vated  in  the  light  soils,  similar  to  those  of  the  Tartarian  deserts,  the  native  place,  in- 
crease to  a  vast  size :  some  when  fresh  having  been  found  to  weigh  fifty  pounds,  and 
to  be  equal  in  smell,  taste,  and  effect,  to  those  we  import  at  an  enormous  expence  to 
our  country.  On  being  dried,  they  shrink  to  one  quarter  of  their  original  weight. 
There  is  reason  to  suppose  that  the  Scotch  rhubarb  may  be  superior  in  virtue  to  the 
foreign,  the  last  being  gathered  in  all  seasons,  as  the  Mongall  hunters  chance  to  pass 
by.  They  draw  up  the  roots  indiscriminately,  pierce  them  at  one  end,  and  sling  them 
on  their  belts,  and  then  leave  them  to  dry  in  their  tents  without  further  care. 

Aug.  22.  Leave  Athol  house.  Return  by  Faskally  along  the  great  road  to  the  junc- 
tion of  the  Tumel  with  the  Tay.  Nature  hath  formed,  on  each  side  of  the  vale,  mul- 
titudes of  terraces,  some  with  grassy  side,  others  wooded.  Art  hath  contributed  to 
give  this  road  an  uncommon  magnificence :  such  parts,  which  want  clothing,  are 
planted  not  only  with  the  usual  trees,  but  with  flowering  shrubs ;  and  the  sides  of  the 
way  are  sodded  in  the  neatest  manner.  In  a  little  time  the  whole  way  from  Dalna- 
cardoch  to  Perth,  near  forty-five  miles,  will  appear  like  a  garden  ;  if  our  sister  Peg  goes 
on  at  this  rate,  I  wish  that,  from  a  confessed  slattern,  she  does  not  become  downright 
finical. 


.  I  ■ 


390 


rENNANT'S  SECOND  TOUU  IN  SCOTLAND. 


On  approaching  Dunkcld,  the  vale  becomes  very  narrow:  at  last  leaves  only  space 
fur  the  road  and  the  river,  which  runs  i^etween  hills  covered  with  hanging  woodti.  The 
town  of  Dunkcld  is  seated  on  the  north  side  of  the  Tay  ;  is  supposed  to  take  its  name 
from  the  word  Dun,  a  mount,  and  Gael,  the  old  inhabitants,  or  Caledonians,  and  to 
have  been  the  Castrum  Caledoniae,  and  the  Oppidum  Caledoniorum  of  the  old  writers.* 
At  present  I  could  not  hear  of  any  vestiges  of  Roman  antiquity.  The  town  is  small, 
has  a  share  of  the  linen  manuflicture,  and  is  much  frequented  m  summer  by  invalids, 
who  resort  here  for  the  benefit  of  drinking  goats'  milk  and  whey. 

This  place  in  very  early  days  became  the  seat  of  religion.  Constantine  III,  king 
of  the  Picts,  at  the  instance  of  Adamnanus,  is  said  to  have  founded  here  a  monastery 
of  Culdces,  in  honour  of  St.  Columba,  about  the  year  729  }  these  religious  had  wives 
according  to  the  custom  of  the  eastern  church,  only  they  were  prohibited  from  coha* 
biting  dum  vicissim  administrarunt.  About  1127  that  pious  prince  David  I,  converted 
it  into  a  cathedral,  displaced  the  Culdees,  and  made  Gregory  their  abbot,  the  first 
bishop,  who  obtained  from  Pope  Alexander  III,  ample  protection  and  confirmation.! 
The  revenue  at  the  Reformation  was  15051.  10s.  4d.  Scots,  besides  a  large  contribution 
of  diflferent  sorts  of  grain.J 

The  present  church  was  built  by  Robert  Arden,  the  19th  bishop,  who  was  interred 
in  it,  about  the  year  1436.^  Except  the  choir,  which  serves  as  the  parish  church, 
the  rest  exhibits  a  fine  ruin,  amid  the  solemn  scene  of  rocks  and  woods.  'The  extent 
within  is  120  feet  by  60.  The  body  is  supported  by  two  rows  of  round  pillars,  with 
squared  capitals.    The  arches  Gothic. 

In  the  vestry-room  is  a  large  monument  of  the  marquis  of  Athol,  who  died  in  1703. 
It  is  hung  with  the  arms  of  all  the  numerous  connections  of  this  illustrious  house, 
which,  by  its  great  ancestor  Sir  James  Stuart,  called  the  Black  Knight  of  Lorn,  and  first 
earl  of  Athol  of  the  present  family,  may  boast  of  being  related  to  every  crowned  head 
in  Europe,  excepting  the  Grand  Segnior. 

In  the  body  of  the  church  is  a  tomb  with  the  recumbent  effigies  in  armour  of  Alex- 
ander Stuart  earl  of  Buchan,  third  son  of  Robert  II,  by  Elizabeth  More ;  a  person  of 
most  uncommon  impiety  ;||  and  for  his  cruelty  justly  styled  the  Wolf  of  Badenoch. 
Yet  his  epitaph,  when  entire,  ran  thus : 

**  Hie  jacet  bonse  memoriae,  Alexander  Senescallus  comes  de  Buchan  et  dominus  de 
Badenoch,  qui  obiit  24  Novemb.  1394." 

The  cathedral  wa6  ciemolished  in  1559:  the  monuments  were  destroyed  in  1698,  by 
the  garrison  that  was  placed  there  at  that  time.  I  looked  in  vain  for  the  tomb  of  Mar- 
jory  Scot,  who  died  at  Dunkeld,  January  6th,  1728.  Her  epitaph  was  composed  by 
Alexander  Pennicuik,  and  is  said  to  have  been  inscribed  in  memory  of  her  longevity. 
It  thus  addresses  the  reader :  . 

,  Stop,  passenger,  until  mjr  life  you  read. 

The  living  may  get  knowledge  from  the  dead. 

Five  times  five  years  I  liv'd  a  virgin  life  ;  ■..■,. 

Five  times  five  years  I  liv'd  a  happy  wife ; 

Ten  times  five  years  I  liv'd  a  widow  chaste  ; 

Now  wearied  of  this  mortal  life  I  rest. 

Betwixt  my  cradle  and  my  grave  were  seen 

Eight  mighty  kings  of  Scotland  and  a  queen. 


I  '■   «. 


*  Boethius,  lib.  ix.  p.  167.    Buchanan,  lib.  ii.  c.  32. 
t  Mailland,  Hist.  Scot.  i.  244. 
|i  4th  Kdit.  Tour  Scot.  397. 


t  Keith,  46. 

$  Monteith's  EpiUphs,  239, 


>  - 


space 
The 


ijt 


PKNMANT'S  SECOND  TOIJIt  IN  SCOTLANU.  jj^j 

Four  timet  five  yean  a  commonwealth  I  taw* 
Ten  times  the  subjects  rise  agsinst  the  law  ; 
Thrice  did  I  see  old  prelacy  pull'd  down, 
And  thrice  the  clfuk  was  humbled  by  the  gown. 
An  end  of  Stuart's  race  I  saw,  nay  more, 
1  aaw  my  country  sold  for  English  ore. 
Such  desolations  in  my  lime  have  been  ; 
I  have  an  end  of  all  perfection  seen. 

The  great  ornament  of  this  place  is  the  duke  of  Athol's  extensive  improvements, 
and  magnificent  pluntatiuns,  bounded  by  cragti,  with  summits  of  a  trcmcndoiis  hcigiit. 
The  gardens  extend  along  the  side  of  the  river,  and  command  from  different  parts 
the  most  beautiful  and  picturesque  views  of  wild  and  gloomy  nature  that  can  be  con- 
ceived. 

Ascend  the  hill,  and  from  a  southern  brow  have  a  view  of  a  chain  of  smalt  lakes, 
on  whose  banks  is  Leagh  Wood,  an  estate  granted  by  James  III,  to  John  Stuart,  earl 
of  Athol,  as  a  reward  for  his  victory  over  the  great  Mac>Donald  of  the  isles. 

Return  towards  the  north,  along  an  extensive  flat,  bounded  on  the  right  by  vast 
and  precipitous  crags.  On  this  plain  is  planted  abundance  of  rhubarb,  by  way  of  trial 
whether  it  will  succeed  as  well  in  these  wild  tracts  as  in  the  manured  soils.  Walk 
through  a  narrow  pass,  bounded  by  great  rocks.  One  retains  the  name  of  the  kine's 
seat*,  havine  been  the  place  where  the  Scottish  monarchs  placed  themselves,  in  order 
to  direct  their  shafts  with  advantage  at  the  flying  deer  driven  that  way  for  their  amusc> 
ment.  A  chase  of  this  kind  had  very  nearly  prevented  the  future  miseries  of  the  un> 
happy  Mary  Stuart.  The  story  is  well  told  by  William  Barclay*  in  his  treatise  contra 
Monarchomachos :  it  gives  a  lively  picture  of  the  ancient  manner  of  hunting ;  and,  on 
that  account,  will  perhaps  be  acceptable  to  the  reader  in  an  Engli^H  dress. 

"  I  once  had  a  sight  of  a  very  extraordinary  sort,  which  convinced  me  of  what  I 
have  said.  In  the  year  1563,  the  earl  of  Athol,  a  prince  of  the  blood  royal,  had, 
with  much  trouble  and  vast  expence,  a  hunting.matcn,  for  the  entertainment  of  our 
most  illustrious  and  most  gracious  queen.  Our  people  call  this  a  royal  htmting.  I 
was  then  a  young  man,  and  was  present  on  that  occasion :  two  thousand  Highlanders* 
or  wild  Scotch,  as  you  call  them  here,  were  employed  to  drive  to  the  hunting  ground 
all  the  deer  from  the  woods  and  hills  of  Athol,  Badenoch,  Marr,  Murray,  and  the 
countries  about.  As  these  Highlanders  use  a  light  dress,  and  are  very  swifl  of  foot, 
they  went  up  und  down  so  nimbly,  that  in  less  than  two  months  time  they  brought 
together  two  thousand  red  deer,  besides  roes  and  fallow  deer.  The  queen,  the  great 
men,  and  a  number  of  others,  were  in  a  glen  when  all  these  deer  were  brought  before 
them;  believe  me,  the  whole  body  moved  forward  in  something  like  battle  order. 
This  sight  still  strikes  me,  and  ever  will  strike  me ;  for  they  had  a  leader,  whom  they 
followed  close  wherever  he  moved. 

"  This  leader  was  a  very  fine  stag,  with  a  very  high  head:  this  sight  delighted  the  queen 
very  much,  but  she  soon  had  cause  for  fear ;  upon  the  earl's  (who  had  been  from  his 
early  days  accustomed  to  such  sights)  addressing  her  thus,  *  Do  you  observe  that  stag 
who  is  foremost  of  the  herd,  there  is  danger  from  that  stag,  for  if  either  fear  or  rage 
should  force  him  from  the  ridge  of  that  hill,  let  every  one  look  to  himself,  for  none  of 
us  will  be  out  of  the  way  of  harm ;  for  the  rest  will  follow  this  one,  and  having  thrown 
us  under  foot,  they  will  open  a  passage  to  this  hill  behind  us.'    What  happened  a  mo< 

•  By  mistake,  the  view  of  this  place,  in  the  first  and  second  edit,  of  the  Tour,  is  called  the  king's  seat, 
near  Blair. 


i 


I 


|: 


30i3 


PENNANT'S  SECOND  TOUR  IN  SCOTLAND. 


inoiit  after  coutlrmcd  this  opinion  :  for  the  queen  ordered  one  of  the  best  dogs  to  be 
lit  loose  on  one  or  the  deer  ;  this  the  dog  purHues,  thclcading  stag  frighted,  lu  flics  by 
the  same  way  he  had  come  there,  the  rest  rush  after  him,  and  break  out  where  the 
thickest  body  of  the  Highlanders  was ;  they  had  nothing  for  it  but  tu  throw  themselves 
flat  un  the  heath,  and  to  allow  the  deer  to  pass  over  them.  It  was  told  the  queen  that 
several  of  the  Highlanders  had  been  wounded,  and  tliat  two  or  three  had  been  killed 
outright ;  and  that  the  whole  body  had  got  off,  had  not  the  Highhmders,  bv  their  skill 
in  hunting,  fallen  upon  a  stratagem  to  cut  off  the  rear  from  tnc  main  body.  It  was 
of  those  that  had  been  separated  that  the  queen's  dogs  and  those  of  the  nobility  made 
slaughter.     There  were  killed  that  day  360  deer,  with  five  wolves,  and  some  roes." 

From  the  summit  of  the  king's  seat  is  a  beautiful  prospect  to  the  north  of  Strath-Tay  i 
and  to  the  south,  a  still  finer  one  of  the  winding  ot  the  river,  through  a  tract  enriched 
with  corn.fields,  and  varied  with  frequent  woods;  and,  at  a  distaitce,  the  celebrated 
wood  of  Birnum,  and  hill  of  Dunsinanc. 

On  descending  into  the  gardens,  viiiit  the  house,  or  rather  villa,  belonging  to  the 
duke  of  Athol ;  small,  but  furnished  with  peculiar  elegance ;  the  windows  are  finely 
painted  by  Mr.  Singleton,  an  eleve  of  the  house,  whose  performances  do  him  much 
credit. 

Cross  the  Tay,  to  visit  the  improvements  on  the  banks  of  the  great  torrent  Bran, 
which  rushes  impetuously  over  its  rugged  bottom.  All  this  part  is  a  mixture  of  culti* 
vation,  with  vast  rocks  springing  out  of  the  ground,  among  which  are  conducted 
variety  of  walks,  bordered  with  flowers  and  flowering  shrubs,  and  adorned  with  num- 
bers of  little  buildings,  in  the  style  of  the  oriental  gardens. 

Continue  my  ride  on  the  west  side  of  the  Tay,  and  soon  quit  this  august  entrance 
into  the  Scottish  Alps.  The  mountains  gradually  sink,  the  plain  expands,  and  agri- 
culture increases.  Arrive  in  the  plain  of  Stormont,  a  part  of  Strathmore,  or  the  great 
plain,  being  the  most  extensive  of  any  in  North  Britain,  bounded  on  the  north  by  the 
Grampian  hills,  on  the  south  by  those  of  Ochil,  and  of  Seidlow,  and  on  the  east  by  the 
sea ;  stretching  at  one  extremity  within  a  small  distance  of  Sterling,  at  the  other  to 
Stonehive  in  the  Merns,  but  distmguished  in  different  places  by  different  names. 

Pass  by  a  neat  settlement  of  weavers,  called,  from  the  inhabitants,  Spittlefields.  This 
country  is  very  populous,  full  of  spinners,  and  weavers  of  buckrams  and  coarse  cloths, 
or  stentings  ;  of  which  twelve  millions  of  yards  are  annually  exported  from  Perth. 
Much  flax  is  raised  here,  and  the  country  is  full  of  corn,  but  not  sufficient  to  sup* 
ply  the  numerous  inliabitants.  Late  at  night  reach  Inch-tuthel,  the  modern  Del. 
vin,  the  seat  of  John  Mackenzie,^  Esq.  where  I  found  a  continuation  of  Highland 
hospitality. 

The  situation  of  this  house  is  of  strange  singularity ;  on  a  flat  of  a  hundred  and  fifty, 
four  Scotch  acres.t  regularly  steep  on  every  side,  and  in  every  part  of  equal  height ; 
that  is  to  say,  about  sixty  feet  above  the  great  plain  of  Stormont,  which  it  stands  on. 

*  Mr.  Mackenzie's  father,  who  was  a  good  antiquary,  held  this  to  have  been  part  of  the  land  granted 
by  Kenneth  to  the  gallant  Hay,  the  hero  of  the  battle  of  Loncarty,whoie  descendants  possessed  it  four  or 
five  centuries. 

t  The  difference  between  the  measures  of  land  in  Scotland  and  those  used  in  England  is  in  proportion 
to  the  Scots  fall  of  six  Scots  ells  length  and  the  Cngiish  perch,  which  by  statute  is  in  length  five  yards  and 
a  half,  whereby  the  acres  stand  thus:  one  Scots  acre  is,  one  acre  one  rood  and  one  perch  Blnglish  ;  100 
Scots  are  125  acres  2  roods  33  perches  :  so  that  the  proportion  is  nearly  as  four  is  to  five.  It  is  to  be  ob> 
served,  that  there  is  no  statute  for  the  Scots  chain,  as  there  is  for  the  English  ;  only  a  very  old  custom, 
which  seems  to  have  been  brought  from  the  Paris  Royal  Arpent,  which  is  nearly  the  same  with  that  used 
at  present  ui  Scotland,  and  called  the  Scots  acre. 


..Jl!^.      I'-'ltTU^M 


PINMANT'S  SECOND  TOUR  IM  SCOTI.AKO. 


JUa 


The  fi|3;ure  is  alio  remarkable,  and  much  better  to  be  expressed  by  an  ciigraviriR  than 
by  any  description  of  mine. 

Two  nations  took  advantag;e  of  this  natural  strength,  and  sitijatcd  ihcni^dvcn  on  it 
The  Picti,  the  long  possessors!  of  thcssc  eastern  partn  of  the  kiM(:[tlon),  in  all  probahilitj 
had  here  an  oppidum,  or  town,  such  as  uncivilized  people  inhabited  in  early  linns : 
oAen  in  the  midst  of  woods,  and  fortified  all  round  with  a  dike.  Here  wc  find  tlir 
vestiges  of  such  a  defence,  a  mound  of  stones  and  earth  running  alon{^  the  margin  nf 
the  steep,  in  many  places  entire,  in  others  time  or  accident  hath  rendered  it  less  vi^iblt , 
or  hath  totally  destroyed  it.  The  stones  were  not  found  on  the  spot,  but  were  brought 
from  a  place  two  miles  distant,  where  quarries  of  the  same  kind  are  still  in  use. 

Another  dike  crossen  the  ground,  from  margin  to  margin,  in  the  place  it  begins  t(* 
grow  narrow.  This  seems  intended  as  the  first  defence  against  an  enemy,  should  thi 
inhabitants  fail  in  defending  their  outworks,  and  be  obliffcd  to  quit  their  station  and 
retire  to  a  stronger  part.  Near  the  extremity  is  what  I  should  name  their  citadel ; 
for  a  small  portion  of  the  end  is  cut  off  from  the  rest  by  five  great  dikes,  and  as  many 
deep  fosses,  and  within  that  is  the  strong  hold,  impregnable  against  the  neighbouring 
nations. 

This  place  had  also  another  security,  which  time  hath  diverted  from  them :  the 
river  Tay  once  entirely  environed  the  place,  and  formed  it  into  an  islaikl,  as  the  name 
in  the  ancient  language,  which  it  still  retains,  imports ;  that  of  Inchtuthel,  or  the  isle 
of  Tuthel.  The  river  at  present  runs  on  cne  side  only ;  but  there  are  plain  marks,  oii 
the  north  in  particular,  not  only  of  a  channel,  but  ol  some  pieces  of  water,  oblong, 
narrow,  and  pointini^  in  the  direction  the  Tay  had  taken,  before  it  had  ceased  to  in. 
sulate  this  piece  of  ground.  I  cannot  ascertain  the  period  when  its  waters  confined 
themselves  to  one  bed :  but  am  informed  that  a  grant  still  exists  from  one  of  the 
lames's  of  a  right  of  fishing  in  the  river,  at  Caput<mac«Athol,  cost  of  the  place. 

It  is  not  to  be  imagined  that  there  can  be  any  traces  of  the  habitations  of  a  people 
who  dwelt  in  the  most  perishable  hovels :  but  as  the  most  barbarous  nations  paid 
more  attention  to  the  remains  of  the  dead  than  to  the  conveniency  of  the  living,  they 
formed,  either  for  the  protection  of  the  reliques  of  their  chieftains  from  insults  of 
man,  or  savage  beast,  or  for  sepulchral  memorials,  mounts  of  different  sizes.  Ancient 
Greece  and  ancteiU  Latium  concurred  in  the  same  practice  with  the  natives  of  this 
island.  Patroclus  amon^  the  Greeks,  and  Hector  among  the  Trojans,  received  but  the 
same  funeral  honours  with  our  Caledonian  heroes,  and  the  ashes  of  Dercennus*  the 
Laurentine  monarch  had  the  same  simple  protection.  The  urn  and  pall  of  the  Trojan 
warrior  might  perhaps  be  more  superb  than  those  of  a  British  leader :  the  rising  monu- 
ment of  each  had  the  common  materials  from  our  mother  earth  : 

The  anowf  bones  his  friendi  and  brothers  place. 
With  tears  collected,  in  a  golden  vaie  { 
The  Bolden  vase  in  purple  palls  they  roH'd, 
Of  softest  texture,  and  inwrought  with  gold. 
Last  o'er  the  urn  the  sacred  earth  they  spread, 
And  rais'datomb  memorial  of  the  dead.f 

Or,  as  it  is  more  strongly  expressed  by  the  same  elq^nt  translator,  in  the  account  of 
the  funeral  of  Patroclus  : 

High  in  the  midst  they  heap  the  swelling  bed 
Ofiiaing  earth,  memorial  of  the  dead.| 


*iEneid,lib.  si.  line  849. 

t  The  same,  book  »^i.  line  319. 

VOL.  III. 


t  Pope's  Homer's  Iliid,  book  sxiv.  line  1003. 


,:  ^J 


594 


I>CNNANl't  ICCUND  TOUti  IN  SCO^^ANII. 


Moiiunicnti  of  \\\\s  kind  arc  very  frnpiciu  over  the  face  of  this  plain :  the  tumuh 
;trc  round,  nut  greatly  elevated,  und  ut  thuir  basis  »urro(indcd  with  a  Tom.  Many  bones 
have  iK'en  found  in  some  of  thc!»c  barroun,  ncidicr  lixlf^d  in  <itonc  chests,  nor  deposited 
in  urns. 

The  Romans,  in  their  course  along  this  part  of  Britain,  did  not  neglect  so  fine  a  situ* 
alion  for  a  station.  Notwithstanding  the  great  cliangc  utadc  by  inclosurcs,  bv  plantH* 
tioii,  and  by  agriculture,  there  arc  stiU  vestiges  of  one  station,  five  hundred  yards  square. 
The  side  next  to  Delvin  Itousc  is  barely  to  be  traced:  und  part  of  another  borders  on 
the  margin  of  tlu:  bank.  There  is  likewise  a  small  square  redoubt  near  the  edge,  facing 
the  East-inch  in  the  Tay,  which  covered  the  station  on  that  side. 

The  first  was  once  inclosed  with  a  wall  fourteen  feet  thick,  whose  foundations  are  re- 
membered by  two  larmers  of  the  name  of  Stertan,  aged  about  seventy  ;  who  had  received 
from  (heir  lather  and  grandfather  frequent  accounts  of  ashes,  cinders,  brick,  iron 
utensils,  wcapo!is,  and  large  pieces  of  lead,  having  been  frequently  found  ou  the  spot 
in  the  course  of  ploughing:*  and  to  the  west  uf  this  station,  about  thirty  years  a^u, 
were  discovered  the  vestiges  of  n  large  building,  the  whole  ground  bcin^  nlled  with 
fragments  of  brick  and  mortar.  A  rectangular  hollow  made  of  brick  is  still  entire :  it 
is  about  ten  or  twelve  feet  long,  three  or  four  feet  wide,  and  five  or  six  feet  deep. 
Bocthius  calls  this  place  the  Tulina  of  the  Picts  ;  and  adds«  that  in  their  time  it  was 
u  most  populous  city  ;  but  was  deserted  and  burnt  by  them  on  the  approach  of  the 
Romans  under  Agricola.  He  also  informs  us,  that  it  bore  the  name  of  Inch-tuthel  in 
his  days.f  The  materials  from  which  this  historian  took  the  early  part  of  his  work  arc 
unknown  to  us,  any  further  than  what  we  learn  from  himself,  that  they  were  records 
sent  to  him  in  1525  from  Jona  ;  but  by  whom  compiled,  remains  undiscovered.  I  do 
not  doubt  his  assertion ;  nor  do  I  doubt  but  that  some  truths  collected  from  traditions 
may  be  scattered  amidst  the  innumerable  legendary  tales,  so  abundant  in  his  first 
fx)oks.  This  I  would  wuh  to  place  among  the  former,  as  the  actual  vestiges  of  two 
nations  arc  still  to  be  traced  on  the  spot.  I  would  also  call  it  the  Orrea  of  the  Ro- 
mans,  which  the  learned  Stukely  supposes  to  have  been  Perdi,  notwithstanding  he 
places  it  in  his  map  |  north.ea8t  of  the  Tay,  and  on  the  very  spot  where  the  present 
Delvin  stands. 

Aug.  24.  Leave  Delvin.  Cross  the  Tay,  at  the  kny  of  Caputh.  Pass  over  a  short 
tract  of  barren  country.  On  the  banks  of  a  small  riU  are  vestiges  of  an  encampment, 
ns  is  supposed,  of  the  Danes,  and  to  have  been  calied  from  those  invaders  Gaily  Burn, 
or  the  burn  of  the  strangers.  A  little  farther,  in  a  very  fertile  improved  country,  is 
Loncarty,  celebrated  for  the  signal  victory  obtained  by  the  Scots,  under  Kenneth  III,^ 
over  the  Danes,  by  means  of  the  gallant  peasant  Hay,  and  his  two  sons,  who,  with  no 
other  weapons  than  yokes,  which  they  snatched  from  their  oxen  then  at  plough,  first 
put  a  stop  to  the  flight  of  their  countrymen,  and  afterwards  led  them  on  to  conquest. 
These  spirited  lines  are  a  perfect  picture  of  the  action : 

Quo  ruitis,  cives  ?     Heia  !  host!  obvertite  vultus  1 

Non  pudct  infami  verlere  terga  fugft  i 
Hostis  ego  vobis  ;  aut  ferrum  vertite  in  hostem. 

Dixit,  et  armatuB  dux  praeit  ipse  jugo. 
Qu&,  quft  ibat  vaHtum  condcnsa  per  agpnina  DanAm 

Dat  Blrag^m.    Hinc  omnis  conaequilurque  fuga. 


*  By  IcUer  from  tlie  Rev.  Mr.  Bisset,  minitter  of  Caputh. 
\  In  his  account  of  Richard  of  Cirencester. 


t  Hist.  Scot>«,  lib.  iv.  p.  64. 
$  Who  began  his  reign  in  976. 


i< 


IS 


no 
first 
lest. 


rtNNANT'l  ftCCOND  TOUR  IN  iiCOTLAND  5^^ 

Servavit  cW««.    Victorem  reppulit  liMtem. 

Unua  (.um  notii  aRmini*  inaiar  erat. 
I  lie  Oecioaagnoacc  tuoa  maf^nx  xmula  RoiiiJi'i 

Aut  prior  hac  i  aut  t«  hiit  ScoU«  major  adhuc<* 

Tlic  noble  families  of  Hay  derive  their  descent  from  this  rustic  hero,  and,  in  mcniur) 
uf  the  action,  bear  for  their  arms  the  instrument  of  their  victory,  with  the  allusive 
mottoof  sub  iugu.  Tradition  relates,  that  the  monarch  gave  this  deliverer  of  his  cuun* 
try,  in  reward,  as  much  land  as  a  gray-houiid  would  run  over  in  u  certain  time,  or  a 
falcon  would  surround  in  its  flight :  and  the  story  says  that  he  chose  the  last.  There  is 
something  heroic  in  this  tale  :  but  after  all  the  truth  is,  the  family  may  be  derived  from 
the  ancient  stock  of  Dc  la  Haye,  of  Norman  origin. 

Over  this  tract  are  scattered  numbers  of  Tumuli,  in  which  arc  frequently  found  bones 
and  entire  skeletons,  sometimes  lodged  in  rude  coffins,  formed  of  stones,  disix}sed  in 
that  form :  at  other  times  deposited  only  in  the  earth  of  the  barrow.  In  one  place  is 
un  upright  stone,  supposed  to  have  been  laid  over  the  place  of  sepulture  of  the  Danish 
leader.  The  present  names  of  two  places  on  this  plain  certainly  allude  to  the  action 
and  to  the  vanquished  enemy.  "  Turn  again  Hillock,"  points  out  the  place  where  the 
Scots  rallied,  and  a  spot  near  eight  Tumini,  called  Danemerki  may  design  the  place  of 
greatest  slaughter. 

Continue  my  ride  through  a  fine  plain,  rich  in  com ;  the  crops  of  wheat  excellent. 
The  noble  Tay  winds  boldlv  on  the  left ;  the  eastern  borders  are  decorated  with  the 
woods  of  Scone.  The  fine  bridge  now  completed,  the  city  of  Perth,  and  the  hills  and 
rising  woods  beyond,  form  si  most  beautiful  finishing  of  thft  prospect. 

Perth,  till  about  the  year  1437,  was  the  principal  city  of  Scotland,  the  frequent  re- 
sidence of  its  princes,  and  seat  of  parliaments  and  courts  of  justice.  It  is  placed  in  the 
middle  of  a  verdant  plain,  which  it  divides  in  two  parts,  one  called  the  north,  the  other 
the  south  Inch.  This  city  rose  after  the  destruction  of  the  old  Perth  or  Bertha,  a  place 
above  two  mile>  .igher  up  the  river,  which  was  overwhelmed  by  a  flood  in  the  time  of 
William  the  hhn  in  1210,  who,  with  his  family,  with  difficulty  escaped  in  a  small  skiff. 
William  re/l/dilt  the  town  in  a  place  less  liable  to  such  calamities ;  and  called  it  St.  JohnV>< 
Town,  in  honour  of  the  saint. 

Old  Perth  was  a  place  of  commerce  in  the  year  1128,  is  evident  from  the  charter  of 
David  I,  to  the  abbey  of  Holyrood  house,  in  which  he  gives  a  hundred  shillings  out  of 
his  small  tithes  there,'or  the  duties  arising  from  the  first  merchants  that  should  come  in. 
to  the  port.  In  1160  found  here  security  in  a  strong  tower  from  an  attack  made  on 
him  by  Ferquhard  earl  of  Strathem,  who  made  here  an  unsuccessful  attempt  to  seizo 
hisperson.t 

The  new  Perth  became  considerable,  not  only  on  account  of  its  being  a  royal  resi- 
dence, but  Ukewise  by  reason  of  the  vast  commerce  which  its  situation  on  one  of  the 
first  rivers  in  North-Britain  would  naturally  convey.  Its  important?  soon  gave  it  walls 
and  fortifications.     Major|  calls  it  the  only  walled  city  in  Scotland.    The  castle  stood 


city.  In  1312  It  wns  taken  by  Kooctt  tsruce,^  in  the  month  ot  January; 
he  put  to  death  the  chief  persons,  both  English  and  Scotch,  but  spared  the  common  peo- 
ple; after  which  he  levelled  the  fortifications.  After  the  fatal  battle  of  Dupplin  in 
1332,  Baliol,  with  small  opposition,  entered  the  place,  and  left  it  in  possession  of  the 


*  Joh.  Johnstont  Heroes  Scoti. 
J  P.  20. 


9  E  2 


t  Annals  Scotland,  1 16. 
§  Fordun,  2, 344> 


h 


II 
I 


A 


f' 


:>96 


PENNANT'S  SECOND  TOUR  IN  SCOTLAND. 


enemies  of  his  country.  Edward  III,  who  knew  its  importance,  repaired  the  walls,  and 
restored  the  fortifications,  at  the  cxpencc  of  the  rich  abbies  of  Arbroth,  Cowper,  Lin. 
dores,  Balmerinoch,  Dumferline,  and  St.  Andrew's ;  and  placed  there,  as  governor, 
sir  Thomas  Ochtred.  It  remained  under  a  foreign  yoke  but  a  small  time ;  for  in  1340 
Robert  Stuart,  guardian  of  Scotland,  with  a  stropg  army,  and  the  assistance  of  William 
Douglas,  who  came  opportunely  from  France,  with  five  ships,  restored  the  place  to  its 
natural  master,  after  a  gallant  defence  of  two  months  and  two  weeks,  by  the  governor, 
sir  Thomas  Ochtred.* 

I  do  not  recollect  that  it  underwent  any  siege  from  that  period  till  the  religious  wars 
of  1559 ;  when  the  queen  regent,  provoked  by  the  insult  of  the  inhabitants  on  all  she 
held  venerable  and  holy.f  placed  there  a  garrison  of  French.  The  zeal  however  of  the 
congregation  soon  collected  a  potent  army  to  its  relief  under  Argyle,  who,  after  a  short 
siege,  obliged  the  garrison  to  capitulate  and  retire. 

Perth  from  that  time  remained  in  peace  above  a  century.  In  1644  the  marquis  of 
Montrose  seized  the  place,  after  the  battle  of  Tibbirmoor ;  and  Cromwell,  in  July  1651, 
after  a  weak  defence  from  a  weak  garrison,  made  himself  master  of  this  important  city  : 
and,  to  secure  the  poiisessicn,  the  English  commissioners  ordered]:  a  citadel  tu  be  built 
on  the  South  Inch,  capable  cf  containing  five  hundred  men,  the  remains  of  which  still 
retain  the  name  of  Oliver's  Mount. 

The  earl  of  Mar's  army,  in  the  rebellion  of  1715,  lay  a  considerable  time  in  this  place, 
and  spent  here  considerable  sums  of  money.  This  circumstance  contributed  as  much 
to  enrich  the  city,  as  the  settlement  of  numbers  of  Oliver's  forces,  afler  the  establishment 
of  peace,  assisted  in  introducing  that  spirit  of  industry ,  which,  to  this  nioment^  distin- 
guishes the  inhabitants. 

Perth  is  large,  well  built,  and  populous,  and  contains  about  eleven  thousand  inhabi* 
tantSj  nine  thousand  of  whom  are  of  the  established  church  of  Scotland ;  the  rest  of  a 
variety  of  persuasions,  such  as  Episcopalians,  Non-jurors,  Glassites,  and  Seceders ;  the 
second  c  hiefiy  consists  of  &  congregation  of  venerable  females.  The  to:wn  has  but  one 
parish,  supplied  with  three  churches,  besides  the  chapels  for  such  who  dissent  from  the 
establi'iheu  church. 

Th(?  two  principal  streets  are  remarkably  fine :  in  some  of  the  lesser  ones  are  still  to 
be  se:n  a  few  wooden  houses  in  the  old  stile ;  but  as  they  decay,  the  magistrates  pro  • 
hibitthe  re-building  them  in  the  same  manner.  The  great  improvement  of  the  town  is 
to  be  dated  from  the  year  1745,  it  being  supposed  to  have  increased  one  third  since  that 
turbulent  period :  for  the  government  of  this  part  of  Great  Britain  had  never  been 
properly  settled  till  a  little  after  that  time. 

The  Tay  washes  the  east  side  of  the  town,  and  is  deep  enough  to  bring  vessels  of  one 
hundred  and  twenty  tons  burden  as  far  as  the  quays :  and,  if  Dutch-built,  or  flat  bot- 
tomed, even  of  two  hundred  tons  burden.  This  enables  the  inhabitants  of  Perth  to 
carry  on  a  very  considerable  trade.  The  exports  are  as  follow :  Of  white  and  brown 
linens,  about  seventy  five  thousand  pounds  worth  are  annually  sent  to  London,  besides 
a  very  great  quantity  that  is  disposed  of  to  Edinburgh  and  Glasgow :  and  London,  Man- 
chester and  Ulasgow  take  about  ten  thousand  pounds  VifOrth  nf  Hnen  yam. 

Linseed  oil  forms  a  considerable  article  of  comm<^rce.  Seven  water-mills  belonging 
to  ihk  place  are  in  full  employ,  and  make,  on  a  medium,  near  three  hundred  tons  of  oil, 

•Major,  3??5. 

t  The  reformers  committed  several  excessc. ;  such  as  interrupting  the  priests  in  their  sermons,  nail- 
ing a  pair  of  ram's  horns  on  the  head  of  St,  Francis,  a>:d  a  cow's  tail  to  his  rump,  fcc.  Ecc. 
Whitelock,  528. 


rS;-?'''''^««'*-*'«-!WKS?S«5f5SSS>i-»T ;  'OBJ3^5«3gw^'"^'Wv-"  ~" 


PENNANT'S  SECOND  TOUR  IN  SCOTLAND. 


J  97 


which  is  chiefly  sent  to  London,  and  brings  in  from  cij^ht  to  nine  thousand  pound;). 
The  first  mill  for  this  purpose  was  erected,  about  the  beginning  of  this  century,  by  John 
duke  of  Athol,  At  the  first  a  glass  of  whisky,  mixed  with  half  as  much  of  ihe  oil,  was 
a  fashionable  dram;  but  this  soon  grew  out  of  use,  as  well  as  the  custom  of  throwing 
away  ie  linseed  rakes ;  which  are  now  sold  at  a  good  price,  and  used  with  the  utmost 
success  in  feeding  cattle.  The  gentleman  is  now  living,  who  first  introduced  stull-fcd 
beef  into  the  market  of  Perth.  Before  that  time  the  greatest  part  of  Scotland  lived  on 
salt  meat  throughout  the  winter,  as  the  natives  of  the  Hebrides  do  at  present,  and  as  the 
English  did  in  the  feudal  times.*  So  far  behind  has  North  Britain  been  in  the  con- 
veniencies  of  life,  and  such  rapid  progress  has  it  of  late  made  towards  attaining  them. 

The  exports  of  wheat  and  barley  are  from  twenty-four  to  thirty  thr  ^and  bolls. 

Considerable  quantities  of  tallow,  bees'  wax,  dressed  sheep-skir;a,  o  cssed  and  raw 
calve-skins,  and  goat-skins,  are  shipped  from  this  place. 

The  exports  of  salmon  to  London  and  the  Mediterranean  brings  in  live  thousand 
two  hundred  pounds  sterling.  That  fish  is  taken  here  in  e;reat  abundance.  Three 
thousand  have  been  caught  in  one  morning,  weighing  one  with  another,  sixteen  pounds 
a  piece;  the  whole  capture  being  forty-eight  thousand  pounds.  The  fishery  begins  at 
St.  Andrew's-day,  and  ends  August  26th,  Old  Style.  The  rent  of  thr  fisheries  amount 
to  three  thousand  pounds  a  year. 

No  beggars  are  seen  about  the  streets.  In  July  1776,  sixteen  persons  were  chosen 
from  different  quarters  of  the  town,  to  assess  the  place  for  poor  rates,  for  the  mainte- 
nance of  the  indigent. 

It  is  to  no  purpose  to  seaich  for  any  remains  of  the  monastic  antiquities  of  this  place ; 
fanatic  fury  having  in  a  few  hours  prostrated  the  magnificent  works  of  mistaken  piety. 

"Pull  down  the  nests,  and  the  rooks  will  fly  away,"  was  the  maxim  of  the  rough 
apostle  Knox,  and  his  disciples  took  effectual  care  to  put  in  execution  the  opinion  of 
their  master. 

The  Dominicans  first  felt  the  effect  of  their  rage.  After  the  conclusion  of  one  of  his 
sermons,  inciting  the  demolition  of  images  and  church  ornaments,  an  indiscreet  priest 
began  the  celebration  of  mass.  A  boy  in  his  zeal  flung  a  stone  and  injured  a  picture  : 
the  populace  took  that  as  a  signal  to  begin  the  demolition,  and  in  a  very  short  time 
plundertd  the  monastery,  and  laid  all  in  ruin.  This  house  was  founded  in  1231  by 
Alexander  II.  In  1437  its  walls  were  polluted  by  the  execrable  murder  of  James  1, 
the  best  and  most  accomplished  prince  of  the  name.  He  had  retired  to  this  convent  on 
the  rumour  of  a  conspiracy.  The  attack  was  made :  the  heroism  of  Catherine  Doug- 
I:iSS,  an  attendant  on  the  queen,  must  not  be  passed  in  silence.  She  ran  and  shut  the 
door  on  the  first  alarm ;  but,  missing  the  bar  which  should  have  secured  it,  substituted 
her  tender  arm  in  the  place,  which  was  instantly  crushed  to  pieces  by  the  efforts  of  the 
assassins. 

The  Observantines,  a  branch  of  the  Franciscans,  had  here  a  monastery,  founded  by 
Lord  OUphant,  m  1460.  It  underwent  the  same  fate  with  the  other.  In  it,  say  the 
writers  on  the  reformation,  were  found  eight  puncheons  of  salt  beef,  wine,  beer,  and 
plenty  of  other  provisions,  beades  most  excellent  furniture,  consisting  of  sheets,  blan- 
kets, and  beds ;  and  yet  there  were  only  eight  persons  in  the  convent ;  from  whence 
they  drew  an  inference  how  ill  the  monks  obs<^,rved  their  vows  of  poverty  and  absti- 

*  We  admire  the  ttock  of  proviuons  in  the  larder  of  the  elder  Spencer  about  the  year  1337,  when,  as 
late  as  May,  the  carcasses  of  80  salted  beeves,  SCO  bacon&,  and  600  muttons,  were  found,  mere  reliques  of 
his  winter  proviuons.    But  Kt  those  days,  there  was  no  hayj  no  harvested  food  for  domestic  animab. 


398 


PUNNANT'S  SECOND  iOUB  IN  SCOTLAND. 


ncncc ;  never  considering  that  the  religious  houses  were  the  support  oi'  the  poor,  and  the 
inns  of  the  rich  ;  and  that  their  regular  acts  of  charity  and  hospitality  obliged  them  to 
keep  these  hirge  stocks  of  provisions,  without  affording  the  means  of  applying  them  to 
the  purpose  of  selfish  luxury. 

The  rigid  order  of  Carthusians  founded  a  place  here.  James  I,  on  his  return  from 
his  English  captivity,  established  a  convent  of  them  in  1429,*  as  these  monkish  lines 
express : 

Annus  niilleiius  vicnus  sicquc  novenus 
Quadringentenus  Scotis  fert  muncra  plenus : 
Semina  flonin),  germina  morum,  n>ysuca  mella 
Cum  tibi,  Scotia,  fit  Carthusia,  spot.sa  novella. 

The  vicar  of  the  Grand  Chartreuse  in  Dauphine  was  the  first  superior.     On  the  dis- 
solution,  James  VI,  created  George  Hay,  of  Nethercliff,  commendator  of  this  priory, 
with  the  title  of  lord,  but  finding  tne  revenue  too  small  to  support  the  dignity »  wisely  i ' 
signed  it  into  his. majesty's  hands. 

The  church  belonging  to  this  monastery  was  said  to  have  been  one  of  the  finest  in 
Scotland.  In  it  was  the  tomb  of  the  royal  founder,  that  of  his  queen  Jane,  daughter 
of  the  duke  of  Somerset,  son  of  John  of  Gaunt,  and  that  of  Margaret,  queen  of  James 
IV,  and  slaughter  of  Henry  VII,  in  rig^t  of  whom  the  crown  of  England  devolved  on 
the  royal  lamily  of  Scotland.  In  the  house  was  preserved  the  doublet  m  which  James  I, 
was  murdered ;  which  the  monks,  with  pious  regard,  shewed,  stained  with  blood,  and 
pierced  in  many  places  with  the  swords  of  the  conspirators. 

Leave  Perth,  and  pass  over  the  South-Inch,  a  green  beautifully  planted.  Keep  as- 
cending a  hill  for  a  considerable  space,  and  enjoy  a  rich  view  cf  the  carse  of  Gowrie,  and 
of  the  firth  of  Tay,  bounded  by  that  fine  tract  on  one  side,  p.nd  the  county  of  Fife  on 
the  other.  On  passing  the  heights  of  this  ascent,  have  a  fuU  view  of  Strathem :  con- 
tinue my  way,  for  some  time,  on  the  fi'ie  terrace  that  runs  along  the  northern  side ;  and 
finish  this  day's  journey  at  Dupplin,  the  seat  of  my  noble  firiend  the  earK "  KInnoul. 

In  the  house  are  several  v^y  fine  pictures :  among  others,  >^ 

The  adoration  of  the  sheplierds ;  the  worshipping  of  the  wise  men  in  the  east ;  and 
Dio^nes  remarking  the  boy  drinking  out  of  his  hand ;  three  capital  pieces,  by  Paui<? 
Panini.     The  figures  uncommonly  fine. 

Two  monks  praying :  heads.    By  Quintin  Metsis, 

A  fine  half  length  of  St.  Jerom,  half  naked :  a  figure  of  intense  devotion.  His  eyes 
lifted  up,  his  mouth  opening.    By  Lamanse. 

A  fine  head  of  an  old  woman,  looking  over  her  shoulder,  keen  and  meagre.  By 
Honthorst. 

He&O  of  Polembergh,  the  painter,  and  his  wife.    By  Honthorst. 

The  head  of  Boon,  a  comic  painter,  playing  on  a  lute.    By  himseif.t 

Head  of  Spenser,  the  poetic  ornament  of  the  reign  of  EUzabeth;  the  sweet,  the  me- 
lancholy, romantic  bard  of  a  romantic  queen ;  the  moral,  romantic  client  of  the  moral 
romantic  patron.  Sir  Philip  Sydney ;  fated  to  pass  his  days  in  dependence,  or  in  strug. 
gling  agains'l  adverse  fortune,  in  a  country  insensible  to  his  merit :  either  at  court 

*  The  letter  from  the  general  ofthe  order)  dated  from  La  grandeChartreuke*  August  19th,  I42$,is>tiU 
extant,  addressed  to  lames,  signifying  permission  to  erect  a  house  of  that  order  at  Perth.  Th^  ji^neral 
also  offers  to  send  two  monks  into  Scotland,  to  superintend  the  building. 

t  For  an  account  of  these  three  painters  consult  Mr.  Walpole's  Anecdotes,  4to.  vol.  ii.  p.  1 12.  125. 
vol.ui.27. 


"TiSct,-^^*^  ■ 


I'E.VNANT'S  SECOND  TOUIl  IK  SCOTLAND. 

599 
To  lose  good  days,  that  might  be  belt  -  spent, 
I  o  waite  long  nights  in  pensive  discontent : 
To  speed  today,  to  be  put  back  to-morrow, 

T^f      u"**  '^°P^:  *°  ?'"«=  ^'t''  fear  and  sorrow ; 
jo  have  his  prince's  grace,  yet  want  her  peers ; 
Jo  have  his  asking,  yet  wait  many  yearsi 
10  fret  his  soul  with  crosses  and  with  care. 
1  o  cut  his  heart  with  comfortless  despair  : 

To  ,S '?  "°'"'^'  *°  '■'''^» '°  ^^ait,  to  run, 
1 0  spend,  to  give,  to  want,  to  be  undone.  • 

barbarous  Tyrone;  to  have  his  house  bSrn?  and  Ws   nnS\*°'?  ^^P«"ed  by  the 
flames;  to  return  home ;  to  die  in  dee^pSverty ;  lamem^^^^^^  *"^'"'  ^'''^.  '"  »he 

iiri.       ,^  •T''"*  gentler  wits  should  breed 
,       Where  thick  8km  chuffes  laugh  at  a  scholler'sneed.t 

De^ilrfiS:  fdSpi^  iil;t  yl?  "'!■''  """•  J«  '=™P°^«>  ".s  cave  of 
ligion,  snatched  him  from  the  da^er?  '        "**  *""  ""»'  " '»'»  """ate  re- 

This  poet  instead  of  whining  out  his  wZlafnte  to  inL^M^'*''".  ^'>''  "''««  "ba 
™« the  same  plea^n,!,  .H,.  .e  ^SrS^oCSlS  if  SI  J^^T 

This  prince,  whose  ready  wit  and  parts 

Conquer'd  both  men  and  women's  hearts. 
Was  so  o'ercome  with  knight  and  Ralph, 

inat  he  could  never  claw  it  oiT,  ' 

He  never  eat,  nor  drank,  nor  slept. 

But  Hudibras  still  near  him  kept, 

Sf®'"  *®"!^  he  go  to  church,  or  so, 

But  Hudibras  must  with  him  go. 

Nor  yet  to  visit  concubine, 

Orat  a  city  feast  to  dine, 

But  Hudibras  must  still  be  there, 

Or  aU  the  iat  was  in  the  fire. 

Now  after  aU,  was  it  not  hard 

1  hat  he  should  meet  with  no  reward. 

That  fitted  out  this  knight  r^nd  'squire 

1  ftis  monarch  so  much  did  admire  ? 

1  hat  he  should  never  reimburse 

1  he  man  for  equipage  and  horse, 

18  sure  a  strange  ungrateful  thine 

In  auy  body  but  a  king.  . 

By  soma  that  were  with  him  too  bold, 
"If  e'er  you  hope  to  gain  your  ends, 
Caress  your  foes,  and  trust  your  friends  " 

Til  thi8  unthinking  king  was  brought 
To  leave  his  friends  to  starve  or  diel 
A  poor  reward  for  loyalty  !$ 


Mother  Hubbard's  Tale 
I  Book  I.  canto  ix. 


*&i:'"^^''^"y- 


400 


PKXNANl'S  SECOND  TOUtt  IN  bCOTLANl*. 


*•*«' 


l\ 


Mrs.  Tofts,  in  the  character  of  St.  Catherine  :  a  beautiful  picture.  Mrs.  Totts  lived 
at  the  very  introduction  of  the  opera  into  this  kingdom,  and  sung  in  company  with 
Nicolini ;  buv,  being  ignorant  of  Italian,  chaunted  her  recitativo  in  £nglish,  in  answer 
to  his  Italian :  but  the  charms  of  their  voices  overcame  this  absurdity.  Her  character 
may  be  collected  from  the  following  epigram  : 

So  bright  is  thy  beauty,  so  charming  thy  song, 

As  had  drawn  both  the  beasts  and  their  Orpheus  along ; 

But  such  is  thy  av'rict,  and  such  is  thy  pride. 

That  the  beasts  must  have  starv'd,  and  the  poet  have  dy'd.* 

A  head  of  Prince  Rupert,  hv  Lely,  covered  with  a  vast  wig ;  the  urrfbrtunate  mode 
for  that  great  artist,  stiff  and  Uki  r^?f*il.  Rupert,  after  a  thousand  actions,  distinguished 
as  much  by  their  temerity  as  var.  -^fter  several  battles  won  and  lost  by  his  excess  oi' 
courage,  at  once  disgraced  himset;  /  a  panntc.  Accustomed  to  face  an  enemy  in  the 
field,  and  to  act  the  part  of  the  assulant ;  he  seems  to  have  lost  all  spirit  when  cooped  up 
within  walls.  He  knew  so  little  of  himself,  that  he  promised  his  ill-fated  uncle  a  four 
months  defence  of  the  important  town  of  Bristol ;  but  as  soon  as  the  attack  was  made, 
he  sunk  beneath  it,  and  made  an  almost  instant  surrender.  After  he  was  commanded  by 
Charles  to  quit  the  kingdom,  he  still  attempted  some  naval  services  ;  but  neither  ac- 
quired fame  nor  success.  After  the  restoration  he  recoverd  his  former  reputatioiv; 
and  in  the  naval  engagement  witli  the  Dutch,  to  which  all  later  battles  have  been  but 
play,  bis  temerity  seemed  to  have  been  lost :  but  his  courage  and  conduct  shone  with 
equal  lustre.  His  active  s|;>irit  never  suffered  him  to  rest  even  in  the  intervals  of  peace. 
Love  and  the  Arts  were  hb  relaxations.  Miss  Hughs,  an  actress,  was  the  object  of 
the  first.  Among  the  last  we  owe  to  him  the  art  of  mezzotinto  scraping.  He  invented 
a  metal  for  ^at  guns,  and  a  method  for  boring  them.  He  also  taught  the  first  Kirkby 
the  art  of  giving  the  fine  temper  to  fish-hooks. 

Robert  Harley,  earl  of  Oxford,  in  a  gown  and  velvet  cap.    By  Richardson. 

A  beautiful  miniature  of  Sir  John  KwrrAy^  chancellor  of  the  exchequer  in  the  reign 
of  Charles  II,  and  one  of  the  commissioners  of  the  treasury  in  that  of  James  II,  on  the 
displacing  of  Hyde,  earl  of  Rochester.    By  Cooper. 

A  head  ol'  Sur  Tlwmas  Nicholson,  attorney-general.    By  Jameson. 

George  Hay,  first  earl  of  KinnouU,  and  chancelkM*  of  Scotland  in  1622,  who  died  in 
1634.  His  dress  a  black  robe  furred ;  a  ruff;  a  laced  linen  cap :  the. seals  by  him.  A 
fine  full  length,  painted  in  the  year  1633.    Aged  63.     By  Mytens. 

His  son,  the  second  earl,  captain  of  the  guards  to  Charles  I,  a  tall  upright  figure, 
with  great  roses  in  his' shoes ;  an  active  but  unfortunate  royalist,  continued  m  arms  as 
late  as  the  year  1654,  when  he  was  totally  defeated*  and  made  prisoner,  by  the  usurp- 
ing powers  in  Scotland. 

Sir  George  Hay  of  Meginnis  ;  full  length,  in  armour :  done  at  Rome,  1649.  By 
L.  Ferdinand. 

Below  stairs,  in*one  of  the  bed  chambers,  is  a  half-length  portrait  of  the  celebrated 
James  Hay,  viscount  Duncaster,  and  earl  of  Carlisle*  one  of  the  most  singular  charac- 
ters of  tne  age.  His  engaging  manner  recommended  lum  to  the  fiivour  of  James  I, 
who  first  bestowed  on  him  the  title  of  lord  Hay,  with  rank  next  to  our  barons,  but 
without  privilege  of  sitting  in  the  English  Parliament.  Soon  after,  without  external 
ceremony,  but  by  the  mere  delivery  of  the  letier«.  patent,  before  witnesses  in  the  privy 

*.She  retired  from  England,  and  died  at  Venice  tbout  twelve  years  ago. 


Kl 


4 


PENNANT'S  SECOND  TOUR  IN  8C0T1.ANU. 


401 


chamber,  at  Greenwich,  he  conferred  on  him  the  honour  of  an  English  peerage  ;  and 
this  the  lawyers  held  to  be  equally  valid  with  any  formal  vestiture.* 

His  majesty  then  procured  him  the  sole  daughter  and  heiress  of  lord  Denny,  the 
greatest  ma^^h  of  that  time  ;  and  never  ceased  heaping  on  him  honour,  favours,  and 
riches,  whicu  he  seems  not  to  have  coveted  for  any  other  end  than  to  indulge  his  vio 
lent  passion  for  dress,  luxury,  and  magnificence.  He  was  a  man  of  the  greatest  expence, 
and  introduced  more  excess  in  clothes  and  diet  than  anv  other  that  ever  lived  ;t  and 
vna  the  inventor  of  all  those  expensive  fashions,  from  which  others  did  but  transcribe 
their  copies.  His  dress  in  the  portrait  at  Dupplin  is  an  exception ;  being  bluck  slashed, 
and  puned  with  white ;  his  hair  short  and  curled ;  his  beard  peaked ;  but  when  he* 
made  his  public  entry  into  Paris  as  ambasudor,  his  cloak  and  hose  were  of  white  beaver, 
richly  embroidered  with  gcdd  and  silver.  His  cloak  had  no  other  lining  than  embroi- 
derv,  the  doublet  cloth  of  gokl  richlv  wrought,  and  his  white  beaver  hat  brimfull  ol 
embroidery.  His  horse  was  shod  with  silver  shoes,  slightly  tacked  on,  so  that  every 
curvet  flung  off  one,  to  be  scrambled  for  by  She  populace ;  and  that  was  instantly  re- 
placed by  a  fiuiier,  who  attended  for  the  purpose4 

Sumptuous  as  his  apparel  was  on  diis  occasion,  it  fell  short  of  the  dress  in  which  he 
and  the  ewl  of  Holland  amieared  when  they  espoused,  by  proxy,  Henrietta  Maria ;  for 
they  received  her  clad  in  beaten  silver.  They  certainly  did  not  consult  the  graces  in 
this  stiffnesB  of  splendour. 

Into  hu  em^  issy  into  Germanv  the  same  pomp  follor  ed  him.  At  the  Hague  he  met 
with  his  contrast  in  the  frugal  Nuurice,  prince  or  Orange ;  who  being  tokl  he  ought  to 
fl;ive  an  entertainmefrt  to  the  neat  Engliri)  ambassador,  **  Let  him  come,"  says  his 
highness;  and  looking  over  his  ample  biU  of  fare,  seeing  only  one  pig,  ordered  a 
couple,)  by  way  of  mdung  the  treat  more  aumptuous,  nor  could  he  be  prevailed  on 
to  alter  it  What  a  feast  was  this  to  him,  who  seemed  to  have  reaUzed  the  entertainments 
ot  far  Epicure  Mammon !  who  used  to  have  the  board  cohered,  at  the  entrance  of  his 
guests,  with  dishes  as  hirii  as  a  tdl  man  couU  reach,  filled  with  the  greatest  delicacies ; 
and  after  they  had  feasted  their  eyes,  would  cause  them  to  be  removed  for  a  fresh  ser. 
vice;  who  once  permitted  cme  person  to  cany  off  in  his  cloak.bag  forty  pounds  worUi 
of  sweatmeats;  another  to  cat  a  pye  composed  of  ambergrise,  musk,  and  magisterial  of 
pearLB  It  is  not  surpriAing  that  with  all  these  extravaeancies  he  wasted  above  four 
hundred  thousand  pounds ;  not  that  his  generosity,  attended  with  unconunon  afl&bility 
and  ^jracefiilness  or  manners,  and  with  a  great  and  universal  understanding,  shoukl  rivet 
him  m  the  affix^don  and  esteem  of  die  wfeKik  Cngtiah  nation ;  but,  that  with  the  luxury 
of  an  AfAdua  he  could  mingle  the  honest  sentiments  of  a  Clarendon  in  his  advice  to 
his  prince  ;11  and  thiM  he  dared  to  delivec-to  hb  o|^niative  master  disagreeable  truths,  and 
unpalatable  counsels,  ue  fects  more  astoniilung  than  any  of  his  wasteful  fooleries.  To 
eonclude,  he  finished  his  life  in  1636,  and  quitted  the  stage  conviva  satur,**  dying,  as 
tile  noble  Mstorian  observes,  with  as  much  tranquility  ^  mind,  «>  all  appearance,  as 

*  Camden't  Anmli,  1615.  In  the  former  edhkn  of  this  volume  I  followed  the  utuislation  in  the  Com- 
plete  Historjr  of  EnglMid,  u.  644,  but  find  now  I  ww  misled  bv  it. 

f  Clarendon,!.  61.  |  Wilson,  »8,  93, 94.  $  Wilson,  154.  ||  Lloyd,  ii.  63. 

4  Cabela,  m  quoted  in  Drake's  ParUamentanr  Histcry,  v.  530.  «». 

••  Old  Odiom,  vol.  I.  p.  I  sr ,  makes  him  die  lilte  a  blaiHihcnMNUi  hwridc ;  tar  when  his  own  weakness 
had  paaaed  •  judgment  that  he  could  not  Uve  many  days*  he  did  not  forbear  his  entertainments,  but  made 
dvers  brave  clothes,  as  he  said,  **  to  ootfiwe  naked  and  despicable  death  withal,"  saying,  "that  nature 
wanted  wisdom*  lpv«  or  power,  in  maldog  man  mortal  and  subject  to  diseac.n." 

3  F 


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I'KNNANl'S  bELON'U  TOUit  IX  SCOTLAND. 


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I 


used  to  attend  a  man  of  the  most  severe  exercise  of  virtue,  and  wi.i'as  little  apprehen* 
sion  of  death,  which  he  expected  many  days. 

In  this  apartment  is  a  half-length  of  his  son  and  successor  to  the  title  ;  but  in  the 
dining-room  is  a  full-length  of  the  same,  a  most  beautifid  portrait,  by  Cornelius  Janscn. 
It  is  difficult  to  say  which  is  most  elegant,  the  person  or  the  dress  of  this  young  noble- 
man,  for  it  is  drawn  at  an  early  period  of  life  :  all  his  father's  foncy  seems  exerted  in 
the  habit,  beset  with  loops  and  buttons :  a  love-lock  graces  one  side  of  his  neck :  one 
hand  is  on  his  staff  of  omce,  the  other  on  his  side.     His  history  is  but  brief.     He  mar- 
ried Margaret,  daughter  of  Francis  fourth  earl  of  Bedford  :  was  appointed  captain  of 
the  yeomen  of  the  guard  to  Charles  I,  and  for  taking  an  active  part  in  putting  the  com- 
mission of  array  in  execution,  in  the  county  of  Essex,  was  by  the  parliament  sent  to  the 
Tower.    In  1643  he  appears  among  the  nobility  who  signed  the  letter  at  Oxford  to 
the  popular  general ;  but  soon  after  deserted  the  royal  cause,  and  took  the  oath  •: 
pointed  by  parliament  for  those  who  flung  themselves  under  its  protection.^     At  len  ',  'i 
distressed  in  his  circumstances,  he  retired  to  Barbadoes,t  an  island  granted  to  his  fat    . , 
and  died  in  1660. 

But  the  most  remarkable  head  is  that  of  the  celebrated  Catherine,  countess  of  bca- 
mond.  She  lived  to  the  age  of  some  years  above  a  hundred  and  forW»  and  died  in  the 
reign  of  James  I.  Sir  Walter  Raleigh  speaks  of  her  marriage  as  a  fact  well  known  to 
all  the  noblemen  and  gentlemen  of  Munster.:}:  He  gives  us  room  to  think  that  she  died 
before  the  publication  of  his  History,  which  was  in  the  year  1614.  Supposing  then  her 
ladyship's  age  to  have  been  a  hundred  and  fifty  at  the  time  of  her  death,  she  might  have 
danced  in  the  court  of  king  Edward,  at  the  age  of  nineteen,  a  blooming  widow,  that 
prince  not  dying  till  1483. 

This  lady  was  a  mpst  popular  subject  with  the  painters :  besides  this  at  Dupplin, 
there  are  not  fewer  than  four  others  in  Great  Britain,  in  the  same  dress,  and  without 
any  difference  of  feature.  The  most  ancient  is  on  board,  in  a  bed-chamber  at  Devon- 
shire-house, with  her  name  and  age  (140)  inscribed.  The  honourable  John  Yorke 
has  another,  at  his  seat  near  Cheltenham.  There  is  a  fourth  in  possession  of  Mr.  Scott, 
printer,  in  Chancery-lane :  and  the  fifth  is  in  the  standard  closet  in  Windsor  casde. 
The  last  was  a  present  from  sir  Robt.^*-  Car,  earl  of  Roxburgh,  as  is  signified  on  the 
back ;  above  that  is  written  with  a  pen,  Ren/orandt,  which  must  be  a  imstake,  for  Rem- 
brandt was  not  fourteenyears  of  age  in  1614,  at  which  time  it  is  certain  that  the  coun- 
tess was  not  living.^  The  picture  at  Dupplin,  which  b  much  in  the  manner  of  that 
celebrated  painter,  is  probably  a  copy  done  by  him  after  some  ori^nal  he  might  have 
met  with  in  his  own  country,  for  it  does  not  appear  he  ever  visited  England. 

Take  the  earliest  opportunity  of  paying  my  respects  to  Mr.  Olipnant,  post-master- 
general,  at  his  seat  of  Rosae,  a  few  miles  from  Dupplin.  I  am  in  a  particular  manner 
indebted  to  this  gendeman  for  the  liberal  concern  he  took  in  my  journey,  by  directing 
that  all  my  correspondences  relating  to.it  should  be  freed  and  forwarded  to  me.  A'true 
instance  of  national  politeness,  and  a  peculiar  honour  done  to  myself. 

In  my  road  cross  the  Earn,  and  pass  by  the  church  of  Fort-teviot,  once  the  site  of  a 
Pictish  palace,  where  Kenneth  II,  departed  this  life,||  and  where  Malcdm  Canmore  is 
said  to  have  resided.  Near  Uiis  place,  a  littie  to  the  west,  are  the  vestiges  of  a  camp, 
occupied  by  Edward  Batiol,  immediately  before  the  battle  of  Dupplin,  in  August  1332. 
Donald,  earl  of  Mar,  regent  in  the  minority  of  David  II,  lay  encamped  on  the  hill. 


Whitelock,  83. 145.       t  Staggering  State,  Sec.  151. 
Grainger's  Biogr.  vol,  ii.  octavo.  1779-80. 


\  Hist,  of  the  World,  book  i.  ch.  v.  sect.  5. 
II  Guthrie,!.  156. 


that 


I'ENNAN  1"S  SECOND  TUUU  IN'  SCOTLAND. 


403 


at  no  great  distance  from  Dupplin  house.  By  an  unhappy  but  common  disugrcomcnt 
in  ku&i  times,  tpu  other  part  of  his  forces  were  separated  under  the  earl  of  Dunbar, 
at  Auchterarder,  a  few  miles  distant.  This  had  determined  Mar  to  stand  on  the  diTcn. 
sive  till  he  could  be  joined  by  the  former;  but  Baliol  crossing  the  river  in  the  night, 
and  beginning  his  attack,  he  was  induced  pardy  by  that,  partly  by  the  reproach  of  titni 
dity  from  the  earl  of  Carrick,  to  suffer  his  prudence  to  give  way  to  rashness,  and  to 
renew  the  fight  with  Buliol,  supported  by  the  English  archers,  the  best  troops  then  in 
Europe.  A  horrible  carnage  ensued :  three  thousand  Scots  fell  on  the  spot,  amon{' 
whom  were  the  flower  of  the  nobility;  with  no  farther  loss  to  the  enemy  than  two 
knights,  and  thirty>three  'squires,  without  that  of  one  common  man.  The  day  was 
particularly  fatal  to  the  Hays.  Historians  relate  that  the  name  would  have  been  ex- 
tinct, had  not  several  of  the  warriors  left  their  wives  pregnant.  We  may  be  permitted 
to  qualify  this,  by  supposing,  as  seems  to  have  been  the  case,  that  the  line  of  the  chief- 
tain would  have  failed  but  for  such  an  accident,  a  posthumous  child  preserving  the  race ; 
or  perhaps  the  whole  nuy  have  been  an  invention,  borrowed  from  the  Roman  story  of 
theFabii. 

August  26.  Determine  on  a  litde  journey  up  Srathearn,  and  to  the  head  of  the 
river,  at  the  loch  of  the  same  name.  At  a  small  distance  from  Dupplin,  at  the  top  of  the 
hill,  first  meet  with  the  Roman  road,  twenty.four  feet  broad,  formed  with  great  s.ones, 
and  visible  in  many  placeti.  It  continues  one  way  by  Tibbirmoor  to  Bertha,  and  />om 
thence  over  the  Tay  near  Perth ;  and  to  the  west  passes  a  little  to  the  north  of  the  castle 
of  Innerpeffery,  and  is  contbued  on  the  other  side  of  the  river,  where  it  falls  into  the 
camp  at  Strageth,  and  from  thence  to  that  at  Ardoch.  Mr.  MaiUand  seems  to  have 
traced  the  Roman  roads  and  camps  of  North  Britain  with  great  industry,  and  to  have 
discovered  man^  that  were  never  before  observed.  It  was  my  ill  fortune  not  to  meet 
with  hb  book  till  I  had  in  a  mansier  quitted  the  classical  ground,  therefore  must  refer 
the  reader  to  his  first  volume  of  the  History  of  Scotland  for  an  account  of  these  curious 
remuns. 

Proceed  west.  Pass  by  the  great  plantations  at  Gask-hall :  in  these  woods  is  a  smpU- 
circular  intrenchment :  and  about  half  a  mile  farther,  on  Gask<moor,  is  another,  whose 
ditch  b  eleven  feet  wide  ;  the  area  within  the  bank  fifly-six  in  diameter ;  and  between 
thb  and  Innerpeflfery  are  two  others,  similar,  placed  so  near,  that  every  thing  that  stirred 
beneath,  or  at  a  certain  distance  around,  could  be  seen,  having  probably  been  the  site  of 
little  observatory  forts,  subservient  to  the  stations  establbhed  by  Agricola,  on  hb  conquest 
of  thb  country. 

Reach  the  vilk^  of  Innerpeflfery.  At  this  place  is  a  good  room,  with  a  library,  fur 
the  use  of  the  neighbourhood,  founded  by  David,  lord  Madderty,  which  s^U  receives 
new  suppties  of  books.  Just  beneath  cross  the  Earn  in  a  ferry-boat,  and  turning  to  the 
left  vbit  the  Roman  camp  at  Strageth :  much  of  it  b  now  defaced  with  the  plough ; 
but  many  of  the  vast  fosses  and  ramparts  are  to  be  seen  in  several  parts ;  also  the  rows 
of  fosses  and  ramparts  facing  the  exterior  South-west  side.  According  to  Mr.  Gordon, 
who  caused  it  to  be  surveyed  and  engraved,  the  length  is  ninety-five  paces,  the  breadth 
near  eighty. 

Breakfast  at  Mr.  Keir's,  agent  to  the  forfeited  estate  of  the  duke  of  Perth.  The 
ground  here  b  fertile,  and  about  this  place  ^Muthel)  b  well  cultivated ;  the  land  is 
manured  with  gray  marie,  filled  widi  river  shelb,  though  lodged  eight  feet  beneath  the 
surface ;  and  turnips  and  cabbages  are  raised  to  feed  the  catde ;  an  example,  if  followed, 
of  die  first  importance  to  the  country. 

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PENNANTS  SECOND  TOUR  IN  SCOTLAND. 


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Vi 


Proceed  along  the  military  road  towards  Crief.  See  on  the  roadside  a  row  of  neat 
t.mall  houses,  intended  for  quiet  rrtreuts  for  disbanded  soldiery,  but,  as  usual,  deserted 
by  the  colonists.  This  seems  to  have  been  the  only  Utopian  project  of  the  commis. 
sioners  appointed  by  his  majesty  for  the  management  of  the  forfeited  estates  unalienably 
annexed  to  the  crown,  by  the  act  of  25  George  II.  But  as  these  gentlemen,  with  rare 
patriotism,  discharge  their  trust  without  salar)',  they  ought  not  to  be  liable  to  censure, 
like  hireling  placemen,  on  every  trifling  failure.^ 

The  service  that  this  board  has  been  of  to  North  Britain  is  so  considerable,  that  it 
merits  a  little  farther  attention  than  I  have  hitherto  paid  it.  First,  I  must  premise  that 
the  gross  rent  of  these  estates  amounts  to  about  eight  thousand  pounds ;  but  after  pay. 
ing  certain  annuities  to  the  widows  of  attainted  persons,  ministers'  stipends,  and  other 
public  demands,  the  salaries  of  agents,  and  other  necessary  officers,  the  clear  residue, 
which  comes  into  the  hands  of  the  receiver.general,  amounts  to  little  more  than  50001. 

The  application  of  this  money  has  proved  a  great  benefit  to  the  country  }  out  of  it  is 
paid  annually  two  hundred  pounds  to  schoolmasters,  stationed  in  many  remote  parts  of 
the  Highlands.  The  like  sum  annually  for  the  purpose  of  bringing  up  the  sons  of  the 
poorer  tenants  to  useful  trades ;  such  as  blacksmiths,  cart-wrights,  coopers,  «reavers, 
flax-dressers,  8ic.  Sue.  who,  besides  the  expence  of  their  education,  are  furnished  with  a 
set  of  tools,  and  a  reasonable  aid  towards  enabling  them  to  pursue  their  respectiTe  trades, 
when  they  return  to  settle  in  their  own  country. 

The  commissioners  often  send  the  sons  of  some  of  the  better  sort  of  tenants  into  the 
Lowlands,  and  some  into  England,  to  be  taught  the  best  sort  of  farming.  They  en* 
courage  artificers  to  settle  on  the  annexed  estates,  by  affording  them  proper  accommo- 
dation, and  bestowing  on  them  seasonable  aids.  They  have  from  time  to  time  expended 
large  sums  for  the  purpose  of  introducing  and  establishing  the  linen  and  the  woollen 
manufactures,  and  for  promoting  fisheries  m  the  Highknds ;  for  making  highways,  and 
erecting  bridges  with  in  the  annexed  estates  and  countries  adjacent.  In  particular,  they 
bestowed,  under  the  sanction  of  his  majesty's  permission,  an  aid  of  eleven  thoiisend 
pounds,  towards  building  a  bridge  over  the  Tay  al  Pc^ ;  a  noUe  workf  and  tiNgrcat 
national  utility. 

They  have  caused  large  tracts  of  barren  and  uncultivated  grounds  on  different  parts 
of  the  estates  to  be  inclosed,  and  planted  with  oaks,  firs,  and  other  trees,  now  in  a  very 
prosperous  condition,  and  which  will  in  time  be  of  considerable  value.  They  allow 
certain  sums  to  tenants  for  incloung  their  farms,  free  of  interest  for  three  years,  after 
which  they  are  to  pay  five  per  cent,  advance  in  their  rent.  THey  employ  skilful  persons 
to  make  trials  for  discovery  of  mines  and  minerab,  of  medical  and  other  useful  indlge. 
nous  plants.  They  lend  their  aid  to  every  undertaking  of  public  utUity,  that  comes 
within  the  intent  of  the  act,  and  constantly  keep  in  view  and  hope  to  accomplish  the 
great  objects  of  it :  "  the  civilizing  of  the  inhabitants  of  the  annexed  estates,  the  pro- 
moting  amonj^  them  the  protestant  religion,  mod  government,  industry,  manufactures, 
and  the  principles  of  loyalty  to  the  present  royal  line." 

Soon  after  leaving  these  houses,  the  unfortunate  proofs  of  their  good  intentions,  ob- 
serve on  the  right  and  left  two  great  rocks,  called  Concraig,  running  east  and  west  for 
a  vast  way ;  their  fronts  steep,  and  perfectly  smooth  and  even,  so  as  to  be  easily  mis- 
taken for  a  wall.    Oo  over  the  bridge  of  Cnef,  and  pass  through  the  town.    It  is  plea- 

*  Several  advantages  followed  this  plan,  notwithstanding  the  primary  object  miscarried.  1 .  It  caused  a 
great  deal  of  ground  to  be  inclosed  with  hedges  and  ditches.  2.  It  gave  rise  to  several  plantations.  3.  It 
produced  a  proper  manner  of  building  cottages,  and  left  comfortable  mandons  for  a  more  industrious  peo- 
pie,  after  they  were  deserted  by  their  first  inmates. 


nj 


PCNNANI'S  StCONO  TOUR  IK  {ICUTLANl). 


40J 


if  neat 
:serted 
mmia- 
tenably 
th  rare 
ensure, 

that  it 
nt  that 
cr  i>fty. 
d  other 
residue, 
lOOOU 

of  it  is 
parts  of 
s  of  the 
ureavers, 
1  with  a 
e  trades, 

into  the 
rhey  en- 
ccommo- 
expended 
;  woollen 
ways,  and 
ular,  they 

thousand 
I  «^*great 

rent  parts 
kift  very 
hey  allow 
>ars,  after 
ul  persons 
ul  indige- 
nt comes 
nplish  the 
the  pro- 
lufactures, 

ntions,  ob- 

d  west  for 

rasily  mis- 

It  is  plea- 

I.  ItcauMda 
atiom.  3.  It 
ustrious  peo- 


santly  se«ited  on  the  kkle  of  a  hill,  aiid  tolerably  well  built.     It  possesses  u  small  share  of 
the  coarse  linen  manufacture. 

Turn  to  the  north-west,  and  have  in  front  a  fine  view  of  the  serpentine  Earn,  and 
numbers  of  little  hills  tufted  with  trees,  and  backed  by  immense  rugged  mountains. 

Pass  by  Auchtertyre,  the  seat  of  Sir  William  Murray,  situated  on  a  hill,  sprinklcC 
over  with  good  oaks,  and  commanditig  a  most  elegant  view.  The  pretty  Loch  Muiii- 
vard  lies  beneath,  whose  bottom  yields  a  quantity  of  excellent  maric,  which  is  dragged 
up  for  a  manure.  The  church  of  the  same  name  lies  at  a  small  distance  from  it.  Alx)ut 
the  year  1511,  this  place  was  a  horrid  scene  of  feudal  revenge.  Walter  Murray,  abbot 
of  Inchaffery,  havnig  a  claim  on  the  tythes  of  this  parish,  then  the  property  of  the 
Drummonds,  rode  the  boundaries  in  a  manner  that  was  interpreted  by  them  msulting 
and  tumultuous.  They  were  determined  to  repel  the  abbot  and  his  party,  and  at  the 
instant  were  accidentally  joined  by  an  ally,  the  captain  of  Dunstaflfage,  who  was  likewise 
on  an  errand  of  revenging  the  murders  of  some  Drummonds  by  certain  of  the  name  ol 
Murray.  The  abbot,  fearing  to  be  overpowered,  took  sanctuary  in  the  church ;  when 
a  shot  from  one  of  his  party  slew  a  follower  of  Dunstafia^,  who  took  instant  and  cruel 
vengeance,  by  burning  the  place  and  all  that  had  retired  mto  it 

Rus  by  Laura,  a  seat  of  colonel  Campbell,  agreeably  placed  amidst  woods.  Go 
through  the  village  of  Comerie,  near  whicli  are  four  great  stones,  erect,  and  placed  so 
as  to  form  a  square.  They  appear  to  me  the  portal  of  a  druidical  temple,  or  place  of 
worship,  now  destroyed ;  and  that  it  was  meant  to  dignify  the  entrance,  and  inspire  the 
votaries  with  greater  reverence,  as  if  it  was  the  place  of  peculiar  sanctity.  The  curious, 
by  consulting  p.  187,  and  tab.  xv.  of  the  learned  Borlase's  Antiquities,  may  find  a  com- 
plete tustory  ot  what  these  stones  form  only  a  port. 

The  valley  begins  now  to  grow  very  narrow,  being  continually  intersected  by  small 
but  beautiful  hills,  mostly  clothed  with  woods,  which  occasion  every  half  mile  or  less  an 
agreeable  change  of  scene;  new  vallies  succeed,  or  little  plains  beyond  plains,  watered 
by  the  Earn,  here  limpid  and  rapid ;  frequently  to  be  crossed  on  genuine  Alpine  bridges, 
supported  by  rude  bodies  of  trees ;  over  them  others  covered  with  boughs,  well  gra- 
velled over.  The  higher  we  advanced  the  more  picturesque  the  scenes  grew ;  the  little 
hills  that  before  intersected  tlie  vales  now  changed  into  ppreat  insulated  rocks,  some 
naked,  othere  ctothed  with  trees.  We  wound  about  their  bases  frequently  through 
groves  of  small  oaks,  or  by  the  side  of  the  river,  with  continued  views  of  the  vast  rug- 
ged Grampians  on  each  hand,  soaring  far  above  this  romantic  scenery.  Some  little 
corn  and  grass  filled  the  small  plains  where  there  was  space  free  from  trees.  The  last 
was  now  in  harvest ;  but  so  short,  that  the  peasants  were  obliged  to  kneel  to  cut  it  with 
a  sickle.  Their  industry  went  so  far  as  to  induce  them  to  cut  it  even  among  the  bushes, 
and  carry  it  into  open  places,  for  the  benefit  of  drying  it  in  the  free  air. 

At  once  arrive  in  sight  of  Loch-Earn,  a  fine  extent  of  water,  about  ei^ht  nules  long 
and  one  broad,  filling  the  whole  vale.  A  pretty  isle  tufted  with  trees  divides  the  lake 
at  this  end.  The  boundaries  are  the  vast  and  rugged  mountains,  whose  wooded  bases 
bound  the  mai^in,  and  very  rarely  give  any  opportunity  of  cultivation.  A  fine  road 
tfirough  woods  impends  over  one  side,  and  is  a  ride  of  uncommon  beauty.  The  great 
rocks  that  lay  above  us,  guarding  the  lands  of  Glen-Karken,  are  most  wild  and  pictu- 
resque ;  for  a  while  bend  inwards,  then  soar  precipitous,  presenting  a  wooded  front, 
overtopped  with  naked  rote's,  opening  in  parts  to  give  a  view  of  com  fields  and  farm 
houses,  at  a  dreadful  height  above  us. 

This  lake  is  the  termination  of  Stratheam  towards  the  north-west,  and  gives  name 
to  the  river  which  gives  name  to  the  valley.    The  word  is  originally  derived  from  the 


406 


I'ENNANT'S  SECOND  TOUR  IN  SCOTLAND.' 


Ccilic,  Eryii,  or  llcrvn,  the  west,  at  the  river  runs  Irom  that  quarter.  The  Romans 
adopted  it ;  and  Claudiun  in  particular  speaks  of  this  country,  when  celebrating  the 
victories  of  the  elder  Theodosius. 

tnaduerunt  Saxone  (U»o 
Orcadet :  incahiii  I'ictoruni  iBn|{ulne  Thule  i 
Scoioruin  cutnuloa  flcvlt  glaclalit  Icrnc* 

The  Orkniea  firat  he  dyed  with  Saxon  gore, 
Then  J'hulc  with  tlie  I'iclish  bIcKxl  ^rcw  hot } 
I(  y  Stralhc'urn  beniuan'd  Itugo  hcups  of  bcoti. 

Return  and  dine  at  Comerie.  Near  this  place,  on  a  plain  of  some  extent,  is  the 
famous  camp  which  Mr.  Gordon  contends  to  nave  been  occupied  by  Agricola,  imme. 
diately  before  the  battle  of  Mons  Grampius,  and  to  which,  in  order  to  support  his 
argument,  he  gives  the  name  of  Galgachan,  as  if  derived  from  Galgacus,  leader  of  the 
Caledonians  at  that  fatal  engagement.  This  camp  lies  between  the  river  of  Earn 
and  the  little  stream  called  the  Ruchel :  and  on  a  plain  too  contracted  for  such  a 
number  of  combatants,  as  Tacitus  says  there  ^vas,  to  form  and  act  in,  or  for  their 
charioteers  or  cavalry  to  scour  the  field.  There  are  indeed  small  hills  at  the  foot  of 
the  greater,  where  the  British  forces  might  have  ranged  themscK  .-s  before  the  battle ; 
but  the  distance  from  the  sea  is  an  insuperable  argument  against  this  being  the  spot,  as 
we  are  expressly  informed  that  Agricola  sent  his  fleet  before,  in  order  to  distract  and 
divide  the  attention  of  the  enemy,  and  that  he  himself  marched  with  his  army  till  he 
arrived  at  the  Grampian  mountains,  where  he  found  Galgacus  encamped.  From  the 
whole  account  given  by  Tacitus,  it  should  be  supposed  that  action  was  fought  in  an 
open  country,  at  the  foot  of  certain  hills,  not  in  a  little  plain  amidst  defiles,  as  the 
vallies  about  Comerie  consist  of.  A  conjecture  mav  be  made  hereafter  concerning  the 
spot  where  the  Grampian  victory  was  obtained.  The  battle  which  was  fought  here 
might  have  been  that  occasioned  by  the  attack  of  the  Caledonians  on  the  ninth  lesion. 
Classical  authority  informs,  that  in  the  general  insurrection  of  that  gallant  people  in 
the  sixth  year  of  Agricola*s  command,  he  divided  his  army  into  three  parts ;  one  might 
be  at  Ardoch,  the  othfer  at  Strageth,  the  third  or  the  ninth  legion  might  be  sent  to  push 
up  the  defiles  of  Comerie,  in  order  to  prevent  the  enemy  from  surrounding  him,  or 
taking  advantage  of  their  knowledge  of  the  country,  or  his  inferiority  of  numbers.! 
His  three  divisions  lay  so  near,  as  to  enable  them  to  assist  each  other  in  case  of  an 
attack. 

The  Caledonians  naturally  directed  their  force  against  the  weakest  of  the  three 
armies,  the  ninth  legion,  which  probably  had  not  fully  recovered  the  loss  it  sustained 
in  the  bloody  attack  by  Boadicia.|  The  camp  also  was  weak,  being  no  more  than  a 
common  one,  such  as  the  Romans  flung  up  on  their  march.  It  has  no  appearance  of 
ever  having  been  stative :  and  it  is  probable  that  as  soon  as  Agricola  had,  by  an  ex- 
peditious march,  relieved  this  part  oif  hb  army  out  of  a  difficulty  they  were  fairly  in> 
volved  in,  he  deserted  the  place,  and  never  hazarded  his  troops  again  amidst  the 
narrows  of  this  hostile  country.  Weapons  and  other  instruments  have  been  discovered 
on  the  spot,  in  the  course  of  the  forming  the  roads  through  this  pass.  A  brazen  spur, 
iron  bands,  a  sort  of  iron  hammer,  and  a  most  curious  small  iron  battle-axe,  or  rather 
pick-axe,  have  been  met  with ;  wMch  are  evidences  of  a  conflict  on  this  spot. 

*  De  IV.  Cons.  Honorii.  I'm.  ."^  1 . 

t  Ne  superantenuroero  et  peritia  locorum  circumiretur,  diviso,  et  ipse  in  tres  partes  exercitu  incessit. 
Vita  Agricolx.  t  Taciti  Annales,  ^b.  xiv.  c.  32. 


PENhfANT'S  SECOND  TOUIt  IN  SCOTLANlJ 


4u'; 


rhc  camp,  notwithstanding  it  could  not  boast  or  any  great  strength,  i4  bcautii'nlly 
dckigncd.  VUc  four  entrances  arc  entire,  guarded  by  curtains  within  and  without^ 
but  there  arc  no  vestiges  of  the  praetoriuni,  which  coniirmu  my  nunpicion  that  the  at* 
tack  was  begun  before  all  the  usual  works  were  completed.  On  the  north  bide  of  this 
is  another  sc|uarc  entrenchment,  joined  to  this  by  a  regular  communication.  One  sidt* 
had  been  boimded  by  the  lluchel,  but  at  present  that  little  stream  has  removed  itself 
to  some  distance.  Within  this  entrenchment  is  another  :  I  cannot  help  thinking  that 
these  works  were  intended  as  a  stationary  fort,  it  having  the  situatioi;  that  the  Ro- 
mans consulted,  that  of  a  river  on  one  ^idc,  but  that  it  was  Icll  unfinished  for  the  same 
reason  that  the  camp  was.  The  siae  of  the  camp  is  about  nine  hundred  and  seventy. 
five  feet  by  nine  hundred.  There  arc  some  particularities  about  this  place  worthy  to 
be  mentioned  ;  such  as  the  multitude  of  oblong  hollows  that  lie  parallel,  and  divided 
from  one  another  by  banks  three  feet  wide,  which  are  to  be  seen  just  on  the  outside 
of  the  northern  agger  of  the  camp.  These  seem  to  luvc  been  places  for  dressing  the 
provisions  for  the  soldiery,  not  places  of  interment,  as  was  sus|)ected  ;  for  Mr.  Macnab, 
schoolmaster  of  Comerir,  at  my  request,  was  so  obli^ng  as  to  cause  several  of  these 
holes  to  be  dug  through,  and  mformed  me  that  nothmg  but  large  quantities  of  wood 
charcoal  was  to  be  found,  the  culinary  fuel ;  and  not  tne  least  trace  of  urn  or  humait 
bones  were  met  with  to  countenance  the  other  opinion.  Besides  these  arc  two  remains 
of  antiquities,  both  monumental.  The  one  British,  a  vast  upright  stone,  near  the  edge 
of  the  camp :  perhaps  erected,  after  the  retreat  of  the  Romans,  by  the  Caledonians, 
over  some  chiehain  slain  in  the  fight.  The  other  a  vast  tumulus,  which  probably  co* 
vered  the  slain.  This  was  a  Roman  tribute  to  the  memory  of  tlieir  unfortunate  coim- 
trymen.  Germanicus  performed  such  exequies  over  the  remains  of  the  legions  of  Varus 
in  Germany,  and  carried  the  first  sod  to  the  heap.  Primum  extruendo  tumulo  ces* 
pitem  Caesar  posuit,  grartissimo  munere  in  defunctos,  et  prsesentibus  doloris  sociis.* 

Aug.  27.  Visit  Casde  Drummond,  seated  boldly  on  the  side  of  a  hill,  amidst  a  fine 
extent  of  woods,  commanding  a  great  view  down  Stratheam.  The  house  is  very  un- 
equal to  the  situation,  being  both  mean  and  small ;  nor  is  it  of  any  great  antiquity. 
On  the  back  part  are  some  remains  of  the  old  castle,  built  by  Sir  John  Drummond, 
hereditary  steward  of  Stratheam  in  1493,  after  removing  from  the  ancient  seat  of  the 
fiunily  at  Stobhail.  The  family  derive  themselves  from  Mauritz,  an  Hungarian  of 
royal  blood,  who,  having  the  conduct  of  the  mother  and  sisters  of  Edgar  Atneling  in 
their  flight  from  the  Norman  usurper,  was  (with  his  royal  charge)  driven  by  a  storm  into 
the  Firth  of  Forth.  The  reigning  monarch  Malcolm  Canmore  fell  in  love  with,  and  mar- 
ried the  Princess  Maivaret,  )ne  of  the  sisters;  and,  in  reward  to  Mauritz,  for  his 
skilful  pilotage,  made  him  a  sonsidcrable  grant  of  lands,  and  caused  him  to  assume 
the  name  of  Drymen,  or  the  high  ridge ;  but,  figuratively,  the  great  wave  of  the  sea,  in 
memory  of  the  perils  from  which  he  had  delivered  the  fair  Queen. 

The  castle  was  beseiged  immediately  after  the  cruel  burning  of  the  church  of  Moni- 
vard ;  the  chieftain  and  nis  followers  having  retired  thither  to  screen  themselves  from 
their  merited  punishment.  It  soon  surrendered  to  the  kin^,  James  IV,  on  condition 
that  their  lives  should  be  preserved ;  but  as  soon  as  that  prince  got  them  in  his  power, 
he  carried  them  to  Sterling,  where  they  suffered  death  for  their  impious  barbarity. 
It  was  afterwards  beseiged,  taken  and  garrisoned  by  Cromwell's  forces,  and  finally,  at 
the  Revolution,  totally  demolished.  The  ruin  of  the  family  was  completed  in  i745, 
when  the  duke  of  Perth,  by  an  unfortunate  attachment,  forfeited  the  ancient  estate,  to 

•  Taciti.  Ann.  lib.  i.  c.  63. 


#T 


1:= 
I. 


408 


PCNNANVS  SECOND  TUUU  IN  ffCOTLANU. 


the  amount  or  four  thousand  a  year,  and  lost  his  life,  worn  out  with  the  fatigues  of  the 
winter's  campaign. 

Continue  my  ride  southerly.  See,  on  the  top  of  a  moor,  about  four  miles  from 
Castle  Drummond,  a  small  but  strung  exploratory  fort,  culled  Kemp,  or,  more  nro. 
periy,  Cump-Custle.  The  area  is  seventy-six  feet  by  sixty-four,  aim  is  defended  by 
three  deep  ditches.  This  seems  to  have  been  a  place  of  obaervntion  subservient  to  that 
of  Ardocn,  two  miles  disUint.  The  Roman  way,  which  is  continued  from  the  camp 
at  Strageth,  passes  by  this  fort,  and  leads  me  to  the  next.  On  each  side  arc  to  be  ob- 
served multitudes  of  holes,  mostly  of  u  round  form,  out  of  which  probably  the  materials 
had  been  got  for  the  making  nf  the  roads,  such  at  least  are  frequent  on  the  sides  of  the 
Roman  roads  in  England  nnd  in  Italy. 

Pass  through  a  small  glen,  or  rather  a  deep  hollow,  which  crosses  the  road,  and  see  a 
deen  arxl  oblong  trench,  perhaps  made  as  a  lodgment  for  a  small  party  to  defend  this  part. 
A  little  farther,  on  a  line  with  this,  is  a  small  round  area,  like  those  on  Gattkmoor, 
but  considerably  stronger,  being  surrounded  by  not  fewer  than  three  fosses.  Not  re- 
mote from  this,  on  the  front  of  a  deep  dell,  is  a  regular  lunette,  with  a  very  strong 
fo9S  ;  and  near  that  a^in  another  round  fort,  defend  by  two  ditches. 

From  this  lunette  is  a  great  foss,  which  passes  half  a  mile  wide  of  Ardoch«  and,  as 
I  was  Informed,  fell  into  the  water  of  Kneclc,  at  two  miles  dbtance  from  its  ori|;in. 

I  am  now  in  the  midst  of  classical  ground  ;  the  busy  scene  of  action  in  the  third  > 
of  Agricola's  expeditions.  Through  this  valley  he  led  his  troops,  when  he  canriedf  i..w 
terror  of  his  arms  as  fiu*  as  the  Tay ;  when  he  passed  unmol^'tted  through  new  discovered 
nations,  with  the  elements  warring  against  him.*  Here,  after  all  the  difficulties  he  met 
with  in  conducting  his  force*  throu^  the  forests,  and  wading  through  astuaries  first 
tried  by  himself,  f  he  found  an  ample  space  for  erecting  of  fortresses,  and  esuolishing 
of  stations.  %    Of  these 

Ardoch  forms  the  first  and  chief,  seated  at  the  head  of  two  vales,  and  commanding 
a  view  into  each :  into  the  fertile  Strathallan,  which  leads  to  Stiriing,  the  probable 
route  of  Aericola ;  and  into  the  Glacialis  leme,  the  present  Stratheam,  an  open  tract, 
which,  under  the  oommon  name  of  Strathmore,  gave  full  space  for  the  operations  of 
this  cekbrated  leader. 

As  this  statranary  camp  was  the  most  important,  so  it  was  secured  with  greater 
strength  and  artifice  than  any  of  the  rest.  No  general  ever  equalled  him  in  the  judicious 
choice  of  situation ;  no  camp  he  made  was  ever  taken  by  storm,  or  obliged  to  surren< 
der,  or  to  be  deserted. )  This  he  fixed  on  an  elevated  utuation,  with  one  ude  on  the 
steep  bank  of  the  little  river  of  Kneck,  and  beine  fortified  on  that  part  by  nature,  he 
thought  fit  to  give  it  there  the  security  of  only  a  single  foss.  The  other  three  have  five, 
if  not  WL  fosses,  of  a  vast  depth,  with  ramparts  of  correspondent  heights  between.  The 
%vorks  on  the  south  side  are  much  injured  by  the  plough ;  the  others  in  fine  preservt- 
tion.  In  the  area  is  the  prctorium,  or  die  quarter  of  the  general,  in  a  tofereble  per- 
fect state.  The  area  is  four  hundred  and  fifty  feet  by  four  hundred.  The  four  porta, 
or  entrances,  are  plainly  to  be  distingaislied ;  and  the  road  from  the  praetorian  port  to 
the  prsBtorium  very  visible.  This  -station  was  of  force  sufficient  to  baffie  any  siege 
from  a  barbarian  enemy  :  thu  was  one  of  those  diat  he  made  a  winter  garrison  durii^ 

*  Tertius  expcditionum  annus  novas  gentei  aperuit,  Tsatatiauaque  ad  Taum  (satuario  nomen  est)  na* 
tionibus,  qui  fonnidine  territi  hoatea,  quanquam  cooflicutuoi  axvia  tempaatadbua,  exsrdtum  lacesaere 
non  auti. 

t  iEituaria  ac  aylvaa  ipse  prctenure.  |  Poneodiaque  inanper  caatelL  tpatiuin  fuit. 

$  Adnotabant  periti,  non  alium  ducem  opportunitatea  ioconim  aapientiua  lagiaae }  nttUum  ab  Agriodia 
poritum  caateUum  aut  vi  hoatium  expugnatum,  aut  pactiooe  aut  fugl  deaertum. 


fCNNANT'S  SECOND  TOUIl  IN  SCOTLAND 


409 


tlie  fftnilning  lime  of  his  command  in  the  country  j  and  by  Inyinj?  in  a  year's  mapja- 
zines  of  provisions  freed  the  soldicre  from  all  tipprehensionft  of  u  blociiadc,*  and  enabled 
Ihem  to  make  freauent  sallies. 

To  the  north  ot  tliis  fortress  are  the  outlines  of  three  inclosures,  surrounded,  if  I 
recollect  right,  by  only  single  ramparts.  They  are  the  workst  of  ditlcrent  periods,  oi 
perhaps  might  have  been  Vvc  summer  camps  to  this  station  ;  or  thev  might  have  been 
iheprocestna  to  the  place,  a  sort  of  free  towns,  built  and  inclosed  with  flight  entrench- 
ments, under  the  cover  of  the  fort,  which  might  be  a'.yled  their  citndel.f  The  Brst 
is  contiguous  to  it,  and  receives  into  the  west  side  the  Roman  raad.  The  measurements 
of  the  area  art  a  thousand  and  eighty  feet  by  eight  hundnxi  and  forty.  The  portie  are 
quite  filled  up. 

Anothisr  venr  large  one  Hes  north  of  this,  and  part  of  the  south,  and  cm  trespasses 
on  and  takes  m  a  small  portion  of  it.  The  four  entrances  are  very  visible,  and  each 
has,  by  way  of  defenr«,  opposite  to  it,  on  the  outside,  a  sliort  rampart.  The  dimen- 
sions f  f  this  are  two  thousand  six  hundred  feet,  by  sixteen  hundred  and  seventy.  Th? 
present  road  tf  •  Sterling  run^  through  the  midst  of  this. 

A  third,  which  3et4»^  never  to  have  been  completed,  breaks  in  on  one  side  of  the 

Kjater ;  it  points  towards  the  K  cck,  and  either  never  reached  that  water,  or  ha» 
en  on  that  side  touUy  defaced. 

Many  ant^uities  have  been  found  about  this  station,  such  as  bits  of  bridles,  snear- 
heads,  and  armour,  which  were  deposited  at  Ardoch.house,  the  seat  of  Sir  William 
StirlRnj;,  where  they  remained  till  the  year  1715,  when  they  were  carried  away  by  the 
soldiers.  Since  that  time  a  very  curious  sepulchral  monument  has  been  discovered 
there,  and  presented  to  the  college  at  Glasgow.     It  is  inscribed  thus : 

Dis  manibus  Ammonius.  Damioob  coh.  1.  Hispanorum  stipendiorum  XXVII. 
Heiedes  F.  C. 

This  b  engraven  in  the  xvth  plate  of  the  Collef|^  Antiquities,  and  mentioned  by  Mr. 
Horse}/  among  the  Scottish  monuments.  Sir  William  Stirling  did  me  the  honour  of  in- 
forming me,  mat  several  coins  had  been  found  there,  but  now  dispersed ;  and  that  there 
is  in  his  possesdort  an  urn  filled  with  ashes,  a  Augment  of  the  unburnt  scull,  and  a  piece 
d"  money.  The  last  had,  in  all  probability,  been  put  into  the  mouth  of  the  deceased  as 
the  fare  of  Charon  for  waAinghim  over  Styx. 

I  must  not  omit,  that  opposite  to  Ardoch,  on  the  other  side  of  the  Kneck,  is  a  place 
called  the  Keir.  Here,  says  Mr.  Gordon,  (for  I  did  not  visit  it)  are  a  great  many 
cireumvaUations  and  ramparts  of  stone  and  earth,  and  regular  terraces  descending  on 
the  side  of  the  hill.  In  Wales  we  have  many  British  posts  that  bear  the  general  name 
of  Caer;  and  had  I  time  to  have  examined  it,  I  should  doubtless  have  found  it  to  have 
been  one. 

Nor  must  I  leave  this  place  without  observing,  that  from  its  ramparts  is  to  be  seen  the 
plun  oTSheriffmoor,  wbere  the  ill-disputed  batueof  Dunblain  was  fought  in  1715.  The 
aal  of  Mar  lay  with  his  army  the  evening  before  at  Ardoch. 

On  leaving  this  fine  relique  of  antiquitv,  proceed  down  Strathearn.  Pass  by  a  stu- 
pRndous  Cairn.  Cross  an  extensive  black  moor,  and  soon  after  reach  Tullibardine,;}^ 
a  great  old  house,  the  original  seat  of  the  Murrays,  and  which  gives  the  title  of  Mar. 

*  Crebns  eroptionM ;  nam  advenuB  moras  obsldionis,  annuls  copiis  firmabantur. 

t  Vide  Horslejr,  p.  101. 

i  From  Tulloch,  a  hillock,  and  Bardm,  bards  ;  this  place  being  supposed  to  have  been  appropriated  to 
the  support  of  a  b«rd.  In  old  times  districts  were  allotted  by  the  great  men  for  their  support,  which  often 
became  hereditary  b  their  fiumlics.    Doctor  Macpherson,  318. 

VOL.  III.  3  G 


HI'    ■ 

I 


M 


4i^ 


(.; 


I 


1 


410 


PENNANT'S  6LC0ND  TOUK  IN  SCOVLAND. 


(^uis  to  the  licir  of  Athol.  In  X715  it  was  made  a  garrisr.o  by  the  rebels,  and  fot  some 
time  impeded  the  advance  of  the  king's  army  towards  Perth.  Before  the  house,  ac- 
cording  to  honest  Lindesay,  was  shewn  the  lengtli  and  the  breadth  of  the  great  ship, 
the  grcat  Michael,  built  by  James  IV,  and  described  by  his  historian  with  mcst  scrupu- 
lous minuteness.*  The  dimensions,  says  he,  were  expressed  here  by  the  shipwrights, 
by  a  pbr.tacion  of  hawthorns,  which  I  looked  for,  but  in  vain. 

Near  tne  house  is  a  very  neat  case  of  a  small  church  ;  but  tae  inside  is  quite  ruinous. 

Draw  near  the  Ochil  hills,  verdant  and  smooth  ;  see  at  a  small  distance,  at  their 
foot,  Kincardine,  an  ancient  seat  of  the  Montrose  family.  To  the  left  is  the  small  town 
of  Auchterrrdire,  which,  with  Muthel,  Blackford,  Dinin,  and  ^e/eral  other  villages, 
were  burnt  liy  an  order  of  the  Pretender,  dated  from  his  court  at  Scone,  th»  17th  of  Ja- 
nuary, and  tl.'e  fifteenth  year  of  his  reign,  1715 — 1716.  Th?.s  cruel  command  was  exe- 
cuted in  a  most  uncommonly  severe  season  ;  and  the  f>oor  inhabitants  of  every  age 
and  sex  left  exposed  to  the  rigour  of  the  cold.  To  palliate  these  proceedings,  the  necessity 
of  obstructing  the  march  of  the  king's  forces  towards  Peith  was  pleaded:  and  that  the 
Pretender,  on  his  (light  from  that  city,  left  in  the  hands  of  general  Gordon,  for  the  use 
of  the  sufferers,  a  large  sum  of  money,  with  a  letter  to  the  duke  of  Argyle,  requesting 
a  proper  distribution. 

Go  through  Dinin,  and  reach  DuppUn  at  night. 

Aug.  28.  Ride  to  see  the  ruins  of  a  great  cairn  on  the  road  side,  about  a  mile  north 
of  Dupplin,  which  had  been  lately  demolished.  On  removing  the  stones,  were  dis- 
covered at  the  bottom  a  grcat  number  of  chefi'^,  whose  dimensions  were  two  feet  eight 
by  tvvo  feet  two,  every  one  consisting  of  five  dags,  forming  four  sides  and  a  lid.  In  all 
excepting  one  were  bones,  and  mixed  with  them  in  some  of  the  chests  were  round  per- 
forated bodi«?s,  which  I  suspect  to  have  been  druidical  beads ;  there  were  besides  num- 
bers of  zings,  heart  shaped  trinkets,  and  others  of  a  flat  and  oblong  form,  all  made  of 
a  coarse  g'ass. 

At  a  small  distance  from  this  place  is4he  plain  of  Tipper- moor,  where  the  marquis  of 
Montrose  gained  ?  signal  victory  over  the  Covenanters,  a  rabble  from  the  county  of  Fife, 
with  an  inferior  army  of  half-armed  Highlanders  and  Irish.  "  If  ever  God  spake  word  of 
truth  out  of  my  mouth,"  says  one  of  the  enthusiastic  divines  to  his  friends,  *'  I  promise 
you  in  his  name  assured  victory  this  day  :"  but  he  was  possessed  with  a  lying  spirit  ; 
for  two  thousand  of  their  flock  fell  in  the  field,  and  two  thousand  more  were  taken  prison, 
ers.  Tradition  records  a  barbarous  superstition  of  the  Irish  troops,  who  that  morning 
put  to  death  an  innocent  herdsman  they  happened  to  nf^eet,  from  the  notion  that  victory 
would  declare  itself  for  the  party  which  first  dr-'w  blood.  //  ,  ..;.,,;.>•,' 

*  "  In  this  same  year  the  king  of  Scotland  bigged  a  great  ship,  called  the  Great  Michael,  whicli  was  the 
(^'eatest  ship,  and  of  most  strength,  that  ever  stdled  in  England  or  France  ;  for  this  ship  was  of  so  great 
stature,  and  took  so  much  timber,  that,  except  Falkland,  she  wasted  all  the  woods  in  Fife,  which  was  oak 
wood,  by  all  timber  that  was  gotten  out  of  Norroway  ;  for  she  was  so  strong,  and  of  so  great  length  ao'l 
breadth  (all  the  Wrights  of  Scotland,  yea  and  many  other  strangers,  were  at  her  device,  by  the  kin^i's 
commandment,  who  wrought  very  busily  in  her,  but  it  was  year  and  day  ere  she  was  complete.)  To  wit. 
She  was  twelve  score  foot  of  length,  and  thirty  six  within  the  sides ;  she  was  ten  foot  thick  m  the  wall,  and 
lK>ards  on  every  ude,  so  stack  and  so  thick  that  no  cannon  could  go  through  her.  This  great  ship  cum* 
bred  Scotland  to  get  her  to  the  sea.  From  the  time  that  she  was  afloat,  and  her  masts  and  sails  complete, 
with  tows  and  anchors  ofTeirlng  thereto,  she  was  counted  to  the  king  to  be  thirty  thousand  pounds  of  ex- 
pcnces,  by  her  artillery  which  was  very  great  and  costly  to  the  king  by  all  the  rest  of  her  orders.  To  wit. 
She  bare  many  cannons,  six  Cii  every  side,  with  three  great  bassils,  two  behind  in  her  dock,  and  one  be* 
tore,  with  three  hundred  shot  of  small  artillery,  that  is  to  say,  myand  and  battered  falcon,  and  quarter- 
falcon,  slings,  pestilent  serpetens,  and  double  dogs,  with  hagtor  and  culvering,  cors-bows  and  hand-bows. 
She  had  three  hundred  mariners  to  sail  her;  she  had  ux  score  of  gunners  to  use  her  artillery  ;  and  had 
a  thousand  men  of  war  by  her  captains,  shippers,  and  quarter-masters." 


PENNANT'S  SECOND  TOUK  IN  SCOTLAND. 


411 


fot  some 
ouse,  ac- 
reat  ship, 
X  acrupu- 
pwrights, 

ruinous. 
;,  at  their 
mall  tovm 
•  villages, 
rth  of  Ja. 
i  was  exC' 
every  age 
:  necessity 
id  that  the 
for  the  use 
requesting 


mile  north 
were  dis- 
I  feet  eight 
lid.  In  all 
round  per- 
sides  num- 
all  made  of 

narquis  of 
nty  of  Fife, 
ike  word  of 
I  promise 
ing  spirit ; 
cen  prison- 
at  morning 
hat  v'^ctory 


vhicli  was  the 
as  of  80  great 
hich  was  oak 
sat  length  ar'! 
by  the  kin^s 
cte.)  To  wit. 
the  wall,  and 
eat  ship  cum- 
uls  complete! 
pounds  of  ex* 
ders.  To  wit. 
,,  and  one  bc- 
,  and  quarter- 
nd  hand-bows, 
•ry  ;  and  had 


Reach  the  church  of  Tippir-moor,  which  takes  its  name  from  u  holy  well,  dedicated 
to  the  Virgin  Mary.  This  parish  was  sometime  the  residence  of  the  bishop  of  Dunkeld. 
Bishop  Galfred  died  here  in  1249  ;  and  bishop  Sinclair  in  1337.*  The  last  re-buiit 
and  restored  the  church  of  St.  Serf,  on  the  north  side  of  the  water  of  Almond,  once 
the  chLf  of  this  parish  ;  but,  as  report  goes,  was  afterwards  deserted  on  account  of  a 
child  of  lord  Ruthven's  being  drowned  m  the  river,  in  returning  from  being  baptized. 

Below  the  minister's  house  is  a  rhomboid  intrenchment,  called  the  Ward  :  but  there 
is  not  the  least  tradition  about  the  design  of  it.  A  little  farther  is  a  high  copped 
tumulus  or  mount,  styled  the  Round  Law,  such  places  being  in  these  parts  generally 
supposed  to  have  been  the  seats  of  justice. 

At  a  small  distance  from  hence  arrive  at  the  high  banks  above  the  river  Almond, 
which  here  waters  the  plain  that  extends  to  Perth,  and  ialls  into  the  Tay,  about  a  mile 
above  that  city.  Near  this  place  was  seated  the  ancient  Bertha,  or  Perth,  which 
Boethius  asserts  had  been  the  residence  of  the  Scottish  kings.  Here,  says  he,  Kenneth 
exercised  severe  justice  on  the  great  Banditti.f  This  place,  says  Buchanan,  |  was  be- 
sieged by  the  Danes  before  the  battle  of  Loncarty ;  it  was  totally  destroyed  by  a  flood 
in  1210,  and  the  city  re-built  on  the  spot  where  the  present  Perth  stands.  The  tide  of 
the  Tay,  in  former  times,  reached  this  place ;  from  which  circumstance  is  derived  the 
name.  Bertha,  being  a  contraction  from  Aber-Tay,  or  the  place  where  the  Tay  met  the 
sea.(  An  anchor  has  been  found  here ;  and,  as  I  have  been  told,  that  on  digging  are 
to  be  found  almost  every  where  old  walls,  vaults  and  causeways,  far  beneath  the  pre< 
sent  surface  of  the  ground.  The  Romans  had  a  station  on  its  banks,  which  their  road 
pointed  to :  and  still  the  falls  of  the  cliffs  produce  many  proofs  of  the  truth  of  the  as- 
ser  lion.  About  eight  years  ago,  by  the  lapse  of  a  great  piece  of  land,  was  discovered 
grt  at  quantities  of  excellent  iron,  in  short  thick  bars,  from  one  to  two  feet  in  length,  as 
if  i  had  been  cut  for  the  conveniency  of  retailing. 

Other  falls  have  produced  discoveries  still  more  singular,  and  have  laid  open  a 
species  of  interment,  as  far  as  I  know,  hitherto  unnoticed.  Some  years  ago,  in  the 
face  of  a  broken  bank,  were  discovered  six  pillars  in  a  line,  ten  feet  distance  from  one 
ijnotber,  and  eighteen  feet  high  from  the  top  of  the  ground  to  the  bed  of  the  Almond, 
shewing  out  of  the  bank  a  semicircular  face.  These  proved  to  have  been  the  contents 
of  certain  cylindrical  pits,  sunk  in  the  earth  as  places  of  sepulture.  The  urns  were 
placed  in  them,  and  the  hollows  filled  with  earth  of  a  different  kind  from  the  banks, 
and  so  strongly  rammed  in,  as  to  remain  coherent,  after  the  former  had  in  part  been 
washed  away.  The  Rev.  Mr.  Duff  has  described  these  hollows  in  a  manner  somewhat 
difierent,  comparing  them  to  the  segments  of  a  cone,  with  the  broader  part  downwards; 
and  to  have  been  filled  with  bonec  ashes,  and  fragments  of  urns.  These  funebrious 
vessels  ha/e  been  found  here  of  difierent  sizes;  one  of  very  uncommon  dimensions  as 
well  as  materials ;  being  of  fine  clay  only  half  an  inch  thick;  and  entirely  plated  in  the 
inside  with  brass.  It  is  capable  of  containing  ten  gallons ;  and  was  filled  with  ashes. 
Other  urns  of  a  small  size  have  been  met  with  in  these  pits ;  one  held  somt  wood  ashes, 
and  part  of  a  lacrymatory  i  an  evidence  of  the  nation  they  belonged  to.  So  thai  if 
we  may  rely  on  the  map  of  Richard  of  Cirencester,  this  place  might  have  been  the 
Orrea  of  the  Romans. 

A  mile  farther,  on  the  plain,  is  the  ancient  house  of  Ruthven  ;  once  the  seat  of  the 
unfortunate  Gowries.    It  consists  of  two  square  towers,  built  at  different  times ;  and 


*  Mill's  lives  of  the  Bishops  of  Dunkeld,  MS. 

*  Lib.  VI.  c.  31. 

3  o  3 


t  Lib.  XL  p.  227. 

$  Annals  Scotlandi  139. 


fi 


412 


PBNK ANT'S  SECOND  TOUR  IN  SCOTLAND. 


diaiiiict  from  each  other ;  but  now  joined  by  buildings  of  latter  date.  The  top  of  one 
of  the  towers  is  called  the  Maiden's  leap,  receiving  its  name  on  the  following  occasion : 
a  daughter  of  the  first  earl  of  Gowrie  was  addressed  by  a  young  gentleman  of  inferior 
rank  in  the  neighbourhood*  a  frequent  visitor  of  the  family,  who  never  would  pve  the 
least  countenance  to  his  passion.  His  lodging  was  in  the  tower,  separate  from  that  of  his 
mistress ; 

Sed  vctuere  patres  quod  non  potuere  vetare. 

The  lady,  before  the  door  was  shut,  c&.iveyed  herself  into  her  lover's  apartment ;  but 
some  prying  Duenna  acquainted  the  countess  with  it;  who,  cutting  off,  as  she  thought, 
all  possibility  of  retreat,  hastened  to  surprise  them.  The  young  lady's  ears  were  quick ; 
she  heard  the  footsteps  of  the  old  countess,  ran  to  the  top  of  the  leads,  and  took  die 
desperate  leap  of  nine  feet  four  inches  over  a  chasm  of  sixty  feet,  and  luckily  lighting 
on  the  battlements  of  the  other  tower,  crept  into  her  own  bed,  where  her  astonished 
mother  found  her,  and  of  course  apologized  for  the  unjust  suspicion.  The  &ir  daugh- 
ter did  not  choose  to  repeat  the  leap  ;  but  the  next  night  eloped,  and  was  married. 

But  this  place  was  the  scene  of  more  serious  transactions,  which  laid  the  foi^n^tion 
of  a  resentment  that  proved  fatal  to  its  noble  master.  Here  was  executed  the  generous 
design  of  freeing  James  VI,  from  his  worthless  favourites,  who  were  poisoning  lys  youth 
with  exalted  notions  of  royal  prerogative ;  and  instilling  into  him  those  principles,  which, 
in  after  times,  proved  so  destructive  to  his  progeny.  Gowrie«  with  numbers  of  other 
l)eers,  inveigled  James  into  this  castle,  in  the  year  1582,  on  his  return  from  a  hunting 
match  in  Athol.  When  he  was  about  to  depart,  he  was  stopped  bv  the  nobles  in  a  body, 
who  presented  him  with  the  memorial  against  the  ill  conduct  of  his  principal  favourites. 
He  endeavoured  to  free  himself  from  restraint,  but  was  prevented;  and  upon  his  burst- 
ing into  tears,  was  told  by  the  guardian  of  Glames,  that  it  was  better  children  weep  than 
bearded  men.  This  was  called  the  Raid  of  Ruthven.  The  conspirators  carried  him 
off;  but  on  his  escape  he  again  resigned  himself  to  Arran,  a  favourite  vdd  of  every 
species  of  vTtue,  and  even,  after  an  act  of  oblivion,  declared  them  guilty  of  big|i  trea- 
son, and  actually  put  Gowrie  to  death  at  Stirling,  after  a  trial  injurious  to  his  majesty's 
honour. 

Afler  the  doubtful  conspiracy  of  the  two  sons  of  this  unfortunate  nobleman  at  Perth, 
and  after  their  deaths/  and  posthumous  conviction,  the  very  name  was  abolished  by  act 
of  parliament;  the  house  indeed  was  preserved;  but  to  obliterate  all  memory  of  so 
detested,a  family,  tven  the  name  of  that  was  chanced  to  Hunting-Towtr. 

Near  this  house  is  the  stone-building  called  the  Lowswork,  so  s^led  from  Low  the  first 
contriver.  This  serves  to  divert  part  of  the  water  of  Almond  into  an  aqueduct,  leading 
to  Perth,  which  is  of  the  greatest  service  to  the  various  mills  at  this  present  time,  and 
anciently  assisted  to  make  the  place  almost  impregnable  by  filling  the  ditch  that  sur. 
rounded  the  walls.  On  one  side  of  this  aqueduct  is  the  boult  of  Balhousie,  a  stbne  work, 
perforated  with  an  orifice,  thirty-two  inches  round,  guarded  with^a  circle  of  iron  at  each 
end.  This  hole  is  permitted,  by  very  ancient  usage,  to  convey  a  ^rtion  of  wateir  to  the 
mill  of  that  name.  A  contract  is  still  extant  between  the  magistrates  of  Perth  and 
Eviot,  then  the  owner  of  Balhousie,  in  1464,  about  the  repur  or  this  bo^lt ;  and  very 
lately  the  same  has  been  renewed  by  the  earl  of  KinnouU,  the  present  noble  possessor  of 
thoselands.*  '         ' ''['^  :  '    '  ;':/ .'  '  '  \ "  "'•,'■  ^''''''J.v.. 

*  As  it  is  my  wish  to  preserve  the  memory  cf  every  benefactor  to  the  human  species,  I  must  not  omit 
mention  of  Ale?  .ader  Christie,  an  Irish-Scot,  who  about  fifty  years  ago  in  this  parish,  at  a  place  called 
Tulloch,  set  up  the  first  bleaching  ground ;  and  was  the  first  person  who  introduced  the  right  cultore  of 
potatoes  into  this  country. 


PENNANT'S  SECOND  TOUR  IN  SCOTLAND. 


4ia 


Mr.  Duff  from  this  spot  pointed  to  nc  the  site  of  Tillilum,  near  Perth,  once  a  con- 
vent of  Carmelites,  in  the  east  end  of  the  parish  of  Tippir-moor.  The  founder  is  not 
mentioned :  we  only  learn  from  Keith  that  Richard  Inverkeithing.  bishop  of  Dunkeld, 
built  here  a  fine  chapel  and  a  house,  in  1262,  and  that  the  synods  of  the  diocese  were 
wont  to  be  kept  here,  for  fear  of  the  Cattarranes,  or  the  Highland  robbers,  till  the  year 
1460,  when  Thomas  Lauder,  bishop  of  Dunkeld,  removed  them  to  his  own  cathedral.  * 

In  my  return  to  Dupplin  had  a  distant  view  to  Methwen,  a  place  lying  between  Tip. 
pir>moor  and  the  Almond,  noted  for  the  defeat  Robert  Bruce  received  here  from  tne 
English,  in  1306,  under  Aymer  de  Valence,  earl  of  Pembroke. 

The  banks  of  this  river,  about  two  miles  higher  than  Bertha,  afforded  an  untimely 
grave  to  the  fair  friends,  Bessie  Bell,  and  Mary  Gray,  two  neighbouring  beauties,  cele- 
brated in  an  elegant  Scotch  ballad,  composed  by  a  lover  deeply  stricken  with  the 
charms  of  both.  One  was  the  daughter  of  the  laird  of  Kinvaid,  the  other  of  the 
laird  of  Lcdnoch.  A  pestilence  that  raged  in  1666  determined  them  to  retire  from 
the  danger.  They  selected  a  romantic  and  sequestered  spot,  on  the  side  of  Brauchie 
9urn,  vmere 

They  bie^ed  a  bower  on  yon  Bum  brx. 
And  uuck'd  it  o'er  with  rashes. 

Here  they  lived  for  some  time,  and  as  should  seem  without  jealousy,  for  they  received 
the  visits  of  their  lover,  till,  catching  the  infection,  they  both  died,  and  were  both  in- 
terred in  the  lands  of  Lednoch,  at  Dronach  Haugh.f 

August  29.  Leave  Dupplin,  and  re-visit  Perth.  Am  honoured  by  the  magistrates 
with  the  freedom  of  the ,  city. 

i'assover  the  part  of  the  North-Inch.  On  this  plain,  in  1396,  a  private  war  between 
the  Clan-Chattan,  and  the  Clan- Kay,  was  decided  in  a  manner  parallel  to  the  combat 
between  the  Horatii  and  Curiae  A  cruel  feud  raged  between  these  warlike  tribes, 
which  the  king,  Robert  the  IL,  vain  endeavoured  to  reconcile  :  at  length  the  earls 
of  Crawford  and  Dunbar  proposed,  that  the  difference  should  be  determined  by  the 
sword,  by  thirty  champions  on  each  side.  The  warriors  were  chosen,  the  day  of  com- 
bat fixed,  the  field  appointed,  and  the  king  a^d  his  nob^ity  assembled  as  spectators. 
On  reviewing  the  combatants,  one  of  the  Clan-Chattan  (seized  with  a  panic)  was  mis- 
fflng ;  when  it  was  proposed,  in  order  to  form  a  parity  of  r  imbers,  iihat  one  of  the 
(llan-Kay  should  withdraw;  but  such  was  the  spirit  f  that  brave  people,  that  not  one 
could  be  prevailed  on  to  resign  the  honour  and  da'^^r  of  the  day.  At  length  one 
Henry  Wind,  a  saddler,  who  happened  accidentally  to  be  present,  Offered  to  supply  the 
place  of  the  lost  Macintosh,  for  the  small  sum  of  a  French  crown  of  gold.  He  was  ac- 
cepted ;  the  combat  began,  and  Henry  fairly  earned  his  r  ,  for  by  his  prowess  vie- 
to^  declared  itself  in  favour  of  hb  party.  Of  that  < :<  an«Chattan  only  ten  and  the 
volunteer  were  left  alive,  and  every  one  of  them  dangerously  wounded.  Of  the  Clan- 
Kay  only  one  survived,  who,  declining  so  unequal  a  combat,  flung  himself  into  the  Tay, 
^d  swam  over  unwounded  to  the  opposite  shore,  j: 

Ride  over  the  bridge  of  Perth,  the  most  beautiful  structure  of  the  kind  in  North 
Britain,  designed  and  executed  by  Mr.  Smeaton.  Its  length  is  nine  hundred  feet ; 
the  breadth  (the  only  blemish)  twenty-two  within  the  parapets.  The  piers  are  founded 
ten  feet  beneath  the  bed  of  the  river,  upon  oaken  and  beachen  piles,  and  stones  laid  in 
puzzalane,  and  cramped  with  iron.    The  number  of  arches  nine ;  of  which  the  centre 


*  MS.  Life  of  the  Bishops, 
t  Buchanan,  Ub.  X.  c.  3,  S. 


t  Gabions  of  Perth,  p.  19. 


1 

V 


414 


PENNANT'S  SECOND  TOUR  IN  SCOTLAND. 


is  seventy. five  feet  in  a  diameter.  This  noble  work  opens  a  communication  with  all  the 
different  great  roads  of  the  kingdom,  and  was  completed  at  the  expence  of  twenty.six 
thousand  pounds :  of  this  the  commisttioners  of  forfeited  estates,  by  his  majesty's  per. 
mission,  gave  eleven  thousand ;  Perth,  two ;  private  subscribers,  four  thousand  seven 
hundred  and  fifty-six ;  the  royal  boroughs,  five  hundred.  But  still  this  great  work 
would  have  met  with  a  check  for  want  of  money,  hud  not  the  carl  of  Kinnoull,  with 
his  characteristic  public  spirit,  advanced  the  remaining  sum,  and  taker,  the  security  of 
the  tolls ;  with  the  hazard  only  to  himself. 

Several  preceding  bridges  have  been  washed  away  by  the  violent  floods,  that  at  times 
pour  down  from  the  Highlands.  The  first  misfortune  on  record  is  that  which  befel  it 
in  1210,  in  the  r^me  of  William  the  Lion,  before  recited  by  me.  I  am  uncertain 
whether  it  suiFcred  ?.  second  time  before  the  year  1329 ;  or  whether  the  order  given 
that  year  by  Robert  I,  for  liberty  of  getting  stones  out  of  the  quarries  of  Kynkarachi 
and  Balcormoc,*  for  the  building  of  that,  the  bridge  of  Earn,  and  the  church  of  Perth, 
was  not  for  re-building  the  former,  which  might  have  lain  in  ruins  since  the  days  of 
William.  After  this,  it  met  with  a  succession  of  misfortunes,  in  the  years  1573, 1582, 
and  1589 ;  and  finally,  in  the  year  1612,  when  it  had  been  just  re-built  and  completed 
in  the  most  magnificent  manner,  a  fatal  flood  overthrew  the  whole  :  a  judgment,  said 
the  people,  on  the  iniquity  of  the  place,  for  in  1606  here  was  held  that  parliament, 
**  at  which  bishops  were  erected,  and  the  lords  rode  first  in  their  scarlet  gowns. "f 
From  that  period  it  lay  neglected,  till  the  late  successful  attempt  restored  it  at  least  to 
its  former  splendour. 

On  reaching  the  eastern  banks  of  the  Tay,  make  a  digression  about  a  mile  and  a  halt 
to  the  left,  to  see  the  celebrated  abbey  of  Scone,|  seated  amidst  beautiful  woods,  and, 
at  a  small  distance  from  the  river.  Long  a^er  the  foundation  of  the  abbey,  Scone  had 
been  a  place  of  note.  It  is  called  by  some  the  ancient  capital  of  the  Picts :  but  it 
certainly  was  the  seat  of  the  princes  of  Scotland  as  early  as  the  time  of  Kenneth.  On 
a  tumulus,  still  in  being,  they  kept  their  court  of  justice :  on  this  they  sat  to  deter- 
mine the  pleas  between  their  barons,  whence  it  was  called  the  Mons  Placiti  de  Sconft, 
omnis  terra,  or  the  Mote  hill  of  Scone.  It  is  also  sometimes  called  Boot  hill,  in  allu> 
sion  to  a  supposed  ancient  practice  of  bringing  to  this  place  a  bootfull  of  earth  from 
difl*erent  estates,  when  the  proprietors  were  here  to  be  invested  in  them.  Mote, 
in  the  Gaelic  tongue,  signifies  a  court ;  for  in  very  early  times  it  was  customary  for 
the  great  people  to  deliver  their  laws  from  eminences  of  this  kind.  Our  Druids  had 
their  Gorseddau,  where  they  sate  aloft,  and  delivered  heir  decrees,  their  sentences,  and 
their  oratijns  to  the  people. 

It  has  bt!?n  said,  that  Malcolm  Mac-Kenneth,  or  Malcolm  the  II,  seated  in  the  famous 
chair,  placed  on  this  mount,  '*  gave  and  distributed  all  his  lands  of  the  realm  of  Scot- 
land amongst  his  men,  and  reserved  natMng  in  propertie  to  himself,  bot  the  royall  dig- 
nitie,  and  the  Mutehill  in  the  towne  of  Scone."}  So  that  it  should  seem  the  very  ex- 
istence of  his  royal  dignity  depended  on  the  possession  of  this  hill  of  authority.  But  I 
must  remark  with  Mr.  Guthrie,  that  this  distribution  ought  to  be  taken  in  a  more 
limited  sense :  it  being  incredible  that  any  pr'ace  should  thus  totally  divest  himself  of  all 
the  royal  demesnes.    It  is  most  probable  that  he  only  renewed  tc  his  barons  the  grants 

*  On  opening  this  quarry,  for  the  materials  of  the  present  bridge,  number^  of  the  ancient  tools  were 
discovered, 
f  Gabions,  83. 

\  Or  Scyon,  as  it  is  called  in  a  charter  of  Alexander  II.    Vide  Anderson's  Diplomata,  No.  XXX. 
§  Regiam  Majest.  p.  I.  and  Boethius,  lib.  XI.  p. 245. 


PENNANT'S  SECOND  I'OUK  IN  SCOTLAND. 


415 


of  their  lands,  and  in  reward  for  their  faithful  services  made  their  tenures  sure  and  here- 
ditary, which  before  they  held  precariously,  and  on  the  will  of  the  crown.* 

The  abhey  was  founded  by  Alexander  the  First,  in  1 1 14,  and  was  dedicated  to  the 
Holy  Trinity  and  St  Michael  the  arch-angel,  and  filled  with  canons  regular  of  St. 
Augustine.  It  is  said  to  have  been  originally  a  seat  of  the  Culdees,  which  is  not  im- 
probable, as  it  is  not  to  be  supposed  that  so  noted  a  place  could  be  destitute  of  some  re- 
ligious order.  The  revenues  at  the  reformation  were  considerable;  amounting  to 
11401.  6s.  6d.  Scots ;  besides  sixteen  chaldrons  and  two  firlots  of  wheat;  seventy-three 
chaldrons  thirteen  bolls,  two  firlots,  and  two  pecks  of  bear ;  sixty-two  chaldrons  of 
meal ;  eighteen  chaldrons  and  three  bolls  of  oats ;  and  one  last  of  salmon. 

In  the  church  of  this  abbey  was  preserved  the  famous  chair,  whose  bottom  was  the 
fatal  stone,  the  palladium  of  the  Scottish  monarchy  :  the  stone,  which  had  first  served 
Jacob  for  hb  pUlow,  was  afterwards  transported  into  Spain,  where  it  was  first  used  as  a 
seat  of  justice  by  Gethalus,  cotemporary  v/ith  Moses.  It  afterwards  found  its  way  to 
Dunstamige  in  Ai^leshire,  continued  there  as  the  coronation  chair  till  the  reign  of 
Kenneth  II,  who  to  secure  hb  empire  removed  it  to  Scone.  Here  it  remained,  and  in  it 
everjr  Scottbh  monarch  was  inaugurated  til .  the  year  1296,  when  Edward  I,  to  the 
mortificationofNorth-Britain,  tranuated  it  to  Westminster  abbey ;  and  with  it,  accord- 
ingto  ancient  prophecy,  the  empire  of  Scotland. 

The  ceremony  of  placing  the  new  monarch  in  the  coronation  chair  was  here  ditary  in 
the  ancient  earls  of  Fife.  Edward,  in  the  midst  of  his  usurpation,  paid  s  st.ict  atten. 
tion  to  that  point:  the  office  was  in  Duncan  the  eleventh  earl ;  but  as  he  was  under 
age  and  with  the  king,  I  find  in  Rymer*s  Foederaf  a  writ  dated  Nov.  21,  1292,  at 
Norham,  directing  one  John  of  Perth,  instead  of  the  young  eiu*!,  to  perform  the  cere- 
mony of  putting  his  creature  John  BaUol  into  the  regal  chair  at  Scone. 

This  abbey,  with  the  church,  in  the  year  1559,  underwent  the  common  fate  of  re- 
ligious houses,  in  the  furious  and  ungovernable  season  of  j^formation.  This  was  de- 
molbhed  by  the  zealots  of  Dundee,  in  resentment  of  one  of  their  company  being  killed 
by  a  shot  from  the  house.  The  nobility  who  were  present  strove  to  divert  their  rage, 
being  more  interested  in  the  preservation,  from  the  prospect  of  sharing  in  the  plunder 
of  the  church. 

In  the  church  is  the  monument  of  Sir  David  Murray,  ancestor  of  lord  Stormont, 
the  present  owner  of  the  place.  Sir  David's  figure  is  placed  in  an  attitude  of  devotion, 
with  a  long  inscription,  relating  his  lineage,  offices  and  virtues.  Charles  II,  was 
crowned  in  this  church  before  he  set  out  in  the  expedition  that  terminated  in  the  fatal 
battle  of  Worcester,  'j^he  crown  was  placed  on  his  head  by  the  marquis  of  Argyle, 
the  wily  peer  being  for  once  cheated  by  the  young  prince,  who  flattered  him  with  the 
hope  of  seeing  one  of  his  daughters  mother  of  a  line  of  kings.:( 

In  the  year  1715  the  old  Chevalier  resided  here  for  some  time,  and  issued  out  six 
proclamations,  among  whiui  was  one  for  his  coronation  on  the  23d  of  January  1716 ; 
but  before  that  time  his  resolution  failed,  and  he  fled  from  a  crown  ht  was  unworthy  to 
wear.    His  son,  in  1745,  made  the  place  a  short  visit. 

Return  the  same  road ;  pass  near  the  end  of  the  bridge  of  Perth,  and,  after  a  short 
space,  ride  beneath  the  vast  rocks  of  Kinnoull,  which  threaten  destruction  to  the  tra- 
veller, from  the  frequent  falls  from  this  black  and  ragged  precipice.  Many  awful  ruins 
are  scattered  far  beyond  the  road ;  one  of  which  a  few  years  ago  overwhelmed  a  small 


•  Hilt.  Scotland,!.  S26. 
}  Clarendon,  vi.  395- 


t  Vol.  ii.  p.  600. 


416 


PENNANT'S  SECOND  TOUR  IN  SCOTLAND. 


cottage  and  the  poor  inhabitants.  Beautiful  agates  are  frequently  found  in  this  hill.  In 
examining  the  fragments  that  lay  beneath,  I  discovered  a  considerable  quantity  of  lava, 
A  proof  of  its  having  been  an  ancient  volcano. 

In  the  church  of  KinnouU  is  the  magnificent  monument  of  Chancellor  Hay.*  His 
lordship  is  represented  standing  under  a  rich  entablature,  supported  by  three  pillars  : 
two  elegantly  carved,  the  third  plain,  surrounded  by  a  coronet.  His  dress  is  a  long 
gown,  great  ruff,  and  small  close  cap.  The  seals  and  a  scull  are  placed  on  a  table  be- 
fore him.    Beneath  is  a  space  designed  for  the  epitaph,  but  left  uninscribed. 

Sum  rench  the  noted  Carse  of  Gowrie,  a  fine  tract  that  extends  in  length  fourteen 
miles,  and  in  breadth  four,  bounded  on  the  north  by  a  range  of  hills  called  Uie  Braes  of 
Cowrie,  and  by  the  river  Tay  on  the  south.  Too  much  cannot  be  said  of  its  fertility. 
It  is  covered  with  corn  of  every  species  ;  peas  and  clover  all  in  great  perfection ;  varied 
with  orchards,  plantations,  and  ^ntlemens*  seats.  The  roads  are  planted  on  each  side 
with  trees,  which,  with  the  vast  richness  of  the  country,  reminded  me  of  Flanders ;  and 
the  extensive  corn  lands,  with  the  mud.houses,  dabbed  on  the  outside  with  coW«dung, 
for  fuel,  immediately  brought  before  me  the  idea  of  Northamptonshire.  It  agrees  with 
the  last  also,  in  finding  during  summer  a  great  deficiency  of  vrater  for  common  uses,  and 
a  great  lack  of  fuel  all  winter  ;  so  that  the  following  is  become  a  proverbial  saying, 
(false,  I  trust,  in  the  last  instance)  *'  that  the  Carse  of  Cowrie  wants  water  all  sumiher, 
fire  all  winter,  and  the  grace  of  Cod  all  the  year  through." 

The  view  of  the  Tay  and  the  opposite  shore  add  ^at  charms  to  the  view.  On  the 
southern  bank  stands  Elcho,  a  poor  convent  of  Cistercian  nuns,  founded  bv  David 
Lindsay  of  Glanerk  and  his  mother,  on  a  piece  of  ground  belonging  to  Dumfermline  ; 
endowed  afterwards  by  IMadoch,$  earl  of  Strathearn,  with  the  Iknds  of  Rinnaird  in  Fife. 
But  the  recluses  were  never  very  opulent,  as  their  whole  revenue  at  the  Reformation 
amounted  but  to  axty.four  pounds  ux  shillings  and  eight-pence. 

A  little  further  the  Tay  begins  to  spread  considerably,  and  to  assume  the  fbnfn  of  an 
sBstuary.  At  a  hamlet  called  Hawkestone,  see  on  the  road  side  a  very  large  stone,  said 
to  be  tnat  on  which  the  hawk  of  the  peasant  Hay  alighted,  after  it  had  perfom^ed  its 
flight  round  the  land  which  was  nven  to  the  gallant  rustic  in  reward  of  his  services :  on 
it  is  inscribed  in  modern  letters,  1  know  not  why,  the  word  Caledonia. 

Reach  Errol,  a  small  town,  remarkable  for  the  beautiful  views,  particulariy  those 
from  the  gardens  of  Mr.  Crawford,  seated  on  a  knowl,  with  a  rich  view  of  land  or 
water  from  every  part.  Here  I  remarked  the  arbor  vitae  of  a  very  uncommon  size, 
being  five  feet  six  inches  in  circumference.    The  seeds  ripen  here  very  well. 

Observe,  about  a  mile  to  the  left,  Castle-Lion,  a  seat  of  the  Lions,  earis  of  Strathmore. 

The  Carse  of  Cowrie  terminates  a  few  miles  farther,  when  the  land  grows  higher, 
but  still  continues  fertile  aiid  improved. 

The  southern  boundary  of  the  Tay  is  the  shire  of  Fife,  a  bteiutiful  extent  of  country, 
rbing  gently  from  the  water  edge.  Newburgh,  a  port  of  Perth,  where  vessels  of  three 
hundred  tons  may  lie,  is  to  be  seen  on  that  shore,  a  little  east  of  Abemetfay.  Farther 
on  are  many  places  of  note  that  lie  on  that  coast,  and  were  seeh  in  the  course  of  this 
day's  ride.  The  first  is  Lindores,  a  little  east  of  Newbui^h,  a  rich  abbey,  founded  by 
David  earl  of  Huntingdon,  brother  to  William  the  First,  on  his  return  fh)m  the  Holy 
Land,  about  the  year  1178.  The  pious  inhabitants  were  Tjrronesian  monks,  drawo 
from  the  abbey  of  Kelso,  whom  Boethius  pronounces  to  have  been  fiimous  for  the  inno- 

*  Sir  George  Hay  first  earl  of  Kinnoull. 

t  Probably  Malaiae  or  Maurice,  for  I  see  no  Madochs  among  the  Earls. 


PENNANT'S  SECOND  TOUR  IN  SCOTLAND. 


417 


hill.  In 
'  of  lava« 

*  His 
c  pillars : 
is  a  long 
table  be- 

t  fourteen 
Braes  of 
i  fertility. 
;  varied 
each  side 
erS ;  and 
)W>dung, 
irees  with 
uses,  and 
1  saying, 
sumiher, 

On  the 
y  David 
ermline ; 
din  Fife, 
formation 

i)ni:iofan 
one,  said 
bm^ed  its 
aces:  on 

rly  those 
f  land  or 
non  size, 

lathmore. 
B  higher, 

country, 
(of  three 
Farther 
le  of  this 
mded  by 
the  Holy 
s,  drawn 
theinno- 


cency  of  their  manners.  Their  revenue  in  money  was  two  thousand  two  hundred  and 
fortv  pounds  fourteen  shillings  and  fourpence  Scots  t  and  they  had  bcftidcs  twenty  .two 
parish  churches  dependent  on  them.  The  duke  of  Rothesay,  eldest  son  to  Robert  II, 
who  was  starved  to  death  at  Falkland  by  his  uncle,  was,  according  to  report,  buried  in 
the  church  of  this  abbey. 

A  few  miles  more  to  the  east,  on  the  same  shore,  are  the  ruins  of  Balmerino,  or  Bal- 
merinoch,  a  most  beautiful  abbey  of  Cistercians  (transplanted  from  Melross)  begun  by 
Alexander  H,  and  hb  mother  Emergarda,  in  1229,  on  lands  purchased  by  her  for  a 
thousand  marks  from  Richard  de  Ruele,  who  resigned  th'is  and  the  lands  of  Cultreacli 
and  Ballindean  to  her  in  1215,  for  this  pious  use.  Various  other  donations  were  be* 
stowed  on  it ;  among  which  may  be  reckoned  Corbie  and  Birkill,  i  nd  its  parks,  be- 
queathed l^y  Lawrence  of  Abernethy,  because  the  royal  foundress  h^lcft  him  in  her 
will  a  legacy  of  two  hundred  marks  sterling.  The  preceptory  of  Gadvan  in  Fife  also 
belonged  to  this  abbey,  and  two  or  three  of  the  monks  always  resided  on  it.  The  re- 
venues of  the  place  were  not  lar^,  not  exceeding  seven  hundred  and  four  pounds  two 
ahiltings  and  tenpence  halfpenny  m  Scots  money.  At  the  Reformation  Balmerino  wao 
erected  into  a  barony,  in  favour  of  Sir  James  Elphinston. 

Near  the  villus  of  Invergowrie  quir  the  shire  of  Perth,  and  enter  that  of  Angus,  and 
after  a  ride  of  three  or  four  miles  arrive  at  Dundee,  a  well-built  town,  seated  on  the 
aestuary  of  the  Tay,  about  eight  miles  from  the  mouth,  in  lat.  56. — 24.  30.  long,  from 
London  3-r-5.  3.  west,  and  is  the  third  in  rank  of  the  royal  boroughs.  The  number 
of  inbaUointfl  in  the  tQwn  and  suborbs  amount  nearly  to  fourteen  thousand.  Here  arc 
dirce  eiMkUiabed  ohurohes,  with  ihree  ministers  and  two  assistants  for  the  discharsK  of 
tfie  duty  of  the  parish,  which  iricludes  a  certain  district  near  the  town;  besides,  Uiere 
are  two  e|Nscq^  chapels,  a  meeting-house  for  the  Glassites,*  and  three  for  the  burgher 
and  antibuigj^r  seceders. 

The  (own  is  seated  on  the  sidt  of  a  hill,  and  is  rather  irregulariy  laid  out  Above  it 
is  Law  of  Dundee,  a  mark  to  st^unen.  The  harbour  is  artificially  protected  by  piers, 
and  furnished  with  a  quay,  on  which  are  three  very  handsome  public  warehouses,  built 
in  1750.  The  ku-MSt  is  composed  of  a  centre  a  hundred  feet  long,  with  two  handsome 
wiogs^  all  built  of  nee-stone,  and  dvur  comers  adorned  with  rustic  work.  The  harbour 
is  very  commodbus,  and  verv  accesmble  by  people  that  are  acqimnted  with  it.  There 
are  Oft  the  npith  fllWHPe,  noir  toe  eatnr  of  die  sestuaiy,  two  light.l»  uses,  very  completely 
finished,  and  well  attended,  being  the  property  of  the  fraternity  of  seamen  at  Dundee; 
but  the  wwt  of  ft  new  survey  is  much  to  be  revetted)  as  the  sands  have  of  late  years 
shifted:  the  public  therefore  lode  up  to  the  admiraltv, expecting  its  attendon  b  this 
important  article.  The  port  will  contain  about  two  hundred  sail,  has  at  spring  tides 
fourteen  feet  water,  and  admits  vessels  of  upwards  of  diree  hundred  tons  burden.  There 
are  at  present  about  seventy  aUps  belonging  to  the  place,  and  one  of  two  hundred  and 
uxty-KNir  tons,  that  is  employed  in  the  Ureenland  whale-^shqry.  An  attempt  is  now 
midung  to  revive  the  coasting  cod-fist'ery.  >  ^  ;  >,^^^ ; 

The  mamtSMtures  of  Dunoee  are  linen,  especially  of  osnaburghs,  sail-cloth,  cordage, 
threads,  thread  stockings,  buckrams  (a  new  work  in  Scotland)  tanned  leather,  and 
shoes,  for  the  London  miiritet ;  hats,  which  has  set  aside  their  importation  from  Eng- 
land for  the  supply  of  these  parts :  and  lastly,  as  an  article  of  trade,  may  be  mentionol 
a  sugar-house,  erected  about  seven  years  ago,  which  does  conuderabk  business.  Here 
was,  in  memory  of  man,  a  maimiiicture  of  coarse  wcoUen^cloth,  called  plaiden,  which 

*  Or  the  followers  of  Mr.  John  Glass,  founder  of  the  sect  of  Independents  in  North  Britain, 
vol..  III.  3  H 


418 


PENNANT'S  SECOND  TOUR  IN  SCOTLAND. 


was  exported  undressed,  undyed,  to  Sweden,  Germany,  and  the  United  Provinces,  fur 
clothing  the  troops  of  those  countries  ;  but  this  was  superseded  by  that  of  osnaburghs, 
which  commenced  in  the  year  1747,  and  is  now  the  staple  of  the  coimty  of  Angus. 
In  1773,  4,448, 460  yards  were  stamped  ;  the  price  from  fourpenccto  sixpence  a  yard. 
These  arc  shipped  for  London,  Newcastle,  Leith,  Burrowstoness,  and  Glasgow,  from 
whence  they  are  sent  to  the  West  Indies  and  America,  for  the  clothing  of  the  slaves. 
To  the  same  places  are  also  exported  threads,  soap,  shoes,  leather,  and  saddlery  goods. 
To  Sweden  and  Norway  are  sent  potatoes,  and  dressings  of  Hax ;  and  in  times  of  plenty, 
when  exportation  is  allowed,  corn,  meal,  and  flour.  The  salmon  taken  near  Brough- 
Tay  castle  is  sent  salted  to  Holland. 

In  respect  to  imports,  it  receives  from  North  America,  Russia,  Memel  and  Dantzick, 
Sweden,  Norway,  Spain,  Portugal,  the  usual  exports  of  those  countries ;  and  from 
Holland  uiidrcst  flax,  for  the  manufacture  of  threads  and  fine  linens,  pot-ashes,  linseed, 
clover-seed,  old  iron,  and  madder,  for  the  use  of  dyers.     Such  is  its  present  state. 

The  public  buildings,  ancient  and  modern,  are  these  :  the  magnificent  Gothic  tower 
of  the  old  church,  a  venerable  and  superb  building,  now  standing  by  itself,  giving  reason 
to  every  spectator  to  regret  the  loss  of  the  body.  The  only  remains  are  the  choir, 
called  the  Old  Kirk,  whose  west  end  is  crossed  by  another  building,  divided  into  two 
places  of  worship,  evidently  of  a  later  construction,  and  probably  built  out  of  the  ruins 
of  the  old  :  the  last,  when  entire,  was  in  form  of  a  cross,  and,  according  to  Boethius, 
founded  by  Duvid  earl  of  Huntingdon,  brother  to  William  I,  of  Scotland,  and  dedi- 
cated to  the  blessed  Virgin.  This  happened  on  his  return  from  his  third  crusade,  in 
which  he  had  accompanied  Richard  I,  in  1189,  and  carried  with  him  five  hundred  of 
his  countrymen.  After  undergoing  various  calumities  incident  to  these  pious  warriors, 
on  his  return  to  his  native  country  he  was  nearly  perishing  by  shipwreck  in  sight  of  this 

Slace,  when  vowing  to  erect  a  temple  to  the  Virgin  he  was  instantly  relieved,  and  shewed 
is  gratitude  in  this  superb  pile.  *  It  must  be  confessed  that  he  called  in  the  aid  of  other 
well-disposed  people  ;  for  he  obtained  a  mandate  from  the  Pope,  still  to  be  seen  in  the 
Vatican,!  recommending,  to  assist  in  the  expence,  a  collection  throughout  Christendom. 
The  time  that  part  of  the  body  of  the  church  was  destroyed  is  not  certainly  known ; 
it  was  probably  at  the  time  of  the  Reformation,  when  the  zealots  of  this  place  made 
excursions  far  and  wide  to  destroy  the  churches  of  other  cities. 

This  place  had  several  religious  houses ;  one  of  Mathurines,  founded  by  James  Linde- 
sajr,  whose  charter  was  confirmed  at  Perth,  in  1392,  by  Robert  III.  Another  of  Do- 
minicans, by  Andrew  Abercrombie,  a  burgess  of  the  town.  A  third,  of  Franciscans, 
by  Devorgilla,  daughter  to  Alan  lord  of  Galloway ;  but  that  was  supported  only  by 
alms.  Lady  Beatrix,  dowager  of  William  earl  of  Errol,  ^ve  them  a  hundred  pounds 
Scots,  on  condition  that  the  monks  prayed  (with  a  low  voice)  for  her  soul,  and  that  of 
her  husband.  In  1482  they  consisted  of  a  warden  and  fourteen  brethren.  The  fourth 
was  a  nunnery',  whose  name'  is  barely  mentioned.]: 

The  town-house  is  a  most  elegant  structure,  begun  in  the  year  1730,  and  finished  in 
1734.  It  was  carried  on  under  the  directions  of  the  father  of  the  gentlemen  to  whom 
we  owe  the  Adelphi.  It  contains  the  post-office,  the  court-room,  with  vaulted  reposi- 
tories for  the  records,  the  guildhall,  and  the  council-chamber.  ''^ 

*  BoethiuB,  lib.  xiii.  275,  276. 
It  wab  shewn  to  Doctor  William  Raitt,  in  1740,  by  the  Pope's  librarian.  ,>    ■ 

Keith,  243.  272.  874.  283. 


I'ENN'AM'S  SP.COND  TOUU  IN  SCOTLAND- 


419 


tees,  fui 
iburghs, 
Angus. 
e  a  yard. 
)w,  from 
e  slaves, 
y  goods. 
)f  plenty, 
Broiigh- 

>antzick, 
ind  from 
linseed, 
ate. 

lie  tower 
ig  reason 
he  choir, 
into  two 
the  ruins 
3oethius, 
nd  dedi- 
isade,  in 
ndred  of 
warriors, 
ht  of  this 
i  shewed 
I  of  other 
len  in  the 
stendom. 
known ; 
ce  made 

s  Linde- 
r  of  Do- 
xiscans, 
only  by 
1  pounds 
td  that  of 
le  fourth 

lished  in 
0  whom 
i  reposi- 


Here  is  a  new  church,  built  in  a  style  that  docs  credit  to  the  place,  a»d  which  sIjcwr 
an  enlargement  of  mind  in  the  prcsbytcrians,  who  now  bcgih  to  thi.ik  that  the  Lord 
may  be  praised  in  beauty  of  holiness. 

There  is  not  a  relique  left  of  the  ancient  castle  :  but  its  site  may  be  <bund  where  the 
Lion  inn  now  stands. 

Two  or  three  miles  east  of  Dundee,  on  the  river,  are  the  ruins  of  the  fort  called 
Brough>Tay  Crag ;  over  against  which  is  Purton  Crags,  or  Ku!>t  Ferry,  frcniA  whence 
is  the  road  to  St.  Andrew's.  This  place  was  taken  by  the  Kitglish  fleet,  in  1547,  on 
the  invasion  of  Scotland  by  the  duke  of  Somerset.  The  Eugliih  remained  in  possession 
of  it  till  1550,  when  it  was  surrendered  to  the  French  under  M.  Dcssd,  who  by  its  cap- 
ture freed  the  Scots  from  a  most  troublesome  neighbour. 

This  place  derives  its  name  from  Dun,  a  hill,  and  Dee  or  Toy,  the  river,  on  which  it 
stands ;  for  Tay  seems  to  have  been  corrupted  from  Dee,  a  cominon  Celtic  name  for 
several  rivers.  Boethius  says  that  its  ancient  name  was  Alecium,  but  I  cannot  leant 
on  what  foundation.  The  Roman  fleet  entered  this  aestuary,  and  might  have  had  a 
station  in  some  part ;  but  from  diligent  inquiry  I  cannot  learn  that  there  have  been 
either  camp  or  road,  or  coins,  or  any  other  traces  of  that  nation,  discovered  in  ttic 
neijEhbourhood. 

The  first  notice  I  find  of  it  in  history  is  on  the  occasion  before  mentioned,  when  the 
earl  of  Huntingdon  founded  its  church,  and  changed,  as  Boethius  asserts,  its  name 
from  Alectum  to  Dei  Donum.  It  was  a  considerable  place  in  the  time  of  Edward  I. 
who  in  his  northern  progress,  in  1291,  reduced  it  and  other  places  that  lay  in  his  way. 
About  the  year  1311  it  was  in  possession  of  his  son,  who  placed  there  as  governor  Wil- 
liam de  Montfichet.*  In  1423  it  entered  into  an  obligation  with  Edinburgh,  Perth, 
and  Aberdeen,  to  raise  eleven  thousand  pounds  towards  paying  the  ransom  of  James  I, 
then  prisoner  in  England.f  This  is  a  proof  of  itH  wcuUli  at  that  time  ;  and  an  evidence 
of  its  commerce  in  1458  may  be  collected  from  the  royal  privilege  granted  to  it  by 
James  II,  of  the  following  tolls,  towards  the  repair  of  the  harbour,  which  were  thus  im- 
posed :  on  every  ship  ten  shillings ;  on  every  crayer,  buss,  barge,  or  ballingcr,  five  shil- 
lings; on  every  fercost,  twelve-pence;  on  every  great  boat,  six-pence.;}: 

But  Dundee  received  a  dreadful  check  by  the  siege  it  underwent  by  the  English, 
under  general  Monk,  in  September  1651.  The  governor,  major-general  Lumsden, 
was  summoned ;  but  returning  a  very  insuking  answer.  Monk  determined  to  storm  the 
place.  By  means  of  a  Scotch  bo]^  he  discoveresjl  the  situation  of  the  garrison,  that  it 
was  secure,  and  generally  by  noon  in  a  state  of  intoxication.  He  made  a  feint,  as  if  he 
intended  to  raise  the  siege ;  but  returned  instantly  with  his  forces,  supplied  with  slieaves 
of  wheat  cut  out  of  the  neighbouring  fields ;  with  them  they  fiUeid  the  ditch,  succeeded 
in  their  attack,  and  put  about  six  hundred  of  the  garrison  to  the  sword.  The  governor 
perished,  as  sir  Philip  Warwick  sa^s,^  by  the  hands  of  a  fanatic  officer,  afler  quarter 
was  given,  to  the  great  concern  of  the  humane  Monk.  The  booty  was  immense,  for 
besides  the  wealth  found  in  the  town,  there  were  sixty  sail  of  ships  in  the  harbour.jj 

I  must  not  quit  Dundee  without  saying  that  Dudhope,  the  seat  of  th(^  gallant  viscount 
Dundee,  lies  a  litde  north  of  the  place.  It  had  been  the  ancient  residence  of  the  Scrym- 
seours,  and  was  rebuilt  in  1600  by  sir  John  Scrymseour,  a  family  ruined  in  the  civil  wars. 
It  fell  at  length  to  the  crown,  and  was  granted  by  James  VII,  to  the  viscount,  then  only 

*t  Ayloffe's  Ancient  Calendars,  123,  306.  |  Anderson's  Dict.of  Commerce,  i.  277. 

$  Memoirs,  361.  ||  Vide  Gumble's  Life  of  gen.  Monk)  42.    Whitelockei  508, 509. 

3  H  2 


i 

.•I 


> 


490 


FCNNANVii  SCCONU  TOUU  IN  HCOTLMiB. 


Graham  of  Claverhouse ;  on  his  heroic  death  it  was  given  to  the  marquis  of  Douglas, 
and  still  remains  in  thut  house. 

Aug.  30.  In  the  morning  continue  my  journey,  and  turn  from  Dundee  northward. 
The  country  grows  a  little  more  hilly  i  is  still  much  cultivated ;  the  soil  ik  good,  but  the 
fields  of  wheat  grow  scarcer.  Leave  on  the  left  Balumbi,  a  ruined  caktie,  with  two 
round  towers.  On  the  right  is  Cluy>pots,  one  of  the  seats  of  the  famous  Cardinal 
Beaton. 

Leave,  unknowingly,  to  the  west  a  curious  monumental  stone,  set  up  in  memory  of 
the  defeat  of  Camus,  a  Danish  commander,  slain  on  the  spot  about  the  year  994. 
According  to  Mr.  Gordon,*  it  is  in  form  of  a  cross.  On  one  side  is  a  most  rude 
figure  of  our  Saviour  crucified;  beneath,  a  strange  Centaur.likc  monster  with  six  legs. 
On  the  upper  part  of  the  other  side  is  a  man,  hb  head  surrounded  with  a  glory,  and  on 
angel  kneeling  to  him.  Beneath  are  two  forms  like  /Egyptian  mummies ;  and  in  the 
third  compartment,  two  men,  whh  bonnets  on  their  heads  and  books  in  their  hands. 
The  battle  was  fought  near  the  village  of  Barray,  where  numbers  of  tumuli  mark  the 
place  of  slaughter ;  but  Camus  flying,  was  slain  here.  Commissary  Maule  mentions  a 
camp  ut  Kaer-boddo,  fortified  with  rampart  and  foss,  to  this  day  styled  Norway  dikes. 

Reach  Panmure,  a  large  and  excellent  house,  surrounded  by  vast  plantations.  It  was 
built  about  a  hundred  years  ago,  on  the  site  of  the  seat  of  the  ancient  family  of  the 
Maules,  in  the  barony  of  Panmure,  conveyed  into  that  house  by  the  marria|^  of  the 
heiress  of  the  place,  daughter  of  sir  William  de  Valoniis,  lord  chamberlain  of  Scot- 
land in  the  reign  of  Alexander  II.  This  barony  and  that  of  Banevin  ht  been  granted 
to  his  father  Philip  de  Valoniis,  and  confirmed  to  himself  by  William,  to  oe  held  by  the 
service  providing  half  a  soldier  whensoever  demanded.t 

In  the  house  are  some  excellent  portraits  of  distinguished  personages ;  among  them 
a  halMength  of  the  earl  of  Loudon,  chancellor  of  Scotland  during  the  civil  wars  of  the 
last  century,  esteemed  the  most  eloquent  man  of  hb  time,  and  the  most  active  leader  of 
the  covenanting  party.  We  may  learn  from  his  history,  that  the  regard  pretended  by 
the  faction  for  me  interests  of  religion  was  mere  hypocrisy.  The  proc?  may  be  collected 
from  the  imprisonment  of  this  nobleman  in  the  Tower,  in  the  year  1639,  for  the  highest 
act  of  treason;  for  joining  in  an  offer  to  put  his  country  under  the  protection  «  the 
French  king,  provided  he  would  assist  the  party  in  their  designs  ;|  for  oflbring  to  unite 
with  powers  the  most  arbitrary  in  Europe,  and  the  most  cruel  and  inveterate  persecutors 
of  their  Calvinistical  brethren ;  but  the  violence  of  party  would  have  induced  them  to 
have  heard  a  mass,  which  they  pretended  to  abhor,  provided  they  coidd  reject  the  inno. 
cent  litur^,  and  tyrannize  over  sinking  monarchy.  After  the  quarrel  of  the  Sc(^ 
with  the  English  parliament,  he  united  in  the  endeavours  of  bis  countrymen  to  restore 
Charles  II,  yet  passed  sentence,  as  chancellor,  on  the  gallant  Montrose,  with  all  the 
sourness  of  his  old  friends,  and  with  all  the  insolence  of  a  JefTeries.  On  the  defieat 
of  the  king  at  Worcester,  his  new  attachments  obliged  him  to  avoid  the  rage  of  the 
ruling  powers :  he  fled  to  the  Highlands,  at  length  made  his  peace,  and  lived  in  obscu- 
rity  till  his  death  in  1663. 

A  half-length  of  the  first  earl  of  Panmure,  in  his  robes.  He  was  lord  of  the  bed- 
chamber to  Charles  L  and  a  faithful  ^^rvant  to  hb  majesty  in  all  fortunes.  After  the 
king's  death  he  retired  into  Scotland,  where,  in  1654,  he  was  fined,  by  an  ordinance 
of  the  protector's  council,  in  the  sum  of  ten  thousand  pounds,  for  no  other  reason  than 
that  his  sons  were  engaged  in  the  royal  cause.  - 


•Itin.  154.tRb.lui.iig.  1. 


t  Anderson's  Diplomata,  No.  xxvUi. 


t  Clarendon,!.  139. 


fftNNANT'S  btCOND  TOUR  IN  ttCOTLANU. 


4il 


James  earl  ofPanmureJn  a  lonp^  wig,  and  armour,  disgraced  by  Jamcii  11,  for  non. 
compliance  with  that  prince's  dcbign;*  in  favour  of  popery  ;  yet,  ut  tlic  coiiveiitiDt)  of 
the  estates  at  the  Revolution,  wu»  a  strenuous  advocate  la  defence  of  his  old  muster. 
In  1715  carried  hit  attachment  so  fur  as  to  join  the  insurgents  in  favour  of  (he  son;  lx;« 
havcd  with  gallantry  at  the  buttle  of  Sheriff- moor,  and  forfeited  his  estate  and  honours 
ir  the  cause.  His  nephew,  by  his  merit,  recovered  the  title,  iKin^  created  on  that  score 
carl  of  Panmure  in  the  kingdom  of  Ireland ;  and  fortune,  in  this  instance  u  judicious 
goddess,  supplied  him  with  the  means  of  purchasing  the  large  family  estate. 

A  fine  head  of  prince  Rupert,  looking  over  one  shoulder. 

A  fine  portrait  of  the  duke  of  Monmouth,  sitting :  his  hair  long  and  beautiful ;  hin 
dress,  a  brown  aattin  nuintle,  and  a  iaoed  cravat. 

A  head  of  the  duke  of  Hamilton,  killed  by  lord  Mohun. 

Charles  XH,  of  Sweden,  with  his  usual  savage  look. 

The  Due  d' Aumont,  the  French  ambassador  in  the  rei^  of  queen  Anne,  who  came, 
over  on  the  occasion  of  the  peace.  He  is  said  to  have  paid  this  fine  compliment  to  the 
troops  that  had  helped  to  reduce  the  dangerous  power  of  his  master,  by  observing,  em- 
phatically, at  a  review  near  London,  "that  he  was  very  glad  to  see  them  in  that 
place."* 

Mr.  Coleshill  of  Chigwell,  Yorkshire,  a  half>length,  in  a  black  cap,  furred  gown, 
widia  gold  chain. 

His  daughter,  grotesquely  dressed  in  black ;  ber  arms  perfecUy  hcrisse«8  with  points. 
She  was  the  lady  of  m  £dward  Stanhope,  president  of  the  north,  whose  picture  in  small 
b  by  her. 

August  31.  Proceed  eastward  through  an  opea  country,  and  in  two  hours  reach 
Aberbrothic,  or  Arbroath,  seated  on  the  dncharge  of  the  little  river  Brothic  into  the 
sea,  as  the  name  imports ;  aber  in  the  British  iinplytng  such  a  situation.  It  is  a  small 
but  flourishing  place,  weU  built,  and  still  encrcasing :  the  town  has  been  in  an  improv. 
ir^  sttte  for  the  last  thirty  years,  and  the  number  of  inhabitants  grcatljr  augmented. 
This  is  owing  to  the  introduction  of  manuiactuBes }  the  number  at  this  time  is  said  to 
be  about  three  thousand  five  hundred :  these  principally  consist  of  weavers  of  coarse 
brown  linens,  and  some  sail-cloth ;  others  are  employed  in  making  white  and  coloured 
threads.;  the  remainder  are  either  engaged  in  the  shipping  of  the  place,  or  in  the  neces- 
saiy  and  common  mechanic  trades^ 

The  brown  linens,  or  osnaburghs,  were  manufactured  here  before  any  encourage, 
ment  was  given  by  government,  or  the  linen  company  erected  at  Edinburgh.  The 
merchant  who  first  introduced  the  manufacture  is  stiU  alive,  and  has  the  happiness  of 
seeing  it  overspread  the  country.  It  appears  firom  the  books  of  the  stamp-office  in  this 
town,  that  seven  or  eight  hundred  thousand  yards  are  annually  made  in  the  place,  and 
a  small  district  round.  Beside  this  export,  and  that  of  thread,  much  barley,  and  some 
wheat,  is  sent  abroad ',  but  so  populous  is  the  country,  that  more  than  an  equivalent  of 
meal  is  imported. 

The  fiareign  imports  are  flax,  flax-seed,  and  timber,  from  the  Baltic.  The  coast< 
ing  trade  consists  of  coals  from  Borrowstoness,  and  lime  from  lord  Elgin's  kilns  in  Fife. 
The  first  forms  a  conudcrable  article  of  commerce,  this  being  the  last  port  to  the  north 
into  which  that  commodity  may  be  brought,  free  from  the  heavy  duty  commencing  after 
it  has  passed  the  promontory,  the  Red-Head.  The  coast  from  the  Buttoness,  or  nor- 
thern cape  of  the  Firth  of  Tay,  is  entirely  destitute  of  a  port,  as  far  as  the  harbour 

*  Communicated  by  the  Rev.  Mr.  Granger,  to  whose  liberal  disposition  I  find  my  self  often  indebted. 


i'2'2 


I'UNNANI'f  lECOND  TOl'A  IN  8C0ILANI) 


uf  Nfoiitrosc.  Ill  fuct  this  caitcrn  side  of  the  kingdom  ii  ns  unfavourable  to  the  seamen 
us  il  is  to  the  niantcr.  Wliosiut'vcr  will  jhve  themu-lvcs  the  trouble  of  custiiifj  their  eye 
on  the  map  will  perceive,  that  from  the  Humber's  mouth  to  John«a-Groat's  house,  there 
itt  an  uncuntniou  scarcity  of  retreats  for  the  distressed  navigator  :  they  occur  seldom,  und 
have  ol'ien  near  their  entrances  the  obhtructions  of  sand,  to  render  the  access  diflicult. 
On  the  western  side  of  the  kingdom  nature  hath  dealt  out  the  harbours  with  a  perfect 
prufubion  :  nut  a  headland  can  be  doubled,  but  what  offers  a  safe  anchorage  to  the  dis<> 
tresiied  vessel. 

Al)erbroiluc  would  have  wanted  a  harbour,  had  not  the  aid  of  art  been  called  in : 
for  in  default  of  a  natural,  a  tolerable  artificial  one  of  piers  has  licen  formed,  where  at 
soring  tides,  which  risic  here  fifteen  feet,  ships  of  two  hundred  tons  can  come,  and  of 
eighty  i\t  neap-tides ;  but  they  must  lie  dry  at  low  water.  This  port  is  uf  great  anti- 
equity  :  there  is  an  agreement  yet  extant  between  the  abbot  and  the  burghen  of  Aber- 
brothic,  in  the  year  1194,  concerning  the  making  of  the  harbour.  Both  parties  were 
bound  to  contribute  their  proportions ;  but  the  largest  fell  to  the  share  of  the  former, 
for  which  he  was  to  receive  an  annual  tax,  payable  out  of  every  rood  of  land  lying 
within  the  borough.  This  is  a  royal  borough,  and,  with  Montrose,  Brechin,  Inverbervie, 
and  Aberdeen,  returns  one  member  to  parliament. 

The  glury  of  this  place  was  the  abbey,  whose  very  ruins  give  some  idea  of  its  former 
magnificence :  it  lies  on  a  rising  above  the  town,  and  presents  an  extensive  and  vene- 
rable front ;  is  most  deliciously  situated,  commands  a  view  of  the  sea  to  the  east,  of  a 
fertile  country  to  the  west,  bounded  by  the  Grampian  hills  i  and  to  the  south,  of  the 
openings  into  the  Firths  of  Tay  and  Forth. 

The  abbey  was  once  inclosed  with  a  strong  and  loAy  wall,  which  surrounded  a  very 
considerable  tract :  on  the  south-west  corner  is  a  tower,  at  prciient  the  steeple  of  the 
purish'Church  ;  at  the  south-east  corner  was  another  tower,  with  a  gate  beneath,  called 
the  Dam-gate,  which,  from  the  word  dam,  or  private,  appears  to  have  been  the  retired 
way  to  the  abbey.  The  magnificent  church  stands  on  the  north  side  of  the  square,  and 
was  built  in  form  of  a  cross :  on  the  side  are  three  rows  of  false  arches,  one  above  the 
other,  which  have  a  fine  effect,  and  above  them  are  very  high  windows,  with  a  circular 
one  above.  In  April  last  a  part  adjoining  to  the  west  end  fell  suddenly  down,  and  de> 
stroyed  much  of  tne  beauty  of  the  place.  The  length  of  the  whole  church  is  about 
two  hundred  and  seventy-five  feet,  the  breadth  of  the  body  and  side-aisles,  from  wall  to 
wall,  sixty-seven  :  the  length  of  the  transept  an  hundred  and  sixty-five  feet;  the  breadth 
twenty-seven. 

It  seems  as  if  there  had  been  three  towers ;  one  in  the  centre,  and  two  others  on  each 
side  of  the  west  end,  part  of  which  still  remains.  On  the  south  side,  adjoining  the 
church,  are  the  ruins  of  the  chapter-house ;  the  lower  part  is  vaulted,  is  a  spacious 
room,  well  lig;hted  with  Gothic  windows.    Above  is  another  good  apartment. 

The  great  gate  to  the  abbey  fronts  the  north :  above  the  arch  had  been  a  large  gal- 
lery, with  a  window  at  each  end.  At  the  north-west  corner  of  the  monastery  stand  the 
walls  of  the  regality  prison,  of  great  strength  and  thickness :  within  are  two  vaults,  and 
over  them  some  li^ht  apartments.  The  prison  did  belong  to  the  convent,  which  re- 
signed this  part  of  Us  jurisdiction  to  a  layman,  whom  the  religious  elected  to  judge  in 
criminal  affairs.  The  family  of  Airly  had  this  office  before  the  reformation,  and  con- 
tinued possessed  of  it  till  the  year  1747,  when  it  was  sold  and  vested  in  the  crown,  with 
the  other  heritable  jurisdictions. 

In  the  year  1445,  the  election  of  this  officer  proved  fatal  to  the  chieftains  of  two 
noble  families.    The  convent  had  that  year  chosen  Alexander  Lindesay,  eldest  son  of 


TEKKAKT'S  iCCONn  TOUH  IN  ftGOTl^MU. 


493 


the  earl  of  Crawford,  to  be  the  judge  or  bailey  of  their  rcpralitv ;  but  he  proved  w 
fxpensive  bv  his  number  of  followers,  and  high  way  of  livin^^,  that  they  were  obligt-d 
to  remove  him,  and  uppjiiU  in  hifi  place  Alexander,  r»ej)hcw  to  John  Ogilvic  of  Airlv. 
who  had  an  hereditary  claim  to  the  place ;  this  occasioned  a  cruel  fcu((  Ijctwten  the 
families  ;  each  assembled  their  vassals,  and  terminated  the  dispute  near  the  town.  Tlu 
Lindesays  were  victorious,  hvK  both  the  principals  fell  in  the  battle,  with  about  five 
hundred  of  their  followers. 

Very  few  other  buildings  remain.  In  the  area  within  the  great  gate  is  to  be  seen 
part  of  the  abbot's  lodgings,  built  on  strong  vaults,  three  stones  high,  consisting  of 
some  large  and  handsome  rooms. 

This  abbey  was  founded  by  AVilliam  the  Lion  in  1178,  and  dedicated  to  our  cele> 
bratcd  primate  Thomas  ^  Beckrt.  The  founder  v/as  buried  here,  but  there  are  no 
remains  of  his  tomb,  or  of  any  other,  excepting  that  of  a  monk  of  the  name  of  Alex, 
ander  Nicol.  The  monks  were  of  the  Tyronensian  order,  and  were  first  brought  from 
Kelso,  whose  abbot  declared  those  of  this  place  on  the  first  institution  to  lie  free  from 
his  jurisdiction.  The  last  abbot  was  the  famous  Cardinal  Beaton,  at  the  sam';  time  arch- 
bishop of  St.  Andrew's,  and,  before  his  death,  as  great  and  absolute  here  us  Wolsey 
was  in  England.  On  the  Reformation,  John  Hamilton  was  commendatory  abbot.  In 
1608  it  was  erected  into  a  barony,  in  favour  of  his  son  James,  then  was  conveyed  to 
the  earl  of  Dysart,  and  finally  bought  by  Patrick  Maulc  of  Panmure,  with  the  patron, 
agt  of  '.hirty-fbur  pounds. 

The  revenues  were  very  great:  in  the  year  1562,  they  were  reckoned  two  thousand 
five  hunded  and  fifty*threc  pounds  Scots,  besides  the  vast  contributions  of  corn  from 
the  tenants,  who  paid  their  rents  in  kind.  The  ordinance  for  the  yearly  provision  of 
the  house  in  1530  will  serve  to  give  some  idea  of  the  great  cliarity  and  hospitality  of 
the  place.    There  was  an  order  for  buying, 


h 


82  chalders  of  malt, 
30  of  wheat, 
40  of  meal, 


800  weathers, 

180  oxen, 

11  barrels  of  salmon, 

1200  dried  cod-fish. 

All  which  appears  additional  to  the  produce  of  their  lands,  or  what  their  tenants 
brought  in.  This  profusion  of  stores  would  seem  very  extraordinary,  when  the  num- 
ber of  monks  did  not  exceed  twenty-five :  but  the  ordinance  acciuaints  us,  that  the 
appointments  of  that  year  exceeded  those  of  1528,  notwithstanding  m  the  last  the  king 
had  been  there  twice,  and  the  archbishop  thrice.  In  the  chartulary  of  the  house,  tliese 
visits  are  complained  of  as  an  intolerable  burden,  and  with  reason,  for  besides  loading  the 
ab^>^y  with  vast  expence,  it  deprived  them  of  the  means  of  exerting  their  usual  hospi. 
tality  towards  the  poor. 

King  John,  the  English  monarch,  granted  this  monastery  most  uncommon  privileges ; 
for,  by  charter  under  his  great  seal,  tie  exempted  it  a  tcloniis  ct  consuetudine  in  every 
part  of  England,  except  London. 

In  thb  monastery  Robert  Bruce  convened  the  nobility  of  this  kingdom,  who  here 
framed  the  spirited  letter  and  remonstrance  to  Pope  John,  dated  April  6,  1320 ;  ji 
which  they  trace  the  origin  of  the  Scots  from  the  greater  Scythia,  through  the  Tyrrhe- 
nian sea,  and  the  pillars  of  Hercules,  into  Spain :  they  inform  him  that  they  expelled 
the  ancient  Britons,  destroyed  the  Picts,  and  maintained  this  kingdom  free,  through  a 
race  of  113  kings  of  uninterrupted  lineal  descent.  They  strongly  assert  their  inde- 
pendency of  the  English,  and  disclaim  the  right  that  Edward  11,  pretended  to  the 
kingdom.    They  entreat  his  Holiness  to  admonish  Edward  to  desist  from  his  hostilities  ; 


434 


i'ENKANT'S  SECOND  TOUR  IN  SCOTI.ANa 


and  heroicalljr  acquaint  the  Pope,  that  even  should  Bruce  desert  their  cause,  they  would 
choose  another  leader  (ho  little  notion  had  they  even  then  of  hereditary  righ'.^  and 
never  siil>init  even  to  extremity  to  the  unjust  pretensions  of  the  English  monarch. 
<*  Cui  (K)bcrto)  tanquam  illi  ptr  quern  salus  in  populo  facta  est,  pro  nostra  libertute 
tueiidu  tarn  jure  quani  meritis  tenemur  et  volumus  in  omnibus  adhserere ;  quem  si  ab 
inceptis  desisteret  Regi  Anglorum  aut  Aiiglicis  nos  aut  regnum  nostrum  volens  sub- 
jiccre,  tanquam  inimicum  nostrum,  et  sui  nostrisque  juris  subversorem,  statim  expellere 
niceremur,  et  alium  regem  nostrum,  ^ui  ad  defensionem  nostrum  sufficeret,  faceremus. 
Quia  quamdiu  centum  vivi  remansennt,  nunquam  Anglorum  domino  aliquatenus  vo> 
lumus  subjiigari ;  non  enim  propter  gloriam,  divitias  aut  honores  pugnamus,  sed 
propter  libertatem  sulummodo,  qui  nemo  bonus  nisi  simul  cum  vita  amittit." 

There  is  no  immediate  answer  from  the  Pope  extant ;  but  there  is  reason  to  suppose 
that  this  very  important  remonstrance  had  ^at  weight ;  for  in  August  of  the  same 
year  he  sent  a  bull  *  to  I^dward,  to  exhort  him  to  make  peace  with  the  Scots,  in  order 
that  the  operation  against  the  Infidels  in  the  Holy.land  might  be  pursued  without  in- 
terruption. There  is  also  a  letter  from  his  Holiness  f  to  the  same  prince,  to  acquaint 
him,  that  at  the  earnest  request  cf  Robert  he  had  suspended  the  sentence  of  excom- 
munication, perhaps  through  fear  of  losing  the  whole  Scottish  nation  by  too  rigorous 
a  procedure. 

After  dinner  continue  my  journey  toward  Montrose.  I  am  informed  that  oear  the 
road  stands  the  church  of  St.  Vigian,  a  Gothic  building,  supported  by  piUars,  with 
bles  on  each  side,  and  standing  on  a  pretty  green  mount,  in  the  midat  of  a  valley.  The 
church  returns  a  fine  echo,  repeating  distinctly  an  hexameter  verse. 

Pass  through  an  open  country,  and  observe  that  the  plantations  are  vastly  mossed, 
being  exposed  to  the  cankering  blasts  of  the  eastern  winds,  which  bring  with  them  fre- 
quent rains,  and  great  volumes  of  black  fog.  Ride  by  exten^ve  fields  of  peas  and  po- 
tatoes ;  the  last  a  novelty  till  within  the  last  twenty  years. 

The  open  country  continues  as  far  as  Lunan,  where  the  inclosures  coromcnce.  To  the 
right  is  the  promontory  called  the  Red-head,  forming  one  horn  of  JLun^n  bay,  open  to 
the  east  wind.  The  shore  in  this  part  is  high,  bold,  and  rocky,  and  often  excavated 
with  vast  hollows  extremely  worthy  the  attention  of  the  traveller ;  no  place  exhibits 
a  greater  vui'iety ;  some  open  to  the  sea,  with  a  narrow  mouth ;  and,  intemaUy,  ui- 
stantly  rise  into  lofty  and  spacious  vaults,  and  so  extensively  meandringt  that  no  one  has, 
as  yet,  had  the  haidiness  to  explore  the  end. 

Others  of  these  caves  shew  a  map;nificent  entrance,  divided  in  the  middle  by  a  vast 
column,  forming  two  arches,  of  a  height  and  grandeur  thatsham^  the  work  ofartinthe 
noblest  of  the  Gothic  cathedrals.  The  voyager  may  amuse  himself  by  enterioe  in  a  boat 
on  one  side  of  the  pillar,  surrounding  it,  and  returning  to  the  seta  (m  the  ouWr.  But 
the  most  astonishing  of  all  is  the  cavern,  called  the  Geylit  Fot,  that  almost  iiealises  ioTO- 
mantic  form  a  fable  in  the  Persian  Tales.  The  traveller  may  make,  a  ooiwiderble  sub- 
terraneous voyage,  with  a  picturesque  scenery  of  lofty  rodk  abaiv«,  aodiOR^^Ci^  side; 
he  may  be  rowed  in  this  solemn  scene  till  be  finds  him.se}f  suddenly  re^tCHred  to  the  sight 
of  the  heavens ;  he  finds  himself  in  a  circular  chasm,  open  tp  the  d^y,  with  a  narrow 
bottom,  and  extensive  top,  widening  at  the  margin  to  two  hundred  feet  in  diameter ;  on 
gaining  the  summit  a  most  unexpected  prospect  appears;  he  finds  himself  at  a  distance 
from  the  sea,  amidst  corn-fields,  enjoys  a  fine  view  of  the  country^  and  a  gentle- 
man's  seat  at  a  small  distance  from  the  place  out  of  which  he  emecged.    Such 


*  Rymer's  Foedera,  U.  846. 


t  Idein,  848. 


PKNNANT'S  SECOND  TOLU  IN  SCOTLANJ*. 


425 


7  \TOUtd 

jh'./  and 
monarch. 
( libertate 
lem  si  ab 
liens  sub- 
expellere 
iceremus. 
tenus  vo> 
,mus,  sed 

o  suppose 
the  same 

,  in  order 

without  in- 
acquaint 

>f  excom- 
rigorous 

It  near  the 
liars,  with 
ley.    The 

y  mossed, 

them  fre- 

9s  and  po- 

ice.  To  the 
ly,  open  to 
excavated 
:e  exbU>its 
rnaUy,  ki- 
no one  bas» 

t  by  a  vast 
ofartinthe 
tg  in  a  boat 
Ihcr.  But 
JisesioTo- 
lerble  s»b- 
v&y  side ; 
to  the  sight 
ih  a  narrow 
ameter;  on 
it  a  distance 
d  a  gentle- 
^    Such 


may  be  the  amusCinent  cf  the  curio  js  in  the  calms  of  the  summer  scabou  ;  but  wlicu 
the  storm  is  directed  from  the  east,  the  view  from  the  edge  of  this  hollow  is  tremendous ; 
for  from  the  height  of  above  three  hundred  feet,  i^py  may  look  down  on  the  furious 
waves,  whitened  with  foam,  and  swelling  in  their  lot-^;  confinement. 

The  cliffs  of  this  shore  are  not  without  their  singularities :  pcninsulatcd  rocks,  of  stu- 
pendous  height,  jut  frequently  from  their  front,  precipitous  on  all  sides,  and  washed  b} 
a  great  depth  of  water  :  the  isthmus  that  joins  them  to  the  land  is  extremely  narrow, 
impassable  for  any  more  than  two  or  three  persons  a-breast ;  but  the  tops  of  the  rocks 
spread  into  verdant  areas,  containing  vestiges  of  .rude  fortifications,  in  nncient  and  bar- 
barous times  the  retreat  of  the  neighbouring  inhabitants  from  the  too  powerful  invader. 

On  the  south  side  of  Lunnn  water  is  Red-castle,  once  a  residence  of  William  thc 
Lion.  After  crossing  that  water,  the  courtry  becomes  inclosed,  and  divided  into  fields 
of  about  eight  or  ten  Scotch  acres  in  size,,  fenced  with  walls  or  banks,  planted  with 
French  furze,  or  with  white-thorn.  A  great  spirit  of  husbandry  appears  in  these  parts, 
especially  in  the  parish  of  Craig,  which  I  no//  enter.  The  improvements  were  origi- 
nally begun  by  two  brothers,  MessrSo  Scotts,  of  Roasic  and  Duninald,  who  about  forty 
years  ago  made  their  experiment  on  an  estate  of  eight  or  nine  hundred  a  year  value  ; 
and  at  present  they  or  their  heirs  find  the  reward  of  industry,  by  receiving  from  it  three 
thousand  pounds  per  annum.  The  principal  manure  is  lime,  but  every  species  of  good 
husbandry  is  practised  here,  and  the  produce  is  correspondent ;  all  kinds  of  graii\ 
yield  six  from  one  ;  the  grass-land  is  set  from  twenty-five  to  thirty  shillings  an  acre. 
The  improvements  made  on  a  farm  of  five  hundred  a  year,  held  by  Mr.  Patrick  Scott, 
must  not  be  forgotten,  as  he  has  the  merit  of  making  land  not  worth  five  shillings  per 
acre,  at  present  worth  twenty.  There  need  no  stronger  proof  of  the  improvements  in 
husbandry,  and  the  fertility  of  the  land  in  this  neighbourhood,  than  to  mention  the  an- 
nual  exports  of  bear,  meal,  and  malt,  from  the  port  of  Montrose,  which  in  favourable 
seasons  amount  to  twenty  thousand  bolls. 

On  the  south  side  of  this  parish  (which  is  a  promontory  between  Lunan  bay  and  the 
South  Esk)  is  a  great  body  of  bluish  limestone,  I  may  say  at  present  tantalizing  the 
honest  farmer,  who,  by  reason  of  the  dearness  of  coal,  is  forbidden  the  use  of  it ;  a 
fataldutyof  three  shillings  and  three-pence  a  ton  on  all  coa^  commencing  at  the  Red- 
head, to  the  infinite  prejudice  and  discouragement  of  rural  economy  in  these  parts.  The 
thoughtless  imposition  of  a  tax,  before  the  use  of  lime  was  scarcely  known  in  these  parts, 
is  now  severely  felt,  and  obliges  the  farmers  to  neglect  the  cheap  manure  Providence 
intended  for  them  ;  and  at  great  expence  to  import  their  lime  from  the  earl  of  Elgin's 
works  on  the  Firth  of  Forth,  which  costs  them  about  seventeen  pence  per  boll.  Nature 
hath  denied  them  coal,  peat,  and  wood  ;  so  that  at  present  they  cannot  burn  their  lime 
with  the  imported  fuel  iat  less  than  twenty-pence  the  boll. 

Reach  the  village  ofFerryden,  opposite  to  Montrose,  and,  crossing  over  the  strait  or 
entrance  to  the  harbour,  arrive  there  late  at  night. 

Montrose,  or  more  properly  Mon-ross,  derives  its  name  either  from  Moin  ross,  the 
fenny  promontory,*  or  from  Mant  er  osc,  the  mouth  of  the  stream,!  is  seated  partly 
on  an  isthmus,  partly  on  a  peninsula,  bounded  on  one  side  by  the  German  ocean,  on  the 
other  by  a  large  bay,  called  the  bason  or  back  sands.  This  peninsula  is  evidently  u 
large  beach,  formed  in  old  times  by  the  sea,  as  appears  by  digging  to  any  depth.  ^ 

*  Irvine's  Nomencl.  Scot.  158.  t  Baxter,  Gloss.  Ant.  Brit.  170. 

\  Mr.  Maitland,  vol.  i.  p.  205,  supposes  the  gravel,  thus  discovered,  to  have  been  the  materials  of 
a  Roman  way,  which  was  continued  farther  north ;  and  asserts,  that  there  are  vestiges  of  a  camp  on  tlie 
neighbouring  links  or  sandy  plain,  but  I  received  not  the  least  account  of  any  such  antiquities. 

vox..  III.  3  I 


•A 


I 


426 


PENNANT'S  SECOND  TOUR  IN  SCOTLAND. 


The  end  of  this  Ibrms  one  side  of  the  entrance  to  the  harbour  ;  a  rocky  point,  called 
by  Aduir,  Scurdiness,  at  this  time  Montrose- ness,  lies  on  the  south  side,  and  certain 
sands,  called  the  Annot,  on  the  northern.  On  the  first  is  a  square  tower,  a  sort  of 
light«house,  to  direct  the  course  of  the  vessels  in  dark  nights.  1  he  Annot  sands,  after 
violent  storms  from  the  east,  approach  nearer  to  the  Ness,  but  are  again  removed  to 
their  old  limits  by  the  floods  of  the  £sk,  a  circumstance  to  be  attended  to  by  mariners. 
The  tide  rushes  up  this  entrance  with  a  great  head  and  vast  fur}',  but  the  depth  of 
water  is  considerable,  being  six  fathoms  in  the  middle,  about  three  days  before  spring, 
tide.  The  breadth  is  scarcely  a  quarter  of  a  mile,  but  the  basin  instantly  expands  into 
a  beautiful  circle  of  considerable  diameter ;  but  unfortunately  most  of  it  is  dry  at  low 
water,  except  where  the  South  Esk  forms  its  channel,  in  which  vessels  of  sixty  tons  will 
float  even  at  the  lowest  ebb.  Inch-broik  lies  on  the  souih  side  of  the  entrance,  and 
opposite  to  that  is  the  pier,  which  ships  of  any  size  may  reach,  that  can  bear  the  ground 
at  low  water. 

Montrose  is  built  on  the  east  side  of  the  bason,  and  consists  chiefly  of  one  large  street, 
of  a  considerable  breadth,  terminated  at  one  end  by  the  town-house,  or  Toll-booth  ;  a 
handsome  pile,  with  elegant  and  convenient  apartments  for  the  assemblies  of  the  mag'is> 
trates.  The  houses  are  of  stone,  and,  like  those  in  Flanders,  often  with  their  gable  ends 
towards  the  streets.  The  house  in  which  the  marquis  of  Montrose  was  born  is  still  to 
be  seen.  The  town  contains  about  six  thousand  inhabitants,  of  which  fifteen  hundred 
are  Episcopalians,  the  rest  are  of  the  established  church,  with  the  usual  schisms  of 
St'ceders,  Glassites,  Non-jurors,  Sec.  Numbers  of  genteel  families,  independent  of  any 
trade,  reside  here  as  a  place  of  agreeable  retreat,  and  numbers  keep  their  carriages ;  these 
are  principally  of  the  church  oiEngland.  Their  chapel,  which  was  founded  in  1722, 
is  very  neat,  has  a  painted  altar-piece,  and  a  small  organ.  It  is  occasionally  frequented 
by  the  Presbyterians,  who  shew  here  a  most  laudable  moderation.  It  is  chiefly  in  the 
south  and  south-west  that  religious  bigotry  reigns,  and  that  usually  among  the  com- 
mon people.  Our  bishops,  who  have  visited  Scotland,  have  never  failed  meeting  with 
a  treatment  the  most  polite  and  respectful,  but  the  introduction  of  the  order  is  impracti* 
cable  in  a  country,  where  the  natural  as  well  as  religious  objections  are  so  strong  ;  for 
the  finances  of  North  Britain  can  never  bear  the  pomp  of  religion,  even  should  the 
people  be  induced  to  admit  the  ceremonial  part. 

In  the  times  of  popery  the  Dominicans  had  a  convent  here,  founded  by  Sir  Allan 
Durward,  in  the  year  1230.  The  friars  were  afterwards  transported  to  an  hospital  near 
this  city,  rebuilt  by  Patrick  Panter,  but  in  1524  were  permitted  to  return  to  their  old 
seat.*  Maitland  says,  that  cheir  house  was  called  the  abbey  of  Celurca ;  I  suppose  from 
the  ancient  name  of  the  town  which  Boethius  bestows  on  it. 

The  town  has  increased  one-third  since  the  year  1745 ;  at  that  time  there  was  not  a 
single  manufacture,  the  inhabitants  lived  either  by  one  another,  or  by  the  hiring  out 
of  ships,  or  by  the  salmon  trade.  At  present  the  manufactures  have  risen  to  a  great 
pitch  :  for  example,  that  of  sail-cloth,  or  sail-duck,  as  it  is  here  called,  is  very  conside- 
rable ;  in  one  house  eighty-two  thousand  five  hundred  and  sixty- six  pieces  have  been 
made  since  1755.  Each  piece  is  thirty-eight  yards  long,  and  numbered  from  VIII,  to 
I.  No.  VIII,  weighs  twenty-four  pounds,  and  every  piece,  down  to  No.  I,  gains  three 
pounds  in  the  piece.  The  thread  for  this  cloth  is  spun  here,  not  by  the  common  wheel, 
but  by  the  hands.  Women  are  employed,  who  have  the  flax  placed  round  their  waists, 
twist  a  thread  with  each  hand  as  they  recede  from  a  wheel,  turned  by  a  boy  at  the  end 
of  a  great  room. 

*  Keith,  270. 


PENNANT'S  SECOND  TOUR  IN  SCOTLAND. 


427 


Coarse  cloth  for  shirts  for  the  soldiers  is  also  made  here  ;  besides  this,  coarse  linens, 
which  are  sent  to  London  or  Manchester  to  be  printed  ;  and  cottons,  for  the  same  pur- 
pose, are  printed  at  Perth.  Great  quantities  of  fine  linen,  lawns  and  cambricks,  arc 
manufactured  in  this  town,  the  last  from  two  shillings  and  six-pence  to  five  shillings  u 
yard.  Diapers  and  osnaburghs  make  up  the  sum  of  the  weaver's  employ  ;  which  arc 
exported  to  London,  and  from  thence  to  the  West>Indies. 

Much  thread  is  spun  here,  from  two  shillings  and  six-pence  to  five  shillings  a  pound. 
It  is  spun  both  in  town  and  country,  and  brought  here  by  the  rural  spinsters  to  be 
cleaned  and  made  into  parcels ;  and  much  of  it  is  coloured  here. 

The  bleachery  is  very  considerable,  and  is  the  property  of  the  town :  it  is  not  only 
used  by  the  manufacturers,  but  by  private  families,  for  the  drying  of  their  linen  ;  all 
paying  a  certain  fee  to  the  person  who  rents  it  from  the  magistrates.  The  men  pride 
themselves  on  the  beauty  of  their  linen,  both  wearing  and  household ;  and  with  great 
reason,  as  it  is  the  effect  of  the  skill  and  industry  of  their  spouses,  who  fully  emulate  the 
character  of  the  good  wife,  so  admirably  described  by  the  wisest  of  men. 

The  salmon  fishery  of  ihese  parts  is  very  considerable ;  from  six  hundred  to  a  thou- 
sand barrels  are  annually  exported,  valued  at  three  pounds  each ;  and  about  fifteen  hun- 
dred pounds  worth  of  kitted  or  pickled  fish.  Much  of  the  fresh  fish  is  sold  into  the  coun. 
try,  from  three  halfpence  to  two-pence-halfpenny  a  pound.  The  fishermen  begin  to 
take  salmons  about  the  second  of  February,  and  leave  off  at  Michaelmas.  Its  import- 
ance has  been  conbidered  in  very  early  times,  and  the  legislature  consulted  its  preserva- 
tion by  most  severe  penalties.* 

Quantities  of  white-fish,  such  as  the  cod  kind,  turbots,  &c.  mi^ht  be  taken  on  the 
great  sand  banks  off  this  coast.  The  long  Fortys  extend  parallel  to  it ;  and  beyond  that 
lie  Montrose  pits,t  a  great  bank  with  six  pits  in  it  of  uncommon  depths,  and  singular 
in  their  situation.  They  are  from  forty  to  a  hundred  fathom  deep,  reckoning  from  the 
surface  of  the  water,  and  possibly  may  be  submarine  swallows.  These  banks  swarm 
with  fish,  but  are  shamefully  neglected,  or  left  perhaps  to  foreigners.  In  the  last  cen- 
tury about  five  hundred  barks  and  boats,  which  during  winter  were  employed  in  the 
herring  fishery  on  these  coasts,  during  spring  and  part  of  summer  turn  their  thoughts  to 
the  capture  of  cod  and  ling,^  and  after  curmg,  carried  their  cargoes  to  Holland,  Ham- 
burgh, into  the  Baltic,  to  England,  and  to  France.  By  some  mischance  this  fishery  was 
lost ;  and  the  cargoes  to  Hollanders  and  Hamburghers  fairly  beat  the  natives  out  of 
their  trade.  In  the  time  of  Henry  VIII,  England  was  supplied  with  salt  fish  from  this 
market :  the  Habberdyn  (Aberdeen)  fish  was  an  article  in  every  great  larder.} 

Incredible  numbers  of  lobsters  are  taken  on  this  coasts  from  the  village  of  Usan. 
Sixty  or  seventy  thousand  are  sent  annually  to  London,  and  sold  at  the  rate  of  two-pence 
halfpenny  a-piece,  provided  they  are  five  inches  round  in  the  body :  and  if  less,  two  are 
allowed  Tor  one.  The  attention  of  the  natives  to  this  species  of  fishery  is  one  reason  of 
the  neglect  of  that  of  white  fish,  to  the  great  loss  of  the  whole  country,  which  by  this 
inattention  b  deprived  of  a  cheap  and  comfortable  diet.  Agates  of  very  beautiful  kinds 
are  gathered  in  quantities  beneath  the  cliffs,  and  sent  to  the  lapidaries  in  London. 

I  cannot  discover  any  vestiges  of  antiquity  about  this  place,  except  a  large  mount 
called  the  Forthill,  on  the  east  side  of  the  town.  No  marks  are  left  of  its  ever  having 
been  fortified ;  but  the  materials  might  have  been  applied  to  other  purposes ;  and 
there  is  a  tradition  that  it  was  in  full  repair   when   Edward  III,  was  in    Scotland. 

*  Vide  Tour,  1769.  t  Hammond's  Chart  of  the  North  Sea. 

i  Accompt  current  between  England  and  Scotland,  p.  S6.         §  Northumberland  Household  Book. 

3  I  2 


f 


428 


I'KNNAM-S  SECOND  lOUlt  IN  SCOTLAND. 


Boethius^  relates,  that  it  was  a  fortified  place  at  the  landing  of  the  Danes,  a  little  before 
the  battle  of  Loncarty :  that  tho!>e  barbarians  put  the  inhabitants  to  the  sword,  levelled 
the  walla,  and  destroyed  the  castle.  This  is  the  only  remarkable  event  which  1  can  dis- 
cover  to  have  happened  to  the  town.  In  this  century  it  was  distingubhed  by  the  flight 
of  the  Pretender,  who,  on  the  4th  of  February,  1716,  escaped  on  board  of  a  frigate 
which  lay  in  the  road,  and  conveyed  him  safe  to  France. 

September  I.  This  day  we  were  honoured  with  the  freedom  of  the  town ;  and 
handsomely  entertained  by  the  magistrates.  I  observed  that  the  seal  of  the  diploma 
WHS  impressed  with  roses,  allusive  to  its  present  name,  which  seems  a  poetical  fiction : 

Aureolis  urbs  picta  rosis  :  mons  tnolliter  urbi 

Imminet,  hinc  urbi  nomina  facta  canunt. 
At  vetercs  perhibciit  quundam  dlxisse  Celurcam, 

Nomine  sic  piisco  et  nobillitata  novo  est. 
Et  prisc&  atque  nov&  insignia  virtute,  viruroqua 

Ingeniis,  Patriae  qui  pep«rere  decus.f 

Leave  Montroic,  and  after  five  miles  riding  cross  the  North- Esk,  at  North-Bridge. 
This  river  and  that  of  South-Ksk  rise  in  the  extreme  northern  borders  of  the  county, 
among  the  Benchichin  hills  ;  this,  flowing  along  Glenesk,  retains  the  same  name  from 
the  source  to  the  sea :  the  other  is  called  the  White  Water  for  a  considerable  way  from 
its  fountain.  Near  this  bridge  is  Eggas  Madie,  Ecclesi'  Magdalcnae,  the  seat  of  the 
Falconers,  barons  of  Halkerton,  whose  family  took  its  name  from  the  office  of  an  ances- 
tor, falconer  to  William  the  Lion.  After  passing  the  river,  enter  the  county  of  Merns, 
or  the  shire  of  Kincardine. 

Some  derive  the  first  from  Merns,  a  valiant  nobleman,  who,  subduing  the  country, 
received  it  in  reward  from  his  prince  Kenneth  IL  Camden,  with  much  probability, 
supposes  it  to  retain  part  of  the  name  of  the  old  inhabitants,  the  Vernicones  of  Ptolemy, 
it  being  common  for  the  Britons  in  discourse  to  change  the  V  into  M.  The  other 
name  is  taken  from  the  ancient  capital,  Kincardine,  now  an  inconsiderable  village. 

Lie  this  night  at  the  village  of  Laurence  Kirk .  The  cultivation  of  the  land  in  the  af« 
ternoon's  ride  appeared  less  strong  than  on  the  South-Esk ;  but  great  efibrts  are  making 
towards  the  improvement  of  the  country.  Streams  of  corn  seem  darting  from  the  hills 
towards  the  centre  of  the  valley,  and  others  again  radiate  from  the  coasts :  I  doubt  not 
but  in  a  few  years  the  obscure  or  heathy  parts  will  entirely  vanbh,  and  this  whole  tract 
become  one  glory  of  cultivation. 

September  2.  Proceed  through  a  fine  rich  bottom,  called  the  hollow  of  the  Merns, 
bounded  on  one  side  by  the  Grampian  hills,  on  the  other  by  a  rising  ground,  that  runs 
almost  parallel  to  them.  The  Grampians  present  here  a  low  lieathy  front ;  the  hollows 
and  the  eastern  boundary  fertile  in  corn.  Pass  near  the  two  seats  of  Messrs.  Carnegie, 
and  lord  Gardinston.  Cross  the  water  of  Bervie,  which  falls  into  the  sea  a  few  miles  to 
the  east.  Near  its  mouth  lies  the  small  town  of  Inner-bervie,  made  a  royal  burgh  by 
David  Bruce,  who  landed  there  after  his  long  retreat  into  France.  The  rock  he  de- 
barked on  is  to  this  day  called  Craig-Davy. 

Near  the  village  of  Drum-lethie  the  country  grows  hilly  and  heathy.  Pass  near 
Glen-bervie,  the  seat  of  sir  James  Nicholson.  Incline  now  towards  the  shore,  and  find 
an  improvement  in  the  country,  which  continues  till  I  reach 

Stone-hive,  or  Stone-haven,  is  a  small  town,  but  the  head  of  the  burgh  of  the  shire : 
the  sherifTs  court  having  been  removed  from  Kincardine  to  this  place  by  act  of  parlia- 


Lib.  XI.  p.  228. 


t  Jonston. 


PCNNANT'S  SECOND  TOUR  IN  SCOTLAND. 


429 


ment  in  the  reign  of  James  VI.  It  is  placed  at  the  foot  of  some  high  clifTs  in  a  small  buy, 
with  a  most  rocky  bottom,  in  one  part  opening  a  little,  so  that  small  vessels  may  find  ad- 
miiCanc  ,  but  that  must  be  ?t  high  water.  A  pier  laps  over  this  harbour  from  the  north 
side,  to  give  them  security  after  their  entrance.  The  town  consists  of  about  eight 
hundred  inhabitants.  The  manufactures  are  sail  cloths  and  osnaburghs,  which  began 
about  seven  years  ago;  and  contributed  much  to  make  the  place  more  populous. 
Here  is  also  a  considerable  one  of  knit  worsted  and  thread  stockings.  Women  gain 
four.pence  a  day  by  knitting,  and  six-pence  by  spinning ;  the  men,  a  shilling  by  weav> 
ing. 

The  manufactures  of  the  Merns  may  be  divided  thus  :  the  stocking  trade  employs  the 
natives  from  the  banks  of  the  Dee  to  this  place.  From  hence  to  the  North-£sk  they 
are  wholly  occupied  in  weaving. 

Visit  the  celebrated  castle  of  Dunnoter,  built  on  a  lofty  and  peninsulated  rock,  jut- 
ting into  the  sea,  and  divided  by  a  vast  chasm,  a  natural  foss,  from  the  main-land.  The 
composition  of  the  rock,  is  what  is  called  Plum-pudding  stone,  from  the  pebbles  lodged 
in  the  hard  cement.     Kittiwakes  and  some  other  gulls  breed  on  the  sides. 

The  entrance  is  high,  through  an  arched  way.  Beyond  that  is  another,  with  four 
round  holes  in  front,  for  the  annoying  any  enemy  who  might  have  gained  the  first  gate. 
The  area  on  the  top.  of  this  rock  is  an  English  acre  and  a  quarter  in  extent.  The  build- 
ings on  it  are  numerous,  man^  nf  them  vaulted,  but  few  appeared  to  have  been  above  a 
century  and  a  half  old,  excepting  a  square  tower  of  a  considerable  height,  and  the  build- 
ings that  defend  the  approach.  The  sides  of  the  rock  are  precipitous,  and  even  that 
part  which  impends  over  the  isthmus  has  been  cut,  in  order  to  render  this  fortress  still 
more  secure.  The  cistern  is  almost  filled  up ;  but  had  been  of  a  great  size,  not  less 
than  twenty-nine  feet  in  diameter. 

The  view  of  the  cliifs  to  the  south  is  very  picturesque.  They  project  far  into  the 
sea,  in  form  of  narrow  but  lofty  capes.  Their  bases  are  often  perforated  with  great 
arches,  pervious  to  boats. 

This  castle  was  the  property  of  the  Keiths,  earls  Marechals  of  Scotland,  a  potent  and 
heroic  family:  but  in  1715,  by  one  fatal  step,  the  fortune  and  title  became  forfeited; 
and  our  country  lost  the  services  of  two  most  distinguished  personages,  the  late  earl, 
and  his  brother  the  general,  the  ablest  officer  of  the  age.  According  to  the  Scotch 
peerage,*  the  property  of  the  Keiths  in  this  county  came  to  them,  in  the  reign  of  David 
Bruce,  by  the  marriage  of  sir  William  to  Margaret,  daughter  of  sir  John  Fraser :  but  I 
have  been  informed  that  this  fortress  had  been  the  property  of  an  earl  of  Crawford, 
who  exchanged  it  for  an  estate  in  Fife  with  an  earl  Marechal,  on  condition  that  he  and 
his  dependants  should,  in  case  of  necessity,  be  permitted  to  take  refuge  there. 

About  the  year  1296  this  castle  was  taken  by  sir  William  Wallace,  who,  according  to 
his  historian,  Blind  Harry,t  burnt  four  thousand  Englishmen  in  it.  I  forbear  to  re- 
peat his  account,  since  he  is  supposed  by  the  judicious  aimalist  to  have  been  an  impostor. 

In  1336  it  was  re-fortified  by  Edward  III,  in  his  progress  through  Scotland ;  but  as 
soon  as  the  conqueror  quitted  that  kkigdom,  the  guardian,  sir  Andrew  Murray,  in- 
stajitly  retook  it.  History  leaves  us  in  the  dark  after  this  for  a  very  long  period.  '  I  do 
not  recollect  any  mention  of  it  till  the  civil  wars  of  the  last  century,  when  it  was  be- 

•Crawrord*s319. 

t  The  title  to  his  poem  informs  us  that  it  was  composed  in  1361  :  but  that  must  be  a  mistake  ;  Tor 
Major,  who  wrote  in  1 5 1 8,  says,  that  Blind  Harry  lived  when  he  was  a  child,  composed  the  life  of  Wallace, 
and,  like  Homer,  got  his  livelihood  by  reciting  his  Yerses  at  the  houses  of  great  men.  Major  gives  but 
little  credit  to  the  poem.    See  lib.  iv.  c.  15. 


430 


PENNANT'S  SECOND  TOUH  IN  SCOTLANU 


sieged,  and  the  church  again  burnt.  The  tradition  is,  that  it  was  defended  by  the 
earl  Marechal,  againttt  tlie  marquis  of  Montrose,  by  the  persuasion  of  Andrew  Cant. 
The  marquis,  according  to  the  barbarous  custom  of  the  time,  set  fire  to  the  country 
around ;  which,  when  Andrew  saw,  he  told  the  noble  owner,  thai  the  flumes  of  his 
houses  "  were  a  sweet>smeUing  savour  in  the  nostrils  of  the  Lord  ;"  supposing  that  his 
lordship  suffered  for  righteousness'  sake.  This  castle  was  inhabited  till  the  beginning  of 
the  present  century,  when  an  agent  for  the  York- building  company  reduced  it  to  the 
present  ruinous  state,  by  pulling  down  and  selling  man}'  of  the  materials.  The  annota- 
tor  on  Camden  mentions  the  stately  rooms  in  the  new  buildings  and  the  library.  He 
also  speaJcs  here  of  St.  Pardie's  church,  famous  for  being  the  burial  place  of  St. 
Palladius  who  in  431  was  sent  by  Pope  Cslestine  to  preach  the  gospel  to  the  Scots  : 
but  it  lies  aboui  six  miles  west  of  Stone<hive,  in  a  deep  den,  environed  on  all  sides  but 
the  south  by  high  mountains. 

Wait  on  Robert  Barclay,  esq. ;  at  his  seat  at  Urie,  about  a  mile  distant  from  Stone  • 
hive.  This  gentleman,  by  the  example  he  sets  his  neighbours  in  the  fine  management 
of  his  land,  is  a  most  useful  and  worthy  character  in  his  country.  He  has  been  lon^  a 
peripatetic  observer  of  the  different  modes  of  agriculture  in  all  parts  of  Great>Britam : 
his  joumies  being  on  foot,  followed  by  a  servant,  with  his  baggage,  on  horseback.  ^  He 
has  more  than  once  walked  to  London,  and  by  way  of  experi^nent  has  gone  eighty 
miles  in  a  d^.  He  has  reduced  hia  remarks  to  practice,  much  to  his  honour  and 
emolument.  The  barren  heaths  that  once  surrounded  him  are  now  con«-erted  into  rich 
fields  of  wheat,  bear,  or  oats :  and  hb  clover  was  at  this  time  under  a  second  harvest. 

He  is  likewise  a  great  planter :  he  fills  all  his  dingles  with  trees,  but  avoids  planting 
the  eminences,  for  he  says  they  will  not  thrive  on  this  eastern  coast,  except  in  sheltered 
bottoms.  The  few  plantations  on  the  upper  grounds  are  stunted,  cankered,  and  moss- 
grown. 

Mr.  Barclay  favoured  me  with  the  followinp;  account  of  the  progress  of  his  improve- 
ments. He  first  set  about  them  with  spirit  m  the  year  1768 ;  since  which  he  has  re- 
claimed about  four  hundred  acres,  and  continues  to  finish  about  a  hundred  annually, 
by  draining,  levelling,  clearing  away  the  stones,  and  liming.  These,  with  the 
ploughing,  seed,  &c.  amount  to  the  expence  of  ten  pounds  an  acre.  The  first  crop 
IS  commonly  oats,  and  brings  in  six  pounds  an  acre  :  the  second,  white  peas,  worth 
sometimes  as  much,  but  generally  only  four  pounds :  turnips  are  third  crops,  and  usually 
worth  six  pounds ;  the  fourth  is  barley,  of  the  same  value :  clover  succeeds,  worth 
about  four  pounds-;  and  lastly  wheat,  which  brings  in  about  seven  pounds  ten  shillings 
an  acre,  but  oftener  more. 

As  soon  as  the  land  is  once  thoroughly  improved,  it  is  thrown  into  this  course :  tur- 
nips, barley,  clover  and  wheat ;  sometimes  turnips,  barley,  clover  and  rye-grass.  He 
sometimes  breaks  up  the  last  for  white  peas,  and  afterwards  for  wheat :  and  sometimes 
fallows  from  the  grass,  and  manures  it  for  wheat,  by  folding  his  sheep. 

The  land  thus  improved  was  originally  heath,  and  even  that  which  was  arable  pro- 
duced  most  miserable  crops  of  a  poor  degenerate  oat,  and  was  upon  the  whole  not 
worth  two  shillings  an  acre ;  but  in  its  present  improved  state  is  worth  twenty,  and  the 
tenants  live  twice  as  well  as  before  the  improvement. 

Some  of  the  fields  have  been  fallowed  from  heath,  and  sown  with  wheat,  and  pro- 
duced large  crops.  One  field  of  thirty-four  acres,  which  had  been  mostly  heath,  was 
the  first  year  fallowed,  drained,  cleared  of  the  stones,  limed,  &c.  and  sown  with  wheat, 
which  produced  in  the  London  market  two  hundred  and  seventy  pounds,  clear  of  all 
expences.    Mr.  Barclay  has  lately  erected  a  mill  for  fine  flour,  the  only  one^n  the 


.'^\?-?lJi 


- ^ -r—- ^ -      ■'■"    'TV-T.:'-?-^^''* 


frj^TiTrrpr?- 


PENNANT'S  SECOND  TOUIl  IN  SCOTLANa 


431 


d  by  the 
cw  Cant. 
:  country 
es  of  his 
g  thiU  his 
inning  of 
it  to  the 
le  annota- 
ary.  He 
ce  of  St. 
le  Scots : 
sides  but 

m  Stone- 
nagement 
en  lon^  a 
t-Britain : 
ack.  He 
ne  eighty 
tnour  and 
I  into  rich 
vest. 

i  planting 
sheltered 
nd  moss- 
improve- 
e  has  re- 
annually, 
with   the 
Grst  crop 
iS,  worth 
d  usually 
s,  worth 
shillings 

rse :  tur* 
ass.  He 
smetimes 

able  pro- 

'hole  not 

and  the 

and  pro- 
ath,  was 
th  wheat, 
:ar  of  all 
e^n  the 


county,  which  fully  answers ;  and  has  served  to  encourage  many  of  his  neighbours  to 
sow  wheat  where  it  was  never  known  to  be  raised  before.  At  present  near  eight  hun- 
dred bolls  are  annually  produced  within  ten  miles  of  the  place. 

The  first  turnips  for  feeding  of  cattle  were  raised  by  this  gentleman :  and  the  markets 
are  now  plentifully  supplied  with  fi^sh  beef.  Before  that  period  fresh  meat  was  hardly 
known  in  these  parts,  during  the  winter  and  spring  months.  Every  person  killed  his 
cattle  for  winter  provisions  at  Michaelmas ;  and  this  was  called  laying-in  time.  Neces- 
sity urged  this ;  for  so  low  was  the  state  of  farming,  that  winter  fodder  for  the  fattening 
of  cattle  was  then  unknown.  So  that  this  country,  till  within  these  few  vears,  was  in 
the  same  condition  with  that  of  England  above  three  hundred  years  ago :  m  that  period 
beeves,  sheep,  and  hogs,  were  killed  at  Martinmas,  and  preserved  salted  till  the  spring  ; 
when  vegetation  was  renewed,  and  the  half-starved  cattle  recovered  their  flesh,  and  were 
become  nt  for  slaughter :  so  that  the  season  of  fresh  meat  scarcely  lasted  half  the  year. 
The  Hebrides  are  still  in  this  situation. 

The  great  grand-father  of  Mr.  Barclay  was  not  less  eminent  for  his  improvements  in 
affairs  spiritual.  The  celebrated  Robert  Barclay  made  Urie  his  residence,  and  here 
composed  that  apolosy  for  the  Quakers,  which  will  ever  remain  an  evidence  of  his  abili- 
ties and  his  piety.  His  moderate  disposition  and  cool  head  gave  credit  to  the  sect ;  for 
it  was  the  peculiar  happiness  of  George  Fox  to  have  united  himself  with  his  worthy 
brother,  since  George's  tenets,  as  Mosheim  expresses,  delivered  by  him  in  a  rude,  con- 
fused, and  ambiguous  manner,  were  presented  in  a  different  form  by  the  masterly  hand 
of  Barclay,  who  dressed  them  with  such  sagacity  and  art,  that  they  assumed  the  aspect 
of  a  regular  system.  To  him  then  is  owing  the  purification  of  the  opinions  of  the  pro- 
fessors of  it  at  this  time.  He  was  the  great  reformer  of  Quakerism,  and  his  followers 
may  exult  in  him  as  in  one  who  would  do  honour  to  any  religion. 

September  3.  Leave  Urie,  and  return  by  the  same  road  as  far  as  Red  Mears,  where 
we  turn  to  the  north-west,  and  travel  near  the  foot  of  the  Grampian  hills,  through  a 
fine  open  country.  Go  near  the*  house  of  captain  Falconer,  with  excellent  improve- 
ments around ;  and  soon  after  by  Fasquc,  the  scat  of  Sir  Alexander  Ramsay,  a  gentle- 
man distinguished  for  tue  fine  method  of  agriculture.  Stop  at  Fetter-cairn,  a  small 
village,  for  the  sake  of  refreshing  ourselves  and  horses. 

In  this  morning's  ride  observe  a  particular  neatness  in  the  cottages  of  the  country. 
They  are  made  either  of  red  clay,  or  of  sods,  placed  on  a  stone  foundation  ;  the  roofs 
are  prettily  thatched,  and  bound  by  a  neat  net-work  of  twisted  straw  rope,  which  keeps 
them  extremely  tight. 

Near  Fetter-cairn  was  the  residence  of  Finella,  the  daughter  of  a  nobleman  of  large 
possessions  in  this  country,  infamous  for  her  assassination  of  Kenneth  HI,  in  994.  She 
artfiiUv,  insinuated  herself  into  his  favour,  and  inveigling  him  into  her  palace  (under  pre- 
tence of  revealing  some  conspiracies  she  was  really  privy  to)  there  caused  him  to  be  mur- 
dered. The  place  was  beset  by  his  friends,  but  Finella,  escaping  out  of  a  window,  joined 
the  confederates  in  her  wickedness.  Such  is  the  relation  given  by  Boethius  and  Bu- 
chanan,* but  the  relations  of  those  early  times  are  often  doubtful  and  fabulous. 

About  two  miles  from  this  place,  on  the  road-side,  is  a  cairn,  of  a  stupendous  size, 
and  uncommon  form,  which  probably  might  give  name  to  the  parish.  The  shape  is  ob- 
loiig,  and  the  height  at  least  thirty  feet.  At  some  distance  from  the  ground  the  sides 
are  formed  into  a  broad  terrace :  the  cairn  rises  again  considerably  above  that,  and  con- 

*  DoethiuB,  lib.  %l  p.  233.   Buchuian,  lib.  vi.  c.  41.  Major,  p.  94,  calls  the  lady,  Comitissa  Angusix. 


432 


PENNANT'S  SECOND  TOUli  IN  SCOTLAND. 


fcists  of  great  loose  stones,  mixed  with  much  semi-vitrified  or  lava  like  matter.  Or  one 
side  is  a  large  long  stone,  probably  once  erect.  Along  the  top  is  an  Dval  holU^w,  about  six 
feet  deep:  its  length,  within,  a  hundred  and  fifty-two;  the  breadtli,  in  the  iiiiddle,  six- 
ty-six ;  the  length,  from  the  outside  of  the  surrounding  dike,  a  hundn  d  and  sixi)  -SLiven ; 
the  breadths  eighty- three.  This  may  be  presumed  to  have  bten  monumental;  the 
northern  nations  thought  no  labour  too  great  in  paying  these  funeral  honoutj  lo  t!u*ir 
deceased  heroes.  The  tumulus  of  Haco  was  the  size  of  a  hill  :*  whole  years,  as  well 
as  whole  armies,  were  employed  in  amassing  those  stupendous  testimonies  of  respect. 
Three  venrs  were  consumed  m  forming  one,  the  common  labour  of  two  uterine  bre> 
thren,  Norwegian  chieftains.f 

Travel  over  an  ill-cultivated  flat ;  cross  the  North-Esk,  at  the  bridge  of  Gannachie, 
a  vast  arch,  cast  from  rock  to  rock,  built  by  subscription,  bv  one  Miller.  Beneath  is 
a  vast  chasm,  near  fifty  feet  deep  from  the  top  of  the  battlements ;  through  this  the 
water  runs  with  great  force.  A  rocky  channel,  with  lofty  precipitous  sides,  fringed 
with  wood,  forms  most  picturesque  views  for  above  a  quarter  of  a  mile  above  and  below 
the  bridge. 

Re-enter  tlic  shire  of  Angus  ;  on  whose  borders  lies  the  castellated  house  of  Edzel, 
once  the  seai  of  the  most  ancient  branch  of  the  Lindesays,  of  the  castle  of  Invermark, 
who  acquired  it  about  three  hundred  years  ago  by  the  marriage  of  an  ancestor  with 
the  heiress  of  a  Sterling,  who  built  the  house,  and  was  lord  of  Glenesk,  which  by  this 
match  was  conveyed  to  them.  They  were  remarkable  for  being  chief  over  a  nu- 
merous set  of  small  tenants.  Not  sixty  years  are  past  since  the  laird  kept  up  the  parade 
of  being  attended  to  church  by  a  band  of  armed  men»  who  served  without  pay  or 
maintenance,  such  duties  being  formerly  esteemed  honourable.  This  castle  was  de- 
serted by  the  then  owner,  on  account  of  a  murder  he  had  committed  on  his  kinsman, 
lord  Spynie,  in  1607.  This  affair  involved  him  in  difiiculties,  and  he  retired,  on  that 
account,  to  the  house  of  Auch-mul,  about  two  miles  higher  on  the  North- £sk,  as  the  in- 
scription on  the  house  shews.  A  little  after  the  laird  of  Edzel  thought  proper  to  bestow 
on  one  Durie  a  barren  knowl  near  the  house,  and  by  charter  constituted  him  and  his 
family  hereditary  beadles  of  the  parish,  and  annexed  the  perquisite  of  two  bannocks  for 
ringing  the  bell  at  the  funeral  of  every  farmer,  and  one  for  that  of  every  cottager ; 
which  remained  in  the  family  till  very  lately,  when  it  was  purchased  by  the  earl  of  Pan- 
mure,  the  present  owner  of  the  estate.  This  is  mentioned  to  shew  the  affectation  of 
royalty  in  these  Reguli,  who  made  their  grants  and  conferred  places  with  all  the  dignity 
of  majesty. 

After  riding  two  miles  on  black  and  heathy  hills,  ascend  one  divided  into  two  sum- 
mits, the  higher  named  the  white,  the  lower  the  black  Catter-thun,  from  their  different 
colours.  Both  are  Caledonian  posts,  and  the  first  of  most  uncommon  strength.  It  is  of 
an  oval  form,  made  of  a  stupendous  dike  of  loose  white  stones,  whose  convexity,  firom 
the  base  within  to  that  without,  is  a  hundred  and  twenty-two  feet.  On  the  outside,  a 
hollow,  made  by  the  disposition  of  the  stones,  surrounds  the  whole.  Round  the  base  is 
a  deep  ditch,  and  below  that  a  hundred  yards  are  the  vestiges  of  another,  that  went 
round  the  hill.  The  area  within  the  stony  mound  is  flat ;  the  axis  or  length  of  the 
oval  is  four  hundred  and  thirty-six  feet ;  the  transverse  diameter  two  hundred.  Near 
the  east  side  is  the  foundation  of  a  rectangular  building  ;  and  on  most  parts  are  the 
foundations  of  others  ;  small  and  circular :  all  which  had  once  their  superstructures,  the 

*  Socii  Haconis  fastuod  funerandi  ducis  gratis,  coUem  spcctatx  magnitudinis  exstruunt.  Worm.  Mon 
Dan.  33.  t  Ibid.  39. 


I  immm  im hiiih  i    i— in  iiiiimiiiw.  i ii,  ,i  in  m  .  nw  — JfffjiT"".' 


::o*r— i-in?:?: 


I'F.NNANi'ii  .SECOND  TOUU  IN  SCOILA.XU. 


4J. 


Dp  one 
out  bix 
le,  six- 
bovcn ; 
al;  the 
lo  t'u'ir 
as  well 
respect, 
rtc  bre- 

inachie, 
iteath  is 
this  the 
fringed 
id  below 

f£dzel. 
rermarkr 
itor  with 
\  by  this 
r  a  nu> 
e  parade 
It  pay  or 
was  de- 
kinsman, 
i,  on  that 
as  the  iii- 

0  bestow 
and  his 

locks  for 
:ottaeer ; 

1  of  Pan- 
itation  of 
e  dignity 

:wo  sum- 
difierent 

It  is  of 
ity,  from 
tutside,  a 
le  base  is 
hat  went 
th  of  the 
Near 

are  the 
ures,  the 

^orm.  Mon 


bhchcr  of  the  possessors  of  the  post.     There  is  also  u  hollow,  now  uliwost  filkil  \\\\\. 
btoncs,  the  well  of  the  place. 

The  other  is  called  brown,  from  the  colour  of  the  ramparts,  which  arc  compobcil  onlv 
of  earth.     It  is  of  a  circular  form,  and  consists  of  varicnis  concentric  dikes.     Oaoiu 
side  of  this  rises  a  small  rill,  which,  running  down  hill,  has  formed  a  deep  {{uliy.      l  lutn 
the  side  of  the  fortress  is  another  rampart,  which  extends  parallel  to  the  rill,  and  ilun 
reverts,  forming  an  additional  post  or  retreat. 

It  is  to  be  observed,  that  these  posts  were  chosen  by  the  Caledonians  with  great  judg- 
ment: they  fixed  on  the  summits  of  a  hill  commanding  a  great  view,  and  pcrrcctly  de. 
tached,  having  to  ti>e  north  the  Grampian  hills,  but  on  that  side  separated  from  them 
by  the  lofty  and  rugged  banks  of  the  West-water,  which  gives  them  additional  scciniiy.> 
Posts  of  this  kind  are,  as  I  am  informed,  very  common  at  the  foot  of  the  Grampian  hills, 
intended  as  places  of  retreat  for  the  inhabitants  on  the  invasion  of  an  enemy.  There 
is  one  above  Phcsdo,  in  the  Merns ;  another  called  Barmkine  hill,  eight  mikb  west  ot 
Aberdeen.  I  have  seen  a  long  chain  of  similar  posta  in  my  own  country  ;  tiu-y  arc  p^c- 
nerally  situated  on  high  hills  over-looking  the  lower,  or  on  lesser  hills  ovcr-lojking  plains, 
and  seem  designed  as  asyla  for  the  people  of  the  low  and  defenceless  countries. 

The  literal  translation  of  Catter-thun  is  Camp-town.  These  posts  are  of  the  same 
kind  with  that  made  bv  Caractacus,  on  the  borders  of  North  Wales.  Tunc  mon- 
tibus  arduia,  et  si  qua  clementer  accedi  poterant,  in  modum  vajli  saxa  pr9c;itruit.t  It  is 
very  probable  that  the  Caledonians  occupied  these  hills  before  the  battle  of  Mons  Gram. 
pius,  which  might  have  been  fought  in  the  plains  below,  where  there  was  ample  room 
for  large  armies  to  act  in,  and  for  the  armed  chariots  to  perform  their  careers.  In  these 
rude  fastnesses  the  Cdedonians  might  leave  their  wives  and  children,  as  was  the  custom 
of  the  other  Britons,  and  then  descend  into  the  bottoms,  to  repel  the  invaders  of  their 
liberties.  It  is  difficult  to  fix  the  spot ;  but  there  are  not  fewer  than  diree  Uoman 
camps  not  remote  from  this  ran^  of  hills,  which  Agricola  might  have  occupied,  and 
before  one  of  them  drawn  out  his  forces  to  have  received  the  enemy.  Of  these  one  is 
at  Kiethic,  near  Brechin ;  a  second  near  Caerboddo,  between  Forfm*  and  Panmure ;  and 
a  third  near  Kennymoor,  called  Battledikes.:^  In  the  neighbourhood  of  one  of  these 
seems  to  have  been  the  celebrated  action  ;  after  which  he  led  his  army  to  the  confines 
of  the  Horesti,^  received  hostages,  and  ordering  h'ls  fleet  (then  in  all  likelihood  lying  in 
the  Tay)  to  perform  the  voyage  round  Britain,  retired  by  slow  marches  into  winter 
quarters. 

Descend,  and  after  travelling  three  miles  reach  Brechin,  a  town  consisting  of  one  large 
and  handsome  stieet,  and  two  smaller,  seated  on  the  top  and  side  of  u  hill,  washed  by 
the  river  South>£sk.  At  the  foot  of  the  town  is  a  long  row  of  houses,  independent  of 
it,  built  on  ground  held  in  feu,  from  the  family  of  North-£sk.  It  is  a  royal  burgh,  and 
with  four  others  sends  a  member  to  parliament.  In  respect  to  trade,  it  has  only  a  small 
share  in  the  coarser  linen  manufacture.  It  lies  at  no  great  distance  from  the  harbour  ut 
Montrose  ;  and  the  tide  flows  within  two  miles  of  the  town,  to  which  a  canal  might  bc> 
made,  which  perhaps  might  create  a  trade,  but  woukl  be  of  certain  sefvice  in  convey  ing 
down  the  corn  of  the  country  for  exportation.  ■*• 

*  For  a  full  account  of  the  nature  of  these  posts,  see  my  Tour  in  Wales, 
t  Taciti  Annales,  lib.  xii.  c.  33.  \  These  notices  ofthc  camps  from  IMuItlanil. 

$  Translators,  misled  by  the  sound,  imagine  these  to  have  been  mountaineers  ;  but  tlie  word  is  proba- 
bly Celtic,  and  should  be  rendered,  as  the  ingenious  Mr.  Aiken  has  done,  the  people  of  Fifcstiirc. 
VOL.  III.  3   K 


434 


PF.NIf  ANT'9  SrXOKD  TOUR  IN  SCOTLAND. 


.i 


Brechin  was  a  rich  and  ancient  bishoprick,  founded  by  David  I,  about  the  year  1150: 
at  the  Rcformatton  its  revenues  in  money  and  in  kind  amounted  to  seven  hundred  a 
year :  but  after  tliat  event  were  reduced  to  a  hundred  and  fifty,  chiefly  by  tl)c  alienation 
of  the  hinds  and  tythcs  by  Alexander  Campbell,  the  first  protestant  bishop,  to  his  chief, 
tain  the  carl  of  Argyle,  being  recommendea  to  the  sec  by  his  patron,  probably  for  that 
very  end. 

'rhc  Culdccs  had  a  convent  here .  their  abbot  Leod  was  witness  to  the  grant  made 
by  king  David  to  his  new  abbey  of  Dumfermline.  In  after>timet  they  gave  way  to  the 
Mathurincs,  or  Red-friars.  The  ruins  of  their  house,  according  to  Maitland,  are  still  to 
be  sect)  in  the  Cullege-wynde. 

Here  was  likewise  an  hospital,  called  Maison  de  Dieu,  founded  in  1S56  by  William 
de  Brechin,  for  the  repose  of  the  souls  of  the  kings  William  and  Alexander  ;  of  John 
carl  of  Chester,  and  Huntingdon  his  brother ;  of  Henry  his  father ;  and  Juliana  his 
mother.  Albinus,  bishop  of  Brechin,  in  the  reign  of  Alexander  III,  was  witness  to 
the  grant.  By  the  walls,  which  are  yet  standing,  behind  the  west  end  of  the  chief  street, 
it  appears  to  have  been  an  elegant  little  building. 

The  cullicdral  is  a  Gothic  pile,  supported  by  twelve  pillars  ;  is  in  length  a  hundred 
and  sixty-feet,  in  breadth  sixty-one ;  part  is  ruinous  id  part  nerves  as  the  parish 
church.  The  west  end  of  one  of  the  aisles  is  entire  :  u  ioor  is  Gothic,  and  the  arch 
consists  of  many  mouldings ;  the  window  of  neat  tracery  ;  the  steeple  is  a  handsome 
tower,  a  hundred  and  twenty  feet  high  ;  the  four  lower  windows  in  form  of  long  and 
narrow  openings  ;  the  belfry  windows  adorned  with  that  species  of  opening  called  the 
quaticfoil ;  the  top  battlcmented,  out  of  which  rises  an  hexangular  ^pire. 

At  a  small  distance  from  the  aisle  stands  one  of  those  singular  round  towers,  whose  use 
has  so  long  baffled  the  conjectures  of  antiquaries. 

These  towers,  as  far  as  my  reading  or  inquiries  have  extended,  appear  to  have  been 
peculiar  to  North  Britain  and  Ireland  :  in  the  last  frequent ;  and  in  the  former  only  two 
at  this  time  exist.  That  at  Brechin  stood  originally,  as  all  I  have  seen  do,  detached  from 
other  building^ :  it  is  at  present  joined  near  tne  bottom  by  a  low  additional  aisle  to  the 
church,  which  takes  in  about  a  sixth  of  its  circumference.  From  this  aisle  there  is  an 
entrance  into  it  of  modem  date,  approachable  by  a  few  steps,  for  the  use  of  the  ringerst 
the  parishioners  having  in  time  past  thought  proper  to  hang  their  bells  in  it  instead  of 
the  steeple.  Two  handsome  bells  are  placed  there,  which  are  got  at  by  means  of  six 
ladders,  placed  on  wooden  semicircular  floors,  each  resting  on  the  circular  abutments 
within-side  of  the  tower. 

The  height  from  the  ground  to  the  roof  is  eighty  feet ;  the  inner  diameter,  within  a 
few  feet  of  the  bottom,  is  eight  feet ;  the  thickness  of  the  wall  at  that  part  seven  feet  two 
inches  ;  so  that  the  whole  diameter  is  fifteen  feet  two  ;  the  circumference  very  near 
forty,  eight  feet;  the  inner  diameter  at  the  top  is  seven  feet  eight ;  the  thickness  of  the 
walls  four  feet  six  ;  the  circumference  thirty-eight  feet  eight  inches ;  which  proportion 
skives  the  building  an  inexpressible  elegance :  the  top  is  roofed  with  an  octagonal  spire, 
twenty 'three  feet  high,  which  makes  the  whole  one  hundred  and  three.  In  this  spire 
are  four  windows,  placed  alternate  on  the  sides»  resting  on  the  top  of  the  tower ;  near 
the  top  of  the  tower  are  four  others^  facing  the  four  cardinal  points  ;  near  the  bottom 
are  two  arches,  one  within  another,  in  relief;  on  the  top  of  "the  outmost  is  a  crucifixion ; 
between  the  mouldings  of  the  outmost  and  inner  are  two  figures,  one  of  the  Virgin  Mary, 
the  other  of  St.  John,  the  cup,  and  Iamb  :  on  each  corner  of  the  bottom  of  this  arch  is 
a  figure  of  certain  beasts  ;  one,  for  aught  I  know,  may  be  the  Caledonian  bear,  and  the 
other,  with  a  long  snout,  the  boar  :  the  stont-work  within  the  inner  arch  has  a  small 


-"^•p  ''"-  ■'  .'    ii .. ..  ..Ill  1 — '"■ 


s_:"   '1 


irllSO: 
undreda 
ilicnatton 
nis  chief- 
Tor  that 

mt  made 
ay  to  the 
kre  still  to 

William 
;  ofiohii 
iliana  hi^ 
vitness  to 
lief  street, 

i  hundred 
the  parish 
d  the  arch 
iiundsoine 
'  lonff  and 
called  the 

whose  use 

have  been 
only  two 
ched  from 
isle  to  the 
there  is  an 
le  ringers, 
instead  of 
ans  of  six 
ibutments 

within  a 
n  feet  two 
very  near 
less  of  the 
proportion 
onal  spire, 
this  spire 
wer;  near 
he  bottom 
•ucifixion ; 
-gin  Mary, 
:his  arch  is 
ar,  and  the 
las  a  small 


PKNNANT'S  SECOND  TOLR  \S  SCOTI.AMl. 


435 


slit,  or  pcep'hole,  but  without  the  appearance  of  there  haviiif^  Ikcii  a  door  within  any 
modem  period  ;  yet  I  imagine  there  might  have  been  one  originally,  for  the  filling  un 
consists  of  larger  stones  than  the  rest  of  this  curious  rotund.  The  whole  is  built  with 
most  elegant  masonry,  which  Mr.  Gough  observed  to  l)c  com|X)scd  of  sixty  coursci.*^ 
I  am  informed  by  Mr.  Gillies,  of  Brechin,  that  he  has  often  seen  it  vibrate  in  a  \\\\^U 
wind. 

The  learned  among  the  anticiuaries  arc  greatly  divided  concerning  the  use  of  tlicsr 
buildings,  as  well  as  the  founders.  Some  think  them  PictiNli,  probably  because  thcrr 
is  one  at  Abernethy,  the  ancient  seat  of  that  nation  ;  and  others  call  them  Danish,  be- 
cause it  was  the  custom  of  the  Danes  to  give  an  alarmf  in  time  of  danger  from  high 
places.  But  the  manner  and  simplicity  of  building  in  early  times  of  both  these  nation-^ 
was  such,  as  to  supersede  that  notion  ;  besides,  there  arc  so  many  apecimens  left  of  thcii 
architectiUT,  as  tend  at  once  to  disprove  any  conjecture  of  that  kind  :  the  Hebrides. 
Caithness,  and  Ross-shire,  exhibit  reliques  of  their  buildings  totally  different.  They 
could  not  be  designed  as  belfries,  as  they  are  placed  near  the  steeples  of  churches,  infl  • 
nitely  more  commodious  for  that  end ;  nor  places  of  alarm,  as  they  arc  oi\en  erected 
in  situations  unfit  for  that  purpose.  I  must  therefore  fall  into  the  opinion  of  the  latt 
worthy  Peter  CoUinson,|  that  they  were  inclusoria,  et  arcti  inclusorii  ergastula,  the  pri- 
sons of  narrow  inclosures :  that  they  were  used  for  the  confinement  of  penitents,  some 
perhaps  constrained,  others  voluntarj',  Dunchad  o  Braoin  being  said  to  have  retired  to 
such  a  prison,  where  he  died  A.  D.  987.  The  penitents  were  placed  in  the  upper  story : 
after  undergoing  their  term  of  probation,  they  were  suffered  to  descend  to  tne  next ; 
(in  all  I  have  seen  there  arc  inner  abutments  for  such  floors)  after  that  they  took  a  se- 
cond step:  till  at  length,  the  time  of  purification  being  fulfilled,  they  were  released,  and 
received  again  into  tlie  bosom  of  the  church. 

Mr.  CoTlinson  says,  that  they  were  built  in  the  tenth  or  eleventh  century.    The  reli- 

fious  were  in  those  early  times  tlie  best  architects,^  and  religious  architecture  the  best 
ind.  The  pious  builders  either  improved  themselves  in  the  art  by  their  pilgrimages, 
or  were  foreign  monks  brought  over  for  the  purpose.  Ireland  being  the  land  of  sanc- 
tity, patria  sanctorum,  the  people  of  that  country  might  be  the  originalinventors  of  these 
towers  of  mortification.  They  abound  there,  and  in  all  probability  might  be  brought 
into  Scotland  by  some  of  those  holy  men  who  dispersed  themselves  to  all  parts  of  Chris, 
tendom,  to  reform  mankind. 

The  castle  of  Brechin  was  built  on  an  eminence,  a  little  south  of  the  town ;  but  not 
a  relique  is  left.  It  underwent  a  long  siege  in  the  year  1303,  was  gallantly  defended 
against  the  English  under  Edward  III,  and  notwithstanding  all  the  eftorts  of  that  potent 
prince,  the  brave  governor,  sir  Thomas  Maule,  ancestor  of  the  present  earl  of  Panmure, 
held  out  this  small  fortress  for  twenty  days,  till  he  was  slain  by  a  stone  cast  from  an  en- 
ginelj  on  August  20th,  when  the  place  was  instantly  surrendered.  James  earl  of  Pan- 
mure  built,  in  1711,  an  excellent  house  on  this  spot ;  but  in  1715  engaging  in  the  re- 
bellion, had  but  a  short  enjoyment  of  it. 

-  I  must  not  forget  to  mention  the  battle  of  Brechin,  fought  in  consequence  of  the 
rebellion  raised  in  1452,  on  account  of  the  murder  of  the  earl  of  Douglas  in  Stirling 
castle.  The  victory  fell  to  the  royal  bts,  under  the  earl  of  Huntly  The  malcontents 
were  headed  by  the  earl  of  Crawford,  who,  retiring  to  his  castle  of  Finehaven,  in  the 

*  ArchaologiSiU.  83.  f  Louthiana,  part  iii.  18.  \  Archjeologia,  i.  307. 

$  Mr.  Walpole's  Anted.  Painting,  quarto,  i.  114.    Mr.  Bcntham's  Ely,  26< 
II  Crawford's  Peerage,  389>    Camden's  Remains,  301. 

3  K  2 


I 


436 


I'KNNAKT'X  bECONO  TOlIt  IN  SCUTLANI). 


IVenzy  of  dib^racc  declared,  *'  he  would  willingly  pass  seven  years  in  licU,  to  obtain  the 
glory  which  lell  to  the  ihure  of  the  rival  general."* 

Sept.  4.  This  mortiiog  we  wen*  honoured  with  the  freedom  of  the  town;  after  which 
we  ciinliniicd  our  journey  five  miles  to  Care^ton,  the  neat  of  Mr.  .Skene,  where  we  passed 
the  (lay  nnd  cvming  in  i;  mo:it  u^rc\Ml)le  manner. 

Sept.  5.  After  a  short  ride  lord  the  South- Ksk,  le:ivin^;on  the  right  the  ruined  castle 
of  Kinchavcn,  once  the  scat  of  die  Lindcsay<»,  carN  of  Crawford.  A  Spanish  chrsnul 
of  vast  size  was  till  of  Lite  years  an  ornament  to  the  place  :  it  was  of  the  spreading  kind  ; 
ihc  circumference  near  tlu-  ground  was  forty>two  feet  eight ;  of  the  top,  thirty'ftve  nine 
inches  }  of  one  of  the  largest  branclKK,  twenty-three  feet. 

Above  the  cuatlc  is  the  hill  called  the  castle  hill  of  Finchaven,  a  great  eminence  or 
ridge,  with  a  vast  and  long  hollow  in  the  lop.  Along  the  edges  are  vast  masses  of  stone, 
strongly  cemented  by  a  seini-vitnficd  Mibstunce,  or  lava.  These  masses  seem  of  a  ton 
wciirht ;  ihcy  were  procured  out  of  the  hill,  and  placed  as  a  defence  to  the  place,  it 
having  been  a  Uritish  post.  The  form  of  the  hill  (which  ends  abrupt  at  one  end,  at 
the  other  is  joined  by  an  isthmus  to  the  neighbouring  land)  togrthci*  with  the  cavity  in 
the  middle,  renders  it  extremely  fit  for  the  purpose.  The  isthmus  is  secured  by  a  deep 
ditch  cut  transversely. 

This  hill  is  certaiitly  the  cftect  of  u  volcano ;  at  the  one  end  of  the  hollov/  are  two  great 
holes,  of  a  funnel  shaix*.  the  craters  of  the  place  through  which  the  matter  had  oeen 
ejected.  One  is  sixty  feet  in  diameter,  and  above  thirty  deep ;  and  hod  been  much 
deeper,  but  it  was  from  time  to  time  made  more  shallow  by  the  flinging  in  of  stones,  as 
cattle  were  sometimes  lost  in  it. 

On  both  sides  of  the  hilt  are  found  in  digging  great  quantities  of  burnt  earth,  that 
serve  all  the  purposes  of  tarras,  or  the  famous  pulvis  putcolanus,  or  puzzolana,  so  frequent 
in  countries  that  abound  with  volcanoes,  and  so  useful  for  all  works  that  are  to  lie  un- 
der water. 

On  descending  from  this  hill  find  ourselves  at  Aberlemni.  In  the  church-yard,  and 
on  the  road  side,  are  to  be  seen  some  of  the  curious  carved  stones,  supposed  to  nave  been 
erected  in  memory  of  victories  over  Danes,  and  other  great  events  that  happened  in 
those  parts.  These,  like  the  round  towers,  are  local  monuments ;  biTt  still  more  con- 
Imed,  being,  as  far  as  I  can  learn,  unknomi  in  Ireland ;  and  indeed  limited  to  the 
eastern  side  of  North  Britain,  for  I  hear  of  none  beyond  ihe  firth  of  Murray,  or  that  of 
Forth.  The  greatest  is  that  near  Forres,  taken  notice  of  in  the  Tour  of  1^69  ;  and  is 
also  the  farthest  north  of  any.  Mr.  Gordon  describes  another  in  the  county  of  Mar, 
near  the  hill  of  Benachie  ;  the  next  are  these  under  consideration.  The  first  described 
by  that  ingenious  writerf  is  that  figure  which  stands  in  the  church-yard.  On  one  side 
is  the  form  of  a  cross,  as  is  common  to  most,  and  proves  them  at  least  to  have  been  the 
^vork  of  a  christian  people. 

The  next  which  I  saw  is  on  the  road,  with  both  sides  full  of  sculpture.  On  one  a 
neat  cross  included  in  a  circle ;  and  beneath  two  exceedingly  rude  figures  of  angels, 
\vhich  some  have  mistaken  for  characters.  On  the  other  side  are  the  figures  of  certain 
instruments,  to  me  quite  unintelligible ;  beneath  are  two  men  sounding  a  trumpet, 
four  horsemen,  a  footman,  and  several  animals,  seemingly  wild  horses  pursued  by  dogs ; 
\mder  them  is  a  centaur,  and  behind  them  a  man  holding  some  unknown  animal.:|; 
This  is  the  stone  mentioned  by  Boethius  to  have  been  put  up  in  memory  of  a  defeat  of 
a  party  of  Danes,  belonging  to  the  army  of  Camus,  on  this  spot.     "  Quo  loco  ingens 


*  Guthrie,  iv.  Is, 


t  Itin.  Septentr.  15!. 


|Tab.  xvili.  fig.  I. 


^V^^  ,^f;./f>  Mii«;»»>;()»r,y»'  ,^.««>>r>'iiniiiii  ■>ii»'W<»a 


p  which 
:  passed 

d  cutle 
chrsnut 
g  kind ; 
kve  nine 

lence  or 
of  stone, 
of  a  ton 
place,  it 
etKl,  at 
lavity  in 
r  a  deep 

ivo  ffrcat 
lud  been 
•n  much 
ones,  as 

rth,  that 
frequent 
3  lie  un- 

ord,  and 
ave  been 
[>ened  in 
ore  con- 
to  the 
r  that  of 
;  and  is 
of  Mar, 
escribed 
one  side 
jecn  the 

)n  one  a 
f  angels, 
>f  certain 
trumpet, 
jy  dogs; 

animal4 
defeat  of 
0  ingens 


PCNN ANT'S  SKCOND  TOUU  IN  SCOTLAND. 


437 


lapis  est  crcclui.     Iluic  animantium  effigies,  nonnulli't  cum  cimracttribui  artilici()^.c,  ui 
turn  ficbat,  (|iia!  rem  ge&tani  |K)htcritati  uiinunciarctit,  sunt  inticulpta;.'  *' 

On  a  tumtilus  on  the  ruad  side  k  a  third,  with  various  Hculpturcs  p  int  nty  comprehcp. 
Mion.     This  ii  engraven  bv  Mr.  (iord(Mi,tab,  iv.  uiul  mentioned  by  nim  p.  158. 

Near  this  is  a  fourth  pillar,  quite  plain,  which  wixt  probably  erected  over  tin-  gtave 
of  some  perhoi)  who  was  deemed  {K'rhaps  unwortliv  the  trouble  of  iiculpturc.  This  in 
us  artlesH  as  any  of  tlic  old  British  monuments,  which  1  apprehend  these  carved  stones 
succeeded.  These  were,  from  their  excessive  rudeness,  the  first  cHbrtM  of  the  bculptor 
imitative  of  the  animal  creation  ;  and  his  success  is  such  as  might  be  rxiKCtcd  :  hut  in 
the  ornaments  about  the  crosses,  and  the  running  patterns  along  the  sides  of  some,  is  a 
fancy  and  elegance  that  does  credit  to  the  artists  of  those  early  days.  Uoethiu^  is  wilU 
ing  that  these  engraven  pillars  should  Ixr  supposed  to  have  been  copied  from  the  Kg}  p- 
tians,  and  that  tlic  figures  were  hieroglri)hic,  as  expressive  of  meaning  as  those  found  on 
the  cases  of  mummies,  or  the  sculptured  obelisks  of  Kgypt.f  The  historian's  vanity,  in 
supposin)^  his  countrymen  to  have  been  derived  from  that  ancient  n;ktion,  is  destitute  uf 
uU  authority ;  but  his  conjecture,  that  the  figures  we  so  frequently  sec  on  the  columns  of 
this  country  had  their  signification,  and  ^verc  the  records  of  an  unlettered  age,  is  so  rcn> 
sonable  as  to  be  readily  admitted.  It  was  a  method  eciually  common  to  the  most  civi- 
\utd  and  to  the  most  barbarous  nations ;  common  to  the  inhabitants  of  tlic  bunks  oi 
the  Nile,  and  the  natives  of  Mexico.:^  In  the  northern  hemisphere,  monuments  of  this 
nature  seem  confined  to  the  tract  above  mentioned  :  they  cannot  be  compared,  as  the 
learned  bishop  Nicholson  does,  to  the  Runic  stones  in  Denmark  and  Sweden  ;  for  the> 
will  be  found  always  attended  with  Runic  inscriptions,  by  any  one  who  will  give  himscff 
the  trouble  of  consulting  the  antiquhies  of  those  nations.  ^ 

I  must  take  notice  of  a  new  discovered  stone  of  this  class,  found  in  the  ruins  of  u 
chapel  in  the  den  of  Auldbar,  near  Carcston,  by  Mr.  Skene,  who  <vas  so  obliging  as  to 
favour  me  with  the  drawing  of  it.  '  On  one  side  was  a  cross ;  in  the  upper  compartment 
of  the  other  side  were  two  figures  of  men,  in  a  sort  of  cloak,  sitting  on  a  chair,  perhaps 
religious  persons ;  beneath  them  is  another,  tearing  asunder  the  jaws  of  a  certain  beast ; 
near  him  a  spear  and  a  harp ;  below  is  a  person  on  horseback,  a  beast  like  the  musimon, 
which  is  supposed  to  have  once  inhabited  Scotland ;  and  lastly,  a  pair  of  animals  like 
bullocks,  or  the  hornless  cattle  of  the  country,  going  side  by  side.  This  stone  was  about 
seven  feet  long,  and  had  been  fixed  in  a  pedestal  found  with  it. 

Proceed  towards  Forfar.  About  a  mile  on  this  side  of  the  town  is  a  moor,  noted 
for  a  battle  between  the  Picts  and  the  Scots,  in  the  year  831.  The  Scots  under  Alpin 
had  rather  the  advantage ;  bjr  them  therefore  might  the  great  cairn  near  the  spot  be 
composed,  which  to  this  day  li  called  Picts  Cairnley.  The  base  was  once  surrounded 
with  a  coronet  of  great  upright  columns ;  but  only  one  remains,  which  is  eleven  feet 
high,  seven  broad,  and  eighteen  feet  in  girth. 

Forfar,  the  capital  of  the  county,  contains  about  two  thousand  souls  ;  but,  since  the 
great  aera  of  the  prosperity  of  North  Britain,  has  increased  above  half.  The  manu- 
factures of  linens  in  this  neighbourhood,  from  four-pence  to  seven-pence  a  yard,  arc 
very  coiijiJcrable,  and  bring,  as  is  said,  near  twenty  thousand  a  year. 

The  castle  stood  on  a  small  hill  near  the  town,  but  at  present  not  a  fragment  is 
left. 

•  BoetbiuK,  lib   xl.  p.  243.  t  Boethius,  lib.  ii.  p.  20. 

4  Conquest  of  Mexico,  fol.  73.    Parchas's  Pilgrimi,  iii.  1068. 
§  Wormii  Mon.  Danic,  474.  485. 


438 


PENNANT'S  SECOND  TOUR  IN  SCOTLAND. 


The  lake  lies,  or  rather  did  lie,  at  a  small  distance  from  the  castle,  and,  according 
to  tradition,  once  surrounded  the  town ;  there  being  in  several  part<<,  even  to  this  day, 
marks  of  the  deserted  channel :  of  late  years  it  has  been  very  considerably  reduced  by 
draining,  to  which  the  vast  quantity  of  fine  marie  at  the  bottom  was  the  temptation. 
This  fine  manure  is  found  there  in  strata  from  three  to  ten  feet  thick,  and  very  often 
is  met  with  beneath  the  peat  in  the  moors.  The  land  improved  with  it  yields  four 
crops  successively,  ailer  which  it  is  laid  down  with  barley  and  clover.  The  county  of 
Angus  is  supposed  to  be  benefited,  within  the  six  last  years,  by  this  practice,  by  an 
advance  of  four  thousand  a  year  in  the  rents.  Much  of  this  is  owing  to  an  old  sea- 
man of  this  country,  Mr.  Strachan,  of  Balgayloch,  who  invented  the  method  of  drag- 
gigg  up  the  marie  from  the  bottom  of  the  waters,  in  the  same  manner  as  the  ballast 
is  for  ships. 

About  a  mile  north  of  Forfar  lay  the  cell  or  priory  of  Restenot,  dependent  on  the 
abbey  of  Jedburgh.  This  house  was  placed  in  a  lake,  and  accessible  only  by  a  draw- 
bridge ;  here,  therefore,  the  monks  of  Jedburgh  deposited  their  papers  and  all  their 
valuable  effects.* 

Five  miles  furthet  b  the  castle  of  Glames,  a  place  much  celebrated  in  our  history ; 
first  for  the  murder  of  Malcolm  the  Second,  who  fell  here  by  the  hands  of  assassins, 
in  a  passage  still  shewn  to  strangers.  It  might  at  the  time  be  part  of  the  possessions  of 
the  family  of  the  famous  Macbeth,  who  tells  us,  through  the  mouth  of  Shakespeare, 

By  Sinel's  death  I  know  I  am  Thane  of  Glames. 

This  Sinel  being,  as  Boethius  informs  us,  father  to  that  tyrant.  Probably  aAer  his 
death  it  became  forfeited,  and  9  Med  to  the  property  of  the  crown ;  for,  on  the  ac- 
cession of  Robert  11,  it  was  bestowed  (then  a  royal  palace)  on  his  favourite  Sir  John 
Lyon,  propter  laudabile  et  fidele  servitium.  The  ancient  buildings  were  of  great  extent, 
as  appears  by  a  drawing  from  an  old  print,  vt'hich  the  earl  of  Strathmore  did  me  the 
honour  to  present  to  me.  The  whole  consisted  of  two  long  courts,  divided  by  build- 
ings ;  in  each  was  a  square  tower  and  gateway  beneath,  and  m  the  third  another  tower^ 
which  constitutes  the  present  house,  the  rest  being  totally  destroyed.  This  has  received 
many  alterations,  by  the  additions  of  little  round  turrets,  with  grotesque  roofs  ;  and  by 
a  great  round  tower  in  one  angle,  which  was  built  in  1686,  by  the  restorer  of  the 
castle,  Patrick  lord  Glames,  *!  order  to, contain  the  curious  stair- case,  which  is  spiral; 
one  end  of  the  steps  reauv^  on  »  light  hollow  pillar,  continued  to  the  upper  story. 
Besides  the  spot  of  assassinauoii,  is  shewn  the  seat  of  poetry  and  music,  an  ancient  fes- 
tivity, where  the  bards  took  their  place,  and  sung  the  heroism  of  their  patron  and  his 
ancestors.  In  early  times  a  chieftain  was  followed  to  court  by  his  poets,  and  his  ablest 
musicians  :  hence  it  was,  that  in  the  hall  of  a  Celtic  prince  a  hundred  bards  have  struck 
up  at  once  in  chorus.f  And  even  about  a  century  ago  every  chieftain  kept  two  bards, 
each  of  whom  had  his  disciples,  inseparable  attendants. 

The  most  spacious  rooms  are,  as  usual  in  old  castles,  placed  in  the  upper  stoiies, 
and  furnished  with  all  the  tawdry  and  clumsy  magnificence  of  the  middle  of  the  last 
century.  The  habitable  part  is  below  stairs.  In  one  of  the  apartments  is  a  good  por- 
trait of  the  first  duke  of  Ormond,  in  armour,  by  sir  Peter  Lely ;  the  greatest  and  most 
virtuous  character  of  his  age. 

His  daughter,  countess  of  Chesterfield,  a  celebrated  beauty,  and  the  greatest  coquet 
of  the  gay  court  of  Charles  II,  beloved  by  the  duke  of  York,  and  not  less  by  George 


Keith,  UO. 


t  Doctor  Macpherson,  219. 


'  '^>f|>|^W|l^ 1  Mi»"""'^;^a. 


according 
to  this  day, 
•educed  by 
temptation. 

very  often 
yields  four 
e  county  of 
tice,  by  an 
an  old  sea- 
led of  drag- 

the  ballast 

clent  on  the 
by  a  draw- 
nd  all  their 

)ur  history ; 
3f  assassins, 
)ssessions  of 
lespeare, 


PENNANT'S  SECOND  TOUH  IN  SCOTLAND. 


439 


Hamilton,  She  was  neglected  at  first  by  her  husband,  who,  rouzed  by  the  attention  of 
others  to  his  fair  spouse,  became  too  late  enamoured  with  her  charms.  At  length  a 
mutual  jealousy  seized  the  lady  and  her  lover  Hamilton ;  he,  in  the  frenzy  of  re. 
vcnge,  persuades  the  earl  iO  carry  her  from  the  scene  of  gallantry,  to  pass  her  Christ- 
mas at  his  seat  in  Derbyshire.*  She  discovers  the  treachery  of  her  lover,  but  contrives 
to  inveigle  him  to  visit  her  in  her  retreat,  through  all  the  real  inconveniences  of  bad 
roads,  dreadful  weather,  and  dark  nights,  with  the  additional  terrors  of  imaginary 
precipices  and  bogs,  which  she  had  pamted  in  her  billet,  to  add  to  the  misery  of  his 
journey.  A  bad  cottage  is  provided  for  his  concealment ;  a  false  confidante  brings 
him  at  midnight  into  a  cold  pnssage,  under  promise  of  an  interview  -,  he  remains  there 
till  day  approaches ;  the  night  began  with  rain,  and  ended  with  frost ;  he  was  cased 
with  ice,  perhaps  complaining, 

Julc  luo  longas  pereunte  noctes, 
Lydia,  dormis. 

He  quits  his  station  in  despair,  retires  to  his  cabin,  is  terrified  with  the  news  of  lord 
Chesterfield  being  at  home,  is  alarmed  with  the  sound  of  hounds,  and  the  earl  enjoy- 
ing the  pleasures  of  the  chase  ;  peeps  out,  and  finds  the  country  beautiful,  and  neither 
bog  nor  precipice ;  in  a  word,  returns  to  London  the  next  night,  the  ridicule  of  the 
gay  monarch  and  his  merry  court.f 

I  must  not  forget  another  portrait,  that  more  immediately  relates  to  the  house  of 
Patrick  lord  Glames ;  who,  I  am  informed,  wrote  his  own  memoirs,  and  relates  that 
he  married  the  daughter  of  the  earl  of  Middleton,  lord  commissioner  in  the  time  of 
Charles  H,  and  such  was  the  simplicity  of  manners  at  that  time,  he  brought  his  lady 
home  mounted  behind  him,  without  any  other  train  than  a  man  on  foot  by  the  side  of 
his  horse. 

In  the  church-yard  uf  Glames  is  a  stone  similar  to  those  at  Aberlemni.  This  is  sup- 
posed to  have  been  erected  in  memory  of  the  assassination  of  king  Malcolm,  and  is  called 
his  grave-stone.  On  one  front  is  a  cross,  on  the  upper  part  is  some  wild  beast,  and  op- 
posite to  it  a  centaur  ;  beneath,  in  one  compartment,  is  the  head  of  a  wolf,  these  ani- 
mals denoting  the  bar  'varity  of  the  conspirators ;  in  another  compartment  are  two  per- 
sons shaking  hands,  in  their  other  hand  is  a  battle-axe :  perhaps  these  two  are  repre- 
sented in  the  act  of  confederacy.  On  the  opposite  front  of  the  stone  are  represented 
an  eel  and  another  fish.  This  alludes  to  the  fate  of  the  murderers,  who,  as  soon  as 
they  had  committed  the  horrid  act,  fled.  The  roads  were  at  that  time  covered  with 
snow ;  they  lost  the  path,  and  went  on  to  the  lake  of  Forfar,  which  happened  at  the 
time  to  be  frozen  over,  but  not  sufficiently  strong  to  bear  their  weight ;  the  ice  broke, 
and  they  all  perished  miserably.  This  fact  is  confirmed  by  the  weapons  lately  found 
in  draining  the  lake,  particularly  a  battle-axCj  of  a  form  like  those  represented  in  the 
:jculpture.  Several  brass  pots  and  pans  were  found  there  at  the  same  time,  perhaps 
part  of  the  plunder  the  assassins  carried  oflp,  with  them. 

Near  Glames  are  two  other  stones,  one  with  the  cross  on  one  front,  an  angel  on  one 
side,  and  two  men  with  the  heads  of  hogs  on  the  other ;  probably  satirically  alluding 
to  the  name  of  Sueno,  or  the  swine,  a  Danish  monarch.  Beneath  are  four  aiiimali  re- 
sembling lions  ;  on  the  opposite  front  is  a  single  eel.     This  is  in  the  park  of  Glames.J 

The  other  k  I'f  the  village  of  Cossens,  a  mile  west  of  the  castle,  and  is  called  St. 
Orland's  stone.     The  cross  takes  up  one  front ;  on  the  upper  part  of  the  other  are 


•  Breadby-hal),  ntar  Burton-upon-Tvent. 
1  Vide  Gordon's  ]tii>.  163. 


t  Memoires  du  Grammont. 


J 


440 


PENNANl's  SECOND  TOLK  IS  SCOlLANh. 


certain  unknown  instruments;  beneath  are  horsemen  and  dogs ;  under  thcni  u  sculp- 
turc,  which  in  my  drawing  represents  a  boat ;  beneath  that  a  cow,  and  another 
animal.* 

I  missed  seeing  Denoon  castle,  which  I  am  irr .  med  lies  two  miles  to  the  southwest 
of  Glames.  According  to  Mr.  Gordon,  it  is  .ated  on  an  eminence,  environed  with 
steep  rocks,  and  almost  inaccessible.  On  the  north  are  two  or  three  rows  of  terrasses. 
It  is  of  a  semicircular  form,  and  encompassed  with  a  stupendous  wall  of  stone  and  earth, 
twenty-seven  feet  high,  and  thirty  thick.  The  circuit  three  hundred  and  thirty-five 
yards.  The  entrances  are  on  me  south-east,  and  north-west.  Within  the  area  are 
vestiges  of  buildings,  and  there  is  a  tradition  that  there  was  a  spring  in  the  middle. 
This  appears  to  mc  to  be  the  same  kind  of  fastness  as  that  of  Calter-thun. 

Sept.  6.  Proceed  to  Belmont,  the  seat  of  the  honourable  Stuart  Mackenzie,  Lord 
Privy  Seal  of  Scotland,  where  I  found  the  most  obliging  reception.  It  is  seated  in  the 
parish  of  Meigle,  where  I  again  enter  the  county  of  Perth. 

The  ground  of  this  parish  is  very  fertile,  and  much  improved  of  late  by  the  manure 
of  shell-marl.  It  yields  barley,  oats,  some  wheat,  and  a  little  rye  ;  and,  in  general, 
more  grain  than  the  inhabitants,  who  amount  to  about  twelve  hundred,  can  consume. 
Much  flax  is  raised,  many  potutoes  planted,  and  of  late  artificial  grasses  begin  to  find 
a  place  here.  Improvements  in  agriculture,  and  in  making  good  roads,  go  on  most 
prosperously  under  the  auspices  of  Lord  Privy  Seal.  The  only  manufacture  in  the  pa- 
rish is  that  of  coarse  brown  linens,  which  employs  about  a  hundred  weavers.  But  since  a 
great  proprietor  has  thought  proper  to  debar  the  inhabitants  from  the  use  of  a  large 
peat  moss,  it  is  feared  that  the  matjufacturers  must  remove  (as  many  have  already  done) 
for  want  of  that  essential  article,  fuel. 

Belmont  stands  entirely  on  classical  ground  ;  for  on  its  environs  lay  the  last  scene  of 
the  tragedy  of  Macbeth.  In  oiie  place  is  shewn  his  tumulus,  callea  Belly  Duff,  or,  I 
should  rather  call  it,  the  memorial  of  his  fall ;  for  to  tyrants  no  such  respect  was  paid, 
and  their  remains  were  treated  with  the  utmost  indignity  among  the  northern  nations. 
Thus  Amlethus,  after  destroying  the  cruel  Fengo,  denies  every  lionour  to  his  body.f 
And  Starcather  beautifully  describes  the  obsequies  of  the  wicked  : 

Caesorum  corpora  curru 
Excipiant  famuli,  promptusque  cadaver*  liclor 
Efferat,  ofiiciis  merito  cai'itura  supremis, 
Et  bustis  tndi);na  tegi.     Non  funecis  iUis 
Pompa  rogusve  pium  lumuU  cor^ponel  lionorem  : 
Pulida  spargantur  campis,  aviumque  terenda 
Morsibus,  infesto  macuknt  rus  undiquc  tabo4 

By  the  final  syllable,  I  should  choose  to  stjle  it  a  monument  to  perpetuate  the  me- 
mory of  the  gallant  MacdufF.  It  is  a  verdant  mount,  surrounded  by  two  terrrsses, 
with  a  cope  at  top,  now  shaded  by  broad-leaved  laburnums,  of  great  antiquity.  The 
battle,  which  began  beneath  the  castle  of  Dunsinane,  might  have  spread  as  far  as  this 
place.  Here  the  great  stand  might  have  been  made  ;  here  Macduff  might  have  sum- 
moned the  usurper  to  yield ;  and  here  I  imagine  him  uttering  his  last  defiance, 


*  Ibid   I  !>ad  not  an  opportunity  of  seeing  cither  of  these.   Mr.  Skene,  of  Careston,  favoured  me  wilh 
a  drawing  of  the  iadt  t  Saxo  Gram.  lib.  iv.  p.  55. 

I  Idem,  lib.  vi.  p.  119.  Aviumque  terrenda 

Morsibus. 
Shakespeare  puts  an  idea  similar  to  this  in  the  mouth  of  Macbeth : 

our  monument* 
Shall  be,  the  maAvs  of  kites. 


scuip- 
inothcr 

ihwcst 
ed  with 
rrasses. 
d  earth, 
irty-five 
►rea  are 
middle. 

e,  Lord 
d  in  the 

manure 
general, 
onsume. 
n  to  find 
on  most 
1  the  pa- 
it  since  a 
)f  a  large 
dy  done) 

scene  of 
lufF,  or,  I 
vas  paid, 
I  nations. 
IS  body.f 


I  the  me- 
terr.-sses, 
ity.  The 
far  as  this 
lave  sum- 


red  me  with 


PENNANT'S  SECOND  TOUR  IN  SCOTLAND  || j 

I  will  not  yield 
To  kill  the  ground  before  young  Malcolm's  feet ; 
And  to  be  baited  with  the  rabble's  curse. 
Though  Dimam  wood  be  come  to  Dunsinane, 
And  thou,  oppos'd,  be  of  no  woman  bom, 
Yet  I  will  try  the  last.    Before  my  body 
I  throw  my  warlike  shield.    Lay  on,  Macduff ! 
Anddamn'dbe  he  that  first  cries,  Hold  !  enough."* 

In  a  field  on  the  other  side  of  the  house  is  another  monument  to  a  hero  of  that  day, 
to  the  memory  of  the  brave  young  Steward,  who  fell,  slain  on  the  spot  by  Macbeth.  A 
stupendous  stone  marks  the  place,  twelve  feet  hi^h  above  ground,  and  eighteen  feet  and 
a  half  in  ^rth  in  the  thickest  place.  The  quantity  below  the  surface  of  the  earth  only 
two  feet  eight  inches ;  the  weight,  on  accurate  computation,  amounts  to  twenty  tons ; 
yet  I  have  been  assured,  that  no  stone  of  this  species  is  to  be  found  within  twenty 
miles.  But  the  pains  that  were  bestowed  on  these  grateful  remembrances  of  departed 
merit  may  be  learned  from  the  filial  piety  of  Harald,  the  son  of  Gormon,  who  employ- 
ed hb  whole  army,  and  a  vast  number  of  oxen,  to  draw  a  stone  of  prodigious  size 
from  the  shore  of  Jutland,  to  honour  the  grave  of  his  mother.f 

Near  the  great  stone  is  a  small  tumulus,  called  DuiF's-know ;  where  some  other 
commander  is  supposed  to  have  fallen.  But  Meigle  is  rich  in  antiquities,  the  church< 
yard  is  replete  with  others  of  a  more  ornamented  kind,  abounding  with  hieroglyphic 
columns.  Mr.  Gordon  has  engraved  all  I  saw,  ont  excepted  ;  however,  I  venture  to 
cause  them  to  be  engraved  again  from  the  drawings  of  my  servant ;  for,  notwithstand- 
ing I  allow  Mr.  Gonlonto  possess  great  merit  as  a  writer,  yet  his  sketches  are  less  ac- 
curate than  I  could  wish. 

The  most  curious  is  that  whereon  is  seen,  in  the  upper  part  of  one  front,  dogs  and 
horsemen,  and  below  represented  four  wild  beasts,  resembling  lions,  devouring  a  hu- 
man figure.  The  country  people  call  all  of  them  queen  Vanora's  grave-stones,  and 
relate  that  she  was  the  wife  of  king  Arthur  ;  I  suppose  the  same  lady  that  we  Welsh 
callGuinever,  and  Guenhumara  ;  to  whose  chastity  neither  historians  nor  bards  {do 
much  credit.  The  traditions  of  these  parts  are  not  more  favourable  to  her  memory. 
The  peasants  assert,  that,  after  the  defeat  of  her  lover,  she  was  imprisoned  in  a  fort  on 
the  hill  of  Barra,  opposite  to  this  place,  and  that  there  she  died,  and  was  interred  in  the 
parbh  of  Meigle.  Others  again  say,  that  she  was  torn  to  pieces  by  wild  beasts,  to  which 
this  sculpture  alludes  ;  if,  as  Mr.  Gordon  justly  observes,  the  carvingdi  might  not  some- 
times prove  the  foundation  of  the  tale. 

It  IS  reported  that  her  grave  was  surrounded  by  three  stones,  in  form  of  a  triangle, 
mortised  into  one  another.  Some  of  them  have  holes  and  grooves  for  that  purpose,  but 
are  now  disjointed,  and  removed  to  different  places. 

Another  stone  is  very  curious  :  on  it  is  engraved  a  chariot,  with  the  driver  and 
two  persons  in  it ;  behind  is  a  monster,  resembling  a  hippopotamus,  devouring  a  pros- 
trated human  figure.  On  another  stone  is  the  representation  of  an  elephant,  or  at  least 
an  animal  with  a  long  proboscis.  Whence  could  the  artists  of  a  barbarous  age  acquire 
their  ideas  of  centaurs,  or  of  animals  proper  to  the  torrid  zone  ? 

Sept.  8.  Leave  Belmont.  Pass  beneath  the  famous  hill  of  Dunsinane,  on  the  south 
side  of  Strathmore,  on  whose  summit  stood  the  castle,  the  residence  of  Macbeth,  full  in 

*  The  foundation  of  all  this  tale  is  overthrown  lately  by  the  learned  and  accurate  author  of  the  Annals 
of  Scotland  :  but,  out  of  respect  to  the  numberleis  sublime  passages  it  has  furnished  the  poet  with,  I  suffer 
it  to  retain  its  place  here.  t  Wormii  Men.  Dan.  39. 

I  Jeffery  of  Monmouth,  p.  351.      Percy's  Reliques,  iii.  4. 
VOL.   III.  3  L 


442 


PENNANTS  SECOND  TOUR  IN  SCOTLAND. 


view  of  Bimam  wood,  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  plain.  No  place  could  be  better 
adapted  for  the  seat  of  a  jealous  tyrant :  the  sides  are  steep,  and  of  the  most  difficult 
ascent,  the  summit  commanding  a  view  lu  a  great  distance  m  front  and  rear.  At  pre- 
sent there  are  not  any  remains  of  this  celebrated  fortress  :  its  place  is  now  a  verdant 
area,  of  an  oval  form,  fifty-four  yards  by  thirty,  and  surrounded  by  two  deep  ditches. 
On  the  north  is  a  hollow  road,  cut  through  the  rock,  leading  up  to  the  entry,  which 
lies  on  the  north-east,  facing  a  deep  nvrrow  chasm,  between  this  and  the  next  hill. 
The  hill  has  been  dug  into,  but  nothing*  was  discovered,  excepting  some  very  black 
corn,  which  probably  had  undergone  the  operation  of  graddan,  or  burning.  This 
place  was  fortified  with  great  labour,  for  Macbeth  depended  on  its  strength  and  natural 
steepness  as  a  secure  retreat  against  every  enemy.  He  summoned  the  Thanes  from  all 
parts  of  the  kingdom  to  assist  in  the  work.  All  came,  excepting  Macduff,  which  so  en> 
raged  the  tyrant,  that  he  threatened  to  pur  the  yoke  that  was  on  the  oxen  then  labour, 
ing  up  the  steep  side  of  the  hill  on  the  neck  of  the  disobedient  Thane.* 

A  little  to  the  eastward  is  a  hill  called  ilie  King's-seat,  where,  tradition  says,  Macbeth 
sat  as  on  a  watch-tower,  for  it  commands  a  more  comprehensive  view  than  Dunsi» 
nane.  Here  his  scout  might  be  placed,  who  brought  him  the  fatal  news  of  the  march 
of  Birnam  wood : 

'  As  I  did  stand  my  vrtttch  upon  the  hill,  i 

I  look'd  toward  Birnam,  and  anon,  methought 
The  wood  began  to  move  1  -'  .... 

On  the  plain  beneath  these  hills  are  several  other  monuments  of  antiquity,  such  as  a 
great  stone  lying  on  the  ground,  ten  feet  long,  called  the  Long  Man's  Grave.  Here  are 
also  several  tumuli  composed  of  earth  and  stones,  of  a  pyramidical  form,  called  here 
Lawes.  One  of  a  considerable  size  near  a  gentleman's  seat,  called  Law-town,  is  sup- 
posed to  have  been  that  from  which  Macbeth  administered  justice  to  his  people.  No 
prince  ruled  with  more  equity  than  he  did  in  the  beginning  of  his  reign.  He  was  the 
first  of  the  Scottish  monarchs  that  formed  a  code  of  laws,  which  were  duly  observed 
during  his  government,  but  afterwards  were  neglected  or  forgotten,  as  Buchanan  says, 
much  to  the  loss  of  the  kingdom  in  general. 

Continue  our  ride  westward.  Pass  through  Perth.  Reach  Dupplin,  where  we 
continue  till  next  morning. 

Sept.  9.  Cross  the  river  Earn,  at  Earn-bridge,  near  the  house  of  Moncrief ;  keep  on 
the  south  side  of  Strathearn,  and  breakfast  in  its  eastern  extremity,  at  the  village  of 

Abernethy,  seated  near  the  junction  of  the  Earn  and  the  Tay,  and  once  the  capital 
of  the  Pictish  kingdom.  The  oiigin  of  these  people  has  been  greatly  litigated  :  some 
suppose  them  to  have  been  foreigners  imported  from  Scandinavia,!  or  out  of  Saxony ; 
but  apparently  without  any  foundation.  There  is  no  reason  to  imagine  them  to  have  had 
any  other  origin  than  from  the  Caledonians,  the  ancient  inhabitants  of  the  country. 
They  were  the  unconquered  part,  who,  on  the  death  of  Scverus,  recovered  from  his 
sons  the  conquests  of  the  father,  who  harassed  the  Romans  and  southern  Britons  with 
frequent  excursions,  and  who,  with  their  kindred  Scots,  on  the  retreat  of  the  Romans, 
forced  their  confinement,  now  called  Graham's-dike,  and  with  irresistible  fury  extended 
iheir  dominions  as  far  as  the  banks  of  the  Hiimber. 

Two  kingdoms  had  been  erected :  the  one  styled  thai  of  the  Picts,  the  other  that 
of  the  Scots.     Each  of  them  were  new  names :  the  first  that  mentions  the  Picts  is 


*  Buchanan;  lib.  vil.  c.  1 1. 


t  Stillingfleet,  iiuotcd  by  Mr.  Macpherson,  79. 


PENNANT'S  SECOND  TOUR  IN  SCOTLAND. 


443 


X  better 
difficult 
At  pre- 
verdant 
[)  ditches, 
y,  which 
next  hill, 
cry  black 
This 
id  natural 
s  from  all 
ich  so  en- 
n  labour- 
Macbeth 
n  Dunsi- 
he  march 


iuch  as  a 
Here  are 
ailed  here 
n,  is  sup- 
Dple.  No 
'i  was  the 
observed 
anan  says, 

where  we 

;  keep  on 
:of 

the  capital 

ed :  some 

'  Saxony; 

>  have  had 

;  country. 

from  his 

itoiis  with 

Romans, 

extended 

other  that 
e  Picts  is 

1,79. 


Eumenius,  the  panegyrist,  who  wrote  in  309,  and  the  first  who  speaks  of  the  Scots  is 
Ammianus  Marcellinus. 

The  words  are  of  Celtic  origin :  Pict  is  derived  from  Picteich,*  or  Plctish,  a  plun- 
derer or  thief:  it  was  bestowed  on  them  by  their  southern  neighbours,  who  probably 
experienced  the  cruelty  of  their  excursions.  The  Caledonian  offspring  accepted  the 
title,  as  it  conveyed,  in  their  idea*  an  addition  of  honour  instead  of  infamy  ;  for  the 
northern  nations,  from  the  earliest  antiquity,  held  robbery  to  have  been  honourable ; 
nor  does  that  opinion  seem  to  be  worn  out  to  this  day  with  some  of  the  northern 
princes. 

The  kingdom  of  the  Picts  was  on  the  eastern  parts  of  North  Britain  :  that  of  the  Scots 
on  the  western.  The  last  derived  their  name  from  Scottan,  a  small  flock,t  or  from 
Scuite,  wanderers.:^  The  first  perhaps  from  their  making  inroads  in  small  parties,  the 
last  from  their  acknowledged  way  of  life,  running  about  seeking  whom  they  might  de- 
vour.  As  soon  as  these  two  nations  had  established  a  power,  wars,  attended  with 
various  success,  arose  between  them:  at  length  the  Scots  proved  victorious;  they 
totally  subdued  their  Pictish  neighbours,  cut  off  multitudes,  forced  numbers  to  fly 
abroad  for  security,  overturned  their  kingdom,  incorporated  the  few  which  were  Ieft« 
and  made  their  very  name  to  cease. 

That  the  Romans  might  also  give  the  name  of  Picti  to  the  British  nations,  from  the 
custom  of  painting  their  bodies  with  woad  and  other  dyes,  i^  incontestible,  notwithstand- 
ing it  is  denied  by  many  of  the  Scottish  authors.  I'hey  argue  from  the  inconsistency 
of  the  Ronrwin  writers,  some  of  whom  assert  that  the  Britons  went  naked,  others  that 
they  were  clothed  in  skins,  others  with  garments  called  Brachse.  That  any  were  so 
wretched  as  to  bt  destitute  of  clothing  in  this  severe  climate  is  very  improbable :  no 
northern  nations,  yet  ^Xscovered,  were  ever  found  in  such  a  state  of  nature.  But,  pay  the 
former,  as  tht  Britons  were  clothed,  why  should  they  give  themselves  the  trouble  of 
adomiiYg  their  bodies  with  painting,  since  they  could  neither  shew  them  through  vanity 
to  their  friends,  or  as  objects  of  terror  to  their  enemies  ?  It  is  difficult  to  trace  the  cause  of 
customs  in  such  distant  periods;  but  we  know  at  present,  from  recent  authority,  that  there 
are  two  nations,  who  to  this  day  retain  the  custom  of  painting  their  bodies,  and  some  of 
them  the  most  concealed  parts,  which  they  are  as  averse  to  exposing  as  any  European, 
Both  of  these  people  are  clothed  :  those  of  Otaheite  have  one  kind  of  dress ;  the  new 
Zealanders  another.  In  distant  ages  they  may  leave  off  the  custom  of  tattooing 
their  skins  ;  and  the  authority  of  our  modem  voyages  become  as  disputable  as  those  of 
Caesar,  I^on  Cassius>  or  Herodian,  are  with  some  later  writers.  But  that  the  painted 
bodies  of  our  ancestors  might  be  capable  of  striking  terror  into  their  enemies  is  very  cer- 
tain; for  in  an  action  they  freed ^  themselves  from  the  incumbrances  of  the  looser 
garments,  and  part  at  least  of  their  bodies,  painted  with  wild  farcy,  was  left  exposed  to 
tbe  view  of  the  astonished  foe. 

I  could  not  hear  that  there  were  the  least  remains  of  antiquity  at  Abernethy  that 
could  be  attributed  to  its  ancient  possessors.  The  Picts  have  left  memorials  of  their 
seat  at  Inch-tuthel,  and  marks  of  their  retreata  in  time  of  danger  on  the  summit  of 
many  a  hill.  Above  the  house  of  Moncricf,  on  Mordun  hill,  is  a  fastness,  formed  by  a 
bulwark  of  stones,  surrounding  about  two  acres  of  ground,  which  might  have  been  the 
citadel  of  Abeniethy,  the  refuge  of  its  inbiibitants  in  time  of  war,  at  least  of  its  women, 
its  children.ll  and  Its  cattle,  while  the  warriors  kept  the  field,  to  repel  the  enemy. 


•  Henry's  History  of  Britain,  i.  193. 
Iknry's  History  of  Britain,  i.  i93. 
1;  Cunjuges  ac  Uberus  in  loca  tuta  transferrent. 


t  Doctor  Macpherson,  108. 

§  Mr.  James  Macpherson,  215. 
Tacitus  Vit.  AgricolK,  c.  37. 
L  2 


v.'jm 


444 


l'£M  MANX'S  SECOND  TOCTR  IN  SCOTLAND. 


1 


Here  is  indeed  a  round  tower  like  that  of  Brechin ;  but  I  am  more  willing  to  give 
these  edifices  to  the  Irish  than  the  Pk  ts.  The  Scots  have  sufBcient  remains  of  anticj^uit^ 
to  forgive  this  concesuon :  the  tower  at  Aberncthy  is  uncovered  ;  the  height  withm  is 
8eventy>two  feet ;  the  inner  diameter  eight  feet  two  ;  the  thickness  of  the  wall  at  top 
two  feet  seven ;  at  bottom  three  feet  four ;  the  circumference  ne«r  the  ground  forty- 
seven.  Witlun  is,  at  present,  a  bell,  platforms,  and  ladders,  like  that  in  the  capital  of 
Angus. 

St.  Brigid«  a  virgin  of  Caithness,  here  first  dedicated  hereelf  to  the  services  of  heaven, 
not  with  vows  frail  as  human  nature,  but  with  a  resolute  perseverance  in  the  duties  of 
the  monastic  life :  and  with  her  nine  others  adopted  the  same  course.^  At  this  place 
she  died  in  513,  and  left  such  a  reputation  for  piety,  *'that  the  most  extravagant  ho- ' 
nours  were  paid  to  her  memory.  The  Hebrides  paid  her  divine  honours ;  to  her  the 
greatest  number  of  their  churclies  were  dedicated :  from  her  they  had  oracular  re- 
sponses :  by  the  divinity  of  St.  Brigid,  was  one  of  their  most  solemn  oaths :  to  her  they 
devoted  the  first  day  of  February,  and  in  the  evemng  of  that  festival  performed  many 
strange  ceremonies  of  a  druidical  and  most  superstitious  kind."t 

Here  were  preserved  her  reli^ues ;  here,  in  honour  of  her,  was  founded  n  collegiate 
church ;  and  this  place  was  a  bishopric,  the  metropolitan  of  all  Scotland,  till  it  was  in 
840  translated  to  St.  Andrew's  by  Kenneth  IH,  after  his  victory  over  the  Picts.:^  Be- 
fore which  it  was  a  populous  city,  given  by  Nectanus,  king  of  the  JEHcts,  to  God  and  St. 
Brigid,  till  the  day  of  judgment.} 

Ascend  the  Ochil  hills,  and  in  less  than  two  miles  cross  a  rivulet,  and  enter  into  the 
shire  of  Fife;  the  nearest  or  most  southerly  part  of  the  Roman  Caledonia,  the  Otholinia 
and  the  Ross  of  the  Picts  ;||  the  Forth-ever  or  Over  of  the  Saxons  ;  and  the  Fife  of 
the  present  time ;  the  last  from  Fifus  DufFus,  a  warrior  of  the  country. 

Near  the  junction  of  Fife  and  Strathern,  not  far  from  the  spot  I  passed,  is  Mugdrum 
cross,  an  upright  pillar,  with  sculptures  on  each  side,  much  defaced ;  but  still  may  be 
traced  figures  of  horsemen,  and  beneath  them  certain  animals.  Near  this  place  stood 
the  cross  of  the  fiimous  Macduff,  thane  of  Fife,  of  which  nothii^  but  the  pedestal 
has  been  left  for  above  a  century  past  On  it  were  inscribed  certain  Macaronic  verses, 
a  strange  jargon,  preserved  both  by  Sibbaldlf  and  Gordon.**  Mr.  Cunningham,  Mvho 
wrote  an  essay  on  the  cross,  translates  the  lines  into  a  grant  of  Malcohn  Canmore,  to 
the  earl  of  Fife,  of  several  emoluments  and  privileges;  among  others,  lie  allows  it  to  be 
a  sanctuary  to  any  of  Macdufi^s  kindred,  within  the  ninth  degree,  who  shall  be  acquitted 
of  any  man-slaughter,  on  flying  to  this  cross,  and  paying  nine  cows  and  a  heifer,  ff 

Descend  the  Ochil  hills,  and  arrive  in  a  pretty  valley,  called  the  strath  of  £den, 
bounded  on  the  south  by  the  Lomond  hills,  and  watered  by  the  river  Eden.  Go 
through  a  small  town,  and,  after  crossing  the  vals,  reach 

Falkland ;  another  small  town,  made  a  royal  burgh  by  James  H,  in  1458.  Here 
stood  one  of  the  seats  of  the  Macduffs,  earls  of  Fife.  On  the  attainder  of  Murdo 
Stuart,  seventeenth  earl,  it  became  forfeited  to  the  crown  in  1424.  James  V,  who 
grew  very  fond  of  the  place,  enlarged  and  improved  it.  The  remains  evince  its  former 
magnificence  and  elegance,  and  the  fine  taste  of  the  princely  architect.  The  gateway  is 
placed  between  two  fine  round  towers ;  on  the  right  hand  joins  the  chapel,  whose  roof  is 
jfwood,  handsomely  gilt  and  painted,  but  in  a  most  ruinous  condition.    Beneath  are 


*  Spotswood's  Hist.  Ch.  Scotland,  1 1,  13.     Boethius,  lib.  x.  p,  181. 
t  Doctor  Macphcrson,  239.  i  Keith's  Bishops  2.  f  rumden,  1338. 

Il Boethius,  lib.  iv.  p.  6 1.     Sibbald,  Fife,  1.  f  Sibbald,  Tflb)  9 J,  9:1 

*•  Gordon,  164.  ft  Camden,  1336. 


Edit.  1722. 


PKNNANT'S  SBCONU  TOUR  IN  SCOTLAND. 


445 


;  to  give 
andquity 
within  IS 
all  at  top 
nd  forty, 
apital  d' 

heaven, 
duties  of 
lis  place 
2;ant  ho- ' 
0  her  the 
icular  re- 
her  they 
led  many 

collegiate 
it  was  in 
ts4  Be. 
d  and  St. 

rinto  the 
OthoUnia 
le  Fife  of 

^ugdrum 
II  may  be 
ace  stood 
i  pedestal 
lie  verses, 
lam,  who 
amore,  to 
vs  it  to  be 
acquitted 

tt 

of  Eden, 

den.    Go 

>8.  Here 
of  Murdo 
1  V,  who 
ts  former 
gateway  is 
}se  roof  is 
ineath  are 


several  apartments.  The  front  next  to  the  court  was  beautifully  adorned  with  statues, 
heads  in  bas-relief,  and  elegant  columns,  not  reducible  to  any  order,  but  of  fine  pro. 
portion,  with  capitals  approaching  the  Ionic  scroll.  Beneatii  some  of  tliese  pillars  was 
inscribed  I.  R.  M.  G.  1537,  or  Jacobus  Rex.     Maria  de  Guise. 

This  place  was  also  a  favourite  residence  of  James  VI,  on  account  of  the  fine  park, 
and  plenty  of  deer.  The  east  side  was  accidentally  burnt  in  the  time  of  Charles  11,  and 
the  park  ruined  during  Cromwell's  usurpation,  when  the  fine  oaks  were  cut  down,  in 
order  to  build  the  fort  at  Perth. 

In  the  old  castle  was  cruelly  starved,  by  the  villainy  of  his  uncle,  the  duke  of  Albany, 
David  duke  of  Rothesay,  son  to  Robert  III.  For  a  time  hb  life  was  prolonged  by  the 
charity  of  two  women;  the  one  supplying  him  with  oaten  cakes,  conveyed  to  him 
through  the  prison  grates ;  the  other,  a  wet  nurse,  with  milk,  conveyed  by  means  of  a 
pipe.  Both  were  detected,  and  both  most  barbarously  put  to  death.^  The  death  of 
this  prbce  occasioned  a  parliamentary  inquiry.  The  murderers  were  acquitted  ;  and 
pardoned  :  certainly  the  innocent  would  never  have  required  such  security.f 

Near  the  present  palace  are  several  houses,  marks  of  the  munificence  of  James  VI, 
who  built  and  bestowed  them  on  his  attendants,  who  acknowledge  his  bounty  by  grate- 
ful inscriptions  on  the  walls,  mostly  in  this  style : 

"  At  praise  to  God  and  thankis  to  the  most  excellent  monarche  of  Great  Britane  of 
whose  princelie  liberalitie  this  is  my  portioune.     Nicol  Moncrief.    1610." 

Continue  our  journey  along  the  plain,  which  is  partly  arable,  partly  a  heath,  of  un. 
common  flatness,  darkened  with  prodigious  plantations  of  Scotch  pines.  In  the 
midst  is  Melvil,  the  seat  of  the  earl  of  Leven  and  Melvil ;  a  fine  house,  with  nine  win- 
dows in  front,  designed  by  the  famous  Sir  William  Bruce,  and  executed  by  Mr.  James 
Smith,  and  built  in  1692. 

The  noble  owner  is  descended,  by  the  female  line,  from  Alexander  Lesly,  first  of  the 
title  ;  a  gallant  and  most  trusted  offic(M>  under  the  great  Gustavus  Adolphus.  To  him 
he  gave  the  defence  of  Stralsund,  when  besieged  by  the  Imperialists,  whose  commander, 
the  impious  or  the  frantic  Walstein,  swore  he  would  take  the  place,  though  it  hung  in 
the  air  from  lieaven  by  a  chain  of  adamant  :  |  but  Lesly  disappointed  his  rodomontade. 
On  his  return  to  Scotland  he  headed  the  covenanting  army,  during  part  of  the  civil 
wars,  and  contributed  greatlv  to  the  victory  of  Marston-moor,  in  1644.  After  the  death 
of  Charles  I,  he  favoured  tne  loyal  party,  was  imprisoned,  and  suflfered  sequestration  ; 
so  little  did  the  parliament  reipect  his  former  services.  A  neat  miniature  of  him  is  pre- 
served here,  and  a  fine  medal  given  him  by  Gustavus,  for  his  brave  defence  of  Stralsund. 

Gustavus  himself,  at  full  length,  in  a  short  buff  coat  This  portrait  is  an  original, 
brought  out  of  Germany  by  the  general. 

George,  earl  of  Melvil,  lord  high  commissioner  in  1690,  a  post  he  received  as  a 
reward  for  his  sufferings  in  1683,  when  he  had  the  honour  of  being  accused  of  corre- 
sponding with  the  virtuous  lord  Russel ;  was  obliged  to  fly  into  Holland,  and,  on  re. 
fusing  to  appear  on  being  cited,  suflfered,  till  the  revolution,  the  forfeiture  of  his  estate* 

David,  earl  of  Leven,  commander  of  the  forces  in  North  Britain,  from  1706  to 
1710,  a  fine  "half  length,  in  armour,  looking  over  his  shoulder.  By  sir  John  de 
Medina. 

In  the  garden  is  a  square  tower,  one  of  the  summer  retreats  of  cardinal  Beaton  ;  and 
near  it  is  Cardan's  well,  named  from  the  celebrated  physici.an,  who,  in  1552,  was  sent 


*  Vide  sir  David  Dalrymple's  remarks  on  Hist.  Scotland,  278. 
t  Duchanan,  lib.  x.  c.  10.  i  Hart's  Life  of  Gustavus,  i,  99. 


446 


PKNNANT'S  SECOND  TOUH  IN  SCOTLAND. 


I 


for  from  Milan,  to  Hamilton,  archbishop  of  St.  Andrew'^,  who  was  here  ill  of  an  asthma. 
Cardun  tflffcted  his  cure,  but  to  preserve  him  for  a  most  ignominious  fate,  which  the  phy- 
sician,  by  casting  the  nativity  of  nis  patient,  foretold.  The  prelate  was  afterwards  hung* 
ed  on  a  live  tree  at  Stirling,  and  the  following  cruel  sarcasm  composed  on  the  occasion  : 


Vive  dhi,  felix  arbor,  lemperque  vireto 
Frondibui)  ut  nobis  talia  poma  ferat. 


ScptemL  Leave  Melvil.     The  country  is  well  improved,  inclosed,  and  fenced 

with  quickset  hedges.  Pass  by  Dairsie  church,  and  castellated  house.  The  church  is 
ancient,  but  of  elegant  architecture ;  the  tower  polygonal,  terminating  in  a  spire.  It  is 
built  at  the  edge  of  an  eminence,  over  the  river  Eden,  which  washes  a  beautiful  bottom. 
The  view  from  it  of  the  bridge,  the  church,  and  house,  are  uncommonly  pleasing. 
The  estate  of  Dairsie  was  once  the  property  of  the  see  of  St.  Andrew's,  but  in  1550  was 
feued  out  to  Lament  of  Darsie,  to  be  held  by  duty  paid  to  this  day.  It  was  afterwards 
sold  to  archbishop  Spotswood. 

After  passing  over  a  barren  moor,  have  a  most  extensive  view.  Beneath  on  the  north 
is  rhe  Eden,  discharging  itself  into  a  small  bay  under  Gair  bridge,  consisting  of  six 
arches,  built  by  Henry  Wardlaw,  bishop  of  St.  Andrew's,  who  died  in  1440 :  beyond 
is  the  aestuary  of  the  Tay,  great  part  of  the  county  of  Angus,  terminating  with  the  Red- 
head,  which,  with  Fifeness  in  this  county,  forms  the  greatbay  of  St.  Andrew's.  Full  in 
front,  at  the  bottom  of  a  long  descent,  appears  the  city,  placed  at  the  extremit"  of  a 
plain  at  the  water's  edge.  Its  numerous  towers  and  spires  give  it  an  air  of  vast  magni. 
ficence,  and  sfve  to  raise  the  expectation  of  strangers  to  the  highest  pitch.  On  entering 
the  west  port,  a  well-built  street,  straight,  and  of  a  vast  length  and  breadth,  appears  ;  but 
so  grass  grown,  and  such  a  dreary  solitude  lay  before  us,  that  it  formed  the  perfect  idea 
of  having  been  laid  waste  by  the  pestilenct. 

On  a  farther  advance,  the  towers  and  spires,  which  at  a  distance  afforded  such  an 
appearance  of  grandeur,  on  the  near  view  shewed  themselves  to  be  the  awful  remains 
of  the  magnificent,  the  pious  works  of  past  generations.  A  foreigner,  ignorant  of  the 
history  of  this  country,  would  naturally  inquire  what  calamity  has  this  city  undergone  ? 
has  it  suffered  a  bombardment  from  some  barbarous  enemy  ?  or  has  it  not,  like  Lisbon,  felt 
the  more  inevitable  fury  of  a  convulsive  earthquake  ?  but  how  great  is  the  horror,  on  re- 
flecting that  this  destruction  was  owing  to  the  more  barbarous  zeal  of  a  minister,  who, 
by  his  discourses,  first  enflamed,  and  then  permitted  a  furious  crowd  to  overthrow  edi* 
fices,. dedicated  to  that  very  Being  he  pretended  to  honour  by  their  ruin.  The  cathe- 
dral was  the  labour  of  a  hundred  and  sixty  years,  a  building  that  did  honour  to  the  coun* 
try  :  yet,  in  June  1559,  John  Knox  effected  its  demolition  m  a  single  day. 

If  we  may  credit  legend,  St.  Andrew's  owes  its  origin  to  a  singular  accident.  St. 
Regulus,  or  St.  Rule,  as  he  is  often  called,'  a  Greek  of  Achaia,  was  warned  by  a  vision 
to  leave  his  native  country,  and  visit  Albion,  an  isle  placed  in  the  remotest  part  of  the 
Avorld  :  and  to  take  with  him  the  arm- bone,  three  fingers,  and  three  toes  of  St.  Andrew. 
He  obeyed,  and  setting  sail  with  his  companions,  after  being  grievously  tempest-tost, 
was  in  370  at  length  ship-wrecked  on  the  coasts  of  Otholinia,  in  the  territory  of  Her- 
gustiis,  king  of  the  Picts.  His  majesty  no  sooner  heard  of  the  arrival  of  the  pious 
strangers,  and  their  precious  reliques,  than  he  gave  orders  for  their  reception,  presented 
the  saint  with  his  own  palace,  and  built  it  near  the  church,  which  to  this  day  bears  the 
name  of  Regulus. 

The  place  was  then  stiled  Mucross ;  or,  the  land  of  boars  :  all  round  was  forest,  and 
the  lands  bestowed  on  the  saint  were  called  Byrehid.    The  boars  equalled  in  size  the 


\ 

'  . 


T""??-?-""*.** 


PCNNANT'i  SECOND  TOUK  IN  SCOTLAND. 


447 


Erymanthian  ;  as  a  proof,  two  tusks  were  chained  to  the  altar  of  St.  Andrew,  each  six- 
teen inches  long,  and  four  thick.  But  Uegulus  chan^'d  the  name  to  that  ot'Kilry. 
mont  :  here  he  established  the  first  chrintian  priests  of  this  countr)',  the  Culdees ;  a  word 
which  some  derive  from  cultores  Dei,  or  worbhippers  of  God ;  others,  with  more  justice, 
from  Ktledei,  or  dwellers  in  cells.  These  had  the  power  of  clioosing  their  own  bishop, 
or  overseer,  professed  for  a  long  time  a  monastic  life,  and  a  pure  and  uncorrupi  rcligiorfl, 
and  withstood  the  power  of  the  popes.  But  David  1,  sidin;>  uith  his  holiness  in  u  dis. 
pute  between  the  Culdees  and  the  prior  and  canons  of  St.  Andrew's,  about  the  right  of 
choosing  a  bishop,  would  have  engaged  the  former  to  admit  (he  last  to  partake  of  the 
powers  of  election ;  but  on  their  refusal  entirely  divested  ihcm  of  their  right.  From 
that  time  their  authority  ceased,  and  probably  their  order,  notwithstanding  they  arc 
mentioned  again  in  1298,  as  opposing  the  election  of  Lumb'  rton,  and  ev«:n  appealing 
to  the  pope  ;  a  sign  that  the  original  doctrine  of  the  €<>  dees  was  lost,  and  that  these 
were  only  secular  priests,  who  founded  their  pretensions  to  vote  on  the  ancient  usage 
of  their  predecessors.     The  prior  and  canons  after  this  retuin.-d  th?  right  uf  election. 

This  church  was  supreme  in  the  kingdom  of  the  Picts,  lingus  having  granted  to 
God  and  St.  Andrew  that  it  should  be  the  head  and  mother  oi'  all  the  churches  in  his 
dominions.*  This  was  ;he  prince  who  first  directed  that  the  ciona  of  St.  Andrew  should 
become  the  badge  of  the  country.  In  518,  after  the  conquest  of  the  Picts,  he  removed 
the  episcopal  see  to  St.  Andrew's,  and  the  bishop  was  styled  Ma^amus  Scotorum  Episco* 

{;us.  In  1441  it  was  erected  into  an  archbishoprick,  by  Sextus  IV,  at  the  intercession  of 
ames  HI.  In  1606  the  priory  was  suppressed,  and  the  power  of  election,  in  1617,  trans- 
ferred to  eight  bishops,  the  principal  of  St.  Leonard's  college,  the  archdeacon,  the  vicars 
of  St.  Andrew's,  Leucharii,  and  Coiipar. 

The  cathedral  was  founded  in  I  ifll  by  bishop  Arnold,  hi^t  many  years  elapsed  till  it 
attained  its  full  magnificence,  it  not  being  "»Mi|)lctcd  Ijefoff  i.318.  Its  length,  from 
east  to  west,  was  three  hundred  and  seventy  ki!i }  of  rhe  triviiticpt,  three  hundred  and 
twenty-two.  Of  this  superb  pile  nothing  remains  but  jjtirt  of  the  east  and  west  endl^ 
and  of  the  south  side  ;  with  such  success  andcxptdilinn  aid  saciiicgc  cfTtct  its  ruin. 

Near  the  east  end  is  the  chapetofSt.  R<  ^mIms,  p  singular  edmce.  The  tower  k& 
lofty  equilateral  quadrangle,  of  twenty  fti  i  I"  bji^  ,  and  a  himdred  andthree  high. 
The  body  of  the  chapel  it/nai»  Init  the  two  {,UV  *  |i/|itls  arc  ruined.  The  arches  of 
the  windows  and  doors  are  tuvmi,  -  tiii'  even  form  lit  "re  than  semi-circles;  a  proof  of 
the  antiquity  ;  but  I  cannot  admit  Hergustus,  i<j  WJIN^II  j|  |^  fltfjbnted,  to  have  been  the 
founder. 

The  priory  was  founded  by  Alexandci  I.  |ij  tififf  ^Ht|  thu  ftihnks  (canons  regular 
of  St.  Augustine)  w(  re  brought  from  Scone  in  1  (4li,  uy  l/ol»ert,  bibhop  of  this  see.  By 
act  of  parliament,  in  the  time  of  James  I,  the  jirior  liBa  precedence  of  all  abbots  and 
priors,  and  on  the  days  of  festival  wore  a  tni  ij  all  episcopal  ornaments.t     De« 

pendent  on  this  priory  were  those  of  Lochlevei.,  i  ,  ..tnoak,  Monimusk,  the  isle  of  May, 
and  Pittenween,  each  originally  (i  seat  of  the  ChMllS. 

The  revenues  of  the  house  were  vast,  vie.  In  money,  22371.  2s.  lO^d.  38  chaldronj, 
1  boll,  3  firlots  of  wheat ;  132  ch.  7  bolls  of  hear;  114  ch.  3  bolls,  1  ptck  of  meal  ; 
151  ch.  10  bolls,  1  firlot,  1  peck  and  a  half  of  oats;  3  ch.  7  bolls  of  peas  and  beans; 
480  acres  of  land  also  belonged  to  k. 

Nothing  remains  of  the  priory  except  the  walls  of  <he  precinct,  which  shew  its  vast 
extent.  In  one  part  is  a  most  artless  gateway,  formed  only  of  seven  stones.  This  inclo^ 
sure  be^ns  near  the  cathedral,  and  estcnck  to  the  shore. 


*  Camden,  1233 


t  Keith,  237. 


ti-iiJMftllrifJLil 


mcmumtXi 


i^amstsuea 


tm^jamme 


I 


rEmrANi  's  secoyD  tour  in  Scotland. 

The  other  religious  houses  were,  one  of  Dominicans,  Tounded  in  1274  by  bishop 
Wishart :  another  of  Observant ines,  founded  by  bishop  Kennedy,  and  fniished  by  his 
•tucccHsor,  Patrick  G(aham,  in  1478 ;  and,  according  to  some,  the  Carmclitcii  hud  a 
fourth. 

Immodiatelv  above  the  harbour  stood  the  collegiate  church  of  Kirk-heugh,  originally 
founded  bv  Consttantine  III,  who,  rctirino;  from  the  world,  btrcumr  here  u  Culdee. 
From  its  having  been  first  built  on  a  rock,  it  was  styled  Praepositura  sanctae  Mariae 
de  rupc. 

On  the  east  side  of  the  city  are  the  poor  remains  of  the  castle,  on  a  rock  overlooking 
the  9CU.  This  fortress  was  founded,  in  1401,  bv  bishop  Trail,  who  was  buried  near  the 
high  altar  of  the  cathedral,  with  this  singular  epitaph : 

Hie  fuit  ecclcBix  iHrrcto  columna,  fenestra 
Lucida,  'I'buribulum  redoleni,  campana  sonora. 

The  entrance  of  the  castle  is  still  to  be  seen ;  and  the  window  is  shewn,  out  of  which 
it  is  pretended  that  cardinal  Beaton  leaned  to  glut  his  eyes  with  the  cruel  martyrdom 
of  George  Wishart,  who  was  burnt  on  a  spot  beneath.  This  is  one  of  those  relations 
whose  verity  we  should  doubt,  and  heartily  wish  there  was  no  truth  in  it;*  and,  on 
inquiry*  we  may  console  ourselves  that  this  is  founded  on  puritanical  bigotry,  and  iii> 
vented  out  of  hatred  to  a  persecutor  sufficiently  detestable  on  other  accounts.  Beaton 
was  the  director  of  the  persecution^  and  the  cause  of  the  death  of  thatpious  man ;  and 
in  this  castle,  in  May  1546,  he  met  with  the  reward  of  his  cruelty.  The  patience  of  a 
fierce  age,  as  the  able  Dr.  Robertson  observes,  was  worn  out  by  this  nefarious  deed. 
Private  revenge,  inflamed  and  sanctified  by  a  false  zeal  for  religion,  quickly  found  a  fit 
instrument  in  Norman  Lesly,  eldest  son  of  the  carl  uf  Rutlics.  The  attempt  was  as 
bold  as  it  was  successful.  The  cardinal  at  that  time,  perhaps  instigated  by  his  ears, 
was  adding  new  strength  to  the  castle,  and,  in  the  opinion  of  the  age,  rendering  it 
impregnable.  Sixteen  persons  undertook  to  surprise  it :  they  entered  the  gates, 
which  were  left  open  by  the  workmen,  early  in  the  morning,  turned  out  his  retinue 
without  confusion,  and  forced  open  the  door  of  the  caroinal's  apartment,  which 
he  had  barricadoed  on  the  first  alarm.  The  conspirators  found  him  seated  in  his  chair ; 
they  transfixed  him  with  their  swords,  and  he  expired,  cryinp^,  "  I  am  a  priest !  fie !  fie  ! 
all  IS  gone  !**  He  merited  his  death,  but  the  manner  was  indefensible,  as  is  candidly 
admitted  by  his  enemy,  the  historian  and  poet,  Sir  David  Lindsay : 

As  for  this  cardinal,  I  grant. 

He  was  a  man  we  might  well  want  i 

God  will  forgive  it  aoon. 
But  of  a  truth  the  sooth  to  say,  , 

Although  the  loon  be  well  away, 

The  fact  was  foully  done. 

The  conspirators  were  instandy  besieged  in  the  castle  by  the  regent,  earl  of  Arran ; 
and,  notwithstanding  they  had  acquired  no  greater  strength  than  a  hundred  and  fifty 
men,  resisted  all  his  efforts  for  five  months :  at. length  they  surrendered,  on  the  regent 
engaging  to  procure  for  them  an  absolution  from  the  pope,  and  a  pardon  fix>m  the 
Scottish  parliament. 

I  shall  step  (rather  out  of  course)  to  the  church  of  St.  Nicholas,  remarkable  for  the 
monument  of  a  prelate,  whose  life  and  death  bears,  in  some  respects,  a  great  similitude 

•  Brown's  Vulgar  Errors. 


v3sssx::*r=ini; 


*'r<— n--  -  TT"^ 


amn 


by  bishop 
,hcd  by  hi* 
:litcs  hud  a 

I,  originally 

u  Cutdcc 

ctae  Marias 

}verIoukii'ig 
ied  near  the 


It  of  which 
martyrdom 
3se  relations 
;*  and,  on 
try,  and  in- 
Its.     Beaton 
s  man ;  and 
)atience  of  a 
'arious  deed. 
'  found  a  fit 
:mpt  was  as 
by  hit.   ears, 
rendering  it 
1  the  gates, 
t  his  retinue 
ment,  which 
in  his  chair ; 
lest !  fie !  fie  ! 
s  is  candidly 


irl  of  Arran ; 
h-ed  and  fifty 
on  the  regent 
ion  firom  the 

rkable  for  the 
'eat  similitude 


HNNANT'S  SECOND  TOUR  IN  SCOTLANH  44,^ 

to  that  of  the  cruel  Beaton.  Archbishop  Sharp  wa$ort)iriualty  bred  u  rigid  prcsb)  tcrian, 
had  the  full  confidence  of  the  party,  and  was  intrusted  with  their  interests  at  t  i:  timf: 
of  the  Restoration.  Tempted  by  the  splendour  of  the  prcfcrmentH  of  our  churcli,  he 
apostatized  from  his  own,  received  in  reward  the  archbi^hoprick  of  St.  Andrew's,  uud, 
us  is  commonly  the  case  with  converts,  brcame  a  violent  persecutor  of  his  dcscrtai 
brethren.  His  career  was  sto|)ped  in  1679.  Nine  enthuVia^ts,  some  of  tlicni  men  of  lor- 
tune,  instigated  by  no  private  revcnp;c,  bound  themselves  by  vow  to  sucrilicc  hitn  to  the 
lufferings  of  their  sect.  They  had  mouired  the  Lord's  mind  ancnt,  i.  e.  concerning  the 
murder,  and  the  word  bore  mupon  them,  "  Go  andprosjier."*  On  the  thud  of  May 
they  met  him  in  his  coach  on  Magus-moor,  four  milo^  from  the  city,  uccumpnicd 
by  his  daughter.  As  soon  as  he  saw  himself  pursued,  he  gave  up  all  hupcti  of  lite,  was 
taken  out  of  his  carriage,  and,  amidst  the  cries  and  entreaties  of  the  lady,  most  cruelly 
and  butcherly  murdered.  He  died  with  the  intrepidity  of  a  hero,  and  the  piety  of  a 
christian,  praying  for  the  assassins  with  his  latest  breath  I  The  murderers  all  retired  to 
separate  prayer ;  and  one  of  them,  VViUiam  Daniel,  after  prayer,  told  them  all,  that  the 
Lord  had  said  unto  him,  "  Well  done,  good  and  faithful  servants,  "f 

The  monument  is  very  magnificent  :  in  the  lower  part  is  represented  the  manner  of 
his  death  ;  in  the  middle  the  prebue  is  placed,  kneeling,  the  mitre  and  crosier  fulling 
from  him  ;  an  angel  is  substituting,  instead  of  the  first,  a  crown  of  glory,  with  the  allu- 
sive words,  pro  mitre;  and  above  is  the  bas  relief  of  a  fulling  churcli,  supported  by  the 
figure  of  the  archbishop.  This  piece  of  flattery  is  attended  with  as  flattering  an  epitaph  : 
the  disputable  parts  of  his  life  are  fully  related ;  his  uridoubted  charity  and  deeds  ot  alms 
omitted. 

In  the  church  of  St.  Salvator  ba  most  beautiful  tomb  of  bishop  Kennedy,  who  died, 
an  honour  to  hi),  family,  in  1466.  The  Gothic  work  is  uncommonly  elegant.  Within 
tlic  tomb  were  d»^covercd  six  magnificent  maces,  which  had  been  concealed  here  in 
troublesome  time  One  was  given  to  eacii  of  the  other  three  Scotch  universities,  and 
three  are  preservec  Here.  In  the  top  is  represented  our  Saviour ;  around  are  angels, 
with  the  instruments  of  the  pas&ion. 

With  these  are  shewn  some  silver  arrows,  w  ith  large  silver  plates  afiixed  to  them,  on 
which  are  inscribed  the  arms  and  names  of  the  noble  youth,  victors  in  the  annual  com- 
petitions in  the  generous  art  of  archery,  which  were  dropt  but  a  few  years  ago  ;  and 
golf  is  now  the  reigning  game.  That  sport  and  football  were  formerly  prohibited,  as 
useless  and  unprofitable  to  the  public  ;  ar*d  at  all  weapon  schawings,  or  reviews  of  the 
people,  it  was  ordered,  that,  "  fiite-bal  and  golfe  be  utterly'  cryed  down,  and  that  bow- 
markes  be  mnidatilk  parish  kirk,  a  pair  of  buttes  and  schutting  be  used.  And  that  ilk 
men  schutte  sex  slholles  at  least,  under  the  paine  to  be  raiped  upon  them  that  cummis 
not,  at  least  twa  pennyes  to  be  given  to  them  that  cummis  to  the  bow-markes  ta 
drinkr  »% 

The  fOiTn  of  St.  Andrew's  was  erected  into  a  royal  borough  by  David  I,  in  the  year 
1140,  and  their  privileges  were  afterwards  confirmed.  The  charu  "  of  Malcolm  IV, 
is  p^^^er  f  ud  in  the  tolbooth,  and  appears  written  on  a  bit  of  parchm^  it ;  but  the  con- 
tents equally  valid  with  what  at  this  time  would  require  whole  skins,  kn  this  place  is  to 
be  seen  the  monstrous  axe,  that,  in  1646,  took  off  the  heads  of  Sir  B  Strt  Sp<^tswood 
and  other  distinguished  loyalists,  for  the  wretched  preachers  had  declare  '  that  God  re> 
quired  their  blood.    Here  are  kept  the  alver  keys  of  the  city,  which,  for  form  sake,  aie 


*  Remarks  on  the  History  ol' Scotland,  by  Sir  David  Otdrymple,  363. 
t  Skene's  Scottbh  Acta  of  Pari.  Jamcft  II,  c.  65. 
YOU  It!.  3   M 


t  /i»id. 


450 


HCMNANrs  iiSCOND  TOVK  IN  l':OTLAND. 


i- 


delivered  to  the  king  should  he  visit  the  place,  or  to  a  victorioui  enemf,  in  token  of 
Hubmisitlon.  It  underwent  h  Hirgp  in  1337,  at  which  time  it  was  posscHhcd  by  the  Knff. 
liah  and  other  partizans  of  Buliol ;  but  the  Inynliikts,  under  the  earb  of  March  atid  Kifc, 
made  themselves  ma^ttcrs  of  it  in  three  weeks,  by  the  help  of  their  bHtterin^  machinet. 
It  surrendered  on  terms  of  ticurity  to  the  inhabitants  as  to  life,  limbs,  and  fortune. 

The  city  is  greatly  reduced  in  the  number  of  iiihabituntn ;  at  present  it  acarcely  ex- 
ceeds two  thousand.  There  is  no  certaintv  of  the  sum  when  it  was  the  seat  of  the  pri- 
mate, and  in  the  fulness  of  its  glory.  Ail  we  know  is,  that  during  the  period  otits 
splendour  there  were  between  sixty  and  seventy  bakers ;  but  at  this  time  nuie  or  ten  are 
sufficient  for  the  place.  The  circuit  of  this  city  is  a  mile,  and  contains  three  principal 
streets.  The  trade  of  St.  Andrew's  was  also  once  very  cnn^idtrublc.  I  am  informed, 
that,  during  the  time  of  Cromwell's  usurpation,  sixty  or  seventy  vessels  belonged  to  the 
port ;  at  present  only  one  of  any  size.  The  harbour  is  artificial,  guarded  by  piers, 
with  a  narrow  entrance,  to  give  shelter  to  vessels  from  the  violence  of  a  moHt  heavy  sea. 
The  manufactures  this  city  might  in  former  times  possess  are  now  reduced  to  one,  that 
of  golf-balls,  which,  trifling  as  it  may  seem,  maintains  several  people.  The  trade  is 
commonly  fatal  to  the  artists,  for  the  balls  are  made  by  stuffing  u  great  quantity  of  fea. 
thers  into  a  leathern  case,  by  help  of  in  iron  rod,  with  a  wooden  handle,  pressed  against 
the  breast,  which  seldom  fails  to  bring  on  a  consumption. 

The  celebrated  university  of  this  city  was  foundea  in  1411  by  bishop  Wardlaw,  and 
die  next  year  he  obtained  from  Benedict  III,  the  bull  of  confirmation.  It  consisted  once 
of  three  colleges :  St.  Salvator's,  founded  in  1458  by  bishop  Kennedy.  This  is  a  hand- 
some building,  with  a  court  or  quadrangle  within  :  on  one  side  is  the  church  on  another 
the  library  ;  the  third  contains  apartments  for  students  ;  the  fourth  is  unfinished. 

St.  Leonard's  college  was  founded  by  prior  Hepburn  in  1512.  This  is  now  united 
with  the  last,  and  the  buildings  sold,  and  converted  into  private  houses. 

The  new,  or  St.  Mary's  college,  was  established  by  archbishop  Hamilton  in  1553; 
but  the  house  was  built  by  James  and  David  Bethune,  or  Beaton,  who  did  not  live  to 
complete  it.  This  is  said  to  have  been  the  site  of  a  schola  illustris  long  before  the  esta* 
blishment  even  of  the  university,  where  several  eminent  clergymen  taught,  gratis,  the 
sciences  and  languages.  But  it  was  called  the  new  college,  because  of  its  late  erection 
into  a  divinity  college  by  the  archbishop. 

The  university  is  governed  by  a  chancellor,  an  office  originally  designed  to  be  perpe- 
tually  vested  in  the  archbishops  of  St.  Andrew's  ;  but,  since  the  Reformation,  he  is 
elected  by  the  two  principals,  and  the  professors  of  both  the  colleges. 

The  present  chancellor  is  the  earl  of  Kennoull,  who,  with  his  characteristic  zeal  for 
promoting  all  good  works,  has  established  here  premiums,  to  be  distributed  among  the 
students  who  make  the  best  figure  in  the  annual  exercises.  The  effect  is  already  very 
apparent,  in  exciting  the  ambition  of  a  generous  youth  to  receive  these  marks  of  dis* 
tinction  that  will  honour  their  latest  days. 

The  rector  is  the  next  great  officer,  to  whose  care  is  committed  the  privileges,  disci, 
pline,  and  statutes  of  the  university.  The  colleges  have  their  rectors,  and  professors  of 
different  sciences,  who  are  indefatigable  in  their  attention  to  the  instruction  of  the  stu- 
dents,  and  to  that  essential  article,  their  morals.  This  place  possesses  several  very  great 
advantages  respecting  the  education  of  youth.  The  air  is  pure  and  salubrious  ;  the 
place  for  exercise  dry  and  extensive  :  the  exercises  themselves  healthy  and  innocent. 
The  university  is  fixed  in  a  peninsulated  country,  remote  from  all  commerce  with  the 
world,  the  haunt  of  dissipation.  From  the  smallncss  of  the  society  every  student|s 
i'haracter  is  perfectly   known.     No  little  irregularity  can  be  committed,    but  it  is 


in  token  of 
)y  the  Kng. 
:h  arid  Vile, 
i;  machines, 
fortune, 
carccly  ex- 
it of  the  pri- 
criod  of  its 
ic  or  ten  ore 
re  principal 
n  informed, 
Migcd  to  the 
L-d  by  piers, 
I  heavy  sea. 
to  one,  that 
rhe  trade  is 
antity  of  fea- 
»sed  against 

^ardlaw,  and 
)nsisted  once 
lis  is  a  hand* 
1  on  another 
lished. 
now  united 

on  in  1553; 
id  not  live  to 
ifore  the  esta- 
it,  gratis,  the 
late  erection 


to  be  perpe- 
nation^  he  is 


ristic  zeal  for 
td  among  the 
i  already  very 
marks  of  ctis* 

vileges,  disci' 
1  professors  of 
an  of  the  stu- 
;ral  very  great 
ubriouH  ;  the 
and  innocent, 
lercc  with  the 
very  student's 
ed,    but  it  is 


IMAGE  EVALUATION 
TEST  TARGET  (MT-3) 


1.0 


I.I 


1.25 


;:MIM  IIM 

MO   mil  2.0 


1.8 


1.4    III  1.6 


Photographic 

Sdences 

Corporation 


23  WEST  MAIN  STREET 

WEBSTER,  N.Y.  14580 

(716)  872-4503 


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1. 


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17 


CIHM/ICMH 

Microfiche 

Series. 


CIHM/ICMH 
Collection  de 
microfiches. 


Canadian  Institute  for  Historical  Microreproductions  /  Institut  canadien  do  microreproductions  historiques 


I 


Pt:SSAKT&  SECOND  TOLR  IN  SCOTLAND. 


451 


instantly  discovered  and  checked :  vice  cannot  attain  a  head  in  the  place,  fur  the  incor- 
rigible are  never  permitted  to  remain  the  corrupters  of  the  rest. 

The  students  may  be  boarded  in  the  colleges,  or  in  private  houses,  or  in  those  of  the 
professors.  The  ptice  at  the  colleges  is  only  eight  pounds  for  the  sessions,  which  lasts 
seven  months.     The  diet  is  very  good,  and  a  master  always  presides  at  the  tuble. 

I'he  price  at  the  professors,  or  at  private  houses,  is  from  ten  to  tvvtnty-iive  pounds  a 
quarter.  I  observed,  at  one  of  the  professor's,  young  gentlCinen  from  Bath,  from  Bour- 
deaux,  and  from  Berne ;  a  proof  of  the  extensive  reputation  of  the  university,  notwith< 
standing  the  students  are  far  from  numerous :  there  are  at  present  little  more  than  a 
hundred,  who  during  sessions  wear  red  gowns  without  sleeves. 

Sept.  12.  Leave  St.  Andrew's ;  ascend  a  hill,  and  find  the  country  on  the  heights  very 
uncultivated,  and  full  of  moors.  Here  first  meet  with  collieries  on  this  side  of  North 
Britain.  Descend  into  a  tract  rich  in  com,  and  enjoy  a  most  extensive  and  beautiful 
view  of  the  firth  of  Forth,  the  Bodotiia  of  Tacitus.  The  Bass  island,  with  the  shores  of 
Lothian,  extending  beyond  Edinburgh,  bound  the  southern  prospect.  To  the  left,  a 
few  miles  from  the  coast  of  Fife,  appears  the  isle  of  May,  about  a  mile  in  length,  inac- 
cessible on  the  western  side,  on  the  eastern  is  safe  riding  for  ships  in  westerly  storms. 
This  isle  in  old  times  was  the  property  of  the  monks  of  Reading,  m  Yorkshire  ;  and  in 
it  David  I,  founded  a  cell,  dedicated  to  all  the  saints,  who  were  afterwards  superseded 
by  Adrian,  a  holy  man,  murdered  by  the  Danes  in  Fife,  and  buried  here.  By  his  inter- 
cesuon  the  barren  had  the  curse  of  sterility  removed  from  them ;  and  great  was  the 
resort  hither  of  female  pilgrims. 

It  was  afterwards  annexed  to  the  priory  of  St.  Andrew's,  having  heen  purchased  by 
bishop  LambertOD,  for  that  purpose,  from  the  religious  of  Reading,  m  deBance  of  all  the 
remonstrances  of  that  tremendous  monarch,  the  conqueror  of  Scotland.  In  later  times  a 
light-house  has  been  erected  on  it. 

Reach  the  shore  of  the  fine  bay  of  Largo ;  pass  by  the  lands  of  the  same  name,  be- 
stowed in  1482,  by  James  III,  on  that  gallant  seaman,  his  faithful  servant,  sir  Andrew 
Wood,  in  order  to  keep  hb  ship  in  trim.  With  two  ships  he  attacked  and  took  five 
Englbhmen  of  war,  that  infested  the  Firth  ;  and  soon  after  had  equal  success  against 
another  squadron,  sent  out  by  Henry  VII,  to  revenge  the  disgrace.*  The  Scots,  during 
the  reigns  of  James  III,  and  IV,  were  strong  rivals  to  England  in  maritime  affairs. 

Continue  my  ride  along  the  curvature  of  this  beautiful  bay,  and  meet  with  the  cheer- 
ful  and  frequent  succession  of  towns,  chateaux,  and  of  well-managed  farms.  The  country 
is  populous :  the  trade  is  coal  and  salt ;  the  last  made  from  the  sea  water.  The  coal 
is  exported  chiefly  to  Campvere  and  Rotterdam,  and  generally  oats  are  brought  back 
in  return. 

Go  through  the  village  of  Lundie.  In  a  field  not  far  distant  are  three  vast  upright 
stones ;  the  largest  is  sixteen  feet  high,  and  its  solid  contents  two  hundred  and  seventy. 
There  are  fragments  or  vestiges  of  three  ethers ;  but  their  situation  is  such  as  baffles 
an3r  attempt  to  guess  at  the  form  of  their  original  disposition  when  the  whole  was 
entire.  Near  this  place  the  Danes  met  with  a  considerable  defeat  from  the  Scots,  under 
the  conduct  of  Macbeth  and  Banquo :  it  is  therefore  probable  that  these  stones  are 
monuments  of  the  victory.  Mr.  Dougal,  of  Kirkaldie,  wiio  was  so  obiliging  as  to  fa. 
vour  me  with  their  admeasurement,  gave  himself  the  trouble  of  causing  the  earth  about 
them  to  be  examined,  and  found,  on  digging  about  four  feet  deep,  fragments  of  human 
bones.  .         , 

*  Staggering  State,  &c.  U7. 
3  M  2 


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452 


PENNANT'S  SECOND  TOUH  IN  SCOTLAND. 


Breakfast  at  the  town  of  Levin,  on  the  water  of  the  same  name,  running  from  Loch, 
leven^  near  Kinross.  The  mouth  forms  a  harbour,  where  at  high  water  vessels  of  a 
hundred  tons  may  enter.  Somewhat  further  are  the  piers  of  Methel,  built  in  the  last 
century  by  David  earl  of  Wemys.  Go  through  the  villages  /  Buckhaven,  Wemys, 
and  Easter- Wemys  ;  all  in  the  bie^i.ming  of  the  last  century  carrying  on  a  considerable 
fishery.  On  an  eminence  impending  over  the  sea  is  the  house  of  Wenws,  the  seat  of 
the  ancient  family  of  that  name,  descended  from  the  old  earls  of  Fife.  The  place  de- 
rives  its  title  from  the  various  caverns  in  the  cliffs  beneath.  I  forgot  to  mention,  that 
on  the  shores  near  St.  Andrew's,  and  on  different  parts  of  this  coast,  is  found  that  beau- 
tiful plaat,  the  palmonaria  maritima,  or  sea  bugloss,  one  of  the  most  elegant  irt  our  island. 
It  is  frequent  also  among  the  Hebrides ;  and  immediately  attracts  the  eye  by  its  fine 
glaucous  colour,  and  by  the  fine  red  and  blue  flowers  which  enliven  the  dreary  bieach. 

Pass  through  a  tract  of  collieries,  and  observe  multitudes  of  circular  holes,  surrounded 
with  a  muund,  and  filled  with  water.  These  coaUheughs,  or  pits,  were  once  the  spi- 
racles  or  vent'holcs  in  inexperienced  days  of  mining.  Many  of  the  beds  have  been  on 
fire  for  above  two  centuries ;  and  there  have  been  formerly  instances  of  eruptions  of 
smoke  apparent  in  the  day,  of  fire  in  the  night.  The  violence  of  the  conflagration  has 
ceased,  but  it  still  continues  in  a  certain  degree,  as  is  evident  in  time  of  snow,  which 
melts  in  streams  on  the  surface  wherever  there  are  any  fissures.  George  Agricola,  the 
great  metallurgist,  takes  notice  of  the  phsenomenon  at  this  place.* 

Buchanan,  from  this  circumstance,  fixed  on  the  neighbourhood  of  Dysart  for  the 
scene  of  exorcism  in  his  Franciscanus,  and  gives  m\  admirable  dcf^criptive  view  of  it  un- 
der the  hoi 4  or  of  an  eruption : 

Campus  erat  Iat£  incultus,  non  floribus  horti 
Arriclent,  non  messe  agri,  non  frondibus  arbos :    , 
Vix  sterilis  siccis  vestitur  arena  myricis : 
£t  pecorum  rara  in  solis  vestigia  terris : 
Vicini  Deser^a  vocant.    Ibi  saxea  subter 
Antra  teguntnigras  vulcania  seminacautes: 
Sulphureis  passim  concepta  incendia  venis. 
Fumiferam  volvunt  ntbulam,  piceoque  vapore 
Semper  anhelat  humus :  cxcisqne  inclusa  cavemis 
Flamma  furens,  dum  lactando  penetrate  sub  auras 
Conatur,  tutis  {wssim  spiracula  campis 
Findit,  et  ingenti  tellurem  pandit  hiatu  : 
Teter  odor,  tristisque  habitus  faciesque  locorum. 


>  1 . 

I'  i'     ;  ■ 


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■/  i ' 


A  little  "beyond  this  once  tremendous  place  is  the  town  of  Dysart,  a  royvi  tnii]gh» 
large,  and  full  of  people.  Leave  on  the  left  the  castle  of  Ravensheugh,  seated  on  a  cliff. 
Pass  by  Path-head,  a  place  of  check- weavers  and  nailers :  a  modem  creation,  for  within 
these  sixty  years,  froir.  being  scarcely  inhabited,  about  four  hundred  families  have  been 
collected,  by  the  encouragement  of  feuing.  Adjoining  is  Kirkaldie,  a  long  town,  con- 
taining sixteen  hundred  inhabitants :  this  is  another  royal  burgh,  where  I  expeiienced 
the  hospitality  and  care  of  Mr.  Oswald,  its  representative,  during  a  short  illness  that  over- 
took me  here. 

This,  like  Alost  other  maritime  towns  of  Fife,  depends  on  the  coal  and  salt  trade.  The 
country  is  very  populous,  but  far  less  than  it  was  before  the  middle  of  the  last  century, 
when  the  fisheries  were  at  their  height.  During  winter  it  possessed  a  vast  herring-fishery ; 
in  spring  a  most  profitable  one  of  white  fish.  One  fatal  check  to  population  was  the 
victories  of  Montrose.     The  natives  of  this  coast  were  violently  seized  with  the  religious 

*  De  Natura  Fossilium,  p.  597.'    Agricola  diedin  1555. 


PENNANT'S  SECOND  TOUR  IN  SCOTLAND. 


453 


. ). 


I'uror  of  the  times,  and  took  up  the  cause  of  the  covenant  with  most  distinguished  zeal. 
Instigated  by  their  preachers,  they  crowded  under  the  banners  of  tije  godly,  and  five 
thousand  fell  victims  to  enthusiastic  delusion  at  the  battle  of  I'ippir-moor. 

Of  late  years  many  of  the  inhabitants  have  removed  to  ihe  south-western  pirts  of 
this  kingdom ;  yet  still  such  numt)ers  remain,  that  more  provisions  are  consumed  th un 
even  this  fertile  country  can  supply.  There  is  one  class  of  men  on  this*  coast,  and  I 
believe  in  most  of  the  coal  countries  of  North  Britain,  from  whom  all  power  of  migrat- 
ing is  taken,  be  their  inclinations  for  it  ever  so  strong.  In  this  very  island  is,  at  this  day, 
to  be  found  a  remnant  of  slavery  paralleled  only  in  Poland  and  Russia ;  thousands  of  our 
fellow*subjects  are  at  this  time  the  property  of  their  landlords,  appurtenances  to  their 
estates,  and  transferable  with  them  to  any  purchasers.  Multitudes  of  colliers  and  salters 
are  in  this  situation,  who  are  bound  to  the  spot  for  their  lives  ;  and  even  strangers  who 
come  to  settle  there  are  bound  by  the  same  cruel  custom,  unless  they  previously  stipulate 
to  the  contrary.  Should  the  poor  people  remove  to  another  place  on  a  temporary  ces> 
sation  of  the  works,  they  are  liable  to  be  recalled  at  will,  and  constrained  to  return  on 
severe  penalties.^  This,  originally  founded  on  vassalage,  might  have  been  continued,  to 
check  the  wandering  spirit  of  the  nation,  and  to  preserve  a  body  of  people  together,  of 
whose  loss  the  whole  public  might  otherwise  feel  the  most  fatal  effects. 

During  my  stay  at  Kirkaldie  I  sent  my  servant,  Moses  Griffith,  to  Doctan,  about  four 
miles  distant,  where  he  drew  the  column  most  erroneously  figured  by  sir  Robert  Sib- 
bald.t  It  is  at  present  much  defaced  by  time,  but  still  are  to  be  discerned  two  rude 
figures  of  men  on  horseback ;  and  on  the  other  sides  may  be  traced  a  running  pattern 
of  ornament.  The  stone  is  between  six  and  seven  feet  high,  and  mortised  at  the  bottom 
into  another.  This  is  said  to  have  been  erected  in  memory  of  a  victory,  near  the  Leven, 
over  the  Danes  in  874,  under  their  leaders  Hungar  and  Hubba,  by  the  Scots,  com- 
manded by  their  prince,  Constantine  II. 

Sept.  15.  Contmue  my  journey.  After  proceeding  about  a  mite,  pass  by  the  Grange, 
once  the  seat  of  the  hero  Kirkaldie,  a  strenuous  partizan  of  Mary  Stuart,  after  her  storm 
of  m'lsfortune  commenced ;  before,  an  honest  opposer  of  her  indiscretions.  After  an 
intrepid  defence  of  Edinburgh  castle,  he  fell  into  ttie  h  inds  of  the  regent  Morton,  who, 
fearing  his  unconquerable  spirit,  basely  suffered  him  to  undergo  the  most  ignominious 
death. 

Leave  on  the  left  the  ruins  of  Seafield  castle,  a  square  tower,  placed  near  the  shore,  in 
former  times  the  seat  of  the  Moutrays.  A  little  farther  is  Kinghorn,  a  small  town  and 
borough.  The  castle  was  one  of  the  seats  of  the  kings  of  Sicotland,  till  the  time  of 
Robert  II,  who,  giving  his  daughter  in  marriage  to  sir  John  Lyon,  added  this  town  in 
part  of  portion.  At  this  place  is  the  ferry  between  the  county  of  Fife  and  the  port  of 
Leith,  a  traject  of  seven  miles.  Below  this  town,  on  the  rocks,  grows  the  ligusticum 
Scoticum,  or  Scotch  parsley,  the  shunis  of  the  Hebrides,  where  it  is  often  eaten  raw  as 
a  sallad,  or  boiled  instead  of  greens.  This  root  is  esteemed  a  good  carminative ;  and  an 
infusion  of  the  leaves  in  whey  is  used  there  as  a  purge  for  calves. 

Opposite  to  Kinghorn,  nearly  in  the  middle  of  the  firth,  lies  Inch-keith,  an  island  of 
about  a  mile  in  length.  It  b  said  to  derive  its  name  from  the  gallant  Keith,  who  so 
greatly  signalized  him^sclf  by  his  valour  in  1010  in  the  buttle  of  Barr^,  in  Angus,  against 
the  Danes ;  after  which  he  received  in  reward  the  Barony  of  Keith,  in  Lothian,  and  tliis 
little  isle.  This  seems  to  be  the  place  that  Bede  calls  Caer-Guidi,  there  being  no  other 
that  will  suit  the  situation  he  gives  it  in  the  middle  of  the  Forth.  |    His  translator  renders 

*  This  disgrace,  I  believe,  is  now  under  consideration  of  parliament,  and  will,  I  hope,  be  removed, 
t  Hist,  of  FifCf  p.  34.  |  Hist.  Eccl.  lib.  i.  c.  12. 


liji 


i 


454 


PENNANT'S  SECOND  TOUR  IN  SCOTLAND. 


Caer  by  the  word  city  ;  but  it  should  be  rendered  a  fort  or  post,  which  will  give  proba< 
bility   to  Dede's  account. 

In  1549  the  Englibh  fleet,  sent  by  Edward  VI,  to  assist  the  lords  of  the  congregation 
against  the  queen  dowager,  hinded,  and  began  to  fortify  this  island,*  of  the  <mportancc 
of  which  they  grew  sensible  after  their  neglect  of  securing  the  port  of  Leith,  so  lately  in 
their  power.  They  left  here  five  companies  to  cover  the  workmen,  under  the  command 
of  Cotterel ;  but  their  operations  were  soon  interrupted  by  M.  Desse,  general  of  the 
French  auxiliaries,  who  took  the  place,  after  a  gallant  defence  on  the  part  of  the 
English.  The  Scots  kept  possession  for  some  years  ;  but  at  last  the  fortifications  were 
destroyed  by  act  of  parliament,  to  prevent  it  from  being  of  any  use  to  the  formenf  The 
French  gave  it  the  name  of  L'isle  des  chevaux,  from  its  pro[)erty  of  soon  fattening 
horses. 

In  1497,  by  order  of  council,:):  all  venereal  patients  in  the  neighbourhood  of  the 
capital  were  transported  there,  ne  quid  dctrimenti  respublica  caperet.  It  is  remarkable 
that  this  disorder,  which  was  thought  to  have  made  its  appearance  in  Europe  only  four 
years  before,  should  make  so  quick  a  progress.  The  horror  of  a  disease,  for  which 
there  was  at  that  period  no  cure  known,  must  have  occasioned  this  attention  to  stop 
the  contagion ;  for  even  half  a  century  after,  one  of  the  first  monarchs  in  Europe, 
Francis  I,  fell  a  victim  to  it. 

About  a  mile  from  Kinghorn  is  the  precipice  fatal  to  Alexander  III,  who,  in  1285, 
was  killed  by  a  fall  from  it,  as  he  was  riding  in  the  dusk  of  the  evening. $  A  mile 
beyond  this  is  the  town  of  Brunt-island,  the  best  harbour  on  the  coast,  formed  by  a 
rocky  isle,  eked  out  with  piers,  for  there  are  none  on  this  side  the  country  entirely 
natural.  This  is  dry  at  low  water.  The  church  is  square,  with  a  steeple  rising  in  the 
centre.  The  old  castle  built  by  the  Duries  commanded  both  town  and  harbour.  The 
place  has  a  natural  strength,  which,  with  the  conveniency  of  a  port  opposite  to  the 
capital,  made  it,  during  the  troubles  of  1560,  a  most  desirable  post.  The  French, 
allies  of  the  queen  Regent,  fortified  it  strongly.  In  1715  it  was  surprised,  and  pos- 
sessed  by  the  rebels,  who  here  formed  the  bold  design  over  a  body  of  troops  to  the  op- 
posite shore ;  which  was  in  part  executed  under  the  conduct  of  Brigadier  Macintosh, 
notwithstanding  all  the  efforts  of  our  men  of  war. 

A  little  further  is  Aberdour,  another  small  town.  The  earl  of  Morton  has  a  pleasant 
seat  here.  In  old  dmes  it  belonged  to  the  Vipontsjl ;  in  1126  was  transferred  to  the 
Mortimers  by  marriage,  and  afterwards  to  the  Douglases.  William,  lord  of  Liddes- 
dale,  surnamed  the  Flower  of  Chivalry,  in  the  reign  of  David  II,  by  charter,  conveyed 
it  to  James  Douglas,  ancestor  of  the  present  noble  owner.  The  monks  of  Inch.colni 
had  a  grant  for  a  burial  place  here,  from  Allan  de  Mortimer,  in  the  reign  of  Alexander 
III.     The  nuns,  usually  styled  the  poor  Clares,  had  a  convent  at  this  place. 

I  had  the  pleasure  of  seeing,  near  Aberdour,  a  most  select  collection  of  pictures,  made 
by  captain  Stuart,  who,  with  great  politeness,  obli^  me  with  the  sight  of  them.  It  is 
in  vain  to  attempt  the  description  of  this  elegant  cabinet,  as  I  may  say  one  part  or  other 
used  to  be  always  on  the  march.  This  gentleman  indulges  his  elegant  and  laudable 
passion  so  far  as  to  form  out  of  them  un  cabinet  portaif*  which  is  his  amusement  on  the 
road  ;  in  quarters  ;  in  short,  the  companions  of  all  his  motions.  His  house  is  very 
small  :  to  get  at  his  libraiy  I  ascended  a  ladder,  which  reminded  me  of  the  habitation 
of  Mynhier  Biscop,  at  Rotterdam,  the  richest  repoatory  in  Europe  under  the  poorest 
roof.  ... 


•  Lesley,  479. 

§  Annals  Scotland,  183. 


t  Maitland,  ii.  1008. 
II  Sibbald's  Fife,  122. 


\  Vide  Appendix. 


•"      •-— *^s:^:a-'r*5;iiiC»i  "■"     " 


VtlNNAN T'S  SFXOND  TOUR  IN  SCOTLAND. 


455 


Two  or  three  miles  to  the  west  lies  Iiich-colm,  a  small  island  at  a  little  distance  fromi 
the  bhore,  cckbruicd  fur  a  monHstery  founded  about  1123,  by  Alexander  I,  on  this 
singular  occasion.  In  passing  the  fir.h  of  Forth  he  was  overtaken  with  a  violent  storm, 
which  drove  him  to  this  island,  where  he  met  with  the  most  hoMpitable  reception  from 
a  poor  hermit,  then  residing  here  in  the  chapei  of  St.  Columb,  who,  for  the  three 
days  that  the  king  continued  there  tempest>bound,  entertained  him  with  the  milk  of  his 
cow,  and  a  few  shell-fish.  His  majesty,  from  the  sense  of  the  danger  he  had  escaped, 
and  in  gratitude  to  the  saint,  to  whom  he  attributed  his  safety,  vowed  some  token  of 
respect,  and  accordingly  founded  here  a  monastery  of  Augustines,  and  dedicated  it  to 
St.  Columba.*  Allan  dc  Mortimer,  lord  of  Abcrdour,  who  attended  Edward  III,  in 
his  Scotch  expedition,  bestowed  half  of  those  lands  on  the  monks  of  this  island,  for  the 
privilege  of  a  family  burial-place  in  their  church. 

The  buildings  made  in  consequence  of  the  piety  of  Alexander  were  very  considerable. 
There  are  still  to  be  seen  a  large  square  tower  belonging  to  the  church,  the  ruins  of 
the  church,  and  of  several  other  buildings.  The  wealth  of  this  place  in  the  time  of 
Edward  III,  proved  so  stron(^  a  temptation  to  his  fleet,  then  lying  in  the  Forth,  as  to 
suppress  all  the  horror  of  sacrilege,  and  respect  to  the  sanctity  of  the  inhabitants.  The 
English  landed,  and  spared  not  even  the  furniture  more  immediately  consecrated  to 
divine  worship.  But  due  vengeance  overtook  them,  for,  in  a  storm  which  instantly 
followed,  many  of  them  perished ;  those  who  escaped,  struck  with  the  justice  of  the 
judgment,  vowed  to  make  ample  recompence  to  the  injured  saint.  The  tempest  ceased, 
and  they  made  the  promised  atonement.f 

The  Danish  monument,  figured  by  Sir  Robert  Sibbald,  lies  on  the  south-east  side  of 
the  building,  on  a  rising  ground.  It  is  of  a  rigid  form,  and  the  surface  ornamented 
with  scale-like  figures.     At  each  end  is  the  representation  of  a  human  head. 

Boethius  ^ives  this  island  the  name  of  Emonia,  from  Y  mona,  or  the  isle  of  Mona. 

After  leaving  this  place,  see,  on  the  left,  Dunibrissel,  the  seat  of  the  earl  of  Murray. 
In  1592  this  was  the  scene  of  the  cruel  murder  of  the  bonny,  or  the  handsome  earl,  whose 
charms  were  supposed  to  have  engaged  the  heart  of  Anne  of  Denmark,  and  to  have 
excited  the  jealousy  of  her  royal  spouse.  The  former  at  least  was  the  popular  notion 
of  the  time : 

He  was  a  braw  gallant 

And  he  play'd  at  the  gluve : 
And  the  bonny  earl  of  Murray, 
Oh  !  he  was  the  queenes  love. 

Political  reasons  were  given  for  his  arrest ;  but  more  than  an  arrest  seems  to  have 
been  intended,  for  the  c(.'nmission  was  entrusted  to  his  inveterate  enemy  Huntly,  who, 
with  a  number  of  armed  men,  surrounding  the  house  in  a  dark  night,  set  it  on  fire, 
on  Murray's  refusal  to  surrender ;  he  escaped  the  flames,  but  was  unfortunately  dis- 
covered by  a  spark  that  fell  on  his  helmet,  and  was  slain,  in  telling  Gordon  of  Buckie, 
who  had  wounded  him  in  the  face,  **  You  have  spilt  a  better  face  than  your  awin." 

lUde  through  Inverkeithing,  a  royal  burgh;  and,  during  the  time  of  David  I,  a 
royal  residence.  It  was  much  favoured  by  William,  who,  in  their  first  charter,  ex- 
tended its  liberties  from  the  water  of  Dovan  to  that  of  Leven.  The  Mowbray  s  had 
large  possessions  here,  forfeited  in  the  reigii  of  Robert  I.  The  Franciscans  had  a  con- 
vent in  this  town ;  and,  according  to  sir  Robert  Sibbald,  the  Dominicans  had  another. 

Separated  from  the  bay  of  Inverkeithing  by  a  small  headland,  is  that  of  St.  Margaret ; 
the  place  where  that  illustrious  princess,  afterwards  queen  of  Malcolm  III,  landed 


*  Boethius,  lib.  xii.  p.  263. 


fib.  lib,  XV.  p.  319. 


iSCi 


PENNANT'S  SECOND  TOUR  IN  SCOTLAND. 


with  her  brother  Edgar  in  10G8,  ai(cr  their  flight  from  England,  to  avoid  the  consc> 
(juences  oi'  the  jealousy  of  the  conqueror,  on  account  of  the  title  of  the  former  to  the 
crown.  This  passage  is  also  culled  the  Queen's  ferry,  being  afterwards  her  familiar 
passage  to  Dumfermline,  her  usual  residence. 

The  village  on  this  side  is  called  the  North-ferry.  At  this  place  stood  a  chnpel, 
served  by  the  monks  of  Dumfermline,  and  endowed  by  Robert  I.  Near  it  are  the 
great  granite  quarries,  which  help  to  supply  our  capital  with  paving  stones,  and  cm- 
ploy  a  number  of  vessels  for  the  conveyance.  The  granite  lies  m  perpendicular  stacks, 
and  above  is  a  reddish  earth,  filled  whh  micaceous  friable  nodules. 

From  Kinghorn  to  this  place  the  firth  contracts  itself  gradually ;  but  here,  by  the 
jutting  out  of  the  northern  shore,  almost  instantly  forms  a  strait  of  two  miles  in 
breadth,  and  beyond  as  suddenly  opens  in  a  large  and  long  expanse.  About  midway 
of  this  strait  lies  Inchgarvie,  with  the  ruins  of  a  fort  This  was  a  fine  station  to  review 
the  shores  I  had  travelled,  and  to  feast  the  eye  with  the  whole  circumambient  view. 
The  prospect  on  every  part  is  beautiful ;  a  rich  country,  diversified  with  the  quickest 
succession  of  towns,  villages,  castles,  and  seats ;  a  vast  view  up  and  down  the  firth, 
from  its  extremity,  not  remote  from  Stirling,  to  its  mouth  near  May  island,  an  extent 
of  sixty  miles.  To  particularise  the  objects  of  this  rich  scene  must  be  enumerated,  the 
coasts  of  Lothian  and  of  Fife,  tlie  isles  of  Garvie  and  Inch-colm,  the  town  of  Dum- 
fermline ;  the  south  and  north  ferries,  and  Burrowstoness,  smoking  at  a  distance,  from 
its  numerous  salt>pans  and  fire  engines :  on  the  south  side  are  Hopetoun  house,  Dun< 
das  castle,  and  many  other  gentlemens'  seats,  with  Blackness  castle,  once  an  important 
fortress :  on  the  north  side  are  Rosyth  castle,  once  the  seat  of  the  Stuarts,  formerly  a 
royal  house,  and  the  seat  of  Queen  Margaret ;  Dunibrissel,  and,  in  the  distant  view,  the 
castle  and  town  of  Burnt-island ;  Leith,  with  its  roads  of\en  filled  with  ships,  and  a  nug. 
nificent  view  of  Edinburgh  castle  on  the  south,  assist  to  complete  this  various  picture. 

As  I  am  nearly  arrived  at  the  extremity,  permit  me  to  take  a  review  of  the  penin- 
sula of  Fife,  a  county  so  populous,  that,  excepting  the  environs  of  London,  scarce  one 
in  South-Britain  can  vie  with  it ;  fertile  in  soil,  abundant  in  cattle,  happy  in  collieries, 
in  iron,  stone,  lime,  and  free-stone,  blest  in  manufactures,  the  property  remarkably 
well  divided,  none  insultingly  powerful,  to  distress  and  often  to  depopulate  a  country, 
most  of  the  fortunes  of  a  useful  mediocrity.  The  number  of  towns  is  perhaps  un- 
paralleled in  an  equal  tract  of  coast,  for  the  whole  shore  from  Crail  to  Culross,  about 
forty  English  miles,  is  one  continued  chain  of  towns  and  villages.  With  justice,  there, 
fore,  does  Johnston  celebrate  the  advantages  of  the  country  in  these  lines : 

Oppida  sic  toto  sunt  sparsa  in  littore,  ut  unum  , 

Dixeris ;  inque  uno  plurima  juncta  eadem. 
Littore  quot  curvo  Forthae  volvuntur  arenn 

Quotque  undis  refluo  tunditur  ora  salo ; 
Pene  tot  hie  cernas  instratum  puppibus  xquor, 

Urbibus  et  crebris  pene  tot  ora  hominuna. 
Cuncta  operis  interna  domus  faedaotia  nescit ; 

Sedula  cura  domi,  sedula  cura  foris, 
Qux  maria  ct  quas  non  terras  animola  jurentus 

Ah  !  fregili  fidens  audet  adire  trabe. 
Auxit  opes  virtus  virtuti  dira  pericula 

Juncta,  etiam  lucre  damoa  fuere  suo. 
Quae  lecere  viris  animos,  cultumqe  dedere 

Magnanimis  prosunt  damoa,  pericula,  labor. 

After  having  passed  by  the  Queen's  ferry,  turn  almost  due  north.    See,  on  the  road 
side,  a  great  stone,  called  queen  Margaret's ;  for  tradition  says  she  reposed  herself  on 


PENNANT'S  SECOND  TOUU  IN  SCOTLANI. 


4.V/ 


it  in  her  way  toDumrermlinc.  In  a  little  time  have  a  fine  view  of  that  flourishing  town, 
and  the  ruins  of  its  cathedral  and  palace,  full  in  front. 

Dumlcrmlinc  lies  at  the  distance  of  four  miles  from  the  firth,  is  prettily  situated  on 
a  rising  fecund,  and  the  country  round  is  beautifully  divided  by  low  and  well  cultivated 
hills  ;  the  grounds  arc  inclosed,  and  planted  with  hedge-row  trees.  The  town  wants 
die  advantage  of  a  river,  but  has  a  small  stream  for  economic  uses,  which  is  conducted 
through  the  streets  in  a  flagged  channel.  At  its  discharge  it  joins  another  rivulet,  then 
arriving  at  a  fall  into  a  wooded  dell  of  a  hundred  feet  in  depth,  becomes  again  useful  in 
turning  five  mills,  placed  one  below  the  other,  with  room  for  as  many  more.  Three 
of  the  mills  arc  for  corn,  the  fourth  for  flax,  the  fifth  for  beating  iron.  This  dell  winds 
about  the  western  side  of  the  town,  is  clothed  with  trees,  and  m  one  part  contributes  a 
most  picturesque  scenery  to  the  walks  laid  out  by  Mr.  Chalmers,  whose  seat  is  on  the 
opposite  banks. 

This  place  is  very  populous.  The  number  of  inhabitants  are  between  six  and  seven 
thousand  ;  and  such  have  been  the  improvements  in  manufactures,  as  to  have  increased 
near  double  its  ancient  number  within  the  last  twelve  years.  The  manufactures  are 
damasks,  diapers,  checks  and  ticking,  to  the  amount  of  forty  thousand  pounds  a  year  ; 
these  employ  m  town  and  neighbourhood  about  a  thousand  looms.  I  was  informed  that 
the  number  might  be  doubled,  if  it  was  not  prevented  by  the  low  duty  on  foreign  linens, 
which  encourages  a  foreign  importation.  But  probably  some  other  branch  of  British 
trade  might  receive  its  injury  in  a  greater  degree,  was  that  importation  to  be  checked. 

That  me  iron  business  does  not  flourish  more  in  this  place  is  a  matter  of  surprise. 
Iron  stone  abounds.  Here  are  collieries  in  all  parts,  even  to  the  very  entrance  of  the 
town ;  and  the  coals  of  such  variety,  that  in  diflerent  parts  are  found,  besides  the 
Scotch,  those  which  have  the  qualities  of  the  NewcasUe,  and  of  the  Kilkenny.  I  am 
informed  that,  on  the  Pittencrief  estate,  are  seven  seams  of  coals  in  the  depth  of  thirty 
fathom,  from  the  thickness  of  two  to  that  of  eight  feet,  all  of  which  may  be  worked  with  a 
level,  without  the  assistance  of  any  machinery.  The  price  of  coal  here  is  from  twenty- 
pence  to  half-a-crown  a  ton. 

The  most  remarkable  modern  building  here  is  the  Tolbooth,  with  a  slender  square 
tower,  very  lofty,  and  topped  with  a  conic  roof.  Mr.  Chalmers  has  also  made  a  work  of 
vast  expence  over  the  glen  on  the  west  end  of  the  town,  in  order  to  form  a  communica- 
tion with  his  estate,  and  to  encourage  buildings  and  improvements  on  that  side.  To 
effect  which,  he  filled  that  part  of  the  glen  with  earth,  after  making  a  drain  for  the  wa- 
ter beneath,  which  runs  through  an  arched  channel  three  hundred  feet  long,  ten  high, 
and  twelve  wide. 

Thb  place  has  been  at  times,  from  very  distant  periods,  the  residence  of  the  Scottish 
monarchs.  Malcolm  Canmore  lived  here,  in  a  castle  on  the  top  of  an  insulated  hill,  in 
the  midst  of  the  glen  ;  but  only  some  poor  fragments  remain.  A  palace  was  afterwards 
built  on  the  side  next  the  town,  which,  falling  to  decay,  was  re-built  by  Anne  of  Den- 
mark, as  appears  by  the  following  inscription : 

Propylaeum  et  superstructas  aedes  vetustate  et  injuriis  temporum  collapsas  dirutasque ; 
a  fundamentis  in  banc  ampliorem  formam,  restituit  et  instauravit  Anna  Regina  Frede- 
ric! Danorum  Regis  augustissimi  filia  :  anno  salutis  1600. 

The  ruins  are  magniiicent,  and  do  credit  to  the  restorer.  In  this  palace  she  brought 
forth  her  unfortunate  son  Charles  I.  A  gateway  intervenes  between  the  royal  residence 
and  the  magnificent  abbey. 

Begun  by  Malcolm  Canmore,  and  finished  by  Alexander  I.  It  was  probably  first 
intended  for  the  pious  and  more  useful  purpose  of  a  religious  infirmary,  being  styled  in 


VOL.    III. 


3  N 


I' 


i 


458 


PENNANT'S  SECOND  TOUH  IN  SCOTLAND. 


some  old  tnunuscripts  *  Monastfriiim  ab  monte  innrrnorum.  David  I,  changed  it  into 
an  abbey,  and  brought  into  it  thirteen  monkh  from  Canterbury,  but  at  the  dis&olution  it 
supported  twenty-six.f  Its  endowments  were  very  considerab'e.  At  the  Reformation 
the  revenue,  in  money  alono,  was  two  thousand  five  hundred  and  thirteen  pounds 
Scots.  Some  of  the  grunts  were  singular :  thutof  U.ivid  I,  gives  it  the  tythe  or  alt  the 
gold  found  in  Fife  and  Fothcrif,  n  proof  of  the  precious  metal  being  then  discovered  in 
streams  flowing  from  the  hills.  Another,  from  the  same  monarch,  invests  it  with  part 
of  the  seals  taken  near  Kin^horn  ;  and  a  third  by  Malcolm  IV,  gives  them  the  heads 
(except  the  tongues)  of  certain  small  whales,  called  crespeis,  which  might  be  taken  in 
such  part  of  Scotchwatir  (the  firth  of  Forth)  where  the  church  stood ;  and  the  oil  ex< 
tracted  from  them  was  mo  be  applied  to  its  use. 

The  remains  of  the  abbey  are  considerable,  and  evince  its  former  splendour.  The 
window  of  the  room  near  the  gateway,  called  Frater-hall,  is  very  beautiful.  The  ab* 
hot's  house  is  adjacent.  In  1303,  Ldward  I,  burnt  down  the  whole  abbey,  exceptinjf 
the  church  and  cells,  |)leading  in  excuse  of  his  sacrilege,  that  it  gave  retreat  to  his 
enemies.  In  plain  words,  because  the  gallant  nobility  of  the  country  sometimes  held 
their  assemblies  here  to  free  themselves  from  an  English  yoke. 

Part  of  the  church  is  at  present  in  use.  It  is  supported  by  three  rows  of  massy  pil- 
lars, scarcely  seventeen  feet  high,  and  thirteen  ana  a  half  in  circumference.  Two  are 
ribbed  spirally,  and  two  marked  with  zig-zag  lineh,  like  those  of  Durham,  which  thev 
resemble.  The  arches  are  also  Saxon,  or  round.  As  the  church  was  built  by  Mal- 
colm Canmore,  at  the  s  ^stance  of  Turgot,  bishop  of  St.  Andrew's  (once  prior  of  Durham) 
that  might  be  the  reason  it  was  constructed  in  a  similar  style.]:  From  this  time  the  cele- 
brated Jona  lost  the  honour  of  being  the  cemetery  of  the  Scottish  monarchs.  Malcolm 
and  his  queen,  and  six  other  kings  ( lie  here  ;  the  two  first  apart,  the  others  under  as 
many  flat  stones,  each  nine  feet  long. 

In  the  church  is  the  tomb  of  Robert  Pitcaim,  abbot,  or  rather  commendator  of  Dum. 
fermline,  secretary  of  state  in  the  beginning  of  the  reign  of  James  VI,  in  the  regencjr 
of  Lenox.  He  was  of  Morton's  faction,  and  was  sent  to  the  court  of  Elizabeth,  to  so- 
Ticit  the  delivery  of  Mary  Stuart  into  the  hands  of  the  king's  party,  jj  He  attended  James 
in  his  confinement,  after  the  Raid  of  Ruthven,  and  artfully  endeavoured  to  make  friends 
with  each  side ;  but,  failing,  was  imprisoned  in  Lochleven  castle,  and  died  in  1584.  His 
epitaph  sets  his  virtues  in  a  very  high  light : 

■  Hie  tilut  e»t  hen»  ntodica  Robertui  in  uma 

Fitcaraua,  patriae  apes  columenque  ause  : 
Quern  virtua,  gravitaa  generoso  pectore  digna 

Omabant  vera  et  cum  pieiate  fides 
Poat  varioa  vitx  fluctua  jam  mole  relicta 

Corporia,  elysium  pergitin  umbra  nemus. 

September  16.  Leave  Dumfermline.  At  a  distance  is  pointed  out  to  me  a  tumulus, 
planted  with  trees,  called  the  penitent-mciunt,  from  a  vulgar  notion,  that  it  was  formed 
by  sacks  full  of  sand,  brought  there  from  distant  places  by  the  frail,  by  way  of  penance 
for  their  sins.  At  Clune  am  struck  with  the  magnificence  of  the  prospect,  extending 
west  to  Benlomond,  and  east  to  Old-Cambus;  a  view  of  the  whole  Forth,  and  the 
castles  of  Edinburgh  and  Sterling,  two  most  capital  objects.  <:  .  . 

*  Keith,  246.  t  Keith'a  Appendix.  |  Boethius,  lib.  xii.  p.  260. 

I  Edgar,  Alexander  I,  David  I,  Malcolm  IV,  Alexander  II,  and  Robert  Bnice. 
])  Melvil's  Memoirs,  312. 


■4rr 


•ASdkHteaMibaBakaMla 


PENNANT'S  SaCONO  TOUH  IN  SCOTLAND 


451) 


it  into 
lution  it 
nnuliou 
pounds 
f  aU  the 
rercd  in 
rith  part 
e  heads 
taken  in 
5  oil  ex- 

r.  The 
The  ab. 
xceptinp; 
at  to  hui 
nes  held 

jassy  pil* 

Two  are 

hich  they 

by  MaU 

Durham) 

;  the  cele- 

Malcolm 

under  as 

rofDum- 
»e  regency 
leth,  to  so. 
ded  James 
ike  friends 
1584.  His 


a  tumulus, 
was  formed 
!  of  penance 
t,  extending 
rth,  and  the 

p.  260. 


Descend  towards  the  shore ;  and  near  it,  reach  the  Limekilns,  beloni^ing  to  tho  carl 
of  Elgin,  the  greatest  perhaps  in  the  universe  ;  placed  amidst  incxhaustil)!!.'  IkiIs  oI  lime 
atones,  and  near  immense  seams  of  coal.  The  kilns  m^  placed  in  a  row  ;  their  open 
ings  arc  beneath  a  covered  way,  formed  by  arche^>  and  pillars  in  front,  into  n  magnifi. 
cent  colonade.  They  lie  beneath  the  strata  of  limc-stonc,  which,  when  broken,  \>i  con- 
veyed into  them  by  variety  of  rail  roads ;  and  for  shipping  the  lime,  cither  burnt  or 
crude,  is  a  convenient  pier.  A  hundred  and  twenty  men  are  coustanily  employed,  and 
a  little  town  built  for  them.  Above  twelve  thousand  pounds  has  l>ecn  expended  on 
this  useful  project,  which  promises  to  turnout  as  much  to  the  emolument  of  the  noble 
family,  which  so  generously  engaged  in  it,  as  to  the  whole  eustcrn  coast  of  North  Britain, 
winch  either  wants  this  great  fertilizer,  or  fuel  to  burn  the  stone  tlu.y  uselessly  possess. 

By  the  following  account  it  is  pleasing  to  observe  the  improving  state  of  agriculture, 
and  of  building,  in  these  parts  of  the  kingdom ;,  for  the  last  also  occasions  u  consider- 
able  consumption : 

Sold,  from  Martinmas,  1770,  to  ditto,  1771. 

57515    bolls  of  lime  shells,  or  unslaked  lime, 
2852^  chalders  of  lime, 
37814    carts  of  lime-stone, 


From  Martinmas,  1771,  to  ditto,  1772. 

65321  bolls  of  lime-shcUs,*? 
2271  chalders  of  lime,       5 
52000  carts  of  lime-stone,  ... 


£' 

a. 

d. 

2035 

6 

6{ 

974 

11 

9 

864 

13 

8i 

3874 

14 

0 

£' 

«. 

(t. 

3380 

7 

Al 

1250 

3 

Hi 

4630  11     4 


Opposite  to  the  Lime.kilns,  on  a  rock  projecting  into  the  Forth,  is  Blackness  castle, 
once  a  place  of  great  importance  in  preserving  a  communication  between  Edinburgh  and 
Stirling ;  now  a  shelter  to  a  few  mvalids.  This  fortress  is  a  large  pile,  defended  by 
towers,  both  square  and  round.  Irvinef  says,  that  in  his  time  it  was  a  state  prison  :  he 
adds,  that  it  was  of  old  one  of  the  Roman  forts,  and  that  it  stood  on  the  beginning  of 
the  wall.  But  Mr.  Gordon  seems,  with  more  truth,  to  place  its  commencement  at 
Gaim,  or  Caridden,  west  of  this  place.  Blackness  was  once  the  port  of  Linlithgow, 
had  a  town  near  it,  and  a  custom-house ;  both  which  were  lost  by  the  new  commerce  of 
salt  and  coals  that  rose  at  Burrowstoness. 

After  a  ride  of  four  miles  enter  a  portion  of  Perthshire,  which  just  touches  on  the 
Firth,  at  Culross;  a  small  town,  remarkable  for  a  magnificent  house  with  thirteen 
windows  in  front,  built  about  1590,  by  Eldward  lord  Kinloss,  father  to  the  lord 
Bruce,  slun  in  the  noted  duel  between  him  and  sir  £dward  Sackville. 

Some  poor  remains  of  the  Cistercian  abbey  are  still  to  be  seen  here,  founded  by  Mal- 
colm, earl  of  Fife,  in  1217.  The  church  was  jointly  dedicated  to  the  virgin,  and  St. 
Serf,  confessor.     The  revenue,  at  the  dissolution,  was  seven  hundred  and  sixty-eight 


*  A  boll  k  four  busheli,  of  about  seventeen  English  gallons  each. 

2  N  2 


t  Nomenclatura,  p.  23. 


460 


l>KNNANrK  IKCUNU  TUl  U  IN  SCOILANU. 


pouiidit  Scots,  bcki'JcK  tl;c  rcntit  p»id  in  kind.  The  number  of  mnitkM,  exclusive  of  the 
ubbot,  were  nine. 

Cniitiiuic  my  ride,  in  sidit -jf  vnnt  plantatirms;  and,  in  n  short  space,  enter  iht  little 
bhirc  of  Clackmannan,  which,  with  tli.tt  uC  KinroHs,  altiriuitcly  cicc  t  a  member,  their 
mutual  representative.  The  small  town  of  C'lai  kiuannan  is  pUasanily  heated  on  n  hill, 
along  the  seat  oC  the  chief*  uf  the  Drucc**,  sl«)ping  on  every  side  ;  und  on  the  summit  is 
the  castle,  commanding  a  noble  view.  The  large  square  tower  is  called  after  the  name 
of  Robert  Bruce }  whose  great  sword  and  cas(iue  is  still  preserved  here.  The  hill  is 
prettily  wooded,  and,  with  the  tower,  forms  a  picturesque  object.  On  the  western  side, 
cross  the  little  rivci  Dean,  and,  after  a  mile's  ride,  reach  the  town  of  Allou,  remark- 
able for  its  coal  trade.  Scotland  exports,  annually,  above  a  hundred  and  eighteen  thou- 
sand tons  of  coal,  out  of  which,  I  was  informed,  Alloa  alone  sends  forty  thousand. 
The  town  and  parish  is  very  populous,  containing  five  thousand  souls.  I  found  here 
the  most  polite  reception  from  Mr.  Erskine,  representative  of  the  family  of  Mar,  who 
lives  in  the  castle,  now  modernized,  on  one  side  of  the  town.  The  gardens,  planted  in 
the  old  style,  arc  very  extensive.  In  the  house  are  some  good  portraits,  particularly  one 
of  the  celebrated  Lucy,  countess  of  Bedford,^^  a  full  length,  in  black,  with  a  ruff,  and 
a  coronet  on  her  head.  She  sits  with  a  pensive  countenance,  her  face  reclined  on  one 
hand,  r.id  is,  without  beauty,  an  elegant  figure.  She  was  sister  to  John  lord  Harring. 
ton,  and  wife  to  Edward  earl  of  Bedford,  and  b  came,  on  the  death  of  her  brother, 
possessed  of  great  part  of  hia  large  fortune.  She  affected  the  patronage  of  wits  and 
poets  ;  and  probably  possessed  part  of  the  qualities  they  attributed  to  her,  or  the  philo* 
sophic  sir  William  Tcmplef  would  never  have  condescended  to  celebrate  her  fine 
taste  in  gardening.  She  ml.^ht  purchase  every  perfection  from  the  former;  for 
Donne  informs  us, 

She  rained  upon  him  her  aweet  showeri  of  gold  i\ 

on  Ben  Johnson,  haunches  of  venison;^  and  they,  in  gratitude,  bestowed  on  her  as 
many  beauties  and  as  many  virtues  as  ought  to  have  put  vanity  herself  out  of  counte- 
nance.    She  makes  the  rough  Donne  declare, 

Leaving  that  buaie  praise  and  all  appealei 
,  To  higher  courts,  aenses  decree  is  true 

The  mine,  the  magazine,  the  commonwealei 
Tlie  story  of  beauty,  in  Twicliham  is,  and  you. 

Who  hath  seen  one,  would  both,  as  who  had  bin 

In  Paradise,  would  seek  the  Cherubin.)) 

In  a  word,  her  ideas  became  too  sublime  for  domestic  affairs ;  she  spent-lier  oWfi  and 
part  of  her  husband's  great  fortunes,  and  having  established  her  character  for  taste,  de- 
parted this  life  in  the  year  1628. 

Catherine,  daughter  and  heiress  of  Francis  earl  of  Rutland,  wife  of  Geor^  Villars, 
duke  of  Buckingham,  by  Vandyck.  She  is  painted  sittihg  with  her  children,  and 
the  head  of  the  duke  in  an  oval  above  her.  She  afterwards  married  the  earl  of  An- 
trim. •' She  was  a  lady,"  says  the  noble  historian,  "  of  great  wit  and  spirit ;  Who,  by 
her  influence  over  Charles  I,  forced  him,  under  pretence  of  his  majesty's  service,  to 
gratify  her  vanity,  by  creating  her  husband  a  marquis."ir 

A  remarkable  half  length  of  Mary  Stuart,  on  eopper,  in  a  gauze  cloak,  crown  on 
her  head,  and  passion  flower  in  her  hand ;  sickly  and  pale. 

*  Painted  by  Cornelius  Jansen,  in  1630,  in  the  38th  year  of  her  age.        t  Gardens  of  EpIcuMH. 
\  As  quoted  by  Mr.  Granger.    §  Epigram  85th.    1)  Poems,  p.  82.    ■!  Hist,  of  Rebellion,  "(.  •  r-'. 


Hr.NN AN  !•»  MKCONU  TO  v  UCOTLANI). 


461 


A  head  ur  Anne  of  Denmark.  A  princcM  of  %o  ipotlcss  a  lite,  thut  mulicc  cuuld  not 
find  a  blcmi^li  in  her ;  thctci'orc  well  mi^hi  Wilso!!  *  suy,  on  her  monument  a  ch  irac* 
ter  of  virtue  may  be  engraven.  When  heaven  cUum<i  her,  a  living  (|ueen  cannot  escape 
the  same  epitaph. 

September  17.  The  Ochil  hills  begin  beyond  Alloa  to  approach  very  near  to  tlic 
Forth,  between  which  is  a  narrow  arable  tract,  well  cultivated,  and  adorned  with  woods. 
In  ihene  hills  was  found,  in  the  beginning  of  thi')  century,  a  large  body  of  native  silver, 
beautifully  ramified;  and  of  late  years,  some  cobalt  ore.  Thr  view  of  Stirling,  and  tlie 
windings  of  the  Forth,  now  a  river,  arc  extremely  elegant.  Am  now  again  in  a  por- 
tion of  Ferthnhiref    Turn  half  a  mile  out  of  the  road,  to  visit  the  ancient  abbey  of 

Cambus- Kenneth,  or  rather  its  remains,  nothing  being  left  by  the  rude  hand  of  re- 
formation, excepting  avast  .square  tower,  andati  arched  door- way,  between  which  is  a 
fine  view  of  Stirling,  on  itit  sloping  rock.  This  house  was  founded  by  David  I,  in  1 147, 
for  canons«a'gular  of  St.  Augustine,  brought  from  Aroise  near  Arras  ;  but  the  supe 
were  often  called  abbots  of  Stirling.  k<  ith  says,  that  it  now  belongs  to  Cowan*s  hos- 
pital, in  that  town.    Jumcs  111,  and  his  rpiecn  were  buried  in  this  place. 

After  a  hhort  ride,  reach  the  brid(,e  of  Stirling ;  a  little  higher  up  the  rivci*  stood 
the  wooden  bridge,  celebrated  for  the  def  .at  of  the  English  in  1297,  by  Wallace.  The 
English  were  commanded  by  earl  Warren  ;  who,  against  his  judf^ment,  at  the  instiga- 
tion of  Hugh  de  Cressingham,  trcai>urer  of  ScoUand,  and  a  clergyman,  crossed  the 
bridge,  and  was  defeated  with  horrible  8lau;;liter,  before  the  army  could  be  formed  on 
the  opposite  side.  Cressin^Iiiam  was.  b^ain.  So  detested  was  he  by  the  Scots,  that  they 
flayed  his  body,  and  cut  his  skin  into  a  thousand  pieces,  by  way  of  insult  on  his  pride 
and  avarice.  The  English,  on  their  retreat,  burnt  the  bridge,  abandoned  their  baggage, 
and  fled  to  Berwick.f 

Enter  Stirling,  a  town,  says  Boethius,  which  gave  name  to  sterling  money,  because 
Osbert,  a  Saxon  prince,  after  the  overthrow  of  the  Scots,  established  here  u  mini.!  It 
was  also  anciently  called  Striveling ;  as  is  said,  from  the  frequency  of  strifes  or  conflicts 
in  the  neighbourhood :  and  from  this  old  name  the  present  seems  to  have  been  formed. 

The  town  contains  about  four  thousand  inhabitants ;  has  a  manufacture  of  tartanes 
and  shalloons,  and  employs  about  thirty  looms  in  that  of  carpets.  The  great  street  is 
very  broad ;  in  it  is  the  tolbooth,  where  is  kept  the  standard  for  the  wet  measures  of 
Scotland.  The  other  streets  narrow  and  irregular ;  the  west  side  had  been  defended 
by  a  wall. 

I  cannot  trace  the  foundation  of  the  castle  :  if  wc  may  credit  Boethius,  it  was  a  place 
of  strength  in  the  middle  of  the  ninth  century.  The  Romans  had  a  camp  and  a  mili- 
tary way  on  the  west  side  :  it  might  be  their  Alauna,  but  clouds  and  darkness  rest  on 
this  part  of  our  history. 

Stirling  is  a  miniature  resemblance  of  Edinburgh,  built  on  a  rock  of  the  same  form 
with  that  on  which  the  capital  of  North-Britain  is  placed,  with  a  stong  fortress  on  the 
summit. 

The  castle  is  of  great  strength,  impending  over  a  steep  precipice.  Within  side  stands 
the  palace,  built  by  James  V,  a  prince  that  had  a  strong  turn  to  the  arts,  as  appears  by 
his  buildings  here  and  at  Falkland.  This  pile  is  large,  of  a  square  form,  ornamented 
on  three  sides  with  pillars,  resting  on  grotesque  figures,  jutting  from  the  wall.  On  the 
top  of  each  pillar,  a  fanciful  statue.  • 

*  Life  of  James  1, 139.  t  Annals  of  Scotland,  953. 

\  Lib.  X.  p.  204.  Sterling  money  is  derived  from  the  merchants  of  the  Easterlings ;  so  Boethius  is 
mistaken. 


i 


4G2 


PENNANT'S  SECOND  TOUR  IN  SCOTLAND. 


Two  rooms,  called  the  quetu's  and  the  nursery,  are  largf ;  the  roofs  of  wood,  di- 
vided into  squares  and  other  forms,  well  carved. 

A  closet  is  shewn,  noted  for  the  murder  of  William  earl  of  Douglas,  in  1452,  tre- 
panned here  by  a  safe  conduct  from  James  II.  This  nobleman,  too  potent  for  legal 
execution,  had  entered  into  associations  injurious  to  his  prince  ;  who  commanded  him  to 
rescind  the  offensive  alliance  ;  and,  on  refusal,  stabbed  the  earl  with  his  own  hand.  In 
revenge,  the  friends  of  Douglas  instantly  burnt  the  town. 

The  parliament-house  is  a  vast-room,  a  hundred  and  twenty  feet  long,  with  a  timbered 
roof.  This  town,  during  the  reigns  of  Mary  and  James  VI,  was  much  frequented  by 
the  court  and  the  nobility.  In  September,  1571,  a  bloody  attempt  was  made  here  by 
the  queen's  party,  on  the  Regent  Lenox  ;  who  was  surprised  at  midnight,  surrounded 
by  his  friends,  and  in  full  security.  Except  the  earl  of  Morton,  none  of  the  numerous 
nobility  made  the  least  resistance,  but  surrendered  themselves  quietly  to  the  enemy. 
Morton  defended  his  house  till  it  was  all  in  flames.  This  gave  the  townsmen  time  to 
recollect  their  courage  ;  they  in  turn  attacked  the  assailants,  who,  struck  with  a  panick, 
gave  themselves  up  to  their  own  prisoners.  But  the  unfortunate  Lenox  fell  a  victim  to 
the  manes  of  the  archbishop  of  St.  Andrew's.  Sir  David  Spence,  to  whom  he  had 
surrendered,  perished  in  the  attempt  to  save  him,  being  shot  by  the  bullet  that  slew  his 
noble  captive. 

From  the  top  of  the  castle  is  by  far  the  finest  view  in  Scotland :  to  the  east  is  a  vast 
plain,  rich  in  com,  adorned  with  woods,  and  watered  with  the  river  Forth,  whose  mean- 
ders are,  before  it  reaches  the  sea,  so  frequent  and  so  large,  as  to  form  a  multitude  of 
most  beautiful  peninsulas ;  for  in  many  parts  the  windings  approximate  so  close  as  to 
leave  only  a  little  isthmus  of  a  few  yards.  In  this  plain  is  an  old  abbey,  a  view  of  Alloa 
Clackmannan,  Falkirk,  the  firth  of  Forth,  and  the  country  as  far  as  Edinburgh ;  on 
the  north,  lie  the  Ochil  hills,  and  the  moor  where  the  battle  of  Dumblain  was  fought ; 
to  the  west,  the  strath  of  Menteith,  as  fertile  as  the  eastern  plain,  and  terminated  by 
the  Highland  niountains;  among  which  the  summit  of  Bcn-lomond  b  very  con- 
spicuous. 

Among  the  houses  of  the  nobility,  the  most  superb  was  that  of  the  earl  cf  Mar,  be- 
gun by  the  regent,  but  never  finished ;  the  front  is  ornamented  with  the  arms  of  the 
family,  and  much  sculpture.  It  is  said  to  have  been  built  from  the  ruins  of  Cambus- 
kenneth,  and  that  being  reproached  with  the  sacrilege,  directed  these  words,  yet  extant, 
to  be  put  over  the  gate : 

Esspy.  spdk.  Furth.  I.  cair,  notht. 
Consifhr.  weil.  I.  cair.  notht. 

.  Near  the  castle  are  Edmonston's  walls,  cut  through  a  little  wood,  on  the  vast  steeps. 
Nature  hath  strangely  buttressed  it  up  with  stones  of  immense  size,  wedged  between 
each  other  with  more  of  the  same  kind  piled  on  their  tops.  Beneath,  on  the  flat,  are  to 
be  seen  the  vestiges  of  the  gardens  belonging  to  the  palace,  called  the  king's  knot ; 
where,  according  to  the  taste  of  the  times,  the  flowers  had  been  disposed  in  beds  and 
curious  knots,  at  this  time  venr  easily  to  be  traced  in  the  fantastic  form  of  the  turf. 

Above  these  walks  is  the  Ladies-hill ;  for  here  sat  the  fair  to  see  their  faithful  knights 
exert  their  vigour  and  address  in  the  tilts  and  tournaments,  performed  in  a  hollow  be- 
tween this  spot  and  the  castle. 

The  church  or  royal  chapel  was  collegiate,  founded  by  pope  Alexander  VI,  at  the  re- 
quest of  James  IV,*  for  a  dean,  subdean,  sacristan,  chanter,  treasurer,  chancellor,  arch- 

•Xeith,283. 


i.-mmmL..—-:-^'' — -- 


PENNANT'S  SECOND  TOUR  IN  SCOTLAND. 


463 


wood,   di< 

1452,  tre- 
It  for  legal 
ded  him  to 
hand.     In 

a  timbered 
uented  by 
le  here  by 
surrounded 
numerous 
he  enemy, 
len  time  to 
1  a  panick, 
a  victim  to 
om  he  had 
lat  slew  hi$ 

ist  is  a  vast 
lose  mean- 
lultitude  of 
close  as  to 
ew  of  Alloa 
iburgh;  on 
as  fought ; 
minated  by 
.  very  con- 

cf  Mar,  be- 
arms  of  the 
af  Cambus- 
>  yet  extant, 


vast  steeps. 
;ed  between 
i  flat,  are  to 
Ling's  knot; 
in  beds  and 
turf. 

hful  knights 
I  hoUow  be- 

I,  at  the  re- 
iceUor,  arch- 


dean,  sixteen  chaphiins,  and  six  singing-boys,  which,  with  the  chaplains  and  a  music- 
master,  were  appointed  by  the  king.  The  queen's  confessor  was  the  dean,  who  had 
episcopal  jurbdiction.    The  whole  most  richly  endowed. 

The  Carmelites  had  a  house  here,  founded  by  James  IV,  in  1494.  Remorse  for  his 
father's  death  seems  to  have  instigated  him  to  attempt  these  pious  atonements.  To 
this  place  he  was  wont  to  retire  from  all  worldly  affairs,  and  to  perform  the  duties  of 
religion  with  all  the  austerities  of  the  devoted  inhabitants. 

^neath  the  Mralls  was  another,  of  Dominicans,  established  in  1233  by  Alexander  II. 
In  this  church  was  interred,  an  impostor,  who,  at  the  instigation  of  the  countess  of  Ox- 
ford, assumed  the  character  of  ^chard  II.  After  his  retreat,  he  found  here  an  honour- 
able support  to  the  day  of  his  death.* 

The  hospital  for  decayed  merchants,  founded  by  John  Cowan,  a  merchant  of  this 
town,  is  very  richly  endowed.  Here  is  another,  founded  by  Robert  Spittal,  taylor  to 
James  IV,  for  the  relief  not  only  of  merchants  but  decayed  tradesmen. 

This  place  has  experienced  its  sieges,  and  other  calamities  of  war.  In  1175  it  was 
delivered,  by  William  to  the  English  (with  several  other  places)  as  a  security  for  his 
acknowledgement,  that  he  held  the  crown  of  Scotland  from  the  kings  of  England. 
An  inglorious  cession,  extorted  by  his  unfortunate  captivity.  But  Richard  1,  the  suc- 
ceeding monarch,  restored  them.f 

Dunn^  the  wars  between  the  English  and  Brucean  Scots,  it  often  changed  masters. 
In  1299  It  was  in  possession  of  Edward  I,  whose  affairs  in  Scotland  were  at  that  time  so 
bad,  that  he  was  obliged  to  send  his  governor  an  order  to  surrender.  But  the  year 
following,  he  retook  it,  after  a  most  gallant  defence  by  William  Oliphant,  who  gave  it 
up  on  terms  ill  observed  by  the  conqueror. 

In  1303,  it  was  again  taken  by  the  Scots,  under  lord  John  Sowles  :  Oliphant  re- 
sumed the  command,  and  in  the  next  year  sustained  a  second  siege.  It  was  battered 
most  furiously  by  the  artillery  of  the  age,  which  cast  stones  of  two  hundred  weight 
against  the  walls,  and  made  vast  breaches.  At  length,  when  the  garrison  was  reduced 
to  a  very  few,  the  brave  governor  submitted  and  was  received  into  mercy. 

In  the  reign  of  Edward  II,  it  was  besieged  by  Sir  Edward  Bruce.  The  governor, 
Sir  Philip  Mowbray,  made  a  valiant  defence ;  but  in  consequence  of  the  battle  of  Ban- 
nocbourne,  was  reduced  to  yield  to  the  victorious  army.  During  the  wars  of  Edward 
III,  it  was  reciprocally  taken  and  re-taken ;  the  last  time  in  1341.  The  other  great 
events  of  this  place  have  slipped  my  memory.  I  must  make  a  long  stride  to  its  memor- 
able siege  in  the  winter  of  1746,  when  the  gallant  old  officer,  general  Blakency,  baf- 
fled all  the  efforts  of  the  rebels  to  reduce  this  important  place. 

In  the  evening,  pass  through  the  small  town  of  St.  Ninian,  and  the  village  of  Ban- 
nocbourne. 

Ascend  a  hill,  and  pass  by  the  reliqucs  of  Torwood,  noted  for  having  given  shelter 
to  Wallace,  after  the  fatal  battle  of  Falkirk.  Some  remains  of  an  oak,  beneath  which 
the  hero  is  said  to  have  reposed,  is  still  pointed  out  with  great  veneration.  Over  this 
place  passes  the  Roman  military  road,  which  I  traced  before  to  the  north  of  Dupplin. 
At  some  distance  from  this,  leave,  in  a  valley  on  the  left,  the  two  mounts,  called  Duni- 
pace,  placed  on  the  north  bank  of  the  Carron,  Car-avon,  or  the  winding  river.  Night 
closed  on  me  before  I  reached  this  place,  so  I  must  speak  by  quotation  from  an  inge- 
nious essay  on  the  antiquities  of  Stirlingshire,  published  in  the  Edinburgh  magazine. 
The  one,  says  the  author,  is  perfecdy  round  and  above  fifty  feet  high.  The  other, 
which  he  seems  unwilling  to  admit  to  be  the  work  of  art,  is  of  an  irregular  form,  and 


•  Keith,  271. 


t  Major,  lib.  iv.  c.  5.  p.  135, 136. 


464 


I'ENNANT'S  SECOND  TOUR  IN  SCOTLAND. 


composed  of  gravel.  Mr.  Gordon  conjectures  them  to  have  been  exploratory  mounts ; 
the  writer  of  the  essay,  that  they  were  sepulchral.  The  last  seems  best  founded,  for,  if 
I  recollect,  the  tops  of  exploratory  hills  are  truncated  or  flat. 

To  the  north-east  of  these,  on  the  same  side  of  the  river,  at  the  distance  of  a  few 
miles,  stood  the  celebrated  antiquity  called  Arthur's  oven,  which  Mr.  Gordon  supposes  to 
have  been  a  sacellum,  or  little  chapel,  a  repository  for  the  Roman  insignia  or  standards. 

This  building  was  circular,  upright  on  the  sides,  and  rounded  towards  the  top,  in 
which  was  an  opening  eleven  feet  six  inches  in  diameter.  Beneath  this  was  on  one  side 
a  square  aperture,  like  a  window ;  under  that  a  door,  whose  top  formed  a  Roman  arch. 

The  height  to  the  round  opening  at  the  top  was  twenty,  two  feet ;  the  inner  diameter 
of  the  building  at  the  bottom  nineteen  feet  six  inches ;  round  the  inside,  Boethius  in- 
forms  us,  were  stone  seats  ;  und  on  the  south  side  an  altar.  He  also  acquaints  us  that  the 
floor  was  tessellated,  as  appeared  by  the  fragments  that  might  be  picked  up  in  his  time.* 
He  adds,  that  there  were  on  some  of  the  stones  the  sculpture  of  eagles,  nearly  de&ced 
by  age  ;;  and  that  there  had  been  an  inscription  on  a  polished  stone,  sig  .ifying  that  the 
building  was  erected  by  Vespasian,  in  honour  of  the  emperor  Claudius  and  the  goddess 
Victory.  This  he  speaks  by  tradition ;  for  our  Edward,  conqueror  of  Scotland,  is 
charged  with  carrying  it  away  with  him.  All  the  old  historians  that  take  notice  of  this 
edifice  agree  that  it  was  the  work  of  the  Romans,  from  the  British  Nennios  to  the 
Scotch  Buchanan.  How  far  that  may  be  allowed  will  be  a  future  consideration :  at 
present  I  shall  only,  in  opposition  to  Mr.  Maitland,  assert  what  it  was  not»  a  mausoleum 
resembling  the  sepulchre  of  Metclla.t  which  is  a  round  tower,  totally  open  at  top.  A 
more  apt  comparison  might  be  found  in  tlie  Calidarium  of  the  baths  of  Dioclesian,^ 
whose  vaulted  roof,  rounded,  and  with  a  central  aperture,  agrees  with  thatof  the  de- 
plored Scottish  antiquity.  ;».r  ;  ..vj^^jv  ,iu*.l  ..i 

Leave  at  a  small  distance  on  the  left,  Camelon,  the  site  of  a  Roman  town,  whose  streets 
and  walls  might  be  traced  in  the  midst  of  the  ruins  in  the  time  of  Buclianan;^  but,  as 
1  was  informed,  not  a  relique  is  to  be  seen  at  present  worthy  of  a  visit.  The  sea  once 
flowed  up  to  this  town,  if  the  report  be  true,  that  fragments  of  anchors  have  been  found 
near  it ;  and  beds  of  oyster-shells  in  various  places,  at  this  time  remote  from  the  Forth, 
which  is  kept  embanked  from  overflowing  the  flat  tract  in  many  parts  between  this 
place  and  Borrowstoness.  Buchanan  supposes  this  town  to  have  been  the  Caer  guidi  of 
the  venerable  Bede  ;||  but  as  that  writer  expressly  says,  that  it  lay  in  the  middle  of  the 
Forth,  is  was  probably  a  fortress  on  Inch-Keith,  as  his  Alcluith  is  another  on  the  firth 
of  Clyde. 

Lie  at  Falkirk,  a  large  ill-built  town,  supported  by  the  great  fairs  for  black  cattle 
from  the  Highlands,  it  being  computed  that  24,000  head  are  annually  sold  here. 

Carron  wharf  lies  upon  the  river,  which  falls  a  few  miles  below  into  the  Forth,  and 
is  not  only  useful  to  the  great  iron  works  erected  near  it,  but  of  great  service  even  to 
Glasgow,  considerable  quantities  of  goods  destined  for  that  city  being  landed  here.  The 
canal,  which  is  to  form  a  communication  between  this  firth  and  that  <X  Clyde,  begins 
on  the  south  side  of  the  mouth  of  the  Carron.  Its  course  will  be  above  thirty  miles, 
assisted  by  thirty-nine  locks.  Its  western  termination  is  to  be  at  Dalmuir-buun-foot, 
eight  miles  below  Glasgow ;  but,  for  the  conveniency  of  that  dty,  it  is  proposed  to  form 
another  branch  from  the  great  trunk,  at  a  place  called  the  Stocking-bleachfield,  be- 
tween two  and  three  miles  distant  firom  the  ..ity. 

*  Lib.  iii.  p.  34.  t  Antichita  di  Roma  dell'  abate  Venuti,  torn.  ii.  p.  9.  tab.  67. 

Ildem,  tom.i.p.  93.tab.  32.  $Lib.  i.  c.  31.  iv.c.  36.  ||  Hist  Ecciea.  lib.  i.  c.  12. 


PENNANT'S  SECOND  TOUK  IN  SCOTLAND. 


46.1i 


mounts ; 
ed,  for,  it' 

of  a  few 
ipposes  to 
standards, 
le  top,  in 
1  one  side 
man  arch. 

diameter 
sethius  in- 
us  that  the 

lis  time.* 

y  defaced 
ig  that  the 
e  goddess 
cotland,  is 
ttce  of  this 
nins  to  the 
eration :  at 
mausoleum 
at  top.  A 
)ioclesian,{ 
\t  of  the  de- 

hose  streets 
[i;$  but,  as 
le  sea  once 
been  found 
I  the  Forth, 
tetween  this 
aerguidi  of 
liddle  of  the 
on  the  firth 

black  cattle 
ere. 

Forth,  and 
vice  even  to 
I  here.  The 
lyde,  be^ns 
thirty  miles, 
ir>buuii*foot, 
3sed  to  form 
achfield,  be- 


c.  12. 


Sep.  18.  Near  Callendar  house,  at  a  small  distance  east  from  Falkirk,  are  some  large 
remams  of  Antoninus'  wall,  or,  as  it  is  culled  here,  Graham's  dike,  from  the  notion  that 
one  Graham,  or  Grimus,*  first  made  a  breach  in  it,  soon  after  the  retreat  of  the  Roniniis 
out  of  Britain.  This  vast  work  was  effected  by  Lollius  Urbicus,  governor  of  BriiLtin, 
during  the  reign  of  Antoninus  Pius,  as  appears  by  inscriptions  found  on  stones  disco- 
vered among  the  ruins  of  the  chain  of  forts  that  defended  it.  Most  of  them  are  in  ho 
nour  of  the  emperor  ;  one  only  mentions  the  lieutenant.f  The  wall  itself  was  of  turf, 
which  in  this  place  was  forty  feet  broad,  and  the  ditch  thirteen  feet  deep.  Lollius,  after 
defeating  the  Britons,  and  recovering  the  country,  which  was,  as  Tacitus  %  expresses  it, 
"  lost  as  soon  as  won,"  restored  to  the  empire  the  boundary  lefl  by  Agricola,  and  re- 
moved the  barbarians  to  a  greater  distance.^  It  is  probable  that  Lollius  might  either 
place  his  forts  on  the  same  site  with  those  liuilt  by  Agricola,  or  make  use  of  the  same, 
m  case  they  were  not  destroyed ;  but  the  first  is  most  probable,  as  fifty.five  years  had 
elapsed,  from  the  time  that  Agricola  left  the  island  to  the  re-conquest  of  these  parts  b\ 
the  legate  of  Antonine.  This  wall  be^ns  near  Kirk-Patrick,  on  the  firth  of  Clyde,  and 
ends  at  Caeridden,  two  miles  west  of  Abercorn,  on  the  firth  of  Forth,  being,  accordinp; 
to  Mr.  Gordon,  in  length  thirty-six  miles,  eight  hundred  and  eighty-seven  paces,  and 
defended,  I  think,  by  twelve,  if  not  thirteen  forts.  It  is  probable  that  the  Romans  did 
not  keep  the  possession  even  of  this  wall  for  any  length  of  time ;  for  there  arc  no  inscrip- 
tions but  in  honour  of  that  single  emperor. 

Continue  our  journey  over  a  naked  and  barren  country.  Leave  on  the  right  the 
nunnery  of  Manwel,  founded  by  Malcolm  IV,  in  1156.  The  recluses  were  of  the  Cis- 
tercian order.  Cross  the  water  of  Avon,  and  enter  the  shira  of  Linlithgow,  and  soon 
after  have  a  beautiful  view  of  the  town,  the  castle,  and  the  lake.  This  is  supposed  to  be 
the  Lindum  of  Ptolemy,  and  to  take  its  name  from  its  situation  on  a  lake,  or  lin,  or  llyn, 
which  the  word  lin  or  llyn  signifies. 

The  town  contains  between  three  and  four  thousand  souls,  and  carries  on  a  consi< 
derable  trade  in  dressing  of  white  leather,  which  is  sent  abroad  to  be  manufactured.  It 
also  employs  many  hands  in  dressing  of  flax,  and  in  wool-combing  ;  for  the  last,  the 
wool  is  brought  from  the  borders.  Its  port  was  formerly  Blackness,  but  since  the  de- 
cline of  that  place,  Burrowstoness,  about  two  miles  distant  from  Linlithgow. 

The  castle  was  founded  by  Edward  I,  who  resided  in  it  for  a  whole  winter ;  but  in 
1307  we  find  that  it  was  taken  and  demolished  by  one  Binny,  a  Scotsman.  In  the 
reign  of  fldward  III,  the  English  possessed  it  again  ;  for  there  is  extant  an  order  for 
the  custody  of  the  hospital  to  John  Swanlund.|| 

I  cannot  discover  by  whom  it  was  re-built.  It  is  at  present  a  magnificent  edifice,  of 
a  square  form,  finely  seated  above  the  lake.  James  V,  and  VI,  ornamented  it  greatly. 
The  inside  is  much  embellished  with  sculpture  :  over  an  inner  gate  are  niches,  in  former 
times  holding  the  statues  of  a  pope  and  a  cardinal ;  erected,  as  tradition  says,  by  James 
V,  in  compliment  to  his  holiness  for  a  present  of  a  consecrated  sword  and  helmet.^  On 
an  outward  gate,  detached  from  the  buildings  alb  the  four  orders  of  knighthood,  which 
his  majesty  bore,  the  garter,  thistle,  holy-ghost,  and  golden-fleece. 

WiUiin  the  palace  is  a  handsome  square ;  one  side  is  more  modern  than  the  others, 
having  been  built  by  James  VI,  and  kept  in  good  repair  till  1746,  when  it  was  acci- 

*  Boethius. 

t  Horsely,  Scotland,  tab.  viii.  See  also  my  first  volume,  where  someof  the  inscriptions  are  mentioned. 
\  Hist.  lib.  i.  c.  2.  $  Capitolinus.  ||  Calendar  of  Charters,  by  Sir  Jos.  Ayloife,  162. 

H  Leslzi,  Hist.  Scot.  353. 
VOL.  III.  3   o 


f^ 


} 


•l 


If 


i 


! 


t 

1 

ik 

?' 


! 


r 


I 


I 


466 


PENNANT'S  SECOND  TOUIt  IN  SCOTLAND. 


dentally  burnt  by  the  king's  forces.  The  pediments  over  the  windows  are  neatly  carved, 
and  dated  1619. 

The  other  sides  are  more  ancient :  in  one  is  a  room  ninety.five  feet  long,  thirty  feet 
six  inches  wide,  and  thirty.three  high.  At  one  end  is  a  gallery,  with  three  arches,  per- 
haps for  music.  Narrow  galleries  run  quite  round  the  old  part,  to  preserve  :ommu« 
nications  with  the  rooms ;  in  one  of  which  the  unfortunate  Mary  Stuart  first  saw  light. 
Her  fiUher,  James  V,  then  dying,  foretold  the  miseries  that  impended  over  her  and  the 
kingdom.     '*  It  came,"  said  he,  "  with  a  lass,  and  will  be  lost  with  one." 

The  chapel  was  built  by  James  V,  and  takes  up  one  side  of  the  square.  The  kitchen 
for  the  use  of  the  kings  and  queens  is  below  ground.  I  heard  here  of  a  letter  from 
James  VI,  to  borrow  some  silver  spoons  for  a  feabt ;  and  of  another,  to  borrow  from  the 
earl  of  Mar  a  pair  of  silk  stockings,  to  appear  in  before  the  £n^lish  ambassador. 
Though  I  cannot  authenticate  these  relations  of  the  simplicity  of  the  times ;  yet  I  have 
a  curious  letter  from  the  same  monarch,  to  borrow  a  thousand  marks,  in  the  year  1589, 
being  that  of  his  wedding,  telling  the  lender  (John  Boiswell,  of  Balmato)  **  Ye  will 
rather  hurt  your  self  veiry  far,  than  see  the  dishounour  of  your  prince  and  native  coun- 
try  with  the  povertie  of  baith  set  downe  before  the  face  of  strangers." 

The  church  would  be  a  handsome  building,  if  nut  disg^ced  with  a  most  ruinous 
floor.  I  was  shewn  the  place  remarkable  for  the  personated  apparition  that  appeared 
to  James  IV,  while  he  was  meditating  the  fatal  expedition  into  England ;  and  which, 
as  honest  Lindsay  relates,  as  soon  as  it  had  delivered  its  message,  "vanished  like  a 
blink  of  the  sun,  or  a  whip  of  a  whirlwind."  The  tale  is  told  with  wonderful  simpli. 
city,  and  would  be  spoiled  in  the  {abridgment :  '*  The  king  (says  the  historian)* 
came  to  Lithgow,  where  he  happened  to  be  at  the  time  for  the  council,  very  sad  and 
dolorous,  making  his  devotion  to  God  to  send  him  good  chance  and  fortune  in  his 
voyage.  In  this  mean  time  there  came  a  man  clad  in  a  blue  gawn  in  at  the  kirk>door, 
and  belted  about  him  in  a  roll  of  linen-cloth ;  a  pair  of  botrikens  on  his  feet,  to  the  great 
of  his  legs,  with  all  other  hose  and  close  conform  thereto ;  but  he  had  no  thing  on  his 
head,  but  syde  red  yellow  hair  behind,  and  on  his  haffits,  which  wan  down  to  his  shoul- 
ders ;  but  his  forehead  was  bald  and  bare.  He  seemed  to  be  a  man  of  two  and  fifty 
years,  with  a  ^eat  pyke-staflf  in  his  hand,  and  came  first  forward  among  the  lords,  cry. 
ing  and  speiring  for  the  king,  saying,  be  desired  to  speak  with  him.  While  at  the  last 
he  came  where  the  king  was  sitting  in  the  desk  at  his  prayers  ;  but  when  he  saw  the 
king,  he  made  him  little  reverence  or  salutation,  but  leaned  down  «x)slings  on  the  desk 
before  him,  and  said  to  him  in  this  manner,  as  after  follows  :  "  Sir  king,  my  mother 
hath  sent  me  to  you,  desiring  you  not  to  pass  at  this  time  where  thou  art  purposed  ;  for 
if  thou  does,  thou  wilt  not  Tare  well  in  thy  journey,  nor  none  that  passeth  with  thee. 
Further,  she  bade  thee  mell  with  no  woman,  nor  use  their  counsel,  nor  let  them  touch 
thy  body,  nor  thou  theirs ;  for  if  thou  do  it,  thou  wilt  be  confounded  and  brought  to 
shame." 

In  one  of  the  streets  is  shewn  the  gallery  from  whence  Hamilton,  of  Bothwel-haugh, 
in  1570,  with  a  blameless  revenge  shot  the  regent  Murray.  Hamilton  had  embraced 
the  party  of  his  royal  mistress,  Mary  Stuart.  The  kegent  bestowed  part  of  his  estate 
on  one  of  his  favourites,  who,  in  a  winter's  night,  seized  on  his  house,  and  turned  his 
wife  -naked  into  the  open  fields,!  where  before  morning  she  became  furiously  mad. 
Love  and  party  rage  co-operated  so  strongly,  that  he  never  rested  till  he  executed 
his  purpose.  He  followed  the  regent  from  place  to  place,  till  the  opportunity  of  a  slow 


•  P.  111. 


t  Robertson,  i.  5 1 1". 


PENNANT'S  SECOND  TOUB  IN  SCOTLAND 


467 


ftly  carved, 

thirty  feet 

ches,  per- 

:ominu- 

saw  light. 

er  and  the 
»> 

'he  kitchen 

letter  from 

m  from  the 

mbassador. 

yet  I  have 

year  1589, 

Ye  will 

lative  coun- 


ost  ruinous 
lat  appeared 

and  which, 
ished  like  a 
erful  simpli. 

hiittoriaii)* 
'ery  sad  and 
'tune  in  his 
i  kirk-door, 
,  to  the  great 
thin^  on  his 
to  his  shoul- 
two  and  fifty 
e  lords,  cry. 
ile  at  the  last 
i  he  saw  the 
}  on  the  desk 
:,  my  mother 
jrposed  ;  for 
ti  with  thee. 
t  them  touch 
1  brought  to 

hweUhaugh, 
id  embraced 
of  his  estate 
id  turned  his 
'iously  mad. 
he  executed 
lity  of  a  slow 


march  through  a  crowded  street  rendered  his  intent  successful.  He  fled  lo  France,  and 
being  there  solicited  to  destroy  the  admiral  Culigni,  he  replied,  with  a  generous  resent- 
ment, "  That  notwithstanding  his  injured  aflcction  compelled  him  to  commit  one  mur- 
der, .lothing  should  induce  him  to  prostitute  his  sword  in  base  assassination." 

Proceed  along  Strathbrock,  watered  by  the  Almond.  To  the  right  are  Bathgatr 
hills,  once  noted  for  mines  of  lead>ore,  so  rich  as  to  be  deemed  silver  mines.  Dine  at 
Kirkliston  bridge;  near  this  place,  in  1298,  Kdward  I,  encamped,  just  before  the  battle 
of  Falkirk.  He  had  bestowed  among  his  soldiers  a  donative  of  wine,  a  sudden  and  ni\- 
tional  quarrel  arose  between  his  English  and  Welsh  troops :  the  last  wreaked  their  re 
venge  on  the  clergy,  and  slew  eighteen  English  ecclesiastics.  The  English  horse  made 
great  slaughter  among  my  countrymen,  who  in  disgust  separateil  themselves  from  the 
army.*  Edward  had  not  fewer  than  fifteen  thousand  Welshmen,  which  he  drew  from 
his  new  conquests,  with  the  design  of  opposing  them  to  the  Highlanders.f  About  a 
mile  farther,  after  crossing  the  Almond,  enter  the  shire  of  Edinburgh. 

This  river  runs  into  the  Forth,  about  four  miles  from  this  place.  On  the  eastern 
bai»k  of  its  influx  is  the  village  of  Cramond,  once  a  Roman  station  and  port.  Many 
medals,  inscriptions,  and  other  antiquities,:^  have  been  discovered  here.  Mr.  Gordon 
says  there  is  one,  and  Mr.  Maitland  that  there  are  three  Roman  roads  leading  to  it ; 
but  my  time  would  not  permit  me  to  visit  the  place. 

On  the  right  hand,  at  a  small  distance  from  our  road,  are  some  rude  stones.  On  one, 
called  the  Catstean,  a  compound  of  Celtic  and  Saxon,  signifying  the  stone  of  battle,  i^ 
this  inscription:  **  In  hoc  tumuloJacet  veta  F.  victi,"  supposed  in  memory  of  a  person 
slain  here. 

Visit,  on  the  road  side,  Corstorphine,  a  collegiate  church,  in  which  are  two  monu- 
ments of  the  Foresters,  ancient  owners  of  the  place,  each  recumbent.  One  preserves 
the  memory  of  sir  John  Forester,  who  made  the  church  collegiate  in  1429,  and  fixed 
here  a  provost,  five  prebendaries,  and  two  singing-boys.  Here  is  also  an  inscription  to 
the  first  provost,  Nicholas  Bannochtyne,  dated  1470,  concludii^  with  a  request  to  the 
reader  to  '*  pray  for  the  pope  and  him."  Cross  the  water  of  Leith,  at  Coltsbridge,  and 
soon  arrive  at  Edinbui^h. 

I  shall  here  take  notice  of  those  remarkable  places  which  escaped  my  notice  in  my 
former  tour,  or  at  least  merited  a  little  further  mention  than  I  at  that  time  paid  them.  I 
shall  begin  with  the  castle  that  crowns  the  precipitous  summit  of  this  singular  city. 

That  fortress  is  of  great  antiquity.  The  ancient  British  name  was  casteli  Mynydd 
Agned.  Our  long-lost  Arthur,  if  Nennius^  is  to  be  credited,  obtained  one  of  his  vic- 
tories in  its  neighbourhood.  His  name  is  still  retained  in  the  great  rock  impending 
over  the  city,  literally  translated  from  the  British,  Cader,  the  seat  of  Arthur.  Maitland, 
who  ^ves  the  most  probable  account  of  the  derivation  of  the  name,  attributes  it  to 
Edwin,  king  of  Northumberland,  who,  from  the  conquests  c."  his  predecessors,  was  in 
possession  of  all  the  tract  from  the  Humber  to  the  firth  of  Forth.  Accordingly  we  find, 
m  very  old  writers,  that  the  place  was  called  Edwinsburch,  and  £dwinburgh.||  It  con- 
tinued in  the  hands  of  the  Saxons,  or  En^ish,  from  the  invasion  of  Octa  and  Ebiisa,  in 
the  year  452,  till  the  defeat  of  Egfrid,  king  of  Northumberiand,  in  685,  by  the  Picts, 
who  then  re-possessed  themselves  of  it.    The  Saxon  kings  of  Northumberland  re-con- 

Juered  it  in  the  ninth  century,  and  their  successors  retained  it  till  it  <vas  given  up  to 
ndulfus,  king  ofScotland,  about  the  year  956.     All  the  names  in  this  tract  are  of  Saxon 
origin,  and  the  language  now  spoken  is  full  of  old  English  words  and  phrases. 


*  Annals  Scotland,  257. 
§  C.  62. 


t  Carte,  ii.  264.         t  Gordon's  Itin.  11 6, 1 1 7.  Horsely ,  p.  204. 
II  Vide  Maitland  Hist.  Edinburgh,  6. 
3  o  2 


I 

'I 


I 


ill 

n 


" 


468 


PENNANT'S  SECOND  TOUR  IN  SCOTLAND. 


The  castle  Is  c.  great  strength  ;  and,  as  it  was  for  a  long  time  supposed  to  be  impre^. 
liable,  was  called  the  Maiden-castle.  Edward  I,  in  1296,  made  nimsc-lf  master  ol' it  m 
a  few  days;  but  in  the  reign  of  his  successor  it  was,  in  1313,  surprised  and  taken  by 
Thomas  Randolph,  earl  of  Murray.  It  fell  again  into  the  hands  of  the  English,  who, 
in  1341,  lost  it  b^  a  stratagem  contrived  by  sir  William  Douglas.  He  entered  the  har- 
bour  of  Lcith,  with  a  vessel  loaden  with  provisions,  and  manned  with  about  two  hundred 
Highlanders.  He  disguised  twelve  in  the  dress  of  peasants,  and  placed  the  rest  in  am. 
bush  amidst  the  ruins  of  an  abbey.  He  led  the  first  up  to  the  castle,  accompanying 
twelve  horses  laden  with  oats  and  fuel :  he  offered  these  to  s^le  to  the  porter,  who 
telling  him  that  the  garrison  stood  in  great  want  of  them,  let  sir  William  into  the  gate* 
wayc  They  slew  the  porter,  blockaded  the  gate,  by  killing  their  horses  in  the  midst  of 
it,  and,  assembling  their  other  party  by  sound  of  horn,  made  themselves  masters  of  the 
place. 

The  hero  Kirkaldie  distin;^uished  the  year  1573  by  a  gallant  defence  of  this  castle, 
which  he  kept,  in  hopes  of  n^ending  the  fortunes  of  his  unhappy  mistress,  then  imprisoned 
in  England.  For  three  and  thirty  days  he  resisted  all  the  efforts  of  the  Scots  and  the 
English,  excited  by  courage  and  emulation.  At  length,  when  the  walls  were  battered 
down,  the  wells  destroyed,  and  the  whole  rendered  a  heap  of  rubbish,  he  resolved  to 
perish  gloriously  in  the  last  intrenchment ;  but  the  garrison,  which  wanted  his  heroism, 
or  had  not  the  same  reason  for  despair,  mutinied,  and  forced  him  to  surrender.* 

In  1650  it  sustained  a  siege  of  above  two  months  against  the  parliament  army,  com> 
manded  by  Cromwell,  and  surrendered  at  length  on  very  honourable  terms.t 

At  the  Revolution,  it  was  held  for  some  time  by  the  duke  of  Gordon  for  the  abdi> 
eating  prince.  When  his  grace  surrendered  his  cliarge,  he  made  terms  for  every  one 
under  his  command ;  but,  with  uncommon  spirit  and  generosity,  submitted  his  own 
life  and  interests  to  the  mercy  of  the  conqueror.^  After  the  city  was  possessed  by  the 
rebels  in  1745,  it  underwent  a  short  and  impotent  dege.  The  royalists,  under  the 
generals  Guest  and  Preston,  kept  quiet  possession  of  it,  after  a  few  weak  and  unavailing 
hostilities. 

Beneath  the  floor  of  one  of  the  passages  were  interred  the  remains  of  William  earl 
of  Douglas,  and  his  brother.  These  noble  youths  (too  powerful  for  subjects)  were 
inveigled  here,  on  the  faith  of  the  royal  word,  and,  while  they  were  sitting  at  table  with 
their  prince  were  seized  and  hurried  to  the  block.  History  mentions  an  uncommon 
circumstance.  A  bull's  head  was  served  up,  a  signal  in  those  days  of  approaching  death. 
The  Douglases  grew  pale  at  the  sight,  accepting  the  omen.^ 

In  a  small  room  in  this  fortress  Mary  Stuart  brought  into  the  world  James  VI,  an 
event  of  which  some  uncouth  rhymes  on  the  wall  inform  the  stranger. 

The  re^ia  of  Scotland  are  said  to  be  preserved  here,  and  a  room  in  which  they  are 
kept  is  pointed  out,  but  made  up  and  inaccessible.  According  to  Maitland,  they  were 
acknowledged  to  have  been  here  in  1707,  as  appears  by  a  formal  instrument  preserved 
by  that  historian. 

The  great  canon  called  Mons>meg,  made  of  iron  bars,  bound  together  with  iron 
hoops,  was  u  curiosity  preserved  in  this  fortress,  till  it  was  transported  some  years  ago 
to  London.  It  is  said  to  have  been  brought  here  from  Roxbui^h,  and  that  one  of  the 
same  kind  proved  fatal  to  James  II,  by  bursting  near  the  royal  person. 

•  Robertson,  ii.  48.  f  Whitelock,  485.  i  Hist.  Gordons,  ii.  606. 

$  Hist,  of  the  Douglases,  154. 


I'l'.VN  ANT'S  SECOND  TOUU  IN  SCOTLAND. 


469 


impre^. 

er  of  it  m 

taken  by 

sh,  who, 

the  har* 

hundred 

St  in  am- 

npanying 

Iter,  who 

the  gate- 

midst  of 

rs  of  the 

his  castle, 
nprisoned 
ts  and  the 
i  battered 
ssolved  to 
I  heroism, 
y 

my,  com- 

the  abdi- 
every  one 
d  his  own 
>ed  by  the 
under  the 
unavailing 

illiam  earl 
ects)  were 
table  with 
mcommon 
tiing  death. 

es  VI,  an 

:h  they  are 

they  were 

t  preserved 

with  iron 
years  ago 
one  of  the 


The  city  is  of  far  later  date  than  the  castle.  Walsingham,  who  wrote  about  the  year 
1440,  speaks  of  it  as  a  mean  place,  and  the  houses  covered  only  with  tha'ch  :  yet  LVots- 
sart,  who  lived  prior  to  the  former,  says,  it  was  **  la  principal  siege  du  royaumc,  el  aussi 
par  usage  le  Roy  d'  Ecoce  s^y  tcnoit,  (car  il  y  a  bon  cnastcl,  8c  bonne  grosse  ville,  et  beau 
heure.)  "*  But  it  seems  not  to  have  been  in  any  very  hourishing  condition  till  tl<e  reign 
of  James  I,  in  whose  last  year  (1436)  a  parliament  was  Brst  held  here.  After  those 
meetings  were  continued,  its  prosperity  increased,  and  the  importance  of  Perth,  before 
considerable,  began  to  lessen.  Till  that  period,  the  princes  and  parl'Hments  of  Scotland 
thought  the  firth  of  Forth  a  proper  security  against  the  inroads  of  the  English,  who  often 
carriea  their  depredations  as  far  as  this  city,  and  often  sacked  it. 

I  should  mention  that,  besides  the  castle,  it  was  also  guarded  by  walls  and  gates.  The 
first  began  near  the  southern  base  of  the  castle,  and,  protecting  the  town  on  the  south 
and  east,  terminated  near  the  north  loch,  then  filled  with  water,  and  a  sufficient  security 
on  that  side. 

The  gates  are  numerous,  but  none  that  are  now  standing  are  in  any  degree  remark- 
able. The  Netherbow-port,  which  stood  at  the  head  of  the  Cannongale  street,  was 
built  in  the  reign  of  James  VI,  but  is  now  demolished.  A  figure  of  it  is  preserved  in 
Maidand's  History  of  Edinburgh ;  and  a  still  finer,  but  scarce,  etching  of  it  is  sometimes 
met  with,  the  work  of  Mr.  Alexander  Runciman. 

To  pursue  the  description  of  Edinburgh,  I  shall  begin  with  the  great  street,  which, 
under  several  names,  is  continued  almost  in  a  line  from  the  castle  to  Holy  rood-house, 
being  in  length  a  mile  and  a  half,  and  in  some  places  eighty  feet  wide,  and  in  the  part 
called  the  High-street  finely  built. 

In  the  street  called  the  Castle-hill  is  the  great  reservoir  for  supplying  the  city  with 
water.  Below  this  is  the  lawn.market,  where  every  Wednesday  are  sold  linens, 
checks,  &c. 

•    The  weighing-house,  which  brings  in  a  large  revenue  to  the  city,  stands  at  the  Bow 
h^,  at  the  upper  end  of  the  lawn- market. 
#    Near  that  are  the  Luckenbooths,  with  the  tolbooth,  or  city  prison.     The  guard-house 

t  little  lower.  I  think  the  guard  consists  in  all  of  seventy-five  men,  commanded  by 
provost  and  three  lieutenants,  who  are  styled  captains.  The  men  are  well  clothed 
and  armed.  Instead  of  the  halbert,  they  still  retain  the  ancient  weapon,  the  Locha- 
ber  axe. 

In  the  Parliament-close,  a  small  square,  is  the  Parliament-house,  where  the  courts  of 
justice  are  held.  Beneath  are  the  advocates'  library,  and  the  register-office.  In  my 
former  Tour  I  mentioned  certain  curiosities  preserved  in  the  library  ;  but  neglected  the 
notice  of  others  in  a  small  but  select  private  cabinet. 

Among  others,  in  the  cabinet  of  Mr.  John  Macgowan,  discovered  near  this  city,  is  an 
elegant  brass  image  of  a  beautiful  Naiad,  with  a  little  satyr  in  one  arm.  On  her  head 
is  a  wine  vat,  or  some  such  vessel,  to  denote  her  an  attendant  on  Bacchus ;  and  beneath 
one  foot,  a  subverted  vase,  expressive  of  her  character  as  a  nymph  of  the  fountains. 
The  satyr  is  given  her,  not  only  to  shew  her  relation  to  the  jovial  god,  but  from  the  opi- 
nion that  the  Naiades  were  mothers  f  of  that  sylvan  race. 

A  vessel  resembling  a  tea-pot,  with  a  handle  and  spout :  it  wants  a  lid,  but  the  ori- 
fice is  covered  with  a  fixed  plate,  full  of  perforations,  like  those  of  a  watering-pot. 
Count  Caylus  has  given  a  figure  of  a  pot  of  this  kind ;  but  is  as  ignorant  as  myself  of 
its  use. 


» 

I 


i!' 


*  FroissartJib.  ii.  p.  U5. 

t  Montfaucon,  from  the  authority  of  Nonnus. 


Antiq.  Expl.  i.partii.  261. 


470 


PRVNANT'a  SECOND  TOUIl  IV  SCOTLAND. 


*. 


Some  spcar-hcads,  mda  brazen  celt  finely  gilt.  This  embellishment  of  the  last  in- 
timutcs,  that  the  instruments  of  that  sort  were  not  for  mechanic  uses,  but  probably  the 
heads  of  juvclins  or  ensign  stafls.* 

In  the  same  collection  is  an  iron  whip,  a  most  cruel  instrument  of  punishment  among 
the  Humans. t  The  handle  is  short  ;  the  lash«  u  chain  dividing  into  three  parts,  with 
a  b'.ilk-t  at  the  end  of  each.  These  bullets  were  sometimes  of  lead,  sometimes  of  X  cop- 
per. Whips  of  this  kind  arc  often  seen  in  paintings  of  martyrdoms.  It  is  singular, 
that  the  Europeans  found  among  the  natives  of  Bengal  this  classical  scourge,  or  one 
nearly  resembling  it:  the  bullets  in  the  Indian  chawbuc,  or  whip,  being  affixed  to 
thongs  instead  of  chains. 

The  great  church,  divided  into  four  places  of  worship;  and  St.  Gileses,  with  its 
tower  terminated  by  a  crown  of  stone«  built  by  a  Milne,  ancestor  of  a  celebrated  race 
of  architects,  grace  part  of  the  street  below  the  Parliament-close. 

The  Trone  church  is  remarkable  for  its  fine  Ionic  front. 

Here  are  four  chapels  for  the  jse  of  the  protestants  of  the  church  of  England.  The 
new  one,  when  completed,  will  be  a  most  elegant  building,  and  the  front  adorned  with 
a  beautiful  portico,  supported  by  six  Doric  pillars,  with  suitable  finishing.  Over  the 
altar  is  an  ascension  by  Mr.  Runciman,  and  here  are  besides  four  other  paintings  by 
the  same  gentleman.  These,  with  a  fine  organ,  arc  comfortable  proofs  of  the  mo- 
deration that  at  present  reigns  in  the  church  of  Scotland,  which  a  few  years  ago  would 
have  looked  with  horror  on  these  innocent  decorations,  and  never  have  permitted  to 
others  what  they  did  not  approve.  Perhaps  the  disapprobation  still  continues ;  then 
how  far  more  meritorious  is  this  toleration ! 

At  the  bottom  of  Canon-gate  stands  the  magnificent  palace  of  Holyrood-house,  onc6 
an  abbey  of  canons  regular  of  St.  Augustine,  founded  by  David  I»  in  1128,  and  dedi- 
cated to  the  holy -cross.  This  was  the  richest  of  the  religious  houses  in  North  Britain, 
the  annual  revenue,  at  the  Reformation,  amounting  to  two  thousand  nine  hundred, 
and  twenty-six  pounds  Scots, ^  besides  numbers  of  rents  in  kind.  In  1547,  it  was 
almost  ruined  by  the  Regent  duke  of  Somerset,  who  totally  uncovered  it,  and  toSk% 
away  with  him  the  lead  and  bells.  jt 

That  beautiful  piece  of  Gothic  architecture,  the  chapel,  is  now  a  ruin,  the  rSBt 
having  fallen  in.  It  was  fitted  up  in  a  most  ele|;ant  manner  by  James  VII.  At  the 
end  was  a  throne  for  the  sovereign,  and  on  the  sides  twelve  stalls  for  the  knights  com- 
panions of  the  thistle ;  but,  in  1688,  the  whole  was  demolished  by  the  fury  of  the 
mob. . 

In  the  apartments  belonging  to  the  duke  of  Hamilton,  who  is  hereditary  house- 
keeper, are  several  curious  portraits.  Among  them,  a  full  length  of  a  tall  youth,  with 
his  hat  on  a  table.  It  is  called  that  of  Henry  Damly,  but,  by  the  countenance,  I 
should  rather  imagine  it  to  be  that  of  Henry  Prince  of  Wales.|| 

A  head  of  James  IV,  in  black,  with  ermine ,  the  hair  lank  and  short.  From  the 
great  resemblance  to  Henry  VII,  I  am  tempted  to  think  it  the  portrait  of  James  V, 
who  was  descended  from  the  daughter  of  Henry. 

Mary  Stuart,  aged  about  fifteen ;  a  half  length,  straight  and  slender ;  large  brocade 
sleeves,  small  ruff,  auburn  hair. 

A  head  of  Cardinal  Beaton,  black  hair,  smooth  face,  a  red  callot.  An  ambitious, 
cruel,  and  licentious  priest ;  so  superior  to  decency,  that  he  publicly  married  one  of  his 


• 


*  Borlase,  Anti.  Cornwall.  t  Ca)rlus,vii.  215.  f  Montfaucon,  V.  part  ii.  245. 

$  A  Scotch  pound  is  twenty  pence  ;  a  Scotch  mark  thirteen  pence. 
II  Vide  Mr  .  Granger's  Biography,  i.  313.  octavo  edit. 


PENNANT'S  SECOND  TOUIl  IN  SCOTLAND. 


471 


six  natural  children  to  the  master  of  Cruvvforcl,  owned  her  lor  his  daughter,  atid  gave 
with  her  (in  those  days)  the  vast  fortune  of  four  ihousand  marks,  Scotsi. 

A  stern  half  length  of  John  Knox,  writing. 

Lord  John  Belays,  in  a  red  doublet  and  slashed  sleeves,  young  and  handsome  ;  son 
of  lord  Fuiiconbcrg.  A  person,  says  the  noble  historian,  of  exemplary  industry  und 
courage,  who  raised  six  regiments  for  the  king's  service,  and  behaved  with  great  spirit 
in  several  engagements ;  at  length,  being  made  commander  in  chief  of  the  forces  in 
Yorkshire,  at  the  battle  of  Selby,  sunk  beneath  the  superior  fortime  of  sir  Thomas 
Fairfax,  and  was  bv  him  taken  prisoner.  He  received  great  honours  at  the  Restore* 
tion,  and  lived  till  the  year  1689. 

A  fine  old  portrait,  a  half  length,  in  rich  armour. 

Twenty  small  heads,  in  black  lead,  of  the  family  of  Hamilton  and  its  allies.  Very 
neat. 

The  life  of  Hercules,  in  ten  small  pieces,  highly  finished,  but  with  a  stiff  outline,  like 
the  manner  of  Albert  Durer.  In  the  back  ground  are  views  of  Flemish  houses,  so 
probably  these  were  the  work  of  a  Flemish  artist.  Perhaps  of  Jo^n  de  Mubeuse,  who 
was  in  England  in  the  time  of  Henry  VHI.  The  set  is  supposed  to  have  been  part  of 
the  collection  of  sir  Peter  Lely.* 

Edward  earl  of  Jersey,  a  nobleman  in  great  trust  with  king  William;  ambassador  to 
France,  and  secretary  of  state;  in  the  next  reign,  lord  chamberlain,  and  appointeU  lord 
privy  seal  on  the  day  of  his  death,  August  11,  1711. 

At  lord  Dunmore's  lodgings  is  a  very  fine  picture,  by  Mytens,  of  Charles  I,  and  his 
queen,  going  to  ride,  with  the  sky  showering  roses  on  them.  The  queen  is  painted 
with  a  love-lock,  and  with  browner  hair  and  complexion,  and  younger,  than  any  of  (her 
portraits  I  have  seen.  A  black  stands  by  them  holding  a  gray  horse  ;  and  the  celebrated 
dwarf  Jeffery  Hudson  attends,  holding  a  spaniel  in  a  string.  Several  other  dogs  are 
sporting  around.  The  little  hero  in  this  piece  underwent  a  life  of  vast  variety.  He 
was  born  the  son  of  a  labourer  at  Oakham,  in  1619;  at  the  age  of  seven  he  was  not 
eighteen  inches  high,  at  which  time  he  was  taken  into  the  family  of  the  duke  of  Buck- 
ingham, at  Burleigh  on  the  hill,  and  had  there  the  honour  of  being  served  up  to  table 
^  a  cold  pye,  to  surprise  the  court  then  on  a  progress.  On  the  marriage  of  Charles 
tne  First,  he  was  promoted  to  the  service  of  Henrietta ;  and  was  even  so  far  trusted,  as 
to  be  sent  to  France  to  bring  over  her  majesty's  midwife.  In  his  passage  he  ivas  taken 
by  a  pirate  and  carried  into  Dunkirk.  His  captivity  gave  rise  to  the  JeofTreidos,  a 
poem,  by  sir  William  Davenant,  on  his  duel  in  that  port  with  a  turkey-cock.  His 
diminutive  size  did  not  prevent  his  acting  in  a  military  capacity,  for,  during  the  civil 
wars,  he  served  as  captain  of  horse.  In  following  the  fortunes  of  his  mistress  into 
France,  he  unluckily  engaged  in  a  quarrel  with  Mr.  Crofts,  who  came  into  the  field 
armed  only  with  a  squirt;  a  second  meeting  was  appointed,  on  horseback,  when  Jeffery 
killed  his  antagonist  at  the  first  shot.  For  this  he  was  expelled  the  court,  which  sent  him 
to  sea,  when  he  was  again  captive  to  a  Turkish  rover,  and  sold  into  Barbary.  On  his 
release  he  was  made  a  captain  in  the  royal  navy :  and  on  the  final  retreat  of  Henrietta, 
attended  her  to  France,  and  remained  there  till  the  restoration.  In  1682,  this  little 
creature  was  made  of  that  importance  as  to  be  supposed  to  be  concerned  in  the  Popish 
plot,  and  was  committed  to  the  gatehouse ;  where  he  ended  his  life,  at  the  age  of  sixty- 
three,  passed  with  all  the  consequential  activity  of  a  Lilliputian  hero.{ 

*  Walpole'a  Anecd.  Painting,!.  50. 

t  Vide  Fuller,  Wright's  Rutlandshire,  p.  105,  and  the  more  entertaining  account  in  Mr.  WalpoIeN 
Anecdotes  of  Painting,  vol.  ii.  10. 


472 


PENNANT'S  Sr.CONO  TOUR  IN  SCOTLAND. 


The  precincts  of  this  nbbcy,  including  the  park  (next  to  be  mentioned)  and  u  space 
us  far  as  Duddingston,  is  still  a  place  of  rcfuG;c  tu  the  unfortunate  debtor ;  and  has  it« 
bailey,  who  keeps  courts,  and  punishest  ofTenaers,  within  his  jurisdiction. 

Tnc  college,  founded  by  the  citizens  of  Edinburgh,  in  1582,  in  consequence  of  a 
legacy  left  in  1558,  for  that  useful  end,  by  Robert  Reid,  bibhop  of  Orkney,  is  u  very 
meon  building.  It  is  built  on  the  site  of  the  collegiate  church  of  Kirk 'Of- Held,  for* 
mcrly  dedicated  to  St.  Mary,  and  in  popibh  times  supplied  with  a  provost  and  ten  prC' 
bends. 

The  museum  is  at  present  totally  empty,  for  such  has  been  the  negligence  of  |)ast 
times,  that  scarce  a  specimen  of  the  noble  collection  deposited  in  it  by  Sir  Andrew 
Balfour  is  to  be  met  with,  any  more  than  the  great  additions  made  to  it  by  Sir  Robert 
Sibbald. 

The  session,  as  they  term  it,  of  the  university  of  Edinburgh,  begins  on  November  1, 
nnd  continues  six  months.     Soon  after  the  commencement  a  general  day  is  appointed 
for  matriculation,  if  a  form  can  be  so  called,  which  is  annually  repeated  by  each  stu< 
dent,  as  long  as  he  stays.     It  was  begun  in  the  year  ITd'l,  and  was  looked  upon  as 
an  innovation,  intended  both  to  gain  a  footing  for  some  authority  over  the  students, 
and  to  raise  a  fund  for  the  public  library.     The  manner  was  this :  a  solemn  obligation 
(in  Latin)  to  behave  well,  to  respect  the  authority  and  interests  of  the  university,  and 
obey  its  laws  (of  which  they  were  allowed  to  be  entirely  ienorant)  was  written  in  a 
book,  and  the  students  subscribed  their  names  underneath  m  alphabetical  order.     A 
sum,  not  less  than  half-a-crown,  was  at  the  same  time  demanded,  for  the  use  of  the 
library ;  in  return  for  which  a  ticket  was  given,  entiUing  the  bearer  to  the  use  of  books, 
upon  depositing  their  value  in  money  by  way  of  security.     I  never  heard  of  the  least 
cognizance  taken  of  the  morals  and  conduct  of  any  student,  though  I  believe  there  are 
a  few  instances  of  expulsion  for  veiy  flagitious  crimes.     Degrees  in  physic  used  to  be 
conferred  like  those  m  divinity  and  law,  at  the  pleasure  of  the  heads,  without  any  ne- 
cessity of  having  studied  either  there  or  at  any  ether  university  ;  but,  on  the  last  in- 
stance of  this  kind,  in  the  year  1763,  or  64,  scveial  students,  piqued  at  a  proceeding 
which  put  on  a  footing  with  themselves  persons  whom  they  thought  not  entitled  to 
academical  honours,  mutually  engaged  not  to  take  a  degree  at  Edinburgh.    The  pro- 
fessors, alarmed  at  this  resolution,  gave  an  assurance,  that  for  the  future  no  degree  in 
physic  should  be  conferred  without  at  least  two  years  studying  at  the  place,  and  at- 
tendance upon  all  the  medical  classes.     This  has  been,  I  believe,  rigorously  adhered  to  ; 
moreover,  the  examinations,  previous  to  conferring  the  degree,  are  said  to  be  very 
strict.  '  By  a  regulation  of  a  later  date,  degrees  are  only  granted  in  the  summer,  twice  a 
year,  during  the  recess  from  business.     1  he  number  of  medical  students  are  now  an- 
nually reckoned  at  about  three  hundred  ;  a  majority  of  whom,  being  onl^'  designed  fur 
the  lower  branches  of  the  profession,  stay  but  one  session.     Every  one  is  at  liberty  to 
attend  what  lectures  he  chooses,  and  in  what  order ;  except  that  those  who  mean  to 
graduate  must,  during  their  stay,  attend  all  the  truly  medical  ones.    They  who  have 
leisure  and  means  properly  to  complete  their  medical  education,  seldom  stay  less  than 
three  sessions,  and  frequently  more.    Lectures  in  botany,  and  attendance  on  the  in- 
firmary, go  forward  in  the  summer ;  and  a  good  many  of  the  students,  especially  those 
who  come  from  a  distance,  continue  at  Edinburgh  during  that  season. 

This  university  began  to  be  celebrated  for  the  study  of  medicine  about  the  year 
1720;  when  a  number  of  gentlemen,  natives  of  this  country,  and  pupils  of  the  illus- 
trious  Boerhaave,  settled  here,  and  filled  the  professor's  chairs  with  such  abilities,  as 
served  to  establish  Edinburgh  for  the  seat  of  instruction  in  the  healing  art.    It  was 


•  --  t.-f*(jt^n!tij»,7»r- 


:rfy  ]ii««wtm)tH)%Min«-"- 


It  any  ne- 
he  last  in- 
)roceeding 
entitled  to 

The  pr^- 
I  degree  in 
ie,  and  at- 
dhered  to ; 
0  be  very 
er,  twice  a 
re  now  an- 
esigned  for 
t  liberty  to 
10  mean  to 

who  have 
y  less  than 

on  the  in' 
cially  those 

Lit  the  year 
fthe  illus. 
abilities,  as 
rt.    It  was 


PCNNANT'I  SECOND  TOUR  IN  SCOTLAND. 


475 


iu  peculiar  good  fortune  to  have  a  succession  of  professors  of  most  distinguinhcd  p^rts, 
which  has  preserved  its  fame  with  undimiiuHhcd   lustre  to  the  very  present  time. 

Near  the  college  's  the  Trades-maidcn<ho!tpitul,  u  plain  neat  building,  with  tleven 
windows  in  front,  founded  in  1707,  by  the  mechanics  of  the  city,  fur  the  maintcnniice 
of  the  daughters  of  their  decayed  brethren.  Mrs.  Mary  Krskine  (of  wlujm  more  will 
be  mentioned  hereafter)  contributed  largely  towurdn  this  design,  and  had  the  honour  ol 
being  entitled  joint  foundress.     It  maintains,  at  present,  fifty. two  girlt. 

Somewhat  further  are  two  churches  under  one  roof,  called  the  Gray  friars.  Thi- 
convent  belonging  to  it  was  founded  by  James  I,  for  the  purpose  ot  instructing  his 
people  in  divinity  and  philosophy,  und  was  said  to  have  been  so  magnificent,  timt  the 
superior,  who  was  sent  for  from  Zuric>zce  to  preside,  at  first  declined  accepting  it.  In 
this  church  I  had  the  satisfaction  of  hearing  divine  service  performed  by  the  celebrated 
Dr.  Robertson.  It  began  with  a  hymn  ;  the  minister  then  repeated  a  prayer  toasianding 
congregation,  who  do  not  distract  their  attention  by  bows  and  compliments  to  each 
other,  like  the  good  people  in  England.  He  then  gave  an  excellent  comment  on  a 
portion  of  scripture,  which  is  called  the  lecture.  After  this  succeeded  another  hymn, 
and  prayer,  the  sermon,  a  third  hymn,  and  the  benediction. 

Near  this  church  is  a  pleasing  groupe  of  charitable  foundations,  the  genuine  fruits  of 
religion.  Immediately  behind  it  is  the  great  workhouse,  the  recepucle  of  the  poor  of  the 
city.  When  completed,  it  is  to  consist  of  a  centre  and  two  winss,  but  the  lust  are  not 
yet  finished.  It  maintains  about  six  or  seven  hundred  persons  of  all  ages;  each  of  whom 
contribute  by  their  labour  to  their  support.  Besides  these  are  about  two  hundred  out- 
pensioners,  who  have  sixpence  or  a  shilling  a  week.  Near  it  are  three  other  buildings 
dependent  on  it ;  one  for  tne  reception  of  lunatics,  the  second  for  the  sick,  the  third  fur 
a  sort  of  weaving  school. 

The  Orphan>hospital  was  begun  in  1733,  under  the  auspices  of  Mr.  Andrew  Gair. 
diner,  and  other  charitable  persons.  At  present  it  maintains  seventy  poor  children, 
who  weave  their  own  clothes,  and  assist  in  the  whole  economy  of  tlic  house.  The 
building  is  ver}'  handsome,  and  has  nine  windows  in  front. 

To  the  west  of  this  is  Herrio^'s>hospital,  a  magnificent  pile  of  Gothic  Grecian  archi. 
tecture,  founded  by  George  Herriot,  goldsmith  and  jeweller  to  Anne  of  Denmark,  who 
left  the  vast  sum  of  near  forty*four  thousand  iiounds  sterling  for  the  building  and  endow- 
ment. It  is  destined  for  the  support  of  boys,  and  maintains  at  present  a  hundred  and 
three.  Within  is  a  handsome  square,  with  the  statue  of  the  founder.  In  the  council- 
room  is  his  portrait,  a  half  length  by  Scougal :  in  his  hand  are  some  jewels ;  for  to  that 
branch  of  his  business  he  owed  his  fortune,  pardcularly  by  the  profusion  bought  for  the 
wedding  of  the  princess  of  Bohemia.  He  was  member  of  the  English  parliament ;  and 
died,  a^63,  mthe  year  1623. 

In  the  same  room  is  a  head  of  William  Aytone,  mason,  and  builder  of  the  hospital. 

Qehind  thb  is  another  fine  foundation,  called  Watson's  hospital,  a  building  with 
twenty-one  windows  in  front.  The  founder  owing  his  rise  to  the  charity  of  a  relation, 
established  this  house,  for  the  support  of  about  sixty  boys,  sons  and  grandsons  of  de- 
cayed merchants  of  Edinburgh.  They  are  educated  here,  and  apprenticed  out ;  and, 
after  having  served  their  times  with  credit,  and  remained  after  that  three  years  unmar- 
ried,  receive  fifty  pounds  to  set  up  with. 

TheMerchants-maiden-hospitallies  north-east  of  Watson's.  It  owes  its  institution 
to  the  merchants  of  Edinburgh,  and  the  same  Mrs.  Mary  Erskine  before  mentioned, 
for  the  muntenance  of  the  girb  of  distressed  burgesses.     It  supports  about  sixty,  who 

VOL.  III.  3   p 


474 


PRVNANT'I  SBCONO  TOUR  IN  tCOTLANV. 


n])|)car  on  Sundny^  in  n  dros  truly  simplex  munditiiv,  in  dark  brown  gowni,  black  silk 
batidkcrchicfii,  and  black  bilk  bonnets. 

The  private  nctit  ofchurity  urcalso  very  conitidcruble.  Kvcry  Sunday  a  collection  is  made 
(or  the  sick  and  neceskitous.  Such  a  rclif^ious  respect  do  the  common  people  pay  to 
thi«i  fund,  that  nothing  but  extreme  distress  will  induce  them  to  apply  for  relief.  It 
Keems  to  them  n  sort  of  sacrilege  to  purt.ike  unneceHsarily  of  u  tx)unty  destined  for 
the  miserable  ;  and  children  will  undergo  any  lulMur,  to  prevent  their  parents  frombc* 
coming  burthcnsome  to  this  parochial  stock. 

The  New  Town  is  coimcctcd  to  the  city  by  u  very  iKnutiful  bridge,  whose  highest 
nrch  is  ninety^five  feet  hi(];h,  und  seventy ^two  feet  wide.  This  bridge  is  flung  over  a 
deep  glen,  once  filled  with  water,  and  called  the  North-loch,  but  at  present  drained. 
To  the  east  and  to  the  north  of  this  bridge  is  a  motley  assemblage  of  cnurches,  metho- 
dist  meeting,  hospitals,  und  pluy-hoii!>c.  The  old  Trinity  collegiate  church,  founded  by 
Mary  of  Gueldrcs,  mctlier  to  Jumcs  III,  is  a  Gothic  pile.  Near  it  is  an  hospital,  founded 
on  the  dissolution  of  the  former  :  it  maintains,  in  a  most  comfortable  manner,  numbers 
of  aged  persons  of  each  sex  ;  for  besides  good  diet,  they  have  the  luxury  of  a  garden 
nnd  library. 

Leith,  the  port  of  Edinburgh,  is  seated  about  two  miles  to  the  east,  is  now  a  consider* 
aible  town,  divided  into  two  parishes,  called  north  and  south  Leith,  separated  by  a  river 
of  the  same  name.  The  original  name  was  Inverleith,  and  is  first  mentioned  in  1329, 
in  a  grant  of  it  to  the  citizens  of  Edinburgh,  under  whose  jurisdiction  it  lies.  They  ap- 
point out  of  the  old  magistrates  a  baron  bailiff,  who  with  the  assistance  of  other  officers 
directs  the  affairs  of  the  place.  It  was  for  some  time  the  residence  of  Mary  of  Lorrain, 
queen  regent,  who,  followed  by  her  court,  gave  rise  to  several  handsome  buildings  still 
existing.  The  same  princess,  when  she  called  in  the  assistance  of  the  French,  fixed 
their  forces  here,  and  caused  it  to  be  fortified,  on  account  of  the  convenient  harbour  and 
its  vicinity  to  the  capitol.  Here  Mary  Stuart  landed  on  her  return  from  France,  in 
1561,  and  in  two  years  after  destroyed  the  independency  of  the  place,  by  mortgaging, 
for  a  great  sum  of  money,  the  superiority  of  it  to  the  city  of  Eldinburgh.*  When 
Henry  VIII,  proposed  the  match  between  his  son  Edward  and  Mary,  he  followed  hb 
demand  in  a  manner  worthy  so  boisterous  a  prince.  In  this  rough  courtship,  as  it  was 
humorously  styled,  he  sent  the  earl  of  Hertford  with  a  numerous  army  to  second  his 
demand,  who  burnt  both  this  place  and  Edinburgh. 

After  that  it  was  fortified  by  the  French,  and  underwent  a  long  siege  ;  the  French 
behaved  with  spirit,  and  for  a  great  length  of  time  baffled  all  the  attempts  of  the  Eng. 
lish,  who  supported  the  lords  of  the  congregation.  At  length  it  was  yielded  on 
composition,  and  the  fortification  razed.  In  1571,  it  was  re.fortified  by  the  earl  of 
Morton  ;  and  in  a  little  less  than  a  century  afterwards,  a  citadel  was  added  by  ge- 
neral Monk,  demolished  on  the  restoration^ 

The  harbour  is  but  indifferent ;  yet  by  means  of  a  fine  pier  large  vessels  lie  here 
with  security.  The  southern  shore  of  the  Forth  is  shallow  and  sandv :  no  part  between 
Leith  and  lnch*Keith  is  above  ten  fathom  deep.  The  north  is  of  a  great  depth,  and 
has  a  rocky  or  foul  bottom.  Oppoute  to  Kinghorn  is  a  ledge  of  rocks  called  the  Blae, 
which  at  a  low  ebb  are  only  four  fathom  from  the  surface.  Yet  the  water  deepens  to 
fifty  fathoms  within  a  ship's  lenf;th.  The  pier  is  a  beautiful  and  much  frequented 
walk :  and  the  annual  races  are  on  the  sands,  near  low-water  mark.  It  has  haopened 
often,  when  the  heats  have  been  long,  that  the  horses  run  belly  deep  in  the  flowing 
tide. 

•  Robertson,  i.  342. 


■~t'^ 


— '.'..' ,.  .-J  11.' 


sa™**^^" 


■^-■^ 


PENNAMTS  SBCONO  TOUR  IN  SCOT'    iNU 


black  nitk 

n\\  \%  made 
ipic  pay  to 

rcluf.  It 
ettined  for 
ts  from  be* 

osc  highest 
ung  over  a 
nt  drained, 
les,  mciho- 
founded  by 
tal,  founded 
r,  numbers 
of  a  garden 

'  a  consider* 
d  by  a  river 
edin  1329, 
Thev  up. 
»ther  omcers 
ofLorrain, 
lildings  still 
rench,  fixed 
harbour  and 
I  France,  in 
mortgaging, 
fh.*     When 
followed  h'ls 
ip,  as  it  was 
>  second  h'ls 

;  the  French 
» of  the  Eng- 
s  yielded  on 
y  the  earl  of 
idded  by  ge> 

issels  lie  here 
I  part  between 
sat  depth,  and 
UledtheBlae, 
;er  deepens  to 
:h  frequented 
has  haopened 
in  the  flowing 

.  If,    -|  ;     " 


475 


The  disproportion  of  rain  between  this  and  the  western  side  of  the  kingdom  li.is  Ikcu 
strongly  exemplified  here.  Lcith  lies  in  a  line  sixty  miles  distant  from  Greenock. 
Some  years  ago,  when  the  ro|K*-wulkN  of  both  places  were  uncovered,  it  was  observed 
that  the  workmen  at  the  last  were  prevented  by  the  wet  from  working  eighty  duyn  more 
at  Greenock,  than  at  Leiih,  and  only  forty  days  more  at  Glnngow ;  so  »uddcn  is  thu 
abatement  of  rain,  and  so  (juick  is  the  change  of  climate,  on  receuinp;  from  west  to  cu%t. 

In  my  return  to  Edinburgh,  passed  by  Kcstulrig,  the  ancient  residence  of  the  Logani. 
The  last  possessor  was  accused  (five  years  after  his  death)  of  beinp;  concerned  in  the 
Cowrie  conspiracy  :  and  was  cited  to  appear,  but  proving  contun  )cious,  his  estate  was 
forfeited,  his  bones  burnt,  and  his  heirs  declared  inlumous. 

On  the  21st  of  this  month  I  visited  Ilawthorndcn.  the  seat  of  the  celebrated  hiitoriuu 
and  poet,  Drummond,  about  seven  miles  south  of  Edinburgh.  The  house  and  a  ruined 
castelet  are  pUced  on  the  brink  of  a  vast  precipice  of  free<stone,  with  the  North-Esk 
running  in  a  deep  den  beneath.  In  tlie  house  are  preserved  the  portraits  of  the  poet 
and  his  father. 

In  the  front  of  the  rock,  just  beneath  the  house,  is  cut  a  flight  of  twenty-seven  steps. 
In  the  way,  a  gap,  passable  by  a  bridge  of  boards,  interrupts  the  descent.  These  steps 
lead  to  the  entrance  of  the  noted  caves,  which  have  been  cut  with  vast  labour  out  of  the 
rock.  The  descent  into  the  great  chambers  is  by  eight  steps  i  but,  on  the  first  entrance 
on  right  and  left,  are  two  rooms ;  that  on  the  rignt  consists  of  a  gallery,  fifteen  feet 
long,  with  a  space  at  the  end  (twelve  feet  by  seven)  whose  sides  ure  cut  into  rows  of 
square  holes,  each  nine  inches  deep,  and  seems  to  have  been  the  pigeon-iiousc  of  the 
place,  there  being  an  entrance  cut  through  the  rock.  On  the  left  hand  is  another 
gallery,  and  through  the  front  of  this  is  a  hole,  facing  the  bridge,  which  seems  intended 
as  the  means  to  draw  in  the  boards^  and  secure  the  retreat  of  the  inhabitants.  In  this 
gallery  is  a  littk  bason  cut  in  the  rock ;  perhaps  a  Benitoirc. 

The  grand  apartment  faces  the  door,  and  is  ninety-one  feet  long ;  the  beginning  is 
twelve  feet  wide,  the  rest  only  five  feet  eight ;  the  height  six.  In  a  recess  of  the  broader 
part  is  a  well,  some  fathoms  deep.  Above  is  cut  a  funneS,  which  pierces  the  roof  to 
the  day.  Near  the  end  of  this  apartment  is  a  short  turning,  that  leads  to  another  gal- 
lery,  twenty-three  feet  by  five. 

These  curious  hollows  have  been  supposed  by  some  to  have  been  the  works  of  the 
Picts ;  but  to  me  they  seem  to  have  been  designed  as  an  asylum  in  troublesome  times  for 
some  neighbouring  inhabitants,  in  the  same  manner  as  VVethcrell  cells  were  for  the 
monks  of  the  abbey.  It  appears  by  Major,*  that  the  brave  Alexander  Ramsay,  in  1341, 
made  these  caves  his  residence  for  a  considerable  time.  To  him  resorted  all  the  gallant 
youth  of  Scotland ;  and  to  him  parents  sent  their  sons  to  be  initiated  in  the  art  of  war. 
From  hence  he  made  his  excursions  to  the  English  borders  with  his  pupils ;  each  inroad 
was  to  them  a  lecture  for  valour  and  stratagem. 

These  alone  attract  the  attention  of  strangers ;  but  the  solemn  and  picturesque  walks 
cut  abng  the  summits,  sides,  und  bottoms  of  this  beautiful  den,  are  much  more  de- 
serving admiration.  The  vast  mural  fence,  formed  by  the  red  precipices,  the  mixture 
of  trees,  and  grotesque  figure  of  many  of  the  rucks,  and  the  smooth  sides  of  Pentland 
hills,  appearing  above  this  wild  scenery,  are  more  striking  objects  to  the  contemplative 
roind. 

After  crosung  the  riyer,  and  clambering  up  a  steep  hill,  discover  on'  the  summit  a 
work  of  art,  not  less  admirable  than  those  of  nature  which  we  had  so  lately  quitted,  I 

*  *  De  GesUs  Scotorum,  lib.  v.  c.  14.  p,  3^6. 

3  p  2 


476 


PENiNANTS  SECOND  TOUR  IN  SCOTLAND. 


mean,  the  chapel  of  Roslyn,  Roskelyii,*  or  the  hill  in  the  glen ;  a  curious  piece  of 
Gothic  architecture,  founded,  in  1446,  by  William  St.  Clare,  prince  of  Orkney,  for  a 
provost,  six  prebendaries,  and  two  i>inj;ing.boys.  The  outs'dp  is  ornamented  with  a  mul- 
titude of  pinnacles,  and  variety  of  ludicrous  sculpture.  The  inside  is  sixty-nine  teet  long, 
the  breadth  thirty-four,  supported  by  two  rows  of  clustered  pillars,  between  seven  and 
eight  feet  high,  with  an  aisle  on  each  side.  The  arches  are  obtusely  Gothic.  These  arches 
are  continued  across  the  side  aisles,  but  the  center  of  the  church  is  one  continued  arch, 
elegantly  divided  into  compartments,  and  finely  sculptured.  The  capitals  of  the  pillars 
are  enriched  with  fol*age,  and  variety  of  figures ;  and,  amidst  a  heavenly  concert,  appears 
a  cherubim  blowing  the  ancient  Highland  bagpipe.  In  short,  in  all  parts  is  a  profusion 
so  exquisite,  ns  seems  even  to  have  affected  with  respect  the  barbarism  of  Knox's  manual 
reformers,  so  as  to  induce  them  to  spare  this  beautiful  and  venerable  pile. 

In  a  deep  den  fur  beneath,  amidst  wooded  eminences,  are  the  ruins  of  the  casde,  fixed 
on  a  peninsulated  rock,  accessible  by  a  bridge  of  stupendous  height.  This  had  been 
the  scat  of  the  great  name  of  Sinclair.  Of  this  house  was  Oliver,  favourite  of  James  V, 
and  the  innocent  cause  of  the  loss  of  the  battle  of  Solvvay  Moss»  by  the  hatred  of  the 
nobility  to  his  preferred  command.  He  lived  in  poverty,  to  give  a  fine  lesson  of  the 
uncertainty  of  prosperity  to  the  pride  of  the  worthless  Arran,  minicii  to  James  VI, 
appearing  before  the  insolent  favourite  in  the  garb  of  adversity,  repeating  only  these 
words,  "I  am  Oliver  Sinclair." 

Near  this  place,  the  English,  under  John  de  Segrave,  regent  of  Scotland,  in  1302, 
received  three  defeats  in  one  day  from  the  Scots,  under  John  Cummin  and  Simon 
Frazer. 

In  my  return,  visif  St.  Catherine's  well,  noted  for  the  Petroleum  swimming  on  the 
surface.     A  little  farther,  to  the  left,  is  a  noted  camp,  of  an  oval  form. 

On  returning  into  this  city,  I  called  at  Mr.  Braidwood's  academy  of  dumb  and  deaf. 
This  extraordinary  professor  had  under  his  care  a  number  of  young  persons,  who  had 
received  the  Proniethian  heat,  the  divine  inflatus ;  but,  from  the  unhappy  construction 
of  their  organs,  were  (till  they  had  received  his  instructions)  denied  the  power  of 
utterance.  Every  idea  was  locked  up,  or  appeared  bat  in  their  eyes,  or  at  their  finger 
ends,  till  their  muster  instructed  them  in  arts  unknown  to  us,  who  have  the  faculty  of 
hearing.  Apprehension  reaches  ut  by  the  grosser  sense.  They  see  our  words,  and  our 
uttered  thoughts  become  to  them  visible.  Our  ideas  expressed  in  speech  strike  their 
ears  in  vain  :  their  eyes  receive  them  as  they  part  from  our  lips.  They  conceive  by  in- 
tuition, and  speak  by  imitation.  Mr.  Braidwood  first  teaches  them  the  letters  and  their 
powers ;  and  the  ideas  of  words  written,  beginning  with  the  most  simple.  The  art  (^ 
speaking  is  taken  from  the  motion  of  his  lips ;  his  words  being  uttered  slowly  and  dis- 
tinctly.    Their  answers  are  slow  and  somewhat  harsh. 

When  I  entered  the  room,  and  found  myself  surrounded  with  numbers  of  human 
forms  so  oddly  circumstanced,  I  felt  a  sort  of  anxiety,  such  as  I  might  be  supposed  to 
feel  had  I  been  environed  by  another  order  of  beings.  I  was  soon  relieved  by  being 
introduced  to  a  most  angelic  youiig  creature,  of  about  the  age  of  thirteen.  She  ho- 
noured me  with  her  new  acquired  conversation ;  but  I  may  truly  say,  that  I  could 
scarcely  bear  the  power  of  her  piercing  eyes ;  she  looked  me  throu^  and  through. 
She  soon  satisfied  me  that  she  was  an  apt  scholar.  She  readily  apprehended  all  1  aud, 
and  returned  me  answers  with  thenitmost  facility.  She  read ;  she  wrote  well.  Her 
reading  was  not  by  rote.     She  oould  clothe  the  same  thoughts  in  a  new  set  of  words, 

*  A  minute  account  of  this  chapel)  its  CAfviog,  &c.  are  in  a  little  book,  printed  by  Mr.  William  Auld 
J774. 


PENNANT'S  SECOND  TOUR  IN  SCOTLAND. 


477 


imming  on  the 


Ir.WUliam  Auld 


and  never  vary  from  the  original  sense.     I  liave  forgot  the  book  she  took  up,  or  the 
sentences  she  made  a  new  version  of ;  but  the  effect  was  as  follows ; 


Original  passage. 


Version. 


Lord  Bacnn  has  divided  the  whole  of  human  know-  A  nobleman  has  parted  the  total  or  all  of  man's 
ledge  into  history,  poetry,  and  philosophy,  which  study  or  understanding  into  an  account  of  the  life, 


are  referred  to  the  three  powers  of  the  mind, 
inorjr,  imagination^  and  leason.* 


me-  manners,  religion,  and  customs  oi  any  peopU'  or 
country;  verseormctre;  moral  or  natural  knowledge; 
wliich  are  pointed  to  the  three  faculties  of  the  soul 
or  spirit ;  the  faculties  of  rememb*  ing  what  is  past, 
thought  or  conception,  and  right  judi^ment. 


I  left  Mr.  Braid  wood  and  his  pupils  with  the  satisfaction  which  mtist  result  from  a  re- 
flection on  the  utility  of  his  art,  and  the  merit  of  his  labours :  who,  after  receiving  un- 
der his  care  a  being  that  seemed  to  be  merely  endowed  with  a  human  form,  could  pro- 
duce the  divina  particula  aurae,  latent,  and,  but  ft^r  his  skill,  condemned  to  be  ever 
latent  in  it ;  and  who  could  restore  a  child  to  its  glad  parents  with  a  capacity  of  exert- 
ing its  rational  powers,  by  expressive  sounds  of  duty,  love,  and  affection. 

Before  I  quit  £dinbuigh,  I  must  mention  that  it  is  the  first  royal  burgh  in  Scotland ; 
is  governed  by  a  provost,  who  has  the  addition  of  lord,  four  bailies,  and  a  dean  of  guild  : 
who  did  me  the  distinguished  honour  of  conferring  on  me  its  freedom,  after  an  elegant 
entertainment  at  the  house  of  the  right  honourable  John  Dalrymple,  lord  Provost. 

I  refer  the  reader  to  the  Appendix  for  a  list  of  the  manufsictures  in  and  about  this 
great  city.  If  the  mention  of  several  may  be  thought  too  minute,  it  must  be  considered, 
now  many  even  of  the  necessaries  of  life  were  wanting  in  North- Britain,  till  the  rising 
industry  of  the  age  determined  that  this  country  should  supply  its  own  deficiencies.  In 
the  time  of  James  VI,  how  deplorable  was  its  trade  !  for,  as  old  Hackluyt  sings,  it  even 
imported  its  wheel-barrows  and  cart-wheels  * 

^  And  the  Scots  bene  charged  knownen  at  the  eye, 

Out  of  Flanders  with  little  mercerie, 
And  great  plentle  of  haberdashers  ware 
And  half  her  shipnes  with  cart-wheeles  bare, 
And  with  barrower,  are  laden  as  with  substance  : 
Thus  most  rude  are  in  her  chevisance.f 

But  notwithstanding  the  present  progress  that  Scotland  has  made  in  the  useful  arts,  it 
must  stop  at  a  certain  point,  proportionate  to  its  wealth  and  population,  which  stand  thus 
in  respect  to  England :  when  the  land  tax  is  at  two  shilhngs  in  the  pound,  Scotland 
pays  239771.  Os.  7d.  and  England  9949601.  Os.  4d.  that  is,  less  than  the  proportion  of 
1  to  41.  The  landed  property  of  the  former  is  1,000,0001.  per  annum  ;  of  the  latter 
16,000,0001.  But  if  the  wealth  in  moveables  is  added,  the  difference  will  be  as  1  to  20. 
In  respect  to  numbers  of  people,  England  has  8,000.000;  Scotland  only  2,000,000. 

Sept.  26.  Leave  Edinburgh.  Ride  through  Dalkeith,  and  have  the  phasure  of  pass- 
ing the  day  with  sir  John  Dalrymple,  at  Cranston  castle.  The  country  good,  full  of  corn, 
and  decked  with  numbers  of  small  woods.  Dispose  of  the  morning  by  visiting  the  castles 
of  Crichton  and  Borthwick.  The  first  is  seated  on  the  edge  of  a  bank,  above  a  grassy 
glen.    Was  once  the  habitation  of  the  chancellor  Crichton,  joint  guardian  with  the  earl  of 

*  This  was  read  since,  by  another  young  lady ;  but  that  ^hich  I  heard  was  not  less  difficult,  nor  Ies<i 
faithfully  translated, 
t  Coll.  Voyages,  i.  88V. 


478 


PENNANT'S  SECOND  TOUR  IN  SCOTLAND. 


Callendar,  of  James  II,  a  powerful  and  spirited  statesman  in  that  turbulent  age,  and  the 
adviber  of  the  bold  but  bloody  deedb  against  the  too  potent  Douglasses;  facts  excusable 
only  by  the  plea  of  necessity  of  state.  During  the  life  of  Crichton,  it  was  besieged, 
taken,  and  levelled  to  the  ground,  by  William  earl  of  Douglas,  after  a  siege  of  nine 
months.* 

It  was  rebuilt,  and  some  part,  which  appears  more  modern  than  the  rest,  with  much 
elegance.  The  front  of  one  side  of  the  court  is  very  handsome,  ornamented  with 
diamond-shaped  facets,  and  the  soffits  of  the  staircase  beautifully  carved  ;  the  cases  of 
some  of  the  windows  ardoi  ncd  with  rosettes,  and  twisted  cordage.  The  dungeon,  called 
the  Masmore,  is  a  deep  hole,  with  a  narrow  mouth.  Tradition  says,  that  a  person  of 
some  rank  in  the  country  was  lowered  into  it  for  irreverently  passing  this  castle,  without 
paying  his  resjiccts  to  the  great  owner. 

The  parish  church  had  been  collegiate ;  founded  in  1449,  by  the  chancellor,  with 
the  consent  of  his  son,  for  a  provost,  nine  prebendaries,  and  two  singing-boys,  out  of 
the  rents  of  Crichton  and  Lockerwort. 

About  a  mile  farther  is  Borthwick  castle,  seated  on  a  knowl  in  the  midst  of  a  pretty 
vale,  bounded  by  hills  covered  with  com  and  woods ;  a  most  picturesque  scene.  It 
consists  of  a  vast  square  tower,  ninety  feet  high,  with  square  and  round  bastions^  at  equal 
distances  from  its  base.  The  state  rooms  are  on  the  first  story,  once  accessible  by  a 
draw- bridge.  Some  of  the  apartments  were  very  large,  the  hall  forty  feet  long,  and 
had  its  music  gallery,  the  roof  lofty,  and  once  adorned  with  paintings.  The  castle  was 
built  by  a  lord  Borthwick,  once  a  potent  family.  In  the  vault  lies  one  of  the  name, 
in  armour,  and  a  little  bonnet,  with  his  lady  by  him.  On  the  side  are  numbers  of  little 
elegant  human  figures.  The  place  was  once  the  property  of  the  earl  of  Bothwel,  who, 
a  little  before  the  battle  of  Carberry.hill,  took  refuge  here  with  his  fair  consort.f 

Lodge  at  a  good  inn  at  Blackshields ;  a  village,  as  I  was  informed,  lying  in  a  portion 
of  Haddingtonshire,  surrounded  by  Lothian. 

Sept.  27.  After  crossing  a  rivulet  enter  the  shire  of  Berwick.  Ascend  Soutry.hill, 
from  whence  is  a  fine  view  of  the  firth  of  Forth,  the  county  of  Fife,  the  Basli  isle,  and 
the  rich  county  of  East-Lothian  immediately  beneath  us.  This  advantageous  situation 
made  it  a  noted  beacon,  which  caused  it  to  be  particularly  noticed  in  the  old  Scotch 
laws  on  that  account.:{:  Cross  a  tedious  dreary  moor,  and  descend  into  Lauderdale ; 
a  long  narrow  bottom,  uninclosed,  ani  destitute  of  wood,  but  abundant  in  com.  Reach 
Lauder,  a  small  town,  noted  for  an  insolent  act  of  justice  done  by  the  nobility  on  the 
upstart  favourites  of  James  III.  Cochran  a  mason,  created  earl  of  Mar,  Hommil  a  tay. 
lor,  Leonard  a  smith,  Rogers  a  musician,  and  Torfifan  a  fencing-master,  directing  all 
his  councils.  The  nobility  assembled  here  with  their  vassals,  in  obedience  to  his  ma- 
jesty's summons,  in  order  to  repel  a  foreign  invasion ;  but  took  this  opportunity  to 
free  themselves  from  those  wretched  ministers.  They  met  in  the  church,  to  consult 
the  necessary  measures,  and  while  they  were  in  debate,  Cochran,  deputed  by  the  kin^, 
knocked  at  the  door,  to  demand  the  cause  of  their  assembly.  His  attendance,  and  his 
dress,  as  described  by  Lindesay,  are  most  descriptive  of  the  fellow's  arrogance,  "  who 
was  well  accompanied  with  a  band  of  men  of  war,  to  the  number  of  three  hundred 
light  axes,  all  clad  in  white  livery,  and  black  bends  thereon,  that  they  might  be  known 
for  Cochran  the  earl  of  Mar's  men.  Himself  was  clad  in  a  riding-pie  of  black  velvet, 
with  a  great  chain  of  gold  about  his  neck,  to  the  value  of  five  hundred  crowns ;  and 
four  blowing  horns,  with  both  the  ends  of  gold  and  silk,  set  with  precious  stones.    His 


*  Lives  of  the  Douglasses,  169. 

^Skene's  Actes,  p.  38. 12th  parlt.  James  11. 


t  Critical  Inquiry,  Sec  3d.  ed.  389. 


PENNANT'S  SECOND  TOUR  IN  SCOTLAND. 


479 


horn  was  tipped  with  fine  gold  at  every  end,  and  a  precious  stone,  called  a  berryl, 
hanging  in  the  midst.  This  Cochran  had  his  heumont  borne  before  him  over-gilt  with 
gold,  and  so  were  all  the  rest  of  his  horns  ;  and  all  his  pallions  were  of  fine  canvas  of 
silk,  and  the  cords  thereof  of  fine  twined  silk,  and  the  chains  upon  his  pallions  were 
double  over-gilt  with  ^Id."*  He  was  seized,  thus  equipped,  his  chain  and  his  horns 
torn  from  him,  and,  with  his  comrades,  hanged  over  a  bridge  (now  demolished)  in  sight 
of  the  king  and  the 'whole  army. 

Near  the  town  is  Thirlesiane  castle,  a  singular  old  house  of  the  earl  of  Lauderale. 
The  front  small,  bounded  on  each  side  with  a  great  round  tower,  capt  with  slated 
cones.  The  inside  had  been  heavily  stuccoed  by  the  duke  of  Lauderdale,  one  of  the 
ncied  cabal  in  the  time  of  Charles  II.  His  portrait,  by  Leiy,  is  to  be  seen  here  ;  a 
much  more  advantageous  one  than  that  by  the  noble  historian,  who  paints  him  "  inso- 
lent, inperious,  flattering,  dissembling,  had  courage  enough  not  to  fail,  where  it  was 
adsolutely  necessary,  and  no  impediment  of  honour  to  restrain  him  from  domg  any 
thing  that  might  gratify  any  of  his  passions,  "f 

After  riding  two  miles  through  a  long  tract  of  coarse  sheep,  walks,  turn  out  of  the 
great  road,  and  enter  the  shire  of  Roxburgh. 

Pass  by  Threepwood,  infamous  in  former  days  for  moss-troopers ;  descend  into  a 
little  vale,  and  see  some  ruined  towers  at  Colmslie  and  Hilslap ;  ascend  again,  and  soon 
after  fall  into  a  pretty  valley,  wooded  and  watered  by  the  Gala ;  and  at  a  house  of 
the  same  name  receive  every  civility  from  its  owner,  John  Scott,  Esq.  We  have  now 
crossed  the  water,  and  are  in  the  county  of  Selkirk,  or  the  forest  of  Etrick ,  which 
was  formerly  reserved  by  the  Scottish  princes  for  the  pleasure  of  the  chase,  and 
where  they  had  small  houses  for  the  reception  of  their  train.  One  in  Gala  Shields,  the 
adjoining  village,  sdll  keeps  the  name  of  Hunter's  Hall. 

This  country  is  supported  chiefly  by  the  breed  of  sheep,  which  sell  from  eight  to 
twelve  pounds  a  score.  They  are  generally  sold  into  the  south,  but  sometimes  into  the 
Highlands,  about  the  month  of  March,  where  they  are  kept  during  summer ;  and, 
after  beine  improved  by  the  mountain-grass,  are  returned  mto  the  Lowlands  the  be- 
ginning of  winter.  The  usual  weight  of  a  wether  is  from  thirteen  to  eighteen  pounds 
of  twenty-two  ounces  per  quarter.  The  fleece  has  been  of  late  much  improved  by 
the  use  of  oil  and  butter,  instead  of  tar ;  and  the  wool,  which  once  was  sold  at  five 
shillings  and  sixpence,  now  sells  for  ten  shilling  per  store  of  twenty-four  pounds. 

The  sheep  inhabit  the  hills,  but  the  ground  is  so  irdtSr^rent  that  an  acre  will  maintain 
but  one.  A  sheep  farm  of  fifteen  hundred  acres  is  set  for  eighty  pounds.  Numbers 
of  cattle  are  reared  here ;  and  much  cheese  and  butter  made,  but  the  last  very  bad  in 
general,  and  used  chiefly  for  greasing  the  sheep.  The  Dorsetshire  breed  has  been  in- 
troduced here,  but,  in  this  northern  climate,  in  two  or  three  years  they  lose  their  pro- 
lific nature. 

I  am  uncertain  whether  a  custom  that  prevails  a  litUe  north  of  Coldstream  does  not 
extend  also  to  these  parts.  About  Duns,  the  fair  spinsters  give  much  of  their  leisure 
time  to  the  spinning  of  blankets  for  their  wedding  portion.  On  the  nuptial  night,  the 
whole  stock  of  virgin  industry  is  placed  on  the  bed.  A  friend  of  mine  has,  on  such 
an  occasion,  counted  not  fewer  than  ten,  thick  and  heavy.  Was  the  Penelope  who 
owned  them  forsaken  by  her  Ulysses,  she  never  could  complain,  like  the  Grecian 
spouse,    J.„    - 

Non  ego  deserto  jacuiasem  frigida  lecto ! 


•  P.  78.  foUo  ed. 


1  III.  34. 


180 


VENNANT'S  SECOND  TOUB  IN  SCOTLAND. 


About  a  mile  west  of  Gala  Shields  are  very  evident  vestiees  of  the  great  ditch  called 
the  Catrail,  which  is  twenty-five  feet  wide,  bounded  on  each  side  by  a  great  rampart. 
It  has  been  traced  twenty-two  miles  ;  passes  four  miles  west  of  Hawick,  up  Docluch- 
hill,  by  Fairnyside>hill  and  Skelfc-hill,  across  Ellen-water,  ascends  Carriage-hill,  and 
goes  by  the  Maiden  Paps,  reaches  Pear-fell  on  the  Dead-Vv  :iter,  on  the  borders  of 
Northumberland,  and  from  thence  may  be  traced  beyond  Largholme,  pointing  to- 
wards Cannonsby,  on  the  river  £sk.  On  several  parts  of  its  course  are  strong  round 
forts,  well  fortified  with  ditches  and  ramparts,  some  even  exceeding  in  strength  those  of 
the  Romans.  Whether  it  ever  reached  farther  north  than  Gala  has  not  been  dis- 
covered, but  the  tradition  is,  that  it  extended  from  sea  to  sea.  Mr.  Gordon,  the  only 
antiquary  that  has  explored  it,  traces  it  no  farther;  but  has  observed  the  chain  of 
forts  towards  east  Lothian.  It  is  probable,  that  it  was  cast  up  by  the  inhabitants  of  the 
country  north-west  of  it,  as  a  protection  against  the  inroads  of  invaders ;  but  who  they 
were,  or  what  was  the  date  of  the  work,  are  difficulties  not  to  be  determined  from 
historical  authority. 

Sept.  28.  Continue  mv  journey  for  a  time  along  a  fertile  bottom,  and  near 
the  junction  (the  last  in  this  place)  of  the  Gala  and  the  Tweed,  a  fine  river,  again 
enter  the  shire  of  Roxburgh. 

All  the  country  is  open,  and  much  of  it  full  of  corn.  Here  the  farmers  injudiciously 
cut  up  the  sides  of  the  hills,  and  spoil  their  fine  sheep-walks,  to  get  a  little  late  and  bad 
corn. 

A'  a  place  called  Bridgend  stood,  till  within  these  few  years,  a  large  pier,^  the  re- 
maining one  of  four,  which  formed  here  a  large  bridge  over  the  Tweed.  In  it  was  a 
gateway  large  enough  for  a  carriage  to  pass  through,  and  over  that  a  room,  twenty -seven 
feet  by  fifteen,  the  residence  of  the  person  who  took  the  tolls.  This  bridge  was  not 
formed  with  arohes,  but  with  great  planks  laid  from  pier  to  pier.  It  is  said  that  it  was 
built  by  David  I,  in  order  to  afford  a  passage  to  his  abbey  of  Melros,  which  he  bad 
newly  translated  from  its  ancient  site ;  and  also  to  facilitate  the  journies  of  the  devout 
to  the  four  great  pilgrimages  of  Scotland,  viz.  Scone,  Dundee,  Paisley,  and  Melros. 

Cross  the  new  bridge,  pass  by  Damwick,  and  soon  after  by  Skinner  or  Skirmish-hill, 
noted  in  1 526  for  a  fray  between  the  earl  of  Angus  and  the  family  of  the  Scotts,  under 
their  laird,  Scott  of  Buccleugh.  Angus  had  possession  of  the  person  of  James  V,  then 
in  his  minority ;  and  used  his  power  with  so  little  moderation,  as  to  make  the  young 
prince  desirous  6f  being  released.  The  power  of  the  Douglasses  was  often  an  over- 
match  for  the  regal.  Such  was  the  case  at  present ;  James  therefore  was  obliged  to 
apply-  to  Buccleugh,  a  potent  borderer,  to  attempt  his  deliverance.  That  lord,  in  order 
to  bring  liis  majesty  within  the  limits  of  his  estate,  encouraged  all  kinds  of  excesses 
among  his  people.  This  brought  the  king,  attended  by  Angus,  to  suppress  their  de- 
predations. Buccleugh  appeared  with  his  powers  ;  a  skirmish  begun,  the  Scot'is  were 
defeated,  and  James  was  for  a  time  obliged  to  submit  to  the  tyrenny  of  his  keeper. 

At  a  small  distance  lie  the  elegant  remains  of  the  abbey  of  Melros,  founded  in  1136, 
by  David  I,  as  these  jingling  lines  import :       .   .  :      . 

.     „      /        Anno  milleno  centeno,  ter  quoque  deno,  . 
,  £t  sexto  Christi,  Melrose,  fundata  fuisd. 

David  peopled  it  with  Cistercians,  brought  from  Rivale  abbey,  in  Yorkshire,  and 
dedicated  it  to  the  Virgin  Mary.    At  the  Reformation,  James  Douglas  was  appointed 

*  Communicated  to  me  by  a  gentleman  who  remembers  the  pier,  now  demolished.  Mr.  Gordon  has 
engraved  what  remained  in  his  time,  in  his  64th  plate. 


PENNANT'S  SECOND  TOUU  IN  SCOTLAND 


481 


tch  called 

rampart, 
Docluch- 

•hill,  and 
orders  of 
inting  to> 
ong  round 
th  those  of 

been  dis- 
,  the  only 

chain  of 

ants  of  the 

who  they 

ined  from 

and  near 
iver,  again 

udiciously 
te  and  bad 

;r,*  the  re- 
in it  was  a 
I'enty -seven 
ge  was  not 
that  it  was 
lich  he  had 
the  devout 
Melros. 
:irmish-hill, 
:otts,  und«;r 
nes  V,  then 
:  the  young 
;n  an  over- 
s  obliged  to 
rd,  in  order 
of  excesses 
;ss  their  de- 
Scotiis  were 
Leeper. 
ed  in  1136, 


rkshire,  and 
as  appointed 

r.  Gordon  has 


comroendator,  who  took  down  much  of  the  building,  in  order  to  uso  the  material.s  in 
building  a  large  house  for  himself,  which  is  still  standin^^,  iiul  dated  1590.  Nuthin^is 
left  of  the  ab^y,  excepting  a  part  of  the  cloister  walk,  clt-g.iiitly  curved;  but  the  ruins 
of  the  church  are  of  most  uncommon  beauty  ;  part  is  at  pn  sent  used  for  divine  service, 
die  rest  uncovered ;  but  every  part  does  great  honour  to  the  architect,  whose  mcmor\ 
is  preserved  on  the  walls  in  these  uncouth  lines  : 

John  M'lrdo  sum  tym  callit  was  I, 

And  born  in  Parysse  certainly  ; 

And  had  in  kepying  all  masom  werk. 

Of  Santandroys,  the  hye  kirk 

Of  Glasgn,  Melros,  and  Paislay, 

Of  Nyddysdayl,  and  of  Galway. 

Pray  t.o  God  and  Mary  baith, 

And  sweet  St.  John  keep  this  haly  kirk  from  skaiili. 

The  south  side  and  the  east  window  are  elegant  past  description  ;  the  windows  lofty, 
the  tracery  light,  yet  strong.  The  church  had  been  in  form  of  a  cross,  and  of  consi- 
derable dimensions  ;  the  pillars  clustered  ;  their  capitals  enriched  with  most  beuutiful 
foliage  of  vine  leaves  and  grapes.  A  window  at  the  north  end  of  the  transept  is  a  most 
rich  rose  quatre-foil.  The  work  of  the  outside  is  done  with  uncommon  delicacy  und 
cunning.  The  spires  or  pinnacles  that  grace  the  roof,  the  brackets  and  niches  that, 
till  1649,  were  adorned  with  statues,  are  matchless  performances.  But  what  the  fury 
of  the  disciples  of  Knox  Imd  spared,  the  stupid  zeal  of  covenanting  bigots  destroyed. 
In  times  long  prior  to  these  it  had  felt  the  rage  of  impious  invaders.  In  1322,  the 
bafRed  Edward  II,  vented  his  rage  on  the  abbies  of  Melross  and  Dryburgh.  Richard  II, 
was  not  more  merciful  to  it  ;  and  in  the  reign  of  Henry  VIII,  in  1544,  two  of  his 
captains,  violating  the  remains  of  the  Douglasses,  felt  the  speedy  resentment  of  their 
descendant,  Archibald  earl  of  Angus,  in  the  battle  of  Ancrum-moor. 

The  side  of  the  west  end.  of  the  church,  which  remains  standing,  is  divided  into  five 
chapels,  once  probably  belonging  to  private  families  ;  for  (besides  Alexander  II,  who 
lay  below  the  great  altar)  it  was  the  place  of  interment  of  the  Douglasses,  and  other 
potent  families.  James  earl  of  Douglas,  slain  at  the  battle  of  Otterbourn,  was  depo- 
sited here  with  all  the  pomp  that  either  the  military  or  the  religiotis  profession  could 
bestow.  Here  too  lies  the  lord  of  Liddesdale,  the  flower  of  chivalry,  who  fell  an  assas- 
sinated victim  to  the  jealousy  of  William  I,  earl  of  Douglas.  His  eulogy  styles  him 
**  terrible  and  fearefull  in  arms ;  meek,  milde,  and  gentle  in  peace  ;  the  scourge  of 
England,  and  sure  buckler  and  wall  of  Scodand,  whom  neither  hard  successe  could 
make  slack,  nor  prosperous  sloathf;  II."* 

The  situation  of  this  religious  house  b  remarkably  pleasant,  seated  near  the  Tweed, 
and  shaded  with  woods,  above  whose  summits  soar  the  venerable  ruins,  and  the  tricapi- 
tated  top  of  Eldon  hill.  On  one  of  the  heads  is  a  Roman  camp.  I  have  since  been 
informed  of  others,  with  military  ways,  to  be  traced  in  various  places. 

Pass  by  Newsted,  and  Red-abbey-stead,  a  hoilse  belonging  once  to  the  knights  Tem- 
plars.! Proceed  to  Old  Melros,  now  reduced  to  a  single  house,  on  a  lofty  promontory, 
peninsulated  by  the  Tweed ;  a  most  beautiful  scene,  the  banks  lofty  and  wooded,  varied 
with  perpendicular  rocks,  jutting  like  buttresses  from  top  to  bottom.  This  was  the  site 
of  the  ancient  abbey  of  Culdees,  mentioned  by  Bede  to  have  existed  in  664,  in  the  reign 
of  the  Saxon  Oswy.  Thb  place  was  as  celebrated  for  the  austerities  of  DrictheUnus,  as 

*  Life  of  the  Douglasses,  78. 

t  Mentioned  ia  the  description  of  the  parish  of  Melros,  p.  7,  unnoticed  by  Keith. 
VOL.  III.  3  (^ 


i; 


482 


PENNAKT'S  SECOND  TOUR  IN  SCOTLAND. 


ever  Finchal  was  for  those  of  St.  Godric.  The  first  was  restored  to  life  after  being  dead 
for  nn  entire  night.  During  that  space  he  passed  through  purgatory  and  hell,  had  the 
beatific  vision,  and  got  very  near  to  the  confines  of  heaven.  His  angelic  guide  gave 
him  an  useful  lesson  on  the  efiicacv  of  prayer,  alms,  fasting,  and  particularly  masses  of 
holy  men ;  infalliable  means  to  relieve  the  souls  of  friends  and  relations  from  the  place 
of  torment.* 

The  desciiptions  which  Bede  has  given  of  the  seats  of  misery  and  bliss  are  very  poe- 
tical. He  paints  purgatory  as  a  valley  of  a  stupendous  length,  breadth,  and  depth ;  one 
side  filled  by  furious  storms  of  hail  and  snow ;  the  other  with  lambent,  inextinguuhable 
flames.  In  these  the  souls  of  the  deceased  alternately  experienced  the  extremes  of  heat 
and  cold.  Both  Shakespeare  and  Milton  make  use  of  the  same  idea  :  the  first  in  his 
beautiful  description  of  the  state  of  the  dead,  in  Measure  for  Measure  : 

Ay,  but  to  die  and  go  we  know  not  where  ; 
To  lie  in  cold  obstruction,  and  to  rot ; 
This  sensible  warm  motion  to  become 
A  kneaded  clod  i  and  the  delighted  spirit 
To  bathe  in  fiery  floods,  or  to  reside 
In  thrilling  regions  of  thick«ribbed  ice ; 
To  be  imprison'd  in  the  viewless  winds* 
And  blown  with  restless  violence  about 
The  pendant  world  { 

Milton*s  thought  is  dressed  only  iu  different  words  : 

At  certain  revolutions  all  the  damn'd 

Are  brought  ;  and  feel  by  turns  the  bitter  change 

Of  fierce  extremes,  extremes  by  change  more  fierce  } 

From  beds  of  raging  fire  to  starve  in  ice 

Their  soft  ethereal  heat. 

Cross  the  Tweed  at  Dryburgh  boat,  and  re-enter  the  shire  of  Berwick.  On  the  nor. 
thern  side,  in  the  deep  ^loom  of  wood,  are  the  remains  of  the  abbey  of  Dryburgh, 
founded  by  Hugh  MorviUe,  constable  of  Scotland,  in  the  time  of  David  I,  and  Beatrix 
de  Campo  Bello,  his  wife.  There  are  scarce  any  reliques  of  the  church,  but  much  of 
the  convent,  the  refectory,  supported  by  two  pillars,  several  vaults,  and  other  offices ; 
part  of  the  cloister  walls,  and  a  fine  radiated  window  of  stone-work.  These  remains  are 
not  inelegant,  but  are  unadorned.  This  was  inhabited  by  Prsemonstratensian  monks, 
who  styled  the  Irish  abbies  of  Drain  la  croix  and  Woodburn  their  daughters.!  At  the 
Reformation  James  VI,  bestowed  Drybui^h  on  Henry  Erskine,  second  son  of  the  earl 
of  Mar,  whose  house  as  commendator  is  still  inhabited. 

Continue  the  ride  through  a  fine  country  full  of  gentle  risings,  covered  with  com, 
and  resembling  Picardy.  Keep  still  in  sight  of  the  Tweed,  whose  banks,  adorned  with 
hanging  woods,  and  variety  of  beautiful  borders,  well  merit  the  apostrophe  of  the  old 
song. 

How  sweet  are  the  banks  of  the  Tweed  t 

Pass  opposite  to  a  round  tower,  called  Little  Den,  placed  on  a  cliff  above  the  river, 
once  a  border-house  of  the  Kers.  Cross  the  river  at  another  ferry.  Pass  by  Ruther- 
ford, where  Robert  III,  founded  an  hospital,  dedicated  to  Mary  Magdalene,  and  be- 
stowed  it  on  the  abbey  of  Jedburgh,  which  was  to  maintain  here  a  priest,  to  pray  for  his 
soul,  and  those  of  his  ancestors,  kings  of  Scotland.]: 

*  Bede,lib.  v.  c.  12.  p.  196.        t  Monasticon  Hibemicum,  140, 141.  t  Keith,  292. 


PENNANT'S  SECOND  TOUR  IN  SCOTLAND. 


48. 


>eing  dead 
11,  had  the 
guide  gave 
masses  of 
n  the  place 

very  poc- 

Jepth;  one 

inguuhable 

mes  of  heat 

first  in  his 


,  On  the  nor' 
if  Dryburgh, 
,  and  Beatrix 
but  much  of 
other  offices ; 
c  remains  are 
:nsian  monks, 
:rs.t  At  the 
on  of  the  earl 

ed  with  com, 
adorned  with 
»he  of  the  old 


ove  the  river, 
s  by  Ruther- 
alene,  and  be- 
to  pray  for  his 

h,  292. 


Again  enter  the  county  of  Roxburgh,  and  soon  after  sec,  on  a  higli  ctitl  above  tlv 
water,  a  small  Roman  camp,  with  two  deep  foss  "  on  th'.  land  side,  and  not  far  distant  uu 
exploratory  mount.  The  view  grows  more  pkw.tiresquc  ;  the  nver,  l)oundcd  by  loftj 
cliffs,  clothed  with  trees ;  and  on  a  rising  a  little  beyond  ap^Kar  the  great  woods  ol 
Fleurus,  and  the  house  in  front,  the  seat  of  the  duke  of  Roxl)urgh. 

Pass  beneath  the  site  of  the  once  potent  castle  of  Roxburgh,  seated  on  a  vast  and  loft\ 
knowl,  of  an  oblong  form,  suddenly  rising  out  of  the  plain,  near  the  junction  of  the 
Tweed  and  the  Tiviot.  On  the  north  and  west  it  had  been  defended  by  a  great  foss. 
The  south  impends  over  the  Tiviot,  some  of  whose  waters  were  diverted  in  former  times 
into  the  castle  ditch,  by  a  dam  obliquely  crossing  the  stream,  and  whose  remains  arc: 
still  visible.  A  few  fragments  of  walls  are  all  that  exist  of  this  mighty  strength,  the 
whole  area  being  filled  with  trees  of  considerable  age.  At  the  foot  was  once  seated  ;i 
town  of  the  same  name,  destroyed  by  James  II,  when  he  undertook  the  siege  of  the 
castle,  and  probably  never  re-built. 

The  ancient  name  of  the  castle  was  Marchidun,  Marchmont,  or  the  hill  on  the 
marches.*  The  name  of  the  founder  eludes  my  inquiry.  The  first  mention  !  find 
of  it  is  in  1132,t  when  a  treaty  was  concluded  here,  on  the  part  of  king  Su,.!ien,  by 
Thurstan,  archbishop  of  York,  between  him  and  David  I.  In  1174,  after  Wiiliuni  the 
Lion  was  taken  prisoner  near  the  castle  of  Alnwick,  Roxbui^h  and  four  others  of  th( 
strongest  in  Scotland  were  delivered  to  Henry  II,  as  securities  for  doing  homage  (on 
his  release)  for  the  crown  of  Scotland.^  They  were  restored  to  the  Scots  by  hib  sue 
cesser.  In  1296  it  was  taken  by  Edward  I.}  In  1342,  the  year  in  which  David  Bruce 
returned  from  France,  this  fortress  was  restored  to  his  crown  by  the  valour  of  Aicxan. 
der  Ramsay,  who  was  appointed  governor ;  an  honour  he  enjoyed  but  a  short  time, 
being  surprised  by  the  envious  Douglas,  and  starved  to  death  in  the  castle  of  Hermi- 
tage. ||  Ihe  Scots  lost  this  fortress  m  the  reign  of  Edward  III,  who  twice  celebrated 
hb  birth-day  in  it.^  It  was  put  into  the  hands  of  lord  Henry  Percy,  after  the  defeat 
and  captivity  of  David,  at  the  battle  of  Nevil's-cross.**  But  the  most  distinguished 
siege  was  that  in  1560,  fatal  to  James  II,  a  wise  and  gallant  prince,  who  was  slain  by 
the  bursting  of  one  of  his  own  cannons.  A  large  holly,  inclosed  with  a  wall,  marks  the 
spot  Hb  queen,  Mary  of  Gueldres,  carried  on  the  attack  with  vigour,  took,  and  totally 
demolished  it. 

We  have  seen  before  the  misfortunes  that  attended  the  first  of  this  ill-fated  name. 
James  I,  fell  by  the  hands  of  assassins  at  Perth :  his  successor  met  at  this  place,  in  the 
height  of  prosperity,  with  a  violent  death.  James  III,  was  murdered  by  his  rebellious 
subjects,  after  the  battle  near  Bannockboum.  James  IV,  lost  his  fife  in  Flodden- field. 
James  V,  died  of  a  broken  heart,  on  the  defeat  at  Solway ;  and  the  fate  of  his  unhappy 
daughter,  Mary  Stuart,  is  unknown  to  none.  In  her  son,  James  VI,  adversity  remitted 
for  a  time  the  persecution  of  the  race ;  but  resumed  it  with  double  fury  against  his  suc- 
cessor Charles.  His  son  experienced  a  long  series  of  mi  fortunes ;  and  the  bigotted 
James  suffered  the  punishment  of  his  infatuation,  and  transmitted  to  his  offspring  exile 
and  seclusion  from  the  throne  of  their  ancestors. 

Pass  by  an  inclosure  called  the  Friery,  the  site  of  a  house  of  Franciscans,  belonging  to 
Roxburgh.  Ford  the  Tiviot,  which  gives  the  name  of  Tiviot-dale  to  all  the  fine  country 
firom  Melros  to  this  place,  notwithstanding  it  is  washed  by  the  Tweed ;  so  that  the  old 
song,  with  propriety,  calls  its  inhabitants 

*  Camden,      t  Holinshed,  Hist.  Scot.  18^.     |  Lord  Lyttleton's  Henry  U,  octavo,  v.  220.  Major,  135. 
$Wal8ingham.        ||  Major,  243.       t  Walsingham,  134.  U6.       ***  Major,  244. 

3  (^.2 


484 


PCNNANrs  SECOND  TOUR  IN  SCOTLAND. 

All  pleasant  men  of  'I'iviotdalei 
lust  l>y  the  river  Tweed. 


Have  lu ic  ii  most  cliariuinj;  view  of  Kelso,  its  ancient  church,  Mr.  Dickson's  pretty 
house,  and  the  elegant  bridge  of  bix  arches  over  the  Tweed,  near  its  junction  with  the 
Tiviot.  On  crossing  it  enter  that  neat  place,  built  much  after  the  manner  of  a  Flemish 
town,  with  u  siiuare  and  town-hou^e.  It  contains  about  twenty-seven  hundred  souls, 
hnK  a  very  considerable  market,  and  great  quantities  of  corn  are  sold  here  weekly  by 
bample.  The  parish  church  is  darksome  and  inconvenient,  being  part  of  that  belonging 
to  the  abbey  ;  but  a  new  one  is  building,  in  an  octagonal  form,  eighty.two  feet  in  diame- 
ter, supported  by  a  "ircle  of  pillars. 

The  iibbcy  of  Ty  roncnsians  was  avast  pile,  and,  to  judge  by  the  remains,  of  venerable 
magniBcence.  The  walls  arc  ornamented  with  false  round  arches,  intersecting  each 
other.  Such  intersections  form  a  true  Gothic  arch,  and  may  as  probably  have  given 
rise  to  that  mode,  us  tite  arched  shades  uf  avenues.  The  steeple  of  the  church  is  u  vast 
tower.  This  house  wixa  founded  by  D<ivid  I,  when  earl  of  CumberSand.  He  first 
placed  it  at  St  Ikirk,  then  removed  it  to  Roxburgh,  and  finally,  when  he  came  to  the 
erown,  fixed  it  here  ii>  1128.  Its  revenues  were  in  money  above  two  thousand  a  year 
Scots.  The  abbot  was  allowed  to  wear  a  mitre  and  pontifical  robes ;  to  be  exempt  from 
episcopal  jurisdiction,  and  |)ermitted  to  be  present  at  all  general  councils. 

The  environs  of  KeUo  aie  very  fine  ;  the  lands  consist  of  grntle  risings,  inclosed  with 
hedges,  and  extreuuly  firtile.  They  have  much  reason  to  boast  of  tlieir  prospects. 
From  the  Clialkheugli  is  a  fine  view  of  the  forks  of  the  rivers,  Roxburgh  hill,  sir  James 
Dougliis*s  neat  si  at,  and  at  a  distance  Fleurs ;  and  from  Pinnacle  hill  is  seen  a  vast  ex- 
tent "f  country,  highly  cultivated,  watered  with  long  reaches  of  the  Tweed,  well  wooded 
on  each  margin.  These  borderers  ventured  on  cultivation  much  earlier  than  those  on  the 
west  or  east,  and  have  made  great  progress  in  every  species  of  rural  oeconomy.  Turnips 
and  cabbages,  for  the  use  of  cattle,  cover  many  large  tracts ;  and  potatoes  appear  in 
vast  fields.  Much  wheat  is  raised  in  the  neighbourhood,  part  of  which  is  sent  up  the 
firth  of  Forth,  and  part  into  England. 

The  fleeces  here  are  very  fine,  and  sell  from  twelve  to  fourteen  shillings  the  stone,  of 
twenty-fi)ur  pounds ;  and  the  picked  kind  from  eighteen  to  twenty.  The  wool  is  sent 
into  Yorkshire,  to  Linlithgow,  or  into  Aberdeenshire,  for  the  stocking  manufactiu-e ; 
and  some  is  woven  here  into  a  cloth  called  plains,  and  sold  into  England  to  be  dressed. 
Here  is  also  a  considt  able  manufiiciure  of  white  leather,  chiefly  to  supply  the  capital  of 
Scotland. 

From  what  I  can  collect,  the  country  is  greatly  depopulated.  In  the  reign  of 
James  VI,  or  a  little  before  the  union,  it  is  said  that  this  county  could  send  out  fifteen 
thousand  fighting  men  ;  at  present  it  could  not  raise  three  thousand.  But  plundering 
in  those  times  was  the  trade  of  the  borderers,  which  might  occasion  the  multitude  of 
inhabitants. 

I  cannot  leave  Kelso  without  regretting  my  not  arriving  there  in  time  to  see  tlie  races, 
which  had  been  the  preceding  week.  These  are  founded,  not  on  the  sordid  principles 
of  gaming,  or  dissipation,  or  frauds  but  on  the  beatitiful  basis  of  benevolence,  and  with 
the  amiable  view  of  conciliating  the  affections  of  two  nations,  where  the  good  and  the 
bad,  common  to  every  place,  are  only  divided  by  a  rill  scarcely  to  be  distinguished; 
but  prejudice  for  a  time  could  find  no  merit  but  within  its  own  narrow  bourne.  Some 
enlarged  minds,  however,  determined  to  break  the  fascination  of  erroneous  opinion,  to 
mix  with  their  fellow-subjects,  and  to  instruct  both  the  great  vulgar  and  the  small,  that 
the  northern  and  southern  borders  of  the  Tweed  created  in  their  inhabitants  but  a  mere 


PrVNANT'S  8BC0NI)  TOUR  IN  SCOTLAND. 


4M 


}n*s  pretty 
1  with  the 
Flemish 
red  souls, 
Areekly  by 
belonging 
in  diame- 

venerable 
cting  each 
lavc  given 
1  is  u  vast 
He  first 
imt-  to  the 
and  a  year 
empt  from 

closed  with 

prObDCCUl. 

sir  James 
a  vast  ex- 
ell  wooded 
hose  on  the 
.  Turnips 
%  appear  in 
sent  up  the 

le  stone,  of 
vooi  is  sent 
anufacture ; 
be  dressed. 
le  capital  of 

ie  reign  of 

out  fifteen 

:  plundering 

nuititude  of 

:e  the  races, 
d  principles 
e,  and  with 
>od  and  the 
itinguished ; 
me.     Some 

opinion, 
;  small,  that 

but  a  mere 


difference  without  a  distinction,  and  that  virtue  and  good  sense  were  equally  common  to 
both.  At  these  races  the  stewards  are  selected  from  each  nation  ;  a  IVrcy  and  a  Donglas 
may  now  be  seen  hand  in  hand ;  the  example  of  charity  spreads,  and  may  it  spread,  with 
all  Its  sweet  influences,  to  the  remotest  corner  of  our  island  ! 

What  pleasini^  times  to  those  that  may  be  brought  in  contrast !  when  every  house 
was  made  defensible,  and  each  owner  garrisoned  against  his  neighbour :  when  revenge 
at  one  time  dictated  an  inroad,  and  necessity  at  another  ;  when  the  mistress  of  u  castle 
has  presented  her  sons  with  their  spurs,  to  remind  them  that  her  larder  was  empty  ;  and 
that  by  a  forray  they  must  supply  it  at  the  expence  of  the  borderers ;  when  every  even- 
ing the  sheep  were  taken  from  the  hills,  and  the  cattle  from  their  pasture,  to  be  secured 
in  the  lower  floor  from  robtjers  prowling  like  wolves  for  prey  ;  and  the  disappoirtted 
thief  found  all  in  safety,  from  the  fears  of  the  cautious  owner.  The  following  simple 
lines  give  a  true  picture  of  the  times : 

Then  Johnio  Armstrong  to  Willie  'gan  say. 
Dillie,  a  riding  then  will  we  : 
EnKland  and  us  have  been  long  at  feud, 
Perhaps  we  may  hit  on  some  bootie 

Then  they're  come  on  to  Hutton-ha, 
They  radc  tiiat  proper  place  about ; 
But  the  laird  he  was  the  wiser  man, 
For  he  had  left  na  gier  without. 

These  were  the  exploits  of  petty  robbers ;  but  when  princes  dictated  an  inroad,  the 
consequences  bore  a  proportion  to  their  rank.  An  Armstrong  might  drive  away  a  few 
sheep ;  but  when  an  Henry  directs  invasion,  192  towns,  towers,  siedes,  barnekyns, 
churches,  and  bastel- houses  are  burnt;  403  Scots  slain,  816  taken  prisoners  ;  10316 
cattle,  12492  sheep,  1296  nags  and  geldings,  200  goats,  200  bolls  of  corn,  and  insight 
geare  without  measure,  carried  off.  Such  were  the  successes  during  four  months  of  the 
year  1544.* 

Cross  the  river,  turn  almost  due  east,  and  after  a  ride  of  three  or  four  miles  find  my- 
self at  the  extremity  of  the  kingdom.  I  look  back  to  the  north,  and  with  a  grateful 
mind  acknowledge  every  benefit  I  received  from  the  remotest  of  the  Hebrides  to  the 
present  spot ;  whether  I  think  of  the  hospitality  of  the  rich,  or  the  efforts  of  unblameable 
poverty,  straining  every  nerve  to  accommodate  me,  amidst  dreary  hills,  and  ungenial 
skies.  The  little  accidents  of  diet,  or  of  lodgings,  affect  not  me  :  I  look  farther  than 
the  mere  differences  of  livuig,  or  of  customs;  to  the  good  heart,  and  extensive  benevo- 
lence, which  softens  every  hardship,  and  turns  into  delicacies  the  grossest  fare.  My 
constitution  never  yet  was  disposed  to  apathy  ;  for  which  I  can  claim  no  merit,  but  am 
thankful  to  the  author  of  my  frame,  since  "  I  feel  not  in  myself  those  common  antipa- 
thies that  I  can  discover  in  others :  those  national  repugnancies  do  not  touch  me,  nor 
do  I  behold  with  prejudice  the  French,  Italian,  Spaniard,  or  Dutch,  much  more  my 
fellow-subjects,  howsoever  remotely  placed  from  me.  But  where  I  find  their  actions 
in  balance  with  my  countrymen's,  I  honour,  love,  vnd  embrace  them  in  some  degree. 
I  was  born  in  the  eighth  climate,  but  seem  to  be  fmcned  and  constellated  unto  all :  ail 
places,  all  airs,  make  unto  me  one  country  ;  I  am  in^ngland  every  where,  and  under 
every  racridian."t 

Cross  an  insignificant  rill,  called  Riding-biim,  and  eil^r  Northumberland. 


Hayne's  otate  Papers,  43  to  51. 


i  Religlo  Medici,  p.  3S. 


486 


PBNNANT'8  SECOND  TOUR  IN  SCOTLAND. 


Pass  through  Carham,  u  village,  on  the  southern  hnnlcn  or  the  Tweed.  Here  was  a 
house  of  black  canons,  a  cell  to  that  of  Kirkham,  in  Yorkshire.  It  wn«  burnt  in  1296 
by  the  Scots,  under  Wallace,  who  given  name  to  thin  day  to  an  adjacent  tk-ld.  Sec  a 
fragment  of  Wark  castle,  once  the  property  of  the  KoHseM,  origin'<lly  {^runted  t>y  Itfnry 
III,*  to  Robert,  son  of  die  baron  of  Hclinv.ly.  It  nn»ttcd  nftcrwardH  uito  the  ianiily  of 
the  Greys,  who  took  their  title  from  the  place.  Alter  the  union  of  the  two  kingdoms, 
by  the  accession  of  James  I,  lord  Grey's  estate  rose  from  one  thousand  to  seven  or  eight 
thousand  pounds  a  year;t  so  instantly  did  these  parts  experience  the  benefit. 

It  was  often  attacked  by  the  Scots,  and  in  1290  was  taken  and  burnt  by  them.  The 
love  of  a  Robert  dc  Ross  for  a  fair  Scot  occasioned  this  misfortune.  He  betrayed  it  to 
his  northern  neighbours,  nnd  then  joined  the  famous  Wullace.|  In  1383  it  was  again 
burnt  by  the  Scots  ;i)  but  after  the  battle  of  Floddcn,  the  garrison  revenged  its  former 
disgrace  by  cutting  off  numbers  of  the  fugitives. 

Leave  behind  us,  on  the  northern  side  of  the  Tweed,  Coldstream,  the  head>quarters 
of  general  Monk;  from  whence  he  marched  to  restore  monarchy  to  his  distressed 
country.  On  the  southern  side  is  Cornhill,  noted  for  its  fiui;  itornan  camp,||  which  wc 
passed  unwittinglv  on  the  left.  This  town  lies  in  a  large  detached  part  of  Durham,  sur* 
rounded  by  Northumberland. 

All  this  country  is  open,  destitute  of  trees,  and  almost  even  of  hedges  ;  for  hedges 
are  in  their  infancy  in  these  parts,  as  it  is  not  above  seven  or  eight  years  since  they  have 
been  introduced.  The  land  is  fertile,  swells  into  gentle  risings,  and  is  rich  in  corn.  It 
is  miserably  depopulated ;  a  few  great  farm-houses  and  hamlets  appear  rarely  scattered 
over  the  vast  tracts.  There  are  few  farms  of  less  value  than  one  hundred  and  fifty 
pounds  avear;  they  arc  generally  three,  four,  or  five  hundred;  and  I  heard  of  one, 
possessed  by  a  single  family,  that  even  reached  twenty.five  hundred :  in  this  wa!>  a  single 
field  of  three  thousand  acres,  and  which  took  six  hundred  bolls  of  seed-wheat,  of  six 
Winchester  bushels  each.  A  humour  fatal  to  the  commonwealth  prevails  over  many 
parts  of  the  noith,  of  flinging  numbers  of  small  tenements  into  a  large  one,  in  ord?r  to 
save  the  expence  of  buildmg ;  or  perhaps  to  avoid  the  multiplicity  of  receipts,  lay  a 
whole  country  into  a  sheep-walk.  These  devour  poor  men*s  houses,  and  expel  the 
ancient  inhabitants  from  their  fire-sides,  to  seek  their  bread  in  a  strange  land.  I  have 
heard  of  a  character  (I  have  forgot  the  spot  it  curses)  that  is  too  barbarous  and  infamous 
to  be  overlooked ;  which  has  so  little  feeling  as  to  depopulate  a  village  of  two  hundred 
souls,  and  to  level  their  houses  to  the  ground ;  to  destroy  eight  or  ten  farm-houses  on 
an  estate  of  a  thousand  a  year,  for  the  sake  of  turning  almost  the  whole  into  a  sheep- 
walk.  There  he  lives,  and  there  may  he  long  live  his  own  tormentor !  detesting,  de- 
icsted  by,  all  mankind!  Wark  and  Learmouth,  once  considerable  places,  are  now 
scarcely  inhabited  :  the  last,  formerly  a  great  market.town,  is  now  reduced  to  a  sinde 
farm-house.  The  inhabitants  have  long  since  been  dispersed,  forced  to  exchange  the 
wholesome,  the  vigorous,  the  innocent  lives  of  the  rural  oeconomists,  for  the  sickly 
short-lived  employs  of  manufacturers  in  Birmingham,  and  other  great  towns,  where 
disease,  and  often  comipted  morals,  cause  double  the  consumption  of  people  as  would 
happen,  were  they  permitted  to  enjoy  their  ancients  seats.  The  want  of  labourers  be- 
gins to  be  sensibly  felt.  As  a  proof,  they  are  retained  by  the  year ;  and  policy  dictates 
to  their  employers,  the  affording  them  good  wages :  each  has  his  cottage,  a  piece  of 
land,  gratis,  and  a  shilling  a  day  in  summer,  and  ten-pence  in  winter.     I  call  thb  good 


*  Dugdale's  Baron,  i.  554. 
$  Holinshed,  vol.  iii.  444. 


t  Lifeoriord  Keeper  GuUdford,  139. 
II  Wallis's  Northumberland,  ii.  461. 


i  Dugdale's  Baron,  i.  554. 


PiNNANrS  SECOND  TOUR  IN  ICOTLANO. 


487 


ere  wai  a 
nt  ill  1290 
d.  ike  a 
/y  Honry 
:  luinily  of 
kingduma, 
n  or  eight 

icm.     The 

rayed  it  to 

was  Hguin 

its  former 

rud<quarters 
»  distressed 
which  we 
irham,  sur* 

for  hedges 
e  they  have 
in  corn.  It 
\y  scattered 
ed  and  fifty 
rard  of  one, 
wa»  a  single 
heat,  of  six 
I  over  many 
,  in  order  to 
ceipts,  lay  a 
id  expel  the 
nd.  I  have 
tid  infamous 
two  hundred 
n- houses  on 
nto  a  sheep- 
etesting,  de- 
es, are  now 

I  to  a  single 
xchange  tne 
ir  the  sickly 
awns,  where 
>le  as  would 
ibourers  be- 
tlicy  dictates 
:,  a  piece  of 

II  this  good 

iron<  i>  554. 


pay  in  a  ccutitry  which  ought  to  be  very  cheap ;  if  not,  what  are  the  fine  effects  of  the 
great  improvements  ?  The  Spectator  speaks  much  of  the  deserts  of  the  man  that  raises 
two  ears  of  corn  where  one  grew  before.  But  who  will  point  out  the  man,  who  has  the 
loul  to  make  hid  poor  brethren  feci  the  happy  effect  of  his  art  ?  I  believe,  that  at  pre- 
sent  there  are  numbers  who  have  raised  ten  for  one  that  were  known  u  few  yean  ago. 
It  would  be  natural  to  supiiusc,  tliat  plenty  would  iiitnMluce  chcupncss ;  but  till  the  pro* 
vidcntial  plenty  of  the  present  vcar,  corn  wxs  exactly  double  the  value  of  what  it  waa 
fourteen  yearn  past.  Yet  the  plenty  of  money  has  riot  been  found  doubled  by  the  poor 
manufacturer  or  labourer.  The  land-owner  in  the  north  has  taken  full  care  of  himself. 
A  farm  of  751.  per  annum,  twentv  years  ago,  has  been  lately  set  for  3651.  another  uf 
S30I.  will  be  soon  set  for  10001.  per  annum.  An  estate  was  bought  in  1759,  for 
68001.  it  consisted  of  1560  acres,  of  which  750  have  been  sold  for  84001.  And  all 
these  improvements  result  from  the  unprincipled  and  iniquitous  notion  of  making  tlic 
buyer  of  the  produce  pay,  not  only  to  satisfy  the  demand  of  the  landlord,  but  to  enablr 
the  farmer  to  make  a  princely  fortune,  and  to  live  with  a  luxury,  the  shame  of  tlic- 
times.  They  have  lost  the  respectable  character  of  the  old  £nglish  yeomanry,  by  too 
close  an  imitation  of  the  extravagant  follies  of  their  betters. 

The  oxen  of  these  parts  are  very  fine;  u  pair  has  been  sold  for  sixty-five  pounds. 
The  weight  of  one  was  a  hundred  and  sixty-eight  stones.  The  mountain  sheep  arc  sold 
for  half-a-guinea  apiece ;  the  lowland  ewes  for  a  guinea ;  the  wethers  for  a  guinea  and 
a  half:  the  best  wool  from  sixteen  to  eighteen  shilhngs  the  stone,  of  twenty-three  pounds 
and  a  half : — But  to  pursue  our  journey : 

Observe  on  the  right  several  very  regular  terraces  cut  on  the  face  of  a  hill.  They  are 
most  exactly  formed,  a  little  raised  in  the  middle,  like  a  fine  walk,  and  about  twenty 
feet  broad«  and  of  a  very  considerable  len^h.  In  some  places  were  three,  in  others  five 
flights,  placed  one  above  the  other,  tcrmmating  exactly  in  a  line  at  each  end,  and  most 
precisely  finished.  I  am  told,  that  such  tiers  of  terraces  are  not  uncommon  in  these 
parts,  where  they  are  called  baulks.  Mr.  Wallis  conjectures  them  to  be  places  for  the 
militia  to  arranj|^  themselves  on  in  time  of  war,  that  they  might  shew  themselves  to  ad- 
vantage thus  placed  rank  above  rank.*  Mr.  Gordon  describes  several  which  he  saw  in 
Scotland,  which  he  conjectures  to  have  been  Roman,  and  formed  for  itinerary  encamp- 
ments ;  t  in  my  opinion  a  less  satisfactory  account.  It  appears  more  reasonable,  that 
they  were  designed  for  what  Mr.  Wallis  imagines,  as  nothing  could  more  highly  gra- 
tify the  pride  of  a  chieftain's  heart,  in  this  warlike  country,  than  to  review,  at  one 
glance,  his  vassals  placed  so  advantageously  for  that  purpose. 

Reach  the  village  of  Palinsburne,  and  finding  neither  provision  for  man  or  horse, 
have  recourse  to  the  hospitality  of  John  Askew,  Esq.  of  Palinsburne-Hall,  where  all 
our  wants  were  relieved  m  the  amplest  manner.  From  his  house  we  visited  Flodden 
hill,  celebrated  in  history  for  the  greatest  lass  the  Scots  every  sustained.  Here,  in  1313, 
encamped  James  IV,  in  his  ill-advised  invasion  of  England.  According  to  the  custom  of 
the  time,  every  chieftain  had  his  separate  camp,  whose  vestiges  are  apparent  to  this  day. 
Infatuated  with  the  love  of  Lady  Heron,  of  Ford,  a  neighbouring  castle,  %  he  wasted  his 
days  in  inactivity,  and  suffered  the  fair  Dalilah  to  visit  the  earl  of  Surry,  the  general  of 
his  enemy,  under  pretence  of  receiving  from  her  intelligence  of  his  motions.  She  be- 
trayed her  credulous  lover,  whose  army  dwindled  by  delay,  of  which  clans  were  always 
impatient.     The  enemy  unexpectedly  appeared  before  him  ;  he  would  neither  permit  a 


•  Hist.  Northumberland,  ii.  70. 

t  Lindesay^p.  113.  Drummondi  145. 


t  Itinerary,  lU,  115. 


488 


PRNNANrS  IBCOND  TOUH  IN  ICOTI.AMD. 


retreat,  nor  ^uflcr  his  gallant  master  of  artillery  to  annoy  them  tn  their  paiMge  over  the 
Till.*  Surry  cut  off  hi»  |)us%afi;c  into  Scotland,  and  brought  on  the  rngagcmcnl,  that 
the  devoted  priocc  so  much  wiiihcd  for  :  it  raged  chiefly  near  Brunkbton.  The  Scoti 
formed  n  ring  round  their  moiwrch,  and  he  fell  with  many  wounda,  aurroundcd  by  tlie 
dead  bodicH  of  his  faithful  nobility.  Nut  a  great  house  in  Scotland  but  lamented  the 
loHs  of  iiH  chicftaiu  ut  near  rdatioii.  The  body  of  ihe  king  wan  enbulmed,  certd,  and 
wrapped  in  lead ;  and  presented,  with  the  king's  gaimtlct,  to  queen  Culherintr,  then  at 
the  iMluce  ut  Richmond.  After  excommunication  was  taken  off  (on  representation 
that  Vie  gave  signs  of  repentance  f  in  his  lost  moments)  he  woa  interred  in  tne  abbey  at 
Shenc.  On  the  dibsoluiioti,  the  body  was  Hun?  with  great  indecency  into  u  lumber 
room,  where  it  continued  till  the  reign  of  queen  Elizabctn,  where  Stow  says  he  saw  it. 
Some  workmen  wantonly  cut  uiV  the  head,  which  was  preserved  for  some  time  by  one 
Youtigc,  master  glazier  to  her  majesty,  wiio,  tired  with  it,  gave  it  to  the  aexton  of  St 
Mirhael's  church,  Wood-street,  to  Ix:  buried  among  the  vulgar  bones  of  the  charnd 
house. :(  Such  posthumous  respect  do  the  reliciues  of  princes  receive  I  The  Scots  pre- 
tend that  his  body  was  never  found,  and  that  which  was  taken  for  it  by  the  English 
was  that  of  one  of  his  nobility  ;  for  many  on  that  fatal  day  dressed  themselves  in  the 
same  habit.  They  allcdge,  that  the  body  found  was  not  surrounded  with  the  penitential 
chain  ;4  but  it  is  possible,  as  Mr.  Guthrie  imagines,  that  sign  of  remorse  for  his  par- 
ricide was  only  worn  on  certain  days.  His  sword  and  dagger  are  now  in  the  Heralds 
office,  presented  by  the  victorious  earl.  || 

October  1st.  Pass  near  Ford  castle,  now  the  scat  of  Sir  John  Delavnl,  posaeaeed  in 
the  reign  of  Henry  III,  by  Odonel  cle  Ford  ;  nnd  by  the  marriage  of  his  daughter  to 
William  Heron,  passed  into  that  family  it  from  them  to  the  Carrs  ;  from  the  Curra  to  tlic 
present  owner. 

Cross  Minefield  plain,  a  flat  of  five  miles  extent ;  observe  on  one  part  a  circular 
camp,  with  a  single  foss  and  dike ;  and  opposite  to  it,  a  small  square  enfenchment. 
At  the  village  of  Minefield  is  said  to  have  been  the  residence  of  the  kings  of  Bernicia 
after  Edwin  .**  On  the  right  is  Copeland  castle  ;  a  square  tower,  formerly  the  aeat  of 
the  Wallaces,  but  in  our  time  transferred  to  the  Ogles,  by  purchase.  Cross  the  Glen, 
a  small  river,  but  honoured  with  b  otizing  in  its  waters  a  multitude  of  Northumbrians, 
who  were  converted  by  PauSinus,  after  king  Edwin  had  embraced  the  faith :  the  resi- 
dence of  him  and  his  queen  being  at  that  time  at  Adi^frin,  the  neighbouring  Yever- 

ing.tt 

Pass  by  Humblcdon  hill,  where,  in  1401,  the  S:oU<.  under  Archibald,  earl  of  Doug, 
las,  received  a  sigtial  defeat  by  the  Efiglish,  comman(kd  by  Henry  Percy,  sumamed  Hot- 
spur, in  which  Douglas  was  taken  prisoner.  On  the  hill  are  some  marks  of  entrench- 
ments, which  the  Scots  flung  up  before  the  battle.  The  face  of  ihis  hill  is  also  di- 
vided by  multitudes  of  terraces,  resembling  those  above  described. 

Hide  through  Wooler,  a  small  town.  Observe  several  of  the  people  wear  the  bonnet, 
the  last  remains  of  the  English  dress  in  the  reigns  of  Edward  VI,  and  Mary.  The  hills 
OR  the  right  approach  very  near  us,  and  the  country  rises  on  both  sides,  and  forms  a 
mixture  of  corn  land  and  sheep-walk.  On  the  west  appear  the  Cheviot  hills,  smooth 
and  verdant.  Among  them  is  laid  the  scene  of  the  battle  of  Chevy-chace,  in  the  cele- 
brated ballad  of  that  name.     Notwithstanding  there  is  nothbg  but  ballad  authority  for 


*  Lindesay,  1 16.  t  Rymer's  Fcedera,  xiii.  p  385.  \  Stow's  London,  4to  539. 

Lindesay,  96.  1 17, 1 18.  ||  Lambe'a  Mist.  Flodden,  rrontispiece. 


f  Dugdale,  Uaron.  i.  730. 


••  CamdcD,  ii.  1097.    WallU,  ii.        tt  Bcde.  lib.  1 1,  c.  13.  p.  95. 


»  ^t^r'**»«i»^ 


I'eNNANTR  8RC0ND  TOUR  I.V  iCOTLAND. 


48tt 


it,  yet  it  k  high!;-  probable  that  nuch  an  action  might  have  happened  between  ^'vo  rival 
chitt'tains,  jcalouH  of  the  invasion  of  their  hunting-pounds.  The  limitu  of  the  king- 
doms were  then  unsettled  ;  and  even  at  thin  time,  there  arc  debateab!c  lunds  nniid>t 
these  very  hills.  The  noeth.i»  used  a  licence  in  his  description  of  the  fight,  and  mixed 
ia  it  tome  events  of  the  battle  of  Otterbourne,  for  neither  a  Percy  nor  a  Uouglus  fell  in 
this  woeful  hunting. 

Turn  three  milri  to  the  south-east,  to  visit  Chillingham  castle,  the  ancient  property  of 
the  Greys,  afterwards  lords  of  Weric,  now  of  the  earl  of  Tankcrviltc.  The  present 
building  is  large,  and  of  no  greater  antiquity  than  the  time  of  James  I.  Here  arc  num- 
ber* of  portraits,  almost  entirely  misnamed.  In  the  hall  is  ^he  picture  of  a  toad,  said  to 
have  beeti  found  in  the  centre  of  the  stone  it  is  painted  on  ;  and  beneath  arc  these  lines 

Hcui  StBDjrrita, 

Tuo  »I  velit  <|uid  inirabiliui  Curltw, 

Hue  vonito. 

Fluant,  rcfluanique  inuria,  ct  sit  Lunaticua 

()ui  luo  trlviatn  apuUat  honore  : 
F.n  tibi  novi  quidi  quod  non  portat  Africa. 
Ncc  fabuloikiii  Nilutarenit, 
iKncm,  flainmuniquc  puram, 
Aura  tamen  vitali  cnsium  ! 
Cceco  0  receaiu  scistai,  quod  videi,  saxi, 
Obitetricea  lucetn  l.Uhototni  dclore  Manuv 
Vivoilufoni. 

In  the  park  are  between  thirty  and  forty  wild  caulc,  of  the  same  kind  with  those  dc' 
((cribcd  at  Drumlanrig. 

Paas  over  a  dreary  country,  chiefly  a  sheep-walk,  open,  and  without  trees  ;  cross  the 
Till,  a  small  river,  and  en  Hegc.'y  moor  sec  the  octagonal  shaft  of  Percy's  cross,  on 
whose  broader  sides  are  carvect  tuj  arms  of  the  family,  crescents  and  pikes.  This  was 
erected  in  memory  of  Sir  Ralph  Percy,  who  was  slain  hcre.lui  ;463,  in  battle  between  the 
partisans  of  the  house  of  Lancaster  and  lord  Montacute.  Lord  Hungerford,  and  thc 
other  leaders,  fled  at  the  first  onset ;  he,  with  the  spirit  of  u  Percy,  kept  his  ground, 
and  died,  consoling  himself,  that  he  had"  saved  the  bird  in  his  breast;"  meaning, 
that  he  had  preserved  his  allegiance  to  Henry,  never  reflecting,  as  the  unglozing  histori- 
ans*!' of  old  times  remark,  that  ne  had  abandoned  that  unhappy  prince  in  his  greatest  neccs> 
sity,  and  submitted  to  his  rival,  Edward. 

Near  this  cross  get  on  an  ancient  military  road,  misca'led  the  Wuiling-street,  which 
runs  north  into  Scotland,  and  south  to  Corbridge.  The  nothern  part  is  better  known 
bv  the  name  of  the  Devira  dike  :  but  ^9  there  is  not  a  single  station  on  it,  from  the 
place  it  unites  with  the  genuine  Roman  way  near  Beuclay,  it  may  be  supposed  to  have 
been  the  work  of  the  Saxons,  there  being  a  variety  of  little  fortresses  near  its  course. 

After  a  few  miles  riding,  fall  into  the  vale  of  Whittingham,  inclosed  with  hedges  of 
ancient  standing.  Leave,  on  the  right,  the  conic  hill  of  Glanton-pike,  a  noted  beacon. 
Again  crosa  the  Till,  at  this  place  calhd  the  Bremish.  Ride  through  Whittiiigham,  a 
little  town*  on  the  Aln  (here  a  little  stream)  and,  passing  over  part  of  the  black  and 
dismal  Rimside  moor,  lie  at  a  neat  inn,  called  the  Half-way  house. 

October  2.  Descend  into  a  cultivated  narrow  vale :  reach  the  ^^r.iall  town  of  Roth- 
bury,  seated  on  the  Coquet,  which,  below  the  town,  runs  through  a  large  extent  of  flat 
free-stone  rock,  in  a  slit  about  forty  feet  long  and  five  wide,  through  which  the 
stream  rushes  with  great  violence,  and  has  worn  multitudes  of  those  circular  basons 


VOL.  III. 


*  Hall,  in  his  reign  of  £dw.  IV.  p.  3.    Holinshedjvol.  iii.  666. 

3  R 


^nr 


490 


PENNANT'3  SECOND  TOUlt  IV  SCOTLAND. 


nnllcd  Uie  Giant's-pots.  This  manor  belonged  to  the  Claverings ;  a  name  taken  from 
a  place  in  Essex,  but  their  first  settlement  was  in  this  county.  In  the  reign  of  king 
John,  one  of  them,  distinguished  by  the  name  of  Fitz-Roger,  obtained  a  grant  of  this 
manor,  with  the  woods  belonging ;  but  his  majesty  reserved  to  himself  the  liberty  of 
hunting  in  them.  But  the  last  of  the  family  resigning  it  to  the  crown,  it  was  re-granted 
tj  the  Pcrcics,  by  Edward  III.* 

Cross  the  Coquet,  on  a  bridge  of  four  arches ;  ascend  a  steep  hill,  and  arrive  in  a 
woodless,  hedgeless,  and  uncultivated  country,  which  continues  for  some  miles  ;  the 
Inclosures  either  banks  or  stone  walls.  Reach  Camhoe,  a  row  of  nrut  houses  on  an 
eminence,  where  the  country  mends,  and  trees  and  hedges  appear.  Mr.  Wallis  t  says, 
it  signifies  the  fort  on  the  hill,  and  that  in  the  reign  of  Henry  HI,  it  belonged  to  Sir 
Robert  de  Camhoe,  high-sheriff  of  the  county. 

Below  it  is  Wallington ;  a  good  house,  belonging  to  Sir  Walter  Blacket,  whose 
ancestor  purchased  i^  from  the  unfo'Uinate  Sir  John  Fenwick,  beheaded  in  1696,  in 
whose  family  it  had  been  from  the  reign  of  Henry  IV.  A.fter  a  few  miles  pass  by  Swin- 
burne castle,  crossing,  a  little  north  of  it,  the  true  Watling. street  way,  which  runs  into 
the  shire  of  Roxburgh.  At  Chollerton,  we  cross  the  Erring,  a  small  stream,  falling  just 
below  into  the  north  Tyne,  a  beautiful  river,  with  sloping  banks,  finely  cultivated.  At 
a  small  distance  south  of  Chollerton,  cross  the  site  of  Adrian's  dike,  and  Severus's  wall* 
opposite  to  Walwick,  the  ancient  Cilurnum  ;  a  station  on  the  west  bank  of  the  Tyne. 
Here  was  stationed  the  body  of  horse,  or  ala  seciinda  Astorum,  as  appears  by  a  se- 
pulchral stone,  figured  by  Horscly.J  Several  other  monumental  inscriptions  have  been 
found  there,  preserved  by  the  same  author.  This  wall,  which  is  commonly  known  by 
the  name  of  the  Picts  wall,  crosses  the  island  from  sea  to  sea,  beginning  at  Boulness,^  on 
the  Solway  firth,  and  ending  in  a  fort  at  Cousin's-hou^e  near  the  village  of  Wall's  end,  the 
old  Segedunum,  near  the  mcuth  of  the  Tyne,  a  few  miles  east  of  Pons  jiElii,  or  New- 
castle. The  whole  length  of  this  vast  work  was  sixty.eight  miles  and  three  furlongs;  || 
the  height,  in  the  time  of  Bede,«ir  twelve  feet,  exclusive  perhaps  of  parapet.  The  thick- 
ness, from  seven  to  nine  feet.  It  was  guarded  by  a  multitude  of  towers,  generally  within 
less  than  a  rnile  distant  from  each  other ;  all  of  them  sixty-six  feet  square.  Between 
every  tv/o  of  these  towers  were  four  exploratory  turrets,  only  four  yards  square :  as  these 
were  wiihin  call,  centinels  were  placed  in  them  to  give  an  alarm.  Besides  these  were  se- 
ventee/A  stations,  at  about  four  miles  distance  from  each  other.  These  are  known  by  names 
such  f,?  Cilurnum,  ProcoUtia,  and  the  like.  A  military  way  was  made  by  Severus,  at  the 
same  :ime  with  his  wall,  and  ran  from  turret  to  turret,  and  was  regularly  paved.** 

More  to  assist  my  own  memory,  than  to  inform  the  reader,  I  may  be  permitted  to 
name,  in  order  of  time,  the  number  of  walls  or  defences,  fcj'med  by  the  Romans,  or 
repaired  by  them,  in  order  to  keep  our  northern  fellow  subjects  within  bounds.  The 
first  was  the  chain  of  forts,  made  by  Agricola,  from  the  firth  of  Forth  to  that  of  Clyde, 
in  the  year  81,  to  protect  his  conquests  from  the  incursions  of  the  Caledonians ;  and,  as 
Tacitus  expresses  it,  to  remove  them,  as  it  were,  into  another  island. 

The  second  was  the  vallum,  or  dike,  flung  up  by  Adrian,  in  the  year  121.  Spanianff 
bears  witness  to  this ;  who  informs  us,  that  Adrian  visited  Britain,  reformed  many 
things,  dnd  made  a  wall  eighty  miles  long,  to  separate  the  barbarians  from  the  Romans. 


*  Dugt.ale's  Baronage,  i.  106,  109. 
§  Vide  Voyage  to  the  Hebrides 


t  II.  526. 

II  Horscly,  121. 
t  Part  is  y'ettolerably  entire  near  Lanecrost abbey  iu  Cuinl?crland. 
+t  V»t,  Aariani)C,xi. 


I  Nrrthumberiand,  No.  xxiv. 
\  ,,  ,    **Horsely  118. 


PENNANT'S  SECOND  TOUR  IN  SCOTLAND 


491 


This  was  m*-   i  of  earth  and  stones.     It  terminated  on  the  western  side  of  the  kingdom, 
at  Axelodunui.*,  or  Brugh,  on  the  Solway  sands,  and  was  supposed  to  have  reached  no 
farther  than  Pons  JEWu  or  Newcastle,  on  the  eastern.     But  by  an  account  I  very  re 
ccntly*  received  from  Mr.  Robert  Harriso.n  of  that  town,  I  find  it  extended  on  this  sidt 
as  far  as  the  wall  of  Severus.    A  broken  stone  has  lately  been  discovered  at  VVall's-cnd 
with  this  inscription : 

HADR 

MUR: COND 

HOC.  MARM. 

POS:  COSS.  D. 

The  third  was  also  of  earth,  made  in  the  year  138,  by  Lollius  Urbicus,  lieutenani 
to  Antoninus,  who,  recovering  the  country  once  conquered  by  Agricola,  built  another 
turf.wali  t  on  the  boundary  left  by  that  great  general,  and  removed  the  Caledonians 
farther  from  the  Roman  province.  This  is  proved,  not  only  by  Ca^'.  !U^>,  but  by 
the  inscriptions  from  the  stations  in  the  course  of  it. 

The  fourth  in  the  year  210,  by  Severus,  as  above  described.  Notwithstundinp  his 
historian  vaunts,  that  this  emperor  penetrated  to  the  remotest  parts  of  the  island,  ht 
seemed  to  judge  it  prudent  to  reduce  its  limits  to  the  vallum  of  Adrian. 

If  we  may  credit  Nennius,  Carasius,  in  290,  repaired  the  wall  of  Severus,  and  forti- 
fied it  with  seven  towers.  A  work  seemingly  needless,  as  it  was  before  so  welt  supplied 
with  forts.  It  seems  as  if  Nennius  confounded  the  wall  of  Antonine  w^'th  that  of  Se- 
verus, for  immediately  after  mentioning  the  last,  he  speaks  of  Pengual,  and  the  rivet 
Cluth,  The  first,  being  Kinniel,  near  the  end  of  Antonine*s  wall,  on  the  firth  of  Forth : 
and  the  Cluth,  the  Clyde,  where  it  terminates  on  the  western  coast,  j: 

Theodosius,  in  367,  after  driving  the  crowds  of  Scotti,  Attacotti,  and  other  barbarous 
invaders  out  of  the  Roman  r"ovuice,  repaired  the  boundary,  built  new  forts,  and  called 
theparts  he  had  recovered  Valentia,  in  honour  of  the  emperor  Valens.^ 

The  provincial  Britons,  after  they  were  relieved  from  their  distressca,  by  the  assist- 
ance of  a  Roman  legioii,  in  426,  once  more  repaired  the  wall  of  Antonine  with  turf,|| 
being  too  ignorant  to  effect  it  in  any  other  manner.  And  finally,  by  the  advice  of 
Gallio,  and  the  help  of  a  legion  under  his  command,  the  wall  of  Severus  was  restored ;% 
a  poor  security  to  the  degenerate  Btitons,  after  the  retreat  of  the  Romans. 

Procsed  by  the  village  of  Wall,  and  from  a  rising  ground  have  a  fine  view  of  the 
river,  now  enlarged  by  the  waters  of  the  south  Tyne.  Pass  by  Hermitage,  the  house 
of  the  late  Dr.  Jurin,  the  celebrated  natural  philosopher.  In  ancient  times  St.  John  of 
Beverley  made  the  adjacent  woods  his  retreat  from  the  world,  which  gave  name  to  the 
place.  Ford  the  river ;  the  beautiful  bridge,  lately  finished,  having  been  swept  away  by 
.  the  floods.    Enter 

Hexam,  the  Hagustald  of  Bede,  and  Hextoldesham  of  the  Saxons.  Till  the  S3d 
of  Henry  VIII,  it  was  called  a  county  palatine,  but  at  that  period  was  stripped  of  its 
power.  In  ancient  times  it  was  a  manor,  belon^ng  to  the  see  of  York,  whose  prelates 
had  here  a  regality  and  great  powers.  Their  liberties  were  afiirmed  to  them  by  the 
king's  council  in  parliament,  in  the  21st  ot  Edward  I,  and  by  a  clause  in  the  13th  of 
Edward  III,  had  jura  regalia,  and  the  right  of  levying  tenths  and  fifteenths.    The 


». 

V. 

I 

-1 


■■(. 

•:  1  " 

i 


*  August  1775.        t  CapitoUnus,  Vit.  Anton.  Pii.  c.  v. 

I  Hist.  Br.  c  xix.    I  am  indebted  to  Mr.  Harrison  of  Newcastle  for  the  stricture  on  Nennius. 
§  Ammianus  Marcellinus,  lib.  xxvi.  c.  4.  lib.  xxviii.  c.  3. 
l|Gildas,c.  19.    Bede,  lib.     c.  12.        iGildas,  c.  U.    Bede,  lib.  i.  c.  IS. 

3  R  2       ' 


1F% 


^■^ 


IV2 


PENNANT'S  SECOND  TOUR  IN  StOTLAMIJ. 


parish  was  also  called  Hexliamshirc,  having,  till  the  14th  of  queen  Elizabeth,  bocn  a  dis- 
tinct shire  ;  but  in  that  year  was  united  with  ihe  county  of  Northumberland. 

The  town  is  ancient,  finely  seated  on  the  southern  bunks,  consiBting  of  about  five 
thousand  inhabitants,  whose  chief  manufacture  is  that  of  shoes  and  gloves,  and  it  also 
carries  on  u  considerable  trade  in  tanning.  But  Hexham,  like  many  other  plaoes,  must 
vaunt  of  the  glory  of  past  times :  in  that  of  the  Romans,  it  was  probably  a  station,  if 
one  may  judge  from  the  half.defuced  intscriptions  on  certain  stones  that  antiquariesi  have 
discovered  worked  up  in  the  walls  of  the  vaults  of  the  church;^  the  most  curious  of 
which  is  that  inscribed  with  the  name  of  the  emperor  Lucius  Septimus  Severus. 
Antiquaries  for  a  time  universally  agreed,  that  this  place  was  the  Axelodunum  of  the 
Notitia ;  but  Mr.  Horsely,  with  much  reason,  removes  it  to  Burgh,  and  conjectures 
that  Hexham  might  have  been  the  Epiacum  of  Ptolemy.f 

Very  early  in  the  Saxon  time  it  grew  distinguished  by  its  ecclesiastical  splendour. 
Hexham  and  the  adjacent  country  were  part  of  the  crown4ands  of  the  kings  of  Nor. 
thuniberland,  and  settled  by  king  Egfrid,  as  dower  on  his  queen  Ethelreda.  Wilfrid,:(: 
bishop  of  York,  obtained  froi7>  the  king  a  grant  of  it ;  and  here  prevailed  on  him  to 
found  a  bishopric,  which  saw  buC  seven  prelates,  being  overthrown  in  the  Danish  wars, 
about  the  year  821.  But  the  mi.gnificence  of  the  church  and  monastery,  founded  ha  & 
in  674,  by  Wilfrid,  is  spoken  of  in  the  highest  terms  by  ancient  writers.  They  ctn.- 
brate  the  variety  of  the  buildings,  the  columns,  the  ornamental  oarvii^,  the  oratories, 
and  the  crypts ;  they  also  relate  the  pains  he  was  at  to  obtain  artists  of  die  greittest  skill 
from  different  parts,  both  at  home  ar'l  abroad.  They  mention  the  richness  of  covers 
for  the  "*^irs,  the  gilding  of  the  walls  w'th  gold  and  silver,  and  the  noble  library,  col- 
lected with  amazing  industry :  in  few  words,  say  they,  there  was  not  such  a  church  to 
be  found  on  this  side  of  the  Alps.  As  this  place  suffered  greatly  by  the  barbarity  of 
the  Danes,  there  is  no  vestige  of  '.he  ancient  church.  Tlie  present  building,  which, 
when  entire,  was  large  and  beautiful,  is  probably  the  work  of  Thomas  the  second  arch- 
bishop of  York,  to  miich  see  it  had  been  given  by  Heiuy  I.  I'be  prelate,  struck  with  the 
desolation  of  the  place,  established  here  in  1113  a  conven".  of  canons  regular  of  Au- 
gustines.  The  architecture  is  mixed  $  has  much  Gothic,  and  a  little  Sakoo,  and,  in 
one  part,  the  narrow>sharp  arched  windows,  all  which  began  to  be  in  use  about  that 
reign.  The  tower  is  large,  and  in  the  centre ;  the  church  having  btxa  in  form  of  a 
Greek  cross ;  but  the  west  end  was  quite  demolished  bv  the  Scots  in  1296.  The  town 
as  also  plundered  by  David  H,  in  1346,  but  saved  from  the  flames,  as  he  intended  it 
as  a  magazine  for  provisions. 

The  mside  is  supported- by  clustered  pillars  with  Gothic  arches;  the  gallery  above 
opens  with  Saxon  arches,  including  in  each  two  of  the  pointed  kind.  On  the  wooden 
skreen  befcMre  thedioir  is  painted  the  dance  of  death ;  in  each  piece  the  meagre  monster 
is  seizing  a  character  of  every  rank.  Many  other  paintings,  now  much  injjured  by  time, 
adorned  this  part.  Beneath  the  dance,  on  a  moulding,  are  twelve  square  pieces  of  wood ; 
(originally  there  were  fourteen)  on  each  is  elegantly  cut  in  relief,  and  ^t,  a  certain 
capital  letter,  and  in  every  one  a  pretty  cypher  of  other  letters,  which  may  be  thus 
read.  "  Orate  pro  anima  Domini  Thom :  S.  Prior  hujus  ecdesise  qui  fecit  hoc 
opus."  The  letters  in  italics  are  to  supply  the  parts,  and  are  coiijectural  to  supply  the 
sense. 

*  Horsely,  '24,7.    Gordon,  183,  185.        t  Horsely,  109,369. 

\  Eddii  Vita  S.  Wilfridi,  in  Gale's  Collection,  ill.  63.  jce  more  in  that  magnificent  acd  accurate  work, 
the  History  of  Ely,  p.  31,  33,  by  the  rev.  Mr.  Benthanii  to  whom  we  are  iirst  indebtwi  ibr  tfaJa  notice 
from  Richard  of  Hexham's  account  of  it. 


nSSAVTS  SECOND  TOUR  IN  SCOTLAND. 


493 


adis- 


The  tomb  of  Alfwdd  I,  king  of  Northumberland,  assassinated  in  788,  by  Sigga,  one 
of  his  nobles,  is  shewn  beneath  an  arch,  at  the  south  end  of  the  north  east  aisle. 

An  Umfravtl  lies  recumbent,  cross-legg'd,  the  privilege  of  Croisaders.  On 
liis  shield  are  the  arms  of  the  family,  who  were  grot  benefactors  to  this  abbey. 
Here  is  also  another  knight,  with  the  same  mark  of  holy  zeul,  miscalled  the  duke  of 
Somerset,  beheaded  here  in  1643.  But  the  arms  of  the  shield,  three  gerbcs,  shew  that 
the  deceased  was  not  a  Beaufort,  who  quartered  the  arms  of  England  and  France. 

In  the  choir  is  a  beautiful  oratory,  of  stone  below  and  wood  above,  most  exquisitely 
carred*  now  converted  into  a  pew.  Near  that  is  the  tomb  of  a  Religious,  probably  a 
prior.  Above,  in  a  shield,  are,  in  Saxon  characters,  the  letters  R.  I.  these  being  in 
many  parts  of  the  building,  are  probably  the  initials  of  some  of  the  pious  benefactors ; 
and  about  the  sides  are  several  moat  ridiculous  figures,  the  product  of  the  sportive 
(Msael  of  the  sculptor :  an  ape  sitting  on  a  stone,  with  its  hand  to  its  mouth ;  a  deformed 
figure,  in  a  ck>se  hood  with  a  pendent  tassel,  and  a  hare,  or  some  other  animal,  in  his 
bcwom,  and  other  monstrous  engravings  of  no  meaning  or  moment.*  Against  a  pillar 
is  a  ridicokms  figure  of  a  barefooted  man,  with  a  great  club,  perhaps  a  pilgrim. 

Here  b  pseserved  the  fiimous  fridstol,  or  stool  of  peace ;  for  whosoever  took  posses. 
jion  of  it  was  sure  of  jremission.f  This  place  had  the  privilege  of  a  sanctuary,  which 
was  not  merely  confined  to  the  church,  but  extended  a  mile  four  ways,j:  and  the 
limits  each  way  marked  by  a  cross.  Heavy  penalties  were  levied  on  those  who  dared 
to  violate  this  sanctuary,  by  seizii^  on  any  criminal  within  the  prescribed  bounds ;  but 
if  they  presumed  to  take  him  out  of  the  stool,^  the  offence  was  not  redeemable  by 
any  sum :  it  was  esteoned  botoloss,  beyond  the  power  of  pecuniary  amends :  and  thr 
offenders  were  left  to  the  utmost  sevcri^  of  the  church,  and  suffered  excommunication, 
in  okl  times  the  most  terrible  of  punishments. 

Part  of  the  monastery  still  remains  habitable.  It  was  granted,  on  the  dissolution,  to 
ar  Reginald  Camaby ;  afterwards  passed  to  the  Fenwicks,  and  lastly  to  the  Blackets. 
The  convent  gate  is  entire,  and  consists  of  a  fine  round  arch.  This  b  evidently  of  a 
much  older  date  than  any  of  the  present  remains  of  the  convent.  It  is  of  Saxon  archi- 
tecture, and  perhaps  part  of  the  labours  of  the  great  Wilfrid. 

The  town>house  is  built  over  an  ancient  gate ;  beyond  that  b  an  old  square  tOAver, 
of  three  flows.  The  lowest  has  beneath  it  two  dreadful  dungeons,  which,  in  thb  thievish 
ndghbourhood,  before  the  accession,  were  seldom  untehinted. 

The  little  rivulet  Hexold,  which  runs  by  the  town,  wouki  not  merit  mention,  if  it 
did  not  give  name  to  the  place. 

Oct.  4.  Proceed  eastward.  About  three  miles  from  Hexham,  cross  the  Divil,  on  a 
bridge  of  two  arches.  On  an  eminence  b  a  square  tower,  peejnng  picturesquely  above 
the  trees.  This  was  part  of  the  estate  of  the  unfortunate  earl  <rf  Derwentwater,  now 
vested  in  Greenwich  Hospital.  On  the  banks  of  this  river  was  fought,  in  1463,  the 
bloody  battle  of  Hexham,  between  the  Lancastrians  and  Yorkists,  in  which  the  first 
were  defeated.  The  meek.Henry  fled  wi^h  so  great  precipitation  as  to  lose  his  abacock, 
or  cap  set  with  jeweb,  which  was  earned  to  hb  rival  at  York.  His  faithful  consort 
Mar^ret  betook  herself^  with  the  infant  prince,  to  a  neighbouring  forest,  where  she 

*  Since  the  publicatitm  of  my  fir^t  edition  I  procured  drawings  of  these  figures,  which  I  overlooked  when 
I  was  at  Hexham,  and  took  the  account  of  them  by  misinformation.  On  Mght  of  the  drawings,  I  at  once 
saw  that  they  were  no  nxore  than  'vhat  I  mention  above. 

t  In  the  minster  at  Beverley  is  a  stool  of  this  kind,  called  by  the  same  name,  and  destined  for  the  same  use. 

I  Stevens's  Contin  Dagdal«,  ii.  1 3  <. 

f  Richard  of  Hexham,  m  footed  by  Suvelf ,  Hist.  Cli.  Itrs. 


W 


i94 


("ENNANrS  SECOND  TOUR  IN  SCOTLAND. 


was  surrounded  witli  robbers,  and  spoiled  of  her  jewels  and  rings.  The  darkness  of 
the  night,  and  a  dispute  that  arose  among  the  banditti  about  the  division  of  the  booty, 
gave  her  opportunity  of  making  a  second  escape  ,  but  while  she  wandered,  oppressed 
with  hunger  and  fatigue,  another  robber  approached  with  a  drawn  sword ;  her  spirit 
now  proved  her  safety.  She  advanced  towards  the  man,  and  presenting  to  him  the 
young  prince,  called  out  to  him,  "  Here,  friend,  I  commit  to  jou  the  protection  of  the 
.son  of  your  king."  The  man,  perhaps  a  Lancastrian,  reduced  by  necessity  to  this 
course  of  life,  was  affected  with  her  gallant  confidence,  devoted  himself  to  her  service, 
and  concealed  his  royal  charge,  till  he  found  opportunity  of  conveying  them  beyoi  d  the 
reach  of  their  enemies. 

Cross  at  this  place  the  Watling- street,  which  runs  directly  to  Ebchester,  the  ancient 
Vindomana ;  pass  the  Tyne,  on  a  bridge  of  seven  arches,  near  whose  northern  end  is 
Corbridge,  a  small  town,  but  formerly  considerable,  for  Leiand  says,  that  in  his  time 
were  the  names  of  diverse  &t>  •:$.  and  great  tokens  of  old  foundations.  Near  Cor- 
bridge  is  Colchester,  a  station  c  i  ine  of  the  wall«  the  old  Corstopitum  ;  the  Ro- 
man  way  passes  through  it,  and  w.  <ntinued  on  the  other  shore  by  a  bridge,  whose 
ruins  Leiand  was  informed  of  by  tht  tricar  of  the  parish.  Mr.  Horsely  acquaints  us, 
that  even  in  his  time  some  vestiges  were  to  be  seen.*  A  little  above  is  the  small 
stream  of  Corve.f  Leiand,  p.  212,  of  the  second  volume  of  his  Collectanea,  relates, 
that  king  John,  when  he  was  at  Hexham,  caused  great  search  to  be  made  after  a  trea- 
sure he  had  heard  was  hidden  here,  but  to  his  disappointment  found  nothing  but 
stones,  old  brass  wire,  iron,  and  lead.  Abundance  of  antiquary  treasures  have  been 
found  here  since :  among  others,  an  inscription  to  Marcus  Aurelius  Antoninus ;  an- 
other commemorating  a  cohort,  that  made  part  of  the  wall ;  here  is  also  a  figure  of 
Victory,  holding  in  her  hand,  I  think,  a  flag.  But  the  most  curious  antiquities  are  the 
two  Greek  inscriptions^  and  the  silver  plate  found  in  the  adjacent  grounds.  The  in- 
scriptions are  on  two  altars.  The  first  is  mentioned  in  the  former  part  of  this  journey ; 
and  was  erected  by  Pulcher  to  the  goddess  Astartc.  The  other,  in  the  possession  of 
the  duke  of  Northumberiand,  is  adorned  on  one  side  with  a  wreath,  on  .  je  other  with 
an  ox*s  head  and  a  knife ;  and  erected,  as  the  inscription  imports,  by  the  chief  priestess 
Diodora,  to  the  Tyrian  Hercules.:}^ 

The  other  antiquity,  which  is  also  in  his  grace's  cabinet,  is  of  matchless  beauty  and 
rarity:  it  is  a  piece  of  plate,  of  the  weight  of  a  hundred  and  forty-eight  ounces, 
of  an  oblong  form,  twenty  inches  by  fifteen,  ^  with  a  margin  enriched  with  a 
running  foliage  of  vine  leaves  and  grapes.  The  hollow  is  about  an  inch  beneath.  In 
this  is  a  fine  assemblage  of  deities.  Apollo  appears  first,  standing  at  the  door  of  a 
temple,  with  wreathed  pillars,  with  capitals  of  the  leaves  of  Acanthus.  In  one  hand  is 
his  bow,  in  the  other  a  laurel  branch.  His  feet  stand  on  a  sceptre,  and  near  that  his 
lyre  rests  against  one  of  the  columns.  Beneath  him  is  a  sun-flower,  the  emblem  of 
Phoebus,  and  a  griffin,  that  poets  couple  to  his  chariot. 

Ac  si  Phoebus  adest,  et  frenis  grypha  jugalem  .'-'</ 

Riphaeo  tripodas  repetens  distorsit  ab  axe. 

Tunc  sjrlvae,  tec.  Clauoiaj^ « vi.  Cons.  Honorii. 

Vesta  sits  next  to  him,  veiled,  and  clothed  with  a  long  robe ;  her  back  leans  against  a 
round  pillar,  with  a  globe  on  the  top,  and  under  her  the  altar,  flaming  with  eternal  fire. 

•  Itin.  V.  122.  '     t  Ibid, 

t  Horsely,  Northumberland,  p.  346.    Archxiogia,  vol.  ii.  92,  98.  vol.  iii.  324. 
§  This  description  is  borrowed  from  the  learned  Mr.  Ro^r  Gale's  account,  and  the  print  by  Mr.  Wil- 
liam Shafto. 


I 


PENNANT'S  SECOND  TOUIl  IN  SCOTLAND. 


495 


rknesa  of 
le  booty, 
ippressed 
ler  spirit 
him  the 
on  of  the 
y  to  (his 
r  service, 
:yor  d  the 

e  ancient 
:m  end  is 
)  his  time 
iJear  Cor- 

the  Ro- 
le, whose 
laints  us, 
the  small 
I,  relates, 
Ler  a  trea- 
thing  but 
have  been 
inus;  an- 
figure  of 
es  are  the 

The  in- 
b  journey ; 
isession  of 
>ther  with 
if  priestess 

leauty  and 
t  ounces, 
d  with  a 
leath.  In 
loor  of  a 
le  hand  is 
r  that  his 
mblem  of 


.  fi 


loru. 


i  agamst  a 
ernal  fire. 


•yMr.Wil- 


Ceres  stands  next,  with  her  hair  turned  up,  and  tied  behind  ;  over  her  forehead  a 
leaf,  an  emblem  of  vegetation,  and  in  one  hand  a  blunted  spear.  Her  robe  and  atti- 
tude are  elegant.  The  other  hand  points  to  her  neck,  and  passes  through  a  pendent 
fillet,  hangmg  below  her  breast.  Beneath  her  feet,  and  that  of  the  succeeding 
figure,  are  two  ears,  perhaps  of  corn,  but  so  ill  executed,  as  to  leave  the  matter  in 
doubt. 

Minerva  is  pi  ::ed  with  her  back  to  Ceres.  Her  figure  is  by  no  means  equivocal :  her 
helmet,  spear,  shield,  and  the  head  of  Medusa  on  her  breast,  sufficiently  mark  the  god- 
dess. Her  right  hand  is  lifted  up,  as  if  pointing  to  another  figure,  that  of  Diana,  dressed 
and  armed  for  the  chase.  Her  lower  garment  is  short,  not  reaching  to  her  knee  ;  over 
that  flows  a  mantle,  falling  to  the  middle  of  her  legs,  and  hanging  gracefully  over  one 
arm.    Her  legs  dressed  in  buskins  : 

Talia  succincta  pinj^untur  crura  Dianx 
Cum  sequttur  fortes,  fortior  ipsa  feras. 

One  hand  extends  her  bow  towards  Minerva,  the  other  holds  an  arrow  ;  between 
them  is  a  tree,  branching  over  both  of  them,  with  several  birds  perched  on  it ;  among 
them  that  of  Jove,  immediately  over  the  head  of  Minerva,  perhaps  to  mark  her  as  the 
daughter  of  that  deity.  On  the  side  next  to  Diana  is  an  altar,  with  a  small  globular 
body  on  it ;  probably,  as  my  learned  antiquary  imagines,  libamina  ex  farre,  melle  et 
oleo. 

One  leg  of  that  goddess  is  placed  over  a  rock,  on  whose  side  is  an  urn,  with  a  copi. 
ous  stream  flowing  from  it.  The  rock  and  tree  recall  into  Mr.  Gale's  mind  the  address 
of  Horace  to  the  *■  tme  deity  : 

Montium  custos  nemorumque  virgo. 

Between  the  rock  and  the  altar  of  eternal  fire  is  a  grey.hound,  looking  up  to  her,  and 
a  dead  deer  ;  both  belonging  to  this  goddess  of  the  chase. 

Mr.  Gale  imagines  it  to  have  been  one  of  the  lances,  or  sacrificing  plates,  so  often 
mentioned  by  Vir^l,  on  which  were  placed  the  lesser  victims  : 

Dona  ferunt,  cumulantque  oneratis  lancibus  aras. 

Continue  our  ride  by  the  side  of  the  Tyne.  Reach  By  well,  a  small  village,  seated 
in  a  manor  of  the  same  name,  which  Guy  de  Baliol  was  invested  with  by  William  Ru- 
fus,*  and  which  Hugh  de  Baliol  held  afterwards  by  the  service  of  five  knights'  fees, 
and  finding  thirty  soldiers  for  the  defence  of  Newcastle  upon  Tyne,  as  his  ancestors  had 
done  from  their  first  possession.! 

Near  the  village  is  a  handsome  modern  house,  the  seat  of  Mr.  Fenwlck.  A  little  far- 
ther is  a  square  tower,  built  by  the  Nevils,  successors  to  the  Baliols,  which  was  forfeited 
by  the  rebellion  of  the  earl  of  Westmoreland,  in  the  reign  of  queen  Elizabeth.  At 
that  time  it  was  noted  for  a  manufacture  of  bits,  stirrups,  and  buckles,  for  the  use  of  the 
borderers.  At  the  same  time,  such  was  the  unhappy  situation  of  the  place,  that  the  in- 
habitants, through  fear  of  the  thieves  of  Tynedale,  were  obliged  nightly,  in  summer 
as  well  as  winter,  to  bring  their  cattle  and  sheep  into  the  street,  and  to  keep  watch  at 
the  end ;  and  when  the  enemy  approached,  to  make  hue-and-cry  to  rouze  the  people 
to  save  their  property.  %  As  this  was  a  dangerous  county  to  travel  through,  the  te- 
nants of  every  manor  were  bound  to  guard  the  judge  through  the  precincts,  but  no 
farther.  Lord  chief  justice  North  describes  his  attendants  with  long  beards,  short  cloaks, 


*  Dugdale's  Baron,  u  523. 


t  Blount's  Ancient  Tenures,  M. 


i  Wallis,  li.  148. 


n 


496 


PEKNANT'S  SECOND  TOUR  IN  SCOTLAND. 


! 


long  basket-hilted  broad  swords,  hanging  from  broad  belts,  and  mounted  on  Utile  horses, 
so  that  their  legs  und  bwords  touched  the  ground  at  every  turning.  His  lordship  also 
informs  us,  that  the  sheriff  presented  his  train  with  arms,  i.  e.  a  dagger,  knife,  penknife, 
and  fork,  all  together.* 

A  little  beyond  By  well  are  the  piers  of  an  old  bridge.  I  have  been  informed  that 
workmen  have  remarked,  that  these  piers  never  had  any  spring  of  arches,  the  super- 
structure therefore  must  have  been  of  wood.  Two  or  three  miles  farther  is  the  village 
of  Ovinghgin,  in  which  was  a  cell  of  three  black  canons.f  belon^ng  to  the  monasteiy 
of  Hexham,  founded  by  Umfranvil,  baron  of  Prudhow,  the  ruins  of  whose  castle  make 
a  fine  object  on  the  opposite  bunk  of  the  river.  This  family  came  into  England  with 
the  Conqueror,  who  bestowed  on  Robert  with  the  Beard  the  lordship  of  Riddesdale,  to 
lie  held  lor  ever  by  the  service  of  defending  the  country  against  thieves  and  wolves  with 
the  same  sword  with  which  William  entered  Northumberland, (  and  the  barony  of 
Prudhow,  by  the  service  of  two  knights  fees  and  a  half.  Odonel  de  Umfranvil,  in  1174, 
supported  in  this  castle  a  siege  against  William  I,  of  Scotland,  who  was  obliged  to  retire 
irom  before  the  place,  but  probably  not  without  duma^ng  the  castle  ;  for  we  find  this 
same  Odonel  accused  of  oppressing  and  plundering  his  neighbours,  in  order  to  repair 
the  roof.  It  continued  in  the  family  till  the  reign  of  Henry  VI,  when  on  the  death  of 
the  last  it  fell  by  entail  to  the  ^  Tailboys,  a  short-lived  race;  for  on  the  execution  of 
Sir  William,  after  the  battle  of  Hexham,,  it  became  forfeited  to  the  crown.  The  duke 
of  Northumberland  is  the  present  owner ;  his  right  is  derived  from  the  Percies,  who 
possessed  it  for  some  ages  (admitting  a  few  interruptions  from  attainders,  to  wnich  the 
name  was  subject)  but  from  which  they  had  the  merit  of  emerging  with  singular 
honour. 

Ride  for  some  miles  along  the  rail-roads,  in  which  the  coal  is  conveyed  over  to  the 
river,  and  pass  by  numbers  of  coaUpits.  The  whole  road  from  Corbridge  is  the  most 
beautiful  imaginable,  on  the  banks  of  the  river,  which  runs  through  a  narrow  vale,  in- 
closed and  highly  cultivated*  In  some  parts  the  borders  are  composed  of  meadows  or 
corn  fields,  flanked  by  slopes  covered  with  wood.  In  others  the  banks  rise  suddenly 
above  the  water,  cloathed  with  hanging,  groves.  The  country  is  very  populous,  and 
several  pretty  seats  embellish  the  prospects :  the  back  view  to  the  south  soon  alters  to 
barren  and  black  moors,  which  extend  far  into  Durham,  and  are,  as  I  am  informed, 
almost  pathless. 

Reach  Newburn,  a  place  of  note  pu-'cding  the  conquest.  In  these  parts  presided 
Copsi,  created  by  William  earl  of  Northumberland,  after  expelling^ Osulf,  a  governor, 
substituted  by  Morcar,  the  preceding  carl.  Osulf  being  defeated,  and  forced  into, 
woods  and  deserted,  gathered  new  forces,  obliged  Copsi  to  take  refujge  in  the  cburoh^ 
whkh  he  set  on  fire,  sdz'^  him  as  he  shunned  the  flames,  and  cut  off  his  head.  || 

In  the  last  century  this  village  was  infamous  for  the  defeat  of  the  English,  in  1640, 
by  the  Scots,  who  passed  through  the  deep  river  in  the  face  of.our  army,  drawn  on  the 
opposite  bank  ready  to  receive  them.  A  panic  seized  our  forces  and  their  commander ; 
with  this  difference,  the  troops  were  ashamed  of  their  flight,  and  wished  to  repair  their 
disgrace,  and  to  revenge  it  on  a  foe  thathardly  credited  its  own  success {  but  the  timkl 
general,  uninfliienced  by-  the  same  sense  of  honour,  never  afterwacds  turned  hisfaee.ta 
the  enemy.f  ;       , .    . 


*  Life  of  Lord  Keeper  Guildford,  139,  140. 
i  Dugdale's  Baron,  i.  504.  $  Idem,  508. 

f  Clarendon,!.  144.    WMtelook,  35. 


t  Tanner's  Mbnast.  394. 
II  Idemi  first  part  of  tbia  journey. 


PENNANT'S  SECOND  TOUR  IN  SCOTLAND. 


497 


[le  horses, 
Ah\\\p  also 
penknife, 

med  that 
he  super- 
he  village 
monasteiy 
istle  make 
j^and  with 
lesdale,  to 
olves  with 
barony  of 
il,  in  1174, 
;d  to  retire 
find  this 
r  to  repair 
le  death  o£ 
ecution  of 
The  duke 
rcies,  who 
wnicht  the 
h  singular 

)ver  to  the 
is  the  most 
)W  vale,  in- 
meadows  or 
c  suddenly 
lulous,  and 
on  alters  to 
informed, 

:ts  presided 
»  governor, 
forced  into, 
iie  churohj 
ead.||; 

ih,  in  1640, 
rawnoB  the 
>flQmander; 
repur  thra* 
at  the  timid 
1  hisfaee/tot 


jey. 


At  this  place  quit  the  river,  and,  after  asccncliup;  a  b;mk,  reach  the  fine  road  »hat  ex- 
tends fix)m  Carlisle  to  Ncwcaslle,  almost  following;  rhe  course  of  the  wall. 

At  a  mile's  distance  from  Newcastle  pasb  over  the  »ite  of  Condcrcuin,  the  jinHlcrn 
Benwel,  where  several  inscriptions  have  Ijten  found,  prise rvcd  in  Horscly.  The  luosi 
remarkable  is  the  altar,  dedicated  to  Jupiter  DolichcM^l^,  >v  ho  is  supposed  l)y  aniiqua"  ies 
to  preside  over  iron-mines.  *  Opposite  to  this  place  ihi;  Derwent  discharges  itself  into 
the  Tyne. 

Reach  Newcastle,  a  vast  town,  seated  on  the  steep  hanks  of  tlie  coaly  Tync,  the  Vedra 
of  Ptolemy,  joined  by  the  bridge  to  Gateshead,  in  Durhum,  and  appears  as  part  of  it. 
The  lower  streets  and  chares,  or  alleys,  are  extremely  narrow,  dirty,  and  in  j^meral 
ill-built ;  consisting  often  of  brew-houses,  malt-houses,  granaries,  warehouses,  and  cel- 
lars. The  keelmen  chiefly  inhabit  the  suburb  of  Sandgatc  and  the  North  shore,  a  mu- 
tinous race,  for  which  reason  the  town  is  always  garrisoned.  In  the  upper  part  arc  seve- 
ral handsome  streets. 

The  origin  of  this  place  is  evidently  Roman,  like  that  of  many  of  our  great  towns 
and  cities.  This  was  the  Pons  JEAii,  a  station  on  the  line  of  the  wall,  uherc  the  Ro- 
mans had  a  bridge  to  the  opposite  shore.  No  altars  or  inscriptions  arc  extant,  to  prove 
the  name;  a  great  and  populous  town  has  covered  the  ancient  site,  and  destroyed  or 
absorbed  into  it  every  vestige  of  antiquity.  Some  part  of  the  wall,  which  passed  through 
the  space  now  occupied  by  the  present  buildings,  must  be  excepted  ;  for  workmen  have, 
in  the  course  of  dicing  the  foundations  of  new  houses,  struck  on  parts  of  it.  'Inhere 
is  also  shewn  at  Pandon  gate  the  remains  of  one  of  the  ancient  mural  towers  ;  and  at  he 
Carpenter's  tower  was  another.  As  old  as  Pandon  gate,  is  a  common  proverb  in  these 
parts,  which  shews  its  reputed  antiquity.  The  wall  had  passed  from  the  west,  through 
the  Vicarage  gardens,  the  Groat  market,  the  north  part  of  St.  Nicholas's  church,  and 
from  thence  to  Pandon  gate. 

After  the  Romans  had  deserted  this  island,  it  is  not  probable  that  this  station  should 
be  entirely  desolated ;  but  we  know  nothing  relating  to  it  from  that  period,  for  some 
centuries  firom  that  great  event,  besides  a  bare  name;  Monk-chester  ;  which  shews  that 
it  was  possessed  by  the  Saxons,  and  noted  for  being  the  habitation  of  religious  men. 
These  proved  the  victims  to  the  impious  barbarity  of  some  unknown  enemy,  who  ex- 
tirpated throughout  these  parts  every  house  of  devotion.  In  all  Northumberland  their 
was  not  a  monastery  ;  so  that  in  1074,  when  Aldwin,  Alsvin,  and  Remfrid.f  made  there 
holy  visitation  to  this  place,  they  scarcely  discovered  even  a  church  standing,  and  not  a 
trace  of  the  congenial  pietists  they  expected  to  find.  Their  destruction  must  have  been 
early  ;  for  the  venerable  Bede,  who  died  in  735,  takes  no  notice  of  the  place,  though 
he  mentions  Jarrow, I  a  convent,  on  the  southern  side  of  the  Tyne,  not  remote  from  it. 
The  ruin  therefore  of  the  place  cannot  be  attributed  to  the  Danes,  whose  first  invasion 
did  not  take  place  till  after  the  death  of  that  historian. 

It  continued  an  inhabited  place  in  the  year  1080,  when  Robert  Courthose,  son  to 
WiUiam  the  Conqueror,  returning  from  his  expedition  against  Scotland,  halted  here 
with  his  army,  and  then  built  tht  present  tower,  that  goes  by  his  name  ;  and  changed 
at  the  same  time  that  of  Monk-chester  into  Newcastle,  whether  from  the  novelty  of  the 
building,  or  in  opposition  to  some  ancient  fortress,  the  work  of  the  Romans  or  Saxons, 
is  not  certain.  From  this  time  may  be  dated  the  importance  of  the  place ;  for  the  ad- 
vantage of  living  in  thb  border  country,  under  the  security  of  a  fortress,  soon  caused  a 

*  Horsely,  S09.  t  Hollinshed,  iii.  p.  11. 

}  Hist.  Eccl.  lib.  v.  c.  31.  p.  210.  Vita  Cudbercti,  c.  35.  p.  254. 
VOL.  III.  3   s 


498 


PENNANT'S  SECOND  TOUK  IN  SCOTLAND. 


resort  ol'  people.  If  it  is  true  thai  David  1  (who  was  pos5e';'''*d  of  it  as  earl  of  North- 
umberland) tuiinded  here  two  monustericsand  a  nunnery,*  it  was  u  place  of  note  be> 
fore  the  year  1153,  the  time  of  that  prince's  death. 

The  walls  of  Newcastle  are  pretty  entire,  wiih  ramparts  of  earth  within,  and  a  foss 
without.  Leiand  t  informs  us,  that  they  were  biguniiithe  reign  of  Edward  I,  and 
completed  in  that  of  Edward  III.  He  ascribes  the  origin  to  the  misfortune  of  a  rich 
citizen,  who  was  taken  prisoner  by  the  Scots  out  of  the  middle  of  the  town.  On  his 
redemption,  he  endeavoured  to  prevent  for  the  future  a  similar  disaster  ;  for  he  imme- 
diately began  to  secure  his  native  place  by  a  wall ;  and,  by  his  example,  the  rest  of  the 
merchants  promoted  the  work  ;  and  it  appears  that  in  19  Edward  I,  they  obtained  the 
royal  licence  for  so  salutary  an  end.J  The  circuit  of  the  walls  are  rather  more  than 
two  miles  ;  but  at  present  there  are  very  considerable  buildings  on  their  outsides.  All 
the  principal  towers  are  round  :  there  are  gi  iierally  two  machecollated  towers  between 
every  two,  which  project  a  little  over  the  wall. 

Robert's  tower  was  of  great  strength,  square,  and  surrounded  with  two  walls  ;  the 
height  eighty-two  feet;  the  square  on  the  outside  sixty-two  by  fifty-four;  the  walls 
thirteen  feet  thick,  with  galleries  gained  out  of  them  :  within  was  a  cha|)el.  Not  long 
after  the  building  it  was  besieged,  on  the  rebellion  of  Robert  Mowbray  against  William 
Rufus,^  and  taken.  The  town  was  taken  by  treachery  by  the  Scots  in  1135,  or  the 
first  year  of  king  Stephen,  nor  was  it  restored  to  the  English  before  1156,  when,  at 
Chester,  Malcolm  IV,  ceded  to  Henry  II,  tlic  three  northern  counties.  From  that  time 
neither  castle  or  town  underwent  any  siege,  tilt  the  memorable  one  in  1G44,  when,  after 
a  leaguer  of  two  months,  it  was  taken  by  storm  by  the  Scots,  under  the  earls  of  Callen- 
dar  and  Leven. 

There  were  seven  gates  to  the  city  :  that  of  Pandon,  or  Pampedon,  is  most  remark- 
able, leading  to  the  old  town  of  that  name,  united  to  Newcastle  in  1299.  It  is  said  that 
the  kings  of  Northumberland  had  a  palace  here,  and  that  the  house  was  called  Pandon- 
hall.  II 

This  town  was  frequenUy  the  rendezvous  of  the  English  barons,  when  summoned  on 
any  expedition  against  Scotland ;  and  this  was  also  the  p'^ace  of  interview  between  the 
monarchs  of  each  kingdom  for  the  adjusting  of  treaties.  The  kings  of  England  resided 
at  the  Side,  an  appendage  to  the  castle,  since  called  Lumley-place,  being  afterwards  the 
habitation  of  the  lords  Lumlies.  The  kings  and  nobility  of  Scotland  resided  at  the 
Scotch  inn ;  the  earls  of  N<  irthun^berland  at  a  great  house  of  the  same  name  ;  and  the 
Nevils  had  another,  styled  Westmoreland-place. 

The  religious  houses  were  numerous :  the  most  ancient  was  a  nunnery,  contemporary 
with  the  conquest,!  to  which  Agas,  mother  to  Margaret  queen  of  Scotland,  and  Chris- 
tian her  sister,  retired  after  the  death  of  Malcolm,  at  Alnwick.**  Near  the  dissolution, 
here  were  ten  nuns  of  the  Benedictine  order,  whose  revenues  amounted  but  to  thirty- 
six  pounds  per  annum. 

Poor  as  these  sisters  were,  they  were  more  opulent  than  the  Carmelites,  or  white 
friars,  founded  here  by  Edward  I,  whose  income  amounted  but  to  nine  pounds  eleven 
and  four-pence,  to  support  a  prior,  seven  friars,  and  two  novices,  found  there  at  the 
Reformation.ft 

*  Tanner,  391,  Keith.        t  Leland's  Itinerary,  v.  115.        |  Gardner's  English  Grievances,  c.  iv. 
j  Bourne,  1 10.  II  lb.  134,  138.  H  Tanner,  391.  ••  Leiand's  Collect,  ii.  531. 

H  Bourne  38. 


I'ENNANT'S  SECOND  TOUR  I.V  SCOTLAND. 


49l> 


Li  the  close  of  this  house  was  a  fraternity,  styled  the  hrcthrcii  of  the  penance  of 
Jesus  Christ,  or  the  brethren  of  the  sack,  to  whom  Henry  III,  gave  the  place  called 
the  Calgarth. 

The  Dominicans  had  a  house  founded  by  sir  Peter  Scot,  first  mayor  of  Newcastle, 
and  his  son,  about  the  middle  of  the  13th  century.  At  the  dissolution  here  were  a  prior 
and  twelve  friars.     The  remains  of  this  house  are  engraven  by  Mr.  Grose. 

The  Franciscans,  or  gray  friars,  had  an  establishment  here,  founded  by  the  family 
of  the  Carliols  in  the  time  of  Henry  HI.  In  this  plr.ce  Charles  I,  was  confined,  after  hc 
had  put  himself  into  the  hands  of  his  Scotch  subjects :  part  is  still  remaining,  and,  with 
some  additional  building,  the  residence  of  sir  Walter  Blacket.  The  famous  Duns  Sco- 
tus,  the  Doctor  Subtilis,  was  of  this  house.  He  died  of  an  apoplexy,  was  too  suddenly 
buried,  and  coming  to  life  in  his  tomb,  dashed  out  his  brains  in  the  last  struggle. 

The  monastery  of  Auguslines  was  founded  here  by  a  lord  Ross  of  Werk,  in  the  reign 
of  Edward  I. 

When  the  grievous  distemper  of  the  leprosy  raged  in  these  kingdoms,  the  piety  of  our 
ancestors  erected  asyla  for  those  poor  wretches  who  were  driven  from  the  society  of 
mankind.  Henry  I,  founded  an  hospital  here  for  their  reception  ;  and  fixed  a  master, 
brethren,  and  sisters ;  but  when  this  disease  abated,  the  house  was  appointed  for  the 
poor  visited  with  the  pestilence  ;  a  scourge  that  Heaven  in  its  favour  has  freed  us  from. 
Here  were  besides  four  other  hospitals,  founded  for  the  pious  purposes  of  redeeming 
the  captive,  for  the  reception  of  pilgrims  or  travellers,  for  the  relief  of  distressed  clergy, 
or  the  interring  of  the  poor.  Each  of  these  in  general  the  establishment  of  individuals  : 
our  present  foundations  the  united  charity  of  the  mites  of  multitudes.  How  unequal 
are  the  merits ! 

But  the  more  modern  charities  in  this  town  are  very  considerable :  first,  the  general 
infirmary  for  the  sick  of  the  counties  of  Durham,  Northumberland,  and  Newcastle, 
which,  from  its  institution  to  1771,  has  discharged,  cured,  about  thirteen  thousand 

f)atients.  The  second  is  the  lying-in  hospital,  for  married  women  ;  and  another  charity 
or  the  support  of  those  who  lie-in  at  their  own  houses.  Thirdly,  a  public  hospital,  for 
the  reception  of  lunatics.  Fourthly,  the  keelmens*  hospital,  a  square  building,  with 
cloisters,  founded  in  1702  by  the  poor  keelmen,  who  allowed  a  penny  per  tide  for  that 
purpose.  Besides  these,  are  numbers  of  charity.schools,  and  hospitals  for  the  reception 
of  the  aged  of  both  sexes. 

The  tower  of  St.  Nicholas's  church  is  very  justly  the  boast  of  the  inhabitants.  Its 
height  is  a  hundred  and  ninety.four  feet ;  round  the  top  are  several  most  elegant  pin- 
nacles, from  whose  base  spring  several  very  neat  arches,  that  support  the  lanthorn,  an 
open  edifice,  ornamented  with  other  pinnacles  of  uncommon  lightness.  The  church 
was  originally  founded  in  the  reign  of  Henry  I.  The  tower,  built  in  the  time  of  Henry 
VI,  by  Robert  Rhodes ;  and  on  the  bottom  of  the  belfry  is  an  entreaty  to  pray  for  the 
soul  of  the  founder. 

Tlie  exchange  contiuns  variety  of  apartments,  and  also  the  courts  of  justice  for  the 
town.  The  front  towards  the  river  is  enriched  with  two  series  of  columns,  and  is  of 
the  architecture  of  the  period  of  James  I.  The  builder,  Robert  Trollop,  is  buried  op- 
posite to  it  in  the  church-yard  of  Gateshead.  His  statue  pointing  towards  the  exchanges 
stood  formerly  over  his  grave,  with  these  lines  under  his  ^et : 

Hei   Hes  Robert  Trollop, 
W  he  made  yon  stones  roll-up. 
When  death  took  his  soul*up, 
His  body  filled  this  hole-up. 
3  s  2 


30O 


I'ENNANT'S  SECOND  TOUK  IN  SCOTLAND. 


ill 


Newcastle  is  divided  into  four  parishes,  with  two  chapcU,*  nnd  nbout  a  dozen  meet* 
ing-houscii.  and  is  a  county  containing  a  small  district  of  ten  miles  circuit ;  a  privilege 
hcstowcd  on  it  by  Henry  IV,  rendering  it  independent  of  NorthumlK'rland.  It  firtt 
^cnt  members  to  parliament  in  the  reigu  of  Kdward  I,t  »nd  was  aliio  honoured  with 
the  sword  of  state.  It  is  a  corporation,  governed  i)y  n  mayor,  sheriff,  and  twelve  alder, 
men.  Their  revenues  are  consideruble.  An  annuul  allowance  is  made  to  the  mayor  ol' 
A  thousand  pounds,  besides  a  coach,  furnished  mansion-house,  and  servants  :  he  haa  also 
extra  allowances  for  entertaining  the  judges  on  their  circuit,  who  lodge  at  the  mayor's 
house.  The  sheriff  hus  aUo  a  handsome  allowance  for  u  ixiblic  tuble.  The  rrcripta  of 
the  corporation  in  October  1774  were  2(),360I.  ih.  8d.  the  disbursements  19.4451.  It 
is  reckoned  that  between  this  toun  and  Gateshead  there  arc  thirty  thousand  inhabitants, 
exclusive  of  those  who  live  on  each  side  of  the  river,  adjacent  to  thoete  places. ^  The 
cx^irts  are  very  considerable,  consisting  of  coals,  lead,  glass,  salt,  bacon,  salmon,  and 
gruiding- stones.  Here  are  not  fewer  than  sixteen  glass-houses,  three  sugar-houses, 
great  manutactures  of  steel  and  iron,  besides  those  of  wrought  iron  at  Swalwell,  three 
miles  up  the  river :  als(«  another  of  broad  and  narrow  woollen  cloth,  which  is  carried 
on  with  great  success,  and  not  fewer  than  thirty  thousand  firkins  of  butter  arc  annually 
sent  abroad  ;  and  of  tallow,  forty  thousand  hundreds. 

The  great  export  of  this  place  is  coal,  for  whicli  it  has  been  noted  for  some  centuries. 
It  is  not  exactly  known  ut  what  time  that  species  of  fuel  was  first  dug:  it  is  probable 
that  it  was  not  very  early  in  general  use.  'I'hat  the  Romans  sometimes  made  use  of  it 
appears  in  our  former  volume;  but  since  wood  was  the  fuel  of  their  own  country,  and 
Britain  was  over-run  with  forests,  it  was  not  likely  that  they  would  pierce  intotlie  bowels 
of  the  earth  for  u  less  grattful  kind.  But  it  was  exported  to  foreign  parts  long  before 
it  was  in  use  in  London ;  for  London  likewise  had  its  neighbouring  forests.  We  find 
that  in  1234  Henry  111,  confirms  to  the  good  people  of  Newcastle  the  charter  of  his 
father,  king  John,  granting  them  the  privilege  of  digging  coals  in  the  C^stle*moor,  and 
converting  them  to  their  own  profit,  m  aid  of  their  fee-farm  rent  of  a  hundred  a  year;^ 
which  moor  was  afterwards  granted  to  them  in  property  by  Edward  HI.  The  time  of 
the  first  exportation  of  coals  to  London  does  not  appear.  In  1307,  35  Edward  I» 
they  were  considered  in  the  capital  as  a  nuisance ;  for  on  the  repeated  complaints  of 
prelates,  nobles,  commons  of  parliament,  and  inhabitants  of  London,  against  the  stench 
and  smoke  of  coals  used  by  brewers,  dyers,  and  other  artificers,  the  king  issued  out 
his  proclamation  against  the  use  of  them ;  which  being  disregarded,  a  commission  of 
oyer  and  terminer  was  issued,  to  punish  the  disobedient  with  fines  for  the  first  offence, 
and  for  the  second,  by  the  destruction  of  their  furnaces.||  In  1379  we  find  that  their 
use  was  not  only  tolerated,  but  their  consumption  made  beneficial  to  the  state  ;  for  in 
that  year  a  duty  of  sixpence  per  ton  each  quarter  of  a  year  was  imposed  on  ships  coming 
from  New-castle.^  In  1421  the  trade  became  so  important  as  to  engage  the  regula- 
tions of  government,  and  orders  were  given  about  the  lengths  of  the  keels,  so  that  the 
quantity  of  coal  might  be  ascertained.  From  that  period  the  commerce  advanced  con> 
tinually.    The  present  state  may  be  collected  from  the  following  view  of  the  shipping: 

*  If  Gateshead  is  included,  five  parishes  and  four  cliapels.     t  Willis,  iii.  95.     )  Hutton's  Map.  1773. 

$  Anderson's  Hist. of  Commercei  i.  Ill,  188.  Henry  HI,  among  other  pririleges, g^ranted  by  charter 
to  the  merchants  of  Newcastle  and  their  heirs,  that  no  Jew  should  stay  or  dwell  in  their  town.  Madox, 
Hist.  Lxch.  vol. ;.  edition  1769,  p.  259. 

II  btow's  ChiDH.  209.    Prynne  on  Coke's  Institute^  182.  f  Fccdera,  vii.  230. 


PlNNANrS  lECONO  TOUU  IN  SCOTLAND 


501 


Ships. 

3585 

363 

Tot.  3948 


Tons. 
689,090 
49.1J4 

738,214 


Chaldr.  coals. 
330,200 
21,600 


Cwt.  lead. 

123,370  coast  trade. 
30  (X)4  foreign  purli. 


351,890 


153,4J4.» 


There  are  about  twenty- four  considerable  collieries,  which  lie  at  diffrrcnt  distances, 
from  five  to  eighteen  miles  from  the  river.  The  coal  is  brought  down  in  waggons 
along  rail  roads,  and  discharged  from  certain  covered  places  called  Smiths,  built  at  the 
edge  of  the  water,  into  the  keels  or  boats,  which  have  the  advantage  of  the  tidu  flowing^ 
five  or  six  miles  above  the  town. 

These  boats  are  strong,  clumsy,  and  oval,  and  carry  twenty  tons  a-piece.  About  four 
hundred  and  fifty  are  constantly  employed :  they  are  sometimes  navigated  with  a  stiuure 
sail,  but  generally  by  two  very  large  oars :  one  on  the  side,  plied  by  a  man  and  a  boy ; 
the  other  at  the  stem,  by  a  single  man,  serving  both  as  oar  and  rudder.  Most  of  these 
keels  go  down  to  Shields,  a  port  near  the  mouth  of  the  river,  about  ten  miles  from 
Newcastle,  where  the  large  ships  lie ;  for  none  exceeding  between  three  and  four  hun- 
dred tons  can  come  up  as  high  as  the  town.  I  must  not  omit  that  the  imports  of  this 
place  arc  very  considerable.     It  appears  th;it,  in  1771, 

810  ships,  carrying  77,880  tons,  from  foreign  parts, 
140  18,650  coasting  trade. 


950 


96,530 


were  entered  at  this  port ;  and  that  the  customs  for  coal  amounted  to  41,0001.  per  annum, 
besides  the  15,0001.  paid  to  the  duke  of  llichmond,  at  one  shilling  per  chaldron  on  all 
sent  coastways. 

Leave  Newcastle,  and  cross  the  Tyne  in  the  ferry-boat.  Midway  have  a  full  view  of 
the  ruins  of  the  bridge,  and  of  the  destruction  made  by  the  dreadful  flood  of  November 
1771,  which  bore  down  four  arches,  and  twenty-two  houses,  with  six  of  the  inhabitants  : 
one  of  the  houses  remained  for  a  time  suspended  over  the  water ;  the  shrieks  of  the 
devoted  inmates  were  for  a  long  space  heard,  without  the  possibility  of  affording  them 
relief. 

This  bridge  was  of  stone,  and  had  stood  above  five  hundred  years.  It  consisted  first 
of  twelve  arches,  but  by  the  contraction  of  the  river  by  the  quays  on  the  northern  side, 
was  reduced  to  nine.  The  houses  on  the  bridge  were  generally  built  at  distances  from 
each  other.  About  the  middle  vas  a  handsome  tower,  with  an  iron  gate,  used  by  the 
corporation  for  a  temporary  prisoi.  At  die  south  end  was  (formerly)  another  tower, 
and  a  draw-bridge. 

By  the  ancient  name  of  the  station  on  the  northern  bank.  Pons  JEVu,  it  is  evident 
that  there  had  been  a  bridge  here  in  the  time  of  the  Romans ;  and  I  am  informed  that 
there  are  still  vestiges  of  a  road  pointing  directly  to  it  from  Chester-le-street.  I 
cannot  help  thinking  that  part  of  the  Roman  bridge  remained  there  till  very  lately  ;  for, 
from  the  observation  of  workmen  upon  the  old  piers,  those,  as  well  as  the  piers  of  the 
bridge  at  By  well,  seem  originally  to  have  been  formed  without  any  springs  for  arches. 
This  was  a  manner  of  building  used  by  the  Romans ;  witness  the  bridge  built  over  the 
Danube  by  Trajan,  f  at  Severin,  twenty  Hungarian  miles  from  Belgrade,  whose  piers  I 

*  Mutton's  Map,  1773  t  Brawn's  TrsTeltj  3.  Montikucoiii  Antiq.  it.  part  3.  p.  185.  tab.  cxf. 

Drown,  by  mistake,  attributes  it  to  Adrian. 


■^^ 


^ji 


PKNNANT'8  SftCONO  TOUR  W  ICOTLANa 


believe  Mill  exist.*  Adrian  \vii«.  nrobably  «1k  founder  of  the  bridp^e  at  Newcastle,  which 
was  culled  after  hit  family  name  runn  AXu,  in  theHunie  niannei  ai  Jiru^.ileni  ua.  ->i)Ud 
/Klia  Capitolin.i,  and  the  ^anlc>  he  instituted  :u  Pincum,  in  Mwii,  /Eliana  PniceM!>ia. 
'1  he  coins  dineuvered  on  pulling  down  hume  of  tiie  piert,  in  1774,  coiilinn  ni)  opinion. 
Several  were  discovered,  but  only  three  or  four  rescued  from  thi  hand,  of  the  workmen. 
All  of  thcin  ure  cuius  posterior  to  the  time  of  Adrian,  probably  deposited  there  in  some 
atcr  repairs.  One  is  a  beautiful  Fuustnia  the  elder,  ancr  her  deification  :  her  forehead 
lis  bound  with  u  small  tiaru;  her  hair  full,  twisted,  and  dressed  u  la  moderne  ;  round  is 
inscribed  "  Uiva  Faustina.'*  On  the  reverse  is  Ceres,  with  u  torch  in  one  hand,  and 
curs  of  corn  in  the  other  :  the  inscription,  *'  Augusta,  S.  C.*' 

'I'he  next  has  the  luurcatcd  head  of  Antoninus  Pius.  On  the  reverse,  Apollo,  with 
a  patera  in  one  hand,  a  plectrum  in  the  other  ;  the  legend  so  much  defaced  as  to  be 
illegible. 

The  third  is  of  Lucius  Verus  (like  that  of  Faustina,  after  consecration.)  On  the  re- 
verse  is  a  magnificent  funeral  pile,  and  the  word,  "  Consecratio,  S.  C.*' 

The  original  superstructure  of  this  bridge  was  probably  of  wood,  like  that  over  tltc 
Danube  ;  and  continued,  made  with  the  same  material,  tor  ticveral  centuries.  Notice 
is  taken  of  it  in  the  reign  of  Uichard  I,  when  Philip  Poictiers,  bishop  of  Durham*  gave 
licence  to  the  burgesses  of  Gateshead  to  give  wood  to  whomsoever  they  pleased,  to  be 
N]x-nt  about  the  river  Tyne  ;  which  is  supposed  to  mean  in  the  repairs  of  the  bridge  and 
quay  on  the  part  Ix^longing  to  Durham  ;  for  one  third  belongs  to  the  bishop,  and  two 
to  the  town  :  so  that,  after  it  was  destroyed  in  1248  by  a  furious  fire,  the  bishop  ant 
the  town  united  in  the  expence  of  building  the  stone  bridge,  of  which  this  calamity  was 
the  origin.  The  prelate  (Walter  Kirkham)  had  the  ndva  *agc  in  this;  for,  armed 
with  spiritual  powers,  he  issued  out  indulgencies  from  all  penances  to  every  one  that 
would  assist  either  with  money  or  labour.  The  town  also  applied  to  other  bishops  for 
their  assistance  in  promoting  so  good  a  work  ;  and  they,  in  consequence,  granted  their 
indulgencies  :  but  then  the  clergy  of  the  north  were  directed  by  their  archdeacon,  to 
prefer  the  indulgencies  of  their  own  prelate  to  any  other.  In  the  end  both  parties  suc- 
ceeded, and  the  money  raised  was  given  to  Laurcntius,  master  of  the  bridge. 

'J-he  boundaries  of  the  bridge  were  strictly  preserved.  Edward  III,  by  writ,  1334, 
forbids  the  mayor  and  sherifls  of  Newcastle  to  suifer  their  ships  to  lie  on  the  southern 
side.  And  several  other  proofs  rnay  be  brought  of  die  strict  observance  of  these  rights 
of  the  bishop.     By  the  calamity  of  November  17ih,  1771,  this  part  of  the  bridge  was 

*  Severiii  is  a  ruincil  place,  a  few  miles  above  the  remains  of  Trajan's  bridge)  which  are  slill  existing, 
about  five  English  miles  below  Demirkapl,ur  the  Iron  date.  This  is  a  narrow  passage  in  the  Danube.  A 
quarter  of  an  hour's  walk  from  these  remains  U  an  old  ruined  castle  on  the  northern  shore ;  and  the  next 
place  below  it  is  called  Tcherni-gracI,  or  Mauro-castro.  Count  Marsigli,  Topogr.  Oanub.  torn.  ii.  p.  33. 
t.  X.  mentions,  that  the  river  at  the  place  is  not  quite  1000  yards  wide,  and  that  the  piers  can  be  seen  at 
low  water  only  ;  the  distance  of  the  two  first  of  them  is  of  seventeen  fathoms  and  a  half,  and  supposing  all 
the  others  to  be  equi-distant,  there  must  have  been  twenty*threc  in  all.  The  masonry  seems  to  consist  of  a 
strong  cement  and  a  number  of  pebbles,  faced  with  bricks  ;  and  he  observed  several  ranges  of  square  holes, 
which  probably  were  practised  m  the  piers  for  the  insertion  of  oak-timbent  to  form  the  bridge  upon,  which 
had  not  the  least  springs  for  arches.  Captain  de  Schad,  in  tht  Austrian  service,  who  in  the  year  1740  na- 
vigated down  the  Danube,  in  the  retinue  of  the  ambassador  to  the  Porte,  and  count  Uhlefeld,  saw  these 
low  piers  of  Trajan's  bridge,  near  'I'chernetz,  probably  the  same  place  with  the  above-mentioned  Tcher- 
nt-grad,  and  thought  them  to  be  of  free-stone.  Topowitch  Enquiries  on  the  Sea,  p.  303  and  24 1 .  Nicholas 
Ernst  Klceman,  a  merchant,  found  these  piers  still  existing  in  the  year  1768  ;  but  thinks  the  work  looked 
more  like  rocks  washed  out  by  the  stream  than  like  piers;  tliough  he  confesses  to  have  seen  some  masonrjr 
upon  the  northern  shore,  consisting  of  brick  and  freestone,  joined  by  a  mortar  as  hard  as  the  stones 
themselves.    N.  £.  Kleeman's  Journey  through  Crira  Tartary  and  Turkey,,  176S— 1770. 


■•■••>■<»' 


rKNNANT'S  5li:C0NU  TOIUi  IN  tCUTl.ANll 


50J 


greatly  damaged.  An  act  wn»  therefore  pniiHcd  this  year,  tr)  ciuhU'  the  present  hiNliop, 
and  hiH  micces^iors,  to  niihc  u  stum  of  money  by  unnuitieii  Kpial  to  the-  purpotc.  CroM 
the  water,  and  land  in  the  hi^hopriek  of  Durham. 

(Inter  Gutesheud ;  u  consiidc  ruble  pluce,  built  ofi  the  hteep  hanks  of  the  soiuhcrn  ^i(lc 
of  the  river,  containing  about  five  hundred  und  fifty  nouMs.  Camden  supposes  it  to  liuvc 
been  the  ancient  Gabrosentuni,  und  it  a'titified  part  of  the  name  in  iti  preitent  Goatshead, 
as  if  derived  from  the  Uritish  (i.Jr,  b  goal.  Mr.  Hofhely  justly  imii^;ineH  thin  place  to 
have  Ixen  too  near  to  Pons  /tUi  for  the  Uoman:t  to  have  anoilur  station  lure,  therefore 
rcmovcft  it  to  Drumbur^h.  It  upiK'urs  to  me  to  have  been  very  little  altered  from  the 
old  Saxon  nam'.-  Gcat!>-hcvod  ;  or,  llic  head  of  the  road  :  and  that  it  was  so  styUd,  from 
being  the  head  of  the  Uoiiian  military  way  which  those  new  invaders  found  thcic. 

It  was  a  place  eminent  for  ecclebiaiiticul  antiquity.  Dedc  mentions,  under  the  year 
653,  Uttan,  brother  of  Adda,  who  hud  been  abbot  of  a  rnonustery  here  *  but  no  re. 
liqucs  of  it  now  exist.  Here  are  the  rains  of  a  beautiful  chapel,!  belonging  o  an  liotpi- 
tal  dedicated  to  St.  Edmund,  where  four  cluiplainrj  were  ap|x>iiitcd.  The  foiii^der 
was  Nicholas  Farnhani,  bishop  of  Durham,  about  the  year  1247.  In  the  reign  of  Henrv 
VI,  it  was  grunted  to  the  nuns  of  St.  Bartholomew,  in  Newcastle,  and  in  that  of  Kd. 
ward  VI,  to  the  mayor  und  burgcbses  of  Newcastle.  Here  was  be&ides  another  hospital, 
dedicated  to  the  Holy  Truv.y,  in  the  beginning  of  the  reign  of  Henry  HI,  to  which 
Henry  de  Ferlinton  gave  a  farm,  to  iiu'l  a  chaplain,  und  maintain  three  poor  men.  This 
was  re-founded  by  James  I,  ui  1610. 

Hugh  Pudsey  grunted  to  the  burgesses  of  Gateshead,  liberty  of  forestage,  on  paving  a 
small  acknowledgment.  Edward  VI,  unnexed  this  place  to  Newcastle  ;  but  his  suc- 
cessor Mary  restored  it  again  to  the  church  of  Durham. 

Passover  a  barren  common,  full  of  coal-pits ;  then,  through  a  rich  country,  inclosed- 
and  mixed  with  wood.  Descend  into  a  rich  hollow  ;  reach  the  small  town  of  Chester-le- 
street,  the  Cuneacestre  of  the  Saxons :  a  small  town,  with  a  good  church  and  fine  s]iire. 
Within  are  ranged,  in  nice  order,  a  complete  series  of  monuments  of  the  Lumley  family, 
from  the  founder  Ltulphus,  down  to  John  lord  Lumley,  why  collected  them  from  old 
monasteries,  or  caused  them  to  be  made  a  new,  and  obtained,  in  1594,  a  licence  from 
Tobias  Matthews,  bishop  of  Durham,  for  placing  them  there.  0\ereach  is  an  inscrip. 
tion,  with  their  names  or  history.  The  most  remarkable  is  that  of  Liulphus,  un  Anglo- 
Saxon  of  distinction,  who,  during  the  distractions  that  reigned  on  the  conquest,  retired 
to  these  parts,  and  became  so  great  a  favourite  with  Walcher,  bishop  of  Durham,  as  to 
n»!sr  the  envy  of  his  chaplain  Lcofwin,  who  villainously  caused  Liulphus  to  be  murdered, 
by  one  Gilbert,  in  his  house  near  Durham.  The  bishop  lay  under  suspicion  of  conniv< 
ing  at  the  horrid  deed.  The  friends  of  Liulphus  rose  to  demand  justice  :  they  obtained 
an  interview  with  the  bishop  at  Gateshead ;  but  the  prelate,  instead  of  giving  the  desired 
satisfaction,  took  refuge  in  the  church  with  the  two  offenders.  On  which  the  enraged 
populace,  first  sacrificing  Gilbert  and  the  bishop,  set  the  church  on  fire,  and  gave  the 
des^ved  punishment  to  the  original  contriver  of  the  mischief. 

In  the  Saxon  times  Chester-le-street  was  greatly  respected,  on  account  of  the  reliques 
of  St.  Cuthbert,  deposited  here  by  bishop  Earduff,  for  fear  of  the  Danes,  who  at  that 
time  (about  884)  ravaged  the  country.  His  shrine  became  afterwards  an  object  of 
great  devotion.  King  Athelstan,  on  his  expedition  to  Scotland,  paid  it  a  visit,  to  obtain, 
by  intercession  of  the  saint,  success  on  his  arms  ;  bestowed  a  multitude  of  gifts  on  the 
church,  and  directed,  in  case  he  died  in  his  enterprise,  that  his  body  should  be  interred 


*  Lib. Mi. c.  SI. 


)  Engraven  by  Mr.  Grose. 


504 


PENNANT'S  SECOND  TOUR  IN  SCOTLAND. 


there.  1  must  not  o\r\i*.  that  at  the  same  time  that  this  pluce  was  honoured  with  the 
remains  of  St.  Cuthhcrt,  the  bishopric  of  Lindesfarn  was  removed  here,  and  endowed 
with  all  the  lands  between  the  Tyne  and  the  Were,  the  present  county  of  Durham.  It 
was  styled  St.  Cuthbcrt's  patrimony.  The  inhabitants  had  great  privileges,  and  always, 
(bought  themselves  exempt  from  all  military  duty,  except  that  of  defending  the  body  of 
their  saint.  The  people  of  the  north  claimed  this  exemption,  on  account  of  their  being 
under  a  cDntmual  necessity  of  defending  the  marches,  and  opposing  the  incursions  of 
'he  Scots.  The  same  excuse  was  pleaded  by  the  town  of  hlewcastle  for  not  sending 
ii'.embers  to  parliament.  Rymer*  produces  a  discharge  from  Henry  III,  to  Robert 
bishop  of  Durham,  Peler  de  Brus,  and  others,  of  having  performed  the  military  service 
t.'iey  owed  the  king,  for  forty  days,  along  with  his  son  Edward.  "X'hey,  with  the  rcat  of 
this  northern  tract,  asserted  that  they  were  Hali-werke  folks,  that  hey  were  enrolled  for 
holy  work  ;  thi:t  they  held  their  lands  to  defend  the  body  'S  *hy)  saint ;  and  those  in 
particular  in  his  neighbourhood  were  not  bound  to  march  beyond  the  confines  of  their 
country.  In  fact,  Chester-le-street  was  parent  of  the  see  of  Durham  ;  for  when  the  re- 
liques  were  removec'  there,  the  see,  in  995,  followed  them.  Tanner  says,  that  probably 
a  chapter  of  monks,  or  rather  secular  canons,  attended  the  body  at  this  place  from  its 
first  arrival ;  but  bishop  Beke,  in  1286,  in  honour  of  the  saint,  made  the  church  colle> 
giate,  and  establbhed  here  a  dean,  and  suitable  ecclesiastics ;  and.  among  other  privi- 
leges, gives  the  dean  a  right  of  fishing  on  the  Were,  and  the  tythe  of  fish.f 

At  a  small  distance  from  the  town,  stands  Lumley .castle,  the  ancient  seat  of  the  name. 
It  is  a  square  pile,  with  a  court  in  the  middle,  and  a  square  tower  at  each  corner ;  is  mo- 
dernized into  an  excellent  house,  and  one  of  *'ie  seats  o^  the  earl  of  Scarborough.  It 
is  said  to  h^ive  been  built  in  the  time  of  Edward  I,  by  sir  Robert  de  Lumley,  and  en- 
larged by  his  son  Sir  Marmaduke.  Prior  to  that,  the  family  residence  was  at  Lumley, 
(from  whence  it  took  the  name)  a  village  a  mile  south  of  the  castle,  where  are  remains 
of  a  vcvy  old  hall-house,  that  boasts  a  greater  antiquity.  The  former  was  not  pro- 
perly castellated,  till  the  year  1392,  when  sir  Ralph  (the  first  lord  Lumelyf  obtained 
from  Richard  II.  *'  Licentiam  castrum  suum  de  Lomley  de  novo  aedificandum,  maro 
de  petra  et  calce  buiellare  et  kernellare  et  castrum  illud  sic  batellatum,  et  kemellatum 
tencre,  &cc."  This  sir  Ralph  was  a  faithful  adherent  to  his  unfortunate  sovereign,  and 
lost  his  life  in  his  cause,  in  the  insurrection,  in  the  year  1400,  against  the  usurping 
Henry.  There  are  no  dates,  except  one  on  a  square  tO'  'cr ;  I.  L.  1570,  when,  I  pre- 
sume, it  was  re-built  by  John  lord  Lumley. 

The  house  is  a  noble  repository  of  portraits  of  persons  eminent  in  the  sixteenth  cen> 
tury. 

The  brave,  impetuous,  presuming,  Robert,  earl  of  Essex,  appears  in  full  length, 
drcijsed  in  black,  covered  with  white  embroidery.  A  romantic  nobleman,  of  parts  with 
out  discretion ;  who  fell  a  sacrifice  to  his  own  passions,  and  a  vain  dependence  for  safety 
on  tliose  of  an  aged  queen,  doating  with  unseasonable  love ;  and  a  criminal  credulity 
in  (he  insinuation  of  his  foes. 

Sir  Thomas  More ;  a  half  length,  dressed  in  that  plainness  of  apparel  wluch  he  used, 
when  the  dignity  of  office  was  laid  aside :  in  a  furred  robe,  with  a  coarse  capuchin 
oap.  He  was  the  most  virtuous  and  the  greatest  character  of  his  time ;  who,  by  a  cir- 
cumstance that  might  humiliate  human  nature,  fell  a  vicdm  for  a  religious  adherence  to 
his  own  opinion,  after  being  a  violent  persecutor  of  others,  for  firmness  to  the  dictates 
of  iheir  own  conscience.     To  such  inconsistencies  are  the  best  of  mankind  liable  ! 


*  Foedera]  i.  835. 


t  Dugdale,  Mod.  ii.  part  1 1. p.  5. 


hi 


PENNANTS  SECOND  TOUR  KM  SCOTLAND. 


505 


with  the 
endowed 
rham.  It 
always. 
e  body  of 
leir  being 
ursions  of 
>t  sending 
to  Robert 
ry  service 
he  rciit  of 
iroUed  for 
d  those  in 
:s  of  their 
len  the  rc- 
t  probably 
e  from  its 
irch  coUe- 
ther  privi- 

the  name. 
:r;  is  mo- 
rough. 

and  en- 
Lt  Lumley, 
re  remains 
ks  not  prO' 
f  obtained 
lum,  maro 
Lemellatum 
:reign,  and 
ic  usurping 
hen,  I  pre- 

teenth  cen- 

fuU  length, 

parts  with 

ce  for  safety 

lal  credulity 

:h  he  used, 
ie  capuchin 
o,  by  a  cir- 
dherence  to 
the  dictates 
able! 


The  gallant,  accomplished,  poetical  earl  of  Surrey  ;  In  black,  with  a  sword  and  d»tg- 
ger,  the  date  1545.  The  ornament  (says  Mr.  Walpule)  of  a  boisterous,  yet  not  un- 
polished court ;  i  victim  to  a  jealous  tyrant,  and  to  family  discord.  The  articles  al- 
ledged  against  him,  and  his  conviction,  arc  the  shams  of  the  times. 

A  portrait  .fa  lady,  in  a  singular  dress  of  bluck  and  gold,  with  a  red  and  gold  petti- 
coat, dated  1560.  This  is  called  Elizabeth,  third  wife  of  Edward  carl  of  Lincoln,  the 
fair  Geraldine,  celebrated  so  highly  by  the  earl  of  Surrey  ;  but  so  ill-favoured  in  this 
picture,  that  I  must  give  it  to  his  first  wife,  Elizabeth  Blount.  Geraldine  -.vas  the  young 
wife  of  his  old  age.  Her  portrait  at  VVoburn  represents  her  an  object  worthy  the  pen  of 
the  amorous  Surrey. 

Ambrose  Dudley,  earl  of  Warwick,  son  of  the  great  Dudley,  duke  of  Northumber- 
land. His  dress  a  bonnet,  a  furred  cloak,  small  ruff,  and  pendent  George.  This  peer 
followed  the  fortunes  of  his  father,  but  was  received  into  mercy,  and  restored  in 
blood ;  was  created  earl  of  Warwick  by  queen  Elizubeth,  and  proved  a  gallant  and 
faithful  subject.  He  died  in  1589,  and  lies  under  an  elegant  brass  tomb  in  the  chapel 
at  Warwick. 

Sir  William  Peter,  or  Peti-e,  native  of  Devonshire,  fellow  of  All-Souls  college,  and 
afterwards  secretary  of  state  to  four  princes ;  Henry  VHI,  Edward  VI,  Mary  and  Eli- 
zabeth.  His  prudence,  in  maintaining  his  post  in  reigns  of  such  different  tempers,  is 
evident ;  but  in  that  of  Mary  he  attended  only  to  politics  ;  of  Elizabeth,  to  religion.'^ 

The  first  earl  of  Bedford,  engraven  among  the  illustrious  heads. 

A  half-length  of  the  famous  eccentric  physician  and  chemist  of  the  fifteenth  century, 
Philip  Theophrastus  Paracelsus  Bombast  de  Hohenheim  :  on  the  picture  is  added  ulso 
the  title  cf  Aureolus.  The  cures  he  wrought  were  so  very  surprising  in  that  age,  that 
he  was  supposed  to  have  recourse  to  supernatural  aid ;  and  probably,  to  give  greater 
authority  to  his  practice,  he  might  insinuate  that  he  joined  the  arts  medical  and  magical. 
He  b  represented  as  a  very  handsome  man,  bald,  m  a  close  black  gown,  with  both 
hands  on  a  ^reat  sword,  on  whose  hilt  is  inscribed  the  word  Azot.  This  was  the  name 
of  his  famihar  spirit,  that  he  kept  in  prison  in  the  pummel,  to  consult  on  emergent 
occasions.    Butler  humourously  describes  this  circumstance  : 

Bcmbastus  kept  a  devil's  bird 
Shut  in  the  pummel  of  his  swr  .,d  ; 
That  taught  him  all  the  cunning  pranks 
Of  past  or  future  mountebanks.t 

A  head  of  Sir  Anthony  Brown,  a  favourite  of  Henry  VHI,  with  a  bushy  beard, 
bonnet,  and  order  of  the  garter.  He  was  master  of  the  horse  to  that  prince,  and  ap- 
pointed by  I  Im  one  of  the  executors  of  iiis  will,  and  of  the  council  to  his  young  successor. 

Two  fulllengths  of  Jphn  lord  Lt'inley  :  one  in  rich  armour ;  a  gray  beard  ;  dated 
1588,  act  54.  uie  other  in  his  robes,  with  a  glove  and  handkerchief  in  one  hand ;  a 
little  black  scull  cap,  white  beard ;  dated  1591.  This,  I  believe,  was  the  performance 
of  Richard  Stevens,  an  able  sfatuary,  painter,  and  medallist,  mentioned  by  Mr.  Wal- 
pole.} 

This  illustrious  nobleman  restored  the  monuments  that  are  in  the  neighbouring 
church,  was  &  patron  of  learning,  aiid  a  great  collecter  of  books,  assisted  by  his  brother- 
in-law,  Humpmrey  Lhuyd,  the  famous  antiquary.     The  books  were  afterwards  pur- 


*  Prince's  Worthieu  of  Devonshire,  498 
I  Anecd.  Painting,  i.  161. 

VOL*  III. 


t  Hudibras,part  ii.  c.  iii. 


3  T 


506 


I'CNNANT'S  SECOND  TOUH  IN  SCOTLAND 


chased  by  James  I,  and  proved  the  foundation  of  the  royal  library.  Mr.  Granger  says, 
that  they  arc  a  very  valuable  part  of  the  British  Museum. 

His  first  wife,  Jane  Fitzallcn,  daughter  of  the  earl  of  Arundel  ;  in  black  robes,  with 
gloves  in  her  hand.  She  was  a  hdy  of  uncommon  learning,  having  translated,  from 
the  Greek  into  Latin,  some  of  the  oratipns  of  Isocrates,  and  the  Iphigenia  of  Euripides 
into  English.  She  compliments  her  father  highly  in  a  dedication  to  him,  prefixed  to 
one  of  the  orations,  which  begins,  **  Cicero,  pater  honoratissime,  illustris."  She  died 
before  him,  and  was  buried  at  Cheamc  in  Surrey.* 

The  earl  himself,  the  last  of  that  name ;  a  three-quarters  piece.  His  valour  dis- 
tinguished him  in  the  reign  of  Henry  VIH,  when  he  ran  with  his  squadr  n  close  under 
the  walls  of  Boulogne,  and  soon  reduced  it.  In  the  following  reign,  he  opposed  the 
misused  powers  of  the  unhappy  protector,  Somerset ;  and  he  declined  connection  with 
the  great  Northumberland.  He  supported  the  just  rights  of  queen  Mary  ;  was  im- 
prisoned by  the  former,  but  on  the  revolution  was  employed  to  arrest  the  abject  fallen 
duke.  He  was  closely  attached  to  his  royal  mistress  by  similitude  of  religion.  In  his 
declining  years,  he  aimed  at  being  a  husband  to  queen  Elizabeth.f  Had  her  majesty 
deigned  to  put  herself  under  the  power  of  man,  she  never  would  have  given  the  pre- 
ference to  age.  On  his  disappointment,  he  went  abroad  ;  and,  on  his  return,  first  in- 
troduced into  England  the  use  of  coaches4 

A  half  length  of  that  artful  statesman,  Robert  earl  of  Salusbury,  minuter  of  the  last 
years  of  Elizabeth,  and  the  first  of  James  I. 

Thomas  RatclifF,  earl  of  Sussex,  a  full  length ;  young  and  handsome :  his  body  arm* 
ed,  tlie  rest  of  his  dress  white  ;  a  stafi'in  his  right  hand,  his  lefl  resting  on  a  sword ;  on 
a  table  a  hat,  with  a  vast  plume.  This  motto,  "  amando  et  fidendo  troppo,  son  mi- 
nato.*'  This  nobleman  was  a  considerable  character  in  the  reigns  of  Mary  and  Eliza- 
beth  ;  frequently  employed  in  embassies ;  in  both  reigns  deputy  of  Ireland ;  and  in  the 
first,  an  active  persecutor  of  the  Protestants.  He  conformed  outwardly  to  the  religion 
of  his  new  mistress ;  was  appointed  by  her  president  of  the  north,  and  commanded 
against,  and  suppressed,  the  rebellion  of  the  earls  of  Northumberland  and  Westmore- 
land, notwithstanding  he  secretly  approved  the  opinions  they  armed  in  fevour  of. 
He  was  the  spirited  rival  of  Leicester  ;  but  the  death  of  Sussex  left  the  event  of  their 
dispute  undetermined. 

Leicester,  his  antagonist,  is  herd  represented,  in  a  three-quarter  piece«  dated  1587, 
with  the  collar  of  the  garter,  and  a  stafi*  in  his  hand. 

A  fine  full  length  of  the  duke  of  Monmouth,  with  long  hair,  in  armour. 

A  half  length  of  Sir  Nicholas  Carew,  master  of  the  horse  to  Henry  VIII.  There  is 
vast  spirit  in  his  countenance.  In  his  hat  is  a  white  feather  ;  his  head  is  bound  round 
with  a  gbid  stuff  handkerchief.  He  was  beheaded  in  1539,  as  lord  Herbert  says,}  for 
being  (»  council  with  the  marquis  of  Exeter,  a  favourer  ^^  the  dreaded  cardinal  Pole* 
then  in  exile.  During  the  time  of  his  confinement  in  the  tower  he  imbibed  the  senti- 
ments of  the  reformers,  and  died  avowing  their  faith.|| 

Killegrew,  gentleman  of  the  bed-chamber  to  Charles  II,  in  a  red  sash,  with  his  dog. 
A  man  of  wit  and  humour  ;  and  on  that  account  extremely  in  favour  with  the  king. 

A  good  half  length  of  Mr.  Thomas  Windham,  drowned  on  the  coast  of  Guinea,  aged 
i2,  M.  D.  L.  a  robust  figure,  in  green,  with  a  red  sash,  and  gun  in  his  hand. 

*  She  was  dead  before  December  30th,  1579,  as  appears  by  her  father's  will.  Vide  Ballard's  British 
Ladies,  86. 

t  Camden's  Annals.    Kennet,  383.  \  Idem.  $  Hist.  Henry  VIII.  439. 

II  Hollinshead,  946. 


PENNANT'S  SECOND  TOUR  IN  SCOTLAND. 


5o; 


A 


A  three*quarter  length,  unknown,  dated  1596,  aged  43,  dressed  in  a  striped  jacket, 
blue  and  white ;  black  cloak  and  breeches,  wliite  ruff,  gloves  on,  collar  of  the  gan^r. 

Here  are  some  illustrious  foreigners.  A  half  length,  inscribed  Fernandes  dc  Toledo, 
duke  of  Alva,  in  rich  armour,  with  his  baton  ;  short  black  hair  and  beard.  A  great 
officer,  and  fortunate  till  his  reign  of  cruelty.  He  boasted,  that  he  had  caused,  during 
his  command  in  the  Low  Countries,  eighteen  thousand  people  to  perish  by  the  execu- 
tioner. He  visited  England  in  the  train  of  his  congenial  masted  Phillip  II.  I  imagine 
that  this  portrait  was  painted  when  the  duke  was  young ;  for  I  have  seen  one  (sent  mto 
England  by  the  late  Mr.  Benjamin  Keen)  now  in  possession  of  the  bishop  of  Ely,  which 
represents  him  with  a  vast  flowing  white  beard. 

A  three-quarter  length  of  Andrew  Doria,  the  great  Genoese  admiral,  and  patriot. 
He  is  dressed  in  black,  in  a  cap,  a  collar,  with  the  fleece  pendent ;  a  truncheon  in  hiy 
hand,  and  a  dagger  in  his  girdle.     View  of  ships  through  a  window. 

Garcia  Sarmeinta  Cuna;  a  full  length,  in  armour;  a  ruff,  red  stockings,  white 
shoes,  a  cross  on  his  breast,  a  spear  in  his  hand.  He  was  captain  of  the  guard  to 
PhiUpII. 

A  three-quarter  length  of  a  man  in  a  scarlet  robe ;  and  over  his  left  shoulder  a  white 
mantle :  a  scarlet  cap  tied  in  the  middle,  and  open  behind ;  a  narrow  white  ruff;  and  a 
collar  of  the  fleece.  The  scarlet  robe  is  furred  with  white  :  on  it  are  several  times  re- 
peated  the  words.  Ah !  amprins  au  ra  jay  !  Oh  !  had  I  undertaken  it ! 

In  the  hall  is  a  tablet,  with  the  whole  history  of  Liulphus,  and  his  progeny,  inscribed 
on  a  tablet,  surrounded  with  the  family  arms ;  and  round  the  room  seventeen  pictures 
of  his  descendants,  down  to  John  lord  Lumley,  who  seemed  to  have  a  true  veneration 
for  his  ancestors.  Liulphus  appears  again  in  the  kitchen,  mounted  on  a  horse  of  full 
uze  and  with  a  battle.axe  in  his  hand.  When  James  I,  in  one  of  his  progresses,  was  en- 
tertained in  this  castle,  William  James,  bishop  of  Durham,  a  relation  of  the  house,  in 
order  to  give  his  majesty  an  idea  of  the  importance  of  the  family,  wearied  him  with  a 
long  detail  of  their  ancestry,  to  s      riod  even  beyond  belief.     "O  mon,  says  the  king, 

gang  na  farther,  let  me  digest  the  ki  iwledge  I  ha  gained ;  for,  by  mv  saul,  I  did  na  ken 
lat  Adam's  name  was  Lumley". 

A  litde  to  the  left,  midway  between  Ch'^ster-le-street  and  Durham,  lies  Cokcn,  tlie 
seat  of  Mr.  Carr,  a  most  romantic  situation,  bid  out  with  great  judgment;  in  former 
times  the  scene  of  the  savage  austerities  of  St.  Godric.  Before  his  arrival,  here  had 
been  an  ancient  hermitage,  given  before  the  year  1128,  by  Ral  h  Flamb  rd,  bibhop  of 
Durham,*  to  the  monks  of  Durham,  who  permitted  'hat  holy  man  to  make  it  his  re- 
sidence ;  which  he  did,  first  with  his  sister,t  and  after  >Kr  death  entirely  in  solitude. 

Attracted  by  the  fame  of  the  deceased,  who  died  in  1170,  some  monks  of  Durham 
retired  here.  Hugh  Pudsey,  bishop  of  Durham,  made  them  an  allowance,  and  granted 
them  by  charter  many  privileges  ;|  some  call  him  foundc  )f  Finchale,  the  religions 
house  whose  ruins  are  still  con^derable ;  but  Tanner  ves  that  honour  to  his  son 
Henry,  who,  about  the  year  1196,  settled  here  a  prior  and  monks  of  the  Benedictine 
order,  subordinate  to  Durham.  It  maintained,  at  the  dissolution,  a  prior  and  eight 
monks ;  when  it  was  re-granted  to  the  dean  and  chapter,  its  value,  according  to  Dug- 
dale,  was  1221. 15s.  3d. 

Proceed  towards  Durham.  Near  the  city,  on  the  right,  stood  Nevil's  Cross,  erected 
in  memory  of  the  signal  victory  over  David  Bruce  of  Scotland,  in  1346.     The  army  of 

•  Dugdale's  Mnnasti.  512,  where  is  Flambard's  charter.    He  died  in  1128. 
t  Gulielm.  Neubrigiensisjii.  c.  20.  |  Dugdale,  i.  513.  $IU 

3  T  2 


■'f 


508 


PENNANT'S  SECOND  TUUU  IN  SCOTLAND. 


the  Knglish  was  commanded  by  the  two  archbishops  and  three  suffrages,  in  con- 
junction with  some  noble  lay.ofBccrs.  The  action  was  attended  with  great  loss  to  the 
Scots ;  whose  king,  after  shewing  the  utmost  valour,  was  taken  prisoner  by  an  English- 
man  of  the  name  of  Copland. 

After  admiring  the  beautiful  situation  of  the  city  from  an  adjacent  hill,  enter  Dur- 
!mm ;  a  place  of  Saxon  foundation  ;  the  original  name  was  Dun>holme,  from  Dun,  a 
hill,  and  holme,  an  isle,  formed  by  a  river.*  But  it  is  only  a  lolly  narrow  peninsula, 
washed  on  each  side  by  the  Were,  the  Viurus  of  the  venerable  Bede.f  T^  :  city  is 
disposed  on  the  side  of  the  hilt,  and  along  part  of  the  neighbouring  flat,  and  the  build- 
ings in  general  are  very  ancient.  The  approaches  to  it  are  extremely  picturesque, 
especially  that  from  the  south,  through  a  deep  hollow,  finely  clothed  with  trees.  The 
banks  of  the  river  are  covered  with  woods,  through  which  are  cut  numbers  of  walks, 
contrived  with  judgment,  and  ^^ypy  in  the  most  beautiful  and  solemn  scenery.  Thcj 
imjiend  over  the  water,  and  receive  a  most  veiierable  improvement  from  the  castle  and 
ancient  cathedral,  which  tower  far  above. 

This  hill,  till  about  the  year  995,  was  an  errant  desert,  over-run  with  wood,  and  un- 
inhabitable. At  that  period,  the  religious  of  Cuneacestre,  having,  through  fear  of  the 
Danish  pirates,  removed  the  body  of  St.  Cuthbert  to  Rippon,  on  their  return  back, 
when  the  danger  was  over,  met  with  an  admonition,  that  determined  them  to  deposit  it 
in  this  place4  The  corpse  and  the  body  became  suddenly  immoveable:  no  force 
could  draw  it  a  step  farther.  It  was  revealed  to  St.  Eadmer,  that  it  should  be  brought 
to  Durham,  and,  on  that  resolution,  a  slight  strength  removed  it  to  the  destined  spot 
With  the  assistance  of  the  earl  uf  Northumberland,  the  wood  was  soon  cleared  away ; 
a  church  arose  in  honour  of  the  saint,  composed  indeed  of  no  better  materials  than  rods. 
But  this  seems  to  have  been  only  a  temporary  temple,  for  the  whole  country,  flocking 
in,  assisted  in  building  one  of  stone,  which  cost  three  years  labour.  A  provost  ana 
secular  canons  were  established  here ;  these  continued  till  about  the  year  1083,  when 
WilliuiTi  de  Carilepho^  removed  them,  placing  in  their  room  a  prior  and  monks  of 
the  Benedictine  order. 

The  Saxons  of  these  parts,  unwilling  to  submit  to  the  Norman  yoke,  retired  to  this  as 
a  place  of  strength,  and  built  a  fortress,  for  a  time  a  great  annoyance  to  the  conqueror. 
This  they  called  Dunholme.  The  Dun,  or  artificial  hill,  on  which  the  great  tower  ia 
built,  was  of  their  work.  On  the  approach  of  William,  the  Saxons  quitted  their  post. 
He  possessed  himself  of  so  advantageous  a  situation,  at\d  founded  the  castle.  This  f^ter- 
W8*xls  bec'^me  the  residence  of  the  prelates,  and,  by  ancient  custom,  the  keys  were, 
du.iiig  a  vacancy  of  the  see,  hung  over  the  tomb  of  the  tutelar  St.  Cuthbert.  The  am- 
biUous  prelate,  Hugh  Pudsey,  nephew  to  king  Stephen,  repaired  and  re-built  several 
parts,  which,  during  his  time,  had  sufiered  by  fire.||  Hatfield,  a  munificent  prelate  in 
the  reign  of  Edward  HI,  restored  such  parts  as  he  found  in  ruins,  re-built  the  great 
hall,  and  that  belonging  to  the  constable,  and  added  a  great  tower,  for  the  farther  se- 
curity of  the  place.ir  To  the  mild  and  amiable  Tunstal  is  owing  the  magnificent  gate, 
the  chapel,  and  some  adjacent  buildings  ;**  and  to  bishop  Cosins,  the  first  prekite  of  the 
see  after  the  restoration,  the  present  beauty  and  magnificence  of  the  place,  after  the 
cruel  liavock  made  here  by  the  brutal  Haselrig. 

*  Camden,  ii.  946.  fEccl.  Hist,  lib.iv.  c.  18. 

}  Mist,  of  the  Cathedral  of  Durham,  annexed  to  Dugdale's  St.  Paul,  p.  64. 

§  btevens's  Contin.  Oug^ale,  vol.  i.  350.  ||  Mr.  Allan. 

5  Hist.  Cath.  Durham,  Dugdale,79.  **  Goodwin,  )39. 


PENNANTS  SECOND  TOUR  IN  SCOTLAND. 


509 


tn  con- 
sto  the 
ilngUah' 

er  Dur- 

Dun,  a 
tninsula, 
city  is 
build- 
lueaque, 
B.  The 
f  walks, 
Tbej 
stle  and 

ind  un- 
irof  the 
m  back, 
eposit  it 
no  force 
brought 
ted  spot 
d  away; 
lan  rods, 
flocking 
vost  and 
i3,  when 
nonks  of 

to  this  as 
>nqueror. 
tower  ia 
leir  post, 
'his  ^ler- 
sys  were, 
The  am- 
It  several 
>relate  in 
the  great 
irther  se- 
en! gate, 
ate  of  the 
after  the 


The  city,  or  rather  the  precincts  of  the  abbey  and  castle,  were  surrounded  with  a  wall, 
by  Ralph  Flambard,^  in  the  beginning  of  the  reign  of  Henry  I.  The  admission  was 
through  three  gateways ;  FraniwelUgute,  at  the  head  of  a  bridge  of  the  same  name ; 
Claypath-gate,  near  the  market-place ;  and  the  Water-gate,  beneath  die  end  of  the 
Prebendaries'  Walk.  I  do  not  find,  that  at  any  time  the  strength  of  the  place  was  ever 
tried  by  a  uege. 

The  cathedral  stands  below  the  castle.  It  was  begun  in  1093,  by  William  dc  Cari. 
lephoj  bishop  of  the  diocese,  who  pulled  down  the  old  church,  built  by  Aldwin.  In 
this  work  he  was  assisted  by  Malcolm  I,  of  Scotland,  and  Turgot,  the  second  prior,  and 
his  monks ;  who,  at  their  own  expence,  and  at  the  same  time,  made  their  own  cells, 
and  other  conveniences  for  the  monastery. 

Ralph  Flambard,  successor  to  Carilepho,  had  the  honour  of  completing  this  superb 
structure,  with  exception  of  certain  adaitions,  such  as  the  Galilee,  f  which  was  built  by 
bishop  Pudsey ;  the  stone  roof,  which  was  done  by  bishop  Famham,  in  the  time  of 
Henry  IK.  Bishop  Skirlaw,  in  the  reign  of  Richard  II,  built  the  cloisters ;  prior  Fossor 
beautified  it  with  several  fine  windows,  and  enriched  both  the  church  and  convent  with 
variety  of  new  works ;  and  prior  Walworth  fini'^hed  whatsoever  his  pious  predecessor 
was  prevented  by  death  from  bringing  to  a  cone!  usion.  X 

The  revenues  of  this  house,  at  the  dissolution,  are  estimated  by  Dugdale  at  13661. 
10s.  5d.  by  Speed  at  16161.  14s.  lOd.  The  value  of  the  bishoprick,  at  that  time, 
28211.  Is.  5d.  dear.^  The  reader  b  referred  to  Willis's  History  of  Cathedrals,  i.  222. 
for  the  establishment  and  its  revenue  after  that  period. 

This  magnificent  pile  b  411  feet  long,  the  breadth  near  80,  the  cross  aisle  170;  over 
its  centre  rises  a  lofty  tower,  reckoned  223  feet  high,  ornamented  on  th«  outside  with 
Gothic  work  ;  at  the  west  end  are  two  low  towers,  once  topt  with  two  spires,  covered 
with  lead.  In  the  inside  is  preserved  much  of  the  clumsy,  yet  venerable,  magnificence  of 
the  eariy  Norman  style.  The  pillars  are  vast  cylinders,  twenty-three  feet  in  circum- 
ference ;  some  adorned  with  zig-zag  furrows,  others  with  lozenge-shaped,  with  nar- 
row ribs,  or  with  spiral ;  the  arches  round,  carved  with  zig-zag ;  above  are  two  rows 
of  galleries,  each  with  round  arches  or  openings. 

A  row  of  small  pilasters  run  round  the  ddes  of  the  church,  with  rounded  arches  in- 
tersecting each  other.     The  windows  are  obtusely  pointed. 

Between  two  of  the  pillars  are  the  mutilated  tombs  and  figures  of  Ralph  and  John 
lord  Nevil.  Excepting  Richard  de  Bentardcastre,  who  in  1370  erected  a  shrine  in 
honour  of  Bede,  these  seem  to  have  been  the  only  laity  admitted  into  this  holy  ground 
in  the  earlier  times. 

Ralph  died  in  the  year  1347,  and  was  the  first  secular  that  was  buried  in  this  cathe- 
dral :  hb  body  was  conveyed  in  a  chariot  drawn  by  seven  horses  as  far  as  the  church, 
yard,  then  carried  on  the  shoulders  of  knights  into  the  middle  of  the  church :  where 
the  abbot  of  St.  Mary's  at  York,  in  the  absence  of  the  bishop,  or  illness  of  the  prior, 
performed  the  funeral  office ;  at  which  were  ofifered  eight  houses,  four  for  war,  with 
four  men  armed,  and  four  for  peace ;  and  three  cloths  of  gold  interwoi'en  with  flowers. 
His  son  John  de  Nevil  redeemed  four  of  the  horses,  at  the  price  of  a  hundred  marks. 
But  this  favour  was  not  done  gratis  by  the  holy  men  of  the  place.  Ralph  had  pre- 
sented them  with  a  vestment  of  red  velvet,  richly  embroidered  with  gold,  silk,  great 
pearls,  and  images  of  saints,  dedicated  to  St.  Cuthbert.  His  widow  also  sent  to  the 
sacrist  a  hundred  and  twenty  pounds  of  silver,  for  the  repairs  of  the  cathedral,  and 


Goodwin,  112. 


t  Ibid.  114. 


t  StevenS)?.  152. 


$  Tanner,  111. 


.')10 


PENNANT'S  SECOND  TOUR  IN  SCOTLAND. 


several  rich  vestments  for  the  performance  of  the  sacred  offices.^  This  was  the  noblemun 
who  wns  so  instrumental  in  gaining  the  victory  of  Nevil'b  Cross. 

His  son  John  had  also  his  merits  v^ith  the  pietists  of  this  church  ;  for,  by  the  mag* 
nificcnl  oficringh  he  mjde  at  the  funeral  of  his  first  wife,  and  by  some  elegant  and  ex< 
pensive  work  beneath  the  shrine  of  St.  Cuthbert,  in  1389,  he  obtained  admission  for 
his  remains  in  a  spot  not  remote  from  his  father.f  Both  their  monuments  are  greatly 
mutilated ;  having  been  defaced  by  the  Scotch  prisoners  confined  here  after  the  battle  of 
Dunbar. 

In  the  choir  is  the  bishop's  throne,  elevated  to  an  uncommon  height,  erected  in 
times  of  ^he  iriumph  of  superstition  :  a  painful  ascent  to  the  present  prelate,  whose  wish 
is  directed  more  to  distinguish  himself  by  benevolence  and  sincerity,  than  any  exterior 
trappings,  or  badges  of  dignity. 

On  the  sides  of  the  pulpit  are  the  evangelists,  finely  inlaid.    ■'  .t)       I'wi     ,">     iJ... 

The  chancel  and  altar*piece  is  of  stone,  beautifully  cut  into  open  work,^  and 
on  each  side  are  two  stalls,  in  stone,  originally  designed  for  the  restmg>places  of  sick 
votaries. 

On  one  side  of  the  choir  is  the  tomb  of  bishop  Hatfield,  who  died  in  1381,  orna- 
mented with  as  many  coats  of  arms  as  would  serve  any  German  prince.  Multitudes  of 
other  prelates  and  priors  rested  in  this  church,  covered  with  beautiful  tombs  and  brasses, 
swept  away  by  the  hand  of  sacrilege  in  the  time  of  Henry  VIII*  or  of  undistinguishing 
reformation  in  succeeding  reigns,  or  of  fanaticism  in  the  unhappy  times  of  the  last 
century. 

Behind  the  altar  stood  the  shrine  of  St.  Cuthbert,  once  the  richest  in  Great  Britain : 
the  marks  of  pilgrims'  feet  in  the  worn  floor  still  evince  the  multitude  of  votaries ;  at 
the  dissolution,  his  body  was  taken  out  of  the  tomb,  and  interred  beneath. 

Beyond  this,  at  the  extreme  east  end,  stood  nine  altiirs,  dedicated.to  as  many  saints ; 
above  each  is  a  most  elegant  window,  extremely  narrow,  lofty,  and  sharply  arched : 
above  these  is  a  round  window,  very  large  and  finely  radiated  with  stone  woHc,  called 
St.  Catharine's,  from  its  being  in  the  form  of  the  wheel  used  at  her  martyrdom.  In 
this  part  of  the  church  is  another  fine  window,  divided  into  circular  portions.  All  the 
windows  in  this  aisle  terminate  sharply ;  and  were  the  work  of  a  later  age  than  that  of  the 
body  of  the  church,  probably  the  time  of  prior  Fossor. 

The  Galilee,  or  lady's  chfloel,  lies  at  the  west  end  of  the  cathedral.  Within  are 
three  rows  of  pillars,  each  co.isisting  of  round  united  columns,  the  arches  round,  sculp> 
tured  on  the  mouldings  with  zig-zag  work.(  This  place  was  allotted  to  the  female 
part  of 'the  votaries,  who  were  never  permitted  to  pass  a  certain  line  to  the  east  of  it, 
drawn  just  before  the  font.  Here  they  might  stand  to  hear  divine  service,  but  were 
confined  to  this  limit,  on  pain  of  excommunication.  Legend  assigns,  as  the  cause  of 
this  aversion  in  St.  Cuthbert  to  the  fair  sex,  a  charge  of  seduction  brought  against  him 
by  a  certain  princess,  who  was  instantly  punished  by  being  swallowed  up  by  the  earth, 
which,  on  the  intercession  of  the  pacified  saint,  restored  her  to  the  king  her  father.  From 
that  time,  not  a  woman  was  permitted  to  enter  any  church  dedicated  to  this  holy  man. 
Mr.  Grose  ||  relates,  that  in  the  fifteenth  century  two  females,  instigated  by  invincible 
curiosity,  dressing  themselves  in  man's  apparel,  ventured  beyond  the  prohibitory  line, 
were  detected,  and  sufiered  certain  penances  as  atonement  for  their  crime. 

•  Dugdale's  Baron,  i.  295.  t  Idem,  297,  ,  '       ,    ■ 

I  Designed  in  Smith's  edition  of  Bede,  264. 

§  See  the  view  of  it  in  Smith's  edition  of  fiede,  805. 

II  In  his  account  of  Durham  cathedral,  in  his  third  volume- 


PENNANT'S  SECOND  TOUR  IN  SCOTLAND 


511 


obleman 

he  mag* 
and  ex- 
Itsion  for 
:  greatly 
battle  of 

ected  in 
ose  wish 
exterior 


ktX  and 
IS  of  sick 

II,  oma- 
titudes  of 
1  brasses, 
iguibhing 
F  the  last 


Britain : 
laries;  at 


ly  saints ; 

arched : 
)rk,  called 
dom.     In 

All  the 
that  of  the 

Vithin  are 
nd,  sculp- 
the  female 
east  of  it, 
but  were 
:  cause  of 
yainst  him 
the  earth, 
her.  From 
holy  man. 
invincible 
>itory  line, 


In  the  Galilee  is  the  tomb  of  the  venerable  Bede.  His  remains  were  first  deposited 
at  Jarrow ;  then  placed  in  a  golden  colHn  ou  the  right  side  of  the  body  of  St.  Cuth* 
bert ;  and  finally,  in  1370,  translated  by  Kichard  of  Barnard-castle  to  this  place. 

The  tomb  of  bishop  Lungley  is  near  that  of  Bede.  This  prelate  was  chancellor  of 
England  in  the  reign  of  Henry  IV,  but  resigned  that  high  pos.t,  on  being  consecrated 
bishop  of  Durham.  He  obtained  the  cardinal's  hat  in  1411,  and,  after  doing  many 
acts  of  munificence,  died  in  1437. 

In  the  vestry-room  is  preserved  the  rich  plate  belonging  to  the  cathedral ;  and  here 
are  shewn  five  most  superb  vestments  for  the  sacred  service  :  Tour  are  of  great  antiquity, 
the  fifth  was  given  by  Charles  I. 

The  cloisters  adjacent  to  the  church  are  147  feet  square,  and  very  neat.  The 
chapter-house  opens  into  them  :  is  a  plain  building,  in  form  of  a  theatre  ;  on  the  sides 
are  pilasters,  the  arches  intersecting  each  other.  At  the  upper  end  is  a  stone  chair,  in 
old  times  the  seat  of  the  bishop. 

The  old  Fratry  was  converted  into  a  noble  library  by  dean  Sudbury,  who,  not  living 
to  complete  his  design,  by  will,  dated  1683,  bound  his  heir,  Sir  John  Sudbury,  to  fulfil 
his  intention.  This  is  likewise  the  repository  of  the  altars,  and  other  Roman  antiquities, 
discovered  in  the  bishoprick.  The  viormitory,  the  loft,  the  kitchen,  and  other  part)  of 
the  ancient  dbbey,  are  still  existing,  and  stiU  of  use  to  the  present  possessors. 

The  prebendal  houses  are  very  pleasantly  situated,  and  have  backwards  a  most  beau- 
tiful view.  After  the  subversion  of  monarchy,  Cromwell,  in  1657,  on  the  petition  of 
the  inhabitants  of  the  county,*  converted  the  houses  belonging  to  the  dean  and  chap- 
ter into  an  university,  and  assigned  «:ertain  lands  and  revenues  in  the  neighbourhood 
of  the  city  for  its  support.  This  short  lived  seminary  consisted  of  a  provost,  two 
preachers,  four  professors,  four  tutors,  four  school-masters  (fellows)  twenty  four 
scholars,  twelve  exhibitioners,  and  eighteen  free- school  scholars.  They  had  liberty  of 
purchasing  lands  as  far  as  six  thousand  pounds  a  year ;  had  a  common  seal,  and  many 
other  privfleges.  On  the  accession  of  Richard,  these  new  academics  were  not  wanting 
in  gratitude  to  the  memory  of  their  n^aker ;  for,  in  their  address  to  the  successor,  they 
compared  Cromwell  to  Augustus,  and  ^ve  him  the  prowess  of  our  fifth  Henry,  the 
prudence  of  our  seventh  Henry,  and  the  piety  of  our  sixth  Edward;  and  recommended 
to  the  '*  vital  beams  of  the  piteous  aspect  of  his  son,  his  new  erection,  an  orphan  scarce 
bound  up  in  its  swaddling  clothes."  This  orphan  thrived  apace,  it  erideavoured  to  con- 
fer degrees,  and  mimic  its  grown-up  sisters  of  Oxford  and  Cambr'  Ige,  who  checked 
its  presumptions  by  petitions  to  the  new  Protector.  But  in  less  than  two  years  the  ill- 
patched  machine  of  government  fell  to  pieces,  and  with  it  this  new  seminary  for 
knowledge. 

There  are  two  handsome  bridges  to  the  walks  over  the  Were  :  from  one  the  pros- 
pect is  particularly  fine,  towards  the  cathedral  and  castle ;  and  another  bounded  on 
each  side  by  wood,  with  the  steeple  of  Elvet,  a  place  adjoining  to  Durham,  soaring 
above.  There  is  also  a  third  bridge,  which  joins  the  two  parts  of  the  towki,  and  is 
covered  with  houses. 

'  I  had  heard  on  my  road  many  complaints  of  the  ecclesiastical  government  this  county 
is  subject  to ;  but,  from  the  ^neral  face  of  the  country,  it  seems  to  thrive  wonderfully 
well  under  it.  Notwithstandmg  the  bishops  have  still  great  powers  and  privileges, 
yet  they  were  stripped  of  still  ^eater  by  statute  of  the  27th  of  Henry  VHI.  In  the  time 
of  the  Conqueror  it  was  a  maxinri,  quicquid  rex  habet  extra  comitatum  Dunelmensem, 

"■•Mr.  AUan.  '  •  ■     * 


512 


fENKANT'S  flBCONI)  TOUH  IN  SCOTLAND. 


cpiscopus  habet  intra,  nisi  aliquasit  concessio,  aut  prescriptio  in  contrarium.  They  had 
power  to  levy  taxes,  make  truces  with  the  Scots,  to  raise  dcf'cnsibte  men  withni  the 
bishoprick,  from  sixteen  to  sixty  years  of  age.  They  could  call  a  parliament,  and  create 
barons  to  sit  and  vote  in  it.  He  cuuld  sit  in  his  purple  robes  to  pronounce  sentence 
of  death,  whence  the  ssiyitig,  solum  Uunclmense  judical  stolu  et  ense.  He  could  coin 
money,  hold  courts  in  his  own  name,  and  all  writs  went  in  his  own  name.  He  claimed 
and  seized  for  his  own  use  all  goodr.,  chattels,  and  lands,  ct'  persons  convicted  oi  irca* 
sons  or  felonies ;  could  appoint  the  great  officers  under  him,  and  do  variety  of  acts 
emulating  the  royal  authority.^  He  was  lord  paramount  in  the  county,  and  the  firreat 
people  held  most  of  their  lands  from  the  church.  Thus  the  potent  Nevib  paid  lour 
pounds  and  a  stag  annually  for  Rahy,  and  eight  othi  r  manors.  Two  of  the  tenures 
are  singular ;  I  beg  leave  to  present  them  to  the  reader  in  the  form  I  had  the  honour  of 
receiving  them  from  the  present  worthy  prelate. 

''The  valuable  manor  oi  Sockbiirn,  the  seat  of  the  ancient  fiimily  of  the  Cony  ers, 
in  the  county  palatine  of  Durham,  is  held  by  the  Blackett  family,  of  the  bishop  of  Dur< 
ham,  by  the  easy  service  of  presenting  a  falchion  to  every  bishop  upon  his  first  entrance 
into  his  diocese,  as  an  emblem  of  his  temporal  power.  When  the  present  bishop  made 
his  first  entrance  in  the  month  of  Sept.  1771.  he  was  met  upon  the  middle  of  Croft 
Bridge  (where  the  counties  of  York  and  Durham  divide)  by  Mr.  Blackett,  assubsti-i 
tute  for  his  brother  air  Edward,  who  presented  his  lordship  with  the  falchion,  ad- 
dressing him  in  the  ancient  form  of  words : 

** '  Sir  Edward  Blackett,  Bart,  now  represents  the  person  of  John  Conyers,  who, 
in  the  fields^  with  this  falchion,  f  slew  a  monstrous  creature,  a  dragon,  a  worm,  or  a 
flying  serpent,  X  that  devoured  men,  women,  and  chiklren.  The  then  owner  of  Sock- 
burn,  as  a  reward  for  his  bravery,  gave  him  the  manor,  with  its  appurtenances,  to  hold 
for  ever,  on  condition  that  he  meets  the  lord  bishop  of  Durham  with  this  fiUchion,  on 
his  first  entrance  into  his  diocese  after  his  election  to  that  see.' 

"  At  Croft  Bridge  the  bishop  was  also  met  by  the  high-sheriff  of  the  county  pala- 
tine, who  is  an  officer  of  his  own  by  patent  during  pleasure,  by  the  members  for  the 
county  and  city  of  Durham,  and  by  all  the  princi|)al  gentlemen  in  the  county  and 
neighbourhood,  to  welcome  his  lordship  inta  his  palatinate,  who  conducted  him  to 
Darlington,  where  they  all  dined  with  him,  after  which  they  proceeded  to  Durham. 
Before  they  reached  the  city,  they  were  met  by  the  dean  and  chapter,  with  their 
congratulatory  address ;  the  bishop  and  the  whole  company  alighted  from  their  car- 
riages to  receive  them ;  when  the  ceremony  of  the  address,  and  his  IcM^ship's  answer, 
was  finished,  the  procession  moved  on  to  the  city ;  here  they  were  met  by  the  corpora- 

*  Theae  and  many  more  »re  iireiervi  d  in  Ml^g;na  Britannia,  1.  615.    See  also  Spearman's  Inquiry. 

t  Legend  gives  some  other  pArticu', ars  of  this  valiant  knight ;  which  Mr.  Allan  extracted  irom  the 
Catalogue  of  the  Harleian  MSS.  No.  2118.  p.  39  : 

<*  Sir  Jno.  Conyers  de  Sockbum,  knt.  whoe  slew  the  monstrous  venom'd  and  poison'd  viveme,  ask,  or 
worme,  vrch  overthrew  and  devour'd  many  people  in  Teight,  for  the  scent  of  the  poyson  was  so  strong  that 
noe  person  was  able  to  abide  it,  yet  he  by  the  providence  of  God  overthrew  it,  and  lies  buried  at  Sockbum 
beCore  the  Conquest.  But  before  he  did  enterprise  (having  but  one  childe)he  went  to  the  church  m  com* 
plete  armour,  and  oflfered  up  his  sonne  to  the  Holy  Ghost,  wch  monument  is  yet  to  zetf  and  the  place 
where  the  serpent  lay  is  called  Graystone." 

f  On  the  pummel  are  three  liens  of  England,  guardant.  These  were  firat  borne  by  king  John,  so  that 
this  falchion  was  not  made  before  that  time,  oor  did  the  owner  kill  the  dragon.  The  Mack  eagle  in  a  field, 
gold,  wac  the  arms  of  Morcar,  earl  of  Northumberland.  This  too  might  be  the  falchion  with  which  the 
earls  were  invested,  being  girt  with  the  swcrd  of  the  earldom. 

The  Scots  seem  to  have  been  intended  by  these  dreadfiil  animals ;  and  the  falchion  bestowed  with  ail 
estate,  as  a  reward  for  some  useful  sendee  performed  by  aConyers  agunst  those  invaders. 


itM 


PENNANT'S  SECONIJ  TOUR  IV  SCOTLAND. 


51; 


hey  had 
thin  the 
d  create 
sentence 
lid  coin 
claimed 
ol  «rca« 
of  acts 
the  preat 
laid  lour 
;  tenures 
lonour  oi' 

Conyerfl, 
I  of  Dur. 

entrance 
lop  made 

of  Crtft 
assubsti^ 
hion,  ad- 

sra,  who, 
3rm,  or  a 
ofSock- 
8,  to  hold 
ichion,  on 
.'.'■••;■••• 

iinty  pala- 
sra  for  the 
sunty  and 
d  him  to 
Durham, 
vhh  their 
their  car- 
's answer, 
B  corpora- 
Inquiry. 
Led  from  the 

erne,  ask,  or 
1  strong  that 
at  Sockbum 
urchin  com* 
ind  the  place 

John,  so  that 
f\e  in  a  field, 
th  which  the 

>wed  with  art 


tion,  tlic  different  companies  with  their  banners,  and  a  great  concourse  of  people  ;  they 
proceeded  immediately  to  the  cathedral,  where  the  bishop  wm  habited  '.i|)nn  tlvj  tomb 
of  the  venerable  Bede  in  the  Galilee,  at  the  west  end  of  the  rln-.Tch  ;  from  whcurc 
he  went  in  procession  to  the  great  altar,  preceded  by  the  whole  ch.Mr,  singing  I'e 
Deum ;  after  prayers  the  bishop  took  the  oaths  at  the  altar,  and  was  thcr  enthroned  in 
the  usual  forms,  and  attended  to  the  castle  by  the  high-sherifl'  and  other  gentlemen  ol 
the  county.  Pollard's  lands,  in  this  county,  are  holden  of  die  bishop  by  the  .  ume  kind 
of  service  as  the  manor  of  Sockburn.  At  his  lordship's  first  coming  to  A'ikland, 
Mr.  Johnson  met  the  present  bishop  at  his  fust  arrival  there,  and,  presenting  I'le  fal- 
chion upon  his  knee,  addressed  him  in  the  old  form  of  words,  saying,  "  My  lord,  in 
behalf  of  my  self,  as  well  as  of  the  several  other  tenants  of  Pollard's  lands,  I  do  hum- 
bly present  your  lordship  with  this  falchion,  at  your  first  coming  here,  wherewith,  as  the 
tradition  goes,  Pollard  slew  of  old  a  great  and  venomous  seroent,  which  did  much  harm 
to  man  and  beast;  and  by  the  performance  of  this  service  these  lands  are  holden." 

Sept.  6.  Leave  Durham,  and  journey  through  a  beautiful  country,  having  neartlu 
city  views  of  lands,  broken  into  most  delightful  and  cultivated  knowls  ;  and,  on  the 
left,  of  fine  hanging  woods ;  the  land  much  inclosed,  and  the  hedges  planted.  On 
the  right  lies  Brancespeth  castle,  originally  the  seat  of  the  Bulmcrs,  afterwards  that  of 
the  Nevils,  earls  of  VVestmoreland,  forfeited  by  the  rebellion  of  the  last  in  the  time  of 
queen  Efizabeth.  The  great  steeple  of  Merrington  is  seen  on  the  left.  Turn  out  of  the 
high  road,  and  pass  through  the  bishop's  grounds  and  park,  and  enjoy  a  fine  view  of 
the  Were,  running  along  a  deep  bottom,  bounded  by  wooded  and  wclUeuItivatcd  banks. 
On  the  south  side  stands 

Bishon's-Aukland,  a  good  town,  with  a  large  and  scjuare  market-place.  On  one  side 
is  a  handsome  gateway,  with  a  tower  over  it.  This  is  a  modern  edifice,  designed  by 
Sir  Thomas  Robinson  ;  that  built  by  bishop  Skirlaw*  having  been  long  since  destroyed. 
Through  this  gateway  lies  Aukland  castle,  long  since  the  residence  of  the  bishops  of 
Durham.  It  has  lost  its  castellated  form,  and  now  resembles  some  of  the  magniftcent 
foreign  abbies.  It  is  an  irregular  pile,  built  at  different  time:.  ;  but  no  part  is  left  that 
can  boast  of  ai\y  great  antiquity.  Over  a  bow- window  are  the  arms  of  bishop  Tunstal, 
who  died  in  the  beginning  of  the  reign  of  Eliz  ibeth.  This  was  originally  a  manor- 
house  belonging  to  the  see,  and  was  first  encastellated  t  by  bishop  Bckc  ;  who  also 
built  a  great  hall,  and  adorned  it  with  marble  pillars  ;  he  founded  a  fair  chupel,  and 
collegiate  church,  with  a  dean  and  prebends,  which  church  is  that  of  St.  Andrew's,  at 
a  small  distance  from  the  town.  Excepting  the  church,  there  arc  no  reliques  of  the  la- 
bours of  this  prelate  ;  the  place  having  been  bestowed  by  the  parliament  on  their  furious 
partizan  Sir  Arthur  Haselri^,  who,  taking  a  fancy  to  the  place,  determined  to  make  it 
his  chief  residence.  He  demolished  almost  all  the  buildings  he  found  there,  and  out 
of  their  ruins  erected  a  most  magnificent  house,  j: 

Ou  the  Restoration,  the  former  bishop,  the  munificent  Cosins,  was  restored  to  his 
diocese.  He  had  a  palace  ready  for  his  reception,  but  by  an  excess  of  piety  declined 
making  use  of  it,  from  the  consideration  that  the  stones  of  the  ancient  chapel  had  been 
sacrilegiously  applied  towards  the  building  of  this  late  habitation  of  fanaticisin.  The 
bishop  pulled  it  down,}  and,  restoring  the  materials  to  their  ancient  use,  built  the  pre- 
sent elegant  chapel.  The  roof  is  wood,  supported  by  two  rows  of  pillars,  each  con- 
sisting of  four  round  columns,  freestone  and  marble  alternate.    The  shafts  of  some  of 


*  Leland,ltin.  i.  73. 
t  Hist.  Ch.  Durham,  Ougdale,  83. 
VOL.    III.  3   u 


t  Ibid. 
i  Ibid. 


1U 


PENMAN  I'H  SliCONI)  TOUH  IN  SCOTLAND. 


I 


\ 


^ 


i 


the  mnrlttr  arc  sixteen  feet  hif^h ;  the  Iciif^h  of  the  chapel  is  eighty. four  feet,  the 
breadth  rr)rty-tiglil ;  the  outside  ornamented  with  pinnaclci.  On  the  floor,  a  plain 
atone,  with  a  modest  cpitiipli,  informs  us  thai  the  pious  re- founder  lies  beneath,  dying  in 
the  year  1071. 

'1  he  principal  apartments  arc  an  old  hall,  seventy. five  feet  by  thirty.two,  the  height 
thirty'iivc ;  and  a  very  handsome  dining-parhnir,  ornamented  with  portraits  of  Jacob 
and  the  twelve  patriarchs.  Jacob  bows  under  the  wei(<;ht  of  years  ;  his  hops,  with  each 
his  scriptural  attribute.  The  figures  are  animated  ;  the  colouring  good.  I  think  the 
painter's  name  is  Xubero,  one  1  do  not  discover  in  any  list  of  artists.  The  pictures 
^vtre  l)Ought  by  the  present,  from  the  executors  of  the  late  bishop,  and  bestowed  on  the 

1>ulacc.  The  late  generous  prelate  built  a  suite  of  additional  apartments  i  but  dying 
)ef()rc  they  were  completed,  they  arc  now  furnished  in  a  most  magnificent  manner  by 
his  successor. 

On  the  old  wainscot  of  a  room  below  stairs  arc  painted  the  arms  of  a  strange  assem< 
blagc  of  ix)tentaies,  from  queen  Mlizalx'th,  with  all  the  European  princes,  to  the  em- 
perors of  Abyssinia,  Bildelg^rid,  Cathaye,  and  Tartaria ;  sixteen  peers  of  the  same 
rei^n,  knights  of  the  garter,  and  above  them  the  arms  of  every  bishoprick  in  England. 

The  castle  is  seated  in  a  beautiful  park,  watered  b>  the  little  river  Gaunless,  which 
falls,  after  a  short  course,  into  the  Were.  The  park  is  well  planted,  and  has  aburidancc 
of  vast  alders,  that  by  age  iiave  lost  the  habit  of  that  tree,  and  assume  the  appearance  of 
ancient  oaks.  Nothing  can  equal  the  approach  through  this  ground  to  the  castle,  which 
is  varied  with  verdant  slopes,  rising  grounds,  woods,  and  deep  precipic  s^  impending 
over  the  river.  The  great  deer-house,  built  by  bishop  Trevor,  is  an  i.  .*gant  square 
building,  and  no  small  embellishment  to  the  place.  Leland  tells  us,  that  in  his  time 
there  was  a  fair  park,  having  falow  deer,  wild  bulles,  and  kin. 

On  an  eminence  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  Were  is  Binchester,  the  ancient  Vinovia, 
where  several  Roman  coins,  altars,  and  inssriptions  have  been  found.  Several  of  the 
latter  are  worked  up  in  the  walls  of  a  gentleman's  house  on  the  station,  but  now  scarcely 
legible.  An  account  of  them  may  be  seen  in  Mr.  Horsely,  p.  295.  Urns  full  of  ashes 
and  bones,  and  figuline  lacrymatories,  have  been  also  found  in  the  park,  where  the  sta- 
tion probably  extended.  A  military  way  may  be  traced  from  this  place  as  far  as 
Brancespeth-park  one  way,  and  the  other  by  Aukland  to  Peirce-bridge  into  Yorkshire. 

Sept.  7.  Proceed  for  a  little  way  from  Aukland  on  the  Roman  way :  leave  on  the 
left,  at  a  mile  and  a  half  distance  from  the  town,  the  church  of  St.  Andrew's  Aukland, 
once  coljegiate,  and  well  endowed  by  Antony  bishop  of  Durham.  At  the  dissolution 
here  were  found  a  dean  and  eleven  prebends.*  A  house  called  the  deanery  still  re- 
mains. The  chief  tomb  in  this  church  is  that  of  a  Pollard ;  a  cross  legged  knight, 
armed  in  mail  to  his  fingers'  ends,  with  a  skirt,  formed  of  stripes,  reaching  to  his  knees, 
a  short  sword,  and  conic  helm. 

Pass  through  St.  Helens-Aukland  and  West-Aukland,  and  after  a  short  digression  fail 
in  with  the  old  Roman  road,  which  continues  to  Peirce  or  Priest- bridge,  where 
was  once  a  chapel,  founded  by  John  Baliol,  king  of  Scotland,  and  dedicated  to  the 
Virgin.t  The  gateway  is  still  standing,  in  what  is  called  the  ChapeUgarth.  Till  Le- 
land's  time  the  bridge  consisted  of  five  arches,  but  he  says  that  of  late  it  was  re-built  with 
three.  The  Tees  flows  beneath  in  a  picturesque  channel,  finely  shaded  on  each  side  with 
trees.  Near  this  bridge,  in  a  field  called  the  Tofts,  had  been  a  considerable  Roman 
station :  urns  and  coins  in  abundance  have  been  discovered  there.    A  stone  coffin,  with 


*  Tanner,  1 1 6. 


t  Leland  Itin.  i.  88. 


PKNNANT'S  fiRrO!^)  TOUR  IV  irOTI.AND. 


Sir* 


ret,  the 
a  plain 
ying:  ill 

height 
r  Jacob 
th  cnch 
link  the 
pictures 
on  the 
It  dying 
liner  by 

asseni' 
the  em- 
he  same 
gland. 
I,  which 
turidancc 
J ranee  of 
e,  which 
ipending 
t  square 
his  time 

Vinovia, 
al  of  the 
'  scarcely 
I  of  ashes 
e  the  sta- 
as  far  as 
>rkshire. 
'e  on  the 
Aukland, 
issolution 
/  still  re- 
1  knight, 
lis  knees, 

ession  fall 
;,  where 
;d  to  the 
rill  Le- 
built  with 
side  with 
■t  Roman 
}ffin,  with 


a'bkeleton,  is  mentioned  by  bishop  Gibson ;  but  that  I  apprehend  to  !)C  of  more  modern 
date.  The  foundations  of  houses  have  been  observed;  and  Mr.  Ilorsciy  iinai^int^  h»; 
could  trace  an  aqueduct.  He  nuppuies  this  place  to  hive  been  die  M;',^ic  olilic  Notitia. 
I  must  observe  tnat  the  Roman  roud  is  comiiutcU  in  a  direct  line  b-  twccn  the  ruads  to 
Barnard-Castle  and  Darlington,  and  is  continued  over  a  small  brook,  and  through  du 
inclosure  parallel  to  the  Tofts,  when  it  crosses  the  river  about  two  hundred  ana  sixis 
pa  s  east  of  the  bridge,  and  then  falls  into  the  turnpike-road  to  Catteriek -bridge.  Tin 
whole  breadth  of  the  road  is  still  to  be  traced  :  and  the  stones  it  is  formed  of  amic.ir  to 
be  strongly  cemented  with  run  lime.  Tlu:  Romans  hud  her(;  a  wooden  bridge :  tlu 
materials,  such  as  the  bodies  of  oaks,  and  several  stoops,  wer  •  to  be  seen,  till  washed 
away  by  the  great  floods  of  1771.     On  crossing  the  Tees  enter  Yorkshire. 

After  a  ride  of  a  few  miles  pass  through  Aldbrongh,  now  a  litilc  village,  but  once  ;t 

glace  of  eminence,  as  its  ruins,  olj-icrvcd  by  Camden,  evince.  In  the  time  of  Heniy  I 
tephen  earl  of  Albemarle  and  Holdcrness  had  a  manor  and  castle  here,  tlu-  tyihes  (»l 
which  he  bestowed  on  the  abbey  of  Albemarle  in  Nornuindy  ;*  and  that  abb'),  in  tlu 
reign  of  Richard  II,  granted  them  to  the  abbey  of  Kirkstjll.f  Henry  III,  .'^.lin  be- 
stowed the  place  on  Hubert  de  Burgh,  earl  of  Kent.  By  lallnre  of  issue,  ii  fell  to  the 
crown  in  the  time  of  Henry  IV,  who  gave  it  to  his  third  son,  John  duke  •>!  Ikdford.J 

Pass  over  a  large  common,  called  Gatherley  moor,  and  by  the  sides  of  tlie  Double- 
dike,  or  Roman-hedge,  a  vast  foss,  with  banks  on  each  side,  exrending  from  the  Tecs 
to  the  Swale.  On  the  right  is  Didderston  hill,  whether  a  tumulus,  or  exploratory,  was 
too  distant  for  me  to  determine.  After  descending  a  hill,  pass  by  Gilling,  where  Alan 
Fergaunt,  earl  of  Bretagne  and  Richmond,  had  a  capital  mansion-house. (  This  place 
was  infamous  for  the  murder  of  Oswyn,  king  of  Deira,  by  his  successor  Oswv  ;  but  his 
queen  iEnfled  obtained  permission  from  her  husband  to  found  here  a  mo.  .^tery,  in 
order  to  expiate  so  horrible  a  crime.  At  this  time  the  place  was  called  Ingetling,  and 
was  destroyed  in  the  Danish  wars.||     Reach 

Richmond,  a  good  town,  seated  (in  a  shire  of  the  same  name)  partly  on  a  flat,  and 
parUy  on  the  side  of  a  hill :  on  the  last  is  the  market-place,  a  handsome  opening,  in 
which  is  the  chapel  of  the  Trinity,  and  in  the  middle  a  large  column  instead  of  the  old 
cross.  The  trade  of  this  place  is  that  of  knit  woollen  stockings,  in  which  men,  women, 
and  children,  are  employed,  the  neighbourhood  suppi}  ing  the  wool.  The  stockings  arc 
chiefly  exported  into  Holland.  Much  wheat  is  sold  here,  and  sent  into  the  mountainous 
parts  of  the  country. 

There  were  several  religious  houses  in  this  place  and  its  neighbourhood.  In  the 
town,  on  the  plain  on  the  north  side,  was  a  house  of  gray  friars,*!!  founded  in  1258  by 
Ralph  Fitz-Randal,  lord  of  Middleham,  and  had  at  the  dissolution  fourteen  monks. 
Nothing  remains,  excepting  the  beautiful  tower  of  its  church.  Near  this  was  also  a 
nunnery.**  About  a  mile  east  of  Richmond  are  the  fine  ruins  of  St.  Agatha,  seated  at 
the  end  of  some  beautiful  meadows,  upon  the  river  Swale.  It  was  founded  in  1151  by 
Roaldus,  constable  of  Richmond  castle  ;  -ind  at  the  time  of  the  reformation  maintained 
seventeen  white  canons,  or  Premonstratensian  monks.  The  abbot  and  religious,  in 
1253,  agreed  with  Henry  Fitz-Ranulph,  that  he  should  hold  of  them  in  pure  and  per- 
petual alms  their  possessions  of  Kerperby,  on  condition  he  paid  them  annually  one  pound 
of  cumin  seed,  a  drug  in  no  small  esteem  in  old  times,  ff     Richard  Scroope,  chancellor 

*  Dugdale,  Monast.  i.  588.        t  Idem,  589.  |  Mai;na  Britannia,  vi.  608. 

f  Dugdale,  Baron,  i.  46.  ||  Bede,  lib.  ii.  c.  U,  24.  •!  Tanner,  685.         ••Idem,  672. 

tt  Dugdale,  Mon.  ii.  650.    And  for  the  virtues  of  cumin  seed  consult  Old  Gerard's  Herbal,  1066. 

3  u  2 


I! 


Jitt 


l*».MNANI'9  SECOND  TOlMt  IV  tCOTLANIk 


of  F.iifi^tnnd,  was  a  j^rcat  kntfactor  to  thN  place  ;  for,  hcskUs  his  manor  of  Rrumpton« 
iipiiii-Swalc,  111  grantid  a  liuiulrcd  atui  iilly  poiiiuls  a  year  for  ihc  Mijiport  of  ten  addi- 
tional canons,  two  iccular  canons,  and  turniy-two  ()oor  men,  who  were  to  pray  lor  the 
repose  of  hi<*  villi,  and  those  of  his  heirs.*  The  ruins  arc  very  venerable,  and  the 
ma.jiiitici  lit  arch-work  in  the  inside  are  fine  proofs  of  the  skill  of  the  timeb  in  that  !»|K'cies 
of  architecture.  The  arch  of  the  gateway  is  extremely  ohtuse  ;  that  of  the  windows 
git  iitly  pointed. 

Near  this  place  was  a  hospital,  dedicated  to  St.  Nicholas.  I  cannot  learn  the  foun- 
dt  r's  iianu',  J)iii  find  it  was  repaired  in  the  time  of  Henry  VI,  who  f^ave  the  patronage 
to  William  Ayscough,  one  of  his  judges ;  who  restored  the  hospital  at  great  expencc, 
uiid  idded  anot'er  chaiintiy  priest  to  the  former.f 

N'  .irer  to  Richmond,  on  an  eminence  above  the  river,  are  the  poor  reliqucs  of 
S(.  Martin's,  a  cell  of  nine  or  ten  Benedictines,  dependent  on  the  ablx'y  of  .St.  Mary,  at 
Yntk.  It  was  founded  in  ll()()by  VVymar,  chief  steward  to  the  earl  of  Uichmond.ij: 
Besides  these,  were  various  otiier  pious  foundations  on  the  Swale,  who!»e  waters  were 
sacred  with  the  baptism  of  ten  thousand  Saxons,  near  Catterick,  in  627,  by  Paulinas 
bislioj)  of  Vorlc.^ 

It  now  remainii  to  speak  of  the  fortifications  of  this  ancient  town  :  part  had  been  de- 
fended by  walls,  whi':h  took  in  little  more  than  the  market-place,  and  had  three  gates. 
The  castle  stands  on  the  south  west  part  of  the  hill,  in  a  lofty  and  bold  situation,  above 
the  Swale,  and  half  environed  by  it.  The  remains  are  the  walls  of  the  precinct,  some 
small  square  towers,  and  one  very  large,  all  built  in  the  Norman  stile.  This  fortress 
was  founded  by  Alan  earl  of  Bietagne,||  nephew  to  the  conqueror,  who  commanded 
the  rear  of  his  army  at  the  battle  of  Hastings,  was  created  by  him  earl  of  Richmond, 
and  received  from  him  the  shire  of  the  same  name,  and  a  hundred  and  sixty  manors  in 
the  county  of  York  alone.  This  country  had  been  Ijefore  the  property  of  the  brave 
Edwin,  earl  of  Mcrcia.  The  great  tower  was  built  by  Conan,  grandson  of  the  former, 
the  vault  of  which  is  supported  by  a  fine  octagonal  pillar.  The  view  from  the  castle  is 
picturesque ;  beneath  is  the  seat  of  Mr.  York,  and  bevond,  a  prospect  up  the  Swale 
mto  the  mountainous  parts  of  the  country,  rich  in  mineral :  and  on  the  banks  of  the 
river  lived  sir  John  Swale,  of  Swale-hall,  in  Swale-dalc,  fast  upon  the  river  Swale. 

Cross  the  river,  and  after  passing  over  a  dreary  moor,  descend  into  a  valley  not  more 
pleasant,  being  totally  inclosed  with  vtone  fences.  Go  through  the  small  towns  of  Bil> 
lersly  and  Leybourne ;  and  soon  after  find  an  agreeable  change  of  country,  at  the  en- 
trance of.  Wcnsley-dale,  a  beautiful  and  fertile  vale,  narrow,  bounded  by  high  hills, 
inclosed  with  hedges,  and  cultivated  far  up,  in  many  parts  clothed  with  woods,  sur- 
mounted  with  long  ranges  of  scars,  white  rocks,  smooth  and  precipitous  in  front,  and 
perfectly  even  at  tneir  tops.  The  rapid  crystal  Ure  divides  the  whole,  fertilizing  the 
rich  mcado'vs  with  its  stream. 

See  on  the  left  Middleham  castle.  The  manor  was  bestowed  by  Alan  earl  of  Rich- 
mond on  his  younger  brother,  Rinebald.  His  grandson,  styled  Robert  Fitz-Ralph, 
receiving  from  Conan  earl  of  Richmond  all  Wensley-dale,  founded  this  castle  about 
the  year  1190.  By  the  marriage  of  his  daughter  and  coheir  to  Robert  de  Nevil.Tf  it 
passed  into  that  family  in  the  year  1269.  In  this  place  Edward  IV,  suffered  a  short 
imprisonment,  after  being  surprised  by  Richard  Nevill,  the  great  earl  of  Warwick,  and 
committed  to  the  custody  of  his  brother,  the  archbishop  of  York,  who,  proving  too  in- 


*  Dugdale,  Mon.  ii.  650.        t  Idem,  479.        \  Idem,  i.  401  to  404. 
II  Dugdale's  Baron,  i.  46.       ^  Idem,  i.  29 1 . 


S  Bede)  lib.  ii.  c.  Ui 


PrVMANT't  SECOMD  TOt'H  IM  ICOTt.ANU. 


517 


ipton< 
addi- 
>r  the 
id  the 


lies  of 

ry,  at 

uond.J 

s  were 


dulgrnt  a  keeper,  soon  lost  his  royal  prisoner,  by  permitiinji;  him  the  pleasure  of  the 
ch.isc  unguarded.  'I'hc  ruin  of  hi«  iiousc  cnsutd  On  its  forfeiture,  Hcch.ird  »Kilcc 
of  York  became  possosid  of  it,  and  here  l()^t  his  only  son  Kdward.  He,  who  had  made 
so  many  childless,  felt  in  this  misfortune  the  stroke  of  H^avdi.  It  is  a  vast  buildin|^ ; 
its  towers  st'-cp,  and  tu'r».is  sauare.  Part  wan  the  wtrk  of  Fitz«l<ah)h  ;  p.rt  of  the 
lord  Ne\ill,  culled  Dirabi.*  The  hall,  kitchen,  and  chapel,  were  built  by  Beaumont, 
bishop  of  Durham.]-     It  was  inhabited  as  late  as  the  year  160U,  by  sir  Ueiiry  Lmdley, 

knig;lit4 

Visit  the  church  of  Wcnslcy.  On  the  floor  arc  several  carved  figures  on  the  stonra, 
probably  in  memory  of  certain  Seroopes  interred  there.)  Also  .»  fijrure  of  Oswald 
Uykes,  in  his  priestly  vestments,  with  a  chalice  in  his  hand.  The  inscription  says  that 
he  had  been  rector  of  the  parish,  and  died  in  1607.  I  presume  by  his  habit  he  was  only 
nominal  rector.  Lord  Chancellor  Scroope  deii^jntd  to  make  this  church  co  legiate, 
and  obtained  licence  for  that  purpose  from  Uicluird  II ;  but  it  dois  not  upi)ear  that  the 
intent  was  ever  executed. 

At  a  little  distance  beyond  the  church  is  a  neat  bridge  of  considerable  antiquity, 
which  Leiand  spe-aks  of  as  *'  the  fay  re  bridi^e  of  three  or  four  arches,  that  is  on  Urc, 
at  VN'encelaw,  a  mile  or  more  above  Midlcham,  made  two  hundred  yer  ago  and  more,  by 
one  caul'yd  Alwinc,  parson  of  Wincelaw." 

Visit  Bolton  house,  a  seat  of  the  duke  of  Bolton,  finished  about  he  year  1678,  by 
Charles  marquis  of  Winchester.  Here  are  a  few  portraits  of  the  Scroopes,  the  ancient 
owners. 

A  head  of  Henry  lord  Scroope,  one  of  the  lords  who  subscrilx-d  the  famous  letter 
to  the  pope,  threatening  his  holiness,  that  if  he  did  not  permit  the  divorce  between 
Henry  VIII,  and  Catheriiie,  ihat  they  would  reject  his  supremacy. 

Helena  Clifford,  his  wife,  daughter  to  the  curl  of  Cumberland.  Here  is  another 
head  of  a  daughter  of  lord  Dacres ;  third  wife,  according  lo  Uugdalc,i|  of  the  same 
lord  Scroope. 

Another  Henry,  warden  of  the  west  marches  in  the  reign  of  F^lizabeth,  ir»  whose  cus- 
tody M.iry  Stuart  remaiiiid  for  some  time  alter  her  flight  to  her  faithless  rival. 

His  wife  Margaret,  daughter  to  Henry  earl  of  Surry.  After  the  (Vjsgracc  of  the 
eari  of  Essex,  this  lady  alone  stood  firm  to  him;  "for,"  says  Rowland  White,  "she 
endures  much  at  her  majesty's  hands,  because  she  doth  daily  doc  all  the  kynd  ofliccs  of 
love  to  the  queen  in  his  lichalf.  She  weares  all  black,  she  mourncs,  and  is  pensive  ; 
and  joies  in  nothing  but  in  a  solitary  being  alone  ;  and  it  is  thought  she  saies  much  that 
few  would  venture  to  say  but  herself."^ 

A  head  of  the  same  lord,  inscribed  "  lord  Harrie  Scroope,  baron  of  Bolton,  one 
of  the  tiltcrs  before  qiieene  Flliz  ibeth,  at  the  first  triumphe  at  the  crownacion,  set.  22, 
1558."**  To  these  may  be  added  the  head  of  his  son,  Thomas  lord  Scroope  ;  and  his 
son  again,  lord  Emanuel,  created  by  Charles  I,  earl  of  Sunderland,  who  died  the  last 
of  this  line. 

Cross  the  Ure,  on  a  bridge  of  two  arches,  and  have  from  it  a  fine  view  of  the  river, 
above  and  below,  each  bank  regularly  bounded  by  trees  like  an  avenue.  On  the  right 
is  Bolton  castle,  built,  says  Leiand,  by  Richard  Scroope,  chancellor  of  Englar.d  under 
Richard  II,  after  eigiuecn  years  labour,  and  at  the  expence  of  a  thousand  marks  a  year. 

«  Leiand.  t  Willis's  Cathedrals,  i.  240.  f  Mr.  Grose.  §  Leiand,  Itin.  viii.  13. 

Dugdale,  baron,  657.  ■[  Sidney's  State  Papers,  ii.  133.    This  letter  is  dated  Oct.  1 1,  1589. 

**  He  was  one  of  the  knights  challengers  on  the  occasion. 


1 : 


i 


518  PENNANT'S  SECOND  TOUR  IN  SCOTLAND. 

Most  of  the  timl}eremployM  was  brought  from  Eneleby  forest,  in  Cumberland,  drawn 
by  draughts  of  oxen,  successively  changed.  He  also  founded  here  a  chauntry  ''st  six 
priests.*  The  integrity  of  the  chancellor  soon  lost  him  the  favour  of  his  master  ;  for 
on  his  refusal  to  put  the  seals  to  the  exorbitant  grants  made  to  some  of  the  worthless 
favourites,  the  king  demanded  them  from  him  ;  at  first  he  declined  obedience,  declar- 
ing he  received  them  from  t:he  parliament,  not  his  majesty.f 

Thi.s  castle  is  noted  for  having  been  the  first  place  of  confinement  of  Mary  Stuart, 
who  was  removed  from  Carlisle  to  this  fortress,  under  the  care  of  the  noble  owner. 
Several  of  her  letters  are  dated  from  hence.  In  the  civil  wars  it  underwent  a  siege  by 
the  parliament  forces ;  and  was,  on  Nov.  5,  1645,  on  conditions,  surrendered,  with 
great  quantities  of  stores  and  ammunition.^: 

The  building  is  square,  with  a  vast  square  tower  at  each  corner,  in  which  were  the 
principal  apartments.  Leland  observes  tl'.e  singular  manner  in  which  the  smoke  was 
conveyed  from  the  chimnies  of  the  great  hall,  by  tunnels  made  in  the  walls,  conveying 
it  within  the  great  piers  between  the  windows.  This  castle,  and  the  great  possessions 
belonging  to  it  in  these  parts,  are  the  property  of  the  duke  of  Bolton,  derived  by  the 
marriage  of  his  ancestor,  Charles,  marquis  of  Bolton,  with  Mary,  natural  daughter  of 
Emanuel  Scroope,  earl  of  Sunderland,  last  male  heir  of  this  ancient  house. 

Reach  Aysgarlh,^  or  Aysgarth-Force,  remarkable  for  the  fine  arch  over  the  Ure, 
built  in  1539.  The  scenery  above  and  below  is  most  uncommonly  picturesque.  The 
banks  on  both  sides  are  lofty,  rocky,  and  darkened  with  trees.  Above  the  bridge  two 
regular  precipices  cross  the  river,  down  which  the  water  falls  in  two  beautiful  cascades, 
which  are  seen  to  great  advantage  from  below.  The  gloom  of  the  pendent  trees,  the 
towering  steeple  of  the  church  above,  and  the  rage  of  the  waters  beneath  the  ivy.bound 
arch,  form  altogether  a  most  romantic  view. 

A  little  lower  down  are  other  falls ;  but  the  finest  is  at  about  half  a  mile  distance, 
where  the  river  is  crossed  by  a  great  scar,  which  opens  in  the  middle,  and  forms  a  mag- 
nificent flight  of  steps,  which  grows  wider  and  wider  from  top  to  bottom,  the  rock  on 
each  side  forming  a  regular  wall.  The  river  falls  from  step  to  step,  and  at  the  lowest 
drops  in  a  rocky  channel,  filled  with  circular  basins,  and  interrupted  for  some  space  with 
lesser  falls.  The  eye  is  finely  directed  to  this  beautiful  cataract  by  the  scars  that  bound 
the  river,  be^ig  lofty,  precipitous,  and  quite  of  a  smooth  front,  and  their  summits 
fringed  with  hollies  and  other  trees. 

Near  Aysgarth,  or,  as  the  cataracts  are  called,  Aysgarth-Force,  was  founded  the  con- 
vent of  %vhice  monks,  brought  from  Savigny,  in  France,  by  Akaries  Fitz-Bardolf,  in 
1145.  They  were  subject  to  By  land,  and  received  from  thence,  in  1150,  an  abbot  and 
twelve  monks,  who  were  afterwards  removed  to  the  neighbouring  abbey  of  Jervaux.|| 
This  was  called,  from  the  cataracts,  Fors,  also  Wandesley-dale,  and  de  Charitate. 

Cross  the  rid^  that  divides  Wensly-dale  from  another  charming  valley,  called  Bishops- 
dale.  All  the  little  inclosures  are  nearly  of  the  same  size  and  form,  and  the  meadows 
are  laid  out  with  the  utmost  regularity.  It  appeared  as  if  in  this  spot  the  plan  of  the 
Spartan  legislator  had  taken  place  :  "  It  resembled  the  possessions  of  brethren,  who  had 
just  been  dividing  their  inheritance  among  them." 

Before  I  quit  these  delicious  tracts,  I  must  remark,  that  from  Leyboume  to  their  ex- 
tremity there  is  scarcely  a  mile  but  what  is  terminated  by  a  little  town ;  and  every  spot, 
even  far  up  the  hills,  embellished  with  small  neat  houses.    Industry  and  competence 


*  Leknd  Itin.  viii  18,  19. 

$  I  think  the  old  name  was  Attscarre. 


t  Rapip,  i.  459. 
II  Tanner,  6S8, 


\  Whitelock,  179. 


'3»'.'»4»-  «t*-*'^M  " 


,-.^SiM*3!Spy^4j: 'j<it*''*^'  ^-^ ' ' 


^ — ■'^■;;;,"-"j|.*V'r'"r?;~^^  -..Tp^— .- 


PENNANTS  SECOND  TOUR  IN  SCOTLAND. 


519 


•  drawn 

1  ''jx  six 

|ster;  for 

worthless 

.>  dcclar- 

Stuart, 
owner, 
siege  by 
sd,  with 

were  the 
loke  was 
onveying 
ssessions 
ed  by  the 
lughter  of 

the  Ure> 
ue.  The 
"idge  two 

cascades, 
trees,  the 
vy-bound 

distance. 
Ins  a  mag- 
e  rock  on 
:he  lowest 
pace  with 
lat  bound 

summits 

I  the  con- 
Jrdolf,  in 
ibbot  and 
fervaux.ll 
ate. 

Bishops- 
meadows 
an  of  the 
who  had 

their  ex- 
ery  spot, 
npetence 

;,  ir9. 


seem  to  reign  among  these  happy  regions,  and,  Highland  as  they  are,  seem  distinguished 
by  those  circumstances  from  the  slothful  but  honest  natives  of  some  of  the  Scottish  Alps. 
Mittens  and  knit  stockings  are  their  manufactures.  The  hills  produce  lead  ;  the  vallies 
catile,  horses,  sheep,  wool,  butter,  and  cheese. 

Ascend  a  steep  a  mile  in  length,  and  at  the  top  arrive  on  a  large  plain,  a  pass  between 
the  hills.  After  two  miles  descend  into  a  mere  glen,  watered  bv  the  VVhurf;  ride 
through  Buckden  and  Star.bottom,  two  villages,  and  lie  at  Kettlewcl,  a  small  mine 
town.  There  are  many  lead  mines  about  the  place,  and  some  coal ;  but  peat  is  the 
general  fuel,  and  oat*cakes,  or  bannocks>  the  usual  bread. 

October  9.  Continue  our  journey  along  a  pleasant  vale.  Ride  beneath  Kilnsey. 
scar,  a  stupendous  rock,  ninety -three  yards  high,  more  than  perpendicular,  for  it  over* 
hangs  at  top  in  a  manner  dreadful  to  the  traveller.  The  road  bad,  made  of  broken 
limestones  uncovered.  This  vale  ends  in  a  vast  theatre  of  wood,  and  gave  me  the  idea 
of  an  American  scene.  Ascend,  and  get  into  a  hilly  and  less  pleasing  country.  Over- 
take many  droves  of  cattle  and  horses,  which  had  been  at  grass  the  whole  summer  in 
the  remotest  part  of  Craven,  where  they  were  kept  from  nine  shillings  to  forty  per  head, 
according  to  their  size.     Reach 

Skipton,  a  good  town,  seated  in  a  fertile  expanded  vale.  It  consists  principally  of 
one  broad  street,  the  church  and  castle  terminating  the  upper  end.  The  castle  is  said 
to  have  been  originally  built  by  Robert  de  Romely,  lord  of  the  honour  of  Skipton. 
By  failure  of  male  issue,  it  fell  to  William  Fitz  Duncan,  earl  of  Murray,  who  married 
the  daughter  of  Romely.  William  le  Gross,  earl  of  Albemarle,  by  marriage  with  her 
daughter,  received  as  portion  her  grandfather's  estates.  It  fell  afterwards  by  females 
to  other  families,  such  as  William  de  Mandevil,  earl  of  Essex,  to  William  de  Fortibus, 
and  Baldwin  de  Betun.  In  the  time  of  Richard  I,  Avelin,  daughter  to  a  second  William 
de  Fortibus,  a  minor,  succeeded.  She  became  ward  of  king  Henry  IH,  who,  on  her 
coming  of  age,  in  1269,  bestowed  her  and  her  fortunes  on  his  son  Edmund,  earl  of 
Lancaster  *  but  on  the  forfeiture  of  his  son  for  treason  against  Edward  II,  the  honour 
and  castle  were  granted,  in  1309,  to  Robert  de  CliiFord,  a  Herefordshire  baron,  in 
whose  line  it  continued  till  the  last  century.  I  know  of  no  remarkable  event  that  be- 
fel  this  castle,  excepting  that  it  was  dismantled  by  ordinance  of  parliament,  in  1G48,  be- 
cause it  had  received  a  loyal  garrison  during  the  civil  wars. 

It  was  restored,  and  repaired,  in  1657-1658,  by  the  famous  Anne  Clifford,  who 
made  it,  with  five  other  castles,  her  alternate  residence.  It  is  seated  on  the  edge  of  a 
deep  dingle,  prettily  wooded,  and  watered  by  a  canal,  that  serves  to  convey  limestone 
to  the  main  trunk  of  the  navigation,  which  passes  near  the  town.  At  present  the  castle 
seems  more  calculated'  for  habitation  than  defence.  A  gateway,  with  a  round  tower  at 
a  small  distance  from  it.  The  towers  in  the  castle  are  generally  round,  some  polygonal. 
Over  the  entrance  is  an  inscription,  purporting  the  time  of  repair.  The  hall  is  worthy 
the  hospitality  of  the  family  ;  has  two  fire-places,  a  hatch  to  the  kitchen,  and  another  to 
the  cellar. 

The  great  family  picture  is  a  curious  performance ;  and  still  more  valuable,  on  ac 
count  of  the  distinguished  persons  represented.  It  is  tripartite,  in  form  of  a  skreen.  In 
the  centre  is  the  celebrated  George  Clifford,  earl  of  Cumberland,  the  hero  of  the 
reign  of  Elizabeth  ;  and  his  lady,  Margaret  Russel,  daughter  of  Francis,  second  earl  of 
Bedford.  He  is  dressed  in  armour,  spotted  with  stars  of  gold ;  but  much  of  it  is  con- 
cealed  by  a  vest  and  skirts  reaching  to  his  knees ;  his  helmet  and  gauntlet,  lying  on  the 

*  Dugdale,  Baron,  i.  65. 


;ii 


r 


520 


PENNANT'S  SECOND  TOUU  IN  SCOTLAND. 


floor,  arc  studded  in  like  manner.  He  was  born  in  the  year  1558,  and  by  the  death  of 
his  father  fell  under  the  guardianship  of  his  royal  mistress,  who  placed  him  under  the 
ttiition  of  doctor  VVhitgift,  afterwards  archbishop  of  Canterbury.  He  applied  himself 
to  mathematics ;  but  soon  after  leaving  the  college  he  felt  the  spirit  of  his  warlike  an- 
cestors rise  within  him,  and  for  the  rest  of  his  life  distinguished  himself  by  deeds  of  arms 
honourable  to  himself,*  and  of  use  to  his  country,  in  not  fewer  than  twenty-two  voy- 
ages against  the  Geryon  of  the  time,  Philip  H,  who  felt  the  effects  of  his  prowess, 
against  the  invincible  armada,  against  his  European  dominions,  and  the  more  distant 
ones  in  America.  He  was  always  successful  against  the  enemy,  but  often  suffered  great 
hardships  by  storms,  by  diseases,  und  by  famine.  The  wealth  which  he  acquired  was 
devoted  to  the  service  of  the  state,  for  he  speut  not  only  the  acquisitions  of  his  voyages, 
but  much  of  his  parental  fortune,  in  building  of  ships  ;  and  much  also  he  dis- 
sipated by  his  love  of  horse-races,  tournaments,  and  every  expensive  diversion. 
Queen  Elizabeth  appointed  him  her  champion  f  in  all  her  tilting  matches,  from 
the  thirty.third  year  of  her  reign ;  and  in  all  those  exercises  of  tilting,  turn- 
ings, and  courses  of  the  lield,  he  excelled  all  the  nobility  of  his  time.  His  magni- 
iicient  armour  worn  on  those  occasions  (adorned  with  roses  and  fleurs  de  lis):^  is  actually 
preserved  at  Appleby  castle,  where  is,  besides,  a  copy  of  this  picture.  In  the  course  of 
the  life  of  soldier,  sailor,  and  courtier,  lie  fell  into  the  licentiousness  sometimes  incident 
to  the  professions :  but,  as  the  inscription  on  the  picture  imports,  the  efi*ects  of  his  early 
education  were  then  felt,  for  he  died  penitently,  willingly,  and  christianly. 

His  lady  stands  by  him  in  a  purple  gown,  and  white  petticoat,  embroidered  with  gold. 
She  pathetically  extends  one  hand  to  two  beautiful  boys,  as  if  in  the  action  of  dissuading 
her  lord  from  such  dangerous  voyages,  when  more  interesting  and  tender  claims  ur- 
ged the  presence  of  a  parent.  How  must  he  have  been  affected  by  his  refusal,  when 
he  found  that  he  had  lost  both,  on  his  return  from  two  of  his  expeditions,  if  the  heart  of 
a  hero  does  not  too  often  divest  itself  of  the  tender  sensations ! 

The  letters  of  this  lady  are  extant  in  manuscript,  and  also  her  diary  ;  she  unfortu- 
nately marries  without  liking,  and  meets  with  the  same  return.  She  mentions  several 
minutiae  that  I  omit,  being  only  proofs  of  her  attention  to  accuracy.  She  complains 
greatly  of  the  coolness  of  her  lord,  and  his  neglect  of  his  daughter,  Anne  Clifford ;  and 
endured  great  poverty,  of  which  she  writes  in  a  most  moving  strain  to  James  I,  to  several 
great  persons,  and  to  the  earl  himself.  All  her  letters  are  humble,  suppliant,  and  pa- 
thetic, yet  the  earl  was  said  to  have  parted  with  her  on  account  of  her  high  spirit.  § 

Above  the  two  principal  figures  are  painted  the  heads  of  two  sisters  of  tlie  earl,  Anne, 
countess  of  Warwick,  ana  Elizabeth,  countess  of  Bath;  and  two,  the  sisters  of  the 
countess ;  Frances,  married  to  Philip,  lord  Wharton ;  and  Margaret,  countess  of 
Derby.    Beneath  each  is  a  long  inscription.    The  several  inscriptions  were  composed  by 

*  At  an  audience  the  earl  had  after  one  of  his  expeditions,  the  queeni  perhaps  deugnedty,  dropped  one 
of  her  gloves.  His  lordship  took  it  up,  and  presented  it  to  her  ;  she  graciously  desired  him  to  keep  it  as  a 
mark  of  her  esteem.  Thus  gratifying  his  ambition  with  a  reward  that  suited  her  majesty's  avarice.  He 
adorned  it  with  diamonds,  and  wore  it  in  the  front  of  his  high<.rowned  hat  on  days  of  tournaments.  This 
is  expressed  in  the  fine  print  of  him,  by  Robert  White. 

t  Mr.  Walpole,  in  his  miscellaneous  Antiquities,  has  favoured  us  with  a  very  entertaining  account  of 
investiture.  He  succeeded  the  gallant  old  knight  Sir  Henry  Lea»  in  1 590,  who  with  much  ceremony  re- 
signed the  ofHce. 

t  I  have  seen  in  the  collection  of  her  grace  the  duchess  dowager  of  Portlandi  a  book  of  drawings  of 
all  Knights-tilters  of  his  time,  dressed  in  their  rich  armour.  Among  others  is  the  earl  of  Cumberland)  in 
the  very  armour  I  mention. 

§  These,  and  several  other  anecdotes  of  the  family)  I  found  in  certain  MSS.  letters  and  diaries  of  the 
rountess  and  her  daughter. 


PENNANTS  SECOND  TOUR  IN  SCOTLAND. 


521 


ileath  of 
idcr  the 
himself 
like  an- 
of  arms 
-vo  voy- 
>ro\vess, 
:  distant 
ed  great 
Ired  was 
oyages, 

he  dis* 
[version, 
i,  from 
i,    turn. 

magni' 

actually 

;ourse  of 

incident 

his  early 

ith  gold, 
^suading 
aims  uf' 
al,  when 
heart  of 

unfortu- 
several 
omplains 
)rd ;  and 
o  several 
and  pa- 
rit.  5 
rl,  Anne, 
rs  of  the 
mtess  of 
posed  by 

ropped  one 
uepitasa 
irice.  He 
nts.    This 

account  of 
■emony  rC' 

rawingt  of 
berland)  in 

tries  of  the 


Aune  Ciiffordi  with  the  assistance  of  judge  Hales,  who  perused  and  methodized  for  her 
the  necessary  papers  and  evidences.* 

The  two  side-leaves  shew  the  portraits  of  her  celebrated  daughter,  Anne  Clifford,  al*. 
terwards  countess  of  Dorset,  Pembroke,  and  Montgomery  ;  the  most  eminent  person 
of  her  age  for  intellectual  accomplishments,  for  spirit,  magnificence,  and  deeds  of  bene- 
volence. Both  these  paintings  are  full  lengths :  the  one  represents  her  at  the  age  of 
tliirtcen,  standing  in  her  study,  dressed  in  white,  embroidered  with  flowers,  her  nead 
adorned  with  great  pearls.  One  hand  is  on  a  music-book,  her  lute  lies  by  her.  The 
book  informs  us  of  the  fashionable  course  of  reading  among  people  of  rank  in  her 
days.  I  perceived  among  them,  Eusebius,  St.  Augustine,  Sir  Philip  Sidney's  Arcadia, 
Godfrey  of  Boulogne,  the  French  Academy,  Camden,  Ortelius,  Agrippa,  on  the  vanity 
of  occult  Sciences,  &c.  8cc.  Above  are  heads  of  Mr.  Samuel  Daniel,  her  tutor,  and 
Mrs.  Anne  Taylor,  her  governess ;  the  last  appearing,  as  the  inscription  says  bhe  was,  u 
religious  and  good  woman.  This  memorial  of  the  instructors  of  her  youth  is  a  most 
grateful  acknowledgment  of  the  benefits  she  received  from  them.  She  was  certainly 
a  most  happy  subject  to  work  on ;  for,  according  to  her  own  account,  old  Mr.  John 
Denham,  a  great  astronomer,  in  her  father's  house,  used  to  say,  '*  that  the  sweet  in- 
fluence of  the  Pleiades,  and  the  bands  of  Orion,  were  powerful  both  at  her  conception 
and  birth :"  and  when  she  grew  up.  Dr.  Donne  is  reported  to  have  sslv}  of  her,  that 
*•  she  knew  well  how  to  discourse  of  all  things,  from  predestination  to  sl«  \  iilk."t 

In  the  other  leaf  &lie  appears  in  her  middle  age,  in  the  state  of  widowho(;(.j  dressed  in 
a  black  gown,  and  black  veil,  and  white  sleeves,  and  round  her  wsust  is  a  oii  tin  of  great 
pearls ;  her  hair  long  and  brown ;  her  wedding  ring  on  the  thumb  of  her  right  hand, 
which  is  placed  on  the  bible,  and  Charron's  Book  of  Wisdom.  The  rest  of  the  books 
are  of  piety,  excepting  one  of  distillations,  and  excellent  medicines.  Such  is  the  figure 
of  the  heroic  daughter  of  a  hero  father,  whose  spirit  dictated  this  animated  answer  to  the 
insolent  minister  of  an  ungreateful  court,  who  would  force  into  one  of  her  boroughs  a 
person  disagreeable  to  her  : 

"  I  have  been  bullied  by  an  usurper :  I  have  been  neglected  by  a  court ;  but  I  will 
not  be  dictated  to  by  a  subject.     You^  man  sha'nt  stand. 

.;  -  ,  "  Anne  Dorset,  Pembroke,  and  Montgomery." 

Above  her  are  the  heads  of  her  two  husbands,  Richard  earl  of  Dorset,  who  died  in 
1624 ;  an  amiable  nobleman,  a  patron  of  men  of  letters,  and  bounteous  to  distressed 
worth.  The  other  is  of  that  brutal  simpleton,  Philip  earl  of  Pembroke,  the  just  sub- 
ject of  Butler's  ridicule,  whom  t  he  married  six  years  after  the  death  of  her  first  lord. 
Yet  she  speaks  favourably  of  each,  notwithstanding  their  mental  (]ualificauons  were  so 
different :  "  These  two  lords,  says  she,  to  whom  I  was  by  the  divine  providence  mar- 
ried, were  in  their  several  kindes  worthy  noblemen  as  any  in  the  kingdom  ;  yet  it  was 
my  misfortune  to  have  crosses  and  contradictions  with  them  both.  Nor  did  there  want 
malicious  ill-willersto  blow  and  foment  the  coals  of  dissension  between  us,  so  as  in  both 
their  life-times  the  marble  pillars  of  Knowle,  in  Kent,  and  Wilton,  in  Wiltshire,  were 
to  me  but  the  gay  arbours  of  anguish,  insomuch  as  a  wise  man,  who  knew  the  inside 
of  my  fortune,  would  oflen  say,  that  I  lived  in  both  these  my  lords  great  families  as 
the  river  of  Roan,  or  Rodanus,  runs  through  the  lake  of  Geneva,  without  mingling 
any  part  of  its  streams  with  that  of  the  lake." 


*  Life  of  lord  Keeper  North. 
VOL,  III. 


t  Bishop  Rainbow's  discourse  at  her  funeral,  in  1657. 
3  X 


m 


522 


PENNANT'S  SECOND  TGJH  IN  SCOTLAND. 


But  she  was  released  from  her  second  marriage  by  the  death  of  her  husband  in  1650. 
After  which  the  greatness  of  her  mind  burst  out  in  full  and  uninterrupted  lusfre.  She 
re-built,  or  repaired,  six  of  her  ancient  castles ;  she  restored  seven  churches,  or  chapels; 
founded  one  hospital,  and  rt-paired  another.  She  lived  in  vast  hospitality  at  all  her 
castles  by  turns,  on  the  beuutiful  motive  of  dispensing  her  charity  in  rotation  among 
the  poor  of  her  vast  estates.  Site  travelled  in  a  horse.litter ;  and  often  took  new  and 
bad  roads  from  castle  to  castle,  in  order  to  find  out  cause  of  laying  out  money  among 
the  indi^nt,  by  employing  them  in  the  repairs.  The  opulent  also  felt  the  effect  of  her 
generosity,  for  she  never  suffered  any  visitors  to  go  away  without  a  present,  ii^niouslf 
contrived  according  to  their  qtiality.*  After  the  restoration  she  was  solicited  to  eo  to 
court,  but  declined  the  invitation,  saying,  "  that  if  she  went,  she  must  have  a  pair  of 
blinkers,  such  as  her  horses  had,  lest  she  should  see  such  things  as  would  offend  her." 
She  often  sate  in  person  as  sheriffess  of  the  county  of  Westmoreland ;  at  length  died,  at 
the  age  of  eighty  .six,  in  the  year  1676,  and  was  interred  at  Appleby.  Her  great  pos- 
sessions devolved  to  John  earl  of  Thanet,  who  married  Margaret,  her  eldest  daughter, 
by  the  earl  of  Dorset. 

Here  are  four  heads  of  this  illustrious  countess,  in  the  states  of  childhood,  youth, 
middle,  and  old  age.f  My  print  is  taken  from  one  resembling  the  last  in  the  gallery^  at 
Strawberry-Hill,  which  the  hon.  Horace  Walpole  was  so  obligbg  as  to  permit  to  be 
copied.:]: 

Id  one  of  the  rooms  is  a  fictitious  piicture  of  the  fair  Fasamond,  daughter  of  Walter 
de  Clifford,  and  mistress  to  Henr)'  II.  She  is  dres:>ed  in  the  mode  of  the  reign  of  Eliza* 
beth;  but  at  her  ear  is  a  red  rose,  an  allusion  of  the  painter  to  her  name. 

A  picture  of  a  young  person,  with  a  crown  by  her.  Another  of  a  name  inscribed, 
vultus  index  animi;  and  a  third  portrait,  half  length,  of  the  great  earl  of  Cumberland, 
in  a  white  hat,  are  the  most  remarkable,  unnoticed. 

1  must  mention  two  good  octagonal  rooms,  in  one  of  which  is  some  singular  tapestry, 
e^pressingthepunishmentof  the  vices.  Cruaut^  is  represented  with  head,  hands,  anid 
feet  in  the  stocks ;  and  Mal-bouche  and  Vil-parler  undei^ing  the  cutting  off"  of  their 
tongues. 

On  the  steeple  of  the  church  is  an  inscription,  importing,  that  it  was  repaired  after  it 
had  been  ruined  in  the  civil  wars,  by  lady  Clifford,  countess  of  Pembroke,  in  1655. 
Within  the  church  are  inscriptions,  on  plain  stones,  in  memory  of  the  three  first  earls 
of  Cumberland.  Those  on  the  two  first  relate  little  more  than  their  lineage  :  but  the 
noble  historian  of  the  family  informs  us,  that  the  first  earl  was  brought  up  with 
Henry  VIII,  and  beloved  by  him.  That  he  was  one  of  the  most  eminent  lords  of  his 
time,  for  nobleness,  gallantry,  and  courtship,  but  wasted  much  of  his  estate.  That  the 
second  earl  at  the  beginning  was  also  a  great  waster  of  his  estate,  till  he  retired  into  the 
country,  when  he  grew  rich.  He  was  much  addicted  to  the  study  and  practice  of  alchemy 
and  chemistry,  and  a  great  distiller  of  waters  for  medicines ;  was  studious  in  ail  man- 
ner of  learning,  and  had  an  excellent  library,  both  of  written-hand  books  and  printed.  $ 

l;n<..    ..        ,  .     ..-•,;■;■•    ■     ,\  •  y.  .^■.■-- if.  ■^n-  -<  '^i  ■■*■'<  .f,'!'  ■,',1' 

*  Life  oFlord  Keeper  North,  141. 

t  She  says  in  her  diary,  that  in  1619  her  picture  was'drawn  by  Larking.  She  mentions  also  some  of 
the  amusements  of  the  time,  such  aaGIecko,  at  which  she  lost  1 51.  and  Bariey4)reak,  at  which  she  pluyed 
en  the  bowling-green  at  Buckhurst. 

I  Mr.  Walpole  shewed  me  a  medal,  with  the  head  of  the  countess,  exactly  resembling  the  picture. 
On  the  reverse  is  religion,  represented  by  a  female  figure  crowned,  and  stwidiog.  In  one  bud  the  bible ; 
the  left  arm  embra6es  a  cross  taller  than  herself.  ^:.'    <    tt.i.',t,sm- 

$  Life  oflady  Anne  Clifforc^fcc.  by  herself,  MS.  ^x<v, 


-Tsr- 


PENNANT'S  SECOND  TOUR  IN  SCOTLAND. 


523 


Continue  my  journey  through  a  pleasant  vale,  watert-d  by  the  Air,  or  the  Gentle 
River,  as  the  Celtic  Ara  signifies,  expressive  of  its  smooth  course*  A.odjj  its  side 
winds  the  canal,  which,  when  finished,  is  to  convey  the  manufactures  of  L'.-eds  to  Liver- 
pool, ttide  beneath  a  greai  aqueduct,  at  Kildvvick,  and  have  soon  afui  a  view  of  the 
rich  valley  that  runs  towards  Leeds.  Reach  Kijjhly,  at  Uic  bottom  of  another  ricli  vale, 
that  joins  the  former.  This  place  has  a  considerable  manufacture  of  figured  everlast- 
ings, in  imitation  of  French  bilks,  and  of  shalloons  and  calliinancocs;  and  numbers  of 
people  get  their  livelihood  by  spinning  of  wool  for  the  stocking-weavers.  'I'lie  an- 
cient family  of  Kighly  take  tncir  name  from  this  town.  One  of  thtin,  Henry  Kifthly, 
*'  obtained  from  Edward  I,  for  this  his  manor,  the  privileges  of  a  market  and  lair, 
and  a  free-warren,  so  that  none  might  enter  into  those  groiiads  to  chase  there,  or  with 
design  to  catch  any  thing  pertaining  to  the  said  warren,  without  the  pcrmi  ssion  and 
leave  of  the  said  Henry  and  his  successors,  "f 

After  crossing  some  very  dismal  moors,  varied  with  several  tedious  ascents  and  de- 
.scents,  reach,  at  the  foot  of  a  very  steep  hill,  the  great  town  of 

Halifax,  or  the  Holy-Hair,  from  a  legendary  tale  not  worth  mentioning.  It  is  seated 
in  a  very  deep  bottom,  and  concealed  from  view  on  every  side,  till  approached  very 
nearly.  The  streets  are  narrow;  the  houses  mostly  built  and  covered  with  stone, 
and  the  streets  have  been  lately  paved  in  the  manner  of  those  at  Edinburgh.  1  he 
town  extends  far  in  length,  but  not  in  breadth.  Here  is  only  one  church,  spacious, 
supported  by  two  rows  of  octagonal  pillars,  and  supplied  with  a  handsome  organ.  Tiie 
conqueror  bestowed  the  lordship  of  Wakefield,:}:  of  which  this  place  is  part,  on  his  re- 
lation, William  earl  of  Warren  and  Surry,  who  gave  the  church  and  manor  to  the 
abbot  of  Lewes ;  and  his  successors  constantly  held  courts  here  from  that  time  to  the  dis- 
solution. $  The  parish  is  of  vast  extent,  contaii^s  above  one  and  forty  thousand  inhabi- 
tants, and  is  supplied  with  twelve  chapels.  In  the  town  are  several  meeting-houses ; 
one,  called  the  chapel,  b  a  neat  and  elegant  buikting,  erected  by  the  independents,  and 
even  stuccoed. 

Halifax  rose  on  the  decline  of  the  woollen  trade  at  Rippon ;  which  was  brougl. 
from  that  town  in  the  time  of  a  Mr.  John  Waterhouse,  of  this  place,  who  was  born  in 
1443,  and  lived  near  a  century.  In  the  beginning  of  his  time,  here  were  only  thirteen 
houses,  but  in  1556  above  a  hundred  and  forty  householders  paid  dues  to  the  vicar  ;|| 
and  in  1738,  says  Mr.  Wright,  there  were  not  fewer  than  eleven  hundred  families. 
The  woollen  manufactures  flourish  here  greatly ;  such  as  that  of  the  narrow  cloth,  bath- 
coatings,  shalloons,  everlastings,  a  sort  of  coarse  broad  cloth,  with  black  hair  list,  for 
Portugal,  and  with  blue  for  Turkey ;  sayes,  of  a  deep  colour,  for  Guinea  ;  the  last  are 
packed  in  pieces  of  twelve  yards  and  a  half,  wrapped  in  an  oil  cloth,  painted  with  ne- 
groes, elephants,  8cc.  in  order  to  captivate  those  poor  people ;  and  perhaps  one  of  these 
bundles  and  a  bottle  of  rum  may  be  the  price  of  a  man  in  the  infamous  traffic.  Many 
blood-red  clothes  are  exported  to  Ituly,  from  whence  they  are  supposed  to  be  sent  to 
Turkey.  The  blues  are  sold  to  Novway.  The  manufacture  is  far  from  being  confined 
to  the  neighbourhood,  for  its  influence  extends  as  far  as  Settle,  near  thirty  miles  distant, 
either  in  the  spinning  or  weaving  branches.  The  great  manufacturers  give  out  a  stock 
of  wool  to  the  artificers,  v^ho  return  it  again  in  yam  or  cloth ;  but  many,  tukir.g  in  a  lar- 
ger  quantity  of  work  than  they  can  finish,  are  obliged  to  advance  taruier  into  die  coun- 

*  Camden,  it  657,  vrho  says,  that  the  Araris,  the  modern  Saone,  takes  its  name  for  the  same  reason. 
The  Swiss  A«r  is  very  rapid, 
t  Camden,  ii.  859.       t  Wright's  Halifax,  202.       §  Wright,  8.       ijlbid. 

3x2  • 


i 


5-24 


PEMMANT'S  SECOND  TOUR  IN  SCOTLAND. 


try  in  search  of  more  hands,  which  causes  the  trade  to  spread  from  place  to  place,  which 
has  now  happily  extended  its  influence :  but  not  ahvays  alike,  fur  it  is  bounded  by  the 
kcrsics  at  Soyland,  and  by  the  baize  at  Rochdale. 

October  2.  In  passing  through  the  end  of  Halifax,  observe  a  square  spot,  about  four 
feet  high  and  thirteen  broad,  made  of  neat  ashler  stone,  accessible  on  one  side  by  four  or 
iive  steps.  On  this  was  placed  the  Maiden,  or  instrument  for  beheading  of  criminals ; 
a  privilege  of  great  antiquity  in  this  place.  It  seems  to  have  been  confined  to  the  limits 
of  the  forest  of  HardwicK,  or  the  eighteen  towns  and  hamlets  within  its  precincts.  The 
time  when  this  custom  took  place  is  unknown ;  whether  earl  Warren,  lord  of  this 
forest,  might  have  established  it  among  the  sanguinary  laws  then  in  use  against  the  in> 
vaders  of  the  hunting  rights,  or  whether  it  might  not  take  place  after  the  woollen  manu- 
iactures  at  Halifax  began  to  gain  strength,  is  uncertain.  The  last  is  very  probable ; 
for  the  wild  country  around  the  town  was  inhabited  by  a  lawless  set,  whose  depreda- 
tions on  the  cloth>tenters  might  soon  stifle  the  efforts  of  infant  industry.  For  the  pro. 
tection  of  trade,  and  for  the  greater  terror  of  offenders,  by  speedy  execution,  this  ctis- 
(om  seems  to  have  been  established,  so  as  at  last  to  receive  the  force  of  law,  which  was, 
**that  if  a  felon  be  taken  within  the  liberty  of  the  forest  of  Hardwick,  with  goods 
stolen  out,  or  within  the  said  precincts,  either  hand-habend,  back-berand,  or  coti- 
fcssion'd,  to  the  value  of  thirteen-pence  half-penny,  he  shall,  after  three  market  days  or 
meeting'days  within  the  town  of  Halifax,  next  after  such  his  apprehension,  and  being 
condemned,  be  taken  to  the  gibbet,  and  there  have  his  head  cut  from  its  body."''^ 

The  offender  had  always  a  fair  trial ;  for  as  soon  as  he  was  taken  he  was  brought  to 
the  lord's  bailiff  at  Halifax :  he  was  then  exposed  on  the  three  markets  (which  here 
were  held  thrice  in  a  week)  placed  in  a  stocks,  with  the  goods  stolen  on  his  back,  or  if  the 
theft  was  of  the  cattle  kind,  they  were  placed  by  him  ;  and  this  was  done,  both  to  strike 
terror  into  others,  and  to  produce  new  informations  against  him.f  The  bailiff  then 
summoned  four  freeholders  of  each  town  within  the  forest,  to  form  a  jury.  The  felon 
and  prosecutors  were  brought  face  to  face ;  the  goods,  the  cow,  or  horse,  or  whatso- 
ever  was  stolen,  produced.  If  he  was  found  guilty,  he  was  remanded  to  prison,  had 
a  week\s  time  allowed  for  preparation,  and  then  was  conveyed  to  this  spot,  where  his 
head  was  struck  off  by  this  machine.  I  should  have  premised,  that  if  the  criminal, 
either  after  apprehension,  or  in  the  way  to  execution,  could  escape  out  of  the  limits  of 
the  forest  (part  being  close  to  the  town)  the  bailiff  had  no  farther  power  over  him :  but 
if  he  should  be  caught  within  the  precincts  at  any  time  after,  he  was  immediately  exe- 
cuted on  his  former  sentence. 

This  privilege  was  very  freely  used  during  the  reign  of  Elizabeth  :  the  records  be- 
fore that  time  were  lost.  Twenty.five  suffered  in  her  reign,  and  at  least  twelve  from 
1623  to  1650 ;  after  which  I  believe  the  privilege  was  no  more  exerted. 

This  machine  of  death  is  now  destroyed ;  but  I  saw  one  of  the  same  kind  in  a  room 
under  the  parliament- house  at  Edinburgh,  where  it  was  introduced  by  the  regent 
Morton,  who  took  a  model  of  it  as  he  passed  through  Halifax,  and  at  length  sufrcred 
by  it  himself.  It  is  in  form  of  a  painter's  easel,  and  about  ten  feet  high :  at  fbur  feet 
from  the  bottom  is  a  cross  bar,  on  which  the  felon  lays  his  head,  which  is  kept  down  by 
another  placed  above.  In  the  inner  edges  of  the  frame  are  grooves ;  in  these  is 
placed  a  sharp  axe,  with  a  vast  weight  of  lead,  supported  at  the  very  summit  with  apeg;  to 
that  peg  is  fastened  a  cord,  which  the  executioner  cutting,  the  axe  falls,  and  does  the  af- 


*  Wright,  84,  and  Halifax  and  its  g^bbet-Iaw,  Ice.  18. 
t  Gibbet>Law  says,  that  he  is  exposed  afler  conviction. 


'-<■'  ■ .  ■■ 


PENNANT'S  SECOND  TOUR  IN  SCOTLAND. 


525 


,  which 
by  the 

It  four 
bur  or 
ninats ; 

limits 
The 
of  thb 
the  in* 

manu- 
obable  i 
epreda- 
he  pro- 
lis  ctia- 
ch  was, 
1  goods 
or  con- 
days  or 
d  being 

lught  to 
lien  here 
or  if  the 
to  strike 
iliff  then 
*he  felon 
whatso^ 
son,  had 
'here  his 
criminal, 
limits  of 
lim:  but 
tcljr  exe- 

lords  he- 
lve from 

1  a  room 
ic  i*gent 
sufrered 
fbur  feet 
down  by 
■  these  is 
a  peg;  to 
es  the  af- 


i:<^  ■ 


fair  effectually,  without  suffering  the  unhappy  criminal  to  undergo  a  repetition  of  strokes, 
as  has  been  the  case  in  the  common  method.  I  must  add,  that  if  the  suflcrcr  i^  con. 
demned  for  stealing  a  horse  or  a  cow,  the  string  is  tied  t  o  the  beast,  which,  on  being 
whipped,  pulls  out  the  peg,  and  becomes  the  executioner. 

On  descending  a  hill,  have  a  fine  view  of  a  vale,  with  the  Calder  meandring  through 
it.  Towards  the  upper  end  are  two  oiher  little  vales,  whose  sidrsi  are  filled  with  smull 
houses,  and  bottoms  with  fulling-mills.  Here  arc  several  good  houses,  the  property  of 
wealthy  clothiers,  with  warehouses  in  a  superb  and  elegant  stile  ;  the  fair  ostentation  of 
industrious  riches.  Dine  at  a  neat  alehouse,  at  the  foot  of  the  hill,  at  the  head  of  the 
canal,  which  conveys  the  manufactures  to  the  Trent.  Call  here  on  my  old  correspon- 
dent Mr.  Thomas  Bolton,  and  am  surprised  with  his  vast  collection  of  natural  history, 
got  together  to  amuse  and  improve  his  mind  after  the  fatigues  of  business. 

Cross  the  Calder  at  Lowerby  bridge  ;  after  a  steep  ascent  arrive  in  a  wild  and 
moory  country,  pass  by  the  village  of  Loyland;  reach  Blackstone-edge,  so  called  from 
the  colour  of  certain  great  stones  that  appear  on  the  summit.  The  view  is  unbounded 
of  Lancashire,  Cheshire,  and  Wales.  The  ancient  road  down  this  hill  was  formerly 
tremendous ;  at  present  a  new  one  winds  down  the  sides  for  two  miles,  excellently 

Slanned.  The  parish  of  Halifax  reaches  to  this  hill.  It  is  my  misfortune  that  the  Rev. 
Ir.  Watson's  full  account  of  this  parish  did  not  fall  into  my  hands  till  this  sheet  was 
going  to  the  press ;  for  my  account  would  have  received  from  it  considerable  improve^ 
ments.  A  little  before  our  arrival  on  the  top  of  this  hill,  enter  the  county  of  Lan- 
caster. 

Reach  Rochdale,  a  town  irregularly  built,  noted  for  its  manufactory  of  baize.  The 
church  is  on  an  adjacent  eminence,  to  be  reached  by  an  ascent  of  about  a  hundred  and 
seventeen  steps.    The  Roche,  a  small  stream,  runs  near  the  town. 

Oct.  11.  After  six  miles  ride,  pass  by  Middlcton.  In  a  pretty  vale,  on  un  emi- 
nence, is  Alkrington,  the  seat  of  Ashton  Lever,  Esq.  where  I  continue  the  whole  day, 
attracted  by  his  civility,  and  the  elegance  of  his  museum. 

Oct.  12.  Wearied  with  the  length  of  my  journey,  hasten  through  Manchester  and 
Warrington,  and  find  ac  home  the  same  satisfactory  conclusion  as  that  of  my  former 
tour. 


APPENDIX....NUMBER  I. 

CONCERNING  THE  CONSTITUTION  OF  THE  CHURCH  OF  SCOTLAND. 

PRESBYTERIAN  government  in  Scotland  took  place  after  the  reformation  of 
popery,  as  being  the  form  of  ecclesiastical  government  most  agreeable  to  the  genius 
and  inclinations  of  the  people  of  Scotland.  When  James  VI,  succeeded  to  the  crown 
of  England,  it  is  well  known  that,  during  his  reign  and  that  of  his  successors  of  the 
family  of  Stewart,  designs  were  formed  of  altering  the  constitution  of  our  civil  govern- 
ment, and  rendering  our  kings  more  absolute.  The  establishment  of  episcopacy  in 
Scotland  was  thought  to  be  one  point  proper  to  facilitate  the  execution  of  these  designs. 
Episcopacy  was  accordingly  estaDlished  at  length,  and  continued  to  be  the  government 
of  the  cHUrth' till  the  Revolution,  when,  such  designs  subsisting  no  longer,  Presbyterian 
government  was  restored  to  Scotland.  It  was  established  by  act  of  parliament  in  1690, 
and  was  afterwards  secured  by  an  express  article  in  the  treaty  of  union  between  the 


526 


PENNANT'S  SECOND  TOUR  IN  SCOTLAND. 


two\ingdoms  of  England  and  Scotland.  Amonir  the  ministers  of  Scotland  there  isub- 
sists  a  perfect  equality  ;^  that  is,  no  minister,  considered  as  an  individual,  has  an  authori- 
tative jut  iiidictiuu  over  another.  Jurisdiction  is  competent  for  them  only  ivhcn  they  act 
in  a  collective  body,  or  as  a  court  of  judicature ;  and  then  there  is  a  subordination  of 
one  court  to  another,  or  inferior  and  su|Krior  courts. 

The  courts  established  by  law  are  the  four  following,  viz.  Church  sessions,  Presby- 
teries, Provincial  Synods,  and,  abov>-  all,  a  National  or  General  Assembly. 

A  Church  Session  is  composed  oi  the  minister  of  the  parish  and  certain  discreet  lay* 
men,  who  are  chosen  and  ordained  for  the  exercise  of  discipline,  and  are  culled  Kiders. 
The  number  of  these  Elders  varies  accoiding  to  the  txtent  of  the  parish.  Two  of 
them,  together  with  the  Minister,  are  m-cessury,  in  order  to  their  holdmg  a  leg^il  meet* 
ing.  The  minister  always  presides  in  these  meetings,  imd  is  called  Moderator ;  but 
has  no  other  authority  tut  what  belongs  to  the  Praeses  of  any  other  court.  The  Church 
Session  is  appointed  for  inspecting  the  morals  of  the  paribhioners,  and  managing  the 
funds  that  are  appropriated  for  the  maintenance  of  the  poor  tvithin  their  own  Dounds. 
When  a  person  is  convicted  of  any  instance  of  immoral  cuiiduct,  or  of  what  is  incon* 
sistent  with  his  Christian  profession,  the  Church  Session  inflicts  some  ecclesiastical  cen* 
sure,  such  as  giving  him  an  admonition  or  rebuke  ;  or,  if  the  crime  be  of  a  gross  and 
public  nature,  they  appoint  him  to  profess  his  repentance  in  the  face  of  the  whole 
congregation,  in  order  to  make  satbfaction  for  the  public  offence.  The  highest 
church  censure  is  excommunication,  which  is  seldom  inflicted  but  for  contumacy,  or 
for  some  very  atrocious  crime  obstinately  persisted  in.  In  former  times  there  were 
certain  civil  |}ains  and  ix^nalties  which  followed  upon  a  sentence  of  excommunication; 
but  by  a  British  statute  these  are  happily  abolished.  The  church  of  Scotland  addresses 
its  censures  only  to  the  consciences  of  men ;  and  if  they  cannot  reclaim  offenders  by 
the  methods  of  persuasion,  they  think  it  inconsistent  with  the  spirit  of  true  religion  to 
have  recourse  to  compulsory  ones,  such  as  temporal  pains  and  penalties. 

If  the  person  thinks  himself  aggrieved  by  the  Church  Session,  it  is  competent  for 
him  to  seek  redress,  by  entering  an  appeal  to  the  Presbyter}',  which  is  the  next  su- 
perior court.  In  like  manner  he  may  appeal  from  the  Presbytery  to  the  Provincial 
Synod,  and  from  the  Synod  to  the  Assemoly,  whose  sentence  is  final  in  all  ecclesiastical 
matters. 

A  Presbytery  consists  of  the  ministers  within  a  certain  district,  and  also  of  one  ruling 
elder  from  each  Church  Session  within  the  district.  In  settling  the  boundaries  of  a  Pres* 
bytery,  a  regard  was  paid  to  the  situation  of  the  countr;^.  Where  the  country  b  popu- 
lous and  champaign,  there  are  instances  of  thirty  ministers  and  as  many  elders  bemg 
joined  in  one  Presbytery.  In  mountainous  countries,  where  travelling  is  more  difficult, 
there  are  only  seven  or  eight  ministers,  in  some  places  fewer  in  a  presbytery.  The 
number  of  Presbyteries  is  computed  to  be  at  about  seventy.  Presbyteries  review  the  pro- 
cedure of  church  sessions,  and  judge  in  references  and  appeals  that  are  brought  before 
them.  They  take  trials  of  canoidates  for  the  minutry ;  and  if,  upon  such  trial,  they 
find  them  duly  qualified,  they  licence  them  to  preach,  but  not  to  dispense  the  sacra- 
ments. Such  licentiates  are  called  Probationers.  It  is  not  common  for  the  church  of 
Scotland  to  ordain  or  confer  holy  orders  on  such  licentiates  till  they  be  presented  to  some 
vacant  kirk,  and  thereby  acquire  a  right  to  a  benefice. 

It  is  the  privileges  of  Presbyteries  to  judge  their  own  membersi  at  least  in  the  first 
instance.  They  may  be  judged  for  heresy,  that  is,  for  preaching  or  pubUshing  doc- 
trines that  are  contrary  to  the  public  standard  imposed  by  act  of  Pariiament  and  Assem- 
bly ;  or  for  any  instance  of  immoral  conduct.    Prosecutions  for  hectsy  were  formei^ 


FeNNANT'S  SECOND  TOUR  IN  SCOTLAND. 


527 


ere  sub- 
nuthori- 
they  act 
lation  of 


reet  lay- 
Elders. 

Two  of 

;il  meet. 

t>>r ;  but 
Church 

King  the 

bounds. 

is  incon- 
lical  cen- 
eross  and 
he  whole 
highest 
imacy,  or 
lere  were 
inication ; 
addresses 
:nders  by 
religion  to 

ipetent  for 
i  next  su- 
Provincial 
clesiastical 

one  ruling 
of  a  PreS' 
/b] 

ders  Deing 
e  difficult, 
i5ry.  The 
w  the  pro- 
ght  before 
trial,  they 
the  sacra- 
'■  church  of 
sd  to  some 

in  the  first 
hing  doc- 
id  Assem- 
e  formed^ 


more  frequent  th&n  they  are  at  pre&ent,  but  happily  a  more  liberal  spirit  has  gained 
ground  among  the  clergy  of  Scotland.  They  think  more  freely  than  they  did  of  uld« 
and  consequently  a  spirit  of  inquiry  and  moderation  seems  to  be  on  the  growing  hand  ; 
so  that  prosecutions  for  heresy  are  become  more  rare,  and  are  generally  looked  upon  as 
invidious.  Some  sensible  men  among  the  clergy  of  Scotland  took  upon  subscnptions 
to  certain  articles  and  creeds  of  human  composition  as  a  grievance,  from  which  they 
would  willingly  be  delivered. 

Presbyteries  are  more  severe  in  their  censures  upon  their  own  members  for  any  in- 
stance of  immoral  conduct.  If  the  person  be  convicted,  they  suspend  him  from  the 
exercise  of  his  ministerial  office  for  a  limited  time ;  but  if  the  crime  be  of  a  heinous 
nature,  they  depose  or  deprive  him  of  his  clerical  character ;  so  that  he  is  no  longer 
a  minister  of  the  church  of  Scotland,  but  forfeits  his  title  to  hiit  benefice,  and  other 
privileges  of  the  established  church.  However,  if  the  person  thinks  himself  injured  by 
the  sentence  of  the  Presbytery,  it  is  lawful  for  him  to  appeal  to  tiie  Provincial  Synod, 
within  whose  bounds  his  Presbytery  lies ;  and  from  the  Synod  he  may  appeal  to  the 
National  Assembly.  Presbyteries  hold  their  meetings  generally  every  month,  except  in 
remote  countries,  and  have  a  power  of  adjourning  themselves  to  whatever  time  or  place 
within  their  district  they  shall  think  proper.  They  choose  their  own  Prteses,  or  Mode- 
rator, who  must  be  a  minister  of  their  own  Presbytery.  The  ruling  Eklers,  who  sit  in 
Presbyteries,  must  be  changed  every  half-year,  or  else  chosen  again  by  their  respective 
Church  Sessions. 

Provincial  Synods  are  the  next  superior  courts  to  Presbyteries,  and  are  composed  of 
the  several  Presbyteries  within  the  province,  and  of  a  ruling  Elder  from  each  Church 
Session.  The  ancient  diocese  of  the  bishops  are  for  the  most  part  the  boundaries  of 
a  Synod.  Most  of  the  Synods  in  Scotland  meet  twice  every  year,  in  tlie  months  of 
April  and  October,  and  at  every  meeting  they  choose  their  Praeses  or  Moderator,  who 
must  be  a  clergyman  of  their  own  number.  They  review  the  procedure  of  Presbyteries, 
and  judge  in  appeals,  references  and  complaints,  that  are  brought  before  them  from  the 
inferior  courts.  And  if  a  Presbytery  shall  be  found  negligent  in  executing  the  ecclesi- 
astical  laws  against  any  cX  their  members,  or  anv  other  person  within  their  jurisdiction, 
the  Synod  can  call  them  to  account,  and  censure  them  as  they  shall  see  cause. 

The  General  Assembly  is  the  supreme  court  in  ecclesiastical  matters,  and  from  which 
there  lies  no  appeal.  As  they  have  a  power  of  making  laws  and  canons,  concerning  rhe 
discipline  and  government  of  the  church  and  the  public  service  of  religion,  the  king 
sends  always  a  Commissioner  to  represent  his  ro^  al  person,  that  nothing  may  be  enacted 
inconsistent  with  the  laws  of  the  state.  The  person  who  represents  the  king  is  generally 
some  Scots  nobleman,  whom  his  majesty  nominates  annually,  some  time  before  the 
meeting  of  the  assembly,  and  is  allowed  a  suitable  salary  for  defraying  the  ex  pence  of 
this  honourable  office.  He  is  present  at  all  the  meetings  of  the  assembly,  and  at  all 
their  debates  and  deliberations.  After  the  assembly  is  constituted,  he  presents  hib  com- 
mission and  delivers  a  speech ;  and,  when  they  have  finished  their  busmess,  which  they 
commonly  do  in  twelve  days,  he  adjourns  the  assembly,  and  appoints  the  time  and 

Slace  of  tlieir  next  annual  meeting,  which  is  generally  at  Edinburgh,  in  the  month  of 

The  Assembly  is  composed  of  Ministers  and  ruling  Elders,  chosen  annually  from  each 
Prtsbytery  in  Scotland.  As  the  number  of  Minixters  and  Elders  in  a  Presbytery  varies, 
ao  the  number  of  their  representatives  must  hold  a  proportion  to  the  number  of  Minis- 
ters and  elders  that  are  in  tlie  Presbytery.  The  proportion  is  fixed  by  laws  and  regu- 
lations for  that  purpose.    Each  royal  burgh  and  university  in  Scotland  has  likewise  the 


! 


'>i» 


t'KNNAMT'S  SKCOND  TOUK  IN  SCOTLA^t). 


privilege  ui'  cltuosiiig  u  ruling  elder  to  the  assembly.  All  elections  must  at  leait  be 
made  forty  days  before  the  meeting  of  the  nsHcmbly.  Tlicir  jurisdiction  is  either  con. 
Htitutivc  or  judicial.  By  the  first  thev  have  authority  to  make  laws  in  ecclesiastical 
matters ;  l^y  the  other  they  jud^e  in  references  and  appeals  broueht  before  them  from 
the  subordinate  courts,  and  their  sentences  are  decisive  and  final.  One  point,  which 
greatly  employs  their  attention,  is  the  settlement  of  vacant  parishes.  The  common 
people  of  Scotland  arc  greatly  prejudiced  against  the  law  of  patronage.  Hence,  when  a 
patron  prebents  a  candidate  to  a  vacant  parish,  the  parishioners  freauently  make  great 
opposition  to  the  settlement  of  the  presentee,  and  appeal  from  the  inferior  courts  to  the 
assembly.  The  assembly  now.a-days  arc  not  disposed  to  indulge  the  parishioners  in 
unreasonable  opposition  to  presentees.  On  the  other  hand,  they  arc  unwilling  to  settle 
the  presentee  in  opposition  to  the  whole  people,  who  refuse  to  submit  to  his  ministry, 
because  in  this  case  his  ministrations  amongst  them  must  be  usele)«s  and  without  effect. 
The  assembly  therefore,  for  the  most  part,  delay  giving  sentence  in  such  cases,  till  once 
they  have  used  their  endeavours  to  reconcile  the  parishioners  to  the  presentee.  But  if 
their  attempts  this  way  prove  unsuccessful,  they  proceed  to  settle  the  presentee,  in  obe- 
diencc  to  the  act  of  parliament  concerning  patronages.  Upon  the  whole  it  appears  that, 
in  the  judicatories  of  the  church  of  Scotland,  there  is  an  equal  representation  of  the 
laity  as  of  the  clergy,  which  is  a  great  security  to  the  laity  ;<  )st  the  usurpations  of  the 
clergy. 

The  business  of  every  minister  in  a  parish  is  to  perform  religious  worship,  and  to 
preach  in  the  language  of  the  country  to  his  congregation  every  Sunday,  ana  likewise 
on  other  extraordinary  occasions  appointed  by  the  laws  and  regulations  of  the  church. 
The  tendency  of  their  preaching  is  to  instruct  their  hearers  in  the  essential  doctrines  of 
natural  and  revealed  religion,  and  improve  these  instructions,  in  order  to  promote  the 
practice  of  piety  and  social  virtue.  Of  old,  it  was  customary  to  preach  upon  contro« 
verted  and  mysterious  points  of  divinity,  but  it  is  now  hoped  that  the  generality  of  the 
clergy  confine  the  subject  of  their  preaching  to  what  has  a  tendency  to  promote  virtue 
and  good  morals,  and  to  make  the  people  peaceable  and  useful  members  of  society. 

Ministers  likewise  examine  their  parishioners  annually.  They  go  to  the  different 
towns  and  villages*  of  the  parish,  and  m  an  easy  and  familiar  manner  converse  with  them 
upon  the  essential  doctrines  of  religion.  They  make  trial  of  their  knovvledee,  by  putting 
questions  to  them  on  these  heads.  The  adult  as  well  as  children  are  catechised.  They 
likewise  visit  their  parishes  and  inquire  into  the  behaviour  of  their  several  parishioners, 
and  admonish  them  for  whatever  they  find  blameable  in  their  conduct.  At  these  visi. 
tations  the  minister  inculcates  the  practice  of  the  relative  and  social  duties,  and  insists 
upon  the  necessity  of  the  practice  of  theni.  And  if  there  happen  to  be  any  quarrels 
among  neighbours,  the  minister  endeavours  by  the  power  of  persuasion  to  bring  about 
a  reconciliation.  But  in  this  part  of  their  conduct  much  depends  upon  the  temper, 
prudence,  and  discretion  of  ministers,  who  are  clothed  with  the  same  passions,  preju- 
dices, and  infirmities,  that  other  men  are. 

*  I  must  obfterve,  that  liishop  Burnet  (by  birth  a  Scotchman)  adopted  in  his  diocese  the  zeal  of  the  church 
of  his  native  country,  and  its  attention  to  the  morals  and  good  eonduct  of  the  clergjr  and  their  flocks.  Not 
content  with  the  usual  triennial  visitations,  he,  every  summer,  during  six  weeks,  made  a  progress  through 
some  district  of  his  diocese,  preaching  and  confirming  from  church  to  church,  so  that  before  the  return  of 
the  triennial  visitation,  he  became  well  acquainted  ;vhhthe  behaviour  of  every  incumbent.  He  prrached 
every  Sunday  in  some  church  of  ihe  city  of  Salisbury ;  catechised  and  instructed  its  youth  for  confirmation ; 
was  most  vigilant  and  strict  in  his  examination  of  candidates  for  holy  orders ;  was  an  invincible  enemy  to 
pluralities,  and  of  course  to  non-residents ;  filled  his  oAce  with  worth  and  dignity,  and  by  his  episcopal 
merits,  it  is  to  be  hoped,  may  have  atoned  for  the  acknowiedged  blemtsbes  iii  his  bk^praphical  character. 


t 


PENNANT'S  SECOND  TOUH  IN  SCOTLAND. 


52\) 


;ast  be 
rr  con. 
iastical 
1  I'rom 

which 
ommoii 
when  a 
c  great 

to  the 
ncrs  in 
o  settle 
linistry, 

effect, 
till  once 

But  if 
in  obe- 
irs  thut» 
n.  of  the 
ts  of  the 

and  to 
likewise 
church. 
Irinea  of 
note  the 

contro« 
ty  of  the 
te  virtue 

ditierent 
'ith  them 
y  putting 
1.  They 
ishbners, 
lese  visi* 
nd  insists 

quarrels 
ng  about 
;  temper, 
IS,  preju- 


the  church 
locks.  Not 
est  through 
lie  return  of 
[e  pleached 
nfivmation; 
le  enemy  to 
is  episcopal 
il  character. 


To  this  scnMbIc  account  of  the  church  of  North  Britain,  I  beg  leave  to  add  another, 
which  may  be  cutinidcrcd  us  a  sort  of  supplement,  and  may  serve  to  (ling  light  on  sonic 
points  untouched  in  the  preceding ;  it  is  the  extract  from  an  answer  to  some  rpicrics  I 
sent  a  worthy  correspondent  in  the  Highlands,  to  whom  I  am  indebted  fur  many  sensi- 
ble communications  : 

"  To  apprehend  well  ilic  present  state  of  our  church  patronage  and  mode  of  settle- 
ment, we  must  briefly  view  this  matter  from  the  Reformation.  At  that  remarkable 
period  the  whole  temporalities  of  the  church  were  resumed  by  the  crown  and  parlia- 
ment;  and  soon  after  a  new  maintenance  was  settled  for  ministers  in  about  960  pa- 
rislies.  The  patrons  of  the  old,  splendid,  popish  livings  still  claimed  a  patronage  in  the 
new-modelled  poor  stipends  for  parish  ministers.  The  lords  or  gentlemen,  who  got 
from  the  crown  grants  of  the  superiorities  and  lands  of  old  abbies,  claimed  also  the 
patronage  of  all  tlie  churches  which  were  in  the  gilY  of  those  abbies  during  popery.  The 
king  too  claimed  the  old  patronage  of  the  crown,  and  those  of  any  ecclesiastic  corpora- 
tions not  granted  away. 

"  Lay -patronages  were  reckoned  always  agreat  grievance  by  the  church  of  Scotland  ; 
and  accordingly,  from  the  beginning  of  the  Reformation,  the  church  declared  against 
lay-patronage  and  presentations.  The  ecclesiastic  laws,  or  acts  of  assembly,  confirmed 
at  last  by  parliament,  rr  quired,  in  order  to  the  settlement  of  a  minister,  some  concur- 
rence of  the  congregation,  of  the  gentlemen  who  had  property  within  the  cure,  and  of 
the  elders  of  the  parish. 

*'  The  elders,  or  kirk  session,  arc  a  number  of  persons,  who,  for  their  wisdom,  piety, 
and  knowledge,  are  elected  from  the  body  of  the  people  in  every  parish,  and  cuntinuc 
for  life,  sese  bene  gerentibus,  to  assist  the  parish  minister  in  suppressing  immoralities, 
and  regulating  the  affairs  of  the  parish.  Three  of  these  men  and  a  minister  make  n 
quorum,  and  form  the  lowest  of  our  church  courts. 

"  Thus  matters  continued  to  the  year  1649,  when,  by  act  of  parliament,  patronages 
were  abolished  entirely,  and  the  election  or  nominatir>n  of  ministers  was  committed  to 
the  kirk  session  or  elders ;  who,  in  Uiose  days  of  universal  sobriety  and  outward  appear- 
ance at  least  of  religion  among  the  presbyterians,  were  generally  the  gentlemen  of  l)est 
condition  in  the  parish  who  were  in  communion  with  the  church.  After  the  restoration 
of  king  Charles  II,  along  with  episcopacy  patronages  returned,  yet  under  the  old  laws ; 
and  all  debates  were  finally  determinable  by  the  general  assembly,  which  even  under 
episcopacy  in  Scotland  was  the  supreme  ecclesiastic  court.  Thus  they  continued  till 
the  Re\  ^lution,  when  the  presbyterian  model  was  restored  by  act  of  parliament. 

"  The  people  chose  their  own  ministers,  and  matters  continued  in  this  form  till  the 
year  1711,  when  queen  Anne's  ministry,  intending  to  defeat  the  Hanover  succession, 
took  all  methods  to  harass  such  as  were  firmly  attached  to  it,  which  the  presbyterian 
gentry  and  clergy  ever  were,  both  from  principle  and  interest.  An  act  tlierefore  was 
obtained,  and  which  is  still  in  force,  restoring  patrons  to  their  power  of  electing 
ministers. 

"  By  this  act  the  king  is  now  in  possession  of  the  patronage  of  above  500  churches 
out  of  950,  having  not  only  the  old  rights  of  the  crown,  but  many  patronages  acquired 
at  the  Reformation  not  yet  alienated  ;  all  the  patronages  of  the  fourteen  Scots  bishops, 
and  all  the  patronages  of  the  lords  and  gentlemen  forfeited  in  the  years  1715  and  1745. 
Lords,  gentlemen,  and  magistrates  of  boroughs,  are  the  patro>.s  of  the  remaining 
churches.  A  patron  must  present  a  qualified  person  to  a  charge  within  six  months  of 
the  last  incumbent's  removal  or  death,  otherwise  his  right  falls  to  the  presbytery. 


VOL.    III. 


3    Y 


530 


VIlNHANV*  second  TOUH  in  SCOTLAND. 


•'  A  presbytery  cousUt*  of  several  miuUtcrii  and  ciders.  All  parishes  arc  annexed  to 
some  prtsbv  ttry.  The  [)rc!ibvtcrv  \>  the  second  cliiirch  court,  uiid  they  revi>ic  the  ucti 
ofihc  k irk 'SCiiHioii,  which  is  the  iovveht.  Above  the  prcnbyterv  is  the  synod,  which  ii 
;i  court  conhiMting  of  several  presbyteries,  und  fronn  all  then:  there  lies  un  »p|x;al  to  the 
general  ussemblv,  which  i^  the  supre.iie  church  court  in  Scotl.md.  This  supreme  court 
^:o^^i!»tsof  the  kin^,  reptesented  by  his  commissioner,  ministers  from  the  different  pres- 
byteries, and  ruling  elders.  They  meet  annually  at  Kdinburgh,  enact  laws  for  the  ^ood 
of  the  church,  anci  finally  determine  all  controverted  elections  of  ministers.     Thev  can 

They    can  hnd  a 


finally  determine  all  controverted  e 
prevent  a  clerffv man's  transport. ition  from   one  chur^^e  to  another. 


presentee  qualilied  or  unquuliiied,  and  consequently  oblige  the  patron  topreseni  another. 
They  can  depose  from  the  minihtry,  and  every  intrant  into  holy  orders  becomes  bound 
to  submit  to  the  decisions  of  this  court  ;  which,  from  the  days  of  our  reformer  Joha 
Knox,  has  appropriated  to  itself  the  titles  of  •'  The  very  venerable  and  very  reverend 
assembly"  oi  the  church  of  Scothind. 

**  All  the  clerfjy  men  of  our  communion  are  upon  a  par  as  to  authority.  We  can  enjoy 
no  pluralities.  Non-residence  is  not  known.  We  are  bound  to  a  regular  discharge  of  the 
several  duties  of  our  office.  The  different  cures  are  frequently  visited  by  the  presbytery 
of  the  bounds  :  and  at  these  visitations  strict  inquiry  is  made  into  the  life,  doctrine, 
and  diligence  of  the  incumbent.  And  for  default  in  any  of  these,  he  may  be  suspended 
from  preaching ;  or  if  any  gross  immorality  is  proved  against  him,  he  can  be  imme- 
diatcly  deposed  and  rendered  incapable  of  omciatmg  as  u  minister  of  the  go^ipel.  Ap. 
peal  indeed  lies,  as  I  said  before,  from  the  decision  of  the  inferior  to  the  supreme  court. 

**  Great  care  is  taken  in  preparing  young  men  for  the  mitiistry.  After  going  through 
a  course  of  philosophy  in  one  of  our  four  universities,  they  must  attend  at  least  for  four 
years  the  divinity  hall,  where  they  hear  the  prelections  of  the  professors,  and  perform 
the  different  exercises  prescribed  them  :  they  must  attend  the  Greek,  the  Hebrew,  and 
rhetoric  classes  ;  and,  before  ever  they  are  admitted  to  trials  for  the  ministry  before 
a  presbytery,  they  must  lay  testimonials  from  the  different  professors  of  their  morals, 
their  attendance,  their  progress,  before  them  ;  and  if  upon  trial  they  are  found  unqua- 
lified, they  are  either  set  aside  as  unfit  for  the  office,  or  enjoined  to  apply  to  their  stu- 
dies a  year  or  two  more. 

"  Our  livings  are  in  general  from  601.  to  1201.  sterling.  Some  few  livings  are  richer, 
and  a  few  poorer.  Every  minister  besides  is  entitled  to  a  mansion-house,  barn,  and 
stable ;  to  four  acres  of  arable  and  three  of  pasturage  land.  Our  livings  are  exempted 
from  all  public  duties ;  as  are  also  our  persons  from  all  public  statute-works.  As 
schools  are  erected  in  all  our  parishes,  and  that  education  is  cheap,  our  young  genera- 
tion is  beginning  to  imbibe  some  degree  of  taste  and  liberal  sentiment,  unknown  to  their 
illiterate  rude  forefathers.  The  English  language  is  cultivated  even  here  amongst  these 
bleak  and  dreary  mountains.  Your  divines,  your  philosophers,  your  historians,  your 
poets,  have  found  their  way  to  our  sequestered  vales,  and  are  perused  with  pleasure 
even  by  our  lowly  swains ;  and  the  names  of  Tillotson,  of  Atterbury,  of  Clarke,  of 
Seeker,  of  Newton,  of  Locke,  of  Bacon,  ofLyttelton,  ofDryden,  of  Pope,  of  Gay, 
and  of  Gray,  are  not  imknown  in  our  distant  land." 


-%i'^w^:*:^vys^i^m^^^^3VV''-'-^^^^^^ 


PENNANT'S  SECOND  TOUR  IN  SCOTLAND. 


s:a 


APPENDIX NO.  II. 


OP  THE  FAMA  CLAMOSA DY  THE  REV.  MR.  HUTHERFOHli. 

"Sir, 

"  WHEN  I  had  the  pleasure  of  seeinor  you  last,  you  dc<iircd  mc  to  give  you  soiue 
account  of  the  procccdinp;s  of  the  church  oi  Scotland  against  the  minister,  in  case  of  ;i 
fama  clamofiu.  1  would  think  myself  hupny  if  I  could  in  the  least  contribute  to  usnist  you 
in  your  laudable  design  of  diil'using  knowledge,  and  of  making  one  part  of  the  kingdom 
acquainted  with  the  manners  und  customs  of  the  other.  You  are  well  acquainted  with 
the  church  courts,  and  the  method  of  proceeding  in  ordinary  casc«,  as  I  find  from  your 
Tour.  An  appeal  can  be  made  from  a  session  to  a  presbytery,  from  a  presbytery  to  u 
synod,  from  a  synod  to  the  general  assembly,  which  is  the  buprime  court,  and  from  its 
decision  there  lies  no  apfx^al.  Any  person,  who  is  of  a  good  charactt  r,  may  give  to  ihc 
presbytery  a  complaint  against  one  oi  their  members  ;  but  the  presbytery  is  not  to  pro- 
ceed to  the  citation  of  the  person  accused,  or,  as  we  term  it,  to  begia  the  process,  until 
the  accuser  under  his  hand  gives  in  the  complaint,  with  some  account  of  its  probability, 
and  undertakes  to  make  out  the  libel,  under  the  pain  of  being  considered  as  a  slanderer. 
When  such  an  accusation  is  brought  before  them,  they  are  obliged  candidly  to  examine, 
the  affair.  But,  besides  this,  the  presbytery  considers  itself  obliged  to  proceed  against 
any  of  its  members,  if  afama  clamosaof  the  scandal  is  so  great  that  they  cannot  be  vin- 
dicated, unless  they  begin  the  process.  This  they  can  do  without  any  particular  accuser, 
aHer  they  have  inquired  into  the  rise,  occasion,  and  authors  of  this  report.  It  is  a 
maxim  in  the  kirk  of  Scotland,  that  religion  must  suffer,  if  the  scandalous  or  immoral 
actions  of  a  minister  are  not  corrected.  And  wherever  a  minister  is  reputed  guilty  of 
any  immorality  ^although  before  the  most  popular  preacher  in  the  kingdom)  none 
almost  will  attend  upon  his  ministry  ;  therefore  the  presbytery,  for  tiu'  sake  of  religion, 
is  obliged  to  proceed  against  a  minister  in  case  of  a  fuma  cLmosa.  This  however  is  ge- 
nerally done  with  great  tenderness.  After  they  have  considered  the  report  raised  against 
him,  then  they  order  him  to  be  cited,  draw  out  a  full  copy  of  what  is  reported,  with  a 
list  of  the  witnesses'  names  to  be  led  for  proving  this  allegation.  He  is  now  to  be  for. 
mally  summoned  to  appear  before  them ;  and  he  has  warning  given  hitn,  at  least  ten 
days  before  the  time  of  his  compearance,  to  give  in  his  answers  to  what  is  termed  the 
libel :  and  the  names  of  the  witnesses  ought  also  to  be  sent  him.  If  at  the  time  appointed 
the  minister  appear,  the  libel  is  to  be  read  to  him,  and  his  answers  arc  also  to  be  read. 
If  the  libel  be  found  relevant,  then  the  presbytery  is  to  endeavour  to  bring  him  to  a 
confession.  If  the  matter  confessed  be  of  a  scandalous  nature,  bucn  as  uncleanness,  the 
presbytery  generally  depose  him  from  his  office,  and  appoint  him  in  due  time  to  appear 
before  the  congiegation  where  the  scandal  was  given,  and  to  make  public  confession  of 
his  crime  and  repentance. 

*'  If  a  minister  absent  himself  by  leaving  the  place,  and  be  contumacious,  without 
making  any  relevant  excuse,  a  new  citation  is  given  him,  and  intimation  is  made  at  his 
own  church,  when  the  congregation  is  met,  that  he  is  to  l)e  holdcn  as  confessed,  since 
he  refused  to  appear  before  them ;  and  accordingly  he  is  deposed  from  his  office. 
When  I  was  in  Caithness  an  instance  of  this  kind  took  place.  A  certain  minister  of  that 
county  was  reported  to  have  a  stronger  affection  for  his  maid  than  his  wife.  He  made 
frequent  excursions  with  this  girl :  and  although  no  proof  of  criminal  conversation 
could  be  brought,  yet  there  was  great  cause  for  censure,  as  all  the  country  took  notic? 

3  Y  2 


532  PENNANT'S  SECOND  TOUU  IK  SCOTLAND. 

of  the  aftair.  Upon  meeting  of  the  presbytery,  his  brethren  candidly  advised  him  to 
remove  from  his  house  a  servant  with  whom  the  public  report  had  scandalized  him  ;  that 
her  longer  continuance  would  increase  the  suspicion  ;  and  as  it  gave  offence  to  hti>  pa- 
ri!>hionLrs,  if  he  would  not  immediately  dismiss  her,  they  must  consider  him  as  an  enemy 
to  his  own  interest,  if  not  as  guilty  of  the  crime  laid  to  his  charge.  They  renraJtistrated 
with  him  in  the  gentlest  terms ;  but  he  was  still  refractory,  left  the  country,  and  carried 
his  favourite  maid  in  his  train.  The  presbytery  considered  this  as  a  confession  of  his 
guilt,  and  deposed  him  from  his  office." 


APPENDIX NO  in. 


GALIC  PROVERBS. 


3. 


4. 


1.  LEAGH AIDK  a  chdir  am  beul  an  anmhuinn. 
Justice  itself  melts  away  in  the  mouth  of  the  feeble. 

2.  ^S  laidir  a  theid,  's  anmhunn  a  thig. 
The  strong  shall  fall,  and  oft  the  weak  escape  unhurt. 
'S  fuda  l^mh  an  f heumanaich. 
Long  is  the  hand  of  the  needy. 
'S  l^.idir  an  t'  anmhunn  un  uchd  trebir. 

Strong  is  the  feeble  in  the  bosom  of  might. 

5.  'S  maith  an  Sg^than  suil  cl.  .aid. 

The  eye  of  a  friend  is  an  unerring  mirror. 

6.  Cha  bhi  'm  bochd  46gh-ar  saibhir. 
The  luxurious  poor  shall  ne'er  be  rich. 

7.  Far  an  t^in'  an  abhuin,  *s  ^nn  as  miigha  a  ftJia^m. 
Most  shallow — most  noisy. 

8.  Cha  neit  cl^ith  air  an  olc,  ach  gun  a  dheanamh. 
There  is  no  concealment  of  evil,  but  not  to  commit  it. 

9.  Gibht  ua  cloinne«bige^  bhi'  ga  toirt  's  ga  gradiarraidb. 
The  gift  of  a  child,  off  ^^tuntefU—oft  recalled. 

10.  Cha  neil  saoi  gun  a  cho:  -veas. 
None  so  brave  without  his*  equal. 

11.  'S  minic  a  tliainig  comhairiie  ghlic  abeul  amadain. 
Oft  has  the  wisest  advice  proceeded  from  the  mouth  of  folly. 
Tuishlichid  an  t'  each  ceithir-chasach. 


12. 
13. 


The  four-footed  horse  doth  often  stumble,  so  may  the  strong  and  mighty  fall. 
Mar  a  chaimheas  duin'  a  bheatha,  bheir  e  breith  air  a  chbim  hearsnach. 


As  is  a  man's  own  life,  so  is  his  judgment  of  the  lives  of  others. 
14.  Fanaidh  duine  sona'  re  sith,  *s  bheir duine  d6na  dui-leum. 

The  fortunate  man  awaits,  and  he  shall  arrive  in  peace ;  the  unlucky  hastenS) 
and  evil  shall  be  his  fate. 


**.  ^.■»-.*B-.**--tW"»*-.*«'-^ 


PENNANT'S  SECOND  TOim  IN  SCOTLAND. 


«33 


15    Cha  do  chiiir  a  ghuala  ris,  nach  do  chuir  tuar  haris. 
'  Success  must  attend  the  man  who  bravely  struggles. 

16.  Cha  ghloir  a  dhearubhas  ach  gniomh. 

Triumph  never  gain'd  the  sounding  words  of  boast.      ^  r„,^,.i 

17.  'S  trie  I  dh'  fh^s  am  fuiglwaUfochaid,  's  a  mheith  am  ^"g"-^^'^^"^!^; . . 
Oft  has  the  object  of  causeless  scorn  arrived  at  honour,  and  the  once  mighty 

scorner  fallen  down  to  contempt.  ,v.    u    j  • 

18.  Cha  do  deiobair  Feann  righ  nan  lioch  namh  fear  a  liimhe-deisc. 

The  friend  of  his  right  hand  was  never  deserted  by  Fingal,  the  kmg  ot 

heroes. 

19.  ThkDiareh' aire, 'scha'naircnarthig.  .      u         . 
God  cometh  in  the  time  of  distress,  and  it  is  no  longer  distress  when  He  comes. 

EPIl/iPH,  BY  BEN  JONSON. 

Underneath  this  marble  hearse 
Lies  the  subject  of  all  verse ; 
Sidney's  sister,  Pembroke's  mother : 
Death,  ere  thou  hast  kill'd  another, 
Fair  and  learn'd,  and  good  as  she, 
Time  shall  throw  a  dart  at  thee. 

Translated  into  Galic. 

An  sho  na  luighe  fo  lic-lighe 

Ha  adh-bheann  nan  uille-bhuadh, 
Mathair  Phembroke,  piuthar  Philip : 

Ans  gach  Daan  bith'  orra  luadh. 
A  bliais  man  gearr  thu  sios  a  coi-meas, 

Beann  a  dreach,  sa  h'  juil,  sa  fiach, 
Bristidh  do  bhogh,  gun  f  have  do  shaighid : 
Biihi'   -mar  nach  bith'  tu  riamh. 

A  SAILOR'S  EPFTAPH,  IN  THE  CHURCH-VARD  OF  GREAT  YARMOUTH,  NORFOLK, 

Tho'  Boreas'  blow,  and  Neptune's  waves 

Have  tost  me  to  and  fro, 
By  God's  decree,  you  plainly  see, 

Pm  harbour'd  here  below  : 
Where  I  must  at  anchor  lie 

With  man3j  of  our  fleet ; 
But  once  again  we  must  set  sail* 

Our  admiral  Christ  to  meet. 

Translated  into  Galic. 

Le  Uddal-cuain,  's  le  sheide  Gaoidh 
'S  tionmhor  amhra  thuair  mi  riamh ; 

Gam  luasga  anulagus  a  nSl,  ^, 

Gutric  gun  f  hois,  gun  Deocb,  gun  bhiadh. 


UHita 


5^4  PEMKANTS  SECOND  TOUR  IN  SCOTLAND. 

Ach  thanig  mi  gu  calla  tatmh, 

'S  leg  mi  m'  achdair  ans  un  uir, 
Far  an  cuidil  mi  mo  phramh, 

Gus  arisd  an  tog  na  sitill. 
Le  guth  na  troimp'  as  airde  liiAm 

Dm  gidh  mi,  's  na  bhcil  am  choir 
Coiniiich'  shin  Ard-admhiral  a  Chuain 

Bhon  faith  shin  fois,  is  duais,  is  tdnn. 

SAPPHO'S  ODE. 

Blest  as  the  immortal  gods  is  he, 
The  youth  who  fondly  sits  by  thee,  &c. 

Translated  into  Galic. 

1.  'Adhuhur  mar  dhia  neo  bhasmhor  'ta 

'N  t'oglach  gu  caidrei'ch  a  shuis  re  d'  sqa : 

Sa  chluin,  sa  chith  re  faad  na  hikin 

Do  bhriara  droigheal,  's  do  f  hrea  gradh  ciiin. 

2.  Och !  's  turr  a  d'  f  hogair  thu  mo  chloss 

*Sa  dhuisg  thu  'm  croidh'  gach  buaireas  bochd : 
'N  tra  dhearc  mi  ort,  s'  me  goint  le  't  aadh 
Bhuail  reachd  am  uchd,  ghrad  mheath  mo  chail : 

3.  Thcogh  'm  ai^e  aris,  is  shruth  gu  dian 
Teasghradh  air  feadh  gach  baal  am  bhiann  : 
Ghrad  chaoch  mo  shuil  le  ceodhan  uain 

'S  tac  aoidh  mo  chinas  le  bothar.fhuaim. 

4.  Chuer  fallas  'dkth  mo  bhuil  gun  liith 
Rith  Eal-ghris  chuin  tre  m'  f  huil  gu  dlu. 
Ghrad  thug  am  plosg  a  bheannachd  leom 

Is  shniomh  mi  sheach  gun'  diog  am  chomm. 

EPITAPH  ON  A  LADY.  IN  THE  PARISH-CHURCH  OF  GLENORCHAY,  IN  NORTH  BRITAIN. 

1.  An  sho  na  luigh  ta  fan  Innis 
Bean  bu  duilich  leom  bhi  ann 
Beul  a  cheuil.  is  lamh  a  ghrinnis, 
Ha  iad  'nioshe  sho  nan  tamh. 

2.  Tuill'  cha  toir  am  bochd  dhuit  beannachd  : 
An  lom  nochd  cha  chluthaich  thu  nis  mo' 
Cha  tiormaich  deur  bho  shiil  na  h'  ainnis : 
Co  tuill'  O  Lagg!  a  bheir  dhuit  treoir? 

3.  Chan  fhaic  shin  tuille  thu  sa  choinni : 
Cha  fuidh  shin  tuille  air  do  bhftrd : 

D'  f  halabh  uain  suairceas,  s^irc  is  m6dhan 
Ha  bron  's  bi-mh'jfad  air  teachd  oiru. 


f ,  .1  - 


-..^JWW»l  W>WM» 


.  ^•Jom-^m—" 


PENNANT'S  SECOND  TOUR  IN  SCOTLAND- 


535 


In  English. 

1.  LOW  she  lies  here  in  the  dust,  and  here  memory  fills  me  with  grief :  silent  is  the 
tongue  of  melody,  and  the  hand  of  elegance  is  now  at  rest. 

2.  No  more  shnll  the  poor  give  thee  his  blessing ;  nor  shell  the  naked  be  warmed 
with  the  fleece  of  thy  flock.  The  tear  shall  thou  not  wipe  away  from  the  eye  of  the 
wretched.     Where  now,  O  Feeble,  is  thy  wonted  help ! 

3.  No  more,  my  fair,  shall  we  meet  thee  in  the  social  hall ;  no  more  shall  we  sit  at 
thy  hospitable  board.  Gone  for  ever  is  the  sound  of  mirth  :  the  kind,  the  candid,  the 
meek,  is  now  no  more.     Who  can  express  our  grief?  Flow  ye  tears  of  woe ! 

A  YOUNG  LADY'S  LAMENTATION  ON  THE  DEATH  OF  HER  LOVER. 

Translated  from  the  Galic. 

GLOOMY  indeed  is  the  night  and  dark,  and  heavy  also  is  my  troubled  soul : 
around  me  all  is  silent  and  still ;  but  sleep  has  forsaken  my  eyes,  and  my  bosom 
knoweth  not  the  balm  of  peace.  I  mourn  for  the  loss  of  the  dead—the  young,  the 
beauteous,  the  brave,  alas  !  lies  low.  Lovely  was  thy  form,  O  youth !  lovely  and  fair 
was  thy  open  soul !— Why  did  I  know  thy  worth  ? —  Oh !  why  must  1  now  that  worth 
deplore  ? 

Length  of  years  seemed  to  be  the  lot  of  my  love,  yet  few  and  fleeting  were  his  days 
of  joy. — Strong  he  stood  as  the  tree  of  the  vale,  but  untimely  he  fell  into  the  silent 
house.  The  morning  sun  saw  thee  flourish  as  the  lovely  rose ;  before  the  noon.tide 
heat  low  thou  droop'st  as  the  withered  plant. 

What  then  availed  thy  bloom  of  youth,  and  what  thy  arm  of  strength  ?  Ghastly  is 
the  face  of  Love — dim  and  dark  the  soul-expressing  eye — The  mighty  fell,  to  arise  no 
more! 

Whom  now  shall  I  call  my  friend  ?  or  from  whom  can  I  hear  the  sound  of  joy  ?  In 
thee  the  friend  has  fallen — in  thy  grave  my  joy  is  laid — We  lived,  we  grew  together. 
O  why  together  did  we  not  also  fall ! 

Death,  thou  cruel  spoiler !  how  oft  hast  thou  caused  the  tear  to  flow  ?  many  are  the 
miserable  thou  hast  made,  and  who  can  escape  thy  dart  of  woe  ? 

Kind  Faie,  come  lay  me  low,  and  bring  me  to  my  house  of  rest.  In  yonder  grave, 
heneath  the  leafy  plane,  my  love  and  I  shall  dwell  in  peace.  Sacred  be  the  place  of  our 
repose. 

O  seek  not  to  disturb  the  ashes  of  the  dead. 


Pi' 


APPENDIX...N0.  IV. 

ACCOUNT  OF  THE  FASTING   WOMAN  OF  ROSSSHIRE. 

Dunrobin,  August  24, 1769. 
The  Information  of  Mr.  Rainy,  Missionary-Minister,  in  Kincardine,  anent  Katherine  M'LeocI. 

KATHARINE  M'LEOD,  daughter  to  Donald  M'Leod,  farmer  in  Croig,  in  the 
parish  of  Kincardine,  Rossshire,  an  unmarried  woman,  aged  about  thiriy-five  years,  six- 
teen years  ago  contracted  a  fever,  after  which  she  became  blind.  Her  father  carried  her 
to  several  physicians  and  surgeons  to  cure  her  blindness.    Their  prescriptions  proved  of 


rMwrfiiwi 


536 


PENNANT'S  SECOND  TOUR  IN  SCOTLAND. 


no  eiTcct.  He  carried  her  also  to  a  lady  skilled  in  physic,  in  the  neighbourhood,  whc^ 
doubtful  whether  her  blindness  was  occasioned  by  the  weakness  of  her  eyelids,  or  a  de- 
fect in  her  eyes,  found  by  the  use  of  some  in*  dicines  that  the  blindness  was  occasioned 
by  a  weakness  in  her  eye-lids,  which  being  strengthened,  she  recovered  her  sight  in 
some  measure,  and  discharged  as  usual  every  kuid  of  work  about  her  father's  farm  : 
but  tied  a  garter  tight  round  her  forehead,  to  keep  up  her  eye-lids.  In  this  condition  she 
continued  for  four  or  five  years;  enjoying  a  good  state  of  health,  and  working  as  usual. 
She  contracted  another  lingering  fever,  of  which  she  never  recovered  perfectly. 

Some  time  after  her  fever  her  jaws  fell,  hci  eye-lids  closed,  and  she  lost  her  appetite. 

Her  parents  declare,  that,  for  the  space  of  ;  v  ear  and  three-  quarters,  they  could  not  say 
that  any  meat  or  liquid  went  down  her  thro 't.  Being  interrogated  on  this  point,  tbey 
owned  they  very  frequently  put  something  into  her  mouth ;  but  they  concluded  that 
nothing  went  down  her  throat,  because  she  had  no  evacuation ;  and  when  they  forced 
open  her  jaws  at  one  time,  and  kept  them  op^m  for  some  time,  by  putting  in  a  stick  be- 
tween her  teeth,  and  pulled  forwatd  her  tont>:ae,  and  forced  something  down  her  throat, 
she  coughed  and  strained,  as  if  in  danger  »o  he  choaked.  One  thing,  during  the  tim& 
she  eat  and  drank  nothing,  is  remarkable,  ih-A.  her  jaws  were  unlocked,  and  she  recover- 
ed her  speech,  and  retained  it  for  several  day; ,  without  any  apparent  cause  for  the  same ; 
she  was  quite  sensible,  repeated  several  questio;«.s  of  the  shorter  catechisms ;  told  them  that 
it  was  to  no  purpose  to  put  any  thing  into  \m-  mouth,  for  that  nothing  went  down  her 
throat :  as  also  that  sometimes  she  understood  them  when  they  spoke  to  her.  By  de- 
grees her  jaws  thereafter  fell,  and  she  lost  her  speech. 

Some  time  before  I  saw  her  she  received  some  sustenance,  whey,  water-gruel,  &c.  but 
threw  it  up,  at  least  for  the  most  part,  immediately.  When  they  put  the  stick  be- 
tween her  teeth,  mentioned  above,  two  or  il  ee  of  her  teeth  were  broken.  It  was  at 
this  breach  they  put  in  any  thing  into  her  k.^:  ath.  1  caused  them  to  bring  her  out  of 
bed,  and  give  her  something  to  drink.  They  gave  her  whey.  Her  neck  was  contract, 
ed,  her  chin  fixed  on  her  breast,  nor  could  l.y  any  force  be  pulled  back :  she  put  her 
chin  and  mouth  into  the  dish  with  the  whev,  <^nd  I  perceived  she  sucked  it  at  the  above- 
mentioned  breach,  as  a  child  would  suck  the  breast,  and  immediately  threw  it  up  again, 
as  her  parents  had  told  me  she  used  to  do,  uud  she  endeavoured  with  her  hand  to  dry 
her  mouth  and  chin.  Her  forehead  was  contracted  and  wrinkled ;  her  cheeks  full, 
red  and  blooming.  Her  parents  told  me  that  she  slept  a  great  deal,  and  soundly,  per- 
spired sometimes,  and  now  and  then  emitted  pretty  large  quantities  of  blood  at  her 
mouth.  I  .,  •      ^ 

For  about  two  years  past  they  have  been  wont  to  carry  her  to  the  door  once  every 
day,  and  she  would  shew  signs  of  uneasiness  when  they  neglected  it  at  the  usual  time. 
Last  summer,  after  giving  her  to  drink  of  the  water  of  the  well  of  Strathconnen,  she 
crawled  to  the  door  on  her  hands  and  feet  without  any  help.  She  is  at  present  in  a  very 
languid  way,  and  still  throws  up  what  she  drinks.  « 

APPENDIX...N0.  V. 

PARALLEL  ROADS    IN  GLEN-ROY. 

ALL  the  description  that  can  be  given  of  the  parallel  roads,  or  terraces,  is,  that  the 
Glen  of  itself  is  extremely  narrow,  and  the  hills  on  each  side  very  high,  and  generally 
not  rocky.  In  the  face  of  these  hills,  both  sides  of  the  Olcn,  there  are  three  roads,  at 
small  distances  from  each  other,  and  directly  opposite  on  each  dde.    These  roada  have 


»m*fct'f  mmimammmmm 


PEKNANTS  SECOND  TOUR  IN  SCOTLAND. 


537 


been  measured  in  the  completcst  parts  of  them,  and  found  to  be  26  paces  of  a  man  five 
feet  ten  inches  high.  The  two  highest  are  pretty  near  tach  other,  about  50  yards,  and 
the  lowest  double  that  distance  from  the  nearest  to  it.  They  are  carried  alowf^  the  sides 
of  the  Glen  with  the  utmost  regularity,  nearly  as  exact  as  if  drawn  with  a  hne  of  rule 
and  compass. 

Where  deep  bums  or  gullies  of  water  cross  these  roads,  they  avoid  both  the  descent 
and  ascent  in  a  very  curious  manner  ;  so  that  on  the  side  wiiere  the  roads  enter  those 
hollows,  they  rather  ascend  along  the  slope,  and  descend  the  opposite  side,  until  they 
come  to  the  level,  without  the  traveller  being  sensible  of  ascent  or  descent.  There  are 
other  smaller  glens  falling  into  this  Glen-Roy.  The  parallel  roads  surround  all  these 
smaller  ones  ;  but  where  Glen-Roy  ends  in  the  open  country,  there  are  not  the  smallest 
vestiges  of  them  to  be  seen.  The  length  of  these  roads  in  Glen- Roy  are  about  seven 
miles.  There  are  other  two  glens  in  that  neighbourhood,  where  thtrse  roads  are  equally 
visible,  called  Glen-Gluy,  and  Glen-Spean,  the  former  running  north.west,  and  the 
htter  south  fipom  Glen-Roy.  Both  these  roads  are  much  about  the  same  length  as 
Glen-Roy. 

It  b  to  be  observed  that  these  roads  are  not  causeway,  but  levelled  out  of  the  earth. 
There  are  some  small  rocks,  though  few,  in  the  course  of  these  roads.  People  have 
examined  in  what  manner  they  made  this  passage  through  the  rocks,  and  find  no  ves> 
tige  of  roads  in  the  rock ;  but  they  begin  on  each  side,  and  keep  the  regular  line  as  for- 
merly. So  far  I  am  indebted  to  Mr.  Traoaud,  governor  of  Fort  Augustus. 

I  cannot  learn  to  what  nation  the  inhabitants  of  the  country  attribute  these  roads  ;  I 
was  informed  that  they  were  inaccessible  at  the  east  end,  open  at  the  west,  or  that 
nearest  to  the  sea,  and  that  there  were  no  traces  of  buildings,  or  druidical  remains,  in 
any  part,  that  coukl  lead  us  to  suspect  that  they  were  designed  for  (economical  or  reli- 
gious  purposes^  The  country  people  think  they  were  designed  for  the  chase,  and 
mat  these  terrtces  wer^  made  aher  the  spots  were  cleared  in  lines  from  wood,  in  order 
to  tempt  the  animals  into  the  open  paths  after  they  were  rouzed,  in  order  that  they  might 
come  within  reach  of  the  bowmen,  who  might  conceal  themselves  in  the  woods  above 
and  below.  iUdings  for  the  spcMtsmen  are  still  common  in  all  great  forests  in  France 
and  other  countries  on  the  continent,  either  that  they  might  pursue  the  game  without 
interruption  of  trees,  or  shoot  at  it  in  its  passage. 

Mr.  Gordon,  p.  114,  of  his  Idneiuiy,  mentions  such  terraces,  to  the  number  of 
seventeen  or  e^teen,  raised  one  above  the  other  in  the  most  regular  manner,  for  the 
rfpace  of  a  mie,  on  the  side  of  a  hill,  in  the  county  of  Tweedale,  near  a  village  called 
Romana,  and  idso  near  two  small  Ronaan  camps.  They  are  from  fifteen  to  twenty 
feet  broad,  and  appear  at  four  or  five  miles  dittance  not  unlike  a  great  amphitheatre. 
The  nme  gentlemm  also  has  observed  similar  terraces  near  other  camps  of  the  same 
natioB.  from  whence  he  suspects  them  to  be  the  works  of  the  Romans,  and  to  have 
been  thrown  up  by  their  armies  for  itinenry  encampments.  Such  may  have  been  their 
UK  m  those  places :  but  what  could  have  been  the  object  of  the  contrivers  of  the  ter- 
races of  Glen- Roy,  where  it  is  more  than  probat>le  those  conquerors  never  came,  re- 
mains a  mystery,  except  the  conjecture  above  given  should  prove  satisfactory. 


\^V 


# 


>!.   i.     'V 


■'1    '  fOi.  ||{|«     '.  -!  '  3  Si 

.'.>   t^^    y    "•'t«««-     »!M  ■  ^S     --1./....  -^    »   .     1    1  :.'>«'i 


>     f 


J  . .    if   1  (  •    t'. 


BB  w  iffiiiri  amm*.  vnm^r- 


m 


538 


PP.NNANT'S  SECOND  TOUK  IN  SCOTLAND. 

APPENDIX....NO.  VI. 
OF  SLOUGH  DOGGS. 


j'f 


SIR  William  Lawson,  and  Sir  William  Hutton,  knights,  two  of  his  majesties  commis- 
sioners for  the  Middleshires  of  Great  Britain.  To  John  Musgrave  the  Provost  Marshal, 
and  the  rest  of  his  mujetities  garryson,  send  salutations.  Whereas,  upon  due  considera- 
tion of  the  increase  of  stealths  dayly  growing  both  in  deed  and  reporte  among  you  on  the 
borders.  We  formerly  concluded  and  agreed,  that,  for  reforming  thereof,  watches 
should  be  sett,  and  slough  doggs  provyded  and  kept,  according  to  the  contents  of  his 
majesties  directions  to  us  in  that  behalf  prescribed.  And  for  that,  according  to  our  said 
agreement,  Sir  William  Hutton,  at  his  last  being  in  the  country,  did  appomt  how  the 
watches  should  be  kept,  when  and  where  they  should  begin,  and  how  they  might  best 
and  most  fitly  continue.  And  withall  for  the  bettering  of  his  majesties  servvce,  and 
preventing  further  danger  that  might  ensue  by  the  outlaws,  in  resortinge  to  the  nouses  of 
Thomas  Routledge,  alias  Buylihead,  bein^  neere  and  next  adjoyninge  to  the  waysts,  he 
himselfe  beinge  fled  amongst  them  (as  it  is  reported)  order  and  direction  was  lykewise, 
thai  some  of  the  garryson  should  kee[je  and  resyde  in  his  the  said  Thomas  Roudedge's 
houses,  and  there  to  remaine  till  further  directions  be  given  them,  unlesse  he  the  said 
Thomas  Routledge  shall  come  in  and  enter  himselfe  answerable  to  h'ls  majesties  lawes, 
as  is  convenient.  Further,  by  virtue  of  our  authority  from  his  majesty  to  us  directed, 
touching  the  border  servyce.  We  command  you  that  the  said  watches  be  duely  searched 
as  was  appointed,  and  presentment  to  us,  or  th'  one  of  us,  be  mad  of  every  default,  ei- 
ther in  constables  for  their  neglect  in  not  settinge  yt  fourth,  or  in  any  persons  slyppinge 
or  neglectinge  their  dutyes  therein.  And  that  you  likewyse  see  that  slough  doggs  be 
provyded  accordinge  to  our  former  directions,  and  as  this  note  to  this  warrant  annexed 
particularly  setts  down.  Failt  ye  not  hereof,  as  you  will  answer  the  contrarye  at  ypur 
pel  rills.    Given  under  our  hands  and  seals  this  29th  of  November  1616. 

A  note  how  the   Slough  Doggs  was  agreed  upon  to  be  provided  and  kept  at  the 

charge  qf  the  inhabitants  as  foUoweth  :  *  *  rv 

Imprimis,  beyond  Esk,  by  the  inhabitants  there  to  be  kept  above  the  foot 

of  Sarks  -  -  -  - 

Item  by  the  inhabitants  of  the  insyde  of  Eske,  to  Richmond  Clugh,  to  be 

kept  at  the  Moot 
Item  by  the  inhabitants  of  the  parish  of  Arthuret  above  Richmondcliigh, 

to  be  kept  at  the  Bailyhead 
Item  Bewcastle  parish,  besides  the  Baylye  and  Blackquarters,  to  be  kept 

atKinkerhill  -  -  -  . 

Item  the  parish  of  Stapilton         ^  f  ^  -  ,j   j» 

Item  the  parish  of  Irdington  .  •' '       .  .  -'^  i   . 

Item  the  parish  of  Lanercost  and  Walton  -  if 

Item  -  -  *.^-*,,,';-*.;%- ,       -i      v,    -..■',;.  '- 

Item  •  .r  •        ,  ,     .    I.I  • 


1  Dogg. 

1  p.  >• 

1  D. 

1  D. 
i  D. 
ID. 

1  a 

1  D. 
1  D. 


Total    9 

It  was  appointed  and  commanded  that  the  chiefe  officers,  bayiiffes,  and  constables, 
within  every  circuit  and  compasse  wherehi  the  slough  doggs  are  appointed  to  be  kept| 


^^'-■IWi. 


iniiani 


•r'r 


PENNANT'S  SeCOND  TOUR  IN  SCOTLAND. 


539 


should  take  charge  for  taskeing  the  inhabitants  towards  the  charge  thereof,  and  collect 
the  same,  and  for  provydinge  the  Slough  Doggs,  and  to  inform  the  commissioners,  if  any- 
refused  to  pay  their  contribution,  whereby  such  as  refused  should  be  committed  to  thc 
ffaole  till  they  paid  the  same. 

N.  B.  Bishop  Nicholson  has  published  the  orders  of  the  watches,  6  Ed.  VI,  in  his 
Border  Laws,  p.  215,  8cc.  but  as  I  have  met  with  nothing  concerning  the  Slough 
Doggs  till  the  time  of  James  the  First,  am  inclined  to  think  it  was  a  new  institution 
in  that  king's  reign,  when  they  were  also  appointed  in  the  Scotch  borders. 


■i;    ■  u  I  OJ-    ■'t   ^w,     .J 


'  kj-i  .  i 


APPENDIX NO.  Vir. 


A  LETTER  FROM  MR.  GEORGE  MALCOLM,  CONCERNING  SHEEP-FARMS,  8cr. 


.i 


u  ..»>: 


.{•>; 


COtlMUNICATED  BT  JOHN  MAXWELL,  ESQ.  OF  BROOMHOLME. 


THESE  grounds  are  not  in  common,  as  in  England,  but  are  ail  separate  properties, 
and  divided  mto  extensive  farms,  with  distinct  marches,  from  three  to  four  thousand 
acres.  They  are  mostly  pastured  with  sheep  ;  that  is  to  say,  the  farmer  depends  upon 
his  sheep  for  paying  the  rent  and  yielding  him  profit.  The  cows  which  he  keeps,  and 
the  com  which  he  sows,  seldom  do  more  than  maintain  his  family.  Farms  of  this  large 
extent  become  necessary  ;  for,  as  they  are  not  inclosed,  the  sheep  could  not  be  pastured 
with  ease  and  convenience  within  narrow  marches.  Though  the  country  was  in  a  com- 
plete state  of  improvement,  it  is  probable  the  hills  will  never  be  inclosed,  as  nature 
seems  to  have  intended  them  for  breeding  cattle  to  supply  the  cultivated  pastures  in  the 
low  lands,  which  fatten.  So  long  as  they  are  applied  to  that  purpose,  and  I  think 
they  can  never  be  made  fit  for  any  other,  they  cannot  pay  the  expence  of  inclosing. 
Every  flock  has  a  shepherd  to  take  care  of  them,  whose  business  it  is  to  make  them 
eat  the  ground  equally,  and  in  bad  weather  to  keep  them  on  such  parts  of  the  farm, 
where  they  are  most  sheltered  from  the  storms.  He  can  do  nothing  without  his  dog, 
which,  you  know,  he  learns  to  do  wonderful  things ;  but  it  would  be  wrong  to  men- 
tion them  to  strangers,  as  they  would  think  we  bordered  on  the  marvellous.  It  is  suf- 
ficent  to  inform  them,  that  he  can  command  all  or  any  part  of  his  flock,  at  the  distance 
of  more  than  a  mile.  As  the  kinds  of  sheep,  and  the  methods  of  managing  them,  vary 
so  much  in  difierent  parts  of  the  countr}',  it  will  b  e  difficuU  to  ^ve  your  friend  any 
clear  idea  of  them.  Fhere  is  a  gradual  decline  of  soil  from  the  east  to  the  west  coast. 
This  fkct  is  put  beyond  a  doubt,  from  the  size  of  both  sheep  and  black-cattle  turning 
smaller  and  smaller,  as  you  advance  from  the  east  to  the  west.  The  large  sheep  of  the 
east  border  have  often  been  brought  here,  but  they  did  not  thrive,  but  turned  smaller ; 
and  I  have  known  our  sheep  sent  to  them,  which  you  wotild  not  have  known  for  large- 
ness  in  a  year  or  two.  This  shews  that  the  alteration  of  the  size  is  not  owing  to  the 
fancy  of  tl:^  farmer,  but  to  a  real  difference  of  soil.  There  are  different  kinds  of  soil 
required  for  different  kinds  of  sheep,  and  at  different  ages.  The  h(^,  which  is  the 
name  they  go  by  before  they  are  a  year  old,  should  have  dry  pasture,  well  mixed  with 
heaths,  and  not  much  exposed  to  storms  of  snow,  which  bret^ds  them  firm  and  sound. 
The  ewe,  which  is  the  female,  should  have  much  grass,  and  not  very  high  land,  on 
account  of  the  lambs  which  they  bring  forth  in  the  spring,  and  the  wedder,  which  is 
the  gelded  male  sheep,  is  fittest  for  the  very  high  grounds,  a*  being  strongest  and  most 
J,  3  z  2 


ih 


\ 


-■15'^ 


>■•■■ 


■!->;i 


»''"' 


:i¥) 


PENNANT'S  SECOND  TOUH  IN  SCOTLAND. 


liardy.  This  accounts  for  most  farmers  having  more  farms  than  one,  as  one  seldom 
contains  all  these  difT^Tent  soils  and  situations.  Through  Tiviotdale,  the  product  which 
most  of  the  farmers  sell  is  weddets  above  three  years  old,  and  about  a  seventh  or  eiehth 
part  of  the  oldest  of  their  ewe  stock,  which  are  commonly  about  six  years  old*  They 
sell  the  iveddcrs  in  June,  and  the  ewes  about  Michaelmas.  They  are  mostly  bought 
by  the  English  for  feeding.     It  is  impossible  to  give  you  an  account  of  prices,  as  they 

Within  these  twelve  years,  I  have  known  the  Tiviotdale 


We 


vary  almost  every  season. 

wedders  sell  h.  ^  ■      to  fifteen  shillings,  and  the  ewes  from  six  to  ten  shillings, 
shear  or  clip  t  '  in  the  months  of  June  and  July.    The  price  of  the  wool  varies 

as  much  as  the  i  o(  the  sheep,  from  three  shillings  and  sixpence  to  six  shillings  and 
sixpence  per  stone  English,  sixteen  pounds  to  the  stone.  From  five  to  between  six  and 
seven  fleeces  m  to  the  stone.  The  market  for  wool  is  sometimes  at  Edinburgh,  and 
sometimes  in  England.  In  some  parts  of  the  east  of  Tiviotdale  they  do  not  salve  their 
sheep,  but  they  do  it  in  most  places.  It  is  thought  tar  warms  the  sheep,  and  destroys 
a  kind  of  vermin  called  a  cade,  which  infests  them  much.  The  method  of  salving  is 
very  different,  with  regard  to  the  quantity  of  butter  mixed  with  the  tar,  and  also  with 
regard  to  the  quantity  of  both  laid  on  the  sheep.  The  mixture  is  from  twenty -four 
pounds  English  to  above  three  stones  of  butter  to  sixteen  quarts  of  tar ;  and  with  this 
quaotit)  they  will  salve  from  forty  to  one  hundred  and  twenty  sheep.  The  greater 
proportion  of  butter  the  better  the  wool  is,  not  in  point  of  fineness,  but  it  washes 
whiter,  and  consequently  takes  a  better  dye.  The  coloer  the  ground  is,  the  more  salve 
is  laid  on.  It  costs  from  two-pence  halfpenny  to  three-pence  halfoenny  each  sheep.  In 
Tiviotdale,  they  have  got  much  into  the  practice  of  giving  their  sheep  hay  in  the  snows 
of  winter,  which  is  of  much  service  to  them.  I  cannot  pretend  to  give  you  my  opi- 
nion positively  with  regard  to  the  rents  paid,  and  how  many  sheep  are  kept  by  Uie 
acre :  they  vary  with  the  soil  of  the  ground,  and  often  according  to  the  opinion  the 
different  landlords  entertain  of  the  value  of  their  estates.  More  grounds  keep  below 
a  sheep  to  the  acre  than  above  it ;  and  the  rent  stands  from  two  shillings  to  three  shil- 
lings and  sixpence  for  each  sheep.  The  rents  of  most  farms  have  advanced  within 
these  twelve  or  fourteen  years,  from  a  third  to  double ;  which  great  advance  has  made 
Highland  farming  very  uncertain,  as  no  iniprovemems  which  meliorate  the  farms  can 
be  made ;  but  they  entirely  depend  upon  the  rise  and  if^ci  of  the  markets,  be^es  run-, 
ning  a  great  risque  fiom  bad  seasons.  In  Eskdale,  where  we  live,  we  sell  no  weddera, 
because  we  cannot  afford  to  breed  wedder  hogs,  on  account  of  a  disease  which  kills 
great  numbers  of  that  age  in  our  grounds.  Our  product  is  lambs  and  ewes  at  the  a|;e 
already  mentioned.  Within  these  twelve  years,  we  have  sold  our  hmbs  from  two  shil- 
lings to  four  shillings  and  sixpence,  and  our  ewes  from  five  shillings  and  sixpence  to 
nine  shillings.  Our  markets  are  the  same  as  in  Tiviotdale;  our  wool  sells  lower. 
Many  of  us  have  a  practice  of  milking  our  ewes ;  though  it  is  gding  fast  into  disuse, 
because  it  is  generally  thought  to  be  hurtful.  It  renders  the  ewe  less  fit  to  bear  the 
storms  in  winter ;  it  makes  her  have  less  wool ;  and  she  will  sell  at  a  much  higher 
price  at  Michaelmas,  if  not  milked,  being  fatter.  The  great  temptation  to  milk  ewes 
is  to  provide  butter  for  salving,  which  of  late  years  has  been  very  dear.  As^  perhaps 
Mr.  P.  may  have  a  curiosity  to  see  a  calculation  of  how  much  is  made  by  milking,  I 
shaH  give  you  an  account  of  what  I  made  thb  year  out  of  thrp^  hundieo  and  eighty 
ewes  at  Bumfoot ;  for  I  milk  at  no  other  of  my  farms.      , . , ;,   ;   ,;2  j ,   • 


•£ 

^^*.*- 


PunrAim  sbcoicd  toitr  nr  scorrLANv. 


/ 


Ml 


I  made  75  stones  English  of  cheese  in  six  weeks  at  is.  4d.  per  stone 
13  Stones  of  butter,  at  5s.  6d.  per  stone  English 


'    Wages  of  four  women 
Wages  of  ewe-herd 


2     8> 
0  18  5 


£' 

** 

16 

5 

3 

6 

19 

11 

3 

S 

16 

5 

N.  B.  The  whey  made  from  the  milk  is  more  tlion  equal  to  the  maintenance  of  the 
above  five  servants. 
This  comes  to  about  9^.  each  sheep. 

To  the  north-west  of  us,  in  Tweedale,  Clydesdale,  the  head  of  Annandalc,  and  in 
Galloway,  the  farmers  sell  fix*  their  product  wedder  hogs,  rid  some  of  them  lambs,  as 
we  do.  For  the  most  part  the  Enghsh  buy  them  to  lay  or^  their  commons.  They  are 
a  short  coarse-wooUed  sheep,  and  esteemed  very  hardy.  In  these  parts  they  are  free  of 
that  disease  which  kills  the  young  sheep  in  our  country,  and  which  is  the  reason  of  iheir 
keeping  all  their  male  lambs  on  most  of  the  farms.  These  hogs  have  sold,  within  these 
twelve  years,  from  five  shillings  to  eight  shilling^  and  sixpence.  The  diseases  to  wliich 
sheep  are  liable  are  many.  1  shall  only  mention  three  of  them,  which  are  most  mor- 
tal. That  which  we  esteem  the  worst  is  called  the  Rot.  They  contract  it  by  pastur- 
ing in  wet  marshy  ground,  when  it  happens  to  be  a  rainy  season  in  the  months  of  Au- 
gust  and  September.  The  only  remedy  is  draining.  A  bad  season  will  even  bring  on 
a  rot  in  dry  grounds,  where  there  is  much  grass.  If  they  suffer  much  hunger,  i&uhcr 
from  an  overstock  in  summer,  or  from  the  snows  in  winter,  it  vn/ill  occasion  this  disease. 
We  call  another  disease  the  Sickness ;  it  appears  to  be  a  kind  of  cholic,  as  it  swelis  them 


sprmg.    We  have  no  remedy  for  it.    The  tliird  f)Ma«e  Is  utdltid  the  Louping-ill,  which 
rages  mostly  from  the  1st  of  April  to  the  1st  of  luiUi.     ft  (feprlvei  them  uf  the  use  of 


much  in  the  body ;  it  mostly  attacks  j/imiiu  aheep  from  before  Martinmas  until  the 

ilrd 

their  limbs.     We  likewise  know  no  remedy  for  it. 

P.  S.  In  reading  over  my  letter,  I  think  it  right  lu  explain  that  part  of  it,  where  I 
say,  that  there  are  farms  of  four  thousaiMl  nitivH  I  dn  not  tftfianthat  these  large  farms 
are  all  pastured  by  one  flock  pf  sheep,  for  out  iUiuk  illl  aeiduin  above  seven  or  eight 
hundred  acres  to  go  upon. 


.•w 


APPENPfX    NO   Vih 


LIST  OF  BARONS  SUMMONED  TO  IHt  i^^k  Ol'  IjAEHLAVROC. 


ELLIS  de  AUBIGNI. 

^mar  de  St.  Amand. 
Brian  fitz  Alan. 
Hugh  de  Bardolf. 
John  de  Beauchamp* 
John  de  Bar. 


0      ■•'t- 


itihn  r|f  la  Brecte.  r. 

VViiilci  tie  Beauchamp.     .'a 

John  lloltiorte. 

Aiith.  Bekc,  Bp.ofDuiiiam. 

Maurice  dc  fiarkky. 

4)|A'  d€  BailioU.  i   •■> 


^r^t 


smmiMMMtmKM 


ir 


542 


'.»  .     .* 


PENNANTS  IICOND  TOUR  IN  800TL\NIk 


/> 


'> 


Barth.  Badlesineri. 

Barkley. 

Bauet. 
John  de  Clavering. 
Robt.  de  Cliffort. 
Hugh  de  Courtcnay. 

Couches. 
Wm.  de  Cantelo. 

Cromwellc. 
John  de  Cretingnes. 
Hugh  le  Dispenser. 
Patric  de  Dunbar. 
£dm.  Daincourt. 
John  Daincourt. 
Earl  of  Lincoln. 
,    Hereford.  •  '^ 

Warwick,   i 
.    Bretaigne.  '! 

Oxford.     \ 
de  Laonis. 

Gloucester. 
John  de  Engaine.  . 
John  le  Estrang. 
Simo  FreBll. 
Thomas  de  Furnival. 
Wm.  de.  Ferrers.  .     , ,  . 

AdamdelaFord.  ''V;''  ^•':^r' 
Henry  de  Grayc.  , ,    ^n.  .  '^• 

Wm.  de  Grantson.      '  "  ,^  ','■«' 
John  de  Grave. 

Gerard  de  Grondonvile.    ,    .^  „ 
Henry  de  Graham.  '    ''^ 

Ralf  de  Gorees. 
Eustace  de  Hache. 
John  de  Hastings. 
Simo  de  Hastings. 
Robt.  Haunset. 

de  Hontercomb. 
Nich.  de  Karm. 
Philip  de  Kime. 
Tho.  de  Lankaster. 
Wm.  de  Latimer.  " " 

Wm.  de  Lay  bum. 
Wm.  le  Marshal!.         ^  ^. 
Walterus  Money.  *'  '-^i**-' 
John  de  Moun.  ' 


Roger  de  Mortaign. 

John  de  la  More. 

Hugh  de  Mortimer. 

Simo  de  Montagu. 

Roger  de  Mortimer. 

Ralfde  Monthermer. 

Bertrand  Mountboucher. 

Robert  de  Montcalto. 

Thomas  de  Multon. 

Johes.  de  Odeston. 

Henry  de  Pery.    "*  '"Z'  '^'f*  '  '^    IH* 

Rob.  fitz  Payne.  •^J'^'^y  ^^•t^T^^( 


'ht 


■;  t.  =r  -T  • 


Jlf  tn 


V  ■•^•.w^4V^>v  ■••-■v 


,JU' 


,'1.  l./t' 


1    r  (•  .J 


Payi 
Hugh  Poina. 
Johes.  Paignell. 
Rob.  fil.  Rogeri.       , 
V^,  de  Ros. 
John  de  Rivers. 
Wm.de  Ridre.     "'''> 
Tho.  de  Richmond. 
Richard  de  Rokele. 
Nich.  de  Segrave. 
Scgravc. 
John  de  Segrave. 

Robtde  Scales.  ,        ,   , 

Rich.  Sieuart.         V  Tf\, -,''". 
John*  St  John.  ,;ill#^;,;^^'is;,, 
St.  John. 

de  Tatersall. 
Rob.  de  Tony. 
Henry  le  Tieis. 
John  fita  Marmad.  Thweng.  ^'^^  , 

de  Vavasours. 
Aimar  de  Valence.        i,..v^,.^ 
Rob.  fil.  Waltcri, .  .'f'-i^.^^ 
John  de  Warron.  '''*^^'  f**^**"*** 
Rich.  fil.  WmL 
Adam  de  Welles. 
Rob.  de  la  Ward. 

Rob.  de  WUIeby.  .  ^*:-  li*..-^ 

AlvindelaZouch.  ]     -''''-^^P 

Edvaitlus  Rex.  -   .' K  W  ^  r'r'-rif-^** 
Ed.  fiL  Regis.     ^A  MJ  -; 

Tho.  fil.  Regis. 
Baro  de  Wigneton. 

de  iUrkbride. 


,i.fr 


•^i..rt. 


.  ■>  '  <<» 


V 


0     tv-^i*  •«-►;"»■■  •;■•'■**;,    ■:'V^^*:^'   A    ••1»-'-J-»'«|.'':"? 


laNIBBII 


mBNKANT'S  SCCOVD  TOUM  IN  SCOTLANn 


543 


'    APPENDIX....NO.  IX, 


u  •'■< 


»I» 


'•«].';■: 


OF  THE  GOLD  MINES  OF  SCOTLAND. 
.'.}  U     >.        FROM  A  MANVICRIPT  OF  OOLONCL  BROTHWICK,  AND  OTHERS.        ,    . 

.  ^  MR.  CORNELIUS  DEVOSSEC,  a  lapidary  in  London,  was  the  first  who  discovered 

B>ld  in  Scotland.  In  the  vullics  of  Wanlockhead  (near  Leadhills)  Abraham  Cirey,  u 
utchman,  who  lived  some  time  in  London,  got  a  good  quuntitv  of  natural  gold.  He 
paid  his  workmen  weekly,  and  lent  to  divervc  men  before  hand,  as  it  is  written  in  that 
parchment  book,  saying,  with  this  natural  gold,  gotten  in  Greatbeaid's  time  (for  so 
ne  was  called,  because  of  his  gn'ut  long  beard,  which  he  could  have  bound  his  middle) 
was  made  a  very  fair  deep  bason,  without  any  addition  of  any  other  ^>td,  at  Edmburgh, 
in  the  Canongate  street.  It  was  made  by  a  Scotsman,  and  contained  by  estimation, 
within  the  brims  thereof,  an  English  gallon  of  licjuor  ;  the  same  bason  was  of  clean 
neat  natural  gold.  It  was  then  blled  up  to  the  brim  with  coined  p>ieces  of  eold,  called 
unicorns  (which  appear  to  have  been  only  coined  in  James  III,  and  James  iV's  time. 
For  this  vide  Anders.  Diplom.  et  Numismata  Scotis)  which  bason  and  pieces  both 
were  presented  to  the  French  kini^  by  tlie  regent  carl  uf  Morton,  who  sigiiihcd  upon 
his  honour  to  the  king,  saying,  'My  lord,  behold  this  basor.  and  all  that  therein  is ; 
it  is  natural  gold  got  within  this  kingdom  of  Scotland  by  a  Dutchman,  named  Abra- 
ham Grey."  Abraham  was  standing  by  and  affirmed  it  upon  a  solemn  oath,  but  he 
said  unto  the  said  king,  that  he  thought  it  did  engender  and  increase  within  the  earth, 
And  that  he  observed  it  so  to  do  by  the  inHuence  of  the  heavens ;  then  carl  Morton  stood 
up,  saying,  "  I  also  believe  that  it  engenders  within  the  earth,  but  only  of  these  two 
elements,  viz.  water  and  earth;  and  that  it  was  made  perfect  malleable  gold  from  the 
beginning  by  God  .  and  am  certain  that  this  cup,  and  all  the  pieces  therein  are  of  na> 
tural  Scots  gold,      thout  any  other  compound  or  addition."      \/ 

Mr.  Atkinson  ai  '  Mr.  Gk'  >  ge  Bowes,  lyith  Englishmen,  procured  a  commission 
jaco  Scotland  unto  thr-gold  minrs,  and  I  happened  on  a  book  of  his  making  in  England ; 
f  compared  the  same  (having  carried  it  with  n^e  into  Scotland)  with  the  report  of  the 
country  ;  and  the  countrymen  at  Wanlockhead  said  it  was  so,  and  most  true,  that  Mr. 
Bowes  discovered  \  small  vein  of  gold  upon  Wanlockhead.  He  swore  all  his  work- 
men to  keep  it  st-  ret  from  the  king  of  Scotland  and  his  council :  and  so  he  promised, 
before  his  departure  from  England  to  th(  queen  Elizabeth,  and  by  her  letters  to  the 
council  of  Scotland,  got  a  new  warrant;  so  vvas  suffered  to  dig  and  delve  as  he  would, 
after  another  feshion  than  Mr.  Bulmer  or  his  irf«n  did.  He  digged  sundry  shafts, 
found  ofttimes  good  feeling  gold,  and  much  small  gold,  of  which  he  gave  ten  or  twelve 
ounces,  to  make  friends  in  England  and  Scotland.  He  had  both  English  and  Scots 
workn^^n,  and  paid  them  with  the  same  goM.  Mr.  Bulmer's  men  found  little  or 
ncri .  '  <d  when  he  and  his  men  had  Pilled  their  purses,  then  he  caused  the  shai^  to 
be  i  'lu'.  ID  again,  swearing  his  men  to  secrecy,  and  keep  it  close  from  the  king 
ofSi  :-'  d  aira  bb  council,  rhis  was  confessed  by  some  of  Mr.  ^>wes's  chief  ser- 
vants kucK  his  death.  On  bis  return  to  England,  he  shewed  the  q'  en  a  long  purse 
full  of  the  gold  found  id  the  vein  he  had  discovered,  and  it  was  valued  to  be  worth 
'  sevenscore  pounds.  He  told  her  majesty  he  had  made  it  ver>*  sure,  and  h  ^d  it  up  till  next 
(going  there.  She  liked  very  well  thereof,  and  promising  him  a  triple  reward,  and 
to  prepare  himself  next  spring  to  go  there  at  her  majesty's  charge  alone,  to  seek  for 


•1^ 


i 


544 


PCNNANT'B  SECOND  TOUR  IN  SCOTLAND. 


a  greater  vein  ;  he  went  home  ait  to  his  own  country  in  the  north  of  England,  where 
he  dwelt ;  but  unfortunately  riding  to  sec  the  copper  works  and  mines  in  Cumberland, 
at  Kchwcll,  as  he  woh  going  do\v(i  into  the  deep,  the  ladder  brokc«  the  earth  fell  in,  and 
he  wuk  bruiMrd  lo  death. 

Then  Mr.  Atkinson  succeeded  Mr.  Bowes,  and  found  gold,  which  wu  presented  to 
king  James.  Comeliuit  DevoHnce,  painter  to  queen  Klisabcth,  excellent  in  the  trial  of 
miiieraU  and  mineral  atones,  and  ac(|iiuii)ted  with  Nicholas  Hilliard,*  goklsmithand 
miniature-painter  to  her  nuijehty,  engaged  in  the  adventure  with  him  in  learch  of  gold 
in  ScoUand.  Both  made  an  UHHignmcnt  to  Arthur  van  Brownchurst  to  operate  for 
them.  They  being  informed  by  travellers  of  good  experience,  how  that  as  sand  and 
gravel  have  their  several  bedii  in  Lngland,  even  so  are  there  beds  of  gold  and  silver 
m  foreign  countries  they  hud  travelled  ;  rocks  and  craigs,  having  veins  and  beds  of  iron, 
copper,  und  tin  minel,  even  so  gold  and  silver  have  their  veins  amongst  rocks  and  in 
the  ground,  so  they  hoped  to  find  out  a  bed  or  vein  of  gold  in  Scotland.  In  conse- 
quencc  Urownchur&t  searched,  and  found  gold  in  sundry  places,  but  was  forced  to  leave 
all  in  the  mint-house,  by  command  of  the  kmg,  being  a  minor  ;  and  earl  Morton,  re* 
grnt,  refused  Brownchurst  the  liberty  of  search,  without  paying  full  value  for  all  such 
natural  gold  as  should  be  gotten  by  him  in  Scotland  ;  and,  though  a  suitor  four  months, 
never  obtained  it,  but  became  one  of  his  majesty's  sworn  servants  in  Scodand,  to  draw 
small  and  great  pictures  to  the  king.  Mr.  Bulmer,  in  queen  Elisabeth's  time,  searched 
and  found  gold,  8cc.  in  these  places  in  Scotland  ;  viz.  1.  Upon  Mannock  moor  in  Nid> 
dcsdalc.  )i,  Wenlock  water,  on  Robert  moor,  in  Niddesdalc.  3.  Frier  moor,  or  Glen- 
eonnar  water,  in  Clydesdale.  4.  Short-cleugh  water  in  Crawford  moor.  5.  Long. 
Cleuch  braes,  or  Long-Cleuch  head.  He  presented  to  the  queen  a  gold  porringer, 
upon  which  were  engraven  the  following  lines: 

I  dare  not  give,  nor  yet  present, 

Uut  render  part  of  that's  thy  own  ; 

My  mind  and  heart  ihall  atill  invent  -..'.% 

To  leckout  treaaurcs  yet  unknown. 

But  having  lost  his  living  by  his  ovim  and  others*  prodigality,  he  recalled  himself,  and 
|)enned  a  book  of  all  his  acts,  works,  and  devices,  named  Bulmer's  Skill,  and  another 
great  book  on  silver-mines,  minerals,  mineral  stones,  tin«mines,  coal-mines,  and  salt, 
works,  8cc.  It  was  proposed  in  council  for  him  to  procure  twenty-four  gentlemen  of 
land,  rent  10,0001.  value,  or  5001.  yearly,  who  were  to  disburse  3001.  sterling  each 
man,  in  money  or  victuals,  fur  maintenance  of  gold-mines  in  Scodand ;  for  which  each 
was  to  be  knighted,  and  called  the  knight  of  the  golden  mines,  or  the  golden  knight ; 
but  it  did  not  take  place,  for  the  earl  of  Salisbury ;  crossed  his  views,  only  one  knight 
was  made,  sir  John  Claypool,  with  Sir  Bewes  Bulmer.  Mr.  Bulmer  writcth  of  the  va- 
riety of  stones  and  metals  found  by  him  in  Scotland  ;  1.  viz.  natural  gold  great  and  small, 
2.  natural  silver,  3.  copper-stone,  4.  lead-ore,  5.  iron-stone,  6.  marble,  7.  stone-coal, 
8.  beds  of  alabaster*  9.  amethyst,  10.  pearls. 

Memorandum  of  the    minerals  found  in  Scotland  by  colonel  Borthwick.     1.  A 
silver  mine  on  the  north  side  of  the  hill  S.  Jordan,  in  the  parish  of  Foveran.    2.  Gold 
found  about  Dunidur  beyond  Aberdeen.    3.  Silvsr,  called  goklen  bank,  at  Menzies,  in 
the  {xirish  of  Foveran.     4.  Silver,  at  the  back  of  a  park,  where  there  is  a  well  that  ^ 
serves  Disblair*8  household,  parish  of  Fintra,  eight  miles  nonh  by  Aberdeen.    5.  Gold ' 

*  Mr.  Wsipole's  Anecdotes  of  Psiotiags,  i,  148. 


nu,  where 
mberiand, 
ell  in,  and 

esented  to 
Lhc  trial  of 
[smith  and 
ch  of  gold 
perate  for 

aaiid  and 
und  silver 
ds  of  iron, 
cks  and  in 

In  conse. 
;d  to  leave 
lorton.  re* 
or  all  such 
ir  months, 
d,  to  draw 
!,  searched 
or  in  Nid- 

or  Glen- 
s' Long, 
porringer, 


mself,  and 
d  another 
and  salt- 
itlemen  of 
rline  each 
^hich  each 
n  knight; 
)nc  knight 
of  the  ya- 
and  small, 
3tone*coal, 

;k.  1.  A 
2.  Gold 

[enzies,  in 

well  that 

5.  Gold 


IMAGE  EVALUATION 
TEST  TARGET  (MT-3) 


7 


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1.0 


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Photographic 

Sciences 

Corporation 


23  WEST  MAIN  STREET 

WEBSTER,  NY.  14580 

(716)  872-4503 


'^^ 


CIHM/ICMH 

Microfiche 

Series. 


CIHM/ICMH 
Collection  de 
microfiches. 


Canadian  Institute  for  Historical  Microreproductioas  /  Institiit  canadien  de  microreproductions  historiques 


«• 


.^^** 


PENNANT'S  SECOND  TOUR  IN  SCOTLAND- 


54.^ 


in  the  bogs  of  New  Leslie,  at  Drumgarran.  two  miles  from  Dunidur.  6.  Iron  atilie 
well  of  Sipa,  west  side  of  Woman-hill,  near  Giikomstone  miln,  quarter  of  a  mile  from 
Aberdeen.  7.  Gold,  very  rich,  in  a  town  called  Overhill,  parish  Bechclvic,  belongs 
to  L.  Glame.s«  fourteen  fathoms  below  the  kiln.  8  Lead,  at  the  head  of  Loughlieburn, 
north  side  of  Selkirk.  9.  Copper,  in  a  place  called  £lphon,  in  a  hill  beside  Allen  laird 
of  Hilltown's  lands.  10.  Silver,  in  the  hill  ofSkrill,  Galloway.  11.  Silver,  in  Win- 
di'ncil,  Tweedale.  12.  Gold,  in  Glcnclought,  near  Kirkhill.  13.  Copper,  in  Locklaw, 
Fife.  14.  Silver,  in  the  hill  south  side  Lochenhill.  15.  Lead,  in  L.  Br' :herstonc*s 
land.  16.  Several  metals  near  Kirkcudbright.  17.  Copper,  north  side  Borthwickhill, 
Hawick,  and  Branxome.  18.  Silver,  in  Kylesmoor,  Sorn,  and  Machlin,  Ayrshire. 
19.     Several  ores  in  Orkney. 


S 


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I*' 

It' 


APPENDIX...NO.  X. 

A  DISSERTATION  ON  THE  GOVERNMENT  OF  THE  PEOPLE  IN  THE  \VESTERX  ISLES. 
Written  November  IT*  1774,  by  the  Rev.  Mr.  Ookald  MACqusEN,  of  Kilmuir,  in  the  Isleof  Skie. 

THE  distance  of  these  isles  from  the  centre  of  the  state,  secured  as  they  were  from  the 
awe  of  supreme  power,  by  high  mountains,  extensive  moors,  and  impetuous  seas,  while 
theur  sovereigns  were  employed  in  quelling  more  dangerous  insurrections  at  home,  or 
in  repelling  the  frequent  incursions  of  their  southern  neighbours,  left  them  in  a  kind  of 
independency  on  the  crown  of  Scotland,  especially  while  for  some  centuries  they  conti- 
nued to  be  governed  by  Norwegian  viceroys,  who,  coming  from  a  wild  and  barbarous 
country,  cannot  be  expected  to  have  brought  order  or  civilization  along  with  them  ; 
nor  was  the  matter  much  mended  when  Somerlade,  the  famous  thane  of  Argyle,  upon 
being  married  to  a  daughter  of  Olave,  depute  king  of  Man,  gut  a  footing  in  the  isles, 
aH  of  which  to  the  north  of  the  Mull  of  Kintyre,  together  with  Kintyre  itself,  he  pos- 
sessed by  himself  or  his  descendants,  or  those  having  right  from  them,  until  about  the 
be^nnii^^  of  the  fifteenth  century.  All  this  while,  whatever  reformation  was  made  in 
the  heart  of  the  kingdom  on  the  manners  and  prejudices  of  barbarous  times  could  have 
made  but  a  very  slow  progress  in  the  isles ,  though,  as  islands,  they  must  be  supposed 
to  have  yielded  to  the  arts  of  peace  and  good  order  earlier  than  aieir  neighbours  upon 
the  continent.  Islands,  on  account  of  the  goodness  of  the  soil,  and  the  additional  sub- 
sistence they  draw  from  the  sea,  are  generally  closer  inhabited ;  crimes  could  not  then 
lie  so  long  concealed  among  them  as  in  distant  unhospitable  glens  and  mountains :  they 
are  also  more  frequented  by  strangers  ;  and  therefore  by  a  sort  of  collision  the  men 
would  polish  one  another  into  good  manners.  They  had  a  sherifi^of  the  isles  under  the 
Norwegian  dynasty ;  but  when  the  lands  were  parcelled  out  afterwards  by  the  lords  of 
the  isles,  the  descendants  of  Somerlade,  among  barons  of  different  ran<cs  and  sizes, 
each  of  these  barons,  assisted  by  the  chief  men  of  the  community,  held  his  court  on  the 
top  of  a  hill  called  Cnock  and  Eric,  i.  e.  the  hill  of  pleas,  where  the  disputes  they  had 
among  themselves  were  determined,  where  the  encroachments  of  their  neighbours  were 
considered,  and  the  manner  of  repelling  force  by  force,,  or  the  necessary  alliances  they 
were  to  enter  into,  resolved  on.  In  this  period,  when  agriculture,  trade,  and  manu. 
^tures  were  at  a  very  low  pitch,  the  laws  were  few  and  general :  their  little  contracts 
were  authenticated  by  being  transacted  in  the  presence  of  witnesses  ;  the  marches  of  the 
different  barons  were  fixed  before  a  crowd  by  two  or  more  sagacious  men,  and  two  or 
more  young  lads  were  scourged  with  thongs  of  leather,  that  they  might  the  better  rc« 

VOLt  III.  4  A 


54t>  I'ENMANT'li  SECOND  TOUIt  IN  SCOTLANtt. 

member  the  transaction.     The  last  who  was  thus  used  is  now  an  old  man,  and  a  pen« 
sioiier  to  the  family  of  Macdonald.     Nor  were  the  jxiople   in   their  purchases  so  diffi- 
dent of  one  another,  as  to  itisist  upon  a  cautioner,  that  the  beast  or  subject  exposed 
to  open  sale  was  fliirly  come  by,  or  would  not  be  reclaimed  by  another,  which  was  once 
a  common  practice  over  the  kingdom,  culled  in  plain  Gaulic,  Ra-disneah.     The  penal 
laws  were  more  numerous,  severe,   and  particular ;  for  when  restraints  are  put  upon 
natural  liberty,  and  the  customs  to  which  men  were  habituated  in  a  state  of  barbarity 
were  to  be  reduced  or  abolished,  men  must  have  very  alarming  examples  painted  before 
their  eyes.     The  laws  of  the  first  legislators  in  all  countries  are  very  severe,   and  are 
soFicned  and  moderated  according  to  the  progress  of  civilization.     The  legislator  of  the 
Jews,  though  a  very  meek  man,  punishes  several  crimes  with  the  most  cruel  kinds  of 
death,  stoning  and  burning.     Of  Draco's  laws,  one  of  the  first  Athenian  legislators,  it 
is  baid  that  they  were  written   with  blood ;  and  it  is  well  known  that  the  laws  of  the 
twelve  tables  were  very  severe.    Traitors  were  put  to  death  in  the  isles,  being,  according 
to  a  custom  that   prevailed  among  the  Norwegians,  first  gelded  and  both  their  eyes 
pulled  out.     Incestuous  persons  were  buried  in  marshes  alive,  and  bankrupts,  without 
entering  into  a  consideration  of  the  nature  of  their  misfortunes,  were  stripped  of  their 
all,  clad  in  a  party-coloured  clouted  garment,  with  stockings  of  difierent  sets,  and  had 
their  hips  dashed  against  a  stone  in  presence  of  the  people  by  four  men,  each  taking  hold 
of  an  arm  or  a  thigh.     This  punishment  they  called  Ton  cruaigh ;  and  cowardice,  when 
not  capitally  punished,  was  accompanied  with  perpetual  infamy.     The  pritions  were 
dark  vaults,  without  beds,  or  the  smalle:it  crevice  to  introduce  light,  where  no  friend 
was  permitted  to  comfort  the  criminal,  who,  after  a  long  fast,  was  often  killed  with  a 
surfeit.     This  was  the  case  of  Htitchen,  the  son  of  Archibald  Clerich,  a  traitor  against 
the  family  of  Macdonald,  who  died  in  the  vault  of  Duntulm,  of  a  surfeit  of  salt  beef, 
being  refused  any  kind  of  drink.     The  severity  of  justice  laid  hold  but  on  a  few ;  for 
the  protection  of  the  tribe  or  clan  was  generally  resorted  to,  who  did  all  in  their  power 
to  save  their  own  man  from  distress,  or  to  pursue  with  vengeance  the  person  who  had 
offended  any  of  their  number.     It  often  happened  in  this  case,  that  among  powerful 
trit^es  the  voice  of  the  judge  was  too  weak  to  be  heard  ;  then  religion  stepped  in  as  a 
necessary  supplement  to  his  power.     Sanctuaries,  called  girths,  were  consecrated  in 
every  district,  to  which  the  criminal  fled  ;  where  the  superstition  of  the  times,  counte> 
nanced  by  the  political  institutions,  secured  him  from  every  act  of  violence,  until  he 
was  brought  to  a  judicial  trial.     To  this  day  we  say  of  a  man  who  flies  to  a  place  of  se- 
curity, hug  e  an  girt  er ;  and  whatever  party  violated  the  sanctuary,  which  very  seldom 
happened,  brought  the  terrible  vengeance  of  the  church  upon  their  back.     Such  a  bridle 
as  this  became  absolutely  necessary,  to  restrain  the  anger  and  impetuosity  of  a  lawless 
tribe  when  provoked.    Again,  when  the  criminal  got  in  among  his  own  people,  they 
did  all  in  their  power  to  justify  his  conduct  and  save  his  person.     In  this  case  the  resent- 
ment turned  on  the  clan,  and  any  one  of  them  who  fell  into  the  hands  of  the  ofiknded 
was  sure  to  suffer  distress,  or  to  be  kept  in  durance,  until  the  criminal  was  delivered 
over  to  justice,  which  practice  was  at  last  found  expedient  to  be  turned  into  a  law  in 
the  kin^om,  to  prevent  the  clans  from  coming  buckled  in  all  their  armour  to  the  field,  to 
determine  their  own  quarrels. 

In  process  of  time  they  learned  from  their  neighbours,  as  well  as  from  their  own  ex- 
perience,  that  to  perpetuate  strife  and  disorder  among  tribes  who  were  almost  in  full 
possession  of  their  natural  liberty,  excepting  when  the  local  custom  stood  in  their  way, 
tvas  dangerous  to  the  public,  and  ruinous  to  themselves.  To  stop  the  progress  of  re. 
sentmeat,  they  cancelled  the  iiyury  by  satisfaction  with  their  cattle,  by  a  mutual  agree- 


u 


PENNANTS  SECOND  TOUR  IN  SCOTLAND. 


5'1.7 


ment  betwixt  the  parties,  which  therefore  was  called  a  composition,  to  be  divided  be- 
twixt the  injured  party  and  his  clan.  But  as  the  composition  was  not  al  vays  easily  ac 
cepted,  the  principals  of  the  different  tribes  fixed  the  value  of  it  for  c\e\:y  injury,  and 
estimated  the  life  of  a  man  according  to  his  rank :  here  a  people  void  of  refinement 
made  little  distinction  betwixt  voluntary  and  involuntary  trespasses,  for  fear  that  impu- 
nity in  any  case  should  give  a  scope  to  wicked  persons  to  abuse  the  indulgence  of  cus- 
tom or  law.  The  greatness  oi  the  composition  in  this  case  brought  not  only  honour 
along  with  it,  but  greater  security  in  a  rude  and  barbarous  neighbourhood.  This  ran- 
som was  called  Eric.  The  clan  was  then  obliged  to  give  up  the  offender,  or  become 
liable  for  the  penalty,  proportioned  to  the  injury  committed.  Thus  the  clans  became 
mutual  pledges  for  the  good  behaviour  of  the  individuals  who  composed  them.  When 
specie  found  its  way  in  among  them,  a  price  was  put  upon  the  cattle,  and  by  the  neces- 
sary decrease  in  the  value  oi  money,  which  they  were  not  aware  of,  the  Eric  came  at 
length  to  be  very  trifling ;  but  by  this  time  the  laws  of  the  kingdom  had  made  near 
approaches  to  them,  which  were  far  from  being  welcome  to  men  closely  attached  to 
their  own  customs  and  connections,  being  deaf  to  the  voice  of  parties,  and  to  the  distinc- 
tions of  clans  and  individuals.  '*  The  law  hath  come  the  length  of  Rosshire,"  saith 
one  neighbour,  by  way  of  news  to  another.  '*  O  ho !"  replies  he,  •'  if  God  doth  not 
stop  it,  you  will  soon  have  it  nearer  home."  Much  after  this  manner  hath  the  progress 
of  civilization  been  carried  on  in  all  the  countries  of  Europe ;  for  similar  causes  pro- 
duce similar  effects. 

All  the  time  preceding  the  beginning  of  the  fifteenth  century,  and  somewhat  later, 
the  government  of  the  isles  and  of  the  neighbouring  continent  was  of  the  military  kind. 
The  people  were  made  up  of  difl'erent  clans,  each  of  which  was  under  the  direction  of 
a  chief  or  leader  of  their  own,  and  as  their  security  and  honour  consisted  in  the  number 
and  strength  of  the  clan,  no  political  engine  was  neglected,  that  could  be  thought  of, 
to  increase  their  numbers,  or  infiume  their  courage.  The  children  of  the  principal  people 
were  given  out  to  nurses :  the  foster-brothers,  or  coalts,  as  they  called  them,  with  their 
children  and  connections  for  many  generations,  were  firmly  attached  to  their  will  and 
interest.  This  sort  of  relation  was  carefully  traced  out,  and  the  memory  of  it  preserved, 
being  esteemed  a  stronger  bond  of  friendship  than  blood  or  alliance.  It  was  to  increase 
their  numbers  that  bastardy  was  under  ho  sort  of  dishonour :  besides  that  the  children 
got  out  of  wedlock,  to  remove  the  uncertainty  of  their  birth,  expressed  more  love,  and 
underwent  more  hazards  on  account  of  the  clan,  than  the  lawful  children,  by  which 
they  generally  acquired  a  higher  degree  of  strength  both  of  mind  and  body,  and  there- 
fore were  sometimes  called  to  the  succession  by  a  heroical  tribe,  in  preference  of  those 
who  by  the  present  laws  should  enjoy  it.  Such  a  breach  in  the  lineage  of  a  family  is 
disavowed,  as  being  a  dishonourable  blot  by  the  present  race,  though  the  several 
branches  are  apt  to  charge  it  upon  one  another,  when  debating  upon  the  ideal  chief, 
tainary  of  a  clan.  It  was  however  reckoned  no  discredit  in  the  days  of  military  prowess. 
Abimelech,  king  of  Sichem,  was  begot  by  Gideon,  on  a  concubine,  and  preferred  to  the 
seventy  children  he  had  by  liis  married  wives.  William  the  conqueror  was  not  ashamed 
to  call  himself  the  Bastard  of  Normandy  ;  as  little  was  Ulysses  to  acknowledge  that  he 
was  the  son  of  a  concubine.  The  safety  of  the  community  is  the  supreme  law,  to  which 
every  political  consideration  must  occasionally  yield. 

It  would  be  astonishing  to  hear  that  theft  and  plundering,  instead  of  being  infamous, 
were  reckoned  the  most  wholesome  exercise  of  youth,  when  they  went  without  the 
limits  of  their  own  community,  and  were  not  taken  in  the  fact,  if  it  were  not  commonly 
known  to  have  been  the  case  every  where.     From  this  source  the  chieftains  derived 

4  A  2 


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548 


PENNANT'S  SECOND  TOUR  IN  SCOTLAND 


rewards  for  their  numerous  followers,  and  dowries  sometimes  for  their  daughters.  It 
is  known  that  one  of  them  engaged  in  a  contract  of  marriage  to  give  his  son-m-law  the 
purchase  of  three  Michaelmas  moons,  at  a  season  of  the  year  when  the  nights  were  long, 
;ind  the  cattle  strong  enough  to  bear  hard  driving.  Thib  transaction  happened  on  the 
main  land,  where  dark  woods,  extensive  wastes,  high  forked  mountains*  and  a  coast 
indented  with  long  winding  branches  of  the  sea,  favoured  the  trade.  These  were  strong 
liolds,  little  fret^uented  by  strangers,  where  the  ancient  practices  and  prejudices  might 
be  preserved  to  the  last  periods  of  time,  without  some  such  violent  shock  as  that  of  the 
year  1745.  The  islanders  yielded  much  earlier  to  the  arts  of  peace  and  civility,  for  the 
Dean  in  the  year  1549  mentions  only  some  petty  piracies  from  a  few  of  the  smaller 
islands,  which  were  divided  from  a  well-peopled  neighbourhood. 

In  the  military  days,  the  chieftain  drew  little  or  no  rent  from  his  people ;  he  had 
some  of  the  best  farms  in  his  own  hands,  to  which  there  was  a  casual  accession  by  for* 
feitures  ;  he  had  his  proportion  of  the  fines  laid  upon  the  trespasses  of  the  law  ;  he  had 
the  herezield  horse  when  any  of  his  farmers  died ;  he  had  a  benevolence  or  voluntary 
contributions  sent  him,  according  to  the  power  and  good  intentions  of  every  man ;  he 
and  his  coshir,  or  retinue,  could  lodge  upon  them  when  he  pleased ;  and  they  were 
obliged  to  support  him  and  his  baron-like  train,  when  he  was  employed  in  dispensing 
justice  among  them.  This  allowance  was  called  a  cutting  for  the  court,  or  gearrien 
Moid.  W  hen  rents  began  to  be  levied,  which  were  at  first  but  a  moderate  part  of  the 
produce  of  each  farm,  the  former  revenues  gave  way  gradually,  though  some  branches 
of  them  were  preserved  till  within  the  memory  of  men  now  living.  Nor  was  it  necessary 
to  use  distress  for  levying  these  accustomed  taxes  or  servitudes ;  an  attachment  to  the 
chief  was  the  first  principle  of  the  people's  education ;  a  defect  on  that  head  was  judged 
a  renunciation  of  all  virtue ;  their  thoughts  and  words  were  much  employed  about 
him ;  it  was  the  usual  acclamation,  on  a  surprise  from  any  unexpected  misfortune, 
"God  be  with  the  chief!  May  the  chief  be  uppermost!"  and  swearing  by  his  hand  was 
a  common  form  of  asseveration ;  on  every  such  occasion  giving  him  his  proper  title. 
Further,  on  the  side  of  the  chieftain,  no  art  of  affability,  generosity,  or  friendship,  which 
could  inspire  love  and  esteem,  was  left  untried,  to  secure  a  full  and  willing  obedience, 
which  strengthened  the  impressions  of  education,  while  they  were  not  yet  abused  by  the 
chief,  at  the  instigation  of  luxury,  and  the  ambition  of  cutting  an  unmeaning  figure  in 
the  Low  Country,  where  numbers  were  more  respected,  and  his  usefulness  could  very 
well  be  spared. 

All  this  while  the  people  preserved  a  good  deal  of  their  liberty  and  independence ; 
the  dispensation  of  justice,  such  as  it  was,  kept  them  however  in  order  within  the  limits 
of  their  own  country  :  but  there  was  a  law  of  another  kind,  planted  in  the  human  breast 
by  the  friendly  hand  of  our  MaKer,  which  bridled  their  natural  impetuosity  much  more; 
that  was  a  quick  sense  of  honour  and  shame,  which  was  nourished  by  theiir  education, 
being  all  bred  to  the  use  of  arms,  to  himting,  to  the  exertion  of  their  strength  in  several 
amusements,  games,  and  feats  of  activity.  The  bard  celebrated  the  praises  of  him  who 
distinguished  himself  on  any  of  these  occasions,  and  dealt  out  his  satire,  but  with  a  very 
sparing  hand,  for  fear  of  rousing  up  the  ferocity  of  men,  who  were  in  use  to  judge  in 
their  own  cause,  when  they  appealed  to  the  sword,  and  either  retrieved  their  honour  (Mr 
died ;  valour  was  the  virtue  most  in  repute  ;  according  to  their  progress  in  it  were  they 
distinguished  by  their  chieftain  and  friends.  Every  one  of  the  superior  clans  thought 
himself  a  gentleman,  as  deriving  his  pedigree  from  an  honourable  stock,  and  proposed 
to  do  nothing  unworthy  of  his  descent  or  connections ;  and  the'  inferior  clans,  the 
Boddacks,  as  they  called  them,  tread  at  an  humble  distance  in  the  steps  of  their  patrons, 


^ 


PENNANT'S  SECOND  TOUR  IN  SCOTLAND- 


549 


whose  esteem  and  applause  they  courted  with  passionate  keenness.  The  love,  aRcctionj 
and  esteem  of  the  community  all  aimed  to  procure  by  a  disinterested  practice  of  the  so- 
cial duties,  truth,  generosity,  friendship,  hospitality,  gratitude,  decency  of  manners,  for 
which  there  are  no  rewards  decreed  in  any  country,  but  were  amply  paid  among  the 
Highlanders  by  that  honour  and  respect,  of  which  they  had  a  very  delicate  taste.  Ava< 
rice,  debauchery,  churlishness,  deceit,  ingratitude,  which  can  scarcely  be  punished  by 
the  magistrate,  were  banished  by  the  dreadful  fear  of  shame.  These  two  provisions, 
which  kind  nature  hath  made  for  directing  the  conduct  of  man,  were  so  incorporated 
with  the  hearts  and  manners  of  the  people,  that  the  influence  of  them  came  down  to 
our  days,  and  continued  a  good  supplement  to  the  want  of  law,  and  to  the  lame  execu- 
tion  of  what  law  they  had.  Men  of  lively  open  tempers  are  generally  sincere,  faithful, 
and  religious  observers  of  their  words.  Men  used  to  terminate  their  disputes  by  the 
sword  will  detest  fraud  and  duplicity  as  the  true  ensigns  of  cowardice.  Yet  it  must  be 
owned,  that  their  virtues  were  too  much  confined  to  their  own  community,  whose  friend- 
ships  and  enmities  every  individual  espoused,  and  were  therefore  more  animated  by  the 
spirit  of  faction,  than  by  their  regard  to  reason  and  common  justice,  which  led  them 
often  in  a  wrong  way.  Of  all  virtues  their  hospitality  was  the  most  extensive ;  every 
door  and  every  heart  was  open  to  the  stranger  and  to  the  fugitive ;  to  these  they  were 
particularly  humane  and  generous,  vied  with  one  another  who  would  use  them  best,  and 
looked  on  the  person  who  sought  their  protection  as  a  sacred  depositum,  which  on  no 
consideration  they  were  to  give  up.  Men  of  narrow  principles  are  disposed  to  attribute 
the  uncommon  hospitality  of  the  Highlanders  not  so  much  to  generosity  as  to  self-love, 
the  absolute  want  of  inns  making  it  necessary  to  receive  the  stranger,  in  hopes  of  being 
repaid  in  their  own  persons,  or  in  that  of  their  friends.  Hospitality  was  founded  on 
immemorial  custom,  before  the  thoughts  of  men  were  contracted  by  the  use  of  weights 
and  measures,  and  reckoned  so  far  a  sacred  obligation,  as  to  think  themselves  bound  to 
entertain  the  man,  who,  from  a  principle  of  ill-will  and  resentment,  sorned^  upon  them 
with  a  numerous  retinue,  which  went  under  the  name  of  the  Odious  Visitor,  Coinimh 
Dhuimigh.  Of  this  there  have  been  instances  within  a  century  back ;  which  kind  of 
hospitality  could  scarce  be  supposed  self-interested. 

To  return  from  this  digression  (if  it  be  one)  about  the  favourite  virtues  of  the  islanders 
and  their  neighbours  on  the  opposite  coast.  Let  us  recollect,  that  when  our  sovereigns 
had  any  respite  from  foreign  and  domestic  troubles,  they  did  not  neglect  to  try  all 
means  to  assimilate  these  distant  skirts  of  their  dominions  to  their  other  more  peaceable 
and  industrious  subjects.  The  most  of  the  proprietors,  instead  of  holding  of  the  lords 
ci  the  bles,  were,  on  the  fall  of  that  great  family,  directed  by  their  best  friends  to  get 
their  charters  confirn  ed  by  king  James  IV.  King  James  V,  made  an  expedition  among 
them,  to  quell  their  insurrections ;  and  king  James  VI,  seriously  proposed  to  introduce 
the  comforts  of  civilization  among  them,  when,  in  his  fifteenth  parliament,  he  erected 
the  three  burghs  of  Kilkerran  or  Campbelton,  Inverlochy,  and  Storneway,  which, 
though  among  a  people  impatient  of  foreign  intruders,  they  did  not  produce  the  full 
efiect  intended  by  government,  yet  made  way  for  beating  and  distressing  the  renegadoes 
into  good  manners,  by  means  of  the  Campbels  and  Mackenzies,  loyal  subjects,  supported 
by  public  authority,  as  could  not  miss  to  determine  the  islanders  and  others  to  submit 
to  good  order. 

At  len^h  the  local  customs,  and  such  new  statutes  as  occasion  required,  enacted  by 
the  proprietor,  his  bailey,  and  some  of  the  better  sort  of  people,  were  reduced  into 
wriringi  not  above  a  century  ago,  in  the  isle  of  Sky,  and  proclaimed  annually  at  the 
/    Mr      ■■■■■.      .-..■>■  '■'. 

*  Made  a  forced  visit. 


r 

..r 

if 


m 


550 


PENNANT'S  SECOND  TOUR  IN  SCOTLAND. 


church  •doors.     Some  of  these  regulations  are  surprisingly  rri;*ilar  and  distinct ;  and 
under  the  administration  of  a  humane  master  and  a  judicious  bailiv,  tin-  iK-ople  found 
thtnisclvt>s  happy  enough.     While  the  spirit  of  clanship  preset  vcd   any  of  its  vxurnith, 
the  chieftain  seldom  intended  an  injury ;  and  when  any  was  offoitd,  by  him  or  by 
unothtr,  it  was  soon  demolished  by  the  weight  of  a  multitude  ;  but  when  this  bahmce 
of  power  was  weakened  and  dissolved,  the  people  lay  much  at  merry.     In  time  of  a 
minority,  or  when  the  proprietor  took  it  into  his  head  to  visit  London  or  Edinburgh,  the 
estate  being  left  under  the  management  of  this  bailey,  who  generally  was  the  steward  or 
factor,  the  rights  of  mankind  were  often  trampled  under  foot ;  being  his  master's  eyes, 
cars,  and  almost  his  very  soul,  b)  whom  he  saw,  heard,  and  understood  every  thmg, 
any  obnoxious  person  was  easily  misrepresented.     In  time  of  a  minority,  his  powers  of 
doing  mischief  were  more  unrestrained,  tutors  being  less  attentive  than  any  men  to  their 
own  interest.     Scarce  an  imperial  procurator  sent  to  one  of  the  distant  provinces,  clad 
in  all  the  authority  of  the  sovereign  city,  was  more  dreadful  than  he,  when  a  judge, 
executor  of  the  laws,  raiser  of  the  rents,  a  drover,  and  entrusted  with  keeping  the  lands. 
The  seats  of  justice  were  at  too  great  a  distance ;  the  law  a  slow,  tmcertain,  expensive 
redresser  of  grievances;  the  factor  like  to  be  supported  by  his  constituent,  while  the 
general  voice  of  a  servile  neighbourhood  went  along  with  the  nian  in  power.     These 
were  discouragements  which  the  feeble  effurts  of  a  farmer  could  not  easily  surmount. 
In  proportion  as  the  old  military  spirit  decayed,  all  the  natural  and  artificial  connections 
of  the  clans  dissolved  apace ;  every  man  was  then  left  single,  to  combat  a  force  too 
strong  for  him  to  manage.     In  a  very  seasonable  hour  the  heritable  jurisdictions  were 
abolished,  and  sheriffs  depending  upon  the  sovereign  alone  appointed  to  dispense  justice, 
which  was  surely  a  great  relief  to  the  leidges,  where  their  sphere  of  action  was  not  too  ex- 
tensive for  themselves  or  the  substitutes  they  were  able  or  willing  to  employ  in  excentric 
corners ;  even  in  that  case  the  people  mustered  up  more  spirit,  and  acquired  some 
knowledge  of  the  rights  they  were  bom  to. 

The  proprietors  had  still  a  hold,  which  the  laws  could  not  even  moderate ;  for  they 
could  set  what  value  they  pleased  on  their  freehold;  and  some  among  them,  who  had  run 
themselves  in  debt  by  high  living ;  some  who  had  a  passion  for  money,  and  did  not  suf- 
ficiently consider  the  state  of  their  people,  the  greater  number  mistaking  the  high  prices 
of  cattle  and  of  the  other  produce  of  their  lands  for  the  true  standard  by  which  to  esti- 
mate their  rent-roll,  without  making  the  necessary  allowance  for  the  greater  disburse, 
ment  of  the  farmers  in  servants'  wages,  implements  of  tillage,  and  in  every  article  of 
living  and  family-keeping ;  and  others,  a  few  I  lielievc,  unwilling  to  see  any  part  of  their 
former  authority  taken  away  without  a  suitable  compensation  for  it,  loaded  their  people 
with  heavier  rents  than  the  advanced  price  of  their  cattle,  &c.  could  bear ;  and  rather 
than  sink  under  this  burden,  crowds  of  them  made  their  way  to  the  wilds  of  America ; 
though  the  rage  of  emigration,  like  a  contagious  distemper,  seized  upon  several,  who 
had  little  cause  to  complam. 

P.  S.  The 
omission  in  i 

take  an  year's  trial  of  a  wife,  and  if  they  were  mutually 
that  time,  the  marriage  was  declared  good  and  lawful  at  the  expiration  of  it.  But  when 
either  of  the  parties  insisted  upon  a  separation,  and  that  a  child  was  begotten  in  the  year 
of  probation,  it  was  to  be  taken  care  of  by  the  father  only,  and  to  be  ranked  among  his 
lawful  children  next  after  his  heirs.  He  was  not  considered  as  a  bastard,  because  the 
cohabitation  was  justified  by  custom,  and  introduced  with  a  view  of  making  way  for  a 
happy  and  peaceable  marriage.  One  of  the  great  lords  of  the  Isles  took  such  a  trial  of 
a  nobleman's  daughter  upon  the  continent,  got  a  son  by  her,  and  after  separation  settled 


I 


PENNANT'S  SECOND  TOUR  IN  SCOTLAND.  ^jj 

an  extensive  fortune  upon  him  in  lands,  tenendus  de  me,ct  hcrcdibus  mcis,tlu!  greater  pait 
of  which  his  honourable  posterity  posscsb  to  this  day.  Such  was  also  the  power  ot  cus- 
tom, thattiiis  a|)prcnticeship  for  matrimony  brought  no  reproach  on  the  separated  lady  ; 
and  if  her  character  was  good,  she  was  entitled  to  an  equal  mutch  as  if  nothing  had  ever 
happened. 

Adultery  was  punished  here  by  dipping  the  guihy  in  a  pond,  or  by  making  him  or 
her  stand  in  a  barrel  of  cold  water  at  the  churcli  door ;  and  when  the  rigour  of  judicial 
discipline  was  a  little  softened,  the  delinquent,  clad  in  a  wet  canvas  shirt,  was  made  to 
stand  before  the  congregation ;  and  at  the  close  of  service,  the  minister  explained  to 
him  the  nature  of  his  offence,  and  exhorted  him  to  repentance. 

All  civil  professions  were  anciently  hereditary  in  the  isles.  The  bards,  the  shcanchies 
or  genealogists,  the  physicians,  the  pipers,  and  even  the  cooks,  all  of  whom  had  appoint- 
ments in  lands  settled  on  them,  according  to  the  munificent  temper  of  the  feudal  go> 
vernment.  It  was  only  in  the  time  of  our  fathers,  that  Macdonald  of  Clan-ronald's 
Sheanchy  and  Bard,  Mac-Mhurach,  began  to  pay  rent  for  his  heritable  farm.  The 
other  hereditary  professions  have  long  betfn  come  to  a  close,  except  the  Mac-  Kartars  and 
Mac-Krumens,  the  pipers  cf  the  family  of  Mac-Donald  and  Mac-Leod,  who  still  pre- 
serve their  appointments.  I  shall  also  except  Doctor  John  Maclean,  whose  ancestors 
have  been  physicians  to  the  family  of  Mac-Donald  for  time  immemorial,  educated  at  the 
expence,  and  preferred  to  the  farm  of  Shulista,  near  the  gates  of  Duntulm.  The  late 
Sir  James  Mac- Donald,  for  the  farther  encouragement  of  die  above  gentleman,  settled 
upon  him  a  considerable  pension  during  life,  to  raise  also  the  emulation  of  any  of  his 
sons  who  might  be  bred  to  his  business,  when  they  observe  a  distinction  made  according 
to  the  merit  of  these  hereditary  professors  of  medicine. 

Though  the  professions:  were  coiiffned  to  one  family,  which  might  naturally  be  sup- 
posed to  quench  emulation,  yet  the  frequent  occasion  these  artists  had  of  intermixing  with 
the  neighbouring  chieftains,  determined  them  to  support  the  pride  of  their  superiors,  by 
exerting  thtir  whole  powers  to  excel  every  other  professor  of  their  own  art ;  because 
their  love  and  attachment  to  their  chief  was  the  first  principle  of  their  education. 

Neither  have  I  heard  that  any  of  these  families  ever  failed,  though,  according  to  the 
course  of  things,  that  sometimes  might  have  happened ;  but  they  had  the  choice  of  the 
women  among  their  own  rank,  the  superior  often  giving  directions  in  this  momentous 
affair ;  and  among  a  number  of  children  some  one  or  other  would  be  found  fit  to  fol- 
low his  father's,  or,  in  case  of  an  accident,  his  uncle's  calling.  It  would  be  strange  in. 
deed,  if,  among  ten  or  twelve  sons,  Doctor  Maclean  could  not  find  one  with  a  genius 
for  physic 


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I 


J 


.    ^,  OF  THE  GRUAGICH..-BY  THE  SAME. 

BEFORE  the  arts  of  carving,  engraving,  or  statuary- work  were  invented,  or  in  the 
countries,  into  which  they  were  not  introduced,  the  representations  of  the  Divinity, 
whether  high  or  subordinate,  were  no  other  than  the  trunks  of  trees,  or  rude  unformed 
stones.  The  emblem  of  the  supreme  God  at  Dodona,  consecrated  by  the  Hyperbo- 
(tansi  was  the  trunk  of  an  oak,  and  so  it  was  in  the  Massilian  grove. 

— —  —  Simulacraque  mista  Deorum 
"         '  '     '       '  Arte  carent,  cMisque  extant  informia  truncis. 


55J 


I'ENNANTS  SBCOND  TOUR  IN  SCOTLAND. 


The  emblem  ut'  Apollo  at  Delphi,  set  up  by  the  Ptlas-Gi,  the  primitive  inhabitants  ol 
Circccc,  was  no  other  than  a  pillar  of  stone.  Several  examples  of  this  kind  are  men- 
tioned by  CIcmcits  Alexandrinus  and  Eusebius. 

As  the  Celtic  tribes  worshipped  sniritual  Gods,  whether  the  Supreme,  or  subordinate 
ones,   they  well  knew  that  material  representations  could  not  be  expressive  of  them, 
though  the  trunk  of  a  tree  or  a  stone  could  very  well  mark  out  the  place  of  worship,  in 
a  grove  or  op  the  summit  of  a  mountain,  where  the  small  societies  in  the  neighbourhood 
might  convene  on  solemn  occasions,  or  as  the  necessity  of  the  community  might  seem 
to  require,  in  order  to  conciliate  the  favour  and  assistance  of  the  Divinity  whom  they  re- 
sortca  to.     Men  of  different  religious  principles  have  been  often  unjust  to  one  another 
in  common  charee  of  idolatry ;  the  Protestants  lay  it  to  the  account  of  the  Catholics, 
the  Catholics  to  the  account  of  Pagans  of  all  denominations,  which  all  deny,  who  know 
best  what  they  are  employed  about.    They  surely  pray,  such  at  least  of  them  as  can 
think,  not  to  a  stock  or  a  stone,  whether  in  a  state  of  nature,  or  formed  by  art  into  a 
statue,  but  to  the  Divinity,  of  which  one  or  the  other  is  an  emblem.    Among  the 
variety  of  subaltern  Divinities,  which  the  Celtic  tribes  worshipped,  the  spirit  of  the  sun 
was  in  the  foremost  rank,  the  sun  being  the  most  cheerful,  and  the  most  universally  be- 
neiicent  of  all  created  and  visible  beings.    It  brought  joy  and  gladness  along  with  it  to 
all  the  animal  creation,  to  groves,  to  fields,  and  meadows.     The  day  of  its  return  was 
celebrated  in  every  district  by  a  feu  de  joye ;  whence  May-day  was  called  in  the  Gaulic, 
la  Beltein,  the  day  of  Bel's  fire ;  Befis  being  one  of  the  names  of  the  sim  in  Gaul. 
Herodian,  lib.  8.     The  worship  of  the  sun  was  so  frequent,  that  several  mistook  it  for 
the  principal  object  of  adoration.     The  inclosures  called  Grianan,  or  Grianham,  the 
House  of  the  Sun,  are  to  be  met  with  every  where,  in  which  they  offered  their  sacrifices, 
commonly  horses,  burnt  betwixt  two  large  fires ;  whence  the  proverb,  "  He  is  betwixt 
two  Beltein  fires,"  which  is  applied  to  one  in  the  hands  of  two  artful  persons,  whose  in- 
trigues he  is  not  able  to  escape.     From  these  inclosures  they  also  received  oracular  re- 
sponses.   When  the  elegant  arts  were  invented,  the  Celtic  Deities  appeared  carved,  en- 
graved, or  painted,  in  such  forms  as  the  imagination  of  the  workman  suggested  to  him 
as  the  most  emblematical  and  expressive  of  the  common  conceit  they  entertained  of  the 
Divinities  they  meant  to  point  out.    Then  they  changed  the  rude  lumps  into  figures 
resembling  living  creatures,  generally  into  men,  as  bemg  the  mo  '  honourable  forms. 
The  Spirit  of  the  Sun,  or  the  God  who,  according  to  the  ancient  creed,  guided  it  in 
its  course,  was  figured  as  a  young  lively  man,  with  long,  yellow,  dishevelled  hair :  under 
this  appearance  Apollo    hath  the  epithet  of  x^vt/tu,  the  golden  haired,  given  him 
by  Euripides ;   and  of  «»«<d««t/««f,  ♦he  unshaven  by  Homer,  alluding  to  beams  of  tile 
sun,  which  are  long  and  yellow.     This  imaginary  conceit  of  the  Hyperborean  Apollo 
made  its  way  to  the  Highlands  of  Scotland,  where  to  this  day  he  is  called  by  the  name 
of  Gruagach,  the   fair-haired.     The  superstition  or   warm   imagination  of  ignorant 
people  introduced  him  as  a  sportive  salutarj^  guest  into  several  families,  in  which  he 
played  many  entertaining  tricks,  and  then  disappeared.    It  is  a  little  more  than  a  cen- 
tury ago,  since  he  hath  been  supposed  to  have  got  an  honest  man's  daughter  with  child, 
at  Shulista,  near  to  Duntulme,  the  seat  of  the  family  of  Macdonald :  though  it  is  more 
probable,  that  one  of  the  great  man's  retinue  did  that  buuness  for  him.    But  though 
the  Grua^ch  offers  himself  to  every  one's  fancy  as  a  young  handsome  man ,  with  fair 
tresses,  his  emblems,  which  are  in  almost  every  village,  are  no  other  than  rude  unpo- 
lished stones,  of  different  figures,  just  as  they  seemed  cast  up  to  the  hand  of  the  Druid 
who  consecrated  them.    Carving  was  not  introduced  into  the  Hebrides;  and  though  it 


Hi 


K; 


PINKANT'S  SECOND  TOUH  IN  SCOTLAND. 


553 


The  Gruagnch  stones,  as  far  as  tradition  can  inrorm  us,  were  only  honoured  with  li- 
bations  of  milk  from  the  hands  of  the  dairy  maid,  which  were  ofllrcd  to  (iruagach 
upon  the  Sunday,  for  the  prcscrvution  of  the  cattle  on  the  ensuing  week.  From  this 
cuhtom  Apollo  seems  to  have  derived  the  enithct  Galaxius.  Thi»  was  one  of  the  sober 
oftcrings  that  well  became  a  poor  or  fruffal  i)conlc,  who  !wd  neither  wine  nor  oil  to 
bestow ;  by  which  they  recommended  their  only  stock  and  subsistence  to  their  fa- 
vourite  divinity,  wlwm  they;  had  always  in  their  eye,  and  whose  blessings  theycnjoyal 

every  day. The  inscription  •«  Apollini  Grmino"  (Grianich  the  Sunny)  was  on  a 

•tone  of  this  kind,  du^  up  from  the  ruins  of  the  Roman  Prctenturc,  in  king  James  the 

Sixth's  time The  inscription  in  Griitcr,  "  Apollini  Bcsino,"  seems  to  have  been 

on  such  another The  rock  idols  of  Cornwall,  in  Dr.  Borlase,  seem  to  be  of  t^c 

same  kind,  though  of  different  forms ;  for  it  was  not  the  shape,  but  the  consecration, 
that  pointed  out  their  uses.  Notwithstanding  they  arc  numerous  in  this  island,  you 
will  scarce  meet  with  any  two  of  them  of  the  same  cast.  The  idol  stones  besides,  that 
remain  with  us,  are  oblong  snuare  altars  of  rough  stone,  that  lie  within  the  Druids 
houses*  as  we  call  them.  Observe,  also,  that  the  worship  of  the  sun  seems  to  have 
continued  in  England  until  king  Canute's  time,  by  a  law  of  his,  which  prohibits  that. 
with  other  idolatrous  practices. 


'i; 


n 


V 


APPENDIX....NO.  XI. 

OF  THE  NUMBERS  IN  THE  HEBRIDES  AND  THE  WESTERN  HIGHLANDS. 


Counties. 
Argyle 

Argyle 
Inverness 


Ross 


Parishes. 


Frotcstanls 
calcchizable. 


Roman 
Catholics. 


—    Toracy 


Ross  '    (  Isle  of  Mull. 

Kilmorc )  — 

Cannay  •— 

Muck  — 

Rum  — 

Slate  — 

Strath  — 

Portree  .r- 

Brackadel  —      ^ 
Diumish^nd  Waternish 

Kilmure  — 

Snizort  — 

Loch  Broom  — 

Assynt  -~ 

Gair.Ioch  •— 

Applecross  -— 

Loch^cdrran  — « 

Kintail  — 


—         7 


276 

9 

13 

390 
1 


Isle  of -<! 
Skie. 


—        2 


▼  OL.    III. 


4  fi 


r^H 


I'EKNANT'i  irXOND  TOUH  !N  SCOTLAND. 


CoiiniiCM. 


>'ai'i!ih<». 


Invcrncw    —      CUcnclg,  ntrner.«       — 

Knodjart  and  ) 
rrar  3 


Protc«»«nU 
cauclil/able. 

^  660 


Rom»n 

CatliuUc*. 


Argylc 


North  Morr 

.,, .     fSouih  Morrar 
,^"  "M  Arisag      - 
^V'^-1  Moydarl 
"=»*'  ^'^  LSunnart 

Ardniimurclian      — 
Morvcrn  — 

Lisniorc  and  Appin 


_  —         —        950 


4 

10 
439 

957 
1100 
2860 


3(K) 

5{K) 

500 

4 


These  arc  the  parishes  mentioned  in  the  Report,  which  1  cither  visited  or  sailed  by. 
The  reader  may  be  probably  desirous  of  a  view  of  the  numbers  coiUumed  m  the  other 
islands  ;  which  shall  be  given  from  the  same  authority,  except  when  otherwise  men- 
tioned. 


Inverness    —  Kle  of  Lewis.* 

Stornaway  - 

Lochs  — 

Elig 

Baryas  - 

Ti-ile  of  Harris 
with  Bernera    1 
Pabbay 
Killcgray   I 
Ensay        f 
Joransay     I 
Scaop       J 
North  Wist    I 
with  Hey  skirv 
Barra     ) 
South  Wist 
with  Benbecula 
Erisca 


20fX) 
800 
1000 
1000 


2000 


1700 


—         1 


Argyle        — 


Barra  t 

StKildait 
Tir.I 
Col 


}   - 


250 

— 

1850 

80 

^^^^^ 

1020 

88 

1240 

900 

>_ 

3 

•  According  to  f '  e  account  communicated  to  me  by  Mr.  Gillender,  agent  of  the  island,  the  number  of 
souls  in  1763,  ami  ,nted  to  between  eight  and  nine  thousand.,  

+  iiarra  was  a  protestant  isle  till  the  reign  of  Charles  II,  when  some  catholic  missionaries,  aking  ad- 
vantaKeof  the  neglect  and  ill  conduct  of  the  minister,  brought  the  inhabitftnts  over  to  their  reUgion. 

\  From  Mr.  Macaulay's  History  of  that  island. 


HENNANT'S  SECOND  TOUR  IN  SCOTLAND- 


555 


APPKNDIX NO.  XII. 


COPY  Ol'  A  WRIT  or  I'lHK  AND  SWOlU) 

»*  CHARLKS,  by  the  grace  of  God,  king  of  Great  Britain,  France,  and  Ireland,  de- 
fender of  the  faith,  to  our  lovitcs* 

wncn  engers,  our  shcriffcs  in  that  part,  con- 
junctly and  severally,  specially  constitut ;  and  to  all  und  "undry  our  Icidgis  whom  it 
cftcirs,  greitting.  Forasmuch  na  wee  tmd  the  lords  of  our  privy  counocll  being  infornied, 
that  upon  the  23d  day  of  June  last  by  past,  the  jxirsons  underwritten,  \h.  I.<auchlaM 

M'Lainc  of  Broloies,   Hector  Oig  M*L;unc  l»is  brother,  &c.  were  orderly  dciu" 1 

rebels  and  put  to  the  horn  bj  virtue  of  letters  of  denouneiation  direct  ai  the  insuincc 
of  Duncan  Fisher,  procurator  fiscal  of  the  justiciar  court  of  Ar(j;yle  lor  our  i  iterest 
against  them,  for  their  not  compearing  i)crsonally  within  the  'i'olbuith  of  the  burgh  of 
Inncrrary,  upon  the  said  23d  day  jf  June  last,  before  Mr.  John  Canipbe'l  of  Aloy, 
ahcriflb  depute  of  the  sherrift'edome  o!  Argylc,  to  our  right  trusty  and  well  beloved 
cousin  and  nouncellor  Archibald  earlc  of  Argyle,  herctubli:  Justiciar  j^ciicral  of  the 
said  Shyre  of  Argyle  and  t!  •.•  isles  thereof,  as  they  who  were  lawfully  cited  upon  ilio 
24th  and  25th  days  of  May  last,  by  Duncan  Cla.  Ice,  Messenger,  to  have  compeared  the 
said  day  and  place,  *o  have  found  caution  acted  in  the  bookes  of  adjournal!  for  tiu-ir 
compearance  the  said  day,  to  have  ansNvered  and  undcrlyen  the  law  for  their  convo- 
eating  the  number  of  three  or  four  hundrcth  men  in  Aprilc  last,  by  sending  of  Fyrc 
proces  thro*  the  isle  of  Mulb  Morveran,  and  other  places,  and  remaining  and  abydeini^ 
upon  the  lands  of  Kt.okersmartin  in  anc  warlyke  posture,  from  the  22d  of  the  said 
month  to  the  last  thereof;  us  also  convocating  one  hundrcth  men,  and  keeping  them 
in  arms  the  space  foresaid  at  Gadderly  and  Glcnforsay ;  and  sicklike  for  garrisoning 
the  house  and  fort  of  Cairnbulg  upon  the  day  of  the  said  month, 

or  one  or  other  of  them,  with  the  number  of  armed  persons,  and 

appointing  a  captain  and  other  officers  for  keeping  the  same,  and  securing  the  country 
against  the  execution  of  our  laws  ;  for  their  violent  away  carrying  several  corns,  bear, 
horse,  and  swyne,  arrested  upon  the  Ian  js  of  Crosschoill  and  Sulnavaig,  by  Diuican 
Clarke  messenger,  notwithstanding  of  a  lawful  intimation  made  by  the  said  messenger  of 
the  said  arrestment ;  and  likewise  for  the  said  Lauchlan  M'Lainc  of  Broloies,  and  iSavid 
Ramsay  commissary  of  the  isles,  and  their  followers,  being  in  Tirie  in  Ajjrile  last,  and 
oppressing  the  tenants  there,  by  quartering  and  sorning  upon  them,  and  causing  bring 
meal  and  provision  frae  the  tenants  and  possessors  of  Kendway  in  Tirie,  and  otiiers,  to 
Lauchlan  M'Laine  baillic,  in  Tirie,  his  house  in  Kilsaile :  and  lastly,  for  the  forsaid 
persons  and  their  followers,  in  the  months  of  March  or  A^irile  last,  their  entering  into 
u  league  and  bond,  and  obligeing  themselves  by  oath  to  jom  and  adhere  one  to  another, 
and  immediately  thereafter  garrisoned  the  house  and  fort  of  Cairnbulg  in  manner  for- 
said, contrar  to  and  in  contempt  of  our  laws  and  acts  of  parliament  made  against  these 
crymes  in  manner  at  length  sjTeeiiied  in  the  criminal  letters  rrised  against  them  there- 
anent,  as  the  said  letters  of  denunciation,  duly  execute  and  registrate  in  the  books  of 
adjournal  of  the  justice  court  of  the  Shyre  of  Argyll,  conform  to  the  act  of  parliament, 
produced  in  the  presence  of  the  lords  of  our  privy  councell  bears.  At  the  process 
of  the  which  horn  the  forcnamed  persons  most  proudely  and  contemptuously  lye  and 
remain  taking  no  reguard  thereof  nor  of  our  authority  and  laws,  boi  in  contempt  of 

*  i.  e.  Loyal  or  true  subjects. 
.1  B  2 


556 


PENNANl'S  SECOND  TOl'U  IN  SCUTLAM). 


the  same  haunts,  frequents,  and  repairs  to  all  phiccs  within  this  our  realm,  as  if  they 
were  our  free  leidgcs.  VVee  therefore,  with  the  advice  of  the  lords  of  our  privy 
council,  have  made  and  constitute,  and  hereby  make  and  conbtitute,  the  lord  Neill 
Canjpbeli,  John  Campbell  younger  of  Glenorchy,  sir  James  Campbell  of  Lawers,  John 
]Vj*Leodof  Dunvegan,  sir  Norman  M'Leod,  Campbell  of  Ardfinglas, 

M  Donald  captain  of  Clanronald,  Alexander  Campbell,  uncle  to  Auchinbreck, 

M'Alaster  of  Loop,  and  Duncan  Stewart  of  Appin,  our  commissioners  in  that 
part,  to  the  effect  after  speceified  givand>  grantand,  and  committand  to  them  con- 
junctly and  severally  our  full  power  and  commission,  express  bidding,  and  charge  to 
convocat  our  leidges  in  uvmes,  and  to  pass,  search,  seek,  take,  and  apprehend,  and 
in  case  of  resisttnce  or  hostile  opposition,  to  persue  to  the  death  the  saids  Lauchlan 
Maclaine  of  Broloes  and  remnant  persons  foresaids  rebells  for  the  causes  above- written. 
And  if  for  their  defence  they  shall  happen  to  flee  to  strengthes  or  houses,  in  that  case, 
Wee,  with  advice  foresaid,  give  full  power  and  authority  to  our  said  commissioners 
coDJunctly  and  severally  as  said  is,  to  pass,  persue,  and  assedge  the  saids  strengthes  and 
houses,  raise  fyre  and  all  kynd  of  force  and  warlyke  engynes  that  can  be  had,  for 
winning  and  recovering  thereof,  and  apprehending  the  saids  rebells  and  their  complices 
being  thereintill ;  and  if  in  pursute  of  the  said  rebells  and  their  complices,  they  resist- 
ing  to  be  taken,  or  in  assedging  the  saids  strengthes  and  houses,  there  shall  happen  to 
be  fyre  raising,  mutilation,  slaughter,  destruction  of  corns  or  good>y  or  other  incon* 
vcniences  to  follow,  Wee,  with  advyce  foresaid,  will  and  grant,  and  for  us  and  our  sue- 
cessors,  decern  and  ordain,  that  the  same  shall  not  be  imputed  as  cryme  or  offence 
'o  our  said  commissioners,  nor  to  the  persons  assisting  them  in  the  execution  of  this 
our  commission ;  with  power  to  our  saids  commissioners,  or  such  as  shall  be  convocat 
be  them,  to  bear,  wear,  and  make  use  of  hagbutts  and  pistoUs  in  the  execution  of  this 
our  commission,  notwithstanding  of  any  law  in  the  contrary.  And  farder,  we  do  hereby 
take  our  saids  co^nmissioners  and  such  persons  as  shall  assist  them  in  the  execution  of 
this  our  commission,  under  our  special  protection  and  safeguard.  And  this  our  com- 
mission to  continow  and  endure  for  the  space  of  ane  year  after  the  date  hereof :  Pro- 
vyded  that  our  saids  Commissioners  give  ane  account  to  us  of  their  diligence  and  pro- 
cedure herein  bewixt  and  the  first  day  of  January  next. 

*'  Our  will  is  herefore,  and  we  charge  you  strictly  and  command  that,  incontinent 
thir  our  letters  seen,  ye  pass  to  the  market  crosses  cf  ^  and  other 

places  needful,  and  thereat  in  our  name  and  authority  command  and  charge  all  and 
sundry  our  good  and  loving  subjects,  in  their  most  substantial  and  warlyke  manner,  to 
ryse,  concur  with,  fortify  and  assist  our  saids  commissioners  in  the  execution  of  this 
our  commission  under  all  highest  paynes  and  charges  that  after  may  follow. 
Given  at,  &c." 

The  above  is  copied  from  the  records  of  the  privy  council  of  Scotland,  on  the  22d 
July  1675. 


APPENDIX NO.  Xm. 

OP  THE  SIVVENS. 

A  loathsome  and  very  infectious  dtiseaseof  the  venereal  kind,  called  the  Siwens,  has 
long  afflicted  the  inhabitants  of  the  Highlands,  and  from  thence  some  parts  of  the 
Lowlands  in  Scotland,  even  as  far  as  the  borders  of  England.    Tradition  says  that  it 


PENNANT'S  SBCOND  TtiUR  IN  SCOTLAND. 


557 


IS  if  they 
ur  privy 
3rd  Neill 
zrs,  John 


rs  in  that 
lem  con- 
charge  to 
tend,  and 
Lauchlan 
e- written, 
that  case, 
nissioners 
gthes  and 
'.  had,  for 
:omplices 
ey  resist- 
lappen  to 
ler  incon* 

our  suc- 
)r  offence 
on  of  this 

convocat 
on  of  this 
do  hereby 
;cution  of 
our  com- 
eof :  Pro- 
z  and  pro- 

ncontinent 
and  other 
i;e  all  and 
nanner,  to 
on  of  this 
ly    follow. 

n  the  22d 


was  introduced  by  the  soldiers  of  Cromwell  garrisoned  in  the  Highlands.  It  occasions 
foul  ulqers  in  the  throat,  mi>uth,  andbkin,  and  sometimes  deep  biles,  which,  when  ulcer- 
ated, put  on  a  cancerous  appearance.  It  sometimes  destroys  the  nose,  or  causes  the 
teeth  to  drop  out  of  their  sockets  ;  soriietimes  a  fungus  appears  in  various  parts  of  the 
body,  resembling  a  rasberry,  in  the  Erse  language  called  Sivven.  This  disorder  chiefly 
attacks  children,  and  the  lowest  class  of  people,  who  communicate  it  to  each  other  by 
their  dirty  habit  of  living.  It  is  propagated  not  only  by  sleeping  with,  sucking,  or  sa- 
luting the  infected,  but  even  by  using  the  same  spoon,  knife,  glass,  cup,  pipe,  cloth, 
&c.  before  they  have  been  washed  and  cleaned.  This,  like  other  species  of  the  ve- 
nereal disease,  is  cured  by  mercury ;  and  the  only  means  of  preventing  so  dreadful  a 
malady  is,  by  the  strictest  attention  to  every  circumstance  of  cleanliness. 

APPENDIX....NO.  XIV. 

OM  THE  DUCHfeSS  OF  ATHOLL  AND  LADY  WRIGHT  FISHING  AT  ATHOLL  UOUSK. 

'  BY  A  LADY. 

WHERE  silver-footed  Garry  nimbly  flows. 

Whose  verdant  banks  the  nymphs  and  naiads  love ; 

Where  nature  ev'ry  blooming  sweet  bestows, 
Not  less  delightful  than  I^lia's  grove ; 

As  contemplation  led  my  wand'ring  feet 

Along  the  margin  of  the  crystal  flood, 
The  feathered  songsters  hail'd  the  sweet  retreat. 

And  gentle  zephyrs  whisper'd  thro'  the  wood. 

Charm'd  with  the  scene,  silent  awhile  I  gaz'd, 

Intently  list'ning  to  the  murmVing  stream. 
In  grateful  transports  nature's  God  I  prais'd. 

And  long  my  soul  pursu'd  the  rapt'rous  theme. 

At  length  I  heard,  or  fancy  form'd  the  tale, 

A  gentle  voice  in  mournful  notes  compldn ; 
Soft  echo  bore  the  accents  thro'  the  vale, 

And  thus  the  mourner  seem'd  to  breathe  his  pain : 

"  Why  did  I  idly  leave  the  coral  groves^ 

Where  safety  on  the  breast  of  silence  lies? 
Danger  still  waits  the  heedless  fool  that  roves, 
And  in  pursuit  of  fleeting  bliss  he  dies. 

;    <«  One  fatal  dajr,  as  near  the  brink  I  stray 'd, 

Two  plei^ng  forms  lean'd  o'f  r  the  trembling  brook ; 
Their  gentle  smiles  an  artless  mind  betray'd : 
Mischief  sure  never  wore  so  &ir  a  k)ok ! 


r.. 


nrens,  has 
uts  of  the 
ays  that  it 


S58 


« 


I'ENN ANT'S  SECOND  TOUR  IN  SCOTLAND. 

Each  held  a  magic  wand  with  wond'rous  grace, 

A  pendant  line  convey 'd  the  tempting  bait ; 
O !  sight  portentous  to  the  finny  race, 

Fraught  with  the  dire  command  of  cruel  fate ! 

*'  My  tender  mate  play'd  fearless  by  my  side ; 

With  eager  joy  she  snatch'd  the  hidden  dart, 
Instant,  alas !  I  lost  my  lovely  bride ; 

What  racking  torture  seized  my  wounded  heart ! 

"  E'er  since  that  hour,  to  pining  grief  a  prey. 
My  flowing  tears  increase  my  native  flood  ; 
In  melancholy  sighs  I  waste  the  day. 

And  shun  the  commerce  of  the  scaly  brood. 

"  Should  chance  this  mournful  tale  at  Blair  relate. 

Where  dwell  the  dang'rous  fair,  who  caused  my  pain ; 
They  who  can  love  so  well  would  mourn  my  fate, 
And  ne'er  disturb  our  harmless  race  again." 

APPENDIX NO.  XV. 

REPOSITORY  OF  ASHES. 

TWO  miles  north  of  Coupar  Angus,  near  a  small  village  called  Coupar  Gran^, 
on  a  gentle  eminence,  was  lately  discovered  a  repository  of  the  ashes  of  sacrifices,  which 
our  ancestors  were  wont  to  offer  up,  in  honour  of  their  deities.  It  is  a  large  space, 
of  a  circular  form,  fenced  with  a  wall  on  either  side,  and  paved  at  bottom  with  flags. 
The  walls  are  about  five  feet  in  height,  and  built  with  coarse  stone.  They  form  an 
outer  and  an  inner  circle,  distant  from  each  other  nine  feet.  The  diameter  of  the  inner 
circle  is  sixty  feet ;  and  the  area  of  it  is  of  a  piece  with  the  circumjacent  soil.  But  the 
space  between  the  walls  is  filled  with  ashes  of  wood,  particularly  oak,  and  with  the 
bones  of  various  species  of  animals.  I  could  plainly  distinguish  the  extremities  of  se- 
veral bones  of  sheep  ;  and  was  informed  that  teeth  of  oxen  and  sheep  had  been  found. 
The  top  of  the  walls  and  ashes  is  near  two  feet  below  the  surface  of  the  field.  The 
entry  is  from  the  N.  W.  and  about  ten  or  twelve  feet  in  breadth.  From  it  a  pathway, 
six  feet  broad,  and  paved  with  small  stones,  leads  eastward  to  a  large  free-stone,  stand- 
ing erect  between  the  walls,  and  reaching  five  feet  above  the  pavement,  supported  by 
other  stones  at  bottom.  It  is  flat  on  the  upper  part,  and  two  feet  square.  Another 
repository  of  the  same  kind  and  dimensions  was  some  months  ago  discovered,  at  the  dis- 
tance of  three  hundred  paces  from  the  former.  From  the  numbers  of  oak  trees  that 
have  been  digged  out  of  the  neighbouring  grounds  it  would  appear  that  this  was  an- 
ciently a  grove. 

A  further  account  of  similar  structures  have  been  since  communicated  to  me. 

Mr.  Pennant,  in  the  third- volume  of  his  Tour  in  Scotland,  gives  an  account  of  an 
ancient  building  discovered  near  the  village  of  Coupar  Grange,  within  two  miles  of 
Coupar  in  Angus ;  this  he  supposes  was  a  repository  for  the  ashes  of  the  sacrifices  which 
our  ancestors  were  wont  to  offer  in  iionour  of  their  deities.    A  building  of  this  kind, 


( 


PENNANT'S  SECOND  TOUB  IN  SCOTLAND. 


559 


and  which  probably  had  been  intended  for  the  same  purposes,  was  lately  discovered 
in  the  county  of  Edinburgh,  in  a  field  to  the  north  of  Middleton  house,  the  scat  of 
Mr.  Michelson,  and  about  a  mile  and  half  south-west  of  Borthu  ick  castle.     This  build, 
ing,  like  that  described  by  Mr.  Pennant,  was  about  a  foot  under  the  present  surface  of 
the  field,  and  was  discovered  by  the  plough  ;  it  differed  from  Mr.  Pennant's  in  being 
only  an  irregular  segment  of  a  circle,  and  in  having  the  bottom  lined  with  fine  clay  in 
place  of  flags ;  like  Mr.  Pennant's,  it  had  a  narrow  entry,  pointing  nearly  N.  VV      Be 
low  I  have  given  a  rude  figure,  with  ihe  dimensions.     This  building  is  formed  in  ee- 
neral  of  rough  land  stones,  and  is  open  at  top,  the  stones  not   bound  or  overiappinK 
one  another,  as  in  good  masonry,  and  none,  even  of  the  best  stones,  appear  to  have 
been  formed  by  art;  the  surrounding  soil  is  gravel  going    deeper  than  the  foundation' 
of  the  walls.     The  whole  space  between  the  walls  was  filled  with  materials  very  dif- 
ferent  from  the  circumjacent  soil:  the  greatest  part  of  the  contents  was  a  rich  black 
mould,  irregularly  interspersed  with  charcoal  of  wood,  burnt  Ciirth,  and  bones  reduced 
to  a  resemblance  of  saw-dust ;  a  great  many  teeth  in  a  more  perfect  state,  some  of  them 
very  entire,  all  evidently  the  teeth  of  phytophagous  animals,  some  plainly  the  teeth  of 
sheep  and  oxen,  and  no  appearance  of  human  teeth.     No  artificial  substances  were 
found,  nor  any  thing  else  but  some  stones  that  must  have  fiillen  from  the  surrounding 
walls.     The  whole  bottom  was  lined  to  the  depth  of  some  inches  with  fine  soft  clav 
On  a  nsing  ground  to  the  east,  called  are  some  large  stones,  and  are 

probably  remains  of  some  ancient  religious  structure.  About  a  mile  to  the  west  a  field 
called  the  Chesters,  with  regular  terrasses,  on  a  bank  to  the  north  of  it.  It  is  wished 
that  our  British  antiquarians  would  consider  this  ancient  subterraneous  buildine  and 
give  some  account  of  it.  °' 

in  ^he^ialt^^Fife''^'"^^  that  a  building  of  the  above  kind  has  been  lately  discovered 

Beginning  of  the  entry 
Length  of  the  entry 
Outward  wall  of  the  circular  part 
Inward  wall  of  ditto 
Height  of  the  circular  walls 
Width  betwixt  the  circular  walls 


V... 


F. 

Inch. 

2 

6    bro^d. 

15 

—     long. 

42 

—     long. 

33 

—    long. 

5 

5 

5 

2 

i»:w 

// 

J 

y/ 

DESCRIPTION  OF  CRAIGHALL. 


CRAIGHALL,  a  gentleman's  seat,  two  miles  north  of  Blairgowrie.  The  situation 
of  It  IS  romantic  beyond  the  power  of  description.  It  is  placed  in  the  midst  of  a  deeo 
gen,  surrounded  on  all  sides  with  wide-extended  dreary  heaths;  where  are  still  to  be 
sten  the  rude  monuments  of  thousands  of  our  ancestors,  who  here  fought  and  fell 


n' 

i 

■r 


IN*. 

1 


II 


560 


PENNANT'S  SBCOND  TOUR  IN  SCOTL.ANB. 


the  liouse  itself  stands  on  the  brow  of  a  vast  precipice,  at  the  foot  of  which  the  river 
Erecht  runs  deep  and  sullen  along.  It  commands  9  prospect  for  the  space  of  half  a 
mile  northward,  the  most  pleasant  and  most  awful  that  can  be  conceived.  About 
twice  the  distance  now  mentioi'cd,  the  river,  that  had  for  many  miles  glided  along  beau- 
tifully sloping  banks,  covered  with  trees  of  various  kind^,  planted  by  the  hand  of  nature, 
feels  itself  confined  in  a  narrow  channel,  by  rocks  of  uii  astonishing  height,  through 
the  chinks  of  which  the  oaks  shoot  forth  and  embrace  each  other  from  opposite  sides, 
so  as  to  exclude  the  kindly  influences  of  the  sun,  and  to  occasion  almost  a  total  darkness 
below.  The  stream,  concealed  from  our  view,  makes  a  tremendous  noise,  as  if  affrighted 
by  the  horrors  of  its  confinement.  The  echoing  of  the  caves  on  every  side  render  the 
scene  still  more  dreadful.  At  length  the  river  is  diverted  in  its  course  by  a  promontory 
of  a  great  height,  vulgarly  culled  lady  Lindsay's  Castle.  Near  the  summit  this  rock  is 
separated  into  two  divisions,  each  of  which  rises  to  a  considerable  height,  opposite  one 
to  another,  and  appear  like  walls  hewn  out  of  solid  stone.  In  the  intermediate  space, 
fame  says,  this  adventurous  heroine  fixed  her  residence.  After  a  few  more  windings, 
the  river  directs  its  course  to  Craighall,  having  saluted  several  impending  precipices  as 
it  rushed  along ;  particularly  one  of  enormous  size  and  smooth  in  front,  at  the  base  of 
which,  in  a  hollow  cavern,  is  heard  a  continual  dropping  of  water  at  regular  intervals. 

REEKY  LINN. 

REEKY  LINN,  three  miles  north  of  Alyth,  and  two  from  the  famous  hill  of  Barry, 
one  of  the  largest  and  most  beautiful  cascades  of  water  in  Scotland.  The  river  Islay 
here  darts  over  a  precipice  sixty  feet  in  height.  Through  the  violence  of  the  fall  the 
vapour  is  forced  upivard  in  the  air  like  smoke,  or,  as  the  Scotch  term  it,  reek,  &om 
whence  it  has  its  name.  For  a  considerable  space  along  the  course  of  the  river,  the 
rocks  on  each  side  rise  a  hundred  feet,  and  the  river  itself,  in  several  places,  has  been 
found ^hirty  fathoms  deep. 

OF  CERTAIN  ANTIQUITIES  IN  THE  NEIGHBOURHOOD  OF  PERTH. 

COMMUNICATED   BY    MR.  THOMAS   MARSHALL. 

ON  the  eastern  banks  of  the  Tay,  about  a  mile  and  a  quarter  above  Perth,  is  a  place 
called  Rome,  to  which  the  Roman  road,  traced  from  Ardoch  to  Innerpeffery  and  Dup- 
plin,  points,  and  is  continued  on  the  other  side  of  the  Tay,  in  the  manner  that  shall  be 
presently  observed. 

At  Rome  is  supposed  to  have  been  a  bridge  made  of  wood  ;  for,  in  very  dry  seasons, 
large  beams  of  oak,  placed  up  and  down  the  stream,  are  seen.  These  were  the  founda- 
tions, fixed  exactly  in  a  spot  where  the  tide  never  flows,  and  is  only  immediately  out  of 
its  reach.  This  bridge  was  much  frequented,  strongly  guarded,  perhaps  often  attacked ; 
for  in  the  ground  on  the  western  side  are  frequently  found  urns. 

About  half  a  mile  east  of  Rome,  at  a  place  called  Sherifftown,  are  the  vestiges  of  a 
fort,  but  much  defaced  by  agriculture.  The  causeway  or  Roman  road  is  continued 
from  Rome,  turns  north  at  the  fields  of  Sheriffiown,  and  passes  through  a  noted  Roman 
camp  at  Grassy  waU. 

In  its  course  it  goes  by  a  druidkal  temple,  coBsisting  of  nine  large  stones,  aunroondiQg 
an  area  of  twenty-five  feet  diameier,  placed  on  a  stunmit  commandiag  a  gitaM  viem 
The  road  then  passes  Berry.hiU,  and  through  the  village  of  DioBe-moof «  where  it  is 
very  complete.  From  thence  it  is  continued  by  the  house  of  Byres,  Stobhall,  and 
Gallow-moor,  near  which  are  two  other  druidical  temples,  of  nine  stones  each.    The 


\< 


w 

V 


PENNANT'S  SECOND  TOUR  IN  SCOTLAND. 


561 


DC  river 
>fhi\lfa 
About 
ig  bcau- 
f  nature, 
through 
te  sides, 
larkness 
Brighted 
nder  the 
mentor^' 
is  rock  IS 
»ite  one 
te  space, 
rindings, 
sipices  as 
e  base  of 
itervals. 


of  Barry, 
ver  Islay 
he  fall  the 
;ek,  from 
river,  the 
has  been 


H. 


is  a  place 
jnd  Dup" 
It  shall  be 

Y  seasons, 

le  founda- 

tely  out  of 

attacked ; 

stiges  of  a 
continued 
ed  Roman 

irroupdiiig 
rreat  viewi 
irhere  'm  is 
ibhall,  and 
ach.    The 


road  aftcrv/ards  passes  near  E.  Hutton,  and  from  thence  runs  to  the  banks  of  the  Ilh* 
or  Hay.  Its  whole  course  from  Rome  to  this  place  is  nine  miles,  vi.sibic  in  man)  pluses, 
I'^st  so  near  to  the  villages  as  the  stones  have  been  removed  for  building. 

At  the  spot  where  the  road  touches  on  the  Ilia,  a  bridge  is  siijiposed  once  to  luivc 
stood:  the  necessity  is  evident ;  for  on  the  opposite  t)id<;  was  a  considerable  Roman 
post.  The  Romans  profited  of  the  commodious  accident  of  the  two  rivers,  the  Tay 
and  the  Ilia,  which  unite  at  a  certain  distance  below.  These  i'ormed  two  secure  fences  : 
the  Romans  made  a  third  by  a  wall  of  great  thickness,  defended  again  by  a  di'cli,  both 
on  the  inside  and  the  outside.  These  extend  three  miles  in  a  line  from  tl*e  Tm}  to  tlic 
Ilia,  leaving  within  a  vast  space,  in  form  of  a  Delta.  Near  the  head  of  the  bridge  is  a 
large  mount  exploratory,  and  probably  once  protected  by  a  tower  on  the  summit.  On 
a  line  with  this  are  two  others ;  one  about  the  middle  of  the  area,  the  other  nearer  tin 
Tay  :  these  arc  round ;  but  Mr.  Marshall  doubts  whether  they  arc  the  work  of  art. 
But  close  to  the  junction  of  the  Tay  and  Ilia  is  a  fourth,  artificial,  which  is  styled  Car* 
rick-know,  or  the  Boat-hill,  and  seems  designed  to  cover  a  landing-place.  I  must  note 
that  the  wall  is  styled  the  Cleaving-wall.  It  merits  further  disquisition,  as  it  will  pro- 
bably be  found  to  be  subservient  to  the  uses  of  the  camps  at  Hiethic  and  other  i)laccs  in 
the  neighbourhood,  which  some  native  antiquary  may  have  ample  time  to  explore. 

Not  far  from  Blairgown  is  a  vast  rectangular  inclosurc,  encompassed  with  a  lofty 
rampart  and  a  deep  ditch ;  the  length  is  an  English  mile  and  a  quarter  ;  the  breadth 
half  a  mile.  Three  rising  grounds  run  parallel  to  each  other  the  whole  length  of  it. 
Two  rivulets  and  Lornty  water  take  likewise  parallel  courses  at  the  bottom  between 
these  risings.  In  certain  parts  within  are  multitudes  of  tumuli.  The  same  arc  obsei  ved 
in  greater  numbers  on  the  south  exterior  sides,  and  some  on  the  east.  With  them  arc 
mixed  several  circular  buildings,  with  an  entrance  on  one  part :  of  these  little  more 
than  the  foundations  are  left,  which  are  six  feet  thick.  Some  include  an  area  of  forty - 
eight  feet;  but  the  greater  number  only  twenty-seven.  The  ditch  is  on  the  inside  ;  by 
which  this  inclosure  appears  to  have  been  designed  for  a  different  purpose  than  a  camp. 
It  probably  was  an  oppidum  of  the  ancient  inhabitants  of  the  country :  the  circular  foun  - 
dations,  the  reliques  of  their  habitations,  which,  when  entire,  might  have  been  of  the 
form  of  the  Danish  Dunes,  so  frequent  in  the  Hebrides ;  as  the  tumuli  are  certainly  the 
places  of  interment. 

APPENDIX....NO.  XVI. 

An  abridged  account  of  the  effects  of  the  Lightning  which  broke  3n  Melviil  house,  in  Fije- 
shire,  the  seat  of  the  earl  ofLeven^  on  the  21th  of  October,  1733 : 

Being  Extracts  of  a  Letter  from  Mr.  Colin  Maclaurin,  Professor  of  Mathematics  at  Edinburgh,  to 

Sir  Hans  Sloane. 


<( 


SIR, 


Edinburgh,  December  3,  1733. 


"  AT  the  desire  of  the  earl  of  Leven  I  went  to  Melviil  house,  and  took  a  particular 
survey  of  the  effects  of  the  lightning,  which  broke  upon  the  house  on  the  27th  of  Octo- 
ber last.  As  some  of  them  were  very  surprising,  I  thought  it  might  be  worth  while  to 
send  you  the  following  relation,  not  doubting  of  your  thinking  it  worthy  the  attention 
of  the  Royal  Society.  The  house  stands  about  twenty  miles  north  from  Edinburgh, 
on  the  north  side  of  a  plain,  which  extends  far  from  east  to  west  and  towards  three 

VOL.  III.  4  c 


m 


562 


PENNANT'S  SECOND  TOUR  IN  SCOTLAND. 


\ 


miles  broud,  fronts  to  the  eastward  of  south,  and  near  it  are  great  plantations,  which 
almost  surround  it,  and  in  some  places  extend  to  the  distance  of  three  miles. 

••  We  had  fine  weather  in  this  country  from  the  9lh  to  the  25th  of  October,  when 
the  mercury  fell  very  considerably,  and  the  weaiher  changed.  The  26th  was  a  very 
bad  day,  having  heavy  rain,  and  in  some  places  snow  and  hail.  On  the  27th  the  wind 
was  west,  the  morning  cloudy,  and  we  had  thunder  and  lightning  in  many  places  very 
remote  from  Melvill. 

"  It  was  on  the  27th,  betwixt  six  and  seven  in  the  morning,  that  the  lightning  broke 
iipon  the  house,  attended  with  loud  peals  of  thunder.  I  could  only  meet  with  one  man 
who  was  in  the  fields  at  that  time,  who  was  su  much  terrified  that  I  could  gather  but 
little  from  him.  He  said  the  storm  came  from  the  N.  E.  towards  tl>c  S.  W.  felt  it 
very  hot,  and  a  strong  sulphureous  smell  as  the  lightning  passed  over  him  ;  saw  it  break, 
as  he  imagined,  with  all  the  colours  of  the  rainbow  among  the  trees  near  the  house, 
filling  all  the  country  round  with  an  extraordinary  light. 

"  The  house  is  covered  with  lead,  and  has  four  chimney-tops  on  each  side  of  the 
cupola.  Of  the  four  on  the  cast  end  of  the  house,  one  of  them,  in  which  was  one  of 
the  kitchen  vents,  and  where  there  only  was  fire  at  th  't  time  of  the  morning,  was  beat 
down  level  with  the  lead  roof :  some  of  the  stones  were  carried  above  one  hundred  feet 
into  the  garden.  The  slates  which  covered  the  sloping  part  of  the  roof  on  the  west  end 
were  broke  of!"  for  a  considerable  space.  There  was  one  breach  appearing  in  the  out- 
side of  the  wall,  which  we  were  sure  pierced  thsough  it  :  this  was  in  the  attic  story,  to« 
wards  the  west  end  of  the  north  front.  A  stone  was  drove  twenty  feet  from  the  breach 
upon  a  level,  broke  a  splinter  oB' a  stone  step  of  a  back  staircase,  and  rebounded  twelve 
feet.  That  part  of  the  lightning  which  produced  the  most  considerable  effects  came  down 
the  chimney-head,  which  is  t'lc  most  northerly  of  the  four  on  the  east  of  the  cupola, 
where  there  is  a  vent  of  another  chimney  in  the  kitchen.  In  its  descent  it  made  several 
breaches  in  that  vent :  it  is  plain  that  two  proceeded  from  it,  because  the  smoke  from  that 
chimney  proceeded  from  both  ;  one  of  them  in  the  great  staircase,  from  which  a  stone  of 
thirty-two  pounds  heavy  weight  was  beat  out,  so  as  to  strike  the  marble  floor  at  twenty- 
six  feet  distance,  measured  on  a  level,  and  after  that  rebounded  on  the  adjoining  wall. 
All  the  windows  were  entire  in  this  staircase  ;  nor  did  any  other  effects  appear  there. 
The  other  breach  in  this  vent  was  in  the  opposite  direction,  and  pierced  into  a  bed- 
chamber on  the  east  side,  where  was  a  noisome,  sulphureous  smell  for  a  considerable 
time  after,  and  a  great  heat :  it  made  in  the  bed-chamber  a  large  breach  in  the  plaister 
cornice,  and  carried  plaister  and  lath  quite  across  the  room.  Many  panes  of  glass  were 
broke  in  both  windows.  I  apprehend  there  must  have  been  another  breach  from  the 
same  vent  with  a  south  direction,  because  of  the  wonderful  effect  in  the  corner  of  the 
great  dining-room,  where  a  small  splinter  of  wood,  about  thirteen  inches  long,  and  not 
heavier  than  two  quills,  was  beat  with  so  much  force  against  the  floor,  as  to  leave  a  mark 
equal  to  the  depth  and  length  of  its  own  body.  On  taking  down  the  pannel  belonging 
to  this  bit  of  moulding,  there  was  a  crevice  found,  and  this  is  very  near  opposite  to  the 
great  breach  in  the  staircase,  only  about  four  feet  higher,  but  divided  by  the  solid  mid 
wall  of  the  house.  In  this  dining-room  many  of  the  picture-frames  were  scorched,  the 
paintings  defaced  and  spoiled,  but  the  canvas  entire.  Panes  broke  here  in  all  the  win- 
dows ;  and  the  window.curtains  so  much  singed  as  to  blacken  our  hands,  on  rubbing 
the  side  next  the  windows.  In  the  drawing-room,  at  the  east  end  of  the  great  dining- 
room,  the  cornice  plaister  was  broke  in  many  places,  and  panes  broke.  The  bed*cham- 
ber  next  it  was  already  mentioned. 


( 


PENNANT'S  SECOND  TOUlt  IN  SCOTLAND 


5dS 


which 

r,  when 

a  very 

he  wind 

ces  very 

ig  broke 
)ne  man 
ther  but 
IV.  felt  it 
it  break, 
house, 

e  of  the 
s  one  of 
was  beat 
dred  feet 
west  end 
I  tl^e  out' 
story,  to- 
le  breach 
:d  twelve 
ime  down 
le  cupola, 
le  several 
:  from  that 
a  stone  of 
It  twenty- 
ning  wall, 
ear  there, 
nto  a  bed- 
nsiderable 
lie  plaister 
glass  were 
.  from  the 
■ner  of  the 
r,  and  not 
ive  a  mark 
belonging 
)site  to  the 
;  solid  mid 
>rched,  the 
ill  the  win> 
)n  rubbing 
eat  dining- 
bed«cham- 


•»  In  the  drawing-room  on  the  west  end  of  this  dining-room,  the  windows  were  en- 
tire,  the  shutters  close,  the  doors  locked,  and  no  soot  came  down  the  chimney  ;  yet 
there  is  a  large  deep  splinter  tore  out  of  a  strong  oak  panntl.  Bdorc  the  paniitl  stuiuh 
a  japaned  cabinet,  greatly  tarnished  at  one  end.  A  pier  glass  betwixt  the  windows,  iit 
a  glass  frame,  has  two  breaches  in  the  frame,  and  the  rest  entire.  In  the  bcd-chambci 
next  to  this  drawing-room  nothing  was  observed.  In  the  corner  of  the  dressing- roonj 
belonging  to  this  apartment  there  stood  a  barometer,  which  was  broke  in  pieces  :  thi 
mercury  disappeared,  and  we  could  find  no  remains  of  it.  I  must  mention  in  this  place, 
th^t  his  lordship  would  not  allow  a  servant  to  clean  any  part  of  this  principal  iluor  till  J 
should  see  the  effects  of  the  lightning.  In  this  dressing-room  the  pannels  were  much 
broke  and  shattered ;  and  of  thirty  panes  fifteen  were  broke. 

*♦  Below  these  apartments,  in  the  first  floor,  is  the  bed-chamber  where  my  lord  and 
lady  lay,  being  the  centre  room  in  the  west  front.  Two  panes  of  one  of  the  window;* 
were  broke,  and  the  glass  found  sticking  on  the  curtains  of  the  bed.  Many  pieces  of 
the  mouldings  of  the  pannels  were  broke  and  torn  off.  The  mirror  of  a  dressing-glass 
broke  to  pieces,  the  quicksilver  melted  off,  but  the  frame  entire,  and  stood  in  its  pl.ice  ; 
it  smelt  of  sulphur  for  some  hours  after.  Two  small  pictures  beat  from  one  side  of  the 
room  to  the  other.  A  pier  glass  betwixt  the  windows  entire,  but  the  paimel  below  it 
beat  out ;  and  a  chest  of  drawers  before  the  pannel  received  no  harm.  The  frames  of 
two  pictures,  which  hung  at  the  side  of  the  bed,  were  much  broke  ;  and  one  of  the 
pannels  fell  out  lately,  when  a  servant  was  dusting  it. 

"  My  lord's  account  of  what  he  observed  is,  that  he  was  awaked  with  the  noise  of  a 
great  gust  of  wind ;  that,  upon  looking  up  and  drawing  the  curtain,  he  perceived  the 
lightning  enter  the  room  with  great  brightness,  appearing  of  a  bluish  colour.  It  made 
him  cover  his  eyes  for  a  moment ;  and  on  looking  up,  the  light  seemed  to  l)e  abated, 
and  the  bluish  colour  had  disappeared ;  at  the  same  time  he  heard  the  thunder,  which 
made  an  uncommon  noise  ;  he  felt  at  the  same  time  the  bed  and  the  whole  room  shake, 
much  in  the  same  manner  one  feels  a  horse  when  he  rouses,  and  was  like  to  be  choakcd 
with  the  sulphur.  When  the  maid  opened  the  door,  she  was  scarcely  able  to  breathe 
from  the  sulphureous  steams  which  filled  the  room  ;  happily  the  room  was  large,  being 
twenty.two  feet  square,  and  sixteen  feet  high. 

"  In  an  adjoining  bed-chamber  a  gilded  screen  was  quite  spoiled,  and  though  folded 
up,  the  gilding  is  burnt  off  every  leaf^ 

"  In  the  parlour  the  gilding  was  melted  off  the  leather  hangings  nearly  of  this  form) ; 

and  in  the  window  directly  opposite,  at  the  distance  of  twenty-four  feet,  in  one  of  the 
panes,  there  is  a  rent  exactly  of  the  same  form  with  the  melted  place  of  the  gilding, 
which  does  not  reach  to  either  end  of  the  pane,  about  two  inches  long  each  line,  the 
length  of  the  lines  of  the  melted  hangings  being  above  two  feet  each.  This  room  in 
the  south  front. 

"  In  the  drawing-room  on  this  floor  there  were  many  efiects  of  the  lightning.  It 
has  two  windows  to  the  south,  and  two  to  the  east.  A  pannel  was  loose,  but  kept  from 
falling  by  a  half-length  picture  which  hung  before  it,  upon  a  nail  in  the  wall  above  the 
top  of  the  pannel  ;  on  removing  the  picture  the  pannel  came  down,  and  a  piece  of  stone 
in  the  wall  fell  in,  which  probably  had  beat  the  pannel  out  of  its  place.  On  the  outside 
of  the  house  we  discovered  two  breaches  opposite  to  the  pannel,  but  they  did  not  seem 
to  go  deep.  Several  other  pannels  were  beat  out,  and  particularly  one  of  nine  feet  high, 
and  three  feet  broad,  was  beat  out,  so  as  to  have  the  inside  turned  outward,  and  was 

4  D  2 


I 


i 

1 


S 


i 


i; 

I', 


:)o4 


PENNANT'S  hLCoNU  TOUli  IN  SCOTLAND. 


found  resting  wiih  tl»e  end  upon  a  chair.  Betwixt  the  two  south  windows  stood  a  pier 
glasij,  which  has  aj)iccc  taken  out  of  it  of  a  scmieireular  figure,  nearly  three  inches  long 
and  two  iiiehis  deep,  and  no  craek  or  flaw  in  the  rest  of  the  glass;  the  gilded  frame 
much  singed  above  and  below :  the  piece  ^\  as  found  broken,  and  one  part  had  the 
quicksilver  melted  :  above  the  glass  we  perceived  u  hole  in  the  pannel,  as  if  burnt 
through.  There  was  only  one  pane  broke  in  this  room,  which  was  in  one  of  the  east 
windows.  The  hole  in  the  pane  was  of  the  size  and  shape  of  a  weaver's  shuttle.  A 
glass  (like  the  other)  which  stood  betwixt  the  two  cast  windows,  was  broke  in  pieces; 
the  chimney-glass  not  touched.  The  vent  of  this  room  goes  to  the  chimney-top,  which 
was  beat  down. 

"  In  the  adjoining  bed-chamber,  tlu>rc  were  several  pannets  beat  out,  and  some  parts 
of  them  appeared  to  be  burnt.  A  piece  of  stone  was  found  in  the  floor,  which  was 
evidently  beat  from  behind  one  of  the  pannels,  from  a  large  hard  stone,  which  appeared 
to  be  much  shattered. 

•'  In  the  attic  story  is  th  billiard-room,  above  the  two  east  drawing-rooms  :  here  the 
floor  is  torn  up  in  two  places,  and  large  splinters  are  carried  off  from  the  middle  of  the 
planks.  A  picture  was  driven  out  of  its  frame  towards  the  other  side  of  the  room;  the 
leather  hangings  torn,  and  the  gilding  melted  in  many  places.  Of  forty  panes  in  this 
roon),  thirty-four  were  broke. 

••  Above  the  dressing-room,  where  the  barometer  was  broke,  is  an  intersole,  where 
there  is  a  considerable  breach  in  tin  inside  of  the  wall,  from  which  lime  and  rubbish 
were  beat  over  ihc  room.  On  a  shelf  several  glasses  were  broke,  as  were  some  bottles, 
and  a  china  bowl :  four  large  bottles  full  of  gunpowder  on  the  same  shelf  escaped  un- 
touched. 

♦'  In  the  under  story,  in  the  kitchen,  one  of  the  windows  looking  east  was  beat  to 
pieces  ;  one  of  the  iron  bands  beat  to  the  opposite  wall ;  the  other  was  driven  out  of  a 
door,  in  a  direction  at  right  angles  to  the  former ;  the  plaister  below  the  window  torn 
up  ;  and  a  lead  cistern  which  stood  near  it  received  some  damage. 

"  No  person  in  the  house  received  any  harm,  except  that  my  lord  complained  much 
of  his  eyes  for  some  days." 

APPENDIX....NO.  XVII. 

COPY  OF  KING  MALCOLM'S  CHARTER  TO  THE  TOWN  OF  ST.  ANDREW'S. 

MALCOLMUS,  Rex  Scottorum,  omnibus  suis  probis  hominibus  salutcm.  Sciatis 
me  concessisse  hac  Carta  confirmasse  Burgensibus  Episcopi  Sancti  Andreas  onuies  liber- 
tates  et  consuetudines,  quas  mei  Burgenses  communes  habent  per  totam  terram  roeam, 
et  quibuscunque  portibus  applicuerint.  Qua  de  re  volo  et  firmiter  super  meum  plena* 
rium  foris  factum  prohibeo  ne  quis  ab  illis  aliquid  injuste  exigat.  Testibus,  Waltero 
Caticellario,  Hugone  de  Moriville,  Waltero  filio  Alani,  Waltero  de  L)  ndysay,  Roberto 
Avenel.    Apud  Sanctum  Andream. 


PENNANT'S  SECOND  TOUR  IN  SCOTLAND 


565 


APPENDIX...NO.  XVIII. 

The  Roman  Measures,  whereof  Vespasian's  Congius  vas  their  Standard,  com. 
pared  with  the  Measures  used  at  present  (anno  1775)  in  Annandale,  where,  as 
in  all  other  Parts  of  Scotland,  the  Stirling  Jug,  or  Scoih  Pint«  continues  to  be  the 
Standard. 


Roman  Measures. 

English 

(^ubic 

Inches. 

Annandalo  Measures. 

Engtiiih 

Cubic 

Inches. 

Difference. 

3  Sextarius  |  Congius 

•03Vo'„ 

1  Scots  Pint  or  Jug 

'^'''  TOO 

OOv,Vo  Cub.  Inch. 

6  Ditto  1  Congius 

207-'ll 

3  Pints  I  Annandale  Cup 

206- ii 

•?i-     D".     D». 

4  Congius  1  Urna 

828' 12- 

•t  Ditto  Caps  I  Fiilol 

8J7LL 

I'fLi     D".    DO. 

8  Congius  1  Amphora 

1656-11 

8  Ditto  Caps  1  Firlot 

16r4'l«. 

2111     D".     DO. 

3  Motlius  I  Amphora 

—     — 

4  Tiilots  1  UoU 

6617'«1 

—         _       — 

20  Amphora  1  Culeus 

3313074 

20  Firlots  5  Uolls     — 

:13089-,V, 

4i7Vff6V««cot»(;iiis. 

1 . 

r 


JOHN  LESSLIE. 


APPENDIX....NO.  XIX. 

LIST  OF  SCOTS  MANUFACTURES,  WHICH  ARE  EXPORTED,  AND  WHERE  MADE,  k.r 

CORDAGE,  ropes,  and  all  sorts  of  twine  ;  Leith,  Greenock,  Port  Glasgow. 

Earthen,  Delft,  and  Stone  wares;  Prestonpans,  Glasgow. 

Green  Glass  bottles ;  Alloa,  Leith,  &c. 

Cast  and  wrought  iron  work  ;  Carron. 

The  finest  chimney  grates,  made  and  polished  at  Edinburgli. 

Cutlery  ware  of  different  kinds. 

Leather  manuflictures  of  all  kinds ;  Edinburgh,  Kilmarnock,  8cc. 

Linens  plain,  diajier,  damask,  lawns  and  gauzes ;  printed,  chequered,  and  striped  linen. 
&c.  Edinburgh,  Glasgow,  Paisley,  &c. 

Stuffs  of  silk  only,  silk  and  cotton,  silk  and  worsted ;  silk  gauzes,  ribbons,  &c.  at  the 
same  places. 

Woollen  manufactures,  viz.  Edinburgh,  Haddington,  Musselburgh ;  friezes,  serges, 
Stirling;  tartans,  blankets,  Sirling,  Kilmarnock.  8cc.  worsted,  thread,  silk  stock- 
ings, Aberdeen  ;  the  finest  worsted  stockings  from  Shetlanri ;  stocking  pieces,  Edin- 
burgh, S'irling,  Ghisgow,  8tc.  blue  bonnets,  caps,  Sec.  Kiimarnock ;  carpets,  carpet- 
ing, Sco.  Edinburgh,  Kilinaruock,  &c. 

Painted  clotLs  and  callicots;   nan)  factories  near  Edinburgh. 

Copper,  tin,  and  pewrcr  m  niufactured  ;    printing-types,  greatly  improved. 

Cotton  manufactures,  fuistiaus.  Sec. 


:»G6 


fr-NNAMN  SECOND  TUUK  IN  SCOTI^ANa 


' 


UcftDcd  siigarn  ;  Kdinburgh,  OlasK^w,  Dundee,  &c. 

liat.H  nearly  c(|iial  to  the  hngliNh  ;   Kdinburgh. 

Thread  and  yarn  of  all  kinds. 

Thread  lace;  Dalkeith,  Hamilton,  Lcidi. 

I\iper  hot!)  for  printing  and  writing. 

Candles. 

Soap,  hard  and  soft ;  Lcith. 

Snutt'. 

Salt ;  Alloa,  Kirkaldy,  Prcstonpans,  8ic.  Vitriol  and  sal-ammoniac. 

Bricks  and  tylcs. 

Considerable  breweries  for  exportation  at  F.dinl)iirgh  and  Glasgow. 

Among  the  arts  not  essentially  ncccssarv  for  human  life  may  tx:  reckoned  the  curious 
manufactures  of  leathern  snufT- boxes.  The  artists,  Messrs.  Wilson  and  Clerk,  have  ex- 
tended it  even  to  mubical  instruments,  and  made  a  violin  entirely  of  leather,  which,  I 
hear,  gives  as  melodious  a  sound  as  the  best  of  wood  :  and  that  they  have  lately  made  a 
German  flute  of  the  same  materials.  Paper  has  been  lately  made  of  the  weeds  taken 
out  of  Duddingston  Loch ;  I  do  not  know  with  what  success.  Perhaps  this  was  at- 
tempted after  the  example  of  the  Germans,  who  have  of  late  made  a  sort,  of  nettle,  and 
other  vegetables. 

WOOLLEN  MANUFACTURK. 

WOOLLEN  manufactures  are  mentioned  in  1424,  in  the  second  parliament  of 
James  I,  where  it  is  discouraged  by  a  tax.  "  Item,  It  is  ordained,  that  of  ilk  poundes 
worth  of  woollen  claith  had  out  of  the  realme,  the  king  sail  have  of  the  out-huver  for 
custom  iwa  shillinges.  " 

After  this,  several  regulations  were  prescribed  by  legislature,  and  the  wool  prohibited 
from  being  sent  into  England.  A  law  of  James  II,  in  1457  (perhaps  for  the  purpose 
of  peopling  the  boroughs,  and  civilizing  his  people,  by  drawing  them  out  of  the  woods 
into  civil  society  )  prohibits  any  but  burgesses  to  buy  wool,  "  to  lit,  nor  mak  claith,  nor 
cut  claith."  Yet,  not  to  leave  the  majority  of  his  people  naked,  adds,  "  Bot  it  is  to  be 
oUierwise  said,  gif  ane  man  lies  woll  of  his  awin  sheip.  " 

James  VI,  who  (notwithstanding  some  of  us  English  may  think  otherwise  )  had  fre- 
quent  intervals  of  wisdom,  prohibited  the  wearing  of  any  cloth  in  Scotland  but  w!  ' '; 
was  the  manufacture  of  the  country. 

I  imagine,  that  in  defiance  of  all  the  laws  against  smuggling  of  wool  out  of  the  king- 
dom, it  was  carried  to  Flanders.  Old  Hackluyt  mentions  it  among  the  few  exports  of 
Scotland. 

Moreover  of  Scotland  the  commodities 
Are  felles,  hides,  and  of  wooll  the  fleese, 
And  all  these  must  passe  by  us  away 
Into  Flanders  by  Eng;land,  sooth  to  say, 
And  all  her  woolle  was  draped  for  to  sell 
In  the  townes  of  Poperinge  and  Dell.* 

At  length  a  woollen  manufacture  arose  in  some  degree.  There  was  an  exportation 
of  it  into  Holland  till  1720 :  it  was  a  coarse  kind,  such  as  is  made  in  the  Highlands : 
much  of  it  was  sold  to  Glasgow,  and  sent  into  America,  for  blankets  for  the  Indians. 

*  HoUinthed  mentions  these  towns,  p.  6U. 


ic  curious 
,  have  cx- 
which,  I 
ly  made  a 
eds  taken 
lis  was  at- 
u-Ule,  and 


Uament  of 
k  puundcs 
t-huvcr  for 

prohibited 
ic  purpose 
the  woods 
claith,  nor 
t  it  is  to  be 

)  had  fre. 
I  but  w?  -  \ 

if  the  king- 
exports  of 


ixportatioii 
Highlands : 
the  Indians. 


I, 


PENNANT'S  SECOND  TOUR  IN  SCOTLAND  5^7 

It  is  in  Scotland  a  clothing  for  the  country  pcopl'.-,  and  is  worth  about  \()<].  or  12(1.  a 
yard.  The  only  l)ro;id  cloth  worth  mentioning  ih  that  made  at  I'aulS  work  in  l.din- 
burgh,  which  is  brought  to  great  perfection. 

LINLN  MANUl  ACTLHi:. 

I  CANNOT  ascertain  the  time  when  the  linen  manufactures  arose.  Then.*  could  not 
be  a  great  call  for  the  commodity  a  century  and  a  half  ago,  wIkii  nefjplc  of  f.ishion 
scarcely  changed  their  shirts  above  once  the  week  in  EngUnul.  Hut  thanks  to  the  lux- 
ury or  rather  the  neatness  of  the  times,  diis  article  has  become  a  most  national  aclvan- 
taJe.  The  following  table  will  shew  the  nourishing  slate  of  it  in  this  kingdom  ;  and  its 
ereai  advance  in  forty-three  years.  At  the  foot  of  it  is  an  account  of  the  in\ports  of 
ftax  into  England  and  Scotland :  and  the  exports  of  coal  from  the  last. 


^(•(  uMiT  nu  LINKN   tLOTll  STAMPKl)   IN   ^CU'l  I.ANl).              1 

I'roni 

iHt  Nov.  I7i7, 

to  Ut  Nov.  17 .28.                   II 

From  1st  Nov 

.    1770,  10  1st  N«iv.  1771. 

I'rice  per 

Pricr  prr 

Shires. 

Yards. 

Value. 

Yard  at  * 
Meilium. 

Yards. 
198,177 

Value. 

Vurd  ut  S 
Metliitrii. 

Aherdeen    - 

41,040^ 

I,.^39     0 

.)   1 

14,716     1 

4 

1       5,«, 

Ayr 

36,6«<)J 

2,086    17 

3 

193,413 

10,530      1 

8 

1       1 

Arpyle  -    - 

Ranfi*        .       • 

433 
101,618 

33      8 
3,810    13 

0 
6 

m                 • 

54,385 

3,132     9 

0 

I      !'.» 

Berwick      - 

9,293 

J65    16 

1 

56,129 

5,645     4 

5] 

1      7'.« 

Bute      -     - 

m            a 

■             a                   ■ 

• 

■               • 

•              ■ 

Caithness    • 

m            m 

■             •                  a 

• 

•              • 

Clackmannan 
Cromorty    - 
Dumbarton 
Dumfries    • 

3,895 

m            m 

66,027 
3,OU2 

340    10 

3,356     8 
152    13 

a 

6 
8 

5,59  1 

173,892 

43,167 

187     7 

11,618    17 

2,134     8 

0 
3J 

0  8 

1  4 

0   Il'.a 

Edinburgh 
Elgin     -    - 
Fife  -    -    • 

747 
l,2S4 

198    17 
47    12 

0 
6 

214,834 
63,676 

19,487    12 
2,344     8 

0 
4) 

1     9i 
0     8V 

361,985| 
595,82 1| 

30,175    10 

9* 

1,885,622 

72,138     3 

'i' 

0     92 

KnrfAT      m      m 

14,733    13 

of 

5,700,85  li 

147.456   19 

,1 

0     6i 

Haddington 
Inverness    - 

.363 
10,696 

18     3 
401      3 

0 
0 

111,835 
223,798 

10,838     6 
6,425      5 

'i* 

1    111 

0      6^^ 

Kincardine 

27,885t 

1,045    14 

3» 

118,628 

4,030     3 

H 

0    84 

Kinross  -    - 
Kirkcudbright 
Lanerk    •    • 

53,931 
272,658| 

2,906    19 
9,968     0 

0 
3 

79,450 

1,.502 

2,019,783 

2,852     3 

•  14    19 

17?,347    12 

9 

0  8i 

1  91 
I      81 

Linlithgow 
Nairne    •    - 
Orkney  -    - 

6,353 

•  • 

*  m 

476     9 

6 

2,304 
14,734 
21.088 

183     4 

862    12 

2,257   12 

1 

8 
5 

1      81 

1     iVo 
1      91 

Peebles 

m          m 

.a 

- 

•             " 

"           "          * 

• 

* 

Perth     -     - 

477,743| 

23,955     0 

4* 

1,674,717 

66,153     6 

3 

0     91 

Renfrew 

85,527{ 

6,852    14 

9 

6«4,557 

70,177     9 

6 

2     01 

Ross     •     • 

10,844 

402     6 

6 

10,145 

410     9 

4 

0    94 

Roxburgh  • 

15,832] 
8,732^ 

914   16 

84 

55,625 

3,379    10 

11] 

1      2<l 

Selkirk   -   • 

436   12 

6 

-      " 

•          •        • 

m 

•          » 

Stirling 

2,548^ 

191      2 

9 

47,956 

2,278   15 

0 

0  1)4 

Sutherland 

.     . 

.     . 

- 

- 

•     ■     • 

" 

m           « 

Wigton 

Total 

67 

3     7 

0 

16,996 

691     0 

5 

0      9-^»j 

2,183,978 

103,312     9 

3 

0    l'-^ 

13.672,548-1 

6J2,389     3 

Ji 

I 

JfJ 


t 


i 
r 


^it'tB 


I'kNHAVT'i  •fcosn  Toirn  in  irOTi.AMi» 


\ii  Account  of  (he  Total  (jutntillcH  ol'  I  l.ix,  lleiii|>,  l'Uv-<ivv(lt  and  I.iiicn  Yitrii,  importcil  in  KriKlmiil 
uii«l  N'liil.itxli  I'loin  ^tli  JuniLuy  I7(^t,  to  Mil  dltlu  177:  (  tlt^elltcr  witli  the  totui  (jiiuntltict  of  C'ouU 
txiKTli'.l  liDiu  SrotLiiid  to  ('orvt^ii  I'arta.  i'rom  Stii  Jntinury  I7(M,  to  Stii  Jk«ntiary  177}. 


Tolu!  of  I'lax,  Jcc.  imported  ) 
ill  1  Ji^bnd.  5 


'I'olul  of  Flux,  S(c.  Imported 
in  Srotland. 


From  )tli  Juniiury  I7A4  to  3Ui  Januwry  1773. 


Flux  Uougli. 


Cwt».         «|IH.      II), 


1,1,10,719     0     n 


i 3.1,7  to      :J    1 1 


llcmp  UoukIi. 


CwlK.      (|i'«.  lb, 
i,fi.1t),'J36     3     33 

113,080      3       4 


Lin««cd. 


UuihcU. 


I,79'i,4ft3^ 


453.343  I 


Yarn  Ijncn. 
Ituw, 


lb. 


33,00«,029 


934,978  \ 


Tfjtal  of  CoaU  exported  from  Scotland 


From  ftth  Jamiary  1763  to  Sth  January  1773. 


(ircat  CoaU. 


Tons.     CwtH.  (\n 
86,030      14      0 


Small  CoaU. 


Chaldcrs.     HuhIi. 
27,797       7  \ 


I'itforuii 

(!obU, 

Duty 

free. 


C  haulers. 
4681 


APPENDIX....NO.  XX. 


ITINERARY. 


ARDMADY,  to  Port  Sonnachan, 
Invcrary, 
Cladich, 
Ticndriim, 
Killin, 
Tay  mouth, 
Logicrait, 
Blair, 
Diinkcld, 
Ddvin, 
Perth, 
"DuppHn, 
Inntjrpeffery, 


Miles 
18 
11 
10 
12 
20 
16 
12 
12 
20 

7 
15 

5 
10 


Miles 
B 


Crief  by  Fintillick, 

Comerie,  6 

To  Loch- Earn  and  3  miles  along  its 

side,  9 

Back  to  Fintillick,  18 

Castle-Drummond,  I 

Kuymes  Castle,  4 

Ardock,  5 

By  Tullibardine  to  Dupplin,  20 
Tibbitnoor,  Huntingtower,  and  again 

to  Dupplin,  10 

Perth,  5 

Errol,  19 


FlNNANrS  IICONO  TOUR  IN  aCOTLA,  L. 


II)  l.ti^liiiiil 


rn  Ijtii'ii. 
Ituw. 


I'iti'oruh 

Duty 
free. 


Clialders. 
4681 


its 


Dundee, 

PanmurCi 

Alurbrothic, 

Krrridcn,  Muntroie, 

North- Bridijc, 

Lawrence  Kirk, 

Stonchive, 

Uric, 

Fcttcrcaim, 

Catter-thun, 

Brechin, 

Carreitton, 

Forfar, 

Glames, 

Belmont, 

Dunsinane, 

Perth, 

Dupplin  by  the  Sterling  road, 

Earn  Bridge, 

Aberncthy, 

Falkland, 

Melville, 

St.  Andrews, 

Leven, 


Carham, 

Paiinsbume, 

Woolcr, 

Wooler-haugh*head, 

Chillingham  castle, 

Percy's  Cross, 

Whittingham, 

Hair-way*house, 

Rothbury, 

Cambo, 

Hexham, 

Curbridge, 

Newcastle, 

Durham, 

Bishop  Aukland, 


Miicc. 
15 
10 

7 
12 

5 

6 
15 

S 
18 

y 

3 
5 
6 
5 
6 

10 
7 
3 
4 
4 
8 
4 

14 

15 


Kirknidie, 

Uy  Kinghorn  to  AlK-rdofr, 

DuinH  rliiic, 

Limckilii!!  iicur  Bruomliull, 

Culrosi, 

Cluckmannan, 

AlIo;i, 

Sterling, 

Falkirk. 

Linlithgow, 

Kirkliston, 

Edinburgh, 

Hawthorndcn,  Roslin,  and  back  to 

Edinburgh, 
Dalkeith,  and  again  to  Edinburgh, 
Cranston, 
Crichton  and  Borthwick  castle,  and 

l)ack  to  Cranston, 
Blackbhiclds, 
Lauder, 
Gala-shields, 
Melros, 
Drv  burgh, 
Kelso, 

ENGLAND. 


Milea 
5 
8 
8 
2 
3 
5 
5 
4 
5 

11 

18 
4 

17 

15 

10 


Pierce  Bridge, 

Richmond. 

Wensley, 

Kettlewell, 

Skipton, 

Keiffhly, 

Hauax, 

Rochdale, 

Alkrington, 

Manchester, 

Barton  bridge, 

Warrington, 

Chester, 

Downing, 


W 

Mllat 
0 
• 
• 
4 
4 
4 
1 
7 
11 
• 

t 

14 
14 
10 

10 

4 
11 
10 

3 

9 
10 


Mileh 
12 
10 
10 
16 
18 
10 
12 
16 

6 

6 

5 

5 

20 
90 


y 


I 


I 

If 


igam 


i 

'I 

5 


VOL.    III. 


4   D 


ACCOUNT  OF  THE  DROSACKS. 


i 


i 


[fhom  oarnkt's  TOUH.] 

AUGUST  11.  About  seven  o'clock  in  the  morning,  we  set  out  from  Callander, 
along  the  banks  of  the  Teath,  and  passed  through  the  small  village  of  Kilmahngi  on 
our  right  we  saw  the  house  of  Leney,  the  residence  of  John  Hamilton  Buchanan,  esq. 
proprietor  of  that  village,  pleasantly  situated  on  an  eminence ;  here  we  crossed  the 
Teath,  and,  skirting  the  southern  limb  of  Benledi,  a  high  mountain  on  our  right,  wc 
came  to  Lochvanachoir,*  out  of  which  the  Teath  runs,  though  its  origin  is  properly  in 
Loch-Catharine. 

Lochvanachoir  is  nearly  four  miles  in  length,  and  in  general  about  one  in  breadth ; 
its  banks  are  very  pleasant,  covered  with  wood,  and  sloping  gently  into  the  water. 

Soon  after  leaving  this  lake  we  came  to  another,  but  smaller,  called  Lochachray.t 
The  length  uf  this  lake  is  about  a  mile  and  a  half,  and  its  breadth  scarce  more  than 
half  a  mile,  but  its  banks  are  very  pleasant,  being  covered  with  wood.  The  scenery 
at  the  upper  part  is  remarkably  bold  and  striking. 

It  was  here  that  we  had  the  first  view  of  the  frosachs,:!^  «v'.iich  are  rough,  rugged, 
and  uneven  hills ;  beyond  these  is  seen  the  rugged  mount<un  Bcnvenue,  which  diwrs  in 
nothing  from  the  Trosachs,  except  in  magnitude.  As  soon  as  we  had  passed  Locha- 
chray,  we  entered  the  Trosachs  by  a  road  winding  among  them.  The  scenery  here 
is  exceedingly  wild  and  romantic  ;  rugged  rocks  of  every  shape  surround  the  road,  and 
in  many  places  overhang  it;  these  rocks  are  almost  covered  with  heath,  and  orna- 
mented to  the  very  top  with  weeping  birch.  This  part  of  the  road  presents  scenery 
which  is  wild  and  horrid ;  it  seemed  to  be  Glencoe  in  miniature ;  but  the  mountains, 
though  vastly  smaller,  are  more  rugged,  and  being  covered  with  heath  and  birch  wood, 
have  a  different  character. 

I  shall  not  enter  into  a  farther  description  of  the  Trosachs,  for  it  is  impossible  by  words 
to  convey  any  idea  of  the  kind  of  scenery.  These  hills  had  been  described  to  me  by 
several  persons  who  had  visited  this  place,  and  I  had  read  some  descriptions  of  them, 
but  could  form  no  distant  idea  of  what  I  was  to  see :  as  I  have  no  pretensions  to  supe- 
rior powers  of  this  kind,  I  shall  leave  the  task  to  Mr.  Watts,  whose  pencil  will  give 
an  exact  representation  of  some  part  of  the  sceneiy. 

The  Trosachs  are  composed  of  argilaceous  shistus,  stratified,  and  embedded  here 
and  there  with  veins  of  quartz.  The  strata  are,  in  some  instances,  nearly  perpendicu- 
lar to  the  horizon,  and  in  all  dip  very  much,  a  proof  that  some  convulsions  or  power- 
ful causes  have  removed  these  lumpish  hills  from  their  original  situation.  Some  suppose 
them  to  have  been  torn  from  the  sides  of  the  adjacent  mountains,  but  there  are,  I  think, 
no  appearances  which  warrant  this  conclusion. 

After  we  had  followed  the  winding  road,  which  may  be  seen  in  the  engraving,  among 
these  strange  masses,  for  about  three  quarters  of  a  mile,  we  had  a  sight  of  the  lower 
p.  t  of  Loch- Catharine,  winding  its  way  among  the  Trosachs,  some  of  which  appear 
abov..  "level  surface,  in  the  form  of  bold  and  ru^ed  islands  and  promontories.  The 
scenery  auc  '*  this  lake  is  uncommonly  sublime,  particularly  when  we  had  gone  about 

*  Loch-van-a-cho<r  signifies  the  lake  of  the  white  or  fair  valley. 

f  Lochachray  is  contracted  from  Loch-a-chravy,which  signifies  the  lake  of  the  field  of  devotion.  Achray 
is  the  name  of  a  farm  on  its  banks,  wiiere,  it  is  believed,  the  Druids  had  a  place  of  worship,  there  being 
rjome  remains  of  one  of  t'oeir  temples.    Stat.  Account. 

t  Trosachs  or  Drosacks.  in  the  Celtic,  signifies  rough  or  uneven  grounds^ 


ii 


CARWEX'a    ACCOUKT    OF    THE    DROSACKS. 


57J 


Callander, 
iah(^i  on 
anan,  esq. 
obsed  the 
right,  wc 
)roperly  in 

n  breadth ; 
ater. 

chachray.t 
more  than 
le  scenery 

h,  rugged, 
;h  differs  in 
sed  Locha- 
lenery  here 
;  road,  and 
and  oma- 
Its  scenery 
mountains, 
)irch  wood, 

»le  by  words 
d  to  me  by 
ns  of  them, 
ms  to  supe- 
cil  will  ^ve 

)edded  here 
perpendicu- 
is  or  powcr- 
)me  suppose 
are,  I  think, 

ving,  among 
af  the  lower 
^hich  appear 
itories.  The 
1  gone  about 


svotion.  Achray 
tp,  there  being 


a  mile  up  the  northern  bank,  where  the  road  has  been  made  with  great  labour,  in 
many  parts  out  of  the  solid  rock,  but  which  is  impassable  for  a  carriage,  and  can 
scarcely  be  travelled  over  on  horseback  with  safety.  Here,  turning  back  our  eyes  to- 
wards the  Trosachs,  the  vjew  was  particularly  grand ;  rocky  islands  rise  boldly  out  ol 
the  lake  and  in  the  back  ground  is  Benvenue,  rearing  its  rugged  summit  fur  above 
the  whole  having  its  lower  part  clothed  with  wood.  The  view  up  the  lake  to  the 
westward  is  likewise  very  fine,  the  expanse  of  water  being  bounded  by  Alpine  moun- 
tains, softened  by  distance,  and  appearing  of  a  fine  dark  blue. 

Loch  Catherine  is  about  ten  miles  in  length,  but  not  much  more  than  one  in  breadth  ; 
and  if  it  possess  not  the  beauty  of  other  lakes  which  we  had  seen,  its  scenery  s  much 
more  grand  and  romantic. 

Near  the  foot  of  the  lake,  the  honoi'.rable  Mrs.  Drummond  of  Perth  has  erected 
some  huts  of  wicker  work,  for  the  convenience  of  strangers  who  visit  this  wild  scenery ; 
here  they  can  partake  of  the  refreshments  which  they  bring  from  Callender,  and  shelter 
themselves  from  a  storm. 

The  wood,  which  abounds  on  the  banks  of  Loch  Catherine,  is  made  into  charcoal ; 
a  certain  portion  being  cut  down  annually,  and,  when  burnt,  it  is  brought  down  to  the 
foot  of  the  lake  in  boats,  from  whence  it  is  conveyed  in  carts  to  the  Carron  foundery. 
The  Circea  Alpina,  or  mountain  enchanter's  night-shade,  grows  in  great  abundance 
on  the  banks  of  this  lake  ;  the  pebbles  found  on  the  shore  are  chiefly  argilaceous  and 
micaceous  shistus,  with  some  quartz. 

Lochvanachoir  abounds  both  with  salmon  and  trout,  and  Lochavray  with  pike,  which 
prevents  almost  any  other  fish  from  living  in  Its  vicinity.  In  Loch  Catherine  are  trout 
and  char,  but  the  salmon  and  pike  are  prevented  from  entering  this  lake  by  a  fall  at 
its  mouth. 

These  three  lakes  are  only  expansions  of  the  beautiful  river  Teath,  which  may  be 
said  to  originate  in  Loch  Catherine,  or  more  properly  in  the  numerous  streams  that 
pour  into  this  lake  in  cataracts  from  its  steep  and  rugged  banks. 

After  having  seen  whatever  was  remarkable  in  the  neighbourhood  of  Loch  Cathe- 
rine, we  returned  by  the  same  road  to  Callander  ;  and,  as  it  was  our  wish  to  make  the 
best  of  our  way  to  Glasgow,  after  dinner  we  took  the  cross  road  to  Fintry,  sixteen 
miles  distant.  About  six  miles  from  Callander,  we  came  to  the  Loch  of  Monteath,  a 
beautiful  little  lake,  almost  five  miles  in  circumference,  adorned  with  two  smaller  sylvan 
islands.  On  the  larger  are  the  ruins  of  a  monastery,  and  on  the  smaller  the  remains 
of  an  ancient  seat  of  the  once-powerful  earls  of  Monteith,  whose  chief  residence,  as  has 
been  before  observed,  was  Doune  Castle. 

This  lake  abounds  with  perch  and  pike,  which  last  are  very  large.  A  curious  me- 
thod of  catching  this  fish  used  to  be  practised :  on  the  islands  a  number  of  geese  were 
collected  by  the  farmers,  who  occupied  the  surrounding  banks  of  the  lake.  After 
baited  lines  of  two  or  three  feet  in  length  had  been  tied  to  the  legs  of  these  geese, 
they  were  driven  into  the  water.  Steering  naturally  homeward  in  ditTrrent  directions, 
the  bait  was  soon  swallowed.  A  violent  and  often  tedious  struggle  ensued  ;  in  which, 
however,  the  geese  at  length  prevailed,  though  they  were  frequently  much  exhausted 
before  they  reached  the  shore.  This  method  of  catching  pike  is  not  now  used,  but 
there  are  some  old  persons  who  remember  to  have  seen  it,  and  who  were  active  pro- 
moters of  this  amusement.^ 

*  Garnet's  Tour  through  the  Highlands,  &c.  of  Scotland.    4to.    Vol.  ii.  page  172, 

4  D  2 


i 

I 


?i* 


a 


i 


\  DESCRIPTION  OF  THE  WESTERN  ISLANDS  OF  SCOTLAND. 

BY  M.  MARTIN,  GENT.* 


I 


TO  HIS  ROYAL  HIGHNESS  PRINCE  GEORGE  OF  DENMARK. 

Lord  High  Admiral  of  Eni^land  and  Ireland,  and  or  all  her  Majesty's  Plantations, 
and  Generutisftimo  of  all  her  Majesty's  forces,  etc. 

MAY  IT  PLEASE  YOUR  ROYAL  HIGHNESS, 

AMONGST  the  numerous  croud  of  congratulating  addressers,  the  Islanders  de- 
scribed in  the  following  sheets  presume  to  approach  your  royal  person :  they  can  now, 
without  suspicion  of  infidelity  to  the  queen  of  England,  pay  their  duty  to  a  Danish 
prince,  to  whose  predecessors  all  of  them  formerly  belonged. 

They  can  boast  that  they  are  honoured  with  the  sepulchres  of  eight  kings  of  Nor- 
way, who  at  this  day,  with  forty.eight  kings  of  Scotland,  and  four  of  Ireland,  lie  en- 
tombed in  the  island  of  Jona ;  a  place  famed  then  for  some  peculiar  sanctity. 

They  presume  that  it  is  owing  to  their  great  distance  from  the  imperial  seat,  rather 
than  their  want  of  native  worth,  that  their  islands  have  been  so  little  regarded  ;  which  by 
improvement  might  render  a  considerable  accession  of  strength  and  riches  to  the  crown, 
as  appears  by  a  scheme  annexed  to  the  following  treatise.  They  have  suffered  hitherto 
under  the  want  of  a  powerful  and  affectionate  patron :  Providence  seems  to  have  given 
them  a  natural  claim  to  your  Royal  Highness.  And,  though  it  be  alincttit  presumption 
for  so  sinful  a  nation  to  hope  for  so  great  a  blessing,  they  do  humbly  join  their  prayers 
to  God,  that  the  protection  which  thty  hope  for  from  two  princes  of  so  much  native 
worth  and  goodness  might  be  continued  in  your  royal  posterity  to  all  generations. 
So  prays,  may   it  please  your  royal  highness. 

Your  highness's  most  humble 

and  most  obedient  servant, 

M.  MARTIN. 

THE  PREFACE. 

THE  Western  Islands  of  Scotland,  which  make  the  subject  of  the  following  book, 
were  called  by  the  ancient  geogr  iphers  iEbudae,  and  Hebrides ;  bat  they  knew  so  little 
of  them,  that  they  neither  agreed  in  their  name  nor  number.  Perhaps  it  is  peculiar 
to  those  isles,  that  they  have  never  been  described  till  now  by  any  man  that  was  a  na- 
tive of  the  country,  or  had  travelled  them.  They  were  indeed  touched  by  Boethius, 
bishop  Lesly,  Buchanan,  and  Johnston,  in  their  histories  of  Scotland,  but  none  of 
those  authors  were  ever  there  in  person ;  so  that  what  they  wrote  concerning  them  was 
upon  trust  from  others.  Buchanan,  it  is  true,  had  his  information  from  Donald  Monro, 
who  had  been  in  many  of  them ;  and  therefore  his  account  is  the  best  that  has  hitherto 
appeared,  but  it  must  be  owned  that  it  is  very  imperfect :  that  great  man  designed  the 
history,  and  not  the  geography  of  his  country,  and  therefore  in  him  it  was  pardonable. 
Besides,  since  his  time,  there  is  a  great  change  in  the  humour  of  the  world,  and  by 
consequence  in  the  way  of  writing.  Natural  and  experimental  philosophy  has  been 
much  improved  since  his  days ;  and  therefore  descriptions  of  countries,  without  the 
natural  history  of  them,  are  now  justly  reckoned  to  be  defective.  *  ;=  ► 

*  From  the  second  edition,  London,  1716, 8V0. 


uartin's  description  of  the  western  islands. 


573 


This  I  had  a  particular  regard  to  in  the  following  description,  and  have  every  where 
taken  notice  of  the  nature  of  the  climate  and  soil,  of  the  produce  of  the  places  by  sea 
and  land,  and  of  the  remarkable  cures  performed  by  the  natives  merely  by  the  use 
of  simples ;  and  that  in  such  variety,  as,  I  hope,will  make  amends  for  what  defects  may 
be  found  in  my  style  and  way  of  writing :  for  there  is  a  wantonness  in  language  as  well 
as  in  other  things,  to  which  my  countrymen  of  the  isles  are  as  much  strungers,  as  to 
other  excesses  which  are  too  frequent  in  many  parts  of  Europe.  We  study  things  there 
more  than  words,  though  those  that  understand  our  native  language  must  own«  tliat 
we  have  enough  of  the  latter  to  inform  the  judgment,  and  work  upon  the  affections  in 
as  pathetic  a  manner  as  any  other  language  whatever.     But  I  go  on  to  my  subject. 

The  isles  here  described  arc  but  little  known  or  considered,  not  only  by  strangers,  but 
even  by  those  under  the  same  government  and  climate. 

The  modem  itch  after  the  knowledge  of  foreign  places  is  so  prevalent,  that  the  gene- 
rality of  mankind  bestow  little  thought  or  time  upon  the  place  of  their  nativity.  It  is 
become  customary  in  those  of  quality  to  travel  young  into  foreign  countries,  whilst  they 
are  absolute  strangers  at  home ;  and  many  of  them  when  they  return  are  only  loaded 
with  superficial  knowledge,  as  the  bare  names  of  famous  libraries,  stately  edifices,  fine 
statues,  curious  paintings,  late  fashions,  new  dishes,  new  tunes,  new  dances,  painted 
beauties,  and  the  like. 

The  places  here  mentioned  afford  no  such  entertainment ;  the  inhabitants  in  general 
prefer  conveniency  to  ornament,  both  in  their  houses  and  apparel,  and  they  rather  satisfy 
than  oppa-ss  nature  in  their  way  of  eating  and  drinking ;  and  not  a  few  among  them 
have  a  natural  beauty,  which  excels  any  that  has  been  drawn  by  the  finest  Apelles. 

The  land  and  the  sea  that  encompasses  it  produce  many  things  useful  and  curious  in 
their  kind,  several  of  which  have  not  hitherto  been  mentioned  by  the  learned.  This 
may  afford  the  theorist  subject  of  contemplation,  since  every  plant  of  the  field,  every  fibre 
of  each  plant,  and  the  least  particle  of  the  smallest  insect,  carries  with  it  the  impress  of 
its  Maker ;  and,  if  rightly  considered,  may  read  us  lectures  of  divinity  and  morals. 

The  inhabitants  of  these  islands  do  for  the  most  part  labour  under  the  want  of  know* 
ledge  of  letters,  and  other  useful  arts  and  sciences ;  notwithstanding  which  defect,  they 
seem  to  be  better  versed  in  the  book  of  nature  than  many  that  have  greater  op. 
portunities  of  improvement.  This  will  appear  plait  ard  evident  to  the  judicious  reader, 
upon  a  view  of  the  successful  practice  of  the  islanders  i\  the  preservation  of  their  health, 
above  what  the  generality  of  mankind  enjoys  :  and  thi.^  is  performed  merely  by  tem- 
perance and  the  prudent  use  of  simples ;  which,  as  we  are  assured  by  repeated  experi- 
ments,  fail  not  to  remove  the  most  stubborn  distempers,  where  the  best  prepared  medi. 
cines  have  frequently  no  success.  This  I  relate,  not  only  from  the  authority  of  many  of 
the  inhabitants,  who  are  persons  of  great  integrity,  but  likewise  from  my  own  particular 
observation.  And  thus,  with  Celsus,  they  first  make  experiments,  and  afterwards  pro- 
ceed to  reason  upon  the  effects. 

Human  industry  has  of  late  advanced  useful  and  experimental  philosophy  very  much ; 
women  and  illiterate  persons  have  in  some  measure  contributed  to  it,  by  the  discovery 
of  some  useful  cures.  The  field  of  nature  is  large,  and  much  of  it  wants  still  to  be 
eultivated  by  an  ingenious  and  discreet  application  ;  and  the  curious,  by  their  observa- 
tions, might  daily  make  further  advances  in  the  historv  of  nature. 

Self-preservation  is  natural  to  every  living  creature  :  and  thus  we  see  the  several  ani- 
mals of  the  sea  and  the  land  so  careful  of  themselves,  as  to  observe  nicely  what  is  agree- 
able, and  what  is  hurtful  to  them ;  and  accordingly  they  choose  the  onei  and  reject  the 
other. 


I 


i 


ii" 


574 


martin's  dbscription  of  the 


li 


The  husbandman  and  the  ftshcr  could  expect  but  little  success  without  observation  in 
their  several  empioynients  ;  and  it  is  by  observation  that  the  physician  commonty  judges 
of  the  condition  of  his  patient.  A  man  of  observation  proves  often  a  physician  to  him- 
self; for  it  was  by  this  that  our  ancestors  preserved  their  health  till  a  good  old  age,  and 
that  mankind  laid  up  that  stock  of  natural  knowledge  of  which  they  are  now  possessed. 

The  wise  Solomon  did  not  think  it  beneath  him  to  write  of  the  meanest  plant,  as  well 
us  of  the  tallest  cedar.  Hippocrates  was  at  the  pains  and  charge  to  travel  foreign 
countries,  with  a  design  to  learn  the  virtues  of  plants,  roots,  8cc.  I  have  in  my  little 
travels  endeavouitd,  among  other  things,  in  some  measure  to  imitate  so  great  a  pattern  : 
and  if  I  have  been  so  happy  as  to  oblige  the  republic  of  learning  with  any  thing  that  is 
useful,  I  have  my  design.  I  hold  it  enough  for  me  to  furnish  my  observations,  without 
accounting  for  the  reason  and  way  that  those  simples  produce  them :  this  I  leave  to  the 
learned  in  that  faculty ;  and  if  they  would  oblige  the  world  with  such  theorems  from 
these  and  the  like  experiments,  as  might  serve  for  rules  upon  occasions  of  this  nature, 
it  would  be  of  great  advantage  to  the  publici 

As  for  the  improvement  of  the  isles  in  general,  it  depends  upon  the  government  of 
Scotland  to  give  encouragement  for  it,  to  such  public>spirited  persons  or  societies  as  are 
willing  to  lay  out  their  endeavours  that  way  :  and  how  large  a  field  they  have  to  work 
upon  will  appear  by  taking  a  survey  of  each,  and  of  the  method  of  improvement  that  1 
have  hereunto  subjoined. 

There  is  such  an  account  given  here  of  the  second  sight,  as  the  nature  of  the  thing 
will  bear.  This  has  always  been  reckoned  sufficient  among  the  unbiassed  part  of  man* 
kind ;  but  for  those  that  will  not  be  satisfied,  they  ought  to  oblige  us  with  a  new  scheme, 
by  which  we  may  judge  of  matters  of  fact. 

There  are  several  instances  of  heathenism  and  pagan  superstition  among  the  inhabit- 
ants of  the  islands  related  here ;  but  I  would  not  have  the  reader  to  think  those  prac- 
tices are  chargeable  upon  the  generality  of  the  present  inhabitants,  since  only  a  few  of 
the  oldest  and  most  ignorant  of  the  vulgar  are  guilty  of  them.  These  practices  are  only 
to  be  found  where  the  reformed  religion  has  not  prevailed ;  for  it  is  to  the  progress  of 
that  alone,  that  the  banishment  of  evil  spirits,  as  well  as  of  evil  customs,  is  owing,  when 
all  other  methods  proved  ineffectual.  And  for  the  islanders  in  general,  I  may  truly  say, 
that  in  religion  and  virtue  they  excel  many  thousands  of  others,  who  have  greater  advan. 
tages  of  daily  improvement* 


A  DESCRIPTION,  &c. 

THE  island  o9  Lewis  is  so  called  from  Leog,  which  in  the  Irish  language  signifies  wa- 
ter lying  on  the  surface  of  the  ground;  which  is  very  proper  to  this  island,  because  of 
the  great  number  of  fresh-water  lakes  that  abound  in  it.  The  isle  of  Lewis  is  by  all 
strangers  and  seafaring  men  accounted  the  outmost  tract  of  islands  lying  to  the  north-west 
of  Scotland.  It  is  divided  by  several  narrow  channels,  and  distinguished  by  several  pro- 
prietors, as  well  as  by  several  names :  by  the  islanders  it  is  commonly  called  the  Long 
Island,  being  from  south  to  north  one  hundred  miles  in  length,  and  firom  east  to  west 
from  three  to  fourteen  in  breadth.  It  lies  in  the  shire  of  Ross,  and  made  part  of  the 
diocese  of  the  isles. 

The  isle  of  Lewis,  properly  and  strictly  so  called,  is  thirW-six  miles  in  len^h,  viz. 
from  the  north  point  of  Bowhng-head  to  the  south  point  of  Hussiness  in  Harries ;  and 


WESTERN    ISLANDS   OF    SCOTLAND. 


575 


iration  in 
^judges 
to  him- 
igc,  and 
assessed. 
,  as  well 

foreign 
my  little 
pattern : 
I  that  is 

without 
tre  to  the 
ms  from 
t  nature,  - 

iment  of 
les  as  are 
to  work 
:nt  that  1 

the  thing 
t  of  man- 
r  scheme, 

e  inhabit- 
lose  prac- 
f  a  few  of 
are  only 
•ogress  of 


™g» 


when 


truly  say, 
:er  advan- 


rnifieswa- 
jecause  of 
is  is  by  all 
lorth-west 
;veral  pro- 
31  the  Long 
ist  to  west 
part  of  the 

n^h,  viz. 
jries;  and 


in  some  places  it  is  ten,  and  in  others  twelve  miles  in  breadth.  The  air  is  temperately 
cold  and  moist,  and  for  a  corrective  the  natives  Uhe  a  dose  of  trestarig  or  usquebaugh. 
This  island  is  for  the  most  part  healthyr,  especially  in  the  middle  from  south  to  north. 
It  is  arable  on  the  west  side  for  about  sixteen  miles  on  the  coast ;  it  b  likewise  plain  and 
arable  in  several  places  on  the  east.  The  soil  is  generally  sandy,  excepting  the  heaths, 
which  in  some  places  are  black,  and  in  others  a  fine  red  clay,  as  appears  by  the  many 
vessels  made  of  it  by  their  women  i  some  for  boiling  meat,  and  others  for  preserving 
their  ale,  for  which  they  are  much  better  than  barrels  of  wood. 

This  island  was  reputed  very  fruitful  in  corn,  until  the  late  years  of  scarcity  and  bad 
seasons.  The  corn  sown  here  is  barley,  oats,  and  rye ;  and  they  have  also  flax  and 
hemp.  The  best  increase  is  commonly  from  the  ground  manured  with  sea. ware :  they 
fatten  it  also  with  soot ;  but  it  is  observed  that  the  bread  made  of  corn  growing  in  the 
Spround  so  fattened  occasions  the  jaundice  to  those  that  eat  it.  They  observe  likewise, 
that  corn  produced  in  ground  which  was  never  tilled  before,  occasions  several  disorders 
in  those  who  eat  the  bread,  or  drink  the  ale,  made  of  that  corn ;  such  as  the  head-ache 
and  vomiting. 

The  natives  are  very  industrious,  and  undergo  a  great  fatigue  by  digging  the  ground 
with  spades,  and  in  most  places  they  turn  the  ground  so  digged  upside  down,  and  cover 
it  with  sea-ware ;  and  in  this  manner  there  are  about  five  hundred  people  employed  daily 
for  some  months.  This  way  of  labouring  is  by  them  called  Timiy,  and  certainly  pro- 
duces a  greater  increase  than  digging  or  ploughing  otherwise.  They  have  little  harrows, 
with  wooden  teeth  in  the  first  and  second  rows,  which  break  the  ground ;  and  in  the 
third  row  they  have  rough  heath,  which  smoothes  it.  This  light  harrow  is  drawn  by  a 
man  having  a  strong  rope  of  horse>hair  across  his  breast. 

Their  plenty  of  corn  was  such,  as  disposed  the  natives  to  brew  several  sorts  of  liquor, 
as  common  usquebaugh,  another  called  trestarig,  id  est,  aqua-vitae,  three  times  distilled, 
which  is  strong  and  hot ;  a  third  sort  is  four  times  diittilled,  and  this  by  the  natives  is 
called  usquebuugh-baul,  id  est,  usquebaugh,  which  at  first  taste  affects  all  the  members 
of  the  body :  two  spoonfuls  of  this  last  liquor  is  a  sufiicient  dose ;  and  if  any  man  ex- 
ceed this,  It  would  presently  stop  his  breath,  and  endanger  his  life.  The  trestarig  and 
usquebaugh-baul  are  both  made  of  oats. 

There  are  several  convenient  bays  and  harbours  in  this  island.  Loch-Grace  and  Loch- 
tua,  l^ing  north-west,  are  not  to  be  reckoned  such,  though  vessels  are  forced  in  there 
sometunes  by  storm.  Loch-Stornvay  lies  on  the  east  side,  in  the  middle  of  the  island, 
and  is  eighteen  miles  directly  south  from  the  northernmost  point  of  the  same :  it  is  a 
harbour  well  known  by  seamen.  There  are  several  places  for  anchorage  about  half  a 
league  on  the  south  of  this  coast.  About  seven  miles  southward  there  is  a  good  har- 
bour, called  the  Birkin  Isles:  within  the  bay  called  Loch-Colmkill,  three  miles  further 
south,  lies  Loch-Erifort,  which  hath  an  anchoring-place  on  the  south  and  north:  about 
five  miles  south  lies  Loch-sea-fort,  having  two  visible  rocks  in  the  entry ;  the  best  har- 
bour is  on  the  south  side. 

About  twenty-four  miles  south-west  lies  Loch-Carlvay,  a  very  capacious  though  un- 
known harbour,  being  never  frequented  by  any  vessels ;  though  the  natives  assure  me 
that  it  is  in  all  respects  a  convenient  harbour  for  ships  of  the  first  rate.  The  best  en- 
trance looks  north  and  north-west,  but  there  is  another  from  the  west.  On  the  south 
side  of  the  island  Bernera  there  are  small  islands  without  the  entrance,  which  contribute 
much  to  the  securiur  of  the  harbour,  by  breaking  the  winds  and  seas  that  come  from 
the  great  ocean.  Four  miles  to  the  south  on  this  coast  is  Loch-Rogue,  which  runs  in 
among  the  mountains.    All  the  coasts  and  bays  above-mentioned  do  in  fair  weather 


I 


1 


if 


576 


martin's  bescbiption  of  thb 


abound  with  cod,   ling,   herring,  and  all  other  sorts  of  fishes  taken  in  the  western 
islands. 

Cod  and  ling  are  of  a  very  large  size,  and  very  plentiful  near  Loch<Carlvay ;  but  the 
whales  very  much  interrupt  the  fishing  in  this  place.  There  is  one  sort  of  whale  re< 
nmrkablc  for  its  greatness,  which  the  fishermcit  distinguish  from  all  others  by  the  name 
uf  the  Gallan.whale,  because  they  never  see  it  but  at  the  promontory  of  that  name.  I 
was  told  by  the  natives,  that  about  fifteen  years  ago  this  great  whale  overturned  a 
fishers'  boat,  and  devoured  three  of  the  crew  ;  the  fourth  man  was  saved  by  another 
boat  which  happened  to  be  near,  and  saw  this  accident.  There  are  many  whales,  of 
different  sizes,  that  frequent  the  herring-bays  on  the  east  side  :  the  natives  employ  many 
boats  together  in  pursuit  of  the  whales,  chacing  them  up  into  the  bays  till  they  wound 
one  of  them  mortally,  and  then  it  rims  ashore  ;  and  they  say  that  all  the  rest  commonly 
follow  the  track  of  its  blood*  and  run  themselves  also  on  shore  in  like  manner,  by  whicn 
means  many  of  them  are  killed.  About  five  years  ago  there  were  fifty  young  whales 
killed  in  this  manner,  and  most  of  them  eaten  by  the  common  people,  who  by  experi- 
ence  find  them  to  be  very  nourishing  food.  This  I  have  been  assured  of  by  several 
persons,  but  particularly  by  some  poor  meagre  people,  whd  became  plump  and  lusty  by 
this  food  in  the  space  of  a  week  :  they  call  it  sea-pork,  for  so  it  signifies  in  their  lan- 
guage. The  bigger  whales  are  more  purgative  than  these  lesser  ones,  but  the  latter  are 
better  for  nourishment. 

The  bays  afford  plenty  of  she'l-fish,  as  clams,  oysters,  cockles,  muscles,  limpets,  wilks, 
spout-fish  ;  of  which  last  there  is  such  a  prodigious  quantity  cast  up  out  of  the  sand  of 
Loch' tua,  that  their  noisome  smell  infects  the  air,  and  makes  it  very  unhealthful  to  the 
inhabitants,  who  are  not  able  to  consume  them  by  eating,  or  fattening  their  ground  with 
them ;  and  this  they  say  happens  most  commonly  once  in  seven  years. 

The  bays  and  coasts  of  this  island  afford  great  quantity  of  small  coral,  not  exceeding 
six  inches  in  length,  and  about  the  bigness  of  a  goose's  quill.  This  abounds  most  in 
Loch-sea  fort,  and  there  is  coraline  likewise  on  this  coast. 

There  are  a  great  many  fresh-water  lakes  in  this  island,  which  abound  with  trouts 
and  eels.  The  common  bait  used  for  catching  them  is  earthworms,  but  a  handful  of 
parboiled  muscles  thrown  into  the  water  attracts  the  trouts  and  eels  to  the  place  :  the 
fittest  time  for  catching  them  is  when  the  wind  blows  from  the  south'  west.  There  are 
several  rivers  on  each  side  this  island  which  afford  salmons,  as  also  black  muscles,  in 
which  many  times  pearl  is  found. 

The  natives  in  the  village  Barvas  retain  an  ancient  custom  of  sending  a  man  very  early 
to  cross  Barvas  river  every  first  day  of  May,  to  prevent  any  females  crossing  it  first  ; 
for  that  they  say  would  hinder  the  salmon  from  coming  into  the  river  all  the  year  round  : 
they  pretend  to  have  learned  this  from  a  foreign  sailor,  who  was  shipwrecked  upon  that 
caist  a  long  time  ago.     This  observation  they  maintain  to  be  true  from  experience. 

There  are  several  springs  and  fountains  of  curious  effects ;  such  as  that  of  Loch> 
Carlvay,  that  never  whitens  linen,  which  hath  often  been  tried  by  the  inhabitants.  The 
well  at  St.  Cowsten's  church  never  boils  any  kind  of  meat,  though  it  be  kept  on  fire  a 
whole  day.  St.  Andrew's  well,  in  the  village  Shadar,  is  by  the  vulgar  natives  made  a 
test  to  know  if  a  sick  person  will  die  of  the  distemper  he  labours  under.  They  send 
one  with  a  wooden  dish  to  bring  some  of  the  water  to  the  patient,  and  if  the  dish,  which 
is  then  laid  softly  upon  the  surface  of  the  water  turn  round  sun- ways,  they  conclude  that 
the  patient  will  recover  of  that  distemper;  but  if  otherwise,  that  he  will  die. 

There  are  many  caves  upon  the  coast  of  this  island,  in  which  great  numbers  of  otters 
and  seals  do  lie ;  there  be  also  many  land  and  sea-fowls  that  build  and  hatch  in  them. 


WISTERN    ISLANDS    OP    SCOTLAND. 


577 


western 

' ;  but  the 
whale  rc- 
the  name 
name.     I 
;rturned  a 
y  another 
vhales,  of 
)loy  many 
ey  wound 
sommonlv 
by  whicn 
ng  whales 
by  experi- 
by  several 
id  lusty  by 
1  their  Ian- 
le  latter  are 

ets»  wilks, 
he  sand  of 
hful  to  the 
'ound  with 

exceeding 
ds  most  in 

m\h  trouts 
handful  of 

place:  the 
There  are 

muscles,  in 

n  very  early 
ing  it  first  ; 
rear  round : 
d  upon  that 
rience. 
uit  of  Loch- 
itants.    The 
ept  on  fire  a 
lives  made  a 
They  send 
dbh,  which 
onclude  that 

)ers  of  otters 
tch  in  them. 


The  cave  in  Loch-Grace  hath  several  pieces  of  a  hard  substance  in  the  bottom,  whicli 
distil  from  the  top  of  it.  There  are  several  natural  and  artificial  forts  in  the  coast  of 
this  island,  which  are  called  Dun,  from  the  Irish  word  dain,  which  signifies  a  fort.  The 
natural  forts  here  are  Dun-owle,  Dun-coradil,  Dun-eistcii. 

The  castle  at  Stornvay  village  was  destroyed  by  the  English  garrison  kept  there  by 
Oliver  Cromwell.  Some  few  miles  to  the  north  of  Brago  there  is  a  fort,  composed  of 
large  stones ;  it  is  of  a  round  form,  made  tapcrvvise  towards  the  top,  and  is  three  stories 
high  :  the  wall  is  double,  and  hath  several  doors  and  stairs,  so  that  one  may  go  round 
within  the  wall.  There  are  some  cairns  or  heaps  of  stones  gathered  together  on  heaths, 
and  some  of  them  at  a  great  distance  from  any  grounc)  that  affords  stones  ;  such  as 
Cairnwarp  near  Mourna^h-hill,  ike.  These  artificial  forts  are  likewise  built  upon 
heaths  at  a  considerable  distance  also  from  stony  ground.  The  thrushel  stone  in  the 
parish  of  Barvas  is  above  twenty  feet  high,  and  almost  as  much  in  breadth.  There  arc 
three  erected  stones  upon  the  north  side  of  Loch-Carlvay,  about  twelve  feet  high  each. 
Several  other  stones  are  to  be  seen  here  in  remote  places,  and  some  of  them  standing  on 
one  end.  Some  of  the  ignorant  vulgar  say,  they  were  men  by  inchantmcnt  turned  into 
stones ;  and  others  say  they  are  monuments  of  persons  of  note  killed  in  battle. 

The  most  remarkable  stones  for  number,  bigness  and  order,  that  fell  under  my  ob- 
servation, were  at  the  village  of  Classerniss,*  where  there  are  thirty-nine  stones  set  up, 
six  or  seven  feet  high,  and  two  feet  in  breadth  each  :  they  are  placed  in  form  of  an 
avenue,  the  breadth  of  which  is  eight  feet,  and  the  distance  between  each  stone  six  ;  and 
there  is  a  stone  set  up  in  the  entrance  of  this  avenue  :  at  the  south  end  there  is  Joined 
to  this  range  of  stone  a  circle  of  twelve  stones,  of  equal  distance  and  height  with  the 
other  thirty  nine.  There  is  one  set  up  in  the  centre  of  this  circle,  which  is  thirteen 
feet  high,  and  shaped  like  the  rudder  of  a  ship :  without  this  circle  there  are  four  stones 
standing  to  the  west,  at  the  same  distance  with  the  stones  in  the  circle  ;  and  there  arc 
four  stones  set  up  in  the  same  manner  at  the  south  and  east  sides.  I  inquired  of  the 
inhabitants  what  tradition  they  had  from  their  ancestors  concerning  these  stones;  and 
they  told  me,  it  was  a  place  appointed  for  worship  in  the  time  of  heathenism,  and  that 
the  chief  druid  or  priest  stood  near  the  big  stone  in  the  centre,  from  whence  he  addressed 
himself  to  the  people  that  surrounded  him. 

Upon  the  same  coast  also  there  is  a  circle  of  high  stones  standing  on  one  end,  about 
a  quarter  of  a  mile's  distance  from  those  above  mentioned. 

The  shore  in  Egginess  abounds  with  many  little  smooth  stones  prettily  variegated  with 
all  sorts  of  colours ;  they  are  of  a  round  form,  which  is  probably  occasioned  by  the 
tossing  of  the  sea,  which  in  those  parts  is  very  violent. 

The  cattle  produced  here  are  cows,  horses,  sheep,  goats,  hogs.  These  cows  are 
little,  but  very  fruitful,  and  their  beef  very  sweet  and  tender.  The  horses  are  conside. 
rably  less  here  than  on  the  opposite  continent,  yet  they  (.^ougli  and  harrow  as  well  as 
bigger  hdrses,  though  in  the  spring-time  they  have  nothing  to  feed  upon  but  sea- ware. 
There  are  abundance  of  deer  in  the  chase  of  Oservaul,  which  is  fifteen  miles  in  com- 
pass».  consisting  in  mountains,  and  vallies  between  them  :  this  affords  good  pasturage 
for  the  deer,  black  cattle,  and  sheep.  This  forest,  for  so  they  call  it,  is  surrounded  with 
the  sea,  except  about  one  mile  on  the  west  side  :  the  deer  are  forced  to  feed  on  sea- 
ware,  when  the  snow  and  frost  continue  long,  having  no  wood  to  shelter  in,  and  so  are 
exposed  to  the  rigour  of  the  season. 

*  Calernish,  on  the  west  side,  as  the  editor  learns  by  a  letter  from  the  noble  and  intelligent  proprietor, 
the  earl  of  Seaforth. 

VOL.   III.  4   £ 


^ 


578 


martin's  oescRiPTioN  or  tub 


«T*' 


I  saw  big  roots  of  trees  at  the  head  of  Loch-tlriiiport,  and  there  is  about  a  hundred 
young  birch  and  hazic  trees  on  the  suuth-west  side  of  Loch-Stornvay  ;  but  there  i»  no 
more  wood  in  the  island.  There  is  great  variety  uf  land  and  sea  fowls  to  be  seen  in  this 
and  the  lesser  adjacent  islands. 

The  amphibia  here  arc  seals  and  otters ;  the  former  are  eaten  by  the  vulgar,  who 
find  them  to  be  as  nourishing  as  beef  aud  mutton. 

The  inhabitants  of  this  island  are  well  proportioned,  free  from  any  bodily  imperfeG> 
tions,  and  of  a  good  stature :  the  col;>ur  of  their  hair  is  commonly  a  light  brown  or  red, 
but  few  of  them  arc  black.  They  are  a  healthful  and  strong- bodied  people  ;  several  ar. 
rive  to  a  great  age  :  Mr.  Daniel  Mori^on,  late  minister  of  Barvas,  one  of  my  acquaint- 
ance, died  lately  in  his  eighty-sixth  year. 

They  are  generally  of  a  sanguine  constitution  :  this  place  hath  not  been  troubled  with 
epidemical  diseases,  except  the  smalUpox,  which  comes  but  seldom,  and  then  it  sweeps 
away  many  young  people.  The  chin-cough  afflicts  children  too :  the  fever,  diarrhea, 
dysenteria,  and  the  falling  down  of  the  uvula,  fevers,  jaundice,  and  stiches,  and  the  or- 
dinary coughs  proceeding  from  cold,  are  the  diseases  most  prevalent  here.  The  com- 
mon cure  used  fur  renioviiig  fevers  and  pleurisies  is,  to  let  blood  plentifully.  For  curing 
the  diarrhea  and  dysenteria,  they  take  small  quantities  of  the  kernel  of  the  black  Molocca 
beans,  called  by  them  crospunk ;  and  this  being  ground  into  powder,  and  drunk  in 
boiled  milk,  is  by  daily  experience  found  to  be  very  effectual.  They  likewise  use  a  little 
dose  of  trestarig  water  with  good  success.  When  the  cough  affects  them,  tney  drink 
brochun  plentifully,  which  is  oat-mtul  and  water  boiled  together ;  to  which  they  some- 
times add  butter.  This  drink,  U!>ed  at  going  to  bed,  disposeth  one  to  sleep  and  sweat, 
and  is  very  diuretic,  if  it  hath  no  !>alt  in  it.  They  use  also  the  roots  of  nettles,  and  the 
roots  of  reeds  boiled  in  water,  and  add  yeast  to  it,  which  provokes  it  to  ferment ; 
and  this  they  find  also  beneficial  for  the  cough.  When  the  uvula  falls  down,  they  or- 
dinarily cut  it,  in  this  manner  :  they  cake  a  long  quill,  and  putting  a  horse-hair  double 
into  it,  make  a  noose  at  the  end  of  the  quill,  and  puttmg  it  a(>out  the  lower  end  of  the 
uvula,  they  cut  off  from  the  uvula  all  that  is  below  the  hair  with  a  pair  of  scissars,  and 
then  the  patient  swallows  a  little  bread  and  cheese,  which  cures  him.  This  operation  is 
not  attended  with  the  least  inconvenience,  and  cures  the  distemper  so  that  it  never  re- 
turns. They  cure  green  wounds  with  ointment  made  of  golden-rod,  all-heal,  and 
fresh  butter.  The  jaundice  they  cure  two  ways  :  the  first  is  by  laying  the  patient  on 
his  face,  and  pretending  to  look  upon  his  back-bones,  they  presently  pour  a  paiUfuU 
of  cold  water  on  his  bare  back,  and  this  proves  successful.  The  second  cure  they  per- 
form by  taking  the  tongs  and  making  them  red-hot  in  the  fire ;  then  pulling  off  the 
clothes  from  the  patient's  back,  he  who  holds  the  tongs  gently  touches  the  patient  on 
the  vertebrse  upwards  of  the  back,  which  makes  him  furiously  run  out  of  doors,  still 
supposing  the  hot  iron  is  on  his  back,  till  the  pain  be  abated,  which  happens  very  speedily, 
and  the  patient  recovers  soon  after.  Donald-Chuan,  in  a  village  near  Bragir,  in  the 
parish  of  Barvas,  had  by  accident  cut  his  toe  at  the  change  of  the  moon,  and  it  bleeds  a 
fresh  drop  at  every  change  of  the  moon  ever  since. 

Anna,  daughter  to  George,  in  the  village  of  Melbost,  in  the  parish  of  Ey,  having 
been  with  child,  and  the  ordinary  time  of  her  delivery  being  expired,  the  child  made 
its  passage  by  the  fundament  for  some  years,  coming  away  bone  after  bone.  She  lived 
several  years  after  this,  but  never  had  any  more  children.  Some  of  the  natives,  both  of 
the  island  of  Lewis  and  Harries,  who  conversed  with  her  at  the  time  when  this  extra- 
ordinary thing  happened,  gave  me  this  account. 


WI8TERN    I8LANDI    OF    SCOTLAND. 


579 


I  hundred 
licrc  i»  no 
«n  in  this 

Igar,  who 

imperfeo 

vn  or  red, 

several  ar. 

acquaint* 

ubled  with 
it  sweeps 
,  diarrhea, 
ind  the  or- 
The  com- 
For  curing 
i  Molocca 
1  drunk  in 
use  a  little 
tney  drink 
hey  some- 
and  sweat, 
:s,  and  the 

ferment ; 
n,  they  or- 
lair  double 
end  of  the 
issarSf  and 
)peration  is 
it  never  re- 
i-heal,   and 

patient  on 

a  paiUfuU 
e  they  pcr- 
ing  off  the 

patient  on 
doors,  still 
7  speedily, 
gir,  in  the 

it  bleeds  a 

By,  having 
child  made 
She  lived 
ves,  both  of 
I  this  extra- 


The  natives  are  generally  ingenious  and  quick  of  apprehension  }  they  have  a  mccha. 
nical  genius,  and  several  of  both  sexes  have  afjjiftof  poesy,  ami  arc  able  to  form  a  suiirc 
or  panegyric  ex-tempore,  without  the  assistance  of  any  stronger  litiuor  than  water  to  rsiise 
their  fancy.  They  arc  great  lovers  of  music  ;  and  when  1  was  there,  they  gave  an  ac 
count  of  eighteen  men  who  could  play  on  the  violin  pretty  well,  without  being  taught. 
They  arc  still  very  hospitable,  but  the  late  years  of  scarcity  brought  them  very  low,  and 
many  of  the  poor  people  have  died  by  famine.  The  inhabitants  are  very  dextrous  in 
the  exercises  of  swimming,  archery,  vaulting,  or  leaping,  and  are  very  stout  and  able  sea. 
men ;  they  will  tug  at  the  oar  all  day  long  upon  bread  and  water,  and  a  snush  ol 
tobacco. 

OF  THE  INFERIOR  ADJACENT  ISLANDS, 

WITHOUT  the  mouth  of  Loch-Carlvay  lies  the  small  island  Garve  ;  it  is  a  higli 
rock,  about  half  a  mile  in  compass,  and  fit  only  for  pubturage.  Not  far  from  this  lies 
the  island  of  Berinsay,  which  is  a  quarter  of  a  mile  in  compass,  naturally  a  strong  fort, 
and  formerly  used  as  such,  being  almost  inaccessible. 

The  island  Fladda,  which  is  of  small  compass,  lies  between  Berinsay  and  the  main 
land.  Within  these  lies  the  islatid  called  Berncra  Minor,  two  miles  in  length,  and 
fruitful  in  com  and  grass.  Within  this  island,  in  the  middle  of  Loch-Carlvay,  lies  the 
island  of  Bemera  Major,  being  four  miles  in  length,  and  as  much  in  breadth :  it  is  fruit* 
ful  also  in  com  and  grass,  and  hath  four  villages.  Alexander  Mac-Lcnan,  who  tivc-i  in 
Bemera  Major,  told  me,  that  some  years  ago  a  very  extraordinary  ebb  happened  there, 
exceeding  any  that  had  been  seen  before  or  since  ;  it  happened  about  the  vernal  equinox, 
the  sea  retired  so  far  as  to  discover  a  stone*  wall,  the  length  of  it  being  about  forty  yards, 
and  in  some  parts  about  five,  six  or  seven  feet  high  ;  they  suppose  much  more  of  it  to 
be  under  water  :  it  lies  opposite  to  the  west  side  of  Lewis,  to  which  it  adjoins.  He  says 
that  it  is  regularly  built,  and  without  any  doubt  the  effect  of  human  industry.  The  na- 
tives had  no  tradition  about  this  piece  of  work,  so  that  I  can  form  no  other  conjecture 
about  it,  but  that  it  has  probably  been  erected  for  a  defence  against  the  sea,  or  for  the 
use  of  fishermen,  but  came  in  time  to  be  overflowed.  Near  to  both  Berneras  lie  the 
small  islands  of  Kaialisay,  Cavay,  Carvay,  and  Grcnim. 

Near  to  the  north-west  promontory  ofCarlvay  Bay,  called  Galen- head,  are  the  little 
islands  of  Pabbay,  Shirem,  Vaxay,  Wiiya,  the  Great  and  Lesser.  To  the  north-west  of 
Galen>head,  and  within  six  leagues  of  it,  lie  the  Flannan- Islands,  which  the  seamen  call 
North-hunters ;  they  are  but  smalt  islands,  and  six  in  number,  and  maintain  about 
seventy  sheep  yearly.  The  inhabitants  of  the  adjacent  lands  of  the  Lewis,  having  a 
right  to  these  islands,  visit  them  once  every  summer,  and  there  make  a  great  purchase  of 
fowls,  eggs,  down,  feathers,  and  quills.  When  they  go  to  sea,  they  have  their  boat 
well  manned,  and  make  towards  the  islands  with  an  east- wind  ;  but  if  before  or  at  the 
landing  the  wind  turn  westerly,  they  hoist  up  sail,  and  steer  directly  home  a^ain.  If 
any  of  their  crew  is  a  novice,  and  not  versed  in  the  customs  of  the  place,  he  must  be 
instructed  perfecdy  in  all  the  punctilios  observed  here  before  landing ;  and  to  prevent 
inconveniences  that  they  think  may  ensue  upon  the  transgression  of  the  least  nicety  ob- 
served here,  every  novice  is  always  joined  with  another,  that  can  instruct  him  all  the  time 
of  their  fowling  :  so  all  the  boat's  crew  are  matched  in  this  manner.  After  their  land- 
ing, they  fasten  their  boat  to  the  sides  of  a  rock,  and  then  fix  a  wooden  ladder,  by  laying 
a  stone  at  the  foot  of  it,  to  prevent  its  falling  into  the  sea ;  and  when  they  are  got  up 
into  the  bland,  all  of  them  uncover  their  heads,  and  make  a  turn  sun-ways  round, 
thanking  God  for  their  safety.     The  first  injunction  given  after  landing,  is  not  to  ease 

4  £  2 


i1 


\\ 


sm 


MAMTIN's    OIlCRtPTION    Of    TKI 


ii 


Nature  in  (Itut  place  where  the  bout  lies,  for  that  they  rrckon  a  crime  of  the  highettt  na< 
ture,  and  of  daiiffcrouH  coii»e(|uei)ce  to  ail  tlicir  crew  ;  for  they  have  a  great  regard  to 
that  very  piece  of  the  rock  upon  which  they  firnt  ttct  lla-ir  feet,  after  CHcaping  the  danger 
of  the  ocean. 

'J'hi-  I'iggest  of  these  islands  is  called  Island- More  ;  it  hits  the  ruins  of  a  chapel  dedicated 
to  St.  Klaixiian,  from  whom  the  island  derives  its  name.  When  they  are  come  within 
about  twenty  paces  of  the  altar,  they  all  strip  themselves  of  their  upper  garments  at  once, 
and  their  up|)er  clothes  being  laid  u[X)n  a  stone,  which  stands  there  on  purjKise  for  that 
use,  all  the  crew  pray  three  times  before  they  begin  fowling  :  the  first  day  they  say  the 
first  prayer,  advancing  towards  the  chapel  upon  their  knees  ;  the  secoiul  prayer  is  said 
as  they  go  round  the  chapel ;  the  third  m  said  hard  by  or  at  the  chapel :  and  this  is 
their  morning  service.  Tlieir  vespers  are  |)erformed  with  the  like  number  of  prayers. 
Another  rule  is,  that  it  is  absolutely  unlawful  to  kill  a  fowl  with  a  stone,  for  that  they 
reckon  a  great  barbarity,  and  directly  contrary  to  ancient  custom. 

It  is  also  unlawful  to  kill  a  fowl  before  they  ascend  by  the  ladder.  It  is  absolutely 
unlawful  to  call  the  island  of  St.  Kilda  (which  lies  thirty  leagues  southward)  by  its  proper 
Irish  n:mie  Hirt,  but  only  the  high  country.  They  must  not  so  much  as  once  name  the 
islands  in  which  they  are  fowling  by  the  ordinary  name  Flannan,  but  only  the  country. 
There  arc  several  other  things  that  must  not  be  called  by  their  common  names :  e.  g. 
visk,  which  in  the  language  of  the  natives  signifies  water,  they  call  burn  :  a  rock,  which 
in  their  language  is  creg,  must  here  be  called  cruev«  i.  e.  hard ;  shore,  in  their  language 
expressed  by  claddach,  must  here  be  called  vah,  i.  c.  a  cave :  sour  in  their  language  is 
expressed  gort,  but  must  here  be  called  gaire,  i.  e.  sharp  :  slippery,  which  is  expressed 
bo^,  must  be  called  soft :  and  several  other  things  to  this  purpose.  They  account  it  also 
unlawful  to'kill  a  fowl  after  evening- prayers.  There  is  an  ancient  custom,  by  which  the 
crew  is  obliged  not  to  carry  home  any  sheep*suet,  let  them  kill  ever  so  many  sheep  in  these 
islands.  One  of  their  principal  customs  is  not  to  steal  or  eat  any  thing  unknown  to 
their  partner,  else  the  transgressor  ( they  say)  will  certainly  vomit  it  up  ;  which  they 
reckon  as  a  just  judgment.  When  they  have  loaded  their  boat  sufficiendy  with  sheep,, 
fowls,  eggs,  down,  fish,  8cc.  they  make  the  best  of  their  way  homeward.  It  is  observed 
of  the  sheep  of  these  islands,  that  they  are  exceeding  fat,  and  have  long  horns. 

I  had  this  superstitious  account,  not  only  from  several  of  the  natives  of  the  Lewis,  but 
likewise  from  two  who  had  been  in  the  Flannan  islands  the  preceding  year.  I  asked  one 
of  them  if  he  prayed  at  home  as  often  and  as  fervently  as  he  did  when  in  the  Flannan 
islands,  and  he  plainly  confessed  to  me  that  he  did  not :  adding  further,  that  these  re. 
mote  islands  were  places  of  inherent  sanctity ;  and  that  there  was  none  ever  yet  landed 
in  them,  but  found  himself  more  disposed  to  devotion  there  than  any  where  else.  The 
island  of  Pigmies,  or,  as  the  natives  call  it,  the  island  of  Little  Men,  is  but  of  small  extent. 
There  has  been  many  small  bones  dug  out  of  the  ground  here,  resembling  those  of  hu- 
man kind  more  than  any  other.  This  gave  ground  to  a  tradition  which  the  natives  have, 
of  a  very  low  statured  people  living  once  here,  called  Lusbirdan,  i.  e.  Pigmies. 

The  island  Rona  is  reckoned  about  twenty  leagues  from  the  north-east  point  of  Ness 
in  Lewis,  and  counted  but  a  mile  in  length,  and  about  half  a  mile  in  breadth  :  it  hatha 
hill  in  the  west  part,  and  is  only  visible  from  the  Lewis  in  a  fair  summer's  day.  I  had  an 
account  of  this  little  island,  and  the  custom  of  it,  from  several  natives  of  Lewis,  who 
had  been  upon  the  place  ;  but  more  particularly  from  Mr.  Daniel  Morison,  minister  of 
Barvas,  after  his  return  from  Rona  island,  which  then  belonged  to  him,  as  part  of  his 
glebe.  Upon  my  landing  (says  he)  the  natives  received  me  very  affectionately,  and  ad> 
dressed  me  with  their  usual  salutation  to  a  stranger :'  "  God  save  yoU}  pilgrim,  you  arc 


WliriKN   ISLANDI  OP  SCOTLAND. 


581 


:gurd   to 
c  danger 

kdicuted 
It-  witliiii 
i  at  oner, 
c  ibr  that 
y  bay  the 
.*r  i;i  Huid 
nd  thiH  IK 
praycra. 
that  they 

ibsolutcly 
its  proper 
name  the 
!  country, 
les :  e.  g. 
;k,  which 
langua^^ 
igiiage  18 
X  pressed 
nut  it  also 
which  the 
p  in  these 
known  to 
irhich  thoy 
ith  sheep., 
I  observed 

«ewis,  but 
asked  one 
e  Flannan 
t  these  re- 
^et  landed 
Ise.  The 
lall  extent. 
:>se  ofhu- 
itives  have, 

nt  of  Ness 
:  it  hatha 
I  had  an 
lewis,  who 
ninister  of 
part  of  his 
y,  and  ad- 
m,  you  arc 


heartily  welcfime  here  ;  for  we  have  had  repeated  apparitions  of  your  person  among;  us, 
(after  the  manner  ot  the  second  itight)  and  we  lieariily  congratulate  vour  arrival  in  t\m 
our  remote  country."  One  uf  the  natives  would  needs  express  his  high  esteem  fur  my 
m-rson,  by  making  a  turn  round  about  nie  sun- ways,  and  at  the-  same  time  blessing  me, 
and  wishing  me  all  happiness ;  but  I  bid  him  let  alone  that  piece  ot  homage,  telling  him 
1  was  sensible  of  hiiigood  meaning  towards  ni'.* :  but  this  poor  man  was  not  a  little  di^ap- 
pninled,  as  were  aUo  his  neighbours ;  fur  they  doubted  not  but  this  ancient  ceremony 
would  have  l)cen  very  acceptable  to  me  :  and  one  of  them  told  me,  that  this  was  a  thing 
due  to  my  character  from  them,  as  to  their  chief  and  patron,  and  they  could  not,  nor 
would  not  fail  to  perform  it.  They  conducted  me  to  the  little  village  where  they  dwell, 
and  in  the  way  thither  there  were  three  iuclosures  ;  and  as  I  entered  each  of  these,  the  in- 
habitants severally  saluted  me,  taking  me  by  the  hand,  and  saying,  **  Traveller,  you  arc 
welcome  here."  They  went  along  with  me  to  the  house  that  they  had  assigned  for  my 
lodging  ;  where  there  was  a  bundle  of  straw  lain  on  the  floor,  for  a  seat  for  me  to  sit 
upon.  After  a  little  time  was  spent  in  general  discourse,  the  inhabitants  retired  to  their 
respective  dwelling-houses,  and  in  this  interval  they  killed  each  man  a  sheep,  being  in 
all  five,  answerable  to  the  number  of  their  families.  The  skins  uf  the  sheep  were  entire, 
and  flayed  off* so  from  the  neck  to  the  tail,  that  they  were  in  form  like  a  sack.  These 
skins  being  flayed  off  after  this  manner,  were  by  the  inhabitants  instantly  filled  with  bar- 
ley-meal ;  and  this  they  gave  me  by  way  of  a  present :  one  of  their  number  acted  as 
speaker  for  the  rest,  saying,  "  Traveller,  we  arc  very  sensible  of  the  favour  you  have 
done  us  in  coming  so  far  with  a  design  to  instruct  us  in  our  way  to  happiness,  and  at  the 
same  time  to  venture  yourself  on  the  great  ocean ;  pray  be  pleased  to  accept  of  this 
small  present,  whicii  we  humbly  offer  us  an  expression  of  our  sincere  love  to  you.'' 
This  1  accepted,  though  in  a  very  coarse  dress ;  but  it  was  given  with  such  an  nir  of 
hospitality  and  good-will,  as  deserved  thanks.  They  presented  my  man  also  with  some 
pecks  of  meal,  as  being  hkewise  a  traveller:  the  boat's  crew,  having  been  inRona  be- 
fore, were  not  reckoned  strangers,  and  therefore  was  no  present  given  them,  but  their 
daily  maintenance. 

There  is  a  chapel  here,  dedicated  to  St.  Ronan,  fenced  with  a  stone  wall  round  it ; 
and  they  take  care  to  keep  it  neat  and  clean,  and  sweep  it  every  day.  There  is  an  altar 
in  it,  on  which  there  lies  a  big  plank  of  wood  about  ten  feet  in  length  ;  every  foot  has 
a  hole  in  it,  and  in  every  hole  a  stone,  to  which  the  natives  ascribe  several  virtues  :  one 
of  them  is  singular,  as  they  say,  for  promoting  speedy  delivery  to  a  woman  in  travail. 

They  repeat  the  Lord's  Prayer,  Creed,  and  Ten  Commandments,  in  the  chapel  every 
Sunday  morning.  ,  They  have  cows,  sheep,  barley  and  oats ;  and  live  a  harmless  life, 
being  perfectly  ignorant  of  most  of  those  vices  that  abound  in  the  world.  They  know 
nothing  of  money  or  gold,  having  no  occasion  for  either  ;  they  neither  sell  nor  buy,  but 
only  barter  for  such  little  things  as  they  want ;  they  covet  no  wealth,  being  fully  content 
and  satisfied  with  food  and  raiment ;  though  at  the  same  time  they  are  very  precise  in 
the  matter  of  property  among  themselves :  for  none  of  them  will  by  any  means  allow 
his  neighbour  to  fish  within  his  property ;  and  every  one  must  exactly  observe  not  to 
make  any  incroachment  on  his  neighbour.  They  have  an  agreecble  and  hospitable 
temper  for  all  strangers :  they  concern  not  themselves  about  the  rest  of  mankind,  ex- 
cept  the  inhabitants  in  the  north  part  of  Lewis.  They  take  their  simnme  from  the  co- 
lour of  the  sky,  rain-bow,  and  clouds.  There  are  only  five  families  in  this  small  island, 
and  every  tenant  hath  his  dwelling-house,  a  barn,  a  house  where  their  best  effects  are  pre- 
served,  a  house  for  their  cattle,  and  a  porch  on  each  side  of  the  door,  to  keep  oifthe 
rain  or  snow.    Their  houses  are  built  with  stone,  and  thatched  with  straw,  which  is  kept 


-p-O^" 


i>8'i 


martin's  Of icriftiow  of  the 


down  witli  ropcii  uf  the  same,  poi»cd  with  stonei.    They  wear  the  same  habit  with  those 
ill  Lewi;*,  and  spc»k  only  Iriiih.     When  any  of  them  come  to  the  Lewis,  which  is  neU 


dom,  they  arc  astonished  to  sec  so  manv  people.  Thev  much  admire  greyhounds,  and 
love  to  have  them  in  their  company.  Thcv  are  mightily  pleased  at  the  sight  of  horses  f 
iind  one  uf  them  obacrviufr  a  horse  tu  neigh,  asked  if  that  horse  laughed  at  him.  A  boy 
from  Honu  perceiving  a  colt  run  towards  him,  was  so  much  frighted  at  it,  that  he  jump- 
cd  into  a  bush  of  nettles,  where  his  whole  skin  became  full  of  blisters. 

Another  of  the  natives  of  Rona  having  had  the  op|)ortiuuty  of  travelling  as  far  as 
Coul,  in  the  shire  of  Rosn,  which  is  the  seat  of  Sir  Alexander  Slac-kcnzie,  every  thing 
he  saw  there  was  surprising  to  him  ;  and  when  he  heard  the  noise  of  those  who  walked 
in  the  rooms  above  him,  lie  presently  fell  to  the  ground,  thinking  thereby  to  save  his 
life,  for  he  supposed  that  the  house  was  coming  down  over  his  head.  When  Mr.  Mo<i 
rison  the  minister  was  in  Hona,  two  of  the  natives  courted  a  maid  with  intention  to  mar* 
ry  her  ;  and  being  married  to  one  of  them  afterwards,  the  v.\hcr  was  not  a  liu!.*  disap- 
|X}intcd,  because  there  was  no  other  mutch  for  him  in  this  island.  The  wind  blowing 
fair,  Mr.  Morison  sailed  directly  for  Lewis ;  but  after  three  hours  sailing  was  forced  back 
to  Rona  by  a  contrary  wind  :  and  at  his  landing,  the  |)oor  man  that  had  lost  his  sweet- 
heart was  overjoyed,  and  expressed  himself  in  these  words  ;  *'  l  bless  God  and  Rona 
that  you  arc  returned  again,  for  I  hope  you  will  now  make  me  happy,  and  give  me  a 
right  to  enjoy  the  woman  every  other  vear  by  turns,  that  so  we  both  may  have  issue  by 
her.  Mr.  Morison  could  not  refrain  from  smiling  at  this  unexpected  request,  chid  the 
poor  man  for  his  unreasonable  demand,  and  desired  him  to  have  patience  for  a  year  lon- 
ger, and  he  would  send  him  a  wife  from  Lewis ;  but  this  did  not  ease  the  poor  man, 
who  was  tormented  with  the  thoughts  of  dying  without  issue. 

Another,  who  wanted  a  wife,  and  having  got  a  shilling  from  a  seaman  that  happened 
to  land  there,  went  and  gave  this  shilling  to  Mr.  Morison,  to  purchase  him  a  wife  m  the 
Lewis,  and  send  her  to  him,  for  he  was  told  that  this  piece  of  money  was  a  thing  of  ex- 
traordinury  value ;  and  h'  ^  desire  was  gratified  the  ensuing  year. 

About  fourteen  years  ago  a  swarm  of  rats,  but  none  Icnows  how,  came  into  Rona, 
and  in  a  short  time  eat  up  all  the  corn  in  the  island.  In  a  few  months  after,  some  sea- 
nun  landed  there,  who  robbed  the  poor  people  of  their  bull.  These  misfortunes,  and 
the  want  of  supply  from  Lewis  for  the  spa  ,x  of  a  year,  occasioned  the  death  of  all  that 
ancient  race  of  people.  The  steward  of  St ,  Kilda  being  by  a  storm  driven  in  there,  told 
me  that  he  found  a  woman  with  her  chiid  nvi  her  breast,  both  lying  dead  at  the  side  of  a 
rock.  Some  years  after,  the  minister  (to  whom  the  island  belongeth)  sent  a  new  colony 
to  this  island,  with  suitable  supplies.  The  following  year  a  boat  was  sent  to  them  with 
some  more  supplies,  and  orders  to  receive  the  rents  ;  but  the  boat  being  lost,  as  it  is  sup- 
posed, I  can  give  no  further  account  of  this  late  plantation. 

The  inhabitants  of  this  little  island  say,  that  the  cuckow  is  never  seen  or  heard  there, 
but  after  the  death  of  the  earl  of  Seaforth,  or  the  minister. 

The  rock  Soulisker  licth  four  leagues  to  the  east  of  Rona;  it  is  a  quarter  of  a  mile  in 
circumference,  and  abounds  with  great  numbers  of  sea-fowl,  such  as  Solan  geese,  guilla- 
mote,  coulter-neb,  puffin,  and  several  other  sorts.  The  fowl  called  the  colk  is  found 
here :  it  b  less  than  a  goose,  all  covered  with  down,  and  when  it  hatches  it  casts  its 
feathers,  which  are  of  divers  colours ;  it  has  a  tuft  on  its  head  resembling  that  of  a  pea- 
cock, and  a  train  longer  than  that  of  a  house-cock,  but  the  hen  has  not  so  much 
ornament  and  beauty. 

The  island  Siant,  or,  as  the  natives  call  it,  Island-More,  lies  to  the  east  of  Ushiness  in 
Lewis,  about  a  league.    There  are  three  small  islands  here ;  the  two  southern  islands 


WI«TI«N    ISLANOt   or    ICOTLAND. 


58J 


vith  those 
ch  is  neU 
inds,  and 
f  horses  i 
I.  A  boy 
he  jump- 
as  fur  as 
icxy  thing 
10  walked 

0  Muve  his 
Mr.  Mo- 

>n  to  mar- 
tUc  disap- 

1  blowing 
treed  back 
[lis  sweet- 
und  Rona 
;ivc  me  a 
;  issue  by 

chid  the 
I  year lon- 
)oor  man» 

happened 
rvife  in  the 
log  of  ex- 

nto  Ronu, 
some  sea- 
unes,  and 
of  all  that 
here,  told 
:  side  of  a 
evv  colony 
them  with 
s  it  is  sup- 

:ard  there, 

a  mile  in 
ese,  guilla- 
Ik  is  found 
t  casts  its 
:  of  a  pea- 

so  much 

Jshiness  in 
;rn  islands 


are  separated  only  by  spring-tides,  and  arc  two  miles  in  circtmifercncc.  Island-Morc 
hath  a  chupcl  in  it  dedicated  to  the  Virgin  Mary,  and  in  IVuiiiul  in  corn  aiidgr.ist :  the 
island  joining  to  it  on  the  wc<it  is  only  for  na^tturagc.  I  saw  a  couple  of  cugK-s  here  : 
the  natives  told  me,  that  these  eagles  would  never  sufl'cr  any  of  their  kind  to  live  there 
but  themselves,  and  that  they  drove  away  their  young  ones  as  »(X)n  as  they  were  able  to 
fly.  And  they  told  me  likewise,  that  those  eagles  are  so  careful  of  the  place  of  their 
anode,  that  they  never  yet  killed  any  sheep  or  lamb  in  the  island,  though  the  bones  of 
lambs,  of  fawns,  and  wild-fowls,  are  frcmiently  found  m  and  about  iheir  nests  ;  so  that 
they  make  their  purchase  in  the  opposite  islands,  the  nearest  of  which  is  a  len^^ue  distant. 
This  island  is  very  strong  and  inaccessible,  save  on  one  side,  where  the  ascent  h  narrow, 
and  somewhat  resembling  a  stair,  but  a  great  deal  more  high  and  steep ;  notwithstanding 
which,  the  cows  pass  and  repass  by  it  siifely,  though  one  would  think  it  uneasy  for  a  man 
to  climb.  About  a  musket  shot  further  north  lies  the  biggest  of  the  islands  called 
Mure,  being  two  miles  in  circumference  :  it  is  fruitful  in  corn  and  pasturage,  the  cows 
here  are  much  fatter  than  any  I  saw  in  the  island  of  Lewis.  There  is  a  blue  stone  on 
the  surface  of  the  ground  here,  moist  while  it  lies  there,  but,  when  dry,  it  becomes  very 
hard ;  it  is  capable  of  any  impression,  and  I  have  seen  a  set  of  table-men  made  of  this 
stone,  prettily  carved  with  dinerent  figures.  There  is  a  promontory  in  the  north  end 
of  the  island  of  Lewis,  called  Europy  Point,  which  is  supposed  to  be  the  furthest  to 
the  north  west  of  any  part  in  Europe. 

These  islands  are  divided  into  two  parishes,  one  called  Barvas,  and  the  other  Ey  or  Y ; 
both  which  are  parsonages,  and  each  of  them  having  a  minister.  The  names  of  the 
churches  in  Lewis  Isles,  and  the  Saints  to  whom  they  were  dedicated,  are  St.  Coin  ink  il, 
in  the  island  of  that  name;  St.  Pharaer  in  Kaerness,  St.  Lennan  inStornvay,  St.  ColUim 
in  Ey,  St.  Cutchou  in  Gurbost,  St.  Aula  in  Grease,  St.  Michael  in  ToUosta,  St.  Colhun 
in  Garieu,  St.  Ronan  in  Eorobie,  St.  Thomas  in  Habost,  St.  Peter  in  Shanabost,  St. 
Clement  in  Dell,  Holy«Cros8  Church  in  Galan,  St.  Brigit  in  Barove,  St.  Peter  in  Shia- 
dir,  St.  Mary  in  Barvas,  St.  John  Baptist  in  Bragar,  St.  Kiaran  in  Liani  Sliadir,  Sr. 
Michael  in  Kirvig,  St.  Macrel  in  Kirkibost,  St.  Dondan  in  Little  Berneray,  St.  Michael 
in  the  same  island,  St.  Peter  in  Pabbay  island,  St.  Christopher's  chapel  in  Uge,  and 
Stornvay  church :  all  these  churches  and  chapels  were,  before  the  reformation,  sanc- 
tuaries ;  and  if  a  man  had  committed  murder,  he  was  then  secure  and  safe  when  unce 
within  their  precincts. 

They  were  in  greater  veneration  in  those  days  than  now :  it  was  the  constant  practice 
of  the  natives  to  kneel  at  first  sight  of  the  church,  though  at  a  gr:at  distance  from  them, 
and  then  they  said  their  Pater-noster.  John  Morison  of  Bragir  told  me,  that  when  he 
was  a  boy,  and  going  to  the  church  of  St.  Mulvay,  he  observed  the  natives  to  kneel  and 
and  repeat  the  Pater-noster  at  four  miles  distance  from  the  church.  The  inhabitants  of 
this  island  had  an  ancient  custom  to  sacrifice  to  a  sea-god,  called  Sliony,  at  Hallow-tide, 
in  the  manner  following :  the  inhabitants  round  the  island  came  to  the  church  of  St. 
Mulvay,  having  each  man  his  provision  along  with  him  ;  every  famil)  furnished  a  peck 
of  malt,  and  this  was  brewed  into  ale :  one  of  their  number  was  picked  out  to  wade 
into  the  sea  up  to  the  middle,  and  carrying  a  cup  of  ale  in  his  hand,  standing  still  in  that 
posture,  cried  out  with  a  loud  voice,  saying,  "  Shony,  I  givi,  you  this  cup  of  ale,  hoping 
that  you'll  be  so  kind  as  ta  sead  plenty  of  s.ia-ware,  for  inriching  our  ground  the  ensu- 
ing  year :"  and  so  threvv  the  cup  of  ale  irito  the  sea.  This  was  performed  in  the  night 
time.  At  his  return  to  iand,  thty  aiivvent  to  church,  where  there  was  a  candle  burning 
upon  the  altar :  and  then  standintir  silent  for  a  little  time,  one  of  them  gave  a  signal,  at 
which  the  candle  was  put  out,  and  immediately  all  of  them  went  to  the  fields,  where 


I 


:.84 


MAIiriKS    DESCRIPTION    OF    TH£ 


they  fell  n  drinking  their  ale,  and  spent  the  remainder  of  the  night  in  dancing  and  sing* 
ing,  &c, 

'I'he  ntxt  morning  they  all  returned  home,  being  well  satisfied  that  they  had  punc- 
tually obbcrvcd  iIiIn  solemn  anniversary,  which  they  believed  to  be  a  powerful  means  to 
procure  a  plentiful  crop.  Mr.  Daniel  and  Mr.  Kenneth  Morrison,  ministers  in  Lewis, 
told  me  they  spent  several  years,  before  they  could  persuade  the  vulgar  nillves  to  aban- 
don this  ridiculuus  piece  of  supersMtion ;  which  is  quite  abolished  for  these  thirty-two 
years  past. 

The  inhabirants  are  all  protestants,  exept  one  family,  who  arc  Roman  catholics. 
1  was  told,  thiit  alxjut  fourteen  years  ago  three  or  four  fishermen,  who  then  forsook 
the  protestant  communion,  and  embraced  the  Romish  faith,  having  the  opportunity  of  a 
Popish  priest  on  the  place,  they  applied  themi-elves  to  him  for  some  of  the  holy  water ;  it 
being  usual  U.r  the  priests  to  sprinkle  it  into  the  bays,  as  an  infallible  means  to  procure 
plenty  of  herring,  as  also  to  bring  them  into  those  nets  that  are  besprinkled  with  it. 
These  fishers  accordingly,  having  got  the  water,  poured  it  upon  their  nets  before  they 
droppcd  them  into  the  sea ;  they  likewise  turned  the  inside  of  their  coats  outwards,  after 
which  they  set  their  nets  in  the  evening  at  the  usual  hour.  The  protestant  fishers,  who 
used  no  other  means  than  throwing  their  nets  into  the  sea,  at  the  same  time  were  uncon* 
cerned  ;  but  the.  Papists  being  impatient,  and  of  expectation,  got  next  morning  betimes 
to  draw  their  nets,  and  being  come  to  the  place,  they  soon  perceived  that  all  their  nets 
were  lost ;  but  the  protestants  found  their  nets  safe,  and  full  of  herring :  which  was  no 
small  mortification  to  the  priest  and  his  proselites,  and  exposed  them  to  the  derision  of 
their  neighbours. 

The  protestant  natives  observe  the  festivals  of  Christmas,  Good-Friday,  Easter,  and 
Michaelmas  :  upon  this  last  they  have  an  anniversary  cavalcade,  and  then  both  sexes 
ride  on  horse- back. 

There  is  a  village  called  Storn-Bay,  at  the  head  of  the  bay  of  that  name ;  it  consists 
of  about  sixty  families :  there  are  some  houses  of  entertainment  in  it,  as  also  a  church, 
a'ld  a  school,  in  which  Latin  and  English  arc  taught.  The  steward  of  the  Lewis  hath 
^ns  residence  in  this  village.  The  Lewis,  which  was  possessed  by  Mack>leod  of  Lewis 
foi  several  centuries,  is,  since  the  reign  of  king  James  the  Sixth,  become  the  property  of 
the  earl  of  Seaforth,  who  still  enjoys  it. 

THE  ISLE  OF  HARRIES. 


THE  Harries  being  separated  from  Lewis  is  eighteen  miles  from  the  Hushiness,  on 
the  western  ocean,  to  Loch-Seafort  in  the  east ;  from  this  bounding  to  the  point  of 
Strond,  in  the  south  of  Harries,  it  is  twenty-four  miles  ;  and  in  some  places  four,  five, 
and  six  miles  in  breadth.  The  soil  is  almost  the  same  with  that  of  Lewis,  and  it  pro- 
duces the  same  soils  of  corn,  but  a  greater  increase. 

The  air  is  temperately  cold,  and  the  natives  endeavour  to  qualify  it  by  taking  a  dose 
of  Aquavitae,  or  Brandy  :  for  they  brew  no  such  liquors  as  Trestarig,  or  Usquebaugh- 
baul.  The  eastern  coast  of  Harries  is  generally  rocky  and  mountainous,  covered  with 
grass  and  heath.  The  west  side  is  for  the  most  n^.r:  arable  on  the  sea-coast ;  some 
pavts  of  the  hills  on  the  east  side  are  naked,  without  earth.  The  soil  being  dry  and  sandy, 
is  fruitful  when  manured  with  sea  ware.  The  grass  on  the  west  side  is  most  clover 
a:^d  daisy,  which  in  the  summer  yields  a  most  fragrant  smell.  Next  to  Loch-Seafort, 
whicti  for  some  miles  divides  the  T^ewis  from  Harries,  is  the  notable  harbour  within  the 
island,  by  sea-faring  men  called  Glass,  and  by  the  natives  Sculpa :  it  is  a  mile  and  a  Imii' 


M 


•r.> 


WESTERN    ISLANDS    OF    SCOTLAND. 


58: 


nd  sing- 
ad  punc- 
mtai)s  to 
n  Lf  wis, 
to  aban- 
hirty-two 

catholics. 
1  forsook 
jnity  of  a 
ivater ;  it 
)  procure 
1  with  it. 
:fore  thej- 
trds,  after 
lers,  who 
e  uncon- 
g  betimcb 
their  nets 
:h  was  no 
lerision  of 

ister,  and 
loth  sexes 

[t  consists 
a  church, 
wis  hath 
of  Lewis 
roperty  of 


uness,  on 
:  point  of 
four,  five, 
nd  it  prc- 

:ng  a  dose 
|uebaugh- 
ered  with 
ist ;  some 
ind  sandy, 
kost  clover 
h-Seafort, 
within  the 
and  a  Imi{ 


long  from  south  to  north,  and  a  mile  in  breadth.  There  is  an  entrance  on  the  soiitli 
and  north  ends  of  the  isle,  and  several  good  harbours  in  each,  well  kno^vn  to  tlu 
generality  of  seamen.  Within  the  isle  is  Loch-'l'arbat,  running  four  miles  west ;  it  hatli 
several  small  isles,  and  is  sometimes  frequented  by  herring.  Without  the  Loch  there 
is  pie  ty  of  cod,  ling,  and  large  eels. 

About  half  a  league  further  on  the  same  coast  lies  Loch- Stock. icss,  which  is  about  :i 
mile  in  length  ;  there  is  a  fr.ih- water  lake  at  the  entrance  of  the  island,  which  affords 
oysters,  and  several  sorts  of  fish,  the  sea  having  access  to  it  at  spring-tides. 

About  a  league  and  a  half  farther  south  is  Loch-Finisbay,  an  excellent,  though  un 
knowrt  harbour ;  the  land  lies  low,  and  hides  it  from  the  sight  of  the  sea-furing  men, 
till  they  come  very  near  the  coast.     There  are,  besides  this  harbour    many  creeks  on 
this  side,  for  barks  and  lesser  boats. 

Fresh-water  lakes  abound  in  this  i&land,  and  are  well  stored  with  trou.,  eels,  and  salmon. 
Each  lake  has  a  river  running  from  it  to  the  sea>  from  whence  the  salmon  comes  about 
the  beginning  of  May,  and  sooner,  if  the  season  be  warm.  The  best  time  for  angling 
for  salmon  and  trout  is  when  a  warm  south-west  wind  blows.  They  use  earth-worms 
commonly  for  bait,  but  cockles  attract  the  salmon  better  than  any  other. 

There  is  variety  of  excellent  springs  issuing  from  all  the  mountains  of  this  island,  but 
the  wells  on  the  plains  near  the  sea  are  not  good.  There  is  one  n.Tiarkable  fountain 
lately  discovered  near  Marvag-houses,  on  the  eastern  coast,  and  has  a  large  stone  by  it, 
which  is  sufficient  to  direct  a  stranger  to  it.  The  natives  find  by  experience,  that  it  is 
very  effectual  for  restoring  lost  appetite ;  all  that  drink  of  it  become  very  soon  hungry, 
though  they  have  eat  plentifully  but  an  hour  before :  the  truth  of  this  was  confirmed 
to  me  by  those  that  were  perfectly  well,  and  also  by  those  that  were  infirm ;  for  it  had 
the  same  effect  on  both. 

There  is  a  well  in  the  heath,  a  mile  to  the  east  from  the  village  Borve  ;  the  natives 
say  that  they  find  it  efficacious  against  cholics,  stitches,  and  gravel. 

There  are  several  caves  in  the  mountains,  and  on  each  side  the  coast :  the  largest 
and  best  fortified  by  nature  is  that  in  the  hill  Ulweal,  in  the  middle  of  a  high  rock ; 
the  passage  leading  to  it  is  so  narrow,  that  one  only  can  enter  at  a  time.  This  advan- 
tage  renders  it  secure  from  any  attempt ;  for  one  single  man  is  able  to  keep  off  a 
thousand,  if  he  have  but  a  staff  in  his  hand,  since  with  the  least  touch  of  it  he  may 
throw  the  strongest  man  down  the  roc!s:.  The  cave  is  capacious  enough  for  fifty  men 
to  lodge  in  :  it  hath  two  wells  in  it,  one  of  which  is  excluded  from  dogs ;  for  they  say, 
that  if  a  dog  do  but  taste  of  the  water  the  well  presently  drieth  up :  and  for  this  rea- 
son, all  such  as  have  occasion  to  lodge  there  take  care  to  tie  their  dogs,  that  they  may 
not  have  access  to  the  water.  The  other  well  is  called  the  Dog's- well,  and  is  only  drunk 
by  them. 

There  are  several  ancient  forts  erected  here,  which  the  natives  say  were  built  by  the 
Danes;  they  are  of  a  round  form,  and  have  very  thick  walls,  and  a  passage  in  them, 
by  which  one  can  go  round  the  fort.  Jome  of  the  stones  that  compose  them  are  very 
large:  these  forts  are  named  after  the  villages  in  which  they  are  built,  as  that  in 
Borve  is  called  Down-Borve,  &c.  They  are  built  at  convenient  distances  on  each  side 
the  coast,  and  there  is  a  fort  built  in  every  one  of  the  lesser  isles. 

There  are  several  stones  here  erected  on  one  end,  one  of  which  is  in  the  village  of 
Borve,  about  seven  feet  high.  There  is  another  stone  of  the  same  height  to  be  seen 
in  the  opposite  Isle  of  Faransay.  There  are  several  heaps  of  stones,  commonly  called 
karnes,  on  the  tops  of  the  hills  and  rising  grounds  on  the  coast,  upon  which  they 
used  to  burn  heath,  as  a  signal  of  an  approaching  enemy.     There  was  always  a  senti- 

VOL.  III.  4   F 


J  1 


•  \ 
i 

t 

1,1 

.;,   i;,' 

r .        t    '! 

>'!.  ■ 


r  J.    ■' 


386 


martin's  description  of  the 


ncl  at  each  karnc  to  observe  the  sea-coast ;  the  steward  of  the  isle  made  frequent  rounds, 
to  take  notice  of  the  sentinels,  and  if  he  found  any  of  them  asleep,  he  stripped  them  of 
lluir  clothes,  and  referred  their  personal  punishments  to  the  proprietor  of  the  place. 
This  isle  profluceth  the  same  kind  of  cattle-,  sheep,  and  goats,  that  are  in  the  Lewis. 
The  natives  g-ave  me  an  account,  that  a  couple  of  goats  did  grow  wild  on  the  hills,  and 
after  they  had  increased,  they  were  observed  to  bring  forth  their  young  twice  a  year. 

There  arc  abundai^ce  of  deer  in  the  hills  and  mountains  here,  commonly  called  the 
Forest,  which  is  eighteen  miles  in  length  from  east  to  west ;  the  number  of  deer  com. 
puted  to  be  in  this  place  is  at  least  two  thousand ;  and  there  is  none  permitted  to  hunt 
there  without  a  licence  from  the  steward  to  the  forester.  There  is  a  particular  moun< 
tain,  and  above  a  mile  of  ground  surrounding  it,  to  which  no  man  hath  access  to  hunt, 
this  place  being  reserved  fov  Mueleod  himself ;  who,  when  he  is  disposed  to  hunt,  is 
sure  to  find  game  enough  there. 

BotI)  hillb  and  vallies  in  the  forest  arc  well  provided  with  plenty  of  good  grass  mixed 
with  heath,  which  is  all  the  shelter  these  deer  have  during  the  winter  and  spring*  *.  there 
is  not  a  shrub  of  wood  to  be  seen  in  all  the  forest;  and,  whenastorir  .oi.  the 
deer  betake  themselves  to  the  sea-coast,  where  they  feed  upon  the  alga  ma.  '  *»,  ..  aca- 
ware. 

The  mertrick,  a  four-footed  creature,  about  the  size  of  a  big  cat,  is  pretty  numerous 
in  this  isle ;  they  have  a  iir"  skin,  which  is  smooth  as  any  fur,  and  of  a  brown  colour. 
They  say  that  the  dung  of  thi    animal  yields  a  scent  like  musk. 

The  amphibia  here  are  otters  and  seals  ;  the  latter  are  eat  by  the  meaner  sort  of  peo- 
ple, who  say  they  are  very  nourishing.  'I'he  natives  take  them  with  nets,  whose  ends 
are  tied  by  a  rope  to  the  Rirongalga,  or  sea- ware,  growing  on  the  rocks. 

This  island  abounds  with  variety  of  land  and  sea-fuwl,  and  particularly  with  very 
good  hawks. 

There  are  eagles  here  of  two  sorts  ;  the  one  is  of  a  large  size  and  gray  colour,  and 
these  are  very  destructive  to  ihe  fawns,  sheep,  and  lambs. 

The  other  is  considerabi/  less,  and  black,  and  shaped  like  a  hawk,  and  more  de- 
structive  to  the  deer,  &c.  than  the  bigger  sdrt. 

There  are  no  Vv^nomous  creatures  of  any  kind  here,  except  a  little  viper,  which  wr 
not  thought  venomous  till  of  late,  that  a  woman  died  of  a  wound  she  received  frovd 
one  of  them. 

1  have  seen  a  great  many  rats  in  the  village  Ruwdil,  which  became  very  troublesome 
to  the  natives,  and  destroyed  all  their  corn,  milk,  butter,  cheese,  &c.  They  could 
not  extirpate  these  vermin  for  some  time  by  all  their  endeavours.  A  considerable 
number  of  cats  was  employed  for  this  end,  but  were  still  worsted,  and  became  per. 
fcctly  faint,  because  overpowered  by  the  rats  who  were  twenty  to  one.  At  length  one 
of  the  natives,  of  more  sagacity  than  his  neighbours,  found  an  expedient  to  renew  his 
cat's  strength  and  courage,  which  was  by  giving  it  warm  milk  after  every  encounter 
with  the  rats ;  and  the  like  being  given  to  all  the  other  cats  after  every  battle,  ^r->c- 
ceeded  so  well,  that  they  left  not  one  rat  alive,  notwithstanding  the  great  numb>  r  A 
them  on  the  place. 

On  the  east  side  the  village  Rovvdil,  there  is  a  circle  of  stone,  within  eight  yards  at' 
the  shore  ;  it  is  about  three  fathom  under  water,  and  about  tv\ro  stories  high  ;  it  is  in 
form  broader  above  than  below,  like  to  the  lower  story  of  a  kiln :  I  saw  it  perfectly  on 
one  side,  but  the  season  being  then  windy,  hindered  me  from  a  fuU  view  of  it.  The 
natives  say  that  there  is  such  another  circle  of  less  compass  in  the  pool  Borodil,  on  the 
other  side  the  bay. 


i!t 


WESTIRN    ISLANDS  07  SCOTLAND. 


587 


if} 
'■'' 


rounds, 
them  oi 
e  place. 

Lewis, 
ills,  and 
?ear. 
lUed  the 
er  com< 
I  to  hunt 
r  moun- 

to  hunt, 
hunt,  IS 

iS  mixed 
jy:  there 
(  the 
,   ..:  aca- 

lumerous 
n  colour. 

t  of  peo- 
lose  ends 

I'ith  very 

our,  and 

more  de- 

hich  wf  • 
ved  froTu 

ublesome 
ley  could 
isiderable 
:ame  per- 
ength  one 
renew  his 
encounter 
ittle,  vnz' 
mmb'  '  J 

it  yards  ot 
;  it  is  in 

rfectly  on 
it.    The 

lil,  on  the 


The  shore  on  the  west  coast  of  this  island  affords  a  variety  of  curious  shells  and  walks  ; 
as  Tellinse  and  Turbines  of  various  kinds  ;  thin  Pav^llae,  streaked  blue,  various  coloured, 
Pcctenes,  some  blue,  and  some  of  orange  colours. 

The  Os-sepie  is  found  on  the  sand  in  great  quantities.     The  natives  pulverize  it,  and 
take  a  dose  of  it  in  boiled  milk,  which  is  found  by  experience  to  be  an  effectual  reracdv 
against  the  diarrhea  and  dysenteria.     They  rub  this  powder  likewise,  to  take  off"  the 
film  on  the  eyes  of  sheep. 

There  is  variety  of  nuts,  called  MoUuka  beans,  some  of  which  are  used  as  amulets 
against  witchcraft,  or  an  evil  eye,  particularly  the  white  one ;  and  upon  this  account,  they 
are  wore  about  childrens'  necks,  and  if  any  evil  eye  is  intended  to  them,  they  say  the 
nut  changes  into  a  black  colour.  That  they  did  change  colour,  I  found  true  by  my 
own  observation,  but  cannot  be  positive  as  to  the  cause  of  it. 

Malcolm  Campbell,  steward  of  Harries,  told  mc,  that  some  weeks  before  my  arrival 
there,  all  his  cows  gave  blood  instead  of  milk  for  several  days  togetiier :  one  of  the 
neighbours  told  his  wife  that  this  must  be  witchcraft,  and  it  would  be  easy  to  renove 
it,  if  she  would  but  take  the  white  nut,  called  the  Virgin  Mary's  nut,  and  lay  it  in  the 
pail  into  which  she  was  to  milk  the  cows.  This  advice  she  presently  followed,  and  having 
milked  one  cow  into  the  pail  with  the  nut  in  it,  the  milk  was  all  blood,  and  the  nut 
changed  its  colour  into  dark  brown  ;  she  used  the  nut  again,  and  all  the  cows  gave  pure 
good  milk,  which  they  ascribe  to  the  virtue  of  the  nut.  This  very  nut  Mr.  Campbell 
presented  me  with,  and  I  keep  it  still  by  me. 

Some  small  cuantity  of  ambergrease  hath  been  found  on  the  coast  of  the  island  Ber- 
nera.  I  was  told  that  a  weaver  in  this  island  had  burnt  a  lump  of  it,  to  show  him  a 
light  for  the  most  part  of  the  night,  but  the  strong  scent  of  it  made  his  head  ache  ex. 
ceedingly,  by  which  it  was  discovered. 

An  ancient  women,  about  sixty  years  of  age,  here  lost  her  hearing,  and  having  no 
physician  to  give  her  advice,  she  would  needs  try  an  experiment  herself,  which  was 
thus :  she  took  a  quill  with  which  she  ordinarily  snushed  her  tobacco,  and  filling  it 
with  the  powder  of  tobacco,  poured  it  into  her  ear ;  which  had  the  desired  effect,  for 
she  could  hear  perfectly  well  next  day.  Another  neighbour  about  the  same  age,  having 
lost  her  hearing  some  time  after,  recovered  it  by  ti^?  same  experiment,  as  I  was  told  by 
the  natives. 

The  sheep,  which  feed  here  on  sandy  ground,  becoLi;  blind  sometimes,  and  are  cured 
by  rubbing  chalk  in  their  eyes. 

A  servant  of  Sir  Normond  Macleod's  living  in  the  island  of  Bemera,  had  a  mare 
that  brought  forth  a  foal  with  both  the  hinder  feet  cloven,  which  died  about  a  year 
after :  the  natives  concluded  that  it  was  a  bad  omen  to  the  owner,  and  his  death,  which 
followed  in  a  few  years  after,  confirmed  them  in  their  opinion. 

The  natives  make  use  of  the  seeds  of  a  white  wild  carrot,  instead  of  hops,  for  brew- 
ing  their  beer ;  and  they  say  that  it  E..iswers  the  end  sufficiently  well,  and  gives  the  drink 
a  good  relish  besides. 

John  Can  pbell,  forester  of  Harries,  makes  use  of  this  singular  remedy  for  a  cold : 
he  walks  into  the  sea  up  to  the  middle  with  his  clothes  on,  and  immediately  after 
goes  to  bed  in  li>is  wet  clothes,  and  then  laying  the  bed-clothes  over  him,  procures  a 
sweat,  which  removes  the  distemper ;  and  this,  he  told  me,  is  his  only  remedy  for  all 
manner  of  colds.  One  of  the  said  John  Campbell's  servants  having  his  cheek  swelled, 
and  there  being  no  physician  near,  he  asked  his  master's  advice ;  he  knew  nothing 
proper  for  him,  but  however  bid  him  apply  a  plaister  of  warm  barley-dough  to  the 
place  affected.    This  assuaged  the  swelling,  and  drew  out  of  the  flesh  a  little  worm, 

4f2 


t 


588 


MAUTIN^S    DEUCUirilON    OF    THE 


aljout  half  an  inch  in  length,  and  about  the  bigness  of  a  goosc-quill,  having  a  pointed 
head,  ami  msmy  little  feet  on  each  side :  ihis  worm  they  call  fillan,  and  it  hath  been 
found  in  the  head  and  ncck  of  sevrral  pcri>ons  that  I  have  seen  in  the  isleof  Skie. 

Allium  Latifolium,  a  kind  of  wild  garlic,  is  much  used  by  some  of  the  natives,  as  it 
remedy  against  the  stone :  they  boil  it  in  water,  and  drink  the  infusion,  and  it  expels 
sand  powerfully,  with  great  ease. 

The  natives  told  me,  that  the  rock  on  the  cast  side  of  Harries,  in  the  soi  nd  of  island 
Glass,  hath  a  vacuity  near  the  front,  on  the  north-west  side  of  the  sound ;  in  which 
they  say  there  is  a  stone  that  they  call  the  Limar-stone,  which  advances  and  retires  ac- 
cording to  the  increase  and  decrease  of  the  moon. 

A  poor  man  born  in  the  village  Rowdil,  commonly  called  St.  Clement's-blind,  lost 
his  sight  at  every  chan{r<^  of  the  moon,  which  obliged  him  to  keep  his  bed  for  a  day  or 
two,  and  thei^.  recoverc.      '    ■'•"■ht. 

The  inferior  islands  bci.  to  Harries  are  as  follow :  the  island  Bernera  is  five 

miles  in  circumference,  and  in  about  two  leagues  to  the  south  of  Harries.  The  soil  is 
sandy  for  the  most  part,  and  yields  a  great  product  of  barley  and  rye  in  a  plentiful  year, 
especially  if  the  ground  be  enriched  by  sea-ware,  and  that  there  be  rain  enough  to 
satisfy  the  dr)-  soil.  I  had  the  opportunity  to  travel  this  island  several  times,  and  upon 
a  strict  inquiry  I  found  the  product  of  barley  to  be  sometimes  twenty-fold  and  upwards, 
and  at  that  time  all  the  east  bide  of  the  island  produced  thirty-fold.  This  hath  been 
confirmed  to  me  by  the  natives,  particularly  by  Sir  Normond  Macleod,  who  possesses 
the  island  ;  he  likewise  confirmed  to  me  the  account  given  by  all  the  natives  ot  Harries 
and  South- Vist,  viz.  that  one  barley-grain  produces  in  some  places  seven,  ten,  twelve, 
and  fourteen  ears  of  barley  ;  of  which  he  himself  being  diffident  for  some  time,  was  at 
the  pains  to  search  nicely  the  root  of  one  gram  after  some  weeks  growth,  and  found 
that  from  this  one  grain  many  cars  had  been  grown  up.  But  this  happens  not,  except 
when  the  season  is  very  favourable,  or  in  grounds  that  have  not  <)een  cultivated  some 
years  before ;  which,  if  manured  with  sea-ware,  seldom  fail  to  produce  an  extraordinary- 
crop.  It  is  observed  in  this  island,  as  elsewhere,  that  when  the  ground  is  dug  up  with 
spades,  and  the  turfs  turned  upside  down,  and  covered  with  sea- ware,  it  yields  a  better 
product  than  when  it  is  ploughed. 

There  is  a  fresh-water  lake  in  this  island,  called  Loch-Bruist,  in  which  there  are 
small  islands,  abounding  with  land  and  sea-fowl,  which  buikl  there  in  the  summer. 
There  is  likewise  plenty  of  eels  in  this  lake,  which  are  easiest  caught  in  September ; 
and  then  the  natives  carry  lights  with  them  in  the  night  time  to  the  rivulet  running 
from  the  lake,  in  which  the  eels  fall  down  to  the  sea  in  heapr,  together. 

This  island  in  the  summer  is  covered  all  over  with  clover  and  daisy,  except  in  the 
corn-fields.  There  is  to  be  seen  about  the  houses  of  Bernera,  for  the  space  of  a  mile, 
a  soft  substance,  in  shew  and  colour  exactly  resembling  the  sea-plant  called  slake,  and 
grows  very  thick  among  the  grass.  The  natives  say,  that  it  is  the  product  of  a  dry  hot 
soil ;  it  grows  likewise  on  the  tops  of  several  hills  in  the  island  of  Harries. 

It  is  proper  to  add  here  an  account  of  several  strange  irregularities  in  the  tides,  on 
Bernera  coast,  by  sir  Robert  Murray,  mentioned  in  the  Phil.  Transactions. 

The  tides  increase  and  decrease  gradually,  according  to  the  moon's  age,  so  as  about 
the  third  day  after  the  new  and  full  moon,  in  the  Western  Isles  and  Continent,  they  are 
commonly  at  the  highest,  and  about  the  quarter  moons  at  the  lowest :  (the  former  called 
spring-tides,  the  other  neap-tides.)  The  tides  from  the  quarter  to  the  highest  spring- 
tide increase  in  a  certain  proportion,  and  froTi  the  spring-tide  to  the  quarter-tide  in  like 
proportion ;  and  the  ebbs  rise  and  foU  always  after  the  same  manner. 


WESTERN    ISLANDS    Of    SCOTLAND. 


589 


pointetl 
th  been 
e. 

'es,  as  a 
t  expels 

}f  island 
[1  which 
tires  ac- 

ind,  lost 
a  day  or 

a  is  fivt 
lie  soil  is 
iful  year, 
lOugh  to 
nd  upon 
upwards, 
lath  been 
possesses 
'  Harries 
1,  twelve, 
e,  was  at 
nd  found 
t,  except 
ited  some 
aordinary 
y  up  with 
s  a  better 

there  are 
;  summer, 
ptember ; 
t  running 

ept  in  the 

of  a  mile, 

ilake,  and 

a  dry  hot 

tides,  on 

0  as  about 
t,  they  are 
mer  called 
:st  spring- 
ide  m  like 


It  is  supposed  that  the  increase  of  tides  is  made  in  the  proportion  of  sines :  the  first 
increase  exceeds  the  lowest  in  a  small  proportion,  the  next  in  a  greater,  tlie  third  greater 
than  that,  and  so  on  to  the  middlemost,  whereof  the  excess  is  greatest ;  diminislung 
again  from  that  to  the  highest  spring*tide,  so  as  the  proportions  before  and  after  the 
middle  r)o  answer  one  another.  And  likewise  from  tlic  highest  spring-tide  to  the 
lowest  i..ap-tide  the  decreases  seem  to  keep  the  like  proportions  ;  and  this  commonly 
falls  out  when  no  wind  or  other  accident  causes  an  alteration.  At  the  beginning  of 
each  flood  on  the  coast,  the  tide  moves  fiister,  but  in  a  small  degree,  increasing  its  swift- 
ness till  towards  the  middle  of  the  flood ;  and  then  decreasing  in  swiftness  again  from 
the  middle  to  the  top  of  the  high- water ;  it  is  supposed  that  the  unequal  spaces  of  time, 
the  increase  and  decrease  of  swiftness,  and  consequently  the  degrees  of  the  risings  and 
fallings  of  the  same  unequal  si>aces  of  time,  are  performed  according  to  the  proportion 
of  sines.  The  proportion  cannot  hold  precisely  and  exactly  in  regard  of  the  inequali- 
ties that  fall  out  in  the  periods  of  the  tides,  which  are  believed  to  follow  certain  positions 
of  the  moon  in  regard  to  the  equinox,  which  are  known  not  to  keep  a  precise  constant 
course ;  so  that  there  not  being  equal  portions  of  time  between  one  new  moon  and 
another,  the  moon's  return  to  the  same  meridian  cannot  be  always  performed  in  the 
same  time.  And  the  tides  from  the  new  moon  being  not  always  the  same  in  number, 
or  sometimes  but  fifty-seven,  sometimes  fifty-eight,  sometimes  fifty-nine  (without  any 
certain  order  or  succession)  is  another  evidence  of  the  cUfliculty  of  reducing  this  to  any 
great  exactness. 

At  the  e  St  end  of  this  isle  there  is  a  strange  reciprocation  of  the  flux  and  reflux  of 
the  sea.  There  is  another  no  less  remarkable  upon  the  west  side  of  the  Long-Island ; 
the  tides  which  come  from  the  south-west  run  along  the  coast  northward ;  so  that  dur- 
ing the  ordinary  course  of  the  tides  the  flood  runs  east  in  the  Frith  where  Berneray  lies, 
and  the  ebb  west ;  and  thus  the  sea  ebbs  and  flows  orderly,  some  four  days  before  the 
full  and  change,  and  as  long  after;  (the  ordinary  spring-tides  rising  some  fourteen  or 
fifteen  foot  upright,  and  all  the  rest  proportionably,  as  in  other  places,)  but  afterwards, 
for  four  days  before  the  quarter  moons,  and  as  long  after,  there  is  constantly  a  great  and 
singular  variation.  For  then  (a  southerly  moon  making  there  the  full  sea)  the  course 
of  the  tide  being  eastward,  when  it  begins  to  flow,  which  is  about  nine  and  a  half  of 
the  clock,  it  not  only  continues  so  about  three  and  a  half  in  the  afternoon,  that  it  be 
high-water ;  but  after  it  begins  to  ebb,  the  current  runs  on  still  eastward  during  the 
whole  ebb ;  so  that  it  runs  eastward  twelve  hours  together,  that  is,  all  day  long,  from 
about  nine  and  a  half  in  the  morning  till  about  nine  and  a  half  at  night.  But  then, 
when  the  night-tide  begins  to  flow,  the  current  turns,  and  runs  westward  all  night,  dur. 
ing  both  flood  and  ebb,  for  some  twelve  hours  more,  as  it  did  eastward  the  day  before. 
And  thus  the  reciprocations  continue,  one  flood  and  ebb  running  twelve  hours  eastward, 
and  another  twelve  hours  westward,  till  four  days  before  the  full  and  new  moon ;  and 
then  they  resume  their  ordinary  regular  course  as  before,  running  east  during  the  six 
hours  of  flood,  and  west  during  the  six  of  ebb. 

There  is  another  extraordinary  irregularity  in  the  tides,  which  never  fails  :  that 
whereas  between  the  vernal  and  autumnal  equinox,  that  is,  for  six  months  together,  the 
course  of  irregular  tides,  about  the  quarter  moons,  is  to  run  all  day,  12  hours,  as  from 
about  nine  and  a  half  to  nine  and  a  half  or  ten,  exactly  eastward ;  all  night,  that  is,  twelve 
hour*;  more,  westward ;  during  the  other  six  months,  from  the  autumnal  to  the  vernal 
equinox,  the  current  runs  all  day  westward,  and  all  night  eastward.  I  have  observed 
the  tides  as  above,  for  the  space  of  some  days,  both  in  April,  May,  July,  and  August. 


'■ » 


fill* 


>mi 


M^i 


)90 


mahtin's  description  of  the 


The  natives  have  frequent  opportunities  to  see  this  both  day  and  night,  and  they  alt 
agree  that  the  tides  run  as  mentioned  above. 

There  is  a  couple  of  ravens  in  this  island,  which  beat  away  all  ravenous  fowls,  and 
when  their  young  are  able  to  fly  abroad,  they  beat  them  also  out  of  the  island,  but  not 
without  many  blows,  and  u  great  noise. 

There  are  two  chapels  in  this  isle  ;  to  wit,  St.  Asaph's  and  St.  Columbus's  chapel. 
There  is  a  stone  erected  near  the  former,  which  is  eight  feet  high,  and  two  feet  thick. 

About  half  a  league  from  Berncra,  to  the  westward,  lies  the  island  Pabbay,  three  miles 
in  circumference,  and  having  a  mountain  in  the  middle.  The  soil  is  sandy,  and  fruitful 
in  corn  and  grass,  and  the  natives  have  lately  discovered  here  a  white  marble.  The 
west  end  of  this  island,  which  looks  to  St.  Kilda,  is  called  the  Wooden  Harbour,  because 
the  sands  at  low-water  discover  several  trees  that  have  formerly  grown  there.  Sir  Nor- 
mond  Macleod  told  me,  that  he  had  seen  a  tree  cut  there,  which  was  afterwards  made 
into  a  harrow. 

There  are  two  c  hapels  in  this  island,  one  of  which  is  dedicated  to  the  Virgin  Mary, 
the  other  to  St.  Muluag. 

The  steward  of  Kilda,  who  lives  in  Pabbay,  is  accustomed  in  time  of  a  storm  to  tie  a 
bundle  of  puddings,  made  of  the  fat  of  sea.  fowl,  to  the  end  of  his  c^ble,  and  lets  it 
fall  into  the  sea  behind  the  rudder  ;  this,  he  says,  hinders  the  waves  from  breaking, 
and  calms  the  sea  ;  but  the  scent  of  the  grease  attracts  the  whales,  which  put  the  vessel 
in  danger. 

About  half  a  league  to  the  north  of  Pabbay,  lies  the  isle  Sellay,  a  mile  in  circumfe- 
rence, that  yields  extraordinary  pasturage  fur  sheep,  so  that  they  become  fat  very  soon ; 
they  have  the  biggest  horns  that  ever  I  saw  on  sheep. 

About  a  league  further  to  the  north,  lies  the  isle  Taransay,  very  fruitful  in  corn  and 
grass,  and  yields  much  yello./  talk.  It  is  three  miles  in  circumference,  and  has  two 
chapels,  one  dedicated  to  St.  Tarran,  the  other  to  St.  Keith. 

There  is  an  ancient  tradition  among  the  natives  here,  that  a  man  must  not  be  buried 
in  St.  Tarran's,  nor  a  woman  in  St.  Keith's,  because  otherwise  the  corpse  would  be  found 
above-ground  the  day  after  it  is  interred.  I  told  them  this  was  a  most  ridiculous  fancy* 
which  they  might  soon  perceive  by  experience,  if  they  would  but  put  it  to  atrial. 
Roderick  Campbell,  who  reside^,  'here,  being  of  my  opinion,  resolved  to  embrace  the 
first  opportunity  that  offered,  in  ora«.r  to  undeceive  the  credulous  vulgar ;  and  accord- 
ingly a  poor  man  in  this  island,  who  died  a  year  after,  was  buried  in  St.  Tarran's  cha- 
pel, contrary  to  the  ancient  custom  and  tradition  of  this  place,  but  his  corpse  is  still  in 
the  grave,  from  whence  it  is  not  like  to  rise  until  the  general  resurrection.  This  in- 
stance has  delivered  the  credulous  natives  from  this  unreasonable  fancy.  This  island 
is  a  mile  distant  from  the  main  land  of  Harries,  and  when  the  inhabitants  go  from  this 
island  to  Harries,  with  a  design  to  stay  for  any  time,  they  agree  with  those  that  carry 
them  over,  on  a  particular  motion  of  walking  upon  a  certain  piece  of  ground,  unknown 
to  every  body  but  themselves,  as  a  signal  to  bring  them  back. 

Three  leagues  to  the  westward  of  this  island  lies  Gasker,  about  half  a  mile  in  circum- 
ference ;  it  excels  any  other  plot  of  its  extent  for  fruitfulness  in  grass  and  product  of 
milk  ;  it  maintains  eight  or  ten  cows.     The  natives  kill  seals  here,  which  are  very  big. 
About  two  leagues  farther  north  lies  the  island  Scarp,  two  miles  in  circumference, 
and  IS  a  high  land,  covered  with  heath  and  grass. 

Between  Bernera  and  the  main  land  of  Harries  lies  the  island  Ensay,  which  is  above 
two  miles  in  circumference,  and  for  the  most  part  arable  ground,  which  is  fruitful  in 


WESTERN    ISLANDS   OF    SCOTLAND. 


591 


corn  anci  grass  ;  there  is  an  old  chapel  here  for  the  use  of  the  natives  ;  and  there  was 
lately  discovered  a  grave  in  the  west  end  of  the  island,  in  which  was  found  a  pair  of 
scales  made  of  brass,  and  a  little  hammer,  bo'h  which  were  finely  polished. 

Between  Ensay  and  the  main  land  of  Hurries,  lie  several  small  islands,  fitter  fur  pas< 
turage  than  cultivation. 

The  little  island  Qucdam  hath  a  vein  of  adamant  stone,  in  the  front  of  the  rock. 
The  natives  say  that  mice  do  not  live  in  this  island,  and  when  they  chance  to  be  carried 
thither  among  corn  they  die  quickly  after.  Without  tliese  small  islands,  there  is  a  tract 
of  small  isles  in  the  same  line  with  the  east  side  uf  the  Harries  and  North- Vist ;  they 
are  in  all  respects  of  the  same  nature  with  those  two  islands,  so  that  the  sight  of  them 
is  apt  to  dispose  one  to  think  that  they  have  been  once  united  together. 

The  most  southerly  of  these  islands,  and  the  nearest  tu  North- Vist  is  Hermetra,  two 
iTiiles  in  circumference  :  it  is  a  moorish  soil,  covered  all  over  almost  with  heath,  except 
here  and  there  a  few  piles  of  grass,  and  the  plant  milk- wort :  yet,  notwithstanding  this 
disadvantage,  it  is  certainly  the  best  spot  of  its  extent  for  pasturage,  among  these  isles, 
and  affords  great  plenty  of  milk  in  January  and  February  beyond  what  can  be  seen  in 
th&  other  islands. 

I  saw  here  the  foundation  of  a  house  built  by  the  English,  in  Charles  the  First's 
time,  for  one  of  their  magazines  to  lay  up  the  cask,  salt,  Sec.  for  carrying  on  th:  fishery, 
which  was  then  begun  in  the  Western  Islands ;  but  this  design  miscarried,  b(:A:ause  of 
the  civil  wars  which  then  broke  out. 

The  channel  between  Harries  and  North- Vist,  is  about  three  leagues  in  breadth,  and 
abounds  with  rocks,  as  well  under  as  above  water ;  though  at  the  same  time  vessels  of 
three  hundred  tons  have  gone  through  it,  from  east  to  west,  having  the  advantage  of 
one  of  the  natives  for  a  pilot.  Some  sixteen  years  ago,  one  captain  Frost  was  safelv 
conducted  in  this  manner.  The  Harries  belongs  in  property  to  the  laird  of  Macleod  ; 
he  and  all  the  inhabitants  are  Protestants,  and  observe  the  festivals  of  Christmas,  Good- 
Friday,  and  St.  Michael's  day ;  upon  the  latter,  they  rendezvous  on  horseback,  and 
make  their  cavalcade  on  the  sands  at  low  water. 

The  island  of  North- Vist  lies  about  three  leagues  to  the  south  of  the  island  of  Har- 
ries, being  in  form  of  a  semicircle,  the  diameter  of  which  looks  to  the  east,  and  is  moun- 
tainous and  full  of  heath,  and  fitter  .for  pasturage  than  cultivation.  The  west  side  is  of 
a  quite  different  soil,  arable  and  plain  ;  the  whole  is  in  length  from  south  to  north  nine 
miles,  and  about  thirty  in  circumference. 

There  are  four  mountains  in  the  middle,  two  lie  within  less  than  a  mile  of  each 
other,  and  are  called  South  and  North  Lee.  All  the  bills  and  heath  afford  good  pas- 
tur^e,  though  it  consists  as  much  of  heath  as  grass.  The  arable  ground  hath  a  mixture 
of  clay  in  some  places,  and  it  is  covered  all  over  in  summer  time  and  harvest  with  clover, 
daisy,  and  variety  of  other  plants,  pleasant  to  the  sight,  and  of  a  very  fragrant  smell ; 
and  abounds  with  black  cattle  and  sheep.  The  soil  is  very  grateful  to  the  husband- 
man, yielding  a  produce  of  barley,  from  ten  to  thirty  (bid  in  a  plentiful  year  ;  provided 
the  ground  be  manured  with  sea- ware,  and  that  it  have  raip  proportionable  to  the  soil. 
I  have,  upon  several  occasions,  inquired  concerning  the  produce  of  barley  in  this  and 
the  neighbouring  islands  ;  the  same  being  much  doubted  in  the  south  of  Scotland,  as 
well  as  in  England ;  and,  upon  the  whole,  I  have  been  assured  by  the  most  ancient  and 
industrious  uf  the  natives,  that  the  increase  is  the  same  as  mentioned  before  in  Harries. 

They  told  me,  likewise,  that  aplotofground  which  hath  lain  uninanurcd  for  some 
years  would,  in  a  ver^  plentiful  season  produce  fourteen  ears  of  barley  from  one  grain  ; 
several  ridges  were  then  shewed  me  of  this  extraordinary  growth,  in  different  places. 


(J 


,ni. 


I' I 


fi 


592 


maiitin's  description  of  the 


TI)C  grain  sown  here  is  bnrley,  oats,  rye ;  and  it  is  not  to  be  doubted  but  the  soil  would 
nho  produce  wheat.  The  way  of  tillage  here  is  commonly  by  ploughing,  and  some  by 
dif^ginj^.  The  ordinary  plough  is  drawn  by  four  horses,  and  they  nave  a  little  plough 
ci\lltd  ristic,  /.  ('.  a  thing  that  cleaves,  the  coulter  of  which  is  in  form  of  a  sickle ;  and 
it  is  drawn  sometimes  by  one,  and  sometimes  by  two  horses,  according  as  the  ground 
is.  The  design  of  this  little  plough  is  to  draw  a  deep  line  in  the  ground,  to  make  it 
more  easy  for  the  big  plough  to  follow,  which  otherwise  would  be  much  retarded  by  the 
strong  roots  bent  lying  deep  in  the  ground,  that  are  cut  by  the  little  plough.  When 
thev  dig  with  spades,  it  produceth  more  increase ;  the  little  plough  is  likewise  used  to 
facilitate  digging  as  well  as  ploughing.  They  continue  to  manure  the  ground  until  the 
tenth  of  June,  if  they  have  plenty  of  braggir,  /.  e.  the  broad  leaves  growing  on  the  top 
of  the  alga-marina. 

About  a  league  and  a  half  to  the  south  of  the  island  Hermetra,  in  Harries,  lies  Loch- 
Maddy,  so  called  from  the  three  rocks  without  the  entry,  on  the  south  side.  They  are 
called  Maddies,  from  the  great  quantity  of  big  muscles,  called  Maddics,  that  grows  up- 
on them.  This  harbour  is  capacious  enough  for  some  hundreds  of  vessels  of  any  bur- 
den :  it  hath  several  isles  within  it,  and  they  contribute  to  the  security  of  the  harbour, 
for  u  vessel  may  safely  come  close  to  the  quay.  The  seamen  divide  the  harbour  in  two 
parts,  calling  the  south  side  Loeh-Maddy,  and  the  north  side  Loch-Partan.  There  is 
one  island  in  the  south  loch,  which,  for  its  commodiousness,  is  by  the  English  called 
Nonsucli.  This  loch  hath  been  fiimous  for  the  great  quantity  of  herrings  yearly  taken 
in  it  within  these  fifty  years  last  past.  The  natives  told  me,  that  in  the  memory  of 
some  yet  alive,  there  had  been  four  hundred  sail  loaded  at  it  with  herrings  in  one  sea- 
son ;  but  it  is  not  now  frequented  for  fishing,  though  the  herrings  do  still  abound  in  it ; 
and  on  this  coast,  every  summer  and  harvest,  the  natives  sit  angling  on  the  rocks,  and 
as  they  pull  up  their  hooks,  do  many  times  bring  up  herrings.  That  they  are  always 
on  the  coast,  appears  from  the  birds,  whales,  and  other  fishes,  that  are  their  forerun- 
ners every  where ;  and  yet  it  is  strange,  that  in  all  this  island  there  is  not  one  herring- 
net  to  be  had  :  but  if  the  natives  saw  any  encouragement,  they  could  soon  provide  them. 
Cod,  ling,  and  all  sort  of  fish  taken  in  these  islands,  abound  in  and  about  this  lake. 

In  this  harbour  there  is  a  small  island  called  Vacksay,  in  which  there  is  still  to  be 
seen  the  foundation  of  a  house,  built  by  the  English,  for  a  magazine  to  keep  their  cask, 
salt,  &c.  for  carrying  on  a  great  fishery  which  was  then  begun  there.  The  natives  told 
me,  that  king  Charles  I,  had  a  share  in  it.  This  lake,  with  the  convenience  of  its 
fishings  and  islands,  is  certainly  capable  of  great  improvement ;  much  of  the  ground 
about  the  bay  is  capable  of  cultivation,  and  affords  a  great  deal  of  fuel,  as  turf,  peats, 
and  plenty  of  fresh  water.  It  also  affords  a  good  quantity  of  oysters,  and  clam  shell- 
fish ;  the  former  grow  on  rocks,  and  are  so  big,  that  they  are  cut  in  four  pieces  before 
they  are  eat. 

About  half  a  mile  further  south  is  Loch-Eport,  having  a  rock  without  the  mouth  of 
the  entry,  which  is  narrow ;  the  lake  penetrates  some  miles  towards  the  west,  and  is  a 
good  harbour,  having  several  small  isles  within  it.  The  seals  are  very  numerous  here. 
In  the  month  of  July  the  spring-tides  carry  in  a  great  quantity  of  Mackrel,  and  at  the 
return  of  the  water  they  arc  found  many  times  lying  on  the  rocks.  The  vulgar  na- 
tives make  use  of  the  ashes  of  burnt  sea  ware,  which  preserves  them  for  some  time,  in- 
stead of  salt. 

About  two  miles  to  the  south  of  Loch-Eport  lies  the  bay  called  the  Kyle  of  Rona ; 
having  the  island  of  that  name  (which  is  a  little  hill)  within  the  bay ;  there  is  a  harlx>ur 
on  each  side  of  it.     This  place  hath  been  found  of  great  convenience  for  the  fishing  of  cod 


!^ 


WIITERN    ISLANDS    OF    SCOTLAND. 


.IW 


ail  would 
some  by 
Ic  plough 
:kte;  and 
\c  ground 
3  niuke  it 
led  by  the 
I.  When 
ic  used  to 
1  until  the 
on  the  top 

lies  Loch- 
They  are 
grows  up- 
f  any  bur- 
e  harbour, 
our  in  two 

There  is 
lish  called 
•arly  taken 
nemory  of 
in  one  sea* 
lund  in  it ; 
rocks,  and 
ire  always 
ir  forerun- 
ic  herriug- 
tvide  them, 
i  lake, 
still  to  be 

their  cask, 
latives  told 
ence  of  its 
the  ground 
urf,  peats, 
clam  shell- 
eces  before 

le  mouth  of 
St,  and  is  a 
crous  here, 
and  at  the 
vulgar  na. 
ne  time,  in- 

of  Rona ; 
is  a  harbour 
shingof  cod 


und  ling,  which  abound  on  this  coast.  There  is  a  little  chapel  in  the  islniul  Honn,  called 
the  Lowlanders'  chapel,  because  seamen  who  die  in  time  of  fiihiiig  ure  buried  in  rhat 
place. 

There  is  a  harbour  on  the  south  side  the  island  Borcra  ;  the  entry  seems  to  Ik*  nar- 
rower than  really  it  is  :  the  island  and  the  opposite  point  of  land  appear  like  two  little 
promontories  oft' at  sea.  Some  vessels  have  been  forced  in  there  b)  storm,  as  was  cum- 
tain  Peters,  a  Dutchman,  and  after  him  an  English  shin,  who  both  approved  of  this 
harbour.  The  former  built  a  cock-boat  thereon  a  Sunday,  at  which  the  natives  were 
much  ofiended :  the  latter  having  landed  in  the  island,  happened  to  cume  into  a  hduse 
where  he  found  only  ten  women,  and  they  were  employed  (as  he  sup|)o^(d)  in  a  strange 
manner,  viz.  their  arms  and  legs  were  bare,  being  five  on  a  side  ;  and  between  tli' in 
lay  a  board,  upon  which  they  had  laid  a  piece  of  cloth,  and  were  thickening  of  it  with 
their  hands  and  feet,  and  singing  all  the  while.  The  Knglishman  presently  concluded 
it  to  be  a  little  bedlam,  which  he  did  not  expect  in  so  remote  a  corner ;  and  this  lie 
told  to  Mr.  John  Maclean,  who  possesses  the  island.  Mr.  M  tclean  answered,  he  never 
saw  any  mud  people  in  those  islands  :  but  this  would  not  satisfv  him,  till  they  both  went 
to  the  place  where  the  women  were  at  work;  and  then,  Mr.  Maclean  having  told  him 
that  it  was  their  common  way  of  thickening  cloth,  he  was  convinced,  though  surpribed 
at  the  manner  of  it. 

There  is  such  a  number  of  fresh-water  lakes  here  as  can  hardly  be  believed  :  I  myself 
and  several  others  endeavoured  to  number  them,  but  in  vain,  for  they  are  so  dispsed 
into  turnings,  that  it  is  impracticable.  They  are  generally  well  stocked  with  trouts  and 
eels,  and  some  of  them  with  salmon  ;  and,  which  is  yet  more  strange,  cod,  ling,  mackerel, 
&c.  are  taken  in  these  lakes,  into  which  they  are  brought  by  the  spring- tides. 

These  lakes  have  many  small  islands,  which  in  sinnmer  abound  with  variety  of  land 
and  sea-fowls,  that  build  and  hatch  there.  There  are  also  several  rivers  here  which 
afford  salmon  :  one  sort  of  them  is  very  singular,  that  is  called  marled  salmon,  or,  as 
the  natives  call  it,  ieskdruimin,  being  lesser  than  the  ordinary  salmon,  and  full  of  strong 
large  scales  ;  no  bait  can  allure  it,  and  a  shadow  frights  it  away,  being  the  wildest  oif 
fishes :  it  leaps  high  above  the  water,  and  delights  to  be  on  the  surface  of  it. 

There  is  great  plenty  of  shell-fish  round  this  island,  more  particularly  cockles:  the 
islands  do  also  afford  many  small  fish  called  eels,  of  a  whitish  colour  ;  they  are  picked 
out  of  the  sand  with  a  small  crooked  iron  made  on  purpose.  There  is  plenty  of  lob- 
sters on  the  west  side  of  this  island,  and  one  sort  bigger  than  the  rest,  having  the  toe 
shorter  and  broader. 

There  are  several  ancient  forts  in  this  island,  built  upon  eminences,  or  in  the  middle 
of  fresh-water  lakes. 

Here  are  likewise  several  cairns  or  heaps  of  stones  :  the  biggest  I  observed  was  on  a 
hill  near  toLoch-Eport.  There  are  three  stones  erected,  about  a  foot  high,  at  the  dis- 
tance of  a  quarter  of  a  mile  from  one  another,  on  eminences,  about  a  mile  from  Loch- 
Maddy,  to  amuse  invaders :  for  which  reason  they  are  still  called  flilse  sentinels. 

There  is  a  stone  of  twenty-four  feet  long  and  four  in  breadth  in  the  hill  Criniveal : 
the  natives  say,  a  giant  of  a  month  old  was  buried  under  it.     There  is  a  very  conspicuous 
stone  in  the  face  of  the  hill  above  St.  Peter's  village,  above  eight  feet  high. 

There  is  another  about  eight  feet  high,  at  Down-rossel,  which  the  natives  call  across. 
There  are  two  broad  stones,  about  eight  feet  high,  on  the  hill  two  miles  to  the  south 
of  Valay. 

There  is  another  at  the  key,  opposite  to.  Kirkibast,  twelve  feet  high :  the  natives  say 
that  delinquents  were  tied  to  this  stone  in  time  of  divine  service. 

VOL.    Ill  4  G 


.,  V 


i»94 


uautin's  OEScnifrioN  ot  the 


Tlicrc  is  n  stone  in  form  of  n  cross*  it)  the  row  op|wsiic  to  S^  Mary'»  church,  aboui. 
live  feet  high  :  the  natives  call  h  tlx:  Watcr-cros^,  for  the  ancient  inhubitants  hud  a 
ciiMnni  ol"  erecting  this  sort  of  cross  to  procure  rain,  and  when  they  had  got  enou^u,  they 
laid  it  Hnt  on  the  ground ;  but  this  custom  is  now  disused.  The  inferior  island  is  the 
island  of  Hciskir,  which  lies  near  three  leagues  westward  «>f  North- Vist,  is  three  miles  in 
circumference,  of  u  sand)  soil,  and  very  fruitful  in  corn  and  ^rass,  and  black  cattle. 
The  inhabitants  labour  under  want  of  fuel  of  all  sorts,  which  obliges  them  to  burn  cows* 
dinig,  barley-straw,  and  dried  sea-ware  :  the  natives  told  nw,  that  bread  b.ikt  d  by  the 
fuel  of  sea-ware  relishes  letter  than  that  done  otherwise.  They  nre  accustomed  to  salt 
their  cheese  with  the  ashes  of  barley-straw,  which  they  suffer  not  to  lie  on  it  above  twelve 
hours  time,  because  otherwise  it  would  spoil  it.  There  was  a  stone  chest  lately  disco- 
vered here,  having  an  earthen  pitcher  in  it,  which  was  full  uf  bones,  and  us  soon  as 
touched  they  turned  to  dust. 

There  are  two  small  islands  separated  by  narrow  channels  from  the  north-west  of  this 
island,  and  arc  of  the  same  mould  with  the  big  island.  The  natives  say,  that  there  is  a 
couple  of  ravens  there,  which  suifcr  no  other  of  their  kind  to  approach  this  island,  and 
if  any  should  chance  to  come,  this  couple  immediately  drive  them  away,  with  such  a 
noise  as  is  heard  by  all  the  inhabitants  :  they  are  observed  likewise  to  beat  away  their 
young,  as  soon  as  they  are  able  to  purchase  for  themselves.  The  natives  told  mc,  that 
when  one  of  this  couple  hapi)ened  to  be  wounded  by  gun-shot,  it  lay  still  in  the  comer 
of  a  rock  fur  a  week  or  two,  during  which  time  its  inau-  brought  provision  to  it  daily, 
until  it  recovered  perfectly.  The  natives  add  further,  that  one  of  these  two  ravens  hav- 
ing died  some  time  after,  the  surviving  one  abandoned  the  island  for  a  few  days,  and 
then  was  seen  to  return  with  about  ten  or  twelve  more  of  its  kind,  and  having  chosen  a 
mate  out  of  this  number,  all  the  rest  went  quite  off,  leaving  these  two  in  possession  of 
their  little  kingdom.  They  do  by  a  certain  sagacity  discover  to  the  inhabitants  any  car- 
case, on  the  shore  or  in  the  fields,  whereof  I  have  seen  several  instances :  the  inhabitants 
pretend  to  know  by  their  noise  whether  it  be  flesh  or  fish.  I  told  them  this  was  such 
nicety  that  I  could  scarcely  give  it  credit ;  but  they  answerd  me  that  thry  came  to  a 
knowledge  of  it  by  observation,  and  that  they  make  their  loudest  noise  for  flesh.  There 
is  a  narrow  channel  between  the  island  of  Heisker  and  one  of  the  lesser  islands,  in  which 
the  natives  formerly  killed  many  seals,  in  this  manner :  they  twisted  together  several 
small  ropes  of  horse-hair  in  form  of  a  net,  contracted  at  one  end  like  a  purse  ;  and  so, 
by  opening  and  shutting  this  hair-net,  these  seals  were  catchcd  in  the  narrow  channel. 
On  the  south  side  of  North-Vist  are  the  islands  of  Illeray,  which  are  accessible  at  low 
water,  each  of  them  being  three  miles  in  compass,  and  very  fertile  in  corn  and  cattle. 

On  the  western  coast  of  this  island  lies  the  rock  Eousmil,  about  a  quarter  of  a  mile  in 
circumference,  and  is  still  famous  for  the  yearly  fishing  of  seals  there,  in  the  end  of  Octo- 
ber. This  rock  belongs  to  the  farmers  of  the  next  adjacent  lands :  there  is  one  who 
furnisheth  a  boat,  to  whom  there  is  a  particular  share  due  on  that  account,  besides  his 
proportion  as  tenant.  The  parish  minister  hath  his  choice  of  all  the  young  seals,  and 
that  which  he  takes  is  called  by  the  natives  CuUen-Mory,  that  is,  the  Virgin  Mary's  seal. 
The  steward  of  the  island  hath  one  paid  to  him,  his  officer  hath  another,  and  this  by 
virtue  of  their  offices.  These  farmers  man  their  boats  with  a  competent  number  fit  for 
the  business,  and  they  always  embark  with  a  contrary  wind,  for  their  security  against 
being  driven  away  by  the  ocean,  and  likewise  to  prevent  them  from  being  discovered 
by  the  seals,  who  are  apt  to  smell  the  scent  of  them,  and  presenUy  run  to  sea. 

When  this  crew  is  quietly  landed,  they  surround  the  passes,  and  then  the  signal  for 
the  general  attack  is  given  from  the  boat,  and  so  they  beat  them  down  with  big  staves. 


',•; 


fif 


H 


rcli,  aboui 
utits  hud  a 
ou^w,  they 
land  ib  the 
rcc  miles  in 
luck  cattle, 
burn  cows* 
ktd  by  the 
mc-d  to  salt 
u)vc  twelve 
itcly  disco* 
us  soon  as 

ivest  of  this 
It  there  is  a 
island,  and 
A^ith  such  a 
away  their 
d  mc,  that 
\  the  comer 
I  to  it  duily, 
ravens  hav- 
'  days,  and 
ng  chosen  a 
)bsc&sion  of 
lilts  any  car- 
inhabitants 
lis  was  such 
y  came  to  a 
sh.     There 
js,  in  which 
thcr  several 
rse ;  and  so, 
>w  channel, 
ssible  at  low 
nd  cattle, 
of  a  mile  in 
:nd  of  Octo- 
is  one  who 
besides  his 
g  seals,  and 
Mary's  seal, 
and  this  by 
mber  fit  for 
jrity  against 
;  discovered 
I. 

ie  signal  for 
I  big  staves. 


WEITBRK    ISLANDS    OF    SCOTLANU. 


595 


The  seals  at  tins  onset  make  toward;*  the  sea  with  all  speed,  and  often  force  their  \}M 
sage  over  the  necks  of  the  stoutest  u«»!tuilunts,  who  aim  alway;*  at  the  forehead  uf  tlu 
seals,  giving  many  blows  before  they  are  killed ;  and  if  they  arc  not  hit  exactly  on  ilu 
front,  they  contract  a  lump  on  their  forehead,  which  makes  them  l(x)k  very  fierce  . 
and  if  they  get  hokl  of  the  staff  with  their  teeth,  they  carry  it  along  to  sea  with  them. 
Those  that  are  in  the  boat  shoot  at  them  as  they  run  to  sea,  but  few  arc  catched  that 
way.  The  natives  told  me,  that  several  of  the  biggest  seals  lose  their  lives  by  ciultavour- 
ing  to  save  their  young  ones,  whom  they  tumble  before  them  towards  the  j'a.  I  w  ;\s  told 
also,  that  three  hundred  and  twenty  seals,  young  and  old,  have  been  killed  at  one  time 
in  this  place.  The  reason  for  attacking  them  in  October  is,  because  in  the  beginning 
of  this  month  the  seals  bring  forth  their  young  on  the  ocean  side ;  but  these  on  the  east 
side,  who  are  of  the  lesser  stature,  bring  forth  their  young  in  the  middle  of  June. 

The  seals  eat  no  fish  till  they  first  take  off  the  skin  :  they  hold  the  head  of  the  fish 
between  their  teeth,  and  pluck  the  skin  off  each  side  with  their  sharp  minted  nails  ; 
this  I  observed  several  times.  The  natives  told  me  that  the  seals  arc  regularly  coi'pled, 
and  resent  an  encroachment  on  their  mates  at  an  extraordinary  rate.  The  natives  have 
observed,  that  when  a  male  had  invaded  a  female,  already  coupled  to  another,  the  in- 
jured male,  upon  its  return  to  its  mate,  would  by  a  strange  sagacity  find  it  out,  and 
resent  it  against  the  aggressor  by  a  bloody  conflict,  which  gives  a  red  tincture  to  the  sea 
in  that  part  where  they  fight.  This  piece  of  revenge  has  been  often  observed  by  seal- 
hunters,  and  many  others  of  unquestionable  integrity,  whose  occasions  obliged  them  to 
be  much  on  this  coast.  I  was  assured  by  good  hands,  tlut  the  seals  make  their  addresses 
to  each  other  by  kisses  :  this  hath  been  observed  often  by  men  and  women,  as  fishing 
on  the  coast  in  a  clear  day.  The  female  puts  away  its  young  from  sucking  as  soon 
as  it  is  able  to  provide  for  itself:  and  this  is  not  done  without  many  severe  blows. 

There  is  a  hole  in  the  skin  of  the  female,  within  which  the  teats  arc  secured  from 
being  hurt,  as  it  creeps  along  the  rocks  and  stones ;  for  which  cause  nature  hath  formed 
the  point  of  the  tongue  of  the  young  one  cloven,  without  which  it  could  not  suck. 

The  natives  salt  the  seals  with  the  ashes  of  burnt  sea- ware,  and  say  they  are  good  food  : 
the  vulgar  eat  them  commonly  in  the  spring-time,  with  a  long  pointed  stick  instead  of 
a  fork,  to  prevent  the  strong  smell  which  their  hands  would  otherwise  have  for  several 
hours  after.  The  flesh  and  broth  of  fresh  young  seals  is  by  experience  known  to  be 
pectoral ;  the  meat  is  astringent,  and  used  as  an  effectual  remedy  against  the  diarrhea 
and  dysenteria :  the  liver  of  a  seal  being  dri^ed  and  pulverised,  and  afterwards  a  little 
of  it  drunk  with  milk,  uquavitas,  or  red  wine,  is  also  good  against  fluxes. 

Some  of  the  natives  wear  r  girdle  of  the  seal-skin  about  the  middle,  for  removing  the 
sciatica,  as  those  of  the  shin;  of  Aberdeen  wear  it,  to  remove  the  chin-cough.  This 
four-footed  creature  is  reckoned  one  of  the  swiftest  in  the  sea ;  they  say  likewise  that  it 
leaps  in  cold  weather  the  height  of  a  pike  above  water,  and  that  the  skin  of  it  is  white 
in  summer,  and  darker  in  winter ;  and  that  their  hair  stands  on  end  with  the  flood,  and 
falls  again  at  the  ebb.  The  skin  is  by  the  natives  cut  in  long  piece*,  and  then  made  use 
of  instead  of  ropes  to  fix  the  plough  to  their  horses  when  they  till  the  ground. 

The  seal,  though  esteemed  fit  only  for  the  vulgar,  is  also  eaten  by  persons  of  distinc- 
tion, though  under  a  different  name,  to  wit,  ham :  this  I  have  been  assured  of  by 
good  hands,  and  thus  we  see  that  the  generality  of  men  are  as  mu(-h  led  by  fancy  as 
judgment  in  their  palates,  as  well  as  in  other  things.  The  popish  vulgar,  in  the  islands 
southward  from  this.  e.)t  these  seals  in  Lent  instead  of  fish.  This  occasioned  a  debate 
between  a  protestant  gentleman  and  a  papist  of  my  acquaintance  :  the  former  alledged 
that  the  other  had  transgressed  the  rules  of  his  church,   by  eating  flesh  in  Lent :  the 

4g2 


f  ^■.  I 


i4 


5M 


MAHTIN's   UKICRIPTION   OV  THB 


lultcr  nnswcTKl,  ihat  he  did  not ;  for,  nays  he,  I  have  cat  a  sea- creature,  which  only  lives 
and  fc<d.  upon  fiih.  I'hc  prot<«.taiit  replied,  that  thin  caMturc iit amphihious,  I ics, 
crL'cp^,  eats,  sleeps,  and  so  npendt  much  ui  its  limcun  land,  which  no  (ithcan  do,  and 
live.  It  hath  also  another  faculty  that  no  ri".h  has,  tluit  is,  it  hrcaltn  wind  backward  sto 
loudly,  that  one  may  hear  it  at  a  (^reat  distance.  But  the  papist  still  maintained  that 
hi  n\ust  believe  it  to  tx:  fish,  till  such  time  as  the  pope  and  his  priestst  decide  the 
((uestiont 

About  three  leagues  and  a  half  to  the  west  lie  the  small  islands  called  Hawsker-Kocks, 
and  Hawsker-Kf;;ga(h.  and  Hawsker-Nimannicli,  id  est,  Monks-Hock,  which  hath  an 
ultar  in  it.  The  first  called  so  from  the  ocean,  as  being  near  to  it ;  for  haw  or  thau  in 
the  ancient  language  signiltcii  the  uceaii :  the  more  southerly  locks  arc  six  nr  srven  big 
ones,  nicked  or  indented,  for  rggath  signifies  so  much.  The  largest  island,  which  is 
northward,  is  near  half  a  mile  in  circumference,  and  it  is  covered  with  long  grass. 
Only  small  vessels  can  pass  between  this  and  the  southern  rocks,  being  nearest  to 
St.  Kilda  of  all  the  west  islands  ;  both  of  them  abound  with  fowls  as  much  as  any  isles 
of  their  extent  in  St.  Kilda.  The  Kjulterncb,  guillemot,  and  scarts,  are  most  numerous 
here  ;  the  seals  likewise  abound  very  much  in  and   about  these  rocks. 

The  island  of  Valay  lies  on  the  west,  near  the  main  land  of  North  Vist;  it  is  about 
four  miles  in  circumference,  arable,  and  a  dry  sandy  soil,  very  fruitful  in  corn  pnd  grass, 
clover,  and  diisy.  It  hath  three  chapels;  one  dedicated  to  St.  Ul ton,  anr*  'therto 
the  Virgin  Mary.     There  are  two  crosses  of  stone,  each  of  them  about  seve  high, 

and  a  foot  ami  a  half  broad. 

There  is  a  little  font  on  an  altar,  being  a  !;ig  jtone,  round  like  a  cannon  ball,  and 
having  in  the  upper  end  .1  little  vacuity  cup  »ble  ■  >f  holding  two  spoonfuls  of  water.  B.-low 
the  chapels  there  is  a  Hut  tiiin  stone  called  Brownies  stone,  upon  which  the  ancient 
inhabitants  offered  a  cow's  milk  every  Siii\dav  ;  but  this  custom  is  now  quite  atxilished. 
Some  thirty  paces  on  tliis  side  is  to  be  seen  a  litile  stone  house  under  ground  ;  it  is  \cry 
low  and  long,  having  an  entry  on  the  sea  sidtj :  I  saw  an  eittry  in  the  middle  of  it,  whicn 
was  discovered  by  the  falling  <jf  1  he  stones  and  earth. 

About  a  league  to  the  north  east  <  f  Valay  is  the  island  of  Borera,  about  four  miles 
in  circumference  :  the  mould  in  somt.'  places  is  sandy,  and  in  others  black  earth  ;  it  is 
very  fruitful  in  catile  and  grass.  I  saw  a  mare  here,  which  1  was  told  brought  forth  a 
foal  in  her  second  v  ear. 

There  is  a  cow  here,  diat  brought  forth  two  female  calves  at  once,  in  all  things  so 
very  like  one  anoMier,  th.it  they  could  not  be  distinguished  by  atiy  outward  mark  ;  and 
had  such  a  sympathy,  thai  they  were  never  separate,  except  in  time  of  sucking,  and  then 
they  kept  still  ihiir  own  sidii  of  their  dam,  which  was  not  observed  until  a  distinguishing 
mark  was  put  ;ibout  one  of  their  necks  by  the  milk-maid.  In  the  middle  of  this  island 
there  is  a  fresh-water  lake,  well  stocked  with  very  big  eels,  some  of  them  as  long  as 
cod  or  ling  fish.  There  is  a  passage  under  the  stony  ground,  which  is  between  the  sea 
and  the  lake,  through  which  it  is  supposed  the  eels  come  in  with  the  spring-tides :  one 
of  the  inhabitants,  called  Mac- Vanich,  i.  e.  Monks-Son,  had  the  curiosity  to  creep  naked 
through  this  passage. 

This  island  aflfords  the  largest  and  best  dulse  for  eating;  it  requires  less  butter  than 
any  other  of  VnU  sort,  and  has  a  mellowish  taste. 

The  buriaUplace  near  the  ho  uses  is  called  the  Monks-field,  for  all  the  monks  that 
died  in  the  islands  that  lie  northward  from  Egg  were  buried  in  this  little  plot :  each 
grave  hath  a  stone  at  both  ends,  some  of  which  are  three,  and  others  four  feet  high. 
There  are  big  stones  without  the  burial-place  even  with  the  ground ;  several  of  them 


M 


WeiTinM    ISLANDS    OF    SCOTLAND. 


597 


inly  lives 
Ills,  I  ics, 
k  do,  and 
kwurd  HO 
incd  that 
ccidc  tlie 

r- Hocks, 
I  huth  an 
)r  ttiuu  in 
>u*ven  big^ 
,  which  is 
ng  graw. 
teurcst  to 
any  isles 
iiimerous 

t  is  about 

nd  grass, 

^tncr  to 

high, 

ball,  and 
B.low 
ic  ancient 
tbolished. 
it  is  very 
it,  which 

bur  miles 
irth  ;  it  is 
;ht  forth  a 

things  so 
lark ;  and 
,  and  then 
iigiiishing 
his  island 
as  long  as 
en  the  sea 
ides:  one 
eep  naked 

utter  than 

lonks  that 
^lot :  each 
feet  high. 
i\  of  them 


have  little  vacuitici  in  them,  as  if  made  hv  art :  the  tradition  in,  that  these  vacuities  wax 
duir  fur  receiving  the  monks'  knees  when  thi-y  |>r;iyL(t  nnon  them. 

i'hc  inland  of  Lingav  lic!»  hall' a  le;iguc  sou'h  on  the  Mde  of  Hnnra  :  it  U  singnhir  in 
respect  of  tlie  lands  of  Vi^t,  and  the  otijcr  islands  that  surround  it,  lor  they  are  all  com. 
nosed  of  sand,  and  this  oi<  the  contrary  is  altogether  moHH  covered  with  hea'h,  alfording 
nve[)catsin  depth;  and  is  very  serviceable  and  nsifiil,  furnishing  the  island  iJorera,  kc. 
with  plenty  of  good  fuel.  This  island  was  held  as  consecrated  Cor  several  ages,  inso- 
much that  the  natives  would  nut  then  presume  to  cut  any  fuel  in  it. 

The  cattle  produced  here  arc  horses,  cows,  sheep,  and  hogs,  generally  of  a  low  sta- 
ture. The  horses  are  very  strong,  and  fit  fur  pads,  though  exposed  to  the  rigour  of 
the  weather  all  the  winter  and  s[)ring  in  the  open  fields.  Their  cows  arc  also  in  the 
fields  all  the  spring,  and  their  bcci  is  sweet  and  tender  as  any  can  he :  thev  live  upon 
sea«ware  in  the  winter  and  sj)ring,  and  are  f.'ttened  by  it  ;  nor  are  the/  slaughtered  before 
they  cat  plentifully  of  it  in  December.  The  n  ttives  arc  accustomed  to  salt  their  beef 
in  a  cow*',  hide,  which  keeps  it  close  fr  im  air,  and  preserves  it  as  well,  if  not  better, 
than  b?.<  rcls,  and  tastes  they  say  best  when  this  way  used.  This  beef  is  transported  to 
Glasgow,  a  city  in  thr  west  of  Scotland,  at^d  from  thence  (being  put  in  barrels  there) 
exported  to  the  Inuies  in  good  condition.  The  hills  afford  some  hundreds  of  deer,  who 
eat  sea-ware  aUo  in  winter  an(    spring-time. 

The  amphibia  produced  here  are  seals  and  otters.  There  is  no  fox  or  venomous 
creature  in  thin  island.  The  great  eagles  here  fasten  their  talons  in  the  back  of  fish,  and 
commonly  of  salmon,  which  is  often  above  water  and  on  the  surface.  The  natives, 
who  in  the  summer-time  live  oil  the  coast,  do  sometimes  rob  the  eagle  of  its  prey  after 
its  landing. 

*lcre  arc  hawks,  eagles,  pheasants,  moor-fowls,  tarmogan,  plover,  pigeons,  crows, 
swans  and  all  the  ordinary  sea-fowis  in  the  west  islands.  I'he  eagles  are  very  destruc 
tive  to  the  fawns  and  lambs,  especially  the  black  eagle,  which  is  ot  a  lesser  size  than  the 
other.  The  natives  observe,  that  it  fixes  its  talons  between  the  deer's  horns,  and  beats 
its  wings  constantly  about  its  eyes,  which  puts  the  deer  to  run  continually  till  it  fall 
into  a  ditch,  or  over  a  precipice,  where  it  dies,  and  so  becomes  a  prey  to  this  cunning 
hunter.  There  are  at  the  same  time  several  other  eagles  of  this  kind,  which  fly  on  both 
sides  of  the  deer,  which  fright  it  extremely,  and  contribute  much  to  its  more  sudden 
destruction. 

The  forester  and  several  of  the  natives  assured  me,  that  they  had  seen  both  sorts  of 
eagles  kill  deer  in  this  manner.  The  swans  come  hither  in  great  numbers  in  the  month 
of  October,  with  north-cast  windj,  and  live  in  the  fresh  lakes,  where  they  feed  upon 
trout  and  water-plants  till  March,  at  which  time  they  fly  away  again  with  a  south-east 
wind.  When  the  natives  kill  a  swan,  it  is  common  for  the  eaters  of  it  to  make  a  nega- 
tive vow  (i.  e.  they  swear  never  to  do  something  that  is  in  itself  impracticable)  before 
they  taste  of  the  fowl. 

The  bird  corn  cracker  is  about  the  bigness  of  a  pigeon,  having  a  longer  neck,  and 
being  of  a  brown  colour,  but  blacker  in  harvest  than  in  summer  :  the  natives  say  it  lives 
by  the  water,  and  under  the  ice  in  winter  and  spring. 

The  colk  is  a  fowl  somewhat  less  than  a  goose,  hath  feathers  of  divers  colours,  as . 
white,  grey,  green,  and  black,  and  is  beautiful  to  the  eye :  it  hath  a  tuft  on  the  crown 
of  its  head  like  that  of  a  pcac«)ck,  and  a  train  longer  than  that  of  a  house-cock.     This 
fowl  loseth  its  feathers  in  time  of  hatching,  and  lives  mostly  in  the  remotest  islands,  as 
Heisker  and  Rona. 


>> 


I'.': 
lit :' 


n 


•98 


martin's  description  of  the 


I 


The  gawlin  is  a  fowl  less  than  a  duck,  it  is  reckoned  a  true  prognosticator  of  fair 
weather ;  for  when  it  sings,  fair  and  good  weather  always  follows,  as  the  natives  com- 
tnonly  observe  :  the  piper  of  St.  Kilda  plays  the  notes  which  it  sings,  and  hath  composed 
a  tune  of  them,  which  the  natives  judged  to  be  very  fine  music. 

TIic  rain- goose,  bigger  than  a  duck,  makes  a  doleful  noise  before  a  great  rain  :  it 
builds  its  nest  always  upon  the  brink  oi'  fresh-water  lakes,  so  as  it  may  reach  the  water. 

The  bonnivochil,  so  called  by  the  natives,  and  by  the  seamen  bishop  and  carrara,  as 
big  as  a  goose,  having  a  white  spot  on  the  breast,  and  the  rest  party-coloured ;  it  seldom 
flies,  but  is  exceedingly  quick  in  diving.  The  minister  of  North-Vist  told  me  that  he 
killed  ono  of  them  which  weighed  sixteen  pounds  and  an  ounce  :  there  is  about  an  inch 
deep  cf  fat  upon  the  skin  cf  it,  which  the  natives  apply  to  the  hip-bone,  and  by  experi- 
ence fin'i  it  a  successful  remedy  for  removing  the  sciucica. 

The  bird  goylir,  about  the  bigness  of  a  swallow,  is  observed  never  to  land  but  in  the 
month  of  January,  at  which  time  it  is  supposed  lo  hatch ;  it  dives  with  a  violent  swiftness. 
When  any  number  of  these  fowls  are  seen  together,  it  is  concluded  to  be  an  undoubted 
sign  of  ar-  approaching  storm  ;  and  when  the  storm  ceases,  they  disappear  under  the 
water.  The  seamen  call  them  malifigics,  from  mali-effigies,  which  they  often  find  to 
be  true. 

The  bird  sereachan-aittin  is  about  the  bigness  of  a  large  mall,  but  having  a  longer 
body,  and  a  bluish  colour ;  the  bill  is  of  a  carnation  cc  lour.  I'his  bird  shrieks  most  hide- 
ously, and  is  observed  to  have  a  greater  ^  Tcction  f  vr  its  mate  than  any  fowl  whatsoe\er ; 
for  v/hen  the  cock  or  hen  is  killed,  th„  surviving  one  doth  for  eight  r;  ten  days  after, 
ward  make  a  lamentable  noise  about  the  place. 

T'ne  bird  faskidar,  about  the  bigness  of  a  sea-maw  of  the  middle  size,  is  observed  to 
fly  with  greater  swiftness  than  any  other  fowl  in  those  parts,  and  pursues  lesser  fowls, 
and  forces  them  in  their  flight  to  let  fall  the  food  which  they  have  got,  and  by  its  nim- 
bleness  catches  it  before  it  touches  the  ground. 

The  natives  observe  that  an  exiraordinarv  heat  without  rain,  at  the  usual  time  the 
sea-ibwls  lay  their  eggs,  hinders  thtn.  ficm  la)ing  an)  eggs  for  about  eight  or  ten  days ; 
whereas  warm  weather,  accompanied  with  rain,  dibposts  them  to  lay  much  sooner. 

The  wild  geese  are  plentiful  here,  ard  very  destructive  to  the  bailcy,  notwithstanding 
the  many  methods  used  for  driving  thim  away  both  by  traps  and  gun-shot.  Thire  are 
some  flocks  of  barren  fowls  of  all  kinds,  which  are  distinguishtd  by  their  not  j(  ining 
with  the  rest  of  their  kind,  and  they  are  seen  commonly  upon  the  bare  rocks,  without 
any  .lests. 

The  air  is  here  moist  and  moderatelj  cold,  the  natives  qualify  it  sometimes  by  drink- 
ing a  glass  of  usquebaugh.  The  moisture  of  this  place  is  such,  that  a  loaf  of  sugar  is 
in  danger  to  be  dissolved,  if  it  te  not  preserved  by  beii^g  near  the  fire,  or  layifig  it  among 
oatmeal,  in  some  close  place.  Iron  here  becomes  quickly  rusty,  and  iron  which  is  on 
the  sea-side  of  a  house  grows  sooner  rusty  than  that  which  is  on  the  land-side. 

The  greatest  snow  falls  here  with  the  south-west  winds,  and  seldom  continues  above 
three  or  four  days.  The  ordinary  snow  falls  with  the  north  and  north-west  winds,  and 
does  not  lie  so  deep  on  the  [^iound  near  the  sea  as  on  the  tops  of  mountains. 

The  frost  continues  till  the  spring  is  pretty  far  advanced,  the  severity  of  which  occa- 
sions great  numbers  of  trouts  and  eels  to  die ;  but  the  winter  frosts  have  not  this  effect, 
for  which  the  inhabitants  give  this  reason,  viz,  that  the  rains,  being  more  frequent  in 
October,  do,  in  their  opinion,  carry  the  juice  and  quintessence  of  the  plants  into  the 
lakes,  whereby  they  think  the  fish  are  nourished  during  the  winter;  and  there  being  no 
such  nourishment  in  the  spring,  in  regard  of  the  uninterrupted  running  of  the  water, 


WESTERN    ISLANDS    OF    SCOILANU. 


.luy 


r  of  fair 
cs  corn- 
imposed 

rain :  it 
ivater. 
rrara,  as 
t  seldom 
:  that  he 
an  inch 
experi- 

ut  in  the 
wiftness. 
idoubted 
inder  the 
II  find  to 

a  longer 
lost  hide- 
UsocNcr ; 
iiys  after- 
served  to 
»er  fowls, 
y  its  nim- 

tinic  the 
;en  duvs ; 
t;r. 

ihtanding 
I'hire  are 
>t  jfiiiing 
without 

}y  drink- 
sugar  is 
it  among 
ich  is  on 

les  above 
inds,  and 

ich  occa- 
lis  effect, 
equent  in 
into  the 
:  being  no 
le  water, 


which  carries  the  juice  with  it  to  the  sea,  it  deprives  the  fish  of  this  nourishment,  and 
consequently  of  life.  And  they  add  further,  that  the  fish  have  no  access  to  the  :.upcr- 
ficies  of  the  water,  or  to  the  brink  ot  it,  where  the  juice  might  be  had.  The  natives 
are  the  more  confirmed  in  their  opinion,  that  the  fishes  in  lakes  and  marshes  are  ob- 
served to  out-live  both  winter  and  spring  frosts.  I'he  cast-north-east  winds  always  pro- 
cure fair  weather  here,  as  they  do  in  all  the  north-west  islands;  and  the  rains  are  more 
frequent  in  this  place  in  October  and  February  than  at  any  other  time  of  the  year. 

Fountain-water  drunk  in  winter  is  reckoned  by  the  natives  to  be  much  more  whole- 
some  than  in  the  spring ;  for  in  the  latter  it  causeth  the  diarrhea  and  dysenteria. 

The  diseases  thai  prevail  here  are  Fevers,  diarrhea,  and  dysenteria,  stitch,  cough,  scia- 
tica, megrim,  the  small-pox,  which  commonly  comes  once  in  seventeen  years  time.  The 
ordinary  cure  for  fevers  is  letting  blood  plentifully  :  the  diarrhea  is  cured  by  drinking 
aquavitae.  and  the  stronger  the  better.  The  flesh  and  liver  of  seals  are  used  as  above 
mentioned,  both  for  diarrhea  and  dysenteria.  Milk,  wherein  hectic-stone  has  been 
quenched,  being  frequently  drunk,  is  likewise  a  good  remedy  for  the  two  diseases  last 
mentioned. 

The  kernel  of  the  black  nut  found  on  the  shore,  being  beat  to  powder,  and  drunk 
in  milk  or  aquavitae,  is  reckoned  a  good  remedy  for  the  said  two  diseases  :  stitches  are 
cured  sometimes  by  letting  blood. 

Their  common  cure  for  coughs  is  btochan,  formerly  mentioned.  The  case  of  the 
carrara-fowl,  with  the  fat,  being  powdered  a  little,  and  applied  to  the  hip-bone,  is  an 
approved  remedy  for  the  sciatica.  Since  the  great  cliange  of  the  seasons,  which  of  late 
years  is  become  mere  piercing  and  cold,  by  which  the  growth  of  the  corn  both  in  the 
sp  ing  and  summer  seasons  are  retarded,  there  are  some  diseases  discovered,  which  were 
no:  known  here  before,  viz.  a  spotted  fever,  which  is  commonly  cured  by  drinking  a 
gh  ss  of  brandy  or  aquavitae  liberally  when  the  disease  seizes  them,  and  using  it  till  the 
spots  appear  outwardly.  This  fever  was  brought  hither  by  a  stranger  from  the  island  of 
Mull,  who  infected  these  other  islands.  When  the  fever  is  violent,  the  spots  appear 
the  second  day,  but  commonly  on  the  fourth  day,  and  then  the  disease  comes  to  a  crisis 
the  seventh  day  :  but  if  the  spots  do  not  appear  the  fourth  day,  the  disease  is  reckoned 
mortal ;  yet  it  has  not  proved  so  here,  though  it  has  carried  off  several  in  the  other 
adjacent  islands.  The  vulgar  are  accustomed  to  apply  flamula  jovis  for  evacuating 
noxious  humours,  such  as  cause  the  head-ache,  and  pains  in  the  arms  or  legs,  and  they 
find  great  advantage  by  it.  The  way  of  using  it  is  thus  :  they  take  a  quantity  of  it, 
bruised  small  and  put  into  a  patella,  and  apply  it  so  to  the  skin  a  little  below  the  place 
affected  :  in  a  small  time  it  raises  a  blister  about  the  bigness  of  an  egg,  which,  when 
broke,  voids  all  the  matter  ti^it  is  in  it ;  then  the  skin  fills  and  swells  twice  again,  and 
as  often  voids  chis  matter.  They  use  the  sea-plant  linarich  to  cure  the  wound,  and  it 
proves  effectual  for  this  purpose,  and  also  for  the  megrim  and  burning. 

The  broth  of  a  lamb,  in  which  the  plants  shunnish  and  Alexander  have  been  boiled,  is 
found  by  experic;nce  to  be  good  against  consumptions.  The  green  sea-plant  linarich  is 
by  them  applied  to  the  temples  and  forehead,  to  dry  up  defluxions,  and  also  for  drawing 
up  the  tonsels.  Neil  Macdonaid,  in  the  island  of  Heiskir,  is  subject  to  the  falling  of  the 
ton  els  at  every  change  of  ihe  moon,  and  they  continue  only  for  the  first  quarter.  Tliis 
infirmity  hath  continued  with  him  all  his  days,  yet  he  is  now  seventy-two  years  of  age. 

John  Fake,  who  lives  in  Pabble,  in  the  parish  of  Kilcnoor,  alias  St.  Mary'S:  is  con- 
stantly troubled  W:th  a  great  sneezing  a  day  or  two  before  rain ;  and  if  the  sneezing  be 
more  than  usual,  the  rain  is  said  to  be  greater ;  tlierefore  he  is  called  the  rain-almanack. 
He  has  had  this  faculty  these  nine  years  past. 


';  * 


r:i 


GOO 


MARTIN'S    rESCRIPTIOM    OF    THE 


There  is  u  house  in  the  village  called  Ard-nin-boothin  in  the  parish  of  St.  Mary 's ;  and 
ihe  house-cock  there  never  crows  from  the  tcrith  of  September  till  the  middle  o  f  March. 
This  was  told  me  two  years  ago,  and  since  confirmed  to  me  by  the  natives,  and  the  pre- 
sent minister  of  the  parish. 

The  inhabitants  or  this  island  are  generally  well-proportioned,  of  an  ordinary  stature, 
und  a  good  complexion ;  healthful,  and  some  of  them  come  to  a  great  age :  several  of 
mv  acquaintance  arrived  at  the  age  of  ninety,  and  upwards;  John  Mac-donaldof  Grim- 
inis  was  of  this  number,  and  died  lately  in  the  ninety-third  year  of  his  age.  Donald  Roy, 
who  lived  in  the  isle  of  Sand,  aiiU  died  lately  in  the  hundredth  year  of  his  age,  was  able 
to  travel  and  manage  his  affairs  till  about  two  years  before  his  d^ath.  They  are  a  very 
charitable  and  hospitable  people,  as  is  any  where  to  be  found.  There  was  never  an  inn 
here  till  of  late,  and  now  there  is  but  one,  which  is  not  at  all  frequented  for  eating,  but 
only  for  drinking ;  for  the  natives  by  their  hospitality  render  this  new-invented  house 
in  a  manner  useless.  The  great  produce  of  barley  draws  many  strangers  to  this  island, 
with  a  design  to  procure  as  much  of  tliis  grain  as  they  can ;  which  they  get  of  the  in- 
habitants gratis,  only  for  asking,  as  they  do  horses,  cows,  sheep,  wool,  &c.  I  was  told 
some  months  before  my  arrival  there,  that  there  had  been  ten  men  in  that  place  at  one 
time  to  ask  ccrn  gratis,  and  every  one  of  these  had  some  one,  some  two,  and  others 
three  attendants ;  and  during  their  abode  there,  they  were  all  entertained  gratis,  no  one 
returning  empty. 

This  is  a  great,  yet  voluntary  tax,  which  has  continued  for  many  ages  ;  but  the  late 
general  scarcity  has  given  them  an  occasion  to  alter  this  custom,  by  making  acts  against 
liberality,  except  to  poor  natives  and  objects  of  charity. 

The  natives  are  much  addicted  to  riding,  the  plainness  of  the  country  disposing  both 
men  and  horses  to  it.     They  observe  an  anniversary  cavalcade  on  Michaelmas  day,  and 
then  all  ranks  of  both  sexes  appear  on  horse-back.     The  place  for  this  rendezvous  is  a 
large  piece  of  firm  sandy  ground  on  the  sea-shore,  and  there  they  have  horse-racing  for 
small  prizes,  for  which  they  contend  eagerly.     There  is  an  anciem  custom,  by  which  it 
is  lawful  for  any  of  the  inhabitants  to  steal  his  neighbour's  horse  the-  night  before  the 
race,  and  ride  him  all  next  day,  provided  he  deliver  him  safe  and  sound  to  the  owner 
after  the  race.     The  manner  of  running  is  by  a  few  young  men,  who  use  neither  sad- 
dles nor  bridles,  except  two  small  ropes  made  of  bent  instead  of  a  bridle,  nor  any  sort 
of  spurs,  but  their  bare  heels :  and  when  they  begin  the  race,  they  thro\y  these  ropes 
on  their  horses'  necks,  and  drive  them  on  vigorously  with  a  piece  of  long  sea- ware  in 
each  hand,  instead  of  a  whip ;  and  this  is  dried  in  the  sun  several  months  before,  for 
that  purpose.     This  is  a  happy  opportunity  for  the  vulgar,  who  have  few  occasions  for 
meeeting,  except  on  Sundays:  the  men  have  their  sweet-hearts  behind  them  on  horse- 
back, and  give  and  receive  mutual  presents ;  the  men  present  the  women  with  knives 
and  purses,  the  women  present  the  men  with  u  pair  of  fine  garters  of  divers  colours, 
they  give  them  likewise  a  quantity  of  wild  carrots.     This  isle  belongs  in  property  to  Sir 
Donald  Mac-donald  of  Sleat :  he  and  all  the  inhabitants  are  protestants,  one  only  ex- 
cepted ;  they  observe  Christmas,  Good- Friday,  and  St.  Michael's  day. 


The  isle  Benbecula,  its  Distance,  Length,  Bay,  Mold,  Graitit  Fish,  Cattle,  Fresh 
Lakes,  Forts,  a  Stone  Fault,  Nunnery,  Proprietor, 

THE  island  of  Benbecula  lies  directly  to  the  south  of  North- Vist,  from  which  it  is 
two  iniles  distant ;  the  ground  being  all  plain  and  snndy  between  them,  having  two  little 
rivers  or  channels,  no  higher  than  one's  knte  at  a  tide  of  ebb :  this  p^sage  is  overflowed 


h\ 


i 


y  's ;  and 
f  March. 
i  the  pre- 

Y  stature, 
everal  of 
of  Grim- 
laid  Roy, 
was  able 
re  a  very 
yer  an  inn 
tting,  but 
:ed  house 
[lis  island, 
of  the  in- 
I  was  told 
ace  at  one 
nd  others 
is,  no  one 

lut  the  late 
cts  against 

Dsing  both 
s  day,  and 
zvous  is  a 
racing  for 
)y  which  it 
before  the 
the  owner 
iiher  sad- 
or  any  sort 
hese  ropes 
ea-ware  ia 
Dcfore,  for 
.casions  for 
)  on  horse- 
vith  knives 
rs  colours, 
jerty  to  Sir 
le  only  ex- 


tle,  Fresh 

which  it  is 

ig  two  little 

overflowed 


WESTERN   ISLANDS  OF  SCOTLAND. 


GO! 


by  the  sea  every  tide  of  flood,  nor  is  it  navigable  except  by  boats.  There  arc  several 
small  islands  on  the  east-side  of  this  channel.  This  i^aland  is  three  miles  in  length  from 
south  to  north,  and  three  from  east  to  west,  and  ten  miles  in  compass.  The  east-sidc  is 
covered  with  heath ;  it  hath  a  bay  called  Viskway,  ia  which  small  vessels  do  sometimes 
harbour,  and  now  and  then  herrings  are  taken  in  it. 

The  mountain  Benbecula,  from  which  the  isle  hath  its  name,  lies  in  the  middle  of  it ; 
the  eastern  part  of  this  island  is  all  arable,  but  the  soil  sandy,  the  mould  is  the  same  with 
that  of  North  Vist,  and  affords  the  siime  corn,  flsh,  cattle,  amphibia,  Sec.  There  is  no 
venomous  creature  here.  It  hath  several  fresh-water  lakes,  well  stocked  with  fish  and 
fowl.  There  are  some  ruins  of  old  forts  to  be  seen  in  the  small  islands  in  the  lakes, 
and  on  the  plain. 

There  are  also  some  small  cliapels  here,  one  of  them  at  Bael-nin-killach,  id  est,  Nuns> 
Town,  for  there  were  nunneries  here  in  time  of  popery.  The  natives  have  lately  dis- 
covered a  stone  vault  on  the  east-side  the  town,  in  which  there  are  abundance  of  small 
bones,  which  have  occasioned  many  uncertain  conjectures ;  some  said  they  were  the  bones 
of  birds,  others  judged  them  rather  to  be  the  bones  of  pigmies.  The  proprietor  of  the 
town  inquiring  Sir  Normand  Mackleod's  opinion  concerning  them,  he  told  him  that 
the  matter  was  plain  as  he  supposed,  and  that  they  must  be  the  bones  of  infants  born  by 
the  nuns  there.  This  was  very  disagreeable  to  the  Romim  catholic  inhabitants,  who 
laughed  it  over.  But  in  the  mean  time  the  natives  out  of  zeal  took  care  to  shut  up  the 
vault,  that  no  access  can  be  had  to  it  since ;  so  that  it  would  seem  they  believe  what 
Sir  Norman  said,  or  else  feared  that  it  might  gain  credit  by  such  as  afterward  had  oc- 
casion to  see  them.  This  island  belongs  properly  to  Ranal  Mac-donald  of  Benbecula, 
who,  with  all  the  inhabitants,  arc  Roman  Catholics;  and  I  remember  I  have  seen  an  old 
lay  capuchin  here,  called  in  the  language  Braliir-bocht,  that  is,  poor  brother :  which 
is  literally  true,  for  he  answers  this  charactei ,  having  nothing  but  what  is  given  him  : 
he  holds  himself  full^  sati^'^  I  with  food  and  raiment,  and  lives  in  as  great  simplicity  as 
any  of  his  order ;  his  diet  .  ry  mean,  and  he  drinks  only  ^  \r  water:  his  habit  is  no 
less  mortifying  than  that  of  his  brethren  elsewhere  :  he  wt;  s  ..  short  coat,  which  comes 
no  further  than  his  middle,  with  narrr:  sleeves  like  n  waistcoat ;  he  wears  a  plaid  above 
it,  girt  about  the  middle  which  reaches  to  his  knee  the  plaid  is  fastened  on  his  breast 
with  a  wooden  pin,  his  neck  bare,  and  his  feet  often  so  too :  he  wears  a  hat  for  (x-na- 
ment,  and  the  string  about  it  is  a  bit  of  fisher's  line  made  )f  horsc-nair.  This  plaid  he 
«vears  instead  of  a  gown  worn  by  those  of  his  order  in  other  countries.  I  told  him  he 
wanted  the  flaxen  girdle  that  men  of  his  order  u  iaily  wear :  he  answered  me,  that  he 
wore  a  leather  one,  which  was  the  same  thing.  Upon  the  matter,  if  he  is  spoke  to 
when  at  meat,  he  answers  again ;  which  is  contrary  to  the  custom  of  his  order.  This 
poor  man  frequently  diverts  himself  with  angling  of  '  outs ;  he  lies  upon  straw,  and 
had  no  bell  (as  others  have)  to  call  him  to  his  dc<  i,  but  only  his  conscience,  as  he 
told  me. 

The  speckled  salmons,  described  m  North- Vist,  are  very  plentiful  on  the  west  side  of 
this  island. 

The  island  of  South. Vist  lies  directly  two  miles  to  the  south  of  Benbecula,  l^eing  in 
lengrth  one  and  twenty  miles,  and  three  in  breadth,  and  in  some  places  four.  The  east- 
side  is  mountunous  on  the  coast,  and  heathy  for  the  most  part :  the  west-side  is  plain 
arable  ground,  the  soil  is  generally  sandy,  yielding  a'  good  produce  of  barley,  oats,  and 
rye,  in  proportion  to  that  of  North- Vist,  and  has  the  same  sort  of  cattle.  Both  east 
and  west-sides  of  this  island  abound  in  fresh-water  lakes,  which  afibrd  trouts  and  ecls^ 


I. 


Hi 


■)  <i 


VOL*  III 


4  rr 


f 


i 


602 


MAUriN  S    UKSt'RIPTION    OF    THE 


besides  variety  of  land  and  sea  fowls.  The  arable  land  is  much  damnified  by  the  over, 
flowing  of  these  lakes  in  divers  places,  which  they  have  not  hitherto  been  able  to  drain, 
though  the  thing  be  practicable.  Several  lakes  have  old  forts  built  upon  the  small 
islands  in  tlic  middle  of  them.  About  four  miles  on  the  south-east  end  of  this  inland  is 
Loch-Eynord  ;  it  reaches  several  miles  westward,  having  a  narrow  entry,  which  makes 
a  violent  current,  and  within  this  entry  there's  a  rock,  upon  which  there  was  staved  to 
pieces  a  frig-ate  of  Cromwell's  which  he  sent  there  to  subdue  the  naiv  ;s.  Ambergrease 
hath  been  found  by  several  of  the  inhabitants  on  the  west  coast  of  tnis  island,  and  they 
sold  it  at  Glasgow  at  a  very  low  rate,  not  knowing  the  value  of  it  at  first ;  but  when 
they  knt  v  it,  they  raised  the  price  to  the  other  extreme.  Upon  a  thaw  after  a  long 
frost  the  south-east  winds  cast  many  dead  fishes  on  the  shore.  The  inhabitants  arc 
generally  of  the  same  natvi  and  complexion  with  those  of  the  next  adjacent  northern 
islands  ;  they  wtar  the  same  habit,  and  use  the  same  diet.  One  of  the  natives  is  very 
famous  for  his  great  age,  being,  as  it  is  said,  a  hundred  and  thirty  years  old,  and  retains 
his  appetite  and  understanding;  he  can  walk  abroad,  and  did  labour  with  his  hands  as 
usually  till  within  these  three  years,  and  for  any  thing  I  know  is  yet  living. 

There  are  several  big  kairns  of  stone  on  the  east-side  this  island,  and  the  vulgar  re- 
tain the  ancient  custom  of  making  a  religious  tour  round  them  on  Sundays  and  holi* 
days. 

There  is  a  valley  between  two  mountains  on  the  east-side,  called  Glenslyte,  which 
afibrds  good  pasturage.  The  natives  who  farm  it  come  thither  with  their  cattle  in  tht 
summer-time,  and  are  possessed  with  a  firm  belief  that  this  valley  is  haunted  by  spirits, 
who  by  the  inhabitants  are  called  the  Great  Men  ;  and  that  whatsoever  man  or  woman 
enters  the  valley,  without  making  lirst  an  entire  resignation  of  tht- mselves  to  the  conduct 
of  the  great  men,  will  infallibly  grow  mad.  The  words  by  which  he  or  she  gives  up 
himself  to  these  mens'  conduct  are  comprehended  in  three  sentences,  wherein  the  Glen 
is  twice  named ;  to  which  they  add,  that  it  is  inhabited  by  these  great  men,  and  that 
such  as  enter  depend  on  their  protection.  I  told  the  natives,  that  this  was  a  piece  of 
silly  credulity  as  ever  was  imposed  upon  the  most  ignoraut  ages,  and  that  their  imagi- 
nary  protectors  deserved  no  such  invocation.  Thev  answered,  that  there  had  happened 
a  late  instance  of  a  woman  who  went  into  that  Glen  without  resigning  herself  to  the 
conduct  of  these  men,  and  immediately  after  she  became  mad  ;  which  confirmed  them 
in  their  unreasonable  fancy. 

The  people  residing  here  in  summc  r  say  tbey  sometimes  hear  a  loud  noise  in  the  air, 
like  men  speaking.  I  inquired  if  their  priest  had  preached,  or  argued  against  this  su- 
perstitious custom  ?  They  told  me,  he  knew  better  things,  and  would  not  be  guilty  of 
dissuading  men  from  doing  their  duty,  which  they  doubted  not  he  judged  this  to  be; 
and  that  they  resolved  to  persist  in  the  belief  of  it,  until  they  found  better  motives  to  the 
contrary  than  have  been  shewed  them  hitherto.  The  protestant  minister  hath  often 
endeavoured  to  undeceive  them,  but  in  vain,  because  of  an  implicit  faith  they  have  in 
their  priest :  and  when  the  topics  of  persuasion,  though  never  so  urgent,  come  from 
one  they  believe  to  be  a  heretick  inere  is  little  hope  of  snccess. 

The  island  Erisca,  about  a  mile  in  length,  and  three  in  ci:cumference,  is  partly  heathy, 
and  partly  arable,  and  yields  a  good  produce.  The  inner  side  hath  a  wide  anchorage ; 
there  is  excellent  cod  and  ling  in  it ;  the  natives  begin  to  manage  it  better,  but  nut  to 
that  advantage  it  is  capable  of.  The  small  island  near  it  was  overgrown  with  heath, 
and  about  three  years  ago,  the  ground  threw  up  all  that  heath  from  the  very  root,  so 
that  there  is  not  now  one  shrub  of  it  in  all  this  island.     Such  as  have  occasion  to  travel 


I 


1 .  • 


the  over- 
to  drain, 
the  small 

Uland  is 
ch  mukes 
staved  to 
bergrease 

and  they 
but  when 
ter  a  long 
itants  are 

northern 
es  is  very 
nd  retains 
I  hands  as 

k'ulgar  rc- 
and  ho'i- 

te,  which 
Etle  in  the 
by  spirits, 
or  woman 
le  conduct 
r  gives  up 
1  the  Glen 
and  that 
a  piece  of 
eir  imagi- 
1  happened 
self  to  the 
med  them 

:  in  the  air, 
St  this  su- 
le  guilty  of 
this  to  be ; 
tives  to  the 
hath  often 
ey  have  in 
:ome  from 

rtly  heathy, 
anchorage ; 
,  but  not  to 
with  heath, 
ry  root,  so 
)n  to  travel 


WESTERN    ISLANDS    01     SCOTLAND. 


603 


by  land  between  South- Vist  and  Benbecula,  or  Benbecula  and  North-Vist,  had  need  of  a 
guide  to  direct  them,  and  to  ol)serve  the  tidtr  when  low,  and  also  for  crossing  the  chan- 
nel at  the  right  fords,  else  they  cannot  pass  without  danger. 

There  are  some  houses  underground  in  this  island,  and  thev  are  in  all  points  like 
those  described  in  North-Vist ;  one  of  them  is  in  the  South  l'\rry.Town,  opposite  to 
Barray.  The  cattle  produced  here  are  like  those  of  North- Vibt,  and  there  are  above 
three  hundred  deer  in  this  island  :  it  was  believed  generally,  that  no  venomous  creature 
was  here,  yet  of  late  some  little  vipers  have  been  seen  in  the  south  end  of  the  island. 

The  natives  speak  the  Irish  tongue  more  pt- rfectly  here  than  in  most  of  the  other 
islands ;  partly  because  of  the  remoteness,  and  the  small  number  of  those  that  speak 
English,  and  partly  because  some  of  them  are  scholars,  and  versed  in  the  Irish  language. 
They  wear  the  same  habit  with  the  neighbouring  islanders. 

.  The  more  ancient  people  continue  to  wear  the  old  dress,  especially  women  :  they  arc  , 
a  hospitable  well-meaning  people,  but  the  misfortune  of  their  education  disposes  them 
to  uncharitableness,  and  rigid  tlioug*^':  of  their  protestant  neighbours ;  though  at  the 
same  time  they  find  it  convenienf  to  nia.<e  alliances  with  them.  The  churches  here  are 
St.  Columba  and  St.  Mary's  in  Hngh-more,  the  most  centrical  place  in  the  island  ;  St. 
Jeremy's  chapels,  St.  Peter's,  St.  Bannan,  St.  Michael,  St.  Donnan. 

There  is  a  stone  set  up  near  a  mile  to  the  south  of  C>)lumbus's  churci,  about  eight 
feet  high,  and  two  feet  broad :  it  is  called  by  the  natives  the  Bowing-stone  ;  for  when 
the  inhabitants  had  the  first  sight  of  the  church,  they  set  up  this  stone,  and  there  bowed, 
and  said  the  Lord's  Prayer.  There  was  a  buckle  of  gold  found  in  Kinort  ground  some 
twenty  years  ago,  which  was  about  the  value  of  seven  guineas. 

As  I  came  from  South  Vist,  I  perceived  about  sixty  horsemen  riding  along  the  sands, 
directing  their  course  for  the  east  sea ;  and  being  between  me  and  the  sun,  they  made  a 
great  figure  on  the  plain  sands:  we  discovered  them  to  be  natives  of  South-Vi^t,  for 
they  alighted  from  their  horses,  and  went  to  gather  cockles  in  the  sands,  which  are  ex- 
ceeding plentiful  there.  This  island  is  the  property  of  Allan  Mac-donald  of  Moydart, 
head  of  the  tribe  of  Mac-donald,  called  Clanronalds ;  one  of  the  chief  f^imilies  descend- 
ed of  Mac-donald,  who  was  lord  and  king  of  the  islands.  He  and  all  the  inhabitants 
are  papists,  except  sixty,  who  are  protestants  :  the  papists  observe  all  the  festivals  of  their 
church,  they  have  a  general  cavalcade  on  AlUSaints  Day,  and  then  they  bake  St. 
Michael's  cake  at  night,  and  the  family   and  strangers  eat  it  at  supper. 

Fergus  Beaton  hath  the  following  ancient  Irish  manuscripts  in  the  Irish  character ;  to 
wit,  Avicetina,  Averroes^  Joannes  de  Vigo,  Bernardus  Gordonus,  and  several  volumes  of 
ffypocrates. 

The  island  of  Barray  lies  about  two  leagues  and  a  half  to  the  south-west  of  the  island 
South- Vist ;  it  is  ftve  cniles  in  length,  and  three  in  breadth,  being  in  all  respects  like  the 
islands  lying  directly  north  from  it.  The  east  side  is  rocky,  an:!  the  west  arable  ground, 
and  yields  a  good  pr  iduce  of  the  same  grain  that  both  Vists  do :  they  use  likewise  the 
same  way  for  enriching  their  land  with  sea- ware.  There  is  plenty  of  cod  and  ling  got  on 
the  east  and  s(uith-sides  of  this  Island :  several  small  ships  from  Orkney  come  hither  in 
summer,  and  afterward  return  loaden  with  cod  and  ling. 

There  is  a  safe  harbour  on  the  north-east  side  of  Barray,  where  ;there  is  great  plenty 
of  fish.  . 

The  rivers  on  the  east-side  afford  salmons,  some  of  which  are  speckled  like  these  men- 
tioned in  North-Vist,  but  they  are  more  successful  here  in  catching  them.  The  natives 
go  with  three  several  herring-nets,  and  lay  them  cross-ways  in  the  river  where  the  sal- 
mon  are  most  numerous,  and  betwixt  them  and  the  sea.    These  salmon  at  the  sight  or 

4  H  2 


li 


' '  i 

1 1 


■ 


t  -' '  '■ 
'1' ; 

^  1' 

It' 

m 

f  I.-; 


m 


601 


MAllTIN'S    DISCRIPTION    OF    THE 


n 


shadow  of  the  people,  mnke  towards  the  sea,  and  feeling  the  net  from  the  surface  to  the 
ground,  jump  over  the  first,  then  the  second,  but,  being  weakened,  cannot  get  over  the 
third  net,  and  so  are  catched.  They  delight  to  leap  above  water,  and  swim  on  the  sur- 
face :  one  of  the  natives  told  me,  that  he  kilted  a  salmon  with  a  gun,  as  jumping  above 
water. 

They  informed  mc  also,  that  many  barrrls  of  them  might  be  taken  in  the  river  above- 
mentioned,  if  there  was  any  encouragement  for  curing  and  transporting  them.  There 
ur^  several  old  forts  to  be  seen  here,  in  form  like  those  in  the  other  islands.  In  the 
south  end  of  this  island  there  is  an  orchard,  which  produces  trees,  but  few  of  them  bear 
fruit,  in  regard  of  their  nearness  to  the  sea.  All  sorts  of  roots  and  plants  grow  plentifully 
in  it ;  some  years  ago  tobacco  did  grow  here,  being  of  all  plants  the  most  grateful  to  the 
natives,  for  the  islanders  love  it  mightily. 

The  little  island  Kismul  lies  about  a  quarter  of  n  mile  from  the  south  of  this  isle ;  it  iu 
the  seat  of  Mac-neil  of  Barray,  there  is  a  stone  wall  round  it  two  stories  high,  reaching 
the  sea,  and  within  the  wall  there  is  an  old  tower,  and  an  hall,  with  other  houses  about 
it.     There  is  a  little  magazine  in  the  tower,  to  which  no  stranger  has  access.     I  saw  the 
olHccr  called  the  Cockman,  and  an  old  cock  he  is :  when  I  bid  him  ferry  me  over  the 
water  to  the  island,  he  told  me  that  he  was  but  an  inferior  officer,  his  business  being  to 
attend  in  the  tower ;  but  if  (says  he)  the  constable,  who  then  stood  on  the  wall,  will  give 
you  access,  I'll  ferry  you  over.     I  desired  him  to  procure  me  the  constable's  permission, 
and  I  would  reward  him  ;  but  having  waited  some  hours  for  the  constable's  answer,  and 
not  receiving  any,  I  was  obliged  to  return  without  seeing  this  famous  fort.     Mac-neil 
and  his  lady  being  absent  was  the  cause  of  this  difficulty,  and  of  my  not  seeing  the  place. 
I  was  told  some  weeks  after,  that  the  constable  was  very  apprehensive  of  some  design  I 
might  have  in  viewing  the  fort,  and  thereby  to  expose  it  to  the  conquest  of  a  foreign 
power ;  of  which,  I  supposed,  there  was  no  great  cause  of  fear.     The  natives  told  me 
there  is  a  well  in  the  village  Tangstill,  the  water  of  which*  being  boiled,  grows  thick  like 
puddle.     There  is  another  well  not  far  from  Tangstill,  which  the  inhabitants  say,  in  a 
fertile  year,  throws  up  many  grains  of  barley  in  July  and  August.     And  they  say  that 
the  well  of  Kilbar  throws  up  embrios  of  cockles,  but  I  could  not  discern  any  in  the  ri- 
vulet, the  air  being  at  that  time  foggy.     The  church  in  this  island  is  called  Kilbarr^  i.  e. 
St.  Barr's  church.     There  is  a  little  chapel  by  it,  in  which  Mac-neil,  and  those  descended 
of  his  family,  are  usually  interred.     The  natives  have  St.  Barr's  wooden  image  standing 
on  the  altar,  covered  with  linen  in  form  of  a  shirt ;  all  their  greatest  asseverations  'uK 
by  this  saint.     I  came  very  early  in  the  morning  with  an  intention  to  see  this  image, 
but  was  disappointed  ;  for  the  natives  prevented  me,   by  carrying  it  away,  lest  I  might 
take  occasion  to  ridicule  their  superstition,  as  some  protestants  have  done  formerly : 
and  when  I  was  gone,  it  was  again  exposed  on  the  altar.    They  have  several  traditions 
concerning  this  great  saint.    There  is  a  chapel  (about  half  a  mile  on  the  south  side  of 
the  hill,  near  St.  Barr's  church)  where  I  had  occasion  to  get  an  account  of  a  tradition  con- 
cerning this  saint,  which  was  thus  :  "  the  inhabitants  having  begun  to  build  the  church, 
which  they  dedicated  to  him,  they  laid  this  wooden  image  within  it,  but  it  was  invisibly 
transported  (as  they  say)  to  the  place  where  the  church  now  stands,  and  found  there 
every  morning."    This  miraculous  conveyance  is  the  reason  they  give  for  desisting  to 
work  where  they  first  began.     I  told  my  informer,  that  this  extraordinary  motive  v.'ss> 
sufficient  to  determine  the  case,  if  true,  but  asked  his  pardon  to  dissent  from  him,  for  I 
had  not  faith  enough  to  believe  this  miracle;  at  which  he  was  surprised,  telling  me  in 
the  mean  time  that  this  tradition  hath  been  faithfully  conveyed  by  the  priests  and  natives 
successively  to  this  day.    The  southern  islands  are,  1.  Muldonish,  about  a  mile  in  cir- 


'•  1 


H 


ct  to  the 
over  the 
the  sur- 

ng  above 

:r  above- 
There 
In  the 
lem  bear 
lentifuUy 
ful  to  thie 

isle  ;  it  is 
reaching 
ses  about 
saw  the 
over  the 
;  being  to 
will  give 
rmission, 
>wer,  and 
Mac*neil 
the  place. 
;  design  I 
a  foreign 
s  told  me 
thick  like 
say,  in  a 
y  say  that 
in  the  ri- 
barrj  i.  e. 
lescended 
:  standing 
ations  i^re 
[lis  image, 
St  I  might 
formerly : 
traditions 
ith  side  of 
lition  con- 
e  church, 
>  invisibly 
und  there 
Bsisting  to 
lotive  v.'s& 
lim,  for  I 
ing  me  in 
id  natives 
ile  in  cU** 


WESTERN    ISLANDS    OV    SCOTLAND. 


605 


cumference ;  it  is  high  in  the  middle,  covered  over  with  heath  and  grass,  and  is  the  only 
forest  here  for  maiiitdining  the  deer,  being  commonly  abou  t  seventy  or  eighty  in  num^ 
ber.  2.  The  island  Sandreray  lies  southerly  of  Burray,  from  which  it  is  separated  by  a 
narrow  channel,  and  b  three  miles  in  circumference,  having  a  mountain  in  the  middle  ; 
it  is  designed  for  pasturage  and  cullivution.  On  the  south  side  there  is  an  harbour, 
convenient  for  small  vessels,  that  come  yearly  here  to  fish  for  cod  and  ling,  which 
abound  on  the  coast  of  this  island.  3.  The  island  Sandreray,  two  miles  in  circumfer- 
ence, is  fruitful  in  corn  and  grass,  and  separuted  by  a  narrow  channel  from  Vattersay. 
4.  To  the  south  of  these  lies  the  island  Berneru,  about  two  miU s  in  circumference ;  it 
excels  other  islands  of  the  same  cxtu'nt  for  cultivation  and  fishing.  The  natives  never 
go  a  fishing  while  Macncil  or  his  steward  is  in  ihe  island,  lest  seeing  their  plenty  of  fish, 
perhaps  they  might  take  occasion  to  raise  their  rents.  There  is  an  old  fort  in  this  island, 
having  a  vacuity  round  the  walls,  divided  in  little  apartments.  The  natives  endure  a 
great  fatigue  in  manuring  their  ground  with  sea- ware,  which  they  carry  in  ropes  upon 
their  backs  over  high  rocks,  'rhey  likewise  fasten  a  cow  to  a  stake,  and  spread  a 
quantity  of  sand  on  the  ground,  unun  which  the  cow's  dung  falls,  and  this  they  mingle 
together,  and  lay  it  on  the  a^'able  land.  They  take  great  numbers  of  sea-fowls  from 
the  adjacent  rocks,  and  salt  them  with  the  ashes  of  burnt  sea-ware  in  cows'  hides,  which 
preserves  them  from  putrefaction. 

There  is  a  sort  of  stone  in  this  island,  with  which  the  natives  frequently  rub  their 
breasts  by  way  of  prevention,  and  say  it  is  a  good  preservative  for  health.  This  is  all 
the  medicine  t!iey  use ;  providence  is  very  favourable  to  them,  in  granting  them  a  good 
state  of  health,  since  they  have  no  physician  among  them. 

The  inhabitants  are  very  hospitable,  and  have  a  custom,  that  when  any  strangers  from 
the  northern  islands  resort  thither,  the  natives,  immediately  after  their  landing,  oblige 
them  tON^at,  even  though  they  should  have  liberally  eat  and  drunk  but  an  hour  before  their 
landing  there.  And  this  meal  they  call  Bieyta'v  ;  i.  e.  Ocean  Meat ;  for  they  presume 
that  the  sharp  air  of  the  ocean,  which  indeed  surrounds  them,  must  needs  give  them  a 
good  appetite.  And  whatever  number  of  strangers  come  there,  or  of  whatsoever  qtjalii}' 
or  sex,  they  are  regularly  lodged  according  to  ancient  custom,  that  is,  one  only  in  a 
family  ;  by  which  custom  a  man  cannot  lodge  with  his  own  wife,  while  in  this  island. 
Mr.  John  Campbell,  the  present  minister  of  Harries,  told  me,  that  his  father,  being  then 
parson  of  Harries,  and  minister  of  Barray  (for  the  natives  at  that  time  were  Protestants) 
carried  his  wife  along  with  him,  and  resided  in  this  island  for  some  time,  and  they  dis' 
posed  of  him,  his  wife  and  servants  in  manner  above-mentioned  :  and  suppose  Macnei!  of 
Barray  and  his  lady  sliould  go  thither,  he  would  be  obliged  to  comply  with  this  ancient 
custom. 

There  is  a  large  mot  grows  among  the  rocks  of  this  island,  lately  discovered,  the  na- 
tives call  it  Curran-Petris,  of  a  whitish  colour,  and  upwards  of  two  feet  in  length,  where 
the  ground  is  deep,  and  in  shape  and  size  like  a  large  carrot ;  where  the  ground  is  not  so 
deep,  it  grows  much  thicker,  but  shorter :  the  top  of  it  is  like  that  of  a  carrot. 

The  rock  Linmull,  about  half  a  mi'e  in  circumference,  is  indifferently  high,  and  almost 
inaccessible,  except  in  one  place,  and  that  is  by  climbing,  which  is  very  difficult.  This 
rock  abounds  with  sea-fowls  that  build  and  hatch  here  in  summer ;  such  as  the  guille- 
mot, coulter-neb,  puffin,  Sec.  The  chief  climber  is  commonly  called  gingich,  and  this 
name  imports  a  bi^  man,  having  strength  and  courage  proportionable.  When  they  ap. 
()roach  the  rock  with  the  boat,  Mr.  Gingich  jumps  out  first  upon  a  stone  on  the  rock- 
side,  und  then  by  the  assistance  of  a  rope  of  horse- hair,  he  draws  his  fellows  out  of  the 
boat  upoR  this  high  rock,  aiid  draws  the  rest  up  after  him  with  thie  rope,  till  they  all 


!^ 


1'' 


I  ii  . 


\A\ 


' 


(i06 


MAKllN  S   UESCniPTION   OV  THE 


mrivc  at  the  lop,  where  they  purchase  a  considerable  quantity  of  fowls  and  eggs. 
Upon  their  return  to  the  boat,  thib  gingich  runs  u  great  hazard,  by  jumping  first  into 
the  bout  again,  where  the  violent  bea  cuiitinuully  rages  ;  lU'ving  but  a  few  fowls  more 
than  his  Icllows,  besides  a  greater  esteenj  to  compensate  his  courage.  When  a  te- 
nant's wife  in  this  or  tlie  adjacent  ibiands  dies,  he  then  addresses  hin;self  to  Mucneil  of 
Barruy,  reprchrnting  his  loss,  and  ut  the  same  time  desires  that  he  would  be  pleased  to 
recommend  a  wife  to  him,  without  which  he  cannot  manage  his  uflfairs,  nor  beget  fol- 
lowers to  Macneil,  which  would  prove  a  public  loss  to  him.  Upon  this  representation, 
Macneil  finds  out  a  suitable  match  for  him ;  and  the  woman's  name  being  told  him, 
immediately  he  goes  to  her,  carrying  with  him  a  bottle  of  strong  waters,  for  their  en- 
tcrtainment  at  marriage,  which  is  then  consummated. 

When  a  tenant  dies,  the  widow  addresseth  herself  to  Macniel  in  the  same  manner, 
who  likewise  provides  her  with  a  husband,  and  they  are  married  without  any  further 
courtship.  There  is  in  this  island  an  altar  dedicated  to  St.  Christopher,  at  which  the 
natives  perform  their  devotion.  There  is  a  stone  set  up  here,  about  seven  feet  high  ; 
and  when  the  inhabitants  come  near  it,  they  take  a  religious  turn  round  it. 

If  a  tenant  chance  to  lose  his  milk-cows  by  the  severity  of  the  season,  or  any  other 
misfortune,  in  this  case  Macniel  of  Barray  supplies  him  with  the  like  number  that  he 
lost. 

When  any  of  these  tenants  are  so  far  advanced  in  years,  that  they  are  incapable  to 
till  the  ground,  Macneil  takes  such  old  men  into  his  own  family,  and  maintains  them  all 
their  lives  after.  The  natives  observe,  that  if  six  sheep  are  put  a  grazing  in  the  little 
island  Pabbay,  five  of  them  still  appear  fat,  but  the  sixth  a  poor  skeleton  :  but  any  num- 
ber in  iWu  island  not  exceeding  five  are  always  very  fat.  There  is  a  little  island  not  far 
from  this,  called  Micklay,  of  the  same  extent  as  Pabbay,  and  hath  the  same  way  of  feed- 
ing sheep.     These  little  islands  afford  excellent  hawks. 

The  isles  above  mentioned,  lying  near  to  the  south  of  Barray,  are  commonly  called  the 
Bishop's  Isles,  because  they  are  held  of  the  bishop.  Some  isles  lie  on  the  east  and  north 
of  Barray,  as  Fiaray,  Mellisay,  Buya  Major  and  Minor,  Lingay,  Fuda ;  they  afford  pas- 
turage, and  are  commodious  for  fishing  •  and  the  latter  being  about  two  miles  in  cir- 
cumference, is  fertile  in  corn  and  grass.  There  is  a  good  anchoring  place  next  to  the 
isle  on  the  north-east  side. 

The  steward  of  the  lesser  and  southern  islands  is  reckoned  a  great  man  here,  in  re- 
gard of  the  perquisites  due  to  him ;  such  as  a  particular  share  of  all  the  lands,  corn, 
butter,  cheese,  fish,  he.  which  these  islands  produce  :  the  measure  of  barley  paid  him 
by  each  family  yearly  is  an  omer,  as  they  call  it,  containing  about  two  pecks. 

There  is  an  inferior  officer,  who  also  hath  a  right  to  a  share  of  all  the  same  products. 
Next  to  these  come  in  course  those  of  the  lowest  posts,  such  as  the  cockman  and  porter, 
each  of  whom  hath  his  respective  due,  which  is  punctually  paid. 

Macneil  of  Barray,  and  all  his  followers,  are  Roman  Catholics,  one  only  excepted, 
viz.  Murdock  Macneil ;  and  it  may  perhaps  be  thought  no  small  virtue  in  him  to  ad- 
here to  the  Protestant  communion,  considering  the  disadvantages  he  labours  under  by 
the  want  of  his  chiefs  favour,  which  is  much  lessened  for  being  a  heretick,  as  they  call 
him.  All  the  inhabitants  observe  the  anniversary  of  St.  Barr,  being  the  27th  of  Sep- 
tember ;  it  is  performed  riding  on  horse-back,  and  the  solemnity  is  concluded  by  three 
turns  round  St.  Barr's  church.  This  brings  into  my  mind  a  story  which  was  told  me 
concerning  a  foreign  priest,  and  the  entei:tainment  he  met  with  after  his  arrival  there 
some  years  ago,  as  follows  :  this  priest  happened  to  land  here  upon  the  very  day,  and  at 
the  paiticular  hour  of  this  solemnity,  which  was  the  more  acceptable  to  the  inhabitants, 


WESTEUN    ISLANDS   OV    SCOTLAND. 


607 


first  into 
/Is  more 
en  a  te- 
ucncil  of 
eased  to 
L'gCt  fol- 
icntation, 
old  him, 
their  cn- 

manner, 
f  further 
/hich  the 
:t  high  ; 

my  other 
r  that  he 

apable  to 
them  all 
the  little 
my  niim> 
id  not  far 
i  of  feed- 
called  the 
tnd  north 
fTurd  pas- 
fs  in  cir- 
;xt  to  the 

re,  in  re- 
ds, corn, 
paid  him 

sroducts. 
d  porter, 

excepted, 

m  to  ad- 

under  by 

they  call 

of  Sep- 

by  three 

k  told  me 

val  there 

ly,  and  at 

labitants, 


who  then  desired  him  to  prc-nch  a  commemoration  sermon  to  the  honour  o(  their  patron 
St.  Burr,  according  to  the  ancient  custom  of  the  place.  At  this  thtr  priest  um-*  sur- 
prised, he  never  having  heard  of  St.  Uarr  i)clbrc  that  day;  and  therefore  kuowinfr  no. 
thing  of  his  virtues,  could  say  nothing  conceruiiif?  him  :  but  told  ti  cm,  that  if  a  strtuoii 
to  the  honour  of  St.  Paul,  or  St.  Peter,  could  please  them,  they  niij^'u  have  it  in  taiitly. 
This  answer  of  his  was  so  disagreeable  to  thcni,  that  they  plainly  told  '\im  he  could  he 
no  true  priest,  if  he  had  not  heard  i)f  St.  Barr,  for  the  pope  himself  had  'leard  of  hnu ; 
but  this  would  not  persuade  the  priest,  so  tluit  they  parted  much  dissatisliekl  with  oul'  an. 
other.  They  have  likewise  a  general  cavalcade  on  St.  Michaers  day  iu  Kilbir  \illage, 
and  do  then  also  take  a  turn  round  their  church.  I'.very  family,  as  soon  as  the  so- 
lemnity is  ended,  is  accustomed  to  bake  St.  Michael's  cake,  as  above  described  ;  and  all 
strangers,  together  with  those  of  the  family,  must  cat  the  bread  that  night. 

This  island,  and  the  adjacent  lesser  islands,  belong  in  proptTty  to  Macneil,   being  the 
thirty.fourth  of  that  name  by  lineal  descent  that  has  possessed  this  island,  if  the  pn  sent 
genealogers  may  be  credited.     He  holds  his  lands  in  vassalage  of  Sir  Donald  Matdonald 
of  Slate,  to  whom  he  pays  401.  per  ann.  and  a  hawk,  if  reouired,  and  is  obliged  to  fur- 
nish him  a  certain  number  of  men  upon  extraordinary  occasions. 

IVie  ancient  and  modern  Customs  of  the  Inhabitants  of  the  Jfestern  Islands  of  Scotland. 

EVERY  heir,  or  young  chieftain  of  a  tribe,  was  obliged  in  honour  to  give  a  jjublic 
specimen  of  his  valour,  before  he  was  owned  and  declared  governor  or  leader  of  his 
people,  who  obeyed  and  followed  him  upon  all  occasions. 

'I'his  chieftain  was  usually  attended  >vith  a  retinue  of  young  mcu  of  quality,  who  had 
not  beforehand  given  any  proof  of  their  valour,  and  were  ambitious  of  such  an  op- 
portunity to  signalize  themselves. 

It  was  usual  for  the  captain  to  lead  them,  to  make  a  desperate  incursion  upon  some 
neighbour  or  other  that  they  were  in  feud  with ;  and  the)  were  obliged  to  bring  by 
open  force  the  cattle  they  found  in  the  lands  they  attacked,  or  to  die  in  the  attempt. 

After  the  performance  of  this  achievement,  the  young  chieftain  was  ever  after  re- 
puted valiant  and  worthy  of  government,  and  such  as  were  of  his  retinue  acquired  the 
like  reputation.  This  custom,  being  reciprocally  used  among  them,  was  not  reputed 
robbery  ;  for  the  damage  which  one  tribe  sustained  by  this  essay  of  the  chieftain  of  an- 
other was  repaired,  when  their  chieftain  came  in  his  turn  to  make  his  specimen  :  but 
I  have  not  heard  an  instance  of  this  practice  for  these  sixty  years  past. 

The  formalities  observed  at  the  entrance  of  these  chieftains  upon  the  government  of 
their  clans  we(\:  as  follow : 

A  lieap  of  stones  was  erected  in  form  of  a  pyramid,  on  the  top  of  which  the  young 
chieftain  was  placed,  his  friends  and  followers  standing  in  a  circle  round  about  him, 
his  elevation  signif>ing  his  authority  over  them,  and  their  standing  below  their  sub- 
jection to  him.  One  of  his  principal  friends  delivered  into  his  hands  the  sword  wore 
by  his  father,  and  there  was  a  white  rod  delivered  to  him  likewise  at  the  same  time. 

Immediately  after  the  chief  druid  (or  orator)  stood  close  to  the  pyramid,  and  pro- 
nounced a  rhetorical  panegyrick,  setting  forth  the  ancient  pedigree,  valour,  and  libe- 
rality of  the  family,  as  incentives  to  the  young  chieftain,  and  fit  for  his  imitation. 

It  was  their  custom,  when  any  chieftain  marched  upon  a  military  expedition,  to  draw 
some  blood  from  the  first  animal  that  chanced  to  meet  them  upon  the  enemy's  ground, 
and  thereafter  to  sprinkle  some  of  it  upon  their  colours.  This  they  reckoned  as  a  good 
omen  of  future  success. 


t    • 

w 

I 


"  u 


JL- 


tHi$ 


MARTIN^)    UESCRIPTIOK    OF    TUB 


They  hnd  their  lixcd.  officers,  who  were  rcudy  to  attend  them  upon  all  occasions, 
whether  military  or  civil.  Some  fimilies  continue  them  from  father  to  son,  particularly 
Sir  Donnid  Mucdonuld  has  his  principal  Mandurd-bcarer  and  quarter-master.  The  latter 
huH  a  right  to  all  the  hides  of  cows  killed  upon  any  of  the  occasions  mentioned  above  ; 
und  this  1  have  seen  exacted  punctually,  though  the  officer  had  no  charter  fur  the  same, 
but  only  custom. 

Thev  had  n  constant  centinel  on  the  top  of  their  houses,  called  gockmin,  or,  in  the 
Englisn  tongue,  cockman ;  who  was  obliged  to  watch  day  and  night,  and,  at  the  ap* 
proach  of  any  body,  to  ask,  "  Who  comes  there?"  This  officer  is  continued  in  Barray 
still,  und  has  the  perqui<iites  due  to  his  place  paid  him  duly  at  two  terms  in  the  year. 

There  was  a  competent  number  of  young  gentlemen,  called  Luchktaeh,  or  Guard  de 
Corps,  who  always  attended  the  chieftain  at  home  and  abroad.  They  were  ivell  trained 
in  managing  the  sword  and  target,  in  wrestling,  swimming,  jumping,  dancing,  shooting 
with  buws  and  arrows,  and  were  stout  seamen. 

Every  chieftain  had  a  bold  armour-bearer,  whose  business  was  always  to  attend  the 
person  of  his  masier,  night  and  day  ,  to  prevent  any  surprise,  and  this  man  was  called 
Galloglach  ;  he  had  likcwibc  a  double  portion  of  meat  assigned  him  at  every  meal.  The 
measure  of  meat  usually  given  him  is  called  to  this  day  bieyfir,  that  is,  a  man's  por« 
tion ;  meaning  thereby  an  extraordinary  man,  whose  strength  and  courage  distinguished 
him  from  the  common  sort. 

Before  they  engaged  the  enemy  in  batUe,  the  chief  druid  harangued  the  army  to  ex- 
cite their  courage.  He  was  placed  on  an  eminence,  from  wh  ;e  he  addrestscd  him^ 
»eif  to  all  of  them  standing  about  him,  putting  them  in  mind  of  «vhat  gpreat  things  were 
performed  by  the  valour  of  their  ancestors,  raised  their  hopes  with  the  noble  rewards 
of  honour  and  victory,  and  dispelled  their  fears  by  all  the  topics  that  natural  courage 
could  suggest.  A(\er  this  harangue,  the  army  gave  a  general  shout,  and  then  charged 
the  enemy  stoutly.  This,  in  the  ancient  language,  was  called  brosnichiy  kah,  i.  e.  an  m- 
centiveto  war.  This  custom  of  shouting  aloud  is  believed  to  have  taken  its  rise  from 
an  instinct  of  nature,  it  being  attributed  to  most  nations  that  have  been  of  a  martial 
genius :  as  by  Homer  to  the  Trojans,  by  Tacitus  to  the  Germans,  by  Livy  to  the  Gauls. 
£very  great  family  in  the  isles  had  a  chief  druid,  who  foretold  futtire  events,  and  de- 
cided all  causes,  civil  and  ecclesiastical.  It  is  reported  of  them  that  they  wrought  in  the 
night.time,  and  rested  all  day.  Caesar  says  they  worshipped  a  deity  under  the  name  of 
Taramis,  or  Taran,  which,  in  Welsh,  signifies  thunder  ;  and  in  the  ancient  language  of 
the  Highlanders,  Torin  signifies  thunder  also. 

Another  God  of  the  Britons  was  Belus,  or  Belinus,  which  seems  to  have  been  the 
Assyrian  God  Bel«  or  Belus,  and  probably  from  this  Pa^n  deity  comes  the  Scots  term 
of  Beltin,  the  day  of  May,  having  its  first  rise  from  the  custom  practised 

by  the  druids  in  the  isles,  of  extinguishing  all  the  fires  in  the  parish  until  the  tythes 
were  paid ;  and  upon  payment  of  them,  the  fires  were  kindled  in  each  family,  and 
never  till  then.  In  those  days  malefactors  were  burnt  between  two  fires ;  hence,  when 
they  would  express  a  man  to  be  in  a  great  strait,  they  say,  "  he  is  between  two  fires  of 
Bel,"  which  in  their  language  they  express  thus,  Edir  da  hin  Veaul  or  Bel.  Some 
object  that  the  druids  could  not  be  in  the  isles,  because  no  oaks  grow  there.  To  which 
I  answer,  that  in  those  days  oaks  did  grow  there,  and  to  this  day  there  be  oaks  growing 
in  some  of  them,  particularly  in  Sleat,  the  most  southern  part  of  the  isleofSkie.  The 
houses  named  after  those  druids  shall  be  described  elsewhere. 

The  manner  of  drinking  used  by  the  chief  men  of  the  isles  is  called,  in  their  language, 
streah,  i.  e.  a  round ;  for  the  company  sat  in  a  circle,  the  cup>bearer  filled  the  drink 


l-r 


cuiona, 
licularljr 
he  bttcr 
above ; 
\c  same, 

»r,  in  the 
;  the  np- 
n  Burray 
year. 
jxiard  de 
II  trained 
shooting 

ittend  the 
as  called 
al.  The 
lan's  por- 
inguished 

ny  to  ex- 
ited him- 
ngs  were 
;  rewards 
il  courage 
n  charged 
i.  e.  an  in- 
rise  from 
a  martial 
he  Gauls, 
andde- 
ght  in  the 
c  name  of 
inguage  of 

been  the 
cots  term 
practised 
the  tythes 
mily,  and 
nee,  when 
wo  fires  of 
Some 
To  which 
;s  growing 
.kie.    The 

language, 
the  drink 


WIITIRN    ISLAKOS    OF    SCOTLANU. 


(i()l» 


round  to  them,  and  all  w:is  drank  out,  whatever  the  ru|Uor  was,  whctlicr  stronp;  or 
weak  ;  they  continued  (Iriiikiiig  sometimes  twentr-lonr,  sonuiimcs  forty -lijulit  lif)ura  ; 
it  was  reckoned  a  piece  uf  manhood  lu  drink  until  thev  becuine  drinik,  and  tlu  re  were 
two  men  with  a  barrow  attending  |)unctuaily  on  such  occasions.  They  stood  at  the 
door  until  some  became  drunk,  and  they  carried  them  upon  the  barrovv  to  IkcI,  und 
returned  again  to  their  post  as  long  as  any  coittinued  fresh,  iuu)  so  carried  off  tin-  whole 
company  one  by  one  as  ihey  became  drunk.  Several  of  my  ;ie(|uaintance  have  been 
witnesses  to  this  custom  of  drinking,  but  it  is  now  abolished. 

Among  persons  of  distinction  it  was  reckoned  an  affront  upon  any  company  to  broach 
a  piece  of  wine,  ale,  or  a(|uavitie,  and  not  to  sec  it  ;ill  draitk  out  atone  ineetii.g.  If 
any  man  chance  to  go  out  from  the  company,  though  but  for  a  few  minutes,  he  is 
obliged,  upon  his  return,  and  before  he  take  his  seat,  to  make  an  apology  for  his  ab- 
sence in  rhyme  :  which,  if  he  cannot  perform,  he  is  liable  to  such  a  share  of  the  reckon- 
ing as  the  company  thinks  fit  to  impose :  which  custom  obtains  in  many  places  still, 
and  is  called  bcanchiy  bard,  which*  in  their  language,  signifies  the  poet's  congratulating 
the  company. 

It  hath  been  an  ancient  custom  in  these  isles,  and  still  continues,  when  any  number 
of  men  retire  into  a  house,  either  to  discourse  of  serious  business,  or  to  pass  some  time 
in  drinking;  upon  these  occasions  the  door  of  the  house  stands  open,  and  a  rod  is  put 
cross  the  same,  which  is  understood  to  be  n  sign  to  all  persons  without  distinction  not 
to  approach :  and  if  any  should  be  so  rude  as  to  take  up  this  rcxl,  and  come  in  im- 
called,  he  is  sure  to  be  no  welcome  guest ;  for  this  is  accounted  such  an  affront  to  the 
company,  that  they  are  bound  in  honour  to  resent  it ;  and  the  person  ^.nding  may 
come  to  have  his  head  broken,  if  he  do  not  meet  with  a  harsher  reception. 

The  chieftain  is  usually  attended  with  a  numerous  retinue  when  he  goes  a  hunting 
the  deer,  this  being  his  first  specimen  of  manly  exercise.  All  his  clothes,  arms,  aitd 
hunting-equipage  are,  upon  his  return  from  the  hills,  given  to  the  forester,  according  to 
custom. 

Every  family  had  commonly  two  stewards,  which,  in  their  language,  were  called 
marischall  taeh  :  the  first  of  these  served  always  at  home,  and  was  obligi  d  to  be  well 
versed  in  the  pedigree  of  all  the  tribes  in  the  isles,  and  in  the  Highlands  of  Scothmd  ; 
for  it  was  his  province  to  assign  every  man  at  table  his  seat,  according  to  his  quality  ; 
and  this  was  done  without  one  word  speaking,  only  by  drawing  a  score  with  a  white 
rod  which  this  marischall  had  hi  his  hand,  before  the  person  who  was  bid  by  him  to  sit 
down:  and  this  was  necessary,  to  prevent  disorder  and  contention;  and,  though  the 
marischall  might  sometimes  be  mistaken,  the  master  of  the  family  incurred  no  censure 
by  such  an  escape ;  but  this  custom  has  been  laid  aside  of  late.  They  hail  also  cup- 
bearers, who  always  filled  and  carried  the  cup  round  the  company,  and  he  himself 
drank  off"  the  first  draught.  They  had  likewise  purse-masters,  who  kept  their  money. 
Both  these  officers  had  an  hereditary  right  i  their  office  in  writing,  and  each  of  them 
had  a  town  and  land  for  his  service  :  for  some  of  those  rights  I  have  seen  fairly  written 
on  good  parchment. 

Besides  the  ordinary  rent  paid  by  the  tenant  to  his  master,  if  a  cow  brought  forth 
two  calves  at  a  time,  which  indeed  is  extraordinary,  or  an  ewe  two  lambs,  which  is  fre- 
quent, the  tenant  paid  to  the  master  one  of  the  calves  or  lambs  ;  and  the  master,  on  his 
E art,  was  obliged,  if  any  of  his  tenants'  wives  bore  twins,  to  take  one  of  them,  and 
reed  him  in  his  own  family.  1  have  known  a  gentleman  who  had  sixteen  of  these  twins 
in  his  family  at  a  time.  ;  v  v^vf-r 

V«L.  lit.  4  I  < 


\ 


\\\ 


f 


,  \ 


Mf 
W' 


ulO 


MARriM's  ucscRiriioN  or  thi 


Their  Mnciciit  Icuf^tics  of  frictuliillip  were  ratified  by  drinkine  u  drop  of  each  other** 
blood,  which  »ns  commonl)  druwn  out  of  the  little  finger.  I'hitt  wus  rdigiouhh  ob- 
served as  a  nutrtd  botid ;  iind  if  any  pirHoii  uftcr  (tuch  un  ullinnce  huppcncd  to  violate 
(he  tMinie,  he  wa»  from  (hat  time  nputcd  unworthy  of  all  honest  mciiN*  conversation. 
Bifore  money  became  enrrtni,  the  chiiftaintt  in  the  isUs  bestowed  the  cow'b  head,  feet, 
and  uU  the  entrails,  upon  their  depcndcntH ;  huch  :>s  the  uhyitician,  orator,  poet,  bard, 
musicians,  tkc.  and  the  bame  was  divided  thus  :  the  smith  had  the  head,  the  piper  had 
the  &€. 

It  wus  an  ancient  custom  among  the  islanders  to  han||^  a  hc'goat  to  the  boat's  mast, 
hoping  thereby  to  procure  a  favourable  wind  :  but  this  is  not  practistd  at  present ; 
though  I  am  told  it  hath  been  done  once  by  some  of  the  vulgar  within  these  thirteen 
years  last  past. 

They  had  nn  universal  custom  of  pouring  n  cow's  milk  upon  a  little  hill,  or  big  stone, 
where  the  spirit  called  Browny  was  believed  to  lodge  :  this  spirit  always  upptared  in 
the  shjpe  of  a  tall  man,  having  very  long  brown  hair.  There  wus  scarce  any  the  least 
village  in  which  this  superstitious  custom  did  not  prevail.  I  inquired  the  reason  of  it 
from  tttverul  well-meaning  women,  who  until  of  late  hud  practised  it :  and  they  told  me 
that  it  hud  been  transmitted  to  them  by  their  ancestors  successively,  who  believed  it  wus 
attended  with  good  fortune,  but  the  most  credulous  of  the  vulgar  had  now  laid  it  aside. 
It  was  an  ordinary  thing  among  the  over<curious  to  consult  an  invisible  oracle  concern- 
ing the  fate  of  families  and  buttles,  &c.  1  his  was  pt-ifornud  three  diflPerent  ways  :  *he 
first  wus  by  a  company  of  men,  one  of  whom,  being  detached  by  lot,  was  afterwar<}9 
curried  to  a  river,  which  was  the  boundary  between  two  villages ;  four  of  the  compat  ^ 
laid  hold  of  him,  and  having  shut  his  eyen,  they  took  him  by  the  legs  and  arms,  ana 
then  tossing  him  to  and  again,  struck  his  hips  with  force  against  the  bunk.  One  of  them 
cried  out,  *'  What  is  it  you  have  got  here?"  Another  answers,  *•  A  log  «»f  birch- 
wood.  "  The  other  cries  again,  "  Let  his  invisible  friends  appear  from  all  quarters,  and 
let  them  relieve  him  by  giving  an  aitswer  to  our  present  demands ;"  and  in  a  few  minutes 
after  a  number  of  little  creatures  came  from  the  sea,  who  answered  the  question, 
and  disappeared  suddenly.  The  man  was  then  set  at  liberty,  and  they  all  returned 
home,  to  take  their  measures  according  to  the  prediction  of  their  false  prophets ;  but 
the  poor  deluded  fools  were  abused,  for  the  answer  was  still  ambiguous.  This  was 
always  practised  in  the  night,  and  may  literally  be  called  the  works  of  darkness. 

I  haa  an  account  from  the  most  intelligent  and  judicious  men  in  the  isle  of  Skie,  that 
about  sixty-two  years  ago  the  oracle  was  thus  consulted  only  once,  and  that  was  in  the 
parish  of  Kilinartin,  on  the  east-side,  by  a  wicked  and  mischievous  race  of  people,  who 
are  now  extinguished  both  root  and  branch. 

The  second  way  of  consulting  the  oracle  was  by  a  party  of  men,  who  first  retired  to 
solitary  places,  remote  from  any  house,  and  there  they  singled  out  one  of  their  number, 
and  wrupt  him  in  a  big  cow's  hide,  which  they  folded  about  him  :  his  whole  body  wus 
covered  with  it  except  his  head,  and  so  left  in  thb  posture  all  night,  until  his  invisible 
friends  relieved  him,  by  giving  a  proper  answer  tu  the  question  in  hand ;  which  he  re- 
ceived, as  he  fancied,  from  several  persons  that  he  found  about  him  all  that  time.  His 
consorts  returned  to  him  at  break  of  day,  and  then  he  communicated  his  news  to  them ; 
ivhich  often  proved  fatal  to  those  concerned  in  such  unwarrantable  inquiries. 

There  was  a  third  way  of  consulting,  which  was  a  confirmation  of  the  second  above 
mentioned.  The  same  company  who  put  the  man  into  the  hide  took  a  live  cat,  and  put 
him  on  a  spit ;  one  of  the  number  was  employed  to  ttim  the  spit,  and  one  of  bis  con- 


I_^.. 


WBITERN    IILANOI    Or    SCOTLAND. 


611 


I  othf  r*» 
Uhh  ob- 
o  violate 
crsatioii. 
tad,  feet, 
ct,  bard, 
}ipcr  hud 

It's  mast, 
prcHcnt  ; 
;  thirteen 

)ig  stone, 
piurcd  in 

the  least 
ason  of  it 
y  told  me 
red  it  was 
d  it  aside. 
;  conccrn- 
vays :  'he 
ifterwartls 
comparf 
irms,  and 
It'  of  them 

of  birch- 
irters,  and 
tv  minutes 

question, 

II  returned 
thets;  but 

This  was 
ss. 

Skie,  that 
was  ill  the 
:ople,  who 

t  retired  to 
if  number, 
;  bod)  was 
is  invisible 
hich  he  re* 
liiiie.  His 
sto  them; 
I. 

cond  above 
at,  and  put 
of  bis  con< 


f 


bfirts  enquired  of  him,  ««What  arc  you  doifii^?"  He  anxwercd,  '*  I  roast  this  cat  until 
hi»  frientU  answer  tin-  question  j"  which  must  be  the  name  that  was  propo^d  by  the 
man  shut  up  in  i'n  hide  A.id  afterwards  u  vcrv  bi^  cat  come«i,  alitiMlt d  by  u  nunibei 
of  Icistr  cuK,  dl^irin^if  to  nlicvc  the  cut  tunud  u|m»h  the  spit,  and  then  answers  the 
question.  II  tiii*.  answer  proved  the  same  that  was  given  to  the  man  in  the  hide,  then  it 
was  taken  a«>  a  coi.firn..\tion  uf  the  other,  which  in  this  case  was  believed  infallible. 

Mr.  Alexander  Cooi)er,  present  minister  of  North- Vist,  tol<l  nic  that  one  John  Krach, 
in  the  islt  of  Li  wis,  assured  him  that  it  was  his  fate  to  havt-  been  led  hj  his  curiosity 
with  Home  who  ronsiiltt  d  this  e)raclr,  and  that  he  was  a  night  within  the  hide,  as  above 
meniiniud:  during  which  time  he  filt  and  heard  such  teirible  tilings,  that  he  could  not 
express  them  :  the  imjircssion  it  made  on  him  was  such  as  could  never  go  off,  and  he 
said,  that  lor  a  thousand  worlds  he  would  never  again  l)e  concerned  in  th»-  like  nerfor. 
mance,  for  'his  had  di'.ordend  him  to  a  high  degree.  He  confessed  it  ingenuously,  and 
with  an  air  of  gieat  a-morse,  and  seemed  to  l)e  very  penitent  under  a  just  sense  of  so 

Ereut  a  crime  t  he  dcclarrd  this  about  five  years  since,  and  is  still  living  in  the  island  of 
(-wis,  for  any  thing  1  know.  The  inhabitants  here  did  also  make  use  of  a  tire  called 
Tm-egln,  i.  e.  a  forced  fire,  or  lire  of  necessity,  which  they  used  as  an  antidote  against 
the  pbgue  or  mtirraiii  in  cattle;  and  it  was  p<rf  rmed  thus:  all  the  fires  in  the  parish 
were  extinguished,  and  thvn  eighty-one  marriid  men,  being  thought  the  necessary  num- 
ber f«'r  efttcting  this  design,  took  two  great  plunks  of  wood,  and  nine  of  them  were 
empl  'vedby  turns,  who  by  their  repealed  effirts  rubUtd  one  of  tlv.-  nianks  ugiinst  the 
other  until  the  heat  thereof  produced  fire  ;  and  from  this  forced  hre  cacti  fantily  in 
supplied  with  new  fire,  which  is  no  sooner  kindlid,  than  a  pot  full  of  water  is  quickly 
set  on  it,  and  afterwards  spri  ikled  upon  the  people  infectfd  with  the  plague,  or  upon 
the  cattle  that  have  the  mi«rraiii.  And  this  they  all  say  ihcy  find  succ<ssful  by  experi- 
ence :  it  was  practised  in  the  main  land,  op^Msite  to  the  south  uf  Skie,  within  these  thirty 
years. 

They  preserve  their  boundaries  from  being  liable  to  any  debates  by  their  successors 
thus:  they  Jay  a  quantity  of  the  ashes  of  burnt  wood  in  the  grourui,  and  put  big  stones 
above  the  same;  and  for  conveying  the  knowlcdj^c  of  this  to  posti-rity,  they  carry  some 
boys  from  both  villages  next  the  boundary,  and  there  whip  them  somidly,  which  they 
will  be  sure  to  remember,  and  tell  it  to  their  children.  A  debate  having  arisen  betwixt 
the  villages  of  Ose  and  Groban  in  Skie,  they  found  ashes,  asab»ve  mentioned,  under  a 
stone,  which  decided  the  controversy.  It  was  an  ancient  custom  in  the  islands,  that  a 
man  should  take  a  maid  to  his  wife,  and  keep  her  the  space  of  a  year  without  marr\  ing 
her ;  and  if  she  pleased  him  all  the  while,  he  married  her  at  the  end  of  the  year,  and 
legitim.iied  these  children  ;  but  if  he  did  not  love  her,  he  returned  her  to  her  p  irents, 
and  her  portion  also ;  and  if  there  happened  to  be  any  children,  they  were  kept  by  the 
father  :  but  this  unreasonable  custom  was  long  ago  brought  into  disuse. 

It  is  common  in  these  isl  tnds  wiien  a  tenant  dies,  for  the  ftiaster  to  h  ive  his  choice  ol 
all  the  horse  s  which  belonged  to  the  deceased  ;  and  this  was  called  i  he-  eachfuin  horizeida, 
i.  e.  a  lord's  gift :  for  the  first  use  of  it  was  from  a  gift  of  a  horse  graiued  by  all  ilie 

subjects  in  Scotland  for  relieving  king from  his  imprisonment  in  England. 

There  was  another  duty  payable  by  all  the  tenants  to  their  chief,  though  they  did  not 
live  upon  his  lands ;  and  this  is  called  calpich:  there  was  a  standing  law  for  it  also,  called 
calpiehA^y/  ;  and  I  am  informed  that  this  is  exacted  by  some  in  the  main  land  to  this  day. 

Women  were  anciently  denied  the  use  of  writing  in  the  islands,  to  prevent  love  in- 
trigues :  their  parents  believed  that  nature  was  too  skilful  in  that  matter,  and  needed  no: 

4  I  2 


M 


.  > 


W 


111' 


n 


612 


martin's  nESCUIPTION  01' THE 


tlic  help  of  education  ;  and  ihercfore  that  writing  would  be  of  dangerous  jotisequencc 
to  the  wciikcr  &ex. 

Tlie  orators,  in  their  language  called  Is-dane,  were  in  high  esteem  both  in  these  islands 
and  the  continent ;  iiiril  witlii,!  these  forty  years  they  sat  always  among  the  nobles  and 
chiefs  of  families  in  the  streah  or  circle.  Their  houses  and  little  villages  were  sanc- 
tuaries, as  well  as  churches,  and  they  took  place  before  doctors  of  physic.  Tiie  orators, 
after  the  druids  were  extinct,  were  brought  in  to  preserve  the  genealogy  of  families, 
and  to  repeat  the  same  at  every  succession  of  a  chief;  and  upon  the  occasion  of  mar- 
riages and  births,  they  made  epithalamiums  and  panegyrics,  which  the  poet  or  bard 
pronounced.  The  orators,  by  the  force  of  their  eloquence,  had  a  powerful  ascendant 
over  the  greatest  men  in  their  time ;  for  if  any  orator  did  but  ask  the  habit,  arms,  horse, 
or  any  other  thing  belonging  to  the  greiitest  men  in  these  islands,  it  was  readily  granted 
them,  sometimes  out  of  respect,  and  sometimes  for  fear  of  being  exclaimed  against  by  a 
s:  tire,  which  in  those  days  was  reckoned  a  great  dishonour  :  but  these  gentlemen  be- 
coming insolent,  lost  ever  since  both  the  profit  and  esteem  which  was  formerly  due  to 
their  character ;  for  neither  their  panegyrics  nor  satires  are  regarded  to  what  they  have 
been,  and  they  are  now  allowed  but  a  small  salary.  I  must  not  omit  to  relate  their 
way  of  study,  which  is  very  singular :  they  shut  their  doors  and  windows  for  a  day  *s 
time,  and  lie  on  their  backs,  with  a  stone  upon  their  belly,  and  pluids  about  their  heads, 
and,  their  eyes  being  covered,  they  pump  their  brains  for  rhetorical  encomium  or 
panegyric ;  and  indeed  they  furnish  such  a  style  from  this  dark  cell  as  is  understood  by 
very  few ;  and  if  they  purchase  a  couple  of  horses  as  the  reward  of  their  meditation, 
they  think  they  have  done  a  great  matter.  The  poet  or  bard  had  a  title  to  the  bride- 
groom's upper  garb,  that  is,  the  plaid  and  bonnet ;  but  now  he  is  satisfied  with  what 
the  bridegroom  pleases  to  give  him  on  such  occasions. 

There  was  an  ancient  custom  in  the  island  of  Lewis,  to  make  a  fiery  circle  about  the 
houses,  corn,  cattle  &c.  belonging  to  each  particular  family  :  a  man  carried  fire  in  his 
right  hand,  and  went  round,  and  it  was  called  dessil,  from  the  right  hand,  which  in  the 
ancient  language  is  called  dess.  An  instance  of  this  round  was  performed  in  the  vil- 
lage Shadir,  in  Lewis,  about  sixteen  years  ago  (as  I  was  told)  but  it  proved  fatal  to 
the  i-actiser,  called  MacCallum  ;  for  after  he  had  carefully  performed  this  round, 
that  very  night  following  he  and  his  family  were  sadly  surprised,  and  all  his  houses,  corn, 
cattle,  &c.  were  consumed  with  fire.  This  superstitious  custom  is  quite  abolished  now, 
for  there  has  not  been  above  this  one  instance  of  it  in  forty  years  |)ast. 

There  is  another  way  of  the  dessil,  or  carrying  fire  round  about  women  before  they 
are  churched,  after  child-bearing  ,  and  it  is  used  likewise  about  children  until  thev  are 
chribtened  ;  both  which  are  performed  in  the  morning  and  at  night.  This  is  only 
practiced  now  by  some  of  the  ancient  midwives  :  I  inquired  their  reason  for  this  custom, 
which  I  told  them  was  altogether  unlawful ;  this  disobliged  them  mightily,  insdmuch 
that  they  would  give  me  no  satisfaction.  But  others,  that  were  of  a  more  agreeable 
temper,  told  me  that  fire-round  was  an  effectual  means  to  preserve  both  the  mother 
and  the  infant  from  the  power  of  evil  spirits,  who  are  ready  at  such  times  to  do  mis- 
chief, and  sometimes  carry  away  the  infant ;  and  when  they  get  them  once  in  their 
possession,  return  them  pc^or  meagre  skeletons  ;  and  these  infants  are  said  to  have  vora- 
cious appetites,  constantly  craving  for  meat.  In  this  case  it  was  usual  with  those,  who 
believed  that  their  children  were  thus  taken  away,  to  dig  a  grave  in  the  fields  upon 
quarter-day,  and  there  to  lay  the  fairy  skeleton  till  next  morning ;  at  which  time  the 
parents  went  to  the  place,  where  they  doubted  not  to  find  their  own  child  instead  oC 


m 


WESIEUN    ISLANDS    OF    SCOTLANU. 


613 


tisequencc 

'se  islands 
lobles  and 
t'cre  sanc- 
le  orators, 
r  families, 
1  of  mar- 
it  or  bard 
ascendant 
ns,  horse, 
iy  granted 
aitistt  by  a 
lemen  be- 
"Iy  due  to 
they  have 
ilate  their 
br  a  da>  's 
eir  heads, 
)mium  or 
Tstood  by 
leditation, 
the  bride- 
vith  what 

about  the 
fire  in  his 
lich  ill  the 
in  the  vi!- 
d  fatal  to 
lis  round, 
isesjcorn, 
shed  now, 

5fore  they 
il  they  are 
is  is  only 
is  custom, 
insomuch 
agreeable 
le  mother 

0  do  mis- 
:c  in  their 
lave  vora- 
lose,  who 
^Ids  upon 

1  time  the 
instead  oC 


this  skeleton.  Some  of  the  p»K)rcr  sort  of  peopl  •  in  these  islands  retain  the  custom  dI 
performing  these  rouiuls  sun  ways  ubout  the  per^  "is  of  their  benefactors  three  time  s, 
when  they  bless  ihcni,  and  wish  good  success  to  all  their  enterprizes.  Some  are  very 
careful  wh.Mi  they  set  out  to  sea  that  the  boat  be  first  rowed  about  sun- ways  ;  and  if  this 
be  neglected,  they  are  afraid  their  voyage  may  prove  unfortunate.  I  had  this  cere- 
mony paid  mc  (when  in  the  island  of  Ila)  by  a  poor  woman,  after  I  had  given  her  an 
alms:  I  desired  her  to  let  alone  that  conipliment,  for  I  did  not  care  for  it ;  but  she 
insisted  to  nuike  these  three  ordinary  turns,  and  then  prayed  that  God  and  Miic-Charmig, 
the  patron  saint  of  that  island,  might  bless  and  prosper  me  in  all  my  designs  and  affairs. 

I  attempted  twice  to  go  from  Ila  to  Collonsay,  and  at  both  times  they  rowed  about 
the  boat  sun-ways,  thtjugh  I  forbid  them  to  do  it ;  and  by  a  contrary  wind  the  boat 
and  those  in  it  were  forced  back.  I  took  boat  again  a  third  time  from  Jura  to  C<jI- 
lonsay,  and  at  the  same  lime  forbid  them  to  row  about  their  boat,  which  they  olieyed, 
and  then  we  landed  safely  at  Collonsay  without  any  ill  adventure,  which  some  of  the 
crew  did  not  believe  possible,  for  want  of  the  round  ;  but  this  one  instance  hath  con- 
vinced them  of  the  vanity  of  this  superstitious  ceremony.  Another  ancient  custom 
observtd  on  the  second  of  February,  which  the  papists  there  yet  retain,  is  this :  the 
ijiihtress  and  servants  of  each  family  take  a  sheaf  of  oats,  and  dress  it  up  in  woinens' 
apparel,  put  it  in  a  large  basket,  and  lay  a  wooden  club  by  it,  and  this  they  call  Briids- 
bed  ;  and  then  the  mistress  and  servants  cry  three  times,  Briid  is  come.  Briid  is  welcome. 
This  they  do  just  before  going  to  bed,  and  when  they  rise  in  the  morning  they  look 
among  the  ashes,  expecting  to  see  the  impression  of  Briid's  club  there  ;  which  if  they 
do,  they  reckon  it  a  true  presage  of  a  good  crop  and  prosperous  year,  and  the  contrary 
they  take  as  an  ill  omen. 

It  has  been  an  ancient  custom  amongst  the  natives,  and  now  only  used  by  some  old 
people,  to  swear  by  their  chief  or  laird's  hand. 

When  a  debate  arises  between  two  persons,  if  one  of  them  assert  the  matter  by  your 
father's  hand,  they  reckon  it  a  great  indignity  ;  but  if  they  go  a  degree  higher,  and  out 
of  spite  say,  by  your  father  and  grandfather's  hand,  the  next  word  is  commonly  accom- 
panied with  a  blow. 

It  is  a  received  opinion  in  these  islands,  as  well  as  in  the  neighbouring  part  of  the 
main  land,  that  women  by  a  charm,  or  some  other  secret  way,  are  able  to  convey  the 
increase  of  their  neighbour's  cows  milk  to  their  own  use;  and  that  the  milk  so  charmed 
doth  not  produce  the  ordinary  quantity  of  butter ;  and  the  curds  made  of  that  milk 
are  so  tough,  that  it  cannot  be  made  so  firm  as  other  cheese,  and  is  also  much  lighter 
in  weight.  The  butter  so  taken  away,  and  joined  to  the  charmer's  butter,  is  evidentlv 
discernible  by  a  mark  of  separation,  viz.  the  diversity  of  colours ;  that  which  is  charmed 
being  still  paler  than  that  part  of  the  butter  which  hath  not  been  charmed :  and  if  butter 
having  these  marks  be  found  with  a  suspected  woman,  she  is  presently  said  to  be  guilty. 
Their  usual  way  of  recovering  this  loss  is,  to  take  a  little  of  the  rennet  fnjm  all  the  sus- 
pected persons,  and  put  it  in  an  egg-shell  full  of  milk,  and  when  that  from  the  charmer 
is  mingled  with  it,  it  presently  curdles,  and  not  before. 

This  was  asserted  to  me  by  the  generality  of  the  most  judicious  people  in  these  islands; 
some  of  them  having,  as  they  told  me,  come  to  the  knowledge  of  it  to  their  cost.  Some 
women  make  use  of  the  root  of  groundsel  as  an  amulet  against  such  charms,  by  putting 
it  among  their  cream. 

Both  men  and  women  in  those  islands,  and  in  the  neighbouring  main  land,  affirm, 
that  the  increase  of  milk  is  likewise  taken  away  by  trouts,  if  it  happen  that  the  dishes  or 
paiis  wherein  the  milk  is  kept  be  washed  in  the  rivulets  where  trouts  are :  and  the  way 


I. 

h 

il 


'A 


■>:  «i 


i    i 


614 


martin's  description  of  the 


to  recover  this  damage  is  by  taking  a  live  trout  and  pouring  milk  into  its  mouth  ;  which 
they  say  doih  presently  curdle,  if  taken  away  by  trouts,  but  otherwise  they  say  it 
is  not. 

They  affirm  likewise  that  some  women  have  an  art  to  take  awav  the  milk  of  nurses. 

I  saw  four  women  whose  milk  were  tried,  that  one  might  be  chosen  for  a  nurse  ;  and 
the  woman  pitchtd  upon  was  after  three  days' suckling  deprived  of  her  milk;  whereupon 
she  was  sent  away,  and  another  put  in  htr  place ;  and  on  the  third  day  after,  she  that 
was  first  chosen  recovered  her  milk  again.  This  was  concluded  to  be  the  effect  of 
witchcraft  by  some  of  her  neighbours. 

They  also  say  that  some  have  an  art  of  taking  away  the  increase  of  malt,  ancl  that  the 
drink  made  of  this  malt  hath  neither  life  nor  good  taste  in  it ;  and  on  the  contrary,  the 
charmer  hath  very  g«  od  ale  all  this  time.  A  gentleman  of  my  acquaintance,  for  the 
space  of  a  year,  could  nut  have  a  drop  of  good  ale  in  his  house ;  and  having  complained 
of  it  to  all  that  conversed  with  him,  he  was  at  last  advised  to  get  some  yeast  from  every 
alehouse  in  the  parish  ;  and  having  got  a  litie  from  one  particular  man.  he  put  it  among 
his  wort,  which  became  as  good  ale  as  could  be  drank,  and  so  defeated  the  charm.  After 
which  the  gentleman,  in  whose  land  this  man  lived*  banished  him  thirty-six  miles  from 
ihence. 

They  say  there  are  women  who  have  an  art  of  taking  a  mote  out  of  one's  eye,  though 
at  some  miles  distance  from  the  party  grieved ;  and  this  is  the  only  charm  these  wo- 
men will  avouch  themselves  to  understand,  as  some  of  them  told  me,  and  several  of  these 
men,  out  of  whose  eyes  motes  were  then  taken,  confirmed  the  truth  of  it  to  me. 

All  these  islanders,  and  several  thousands  on  the  neighbouring  continent,  are  of  opi- 
nion,  that  some  particular  persons  have  an  evil  eye,  which  affects  children  and  cattle  ; 
this  they  say  occasions  frequent  mischances,  and  sometimes  death.  I  could  name  some 
who  are  believed  to  have  this  unhappy  faculty,  though  at  the  same  time  void  of  any  ill 
design.     This  hath  been  an  ancient  opinion,  as  appears  from  that  of  the  poet : 

Ncscio  guts  teneros  oculus  mihi  fassinat  agnos. 


Courts  of  Judicatory. 

AT  the  first  plantation  of  these  isles,  all  matters  were  managed  by  the  sole  authority 
of  the  heads  of  tribes,  called  in  the  Irish  tliiarna,  which  was  the  same  with  tyrannus,  and 
now  it  signifies  lord  or  chief,  there  being  no  standard  of  equity  or  justice  but  what  fluwed 
from  them  ;  and  when  their  numbers  increased,  they  erected  courts  called  mode,  and  in 
the  English,  baron  courts. 

The  proprietor  has  the  nomination  of  the  members  of  this  court ;  he  himself  is  pre- 
sident  of  it,  and  in  his  absence  his  bailiff;  the  minihter  of  the  parisli  is  always  a  member 
of  it.  There  are  no  attornies  to  plead  the  cause  of  either  party,  for  both 'men  and 
women  represent  their  res|5ective  causes  ;  and  there  is  always  a  speedy  decision,  if  the 
parties  have  their  witnesses  present,  &c. 

There  is  a  peremptory  sentence  passes  in  court  for  ready  payment ;  and  if  the  party 
against  whom  judgment  is  given  prove  refractory,  the  other  may  send  the  common 
officer,  who  has  power  to  distrain,  and  St  the  same  time  to  exact  a  fine  of  twenty  pounds 
Scots,  for  the  use  of  the  proprietor,  and  about  two  marks  for  himself. 

The  heads  of  tribes  had  their  offensive  and  defensive  leagues,  called  bonds  of  man- 
drate  and  manrent  in  the  Lowlands,  by  which  each  party  was  obliged  to  assist  one  ano- 
ther upon  all  extraordinary  emergencies  :  and  though  the  differences  between  those 


i.! 


WESTERN    ISLANDS    OF    SCOTLAND. 


G15 


th ;  which 
they  say  it 

F  nurses, 
lurse ;  and 
wiiereupon 
r,  she  that 
le  effect  of 

ncl  that  the 
ntrary,  the 
ice,  for  the 
complained 
from  every 
jt  it  among 
rm.  After 
miles  from 

?ye,  though 
n  these  wo- 
^ral  of  these 
me. 

are  of  opi- 
and  cattle ; 
name  some 
d  of  any  ill 


tie  authority 
rannus,  and 
what  flowed 
I  ode,  and  in 

nself  is  pre* 
s  a  member 
th'men  and 
ision,  if  the 

1  if  the  party 
he  common 
enty  pounds 

lids  of  man- 
sist  one  ano- 
tween  those 


chieftains  involved  several  confederates  in  a  civil  war,  yet  they  obliged  themselves  by 
the  bond  mentioned  above  to  continue  stedfast  in  their  duty  to  their  sovereign. 

When  the  proprietor  gives  a  farm  to  his  tenant,  whether  for  one  or  more  years,  u  is 
customary  to  give  the  tenant  a  slick  of  wood,  and  some  straw  m  his  h.md  :  this  is  imme- 
diately returned  by  the  tenant  again  to  his  master,  and  then  both  paries  are  as  much 
obliged  to  perform  their  respective  conditions,  as  if  they  had  signed  a  lease  or  any  other 
deed. 

Church  Discipline, 

EVERY  parish  in  the  western  isles  has  a  church  judicature,  called  the  consistory,  or 
kirk-session,  where  the  minister  presides,  and  a  competent  number  of  laymen,  called 
elders,  meet  with  him.  They  take  cognizance  of  scandals,  censure  faulty  persons\  and 
with  that  strictness,  as  to  give  an  oath  to  those  who  are  suspected  of  adulteiy  or  forni- 
cation ;  for  which  they  are  to  be  proceeded  against  according  to  the  custom  of  the 
country.  They  meet  after  divine  service  ;  the  chief  heretor  of  the  parish  is  present,  to 
concur  with  them,  and  enforce  their  acts  by  his  authority,  which  is  irresistible  within 
the  bounds  of  his  jurisdiction. 

A  Form  of  Prayer  used  by  many  of  the  Islanders  at  Sea  after  the  sails  are  hoisted. 

[This  Form  is  contained  in  the  Irish  Liturgy  composed  by  Mr.  John  Kerswell,  afterwards  bishop  of  Ar- 
gyle,  printed  in  the  year  1 566,  and  dedicated  to  the  earl  of  Argyle.  I  have  set  down  the  original,  lor 
the  satisfaction  of  such  readers  as  understand  it.] 

MODH  bendaighto  luingo  ag  dul  dionsa  idhe  na  fairrge. 

Abrah  aon  da  chaeh  marso.  • 
Da. 

An  Stioradoir.    Beanighidh  ar  long. 

Fregra  Chaich.    Go  mbeandaighe  dia  athair  i. 

An  Stioradoir.     Beanoaidhidh  ar  long.  ^ 

Fregra.     Go  mbeandaighe  Josa  Criosd  i. 

An  Stioradoir.     Beanoaidhidh  nr  long. 

Fregra.     Go  mbeandaighe  an  shiorad  naomh  i. 

An  Stioradoir.     Cred  i!»  egail  libh  is  dhia  athair  libh. 

Fregra.     Ni  heagal  en  ni. 

An  Stioradoir.     Cred  is  egil  libh  is  dia  an  mac  libh. 

Fregra.     Ni  heagal  en  ni. 

An  Stioradoir.     Cred  is  egil  libh  is  dia  an  sbiorod  naomh"  lib^u 

Fregra.     Ni  heagal  en  ni. 

An  Stioradoir.    Dia  athair  vile  chumhachtach  ar  gradh  a  mhic  Josa  Cnosd,  le  comh 
shurtach  an  spioraid  naomh,  an  taon  dhia  tug  eland  Israel  trid  an  muir  ruaigh  go  mirb- 
huileach,  agastug  Jonas  adtir  ambroind  an  mhil  mhoie.  &  tug  Poi  Easpol,  agas  a  long 
gon   foirind  o  an  fadh  iomarcach,  agas  o  dheartan  dominde  dar  sa  oradhne,  agas  dar 
senadh,  agas  dar  mbeandrghhadh,  agas  dar  mbreith  le  sen,  agas  le  soinind«^  agas  le  solas 
do  chum  chnain,  agas  chalaidh  do  reir  a  theile  diadha  fein, 
Ar  ni  iarrmoia  air  ag  radha. 
Ar  nathairne  ata  ar  neamh,  &c. 
Abrudh  each  vile* 
Bionh  amhlvidh. 


A;, 


4 


i: 

a: 


■r<J 


^:.5 
ki  i 

''1 


(5l(> 


MAUTIN'S    DESCRIPTION    OF    IJI£ 

The  Manner  of  blessing  the  Ship  when  thcij  put  to  sea. 


The  steersman  says,  Let  us  bless  our  ship. 

'i^hc  answer  by  all  the  Crew.     God  the  father  bless  her. 

Steersman.     Let  us  bless  our  ship. 

Answer.     Jesus  Christ  bless  her. 

Steersman.     Let  us  bless  our  ship. 

Answer.     The  Holy  Ghost  bless  her. 

Steersman.     What  do  you  fear,  since  God  the  Father  is  with  you  ? 

Answer.     We  do  not  fear  any  thing. 

Steersman.     What  do  you  fear,  since  God  the  Son  is  with  you  ? 

Answer.     We  do  not  fear  any  thing. 

Steersman.     What  are  you  afraid  of,  since  God  the  Holy  Ghost  is  with  you  ? 

Answer.     We  do  not  fear  any  thing. 

Steersman.  God  the  Father  Almighty,  for  the  love  of  Jesus  Christ  his  Son,  by  the 
comfort  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  the  one  God,  who  miraculously  brought  the  children  of 
Israel  through  the  Red  Sea,  and  brought  Jonas  to  land  out  of  the  belly  t»f  the  w  hale, 
and  the  Apostle  St.  Paul  and  his  ship  to  safely  from  the  troubled  raging  sea,  and  from 
the  violence  jf  a  tempestuous  storm  ;  deliver,  sanctify,  bless  and  conduct  us  peaceably, 
calmly,  and  comfortably,  through  the  sea  to  our  harbour,  according  to  his  Divine  will : 
which  we  beg,  saying,  Our  father,  &c. 


^4  Description  of  the  Isle  of  Skie. 

SKIE  (in  the  ancient  language  Skianach,  i.  c.  winged)  is  so  called,  because  the  two 
opposite  northern  promontaries  (Vaterness  lying  north-west,  and  Trotterness  north-east) 
resemble  two  wings.  This  isle  lies  for  the  most  part  half-way  in  the  western  sea,  be- 
tween the  main  land  on  the  east,  the  shire  of  Ross,  and  the  western  isle  of  Lewis,  &c. 

The  isle  is  very  high  land,  as  well  on  the  coast,  as  higher  up  in  the  country ;  and 
there  are  seven  high  mountains  near  one  another,  almost  in  the  centre  of  the  isle. 

This  island  is  forty  miles  in  length  from  south  to  north,  and  in  some  places  twenty, 
and  in  others  thirty  in  breadth  ;  the  whole  may  amount  to  a  hundred  miles  in  circum- 
ference. 

The  channel  between  the  south  of  Skie  and  opposite  main  land  (which  is  part  of  the 
shire  of  Innerness)  is  not  above  three  leagues  m  breadth;  and  vvi.ere  the  ferry  boat 
crosselh  to  Glenelg  it  is  so  narrow,  that  one  may  call  lor  the  ftrry-boat,  and  be  easily 
heard  on  the  other  side.  This  isle  is  a  part  of  the  sheriffdom  of  Innerness,  and  formt  ily 
of  the  diocese  of  the  isles,  which  was  united  to  that  of  Argyle :  a  south-east  moon 
causeth  a  spring-tide  here. 

The  mould  is  generally  black,  especially  in  the  mountains  ;  but  there  is  some  of  a  red 
colour,  in  which  iron  is  found. 

The  arable  land  is  for  the  most  part  black,  and  yet  affords  clay  of  different  colours  ; 
as  white,  red,  and  blue :  the  rivulet  at  Dunvegan  church,  and  that  of  Nisbost,  have 
fuller's-earth. 

The  villages  Borve  and  Glenmore  afford  two  very  fine  sorts  of  earth,  the  one  red, 
the  other  white;  and  they  both  feel  and  cut  like  melted  tallow.  There  are  other 
places  that  afford  plenty  of  very  fine  white  marie,  which  cuts  like  butter;  it  al  ounds 
most  in  Corchattachan,  where  an  experiment  has  been  made  of  its  virtue ;  a  quantity  of 
it  being  spread  on  a  sloping  hill  covered  with  heath,  soon  after  all  the  he^th  fell  to  the 


V^ISTERN    ISLANDS    01     SCOTLAND. 


Gi: 


ground,  as  if  it  had  been  cut  with  a  knife.  They  afterwards  sowed  barley  on  tlic 
ground,  which,  though  it  grew  but  unequally,  some  places  producing  no  grain,  because 
perhaps  it  was  unequally  laid  on  ;  yet  the  produce  was  thirty-five  fold,  und  many  stalks 
f:arried  five  ears  of  barley.  This  account  was  given  me  by  the  present  possessor  of  the 
ground,  Lachlin  Mac-kinon. 

There  are  Marcasites  black  and  white,  resembling  silver  ore,  near  the  village  Sartlc  • 
there  are  likewise  in  the  same  place  several  stones,  which  in  bigness,  shape,  &c.  resemble 
nutmeg,  and  many  rivulets  here  afford  variegated  stones  of  all  colours.  The  Apples- 
glen  near  Loch-fallart  has  aggate  growing  in  it  of  different  sizes  and  colours  ;  some  arc 
green  on  the  outside,  some  are  of  a  pale  sky-colour,  and  they  all  strike  fire  as  well  as 
flint :  I  have  one  of  them  by  me,  which  in  shape  and  bigness  is  proper  for  a  sword-han- 
dle.    Stones  of  a  purple  colour  flow  down  the  rivulets  here  after  great  rains. 

There  ischrystal  in  several  places  of  this  island,  as  at  Pottery,  Quillin,  and  Mingnis  ; 
it  is  of  different  sizes  and  colours,  some  is  sex-angular,  as  that  of  Quillin,  and  Mingnis  : 
and  there  is  some  in  Minriness  of  a  purple  colour.  The  village  Torrin  in  Strath  affords 
a  great  deal  of  good  white  and  black  marble ;  I  have  seen  cups  made  of  the  white, 
which  is  very  fine.  There  are  large  quarries  of  free-stone  in  several  parts  of  this  isle, 
as  at  Snisness  in  Strath,  in  the  south  of  Borrie,  and  isle  ofRasay.  There  is  abundance 
of  lime-stone  in  Strath  and  Trottemess :  some  banks  of  clay  on  the  east  coast  are  over- 
flowed by  the  tide,  and  in  these  grow  the  Lapis  Ceranius,  or  Cerna  Amomis,  of  different 
shapes ;  some  of  the  breadth  of  a  crown-piece,  bearing  an  impression  resembling  the 
sun  ;  some  are  as  big  as  a  man's  finger,  in  form  of  a  semi-circle,  and  furrowed  on  the 
inner  side ;  others  are  less,  and  have  furrows  of  a  yellow  colour  on  both  sides.  These 
stones  are  by  the  natives  called  cramp-stones,  because  (as  they  say)  they  cure  the  cramp 
in  cows,  by  washing  the  part  affected  with  water  in  which  this  stone  has  been  steeped  for 
some  hours.  The  Velumintes  grow  likewise  in  these  banks  of  clay ;  some  of  them  are 
twelve  inches  long  and  tapering  towards  one  end :  the  natives  call  them  Bot  Stones, 
because  they  believe  them  to  cure  the  horses  of  worms  which  occasion  that  disf  iper^ 
by  giving  them  water  to  drink,  in  which  this  stone  has  been  steeped  for  some  houi  a. 

This  stone  grows  likewise  in  the  middle  of  a  very  hard  grey  stone  on  the  shore. 
There  is  a  black  stone  in  the  surface  of  the  rock  on  Rig-shore,  which  resembles  goats 
horns. 

The  lapis  hecticus,  or  white  Hectick  stone,  abounds  here  both  in  the  land  and  water  : 
the  natives  use  this  stone  as  a  remedy  against  the  dysentcria  and  diarrhea ;  they  make 
them  red-hot  in  the  fire,  and  then  quench  them  in  milk,  and  some  in  water,  which  they 
drink  with  goodsuccess.  They  use  this  stone  after  the  same  manner  for  consumptions, 
and  they  likewise  quench  these  stones  in  water,  with  which  they  bathe  their  feet  and 
hands. 

The  stones  on  which  the  scurf  called  Corkir  grows  are  to  be  had  in  many  places  on 
the  coast  and  in  the  hills.  This  scurf  dies  a  pretty  crimson  colour ;  first  well  dried, 
and  then  ground  to  powder,  after  which  it  is  steeped  in  urine,  the  vessel  being  well  se- 
cured from  air ;  and  in  three  weeks  it  is  ready  to  boil  with  the  yarn  that  is  to  be  dyed. 
The  natives  observe  the  decrease  of  the  moon  for  scraping  this  scurf  from  the  stone,  and 
say  it  is  ripest  in  Augtist. 

There  are  many  white  scurfs  on  stone,  somewhat  like  these  on  which  the  Corkir  grows, 
but  the  Corkir  is  white,  and  thinner  than  any  other  that  resembles  it. 

There  is  another  coarser  scurf  called  Crostil ;  it  is  of  a  dark  colour,  and  only  dyes  a 
philamot. 

The  rocks  in  the  village  Ord  have  much  talc  growing  on  them  like  the  Venice-talc. 

VOL.   III.  4  K 


018 


martin's  oescription  of  vhe 


This  isle  is  naturally  well  provided  with  variety  of  excellent  bays  and  harbours.  In 
tlie  south  of  it  lies  the  peninsula  called  Oronso,  alias  Island  Dierman ;  it  has  an  excel* 
lent  place  for  anchorage  on  the  east  side,  and  is  generally  known  by  most  Scots  seamen. 
About  a  league  more  easterly  on  the  same  coast  there  is  a  small  rock,  visible  only  at  half 
low-water,  but  may  be  avoided  by  steering  through  the  middle  of  the  channel.  About 
a  league  more  easterly  on  the  same  coast,  there  is  an  anchorage  pretty  near  the  shore : 
within  less  than  a  mile  further  is  the  narrow  sound  called  the  Kyle,  in  order  to  pass  which 
it  is  absolutely  necessary  to  have  the  tide  of  flood  for  such  as  are  northward  bound,  else 
they  will  be  obliged  to  retire  in  order,  because  of  the  violence  of  the  current;  for  no 
wind  is  able  to  carry  a  vessel  against  it.  The  quite  contrary  course  is  to  be  observed  by 
vessels  coming  from  the  north.  A  mile  due  east  from  the  Kyle  there  is  a  big  rock, 
on  the  south  side  the  point  of  hind  on  Skie  side,  called  Kaillach,  which  is  overflowed 
by  the  tide  of  flood ;  a  vessel  may  go  near  its  outside.  Above  a  mile  further  due 
north,  there  arc  t\\  o  rocks  in  the  passage  through  the  Kyle ;  they  are  on  the  castle  side, 
and  may  be  avoided  by  keeping  the  middle  of  the  channel.  About  eight  miles  more  to 
the  northward,  or  the  east  of  Skie,  there  is  secure  anchorage  between  the  isle  Scalpa 
and  Skie  in  the  middle  of  the  channel ;  but  one  must  not  come  to  it  by  the  south  entry 
of  Scalpa  :  and  in  coming  between  Hasay  and  this  isle,  there  are  rocks  without  the  en. 
try,  which  may  be  avoided  best  by  having  a  pilot  of  the  country.  More  to  the  north  is 
Locksligichan,  on  the  coast  of  Skie,  where  is  good  anchorage  :  the  entry  is  not  deep 
enough  for  vessels  of  any  burden,  except  at  high  water  :  but  three  miles  further  north 
lies  Loch-Portry,  a  capacious  and  convenient  harbour  of  above  a  mile  in  length. 

The  island  Tulm«  which  is  within  half  a  mile  of  the  northernmost  point  of  Skie,  has 
an  harbour  on  the  inside.  The  entrance  between  the  isle  and  Duntulm  castle  is  the 
best. 

On  the  west  of  the  same  wing  of  Skie,  and  about  five  miles  more  southerly,  lies  Loch. 
Uge,  about  a  mile  in  length,  and  a  very  good  harbour  for  vessels  of  the  greatest  burden. 
About  two  miles  on  the  coast  further  south  is  Loch>snisort ;  it  is  three  miles  in  length, 
and  half  a  mile  in  breadth  ;  it  is  free  from  rocks,  and  has  convenient  anchorage. 

On  the  west  side  of  the  promontory,  at  the  mouth  of  Lochsnisort,  lies  Loch-Pirnisort, 
being  about  two  miles  in  length,  and  half  a  mile  in  breadth  :  there  are  two  small  isles 
in  the  mouth  of  the  entry,  and  a  rock  near  the  west  side,  a  little  within  the  entry. 

Some  five  miles  to  the  west  of  Arnisort  lies  Loch-fallart ;  the  entry  is  between  Vater- 
nishead  on  the  east  side,  and  Dunvegan-head  on  the  west  aide.  The  loch  is  six  miles  in 
length,  and  about  a  league  in  breadth  for  some  miles  :  it  hath  the  island  Isa  about  the 
middle,  on  the  east  side.  There  is  a  rock  between  the  north  end  and  the  land,  and 
there  vessels  may  anchor  between  the  N.  £.  side  of  the  isle  and  the  land  ;  there  is  also 
good  anchorage  near  Dunvegan-castle,  two  miles  further  to  the  southward. 

Loch-Brakadil  lies  two  miles  south  of  Loch-fallart ;  it  is  seven  miles  in  length,  and 
has  several  good  anchoring.places :  on  the  north  side  the  entry  lie  two  rocks,  called 
Macleod's  Maidens.  About  three  miles  southwest  is  Loch-einard,  a  mile  in  length ;  it 
has  a  rock  in  the  entry,  and  is  not  visible  but  at  an  ebb. 

About  two  miles  to  the  eastward  there  is  an  anchoring-place  for  barks,  between  Skie 
and  the  isle  of  Soa. 

About  a  league  further  east  lie  Loch-slapan  and  Loch-essort ;  'ihe  first  reaches  about 
four  miles  to  the  north,  and  the  second  about  six  miles  to  the  east. 

There  are  several  mountains  in  the  isle  of  a  considerable  height  and  extent;  as 
Quillin,  Scomifiey,  Bein-store,  Bein-vore-scowe,  Bein.chro,  Bein-nin,  Kaillach :  some 
of  them  are  covered  with  snow  on  the  top  in  summer,  others  are  almost  quite  covered 


WE9T£RN    ISLANDS   OF    SCOTLAND. 


619 


with  sanu  in  the  ton,  which  is  much  washed  down  with  the  great  raitis.  All  these 
mountains  abound  with  heath  and  grass,  which  serve  as  good  pasturage  fur  black  cuttlu 
and  sheep. 

The  Quillin,  which  exceeds  any  of  those  hills  in  height,  is  said  to  be  the  cause  ol 
much  rain,  by  i)rcakiiig  the  clouds  that  hover  about  it ;  which  quickly  after  pour  down 
in  rain  upon  that  quarter  cm  which  the  wind  then  blows.  There  is  a  high  ridge  of  one 
continued  mountain,  of  consiilciable  height,  and  fifteen  miles  in  length,  running  along 
the  middle  of  the  cast  wing  of  Skie,  called  Troterness  ;  and  that  part  above  the  sea  is 
faced  with  a  steep  rock. 

The  arable  ground  is  generally  along  the  coast,  and  in  the  valleys  between  the  moun- 
tains, having  always  a  river  running  in  the  middle  ;  the  soil  is  very  grateful  to  the  hus. 
bandman.  I  have  been  shewed  several  places  that  had  not  been  tilled  for  seven  yeais 
before,  which  yielded  a  good  product  of  oats  by  digging,  though  the  ground  was  not 
dunged;  particularly  near  the  village  Kilmartin,  which  the  natives  told  me  had  not 
been  dunged  these  forty  years  last.  Several  pieces  of  ground  yield  twenty,  and  some 
thirty  fold,  when  dunged  with  sea-ware.  I  hud  an  account,  that  a  small  tract  of  ground 
in  the  village  of  Skerybreck  yielded  an  hundred  fold  of  barley. 

The  isle  of  Altig,  which  is  generally  covered  with  heath,  being  manured  with  sea- 
ware,  the  owner  sowed  barley  in  the  ground,  and  it  yielded  a  very  good  product ;  many 
stalks  had  five  ears  growing  upon  them.  In  plentiful  years,  Skie  furnishes  the  oppo- 
site  continent  with  oats  and  barley.  The  way  of  tillage  here  is  after  the  same  man- 
ner that  is  already  described  in  the  isles  of  Lewis,  &c.  and  digging  doth  always  produce 
a  better  increase  here  than  ploughing. 

All  the  mountains  in  this  isle  are  pltntifully  furnished  with  variety  of  excellent 
springs  and  fountains;  some  of  them  have  rivulets,  with  water-mills  upon  them.  The 
most  celebrated  well  in  Skie  is  Loch-siant  well ;  it  is  much  frequented  by  strangers,  as 
well  as  by  the  inhabitants  of  the  isle,  who  generally  believe  it  to  be  a  specific  for  several 
diiicases ;  such  as  stiches,  head-aches,  stone,  consumption,  megrim.  Several  of  the 
common  people  oblige  themselves  by  a  vow  to  come  to  this  well,  and  make  the  ordinary 
tour  about  it,  railed  Dessil,  which  is  performed  thus  :  they  move  thrice  round  the  well, 
proceeding  sun-ways  from  east  to  west,  and  so  on.  This  is  done  after  drinking  of  the 
water ;  and  when  one  goes  away  from  the  well,  it  is  a  never.failing  custom,  to  leave 
some  small  offering  on  the  stone  which  covers  the  well.  There  are  nine  springs 
issuing  out  of  the  hill  above  the  well,  and  all  of  them  pay  the  tribute  of  their  water  to  a 
rivulet  that  falls  from  the  well.  There  is  a  little  fresh- water  lake  within  ten  yards  of 
the  said  well ;  it  abounds  with  trouts,  but  neither  the  natives  nor  strangers  will  ever 
presume  to  destroy  any  of  them,  such  is  the  esteem  they  have  for  the  water. 

There  is  a  small  coppice  near  to  the  well,  and  there  is  none  of  the  natives  dare  ven> 
ture  to  cut  the  least  branch  of  it,  for  fear  of  signal  judgment  to  follow  upon  it. 

There  are  many  wells  here  esteemed  effectual  to  remove  several  distempers.  The 
lightest  and  wholesomest  water  in  all  the  isle  is  that  of  Tombir  Tellibreck  in  Uge  :  the 
natives  say  that  the  water  of  this  well,  and  the  sea-plant  called  Dulse,  would  serve  in- 
stead of  food  for  a  considerable  time,  and  own  that  they  have  experienced  it  in  time  of 
war.  I  saw  a  little  well  in  Kilbride,  in  the  south  of  Skie,  with  one  trout  only  in  it  ;  the 
natives  are  very  tender  of  it,  and  though  they  often  chance  to  catch  it  in  their  wooden 
pales,  they  are  very  careful  to  preserve  it  from  being  destroyed ;  it  has  been  seen  there 
for  many  years :  there  is  a  rivulet  not  far  distant  from  the  well,  to  which  it  hath  proba- 
bly had  access  through  some  narrow  passage. 

4  K  2 


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MAUTIN*t  U£IC11IPTI0N  Of  TM& 


There  arc  many  rivers  on  all  quarters  of  the  isle,  alx>ut  thirty  of  them  afford  salmon, 
and  some  of  them  black  muscles,  in  which  pearl  do  breed ;  particularly  die  river  of 
Kilmartin,  and  the  river  Ord.  The  proprietor  told  me,  that  some  years  ago  a  pearl 
had  been  taken  out  of  the  former,  valued  at  twenty  pounds  sterling.  There  are  several 
cataracts,  as  that  in  Sker.horen,  Holm,  Rig  and  Tont.  When  the  liver  makes  a  great 
noise  in  time  of  fair  weather,  it  is  a  sure  prognostick  here  of  ruin  to  ensue. 

There  are  many  fresh-water  lakes  in  Skie,  and  generally  well  stocked  with  trout  and 
eels.  The  common  fly  and  the  earth-worms  are  ordinarily  used  for  angling  trout ;  the 
best  season  for  it  is  a  calm,  or  a  south-west  wind. 

The  largest  of  the  fresh-water  lakes  is  that  named  afier  St.  Columbus,  on  the  account 
of  the  chapel  dedicated  to  that  Saint ;  it  stands  in  the  isle  about  the  middle  of  the  lake. 

There  is  a  little  fresh-water  lake  near  the  south  side  of  Loch-einordstard,  in  which 
muscles  grow,  that  breed  pearl. 

This  isle  hath  anciently  been  covered  all  over  with  woods,  as  appears  from  the  great 
trunks  of  Fir-trees,  Sec.  dug  out  of  the  bogs  frequently,  &c.  There  are  several  cop- 
pices of  wood,  scattered  up  and  down  the  isle  ;  the  largest,  called  Letter-hurr,  exceeds 
not  three  miles  in  length. 

Herrings  are  often  taken  in  most  or  all  the  bays  mentioned  above  :  Loch-essort,  Sla- 
pun,  Loch-fullart  Loch-scowsar,  and  the  Kyle  of  Scalpa,  are  generally  known  to  stran- 
gers, for  the  great  quantities  of  herring  taken  in  them.  This  sort  of  fish  is  commonly 
seen  without  the  bay,  and  on  the  coast  all  the  summer.  All  other  fish  follow  the  her. 
ring  and  their  fry,  from  the  whale  to  the  least  fish  that  swims  ;  the  biggest  still  destroying 
the  lesser. 

The  fishers  and  others  told  me,  that  there  is  a  big  herring,  almost  double  the  size  of 
any  of  its  kind,  which  leads  all  that  are  in  a  bay,  and  the  shoal  follows  it  wherever  it  goes. 
This  leader  is  by  the  fishers  called  the  king  of  herring,  8.nd  when  they  chance  to  catch 
it  alive,  they  drop  it  carefully  into  the  sea  ;  for  they  judge  it  petty  treason  to  destroy  a 
fish  of  that  name. 

The  fishers  say  that  all  sorts  of  fish,  from  the  greatest  to  the  least,  have  u  leader,  who 
is  followed  by  all  of  its  kind. 

It  is  a  general  observation  all  Scotland  over,  that  if  a  quarrel  happen  on  the  coast 
where  herring  is  caught,  and  that  blood  be  drawn  violently,  then  the  herring  go  away 
from  the  coast,  without  returning  during  that  season.  This,  they  say,  has  been  ob« 
served  in  all  past  ages,  as  well  as  at  present ;  but  this  I  relate  only  as  a  common  tcadl* 
tion,  and  submit  it  to  the  judgment  of  the  learned. 

The  natives  preserve  and  dry  their  herring  without  salt,  for  the  space  of  eight  months, 
provided  they  be  taken  after  the  tenth  of  September :  they  use  no  other  art  in  it,  but 
take  out  their  guts,  and  then  tying  a  rush  about  their  necks,  hang  them  by  pairs  upon  a 
rope  made  of  heath  cross  a  house ;  and  they  eat  well,  and  free  from  putretaction,  after 
eight  months  keeping  in  this  manner.  Cod,  ling,  herring,  mackrel,  haddock,  whiting, 
turbot,  together  with  all  other  fish  that  are  iti  the  Scots  seas,  abound  on  the  coasts  of 
this  idand. 

The  best  time  of  taking  fish  with  an  angle  is  in  warm  weather,  which  dbposes  them 
to  come  near  the  surface  of  the  water ;  whereas  ia  cold  weather,  or  rain,  they  go  to  the 
bottom.  The  best  bait  for  cod  and  ling  is  a  piece  of  herring,  whiting,  thomback« 
haddock,  or  eel.  The  grey  lord,  alias  black-mouth,  a  fish  of  the  size  and  shape  of  a 
salmon,  takes  tlie  limpet  for  bait.  There  is  another  way  of  angling  for  this  fish,  by  fast- 
ening a  short  white  down  of  a  goose  behind  the  hook  ;  and  the  boat  being  continually 


WIITIRW    ISLANDS   OP    SCOTLAND. 


621 


rowed,  the  fish  run  greedily  after  the  down,  and  arc  easily  caught.  The  grey -lord 
swims  in  the  surface  of  the  water,  and  then  is  cau^^ht  with  a  spear  ;  a  rope  Ixing  tied  to 
the  further  end  of  it,  und  secured  in  the  fishcrman'H  hand. 

All  the  bays  and  places  of  anchorage  here  abound  with  most  kinds  of  shell-fish.  The 
Kyle  of  Scalpa  affords  oystecs  in  such  plenty,  that  commonly  a  spring*tide  of  ebb  leaves 
fifteen,  sometimes  twenty  horse-load  of  them  on  the  sands. 

The  sands  on  the  coast  of  Bernstill  village  at  the  spring-tides  afford  daily  such  plenty 
of  muscles,  as  is  sufficient  to  maintain  sixty  persons  per  day  :  and  this  was  a  great  sup. 
port  to  many  poor  families  in  the  neighbourhood,  in  the  late  years  of  scarcity.  The 
ruitives  observe  that  all  shell-fish  are  plumper  at  the  increase  than  decrease  of  the  moon  ; 
they  observe  likewise,  that  all  shell-fish  are  plumper  during  a  south-west  wind,  than  when 
it  blows  from  the  north  or  north-east  quarters. 

The  limpet  being  parboiled  with  a  veir  little  quantity  of  water,  the  broth  is  drank 
to  increase  milk  in  nurses,  and  likewise  when  the  milk  proves  astringent  to  the  infants. 
The  broth  of  the  black  periwinkle  is  used  in  the  same  cases.  It  is  observed,  that  lim- 
pets being  frequently  eat  in  June  are  apt  to  occasion  the  jaundice ;  the  outside  of  the 
fish  is  coloured  like  the  skin  of  a  person  that  has  the  jaundice  :  the  tender  yellow  part 
of  the  limpet,  which  is  next  to  the  shell,  is  reckoned  good  nourishment,  and  very  easy 
of  digestion. 

I  had  an  account  of  a  poor  woman,  who  was  a  native  of  the  isle  of  Jura,  and  by  the 
troubles  in  king  Charles  the  First's  reign  was  almost  reduced  to  a  starving  condition, 
sa  that  she  lost  her  milk  quite,  by  which  her  in&nt  had  nothing  proper  for  its  suste- 
nance ;  upon  this  she  boiled  some  of  the  tender  fat  of  the  limpets,  and  gave  it  to  her 
infant,  to  whom  it  became  so  agreeable,  that  it  had  no  other  food  for  several  months 
together ;  and  yet  there  was  not  a  child  in  Jura,  or  any  of  the  adjacent  isles,  whole- 
somer  than  this  poor  infant,  which  was  exposed  to  so  great  a  strait. 

The  limpet  creeps  on  the  stone  and  rock  in  the  night-time,  and  in  a  warm  day  ;  but 
if  any  thing  touch  the  shell,  it  instantly  clings  to  the  stone,  and  then  no  hand  is  able 
to  pluck  it  off*  without  some  instrument ;  and,  therefore,  such  as  take  them  have  little 
hammers,  called  limfiet-hammers,  with  which  they  beat  it  from  the  rock ;  but  if  they 
watch  its  motions  and  surprise  it,  the  least  touch  of  the  hand  pulls  it  away  :  and  this 
thaf.  is  taken  creeping,  they  say,  is  larger  and  better  than  that  which  is  pulled  off"  by  force. 
The  motion,  fixation,  taste,  and  feeding.  &c.  of  this  little  animal  being  very  curious,  I 
have  here  exhibited  its  figure,  for  the  satisfaction  of  the  inquisitive  reader. 

I  have  likewise  here  exhibited  the  figure  of  the  balanos,  growing  on  stone  and  shells ; 
in  which  very  small  wilks  are  found  to  lodge  and  grow. 

The  pale  wilk,  which  in  length  and  smallness  exceeds  the  black  periwinkle,  and  by 
the  natives  called  gil-fiunt,  is  by  them  beat  in  pieces,  and  both  shell  and  fish  boiled ;  the 
broth  being  strained,  and  drank  for  some  days  together,  is  accounted  a  good  remedy 
against  the  stone ;  it  is  called  a  dead  man's>eye  at  Dover.  It  is  observed  of  cockles  and 
spout-fish,  that  they  go  deeper  in  the  sands  with  north  winds  than  any  other ;  and  on  the 
contrary,  they  are  e:isier  reached  with  south  winds,  which  are  still  warmest. 

It  is  a  general  observation  of  alt  such  as  live  on  the  sea-coast,  that  they  are  more 
prolific  than  any  other  people  whatsoever. 

The  Sta-Plants  here  are  as  follows  •• 

LINARICH*  a  very  thin  small  green  plant,  about  eight,  ten,  or  twelve  inches  in 
length;  it  grows  on  stone,  on  shells,  and  on  the  bare  sand.    This  plant  is  applied 


622 


MAHTIN^S  DESCRIPTION  OF  THE 


plaistcr-uisc  to  llic  forehead  and  tompUs,  to  procure  sleep  for  sucli  as  have  a  fever,  and 
they  hay  it  is  efTcctual  for  thib  purpose. 

The  liiiarich  is  likewise  applied  to  the  crown  of  the  head  and  temples,  for  removing 
the  nirj^rim,  and  also  to  h«.al  the  »kin  after  a  bli^ter-plainter  of  flammula  Jovis. 

Slake,  a  very  thin  plant,  almoiit  round,  about  tenor  twelve  inches  in  cireumferencr, 
l^rows  on  the  rocks  and  sands  ;  iIk  natives  cat  it  boiled,  and  it  dissolves  into  oil ;  they 
bay  that,  if  a  little  butter  be  added  to  it,  on*  might  live  many  years  on  thit  alone, 
without  bread,  or  any  other  food,  and  at  the  same  time  undergo  any  laborious  exer- 
cise. This  plant,  boiled  with  some  butter,  is  given  to  cows  in  the  spring,  t(  remove 
costivencr.s. 

DuIm:  is  of  a  reddish  brown  colour,  about  ten  or  twelve  inches  long,  and  above  half 
an  inch  in  breadth ;  it  is  cat  raw,  and  then  reckoned  to  be  loosening,  and  very  good 
for  the  sight ;  but  if  boiled,  it  proves  more  loosening,  if  the  juice  be  drank  with  ir. 
This  plant,  anplied  plaister-wise  to  the  temples,  is  reckoned  eflectual  against  the  megrim  • 
tlic  plant  boiled,  and  eat  with  its  infusion,  is  used  against  the  chulic  and  stone ;  and 
dried  without  \r4shing  it  in  water,  pulverized,  and  given  in  any  convenient  vehicle,  fast, 
ing,  it  kills  worms ;  the  natives  eat  it  boiled  with  butter,  and  reckon  it  very  whole- 
some. The  dulse  recommended  here  is  that  which  grows  on  stone,  and  not  that  which 
grows  on  the  alga  marina,  or  sea-tangle ;  for  though  that  may  be  likewise  eaten,  it  will 
not  serve  in  any  of  the  cases  above  mentioned. 

The  alga  marina,  or  sea -tangle,  or,  as  some  call ..,  sea-ware,  is  a  rod  about  four,  six, 
eight,  or  ten  feet  long ;  having  at  the  end  a  blade  commonly  slit  into  seven  or  eight 
pieces,  and  about  a  foot  and  a  half  in  length  ;  it  grows  on  stone,  the  blade  is  eat  bv 
the  vulgar  natives.  I  had  an  account  of  a  young  man  who  had  lost  his  appetite,  and 
taken  pills  to  no  purpos*: ;  and  being  advised  to  boil  the  blade  of  die  alga,  and  drink 
the  infusion  boiled  with  a  little  butter,  was  restored  to  his  former  state  of  health. 

There  is  abundance  of  white  and  red  coral  growing  on  the  south  and  west  coast  of 
this  isle  ;  it  grows  on  the  rocks,  and  is  frequently  interwoven  with  the  roots  of  the 
alga  ;  the  red  seems  to  be  a  good  fresh  colour  when  first  taken  out  of  the  sea,  but  in 
a  few  hours  after  it  becomes  pale.  Some  of  the  natives  take  a  quantity  of  the  red  co- 
ral, adding  the  yolk  of  an  e^g  roasted  to  it,  for  the  diarrhea.  Both  the  red  and  white 
coral  here  is  not  above  five  inches  long,  and  about  the  bigness  of  a  goose-quill. 

There  arc  many  caves  to  be  seen  on  each  quarter  of  this  isle,  some  of  them  are  be< 
lieved  to  be  several  miles  in  length  :  there  is  a  big  cave  in  the  village  Bornskittag,  which 
is  supposed  lo  exceed  a  mile  in  length.  The  natives  told  me  that  a  piper,  who  was 
over-curious,  went  into  the  cave,  with  a  design  to  find  out  the  length  of  it ;  and  after 
he  entered,  began  to  play  on  his  pipe,  but  never  returned  to  give  an  account  of  his 
progress. 

There  is  a  cave  in  the  village  Kigg,  wherein  drops  of  water  that  issue  from  the  roof 
petrify  into  a  white  limy  substance,  and  hang  down  from  the  roof  and  sides  of  the 
cave. 

There  is  a  cave  in  the  village  Holm,  having  many  petrefied  twigs  hanging  from  the 
top;  they  are  hollow  from  one  end  to  the  other,  and  from  five  to  ten  inches  in 
length. 

There  is  a  big  cave  in  the  rock  on  the  east  side  of  Portry,  larjge  enough  for  eighty 
persons ;  there  is  a  well  within  it,  ^hich,  together  with  its  situation  and  narrow  entry, 
renders  it  an  inaccessible  fort ;  one  man  only  can  enter  it  at  a  time,  by  the  side  of  a 
rock,  so  that  with  a  staff  in  his  h&nd  he  is  able  by  the  least  touch  to  cast  over  the  rock 
as  many  as  shall  attempt  to  come  into  the  cave. 


WESTERN    ISLANDS    OF    SCOrLANLl. 


6i3 


vcr,  and 

emoving 

I  ft  fence, 
III ;  they 
'{•i  alone, 
us  cxcr- 
remove 

bove  hull 
cry  good 
with  ir. 
negrim  • 
)ne ;  and 
icle,  fast- 
y  whole - 
lat  which 
:n,  it  will 

four,  six, 

or  eight 

is  cat  by 

?titc,  and 

nd  drink 

1. 

t  coast  of 

ts  of  the 

,  but  ill 
le  red  co- 
md  white 

1. 

n  are  be> 
ig,  which 
who  was 

and  after 
int  of  his 

n  the  roof 
les  of  the 

from  the 
inches   in 

or  eighty 

■ow  entry, 

side  of  a 

r  the  rock 


On  the  south  side  Loch.Portry,  there  is  a  large  cave,  in  which  many  sea-cormorants 
do  build ;  the  natives  carry  a  bundle  of  straw  to  the  door  of  the  cave  in  the  night, 
lime,  and  there  setting  it  on  fire,  the  fowls  fly  with  all  speed  to  the  light,  and  so  arc 
caught  in  baskets  laid  for  that  purpose.  The  golden  cave  in  Sleat  is  said  to  be  seven 
miles  in  length,  from  the  west  to  cast. 

There  are  many  cairns,  or  heaps  of  stones,  in  this  island.  Some  of  the  natives  sa\ 
they  were  erected  in  the  times  of  Heathenism,  and  that  the  ancient  inhabitants  wor- 
shipped about  them.  In  Popish  countries,  the  people  still  retain  the  ancient  custom 
of  making  a  tour  round  them. 

Others  say,  these  cairns  were  erected  where  persons  of  distinction,  killed  in  battle, 
had  been  buried,  and  that  their  urns  were  laid  in  the  ground  under  the  cairns.  I  had 
an  account  of  a  cairn  in  Knapdalc,  in  the  shire  of  Argyle,  underneath  which  an  urn 
was  found.  There  are  little  cairns  to  be  seen  in  some  places  on  the  common  road, 
which  were  made  only  where  corpses  happened  to  rest  for  some  minutes  ;  but  they 
have  laid  aside  the  making  such  cairns  now. 

There  is  an  erected  stone  in  Kilbride  in  Straith,  which  is  ten  feet  high,  and  one  and 
a  half  broad. 

There  is  another  of  five  feet  high  placed  in  the  middle  of  the  cairn,  on  the  south 
side  Loch'Uge,  and  is  called  the  high  stone  of  Ugc 

There  arc  three  such  stones  on  the  sea-coast  opposite  to  Skeriness,  each  of  thcni 
three  feet  high ;  the  natives  have  a  tradition,  that  upon  these  stones  a  big  chauldroii 
was  set  for  boiling  Fin-Mac-Coul's  meat.  This  gigantic  man  is  reported  to  have  been 
general  of  a  militia  that  came  from  Spain  to  Ireland,  and  from  thence  to  those  isles  : 
alt  liis  soldiers  are  called  Fienty  from  Fiun.  He  is  believed  to  have  arrived  in  the  isles 
in  the  reign  of  king  Evan  :  the  natives  have  many  stories  of  this  general  and  his  army, 
with  whicn  I  will  not  trouble  the  reader.     He  is  mentioned  in  Bishop  Lcsly's  History. 

There  are  many  forts  erected  on  the  coast  of  this  isle,  and  supposed  to  have  been 
built  by  the  Danes ;  they  are  called  by  the  name  of  Dun,  from  Dain,  which  in  the  an- 
cient  language  signified  a  fort ;  they  are  round  in  form,  and  they  have  a  passage  all 
round  witVin  the  wall ;  the  door  of  them  is  low,  and  many  of  the  stoi.es  are  of  such 
bulk,  that  no  number  of  the  present  inhabitants  could  raise  them  without  an  engine. 

All  these  forts  stand  upon  eminences,  and  are  so  disposed,  that  there  is  not  one  of 
them,  which  is  not  in  view  of  some  other;  and  by  this  means,  when  a  fire  is  made  upon 
a  beacon  in  any  one  fort,  it  is  in  a  few  moments  after  communicated  to  all  the  rest 
and  this  hath  been  always  observed  upon  sight  of  any  number  of  foreign  vessels,  or  boats, 
approaching  the  coast. 

The  forts  are  commonly  named  after  the  place  where  they  are,  or  the  person  that 
built  them  ;  as  Dim-Skudborg,  Dun-Deri^,  Dun-Skerines<;,  Dun-David,  &c. 

There  are  several  little  stone  houses  built  under  ground,  called  earth-houses,  which 
served  to  hide  a  few  people  and  their  goods  in  time  of  war  ;  the  entry  to  them  was  on 
the  sea  or  river*side  :  there  Is  one  of  them  in  the  village  Lachsay,  and  another  in  Cam- 
slinvag. 

There  are  several  little  stone  houses  built  above  ground,  capable  only  of  one  person, 
and  round  in  form  ;  one  of  them  is  to  be  seen  in  Portry,  another  at  Lincro,  and  nt 
Culuknock  :  they  are  called  Tey-nin*druinich,  u  e.  Druid's-house.  Druinich  signifies  a 
retired  person,  much  devoted  to  contemplation. 

The  fewel  used  here  is  peats  dug  out  of  the  heaths ;  there  are  cakes  of  iron  found  in 
the  ashes  of  some  of  them,  and  at  Flodgery  village  there  are  peats,  from  which  salt-petre 
sparkles.    There  is  a  coal  lately  discovered  at  Holm  in  Portry,  some  of  which  I  have 


I  ' 


1* 


021 


MAHTIN's    DCICRIPTION    Or    THE 


seen  i  there  jrc  pieeoi  of  coal  dt:^^  out  likewise  of  the  sica.iand  in  Hcldersta  of  Vaternu, 
and  nome  found  in  tlic  village  Mo^Mat. 

The  ciittlf  producid  here  are  hor»ci,  cows,  sheep,  pfouli,  and  hofj^.  The  common 
work -horses  arc  cx|Mi>»cd  to  the  rigour  of  the  season  during  the  winter  and  spring;;  and 
Utough  tijiy  have  ncillicr  corn,  hay,  or  but  seldom  fitruw,  yet  they  undergo  all  the 
lalxMir  thai  othtr  horses  Ijctier  treated  arc  liable  to. 

The  cows  art-  likewise  rxposcd  to  the  ri^our  of  the  coldest  icasons,  and  become  mere 
skeletons  in  the  spring,  many  of  them  not  being  able  to  rise  from  the  ground  without 
help  i  but  they  recover  as  the  season  becomes  more  favourable,  and  the  grass  grows 
up:  then  they  acquire  new  t)eef,  which  is  Ixith  sweet  and  tender;  the  fat  and  lean  is 
not  so  much  separated  in  them  as  in  other  cows,  but  as  it  were  larded,  which  renders  it 
\cry  agreeable  to  the  taste.  A  cow  in  this  isle  may  be  twelve  years  old,  when  at  the  same 
time  its  beef  is  not  above  four,  five,  or  six  montlis  old.  \Vnen  a  calf  is  slain,  it  is  an 
usual  custom  to  cover  another  calf  with  its  skin,  to  suck  the  cow  whose  calf  hath  been 
slain,  or  the  she  gives  no  milk,  nor  suffers  herself  to  be  approached  by  any  body; 
and  if  she  disc  over  the  cheat,  then  she  grows  enraged  for  some  dayn,  and  the  last  re* 
nu'dy  used  to  pacify  her  is,  to  use  the  sweetest  voice,  and  sing  all  the  time  of  milking 
her.  When  anv  man  is  troubled  with  his  neighbour's  cows,  by  breaking  into  his  in- 
closures,  he  brmgs  all  to  the  utmost  boundary  uf  his  groiuul.  and  there  drawing  a 
<(uantity  of  bkxxl  from  each  cow,  he  leaves  them  upon  the  spot,  from  whence  the}- 
go  away,  without  ever  returning  again  to  trouble  him  during  all  that  season.  The 
cows  often  fn-d  upon  the  alga  marina,  or  sea-ware  ;  and  they  can  exactly  distinguish 
the  tide  of  ebb  from  the  tide  of  RockI,  though  at  the  same  time  they  are  not  within 
view  of  the  sea  ;  and  if  one  meet  them  running  to  the  shore  at  the  tide  of  ebb,  and 
ofter  to  turn  them  again  to  the  hills  to  graze,  they  will  not  return.  When  the  tide 
has  ebbed  about  two  hours,  so  as  to  uncover  the  sea- ware,  then  they  steer  their  course 
directly  to  the  nearest  coiist,  in  their  usual  order,  one  after  another,  whatever  their 
nunilKr  be  :  there  are  as  many  instances  of  this,  as  there  are  tides  of  ebb  on  the  shore. 
I  had  occasion  to  make  this  observation  thirteen  times  in  one  week ;  for,  though  the 
natives  gave  me  repeated  assurances  of  the  truth  of  it,  I  did  not  fully  believe  it,  till 
I  saw  many  instances  of  it  in  my  travels  along  the  coast.  The  natives  have  a  re> 
mark,  that  when  the  cows  belonging  to  one  person  do  of  a  sudden  become  very  irre> 
gular,  and  run  up  and  down  the  fields,  and  make  a  loud  noise,  without  any  visible 
cause,  it  is  a  presage  of  the  master's  or  mistress's  death ;  of  which  there  were  several 
late  instances  given  me.  James  Macdonald  of  Capstil  having  been  killed  at  the  battle 
of  Kelicranky,  it  wa*.  observed  that  night,  that  his  cows  gave  blood  instead  of  milk  ; 
his  family  and  other  neighbours  concluded  this  a  bad  omen.  The  minister  of  the 
place,  and  the  mistress  of  the  cows,  together  with  several  neighbours,  assured  me  of  the 
truth  of  this. 

There  was  a  calf  brought  -^h  in  Vaternis  vrithout  le^  ;  it  leaped  very  fiu',  bel. 
lowed  louder  thain  any  other  cau  and  drank  much  more  milk  :  at  last  the  owner  killed 
It.  Kenneth  the  carpenter,  who  lives  there,  told  me  that  he  had  seen  the  calf.  I  was  also 
Informed,  that  a  cow  m  Vaternis  broug[ht  forth  five  calves  at  a  time,  of  which  three  died. 

There  was  a  calf  at  Skeriness,  havmg  all  its  legs  double,  but  the  bones  had  bt*!  ".e 
skin  to  cover  both ;  the  owner  fancying  it  to  be  ominous,  killed  it,  after  having  livi  d 
nine  months.    Several  of  the  natives  thereabouts  told  me  that  they  had  seen  it. 

There  are  several  calves  that  have  a  slit  in  the  top  of  their  ears,  and  these  the  natives 
fanc^  to  be  the  issue  of  a  wild  bull,  that  comes  firom  the  sea  or  fresh  lakes ;  and  this 
calf  IS  by  them  called  corky  fyre. 


WIITIRN    l•lA^fl)S   OF    i^COTLANU. 


&2i 


There  ii  plenty  of  land  uiul  water-fowl  in  this  ialc  \  an  hawks,  eagles  of  two  kinds, 
the  one  grey  and  of  u  larger  size,  the  other  much  (cms  and  bhick,  but  mure  dcstnictivi 
to  young  ('attic ;  black-cock,  heath  hen,  plovcn,  pigcnnti,  wild  gccsc,  tarniagun,  and 
cranes :  of  thin  latter  sort,  I  have  seen  sixty  on  the  bhorc  in  u  flock  together.  The  scu> 
Fowls  Hre  mnlls  of  all  kinds,  conlternrb,  gillamot,  sea-cormorant,  he.  The  natives 
observe  that  the  latter,  il  |KrtVctly  black,  makes  no  go(xl  broth,  nor  is  its  Iksh  worth 
eating  ;  but  that  u  cormorant,  which  has  any  white  feathers  or  down,  makes  good 
Ijroth,  and  the  flesh  of  it  is  good  loud,  and  the  (iroth  is  usually  drunk  by  nurses  tu  in. 
crease  ditir  milk. 

The  natives  observe,  that  this  fowl  flutters  with  its  wings  towards  the  quarter  from 
which  the  wind  is  soon  al^er  to  blow. 

The  sea-fowl  bunivochil,  or,  as  some  seamen  call  it,  carara,  and  others  bishop,  is  tis 
big  as  n  goose,  of  u  brown  colour,  and  the  inside  of  the  wings  white  ;  the  bill  is  long 
and  broad,  and  it  is  footed  like  a  goose;  it  dives  (|uicker  than  any  other  fowl  what> 
ever ;  it  is  very  fut.  'I'he  cascof  tnis  fowl  being  Hayed  of}' widi  the  fat,  and  a  little-  salt 
laid  on  to  preserve  it,  and  then  applied  to  the  thigh-hone,  whore  it  must  lie  for  several 
weeks  together,  is  att  ell'ectual  remedy  a(:;ainst  the  sciatica,  of  which  I  saw  twu  instances. 
It  is  observed  of  fire-arms  that  are  rubbed  over  (as  the  custom  is  here)  with  the  oil  or 
fat  of  sea-fowls,  that  they  contract  rtist  nuich  sooner,  than  when  done  with  the  fat  of 
land-fowl;  the  Fulmar  oil  from  St.  Kilda  only  excepted,  which  preserves  iron  from 
contracting  rust  much  longer  than  any  other  oil  or  {.grease  whatsoever.  The  natives 
observe,  that,  when  the  sea-pye  warbles  its  notes  incessantly,  it  is  a  sure  presage  of  fair 
weather  to  follow  in  a  few  hours  after. 

The  amphibia  to  be  seen  in  this  isle,  arc  seals,  otters,  vipers,  frogs,  toads,  and  asps. 
The  otter  shuts  its  eyes  when  it  eats ;  and  this  is  a  considerable  disadvantage  to  it,  for 
then  several  ravenous  fowls  lay  hold  on  this  opportunity,  and  rob  it  of  its  fish. 

The  hunters  say,  there  is  a  big  otter,  above  the  ordinary  size,  with  a  white  spot  on 
its  breast,  and  this  they  call  the  king  of  otters ;  it  is  rarely  seen,  and  very  hard  to  l)e 
killed ;  seamen  ascribe  great  virtues  to  the  skin,  for  the/  say  that  it  is  fortunate  in 
battle,  and  that  victory  is  alwavs  on  its  side.  Serpents  abound  in  several  parts  of  this 
isle ;  there  are  three  kinds  of  them,  the  first  black  and  white  spotted,  which  is  the  most 
poisonous,  and  if  a  speedy  remedy  be  not  made  use  of  after  the  wound  given,  the  party 
is  in  danger.  I  had  an  account  Uiat  a  man  at  Glenmore,  a  boy  at  Portry,  and  a  woman 
at  Loch-scah-vag,  did  all  die  of  wounds  given  by  this  sort  of  serpents.  Some  believe 
that  the  serpents  wound  with  the  sting  only,  and  not  with  their  teeth  ;  but  this  opinion 
is  founded  upon  a  bare  conjecture,  because  the  sting  is  exposed  to  view,  but  the  teeth 
very  rarely  seen :  they  are  secured  within  a  hose  of  flesh,  which  prevents  their  being 
broke  :  the  end  of  them  being  hooked  and  exceeding  small  would  soon  be  destroyed, 
if  it  had  not  been  fur  this  fence  that  nature  has  given  them.  The  longest  of  the  black 
serpents  mentioned  above  is  from  two  to  three,  or  at  most  four  feel  long. 

The  yellow  serpent  with  brown  spots  is  not  so  poisonous,  nor  so  long  as  the  black 
and  white  one. 

The  brown  serpent  is  of  all  three  the  least  poisonous,  and  smallest  and  shortest  in 
^ze. 

The  remedies  used  here  to  extract  the  poison  of  serpents  are  various.  The  rump 
of  a  house-cock  stript  of  its  feather,  and  applied  to  the  wound,  doth  powerfully  extract 
the  poison,  if  timely  applied.  The  cock  is  observed  after  this  to  swell  to  a  great  bulk, 
far  above  its  former  size,  and  being  thrown  out  into  the  fields,  no  ravenous  bird  or 
beast  will  ever  offer  to  taste  of  it. 


vol. Jll 


4l 


'1 


^-^^ 


i; 

r 


..^ 


026 


martin's  descrxptiow  of  the 


The  forked  sting  taken  out  of  an  adder's  tongue  is  by  the  natives  steeped  in  water, 
with  which  they  wash  and  cure  the  wound. 

The  serpent's  head  that  gives  the  wound  being  applied,  is  found  to  be  a  good  remedy. 

New  cheese  applied  timtiy  extracts  the  poison  well. 

There  are  two  sorts  of  weasles  in  the  isle,  one  of  which  exceeds  that  of  the  common 
size  in  bigness ;  the  natives  say  that  the  breath  of  it  kills  calves  a^d  lambs,  and  that  the 
lesser  sort  is  apt  to  occasif  >:  t  a  decay  in  such  as  frequently  have  them  tame  about  them  : 
rspecinlly  such  as  suffer  tlitcm  to  suck  and  lick  about  their  mouths. 

THE  INFERIOR  ISLES  ABOUT  SKIE. 

SOA-BRETTIL  lies  within  a  quarter  of  a  mile  to  the  south  of  the  mountain  Quillin ; 
it  is  five  miles  in  circumference,  and  full  of  bogs,  and  fitter  for  pasturage  than  cultiva- 
tion. About  a  mile  on  the  west  side  it  is  covered  with  wood,  and  the  rest  consists  of 
heath  and  grass,  having  a  mixture  of  the  mertillo  all  over.  The  red  garden-currants 
grow  in  this  isle,  and  are  supposed  to  have  been  carried  thither  by  birds..  There  has 
been  no  venomous  creature  ever  seen  in  this  little  isle  until  within  these  two  years  last, 
that  a  black  and  white  big  serpent  was  seen  by  one  the  inhabitants,  who  killed  it ; 
they  believe  it  came  from  the  opposite  coast  of  Skie,  where  there  are  many  big  serpents. 
There  is  abundance  of  cod  and  ling  round  this  isle. 

On  the  soutli  of  Sleat  fics  island  Oransa,  which  is  a  peninsula  at  low  water ;  it  is  a 
mile  in  circumference,  and  very  fri:hful  in  corn  and  grass.  As  for  the  latter,  it  is  said 
to  excel  any  piece  of  ground  of  its  extent  in  those  parts. 

In  the  north  entry  to  Kyle-Akin  lie  several  small  isles  ;  the  biggest  and  next  to  Skie 
is  Ilan  Nin  Gillin,  about  half  a  mile  in  circumference,  covered  all  over  with  long  heath, 
and  the  erica  baccifera :  there  is  abundance  of  seals  and  sea-fowls  about  it. 

A  league  further  north  iics  the  isle  Pabbay,  about  two  miles  in  circumference  ;  it 
excels  in  pasturage,  the  cows  in  it  afford  near  double  the  milk  that  they  yield  in  Skie. 
In  the  dog-days  there  is  a  big  fly  in  this  isle,  which  infests  the  cows,  makes  them  ruu  up 
and  down,  discomposes  the  m  exceedingly,  and  hinders  their  feeding,  insomuch  that  they 
must  be  brought  out  of  the  isle  to  the  isle  of  Skie.  This  isle  affords  abundance  of  lob- 
sters, limpets,  wilks,  crabs,  and  ordinary  sea-plants. 

About  half  a  league  fdrther  north  lies  the  small  isle  Gilliman,  being  a  quarter  of  a 
mile  in  circumference  ;  the  whole  is  covered  with  long  heath,  and  the  erica  baccifera. 
Within  a  call  further  aorih  lies  the  isle  of  Scalpa,  very  near  to  Skie,  five  miles  in  cir- 
cumference ;  it  is  mi  jni\ainou«>  from  the  south  end  almost  to  the  north  end  ;  it  has  wood 
in  several  parts  of  it  ,  u,t  south  end  is  most  arable,  and  is  fruitful  in  corn  and  grass. 

About  a  mile  liirther  north  is  the  isle  Rasay,  being  seven  miles  in  length,  and  three 
in  breadth,  sloping  on  the  west  and  east  sides  ;  it  has  some  wood  on  all  the  quarters  of 
it,  the  whole  is  fitter  for  pasturage  than  cultivation,  the  ground  being  generally  very 
unequal,  but  very  well  watered  with  rivulets  and  springs.  There  is  a  spring  running 
down  the  face  of  a  high  rock  on  the  east  side  of  the  isle ;  it  petriBes  into  a  white  sub- 
stance, of  which  very  fine  lime  is  madp  and  there  is  a  great  quantity  of  it.  There  is  a 
quarry  of  good  stone  on  the  same  side  of  the  isle  ;  there  is  abundance  of  caves  on  the 
west  side,  which  serve  to  lodge  several  families,  who,  for  their  convenience  in  grazing, 
fishing,  &c.  resort  thither  in  the  summer.  On  the  west  sidt,  particularly  near  to  the 
village  Clachan,  the  shore  abounds  with  smooth  stones  of  different  sizes,  variegated  all 
over.  The  same  cattle,  fowl,  and  fish,  are  produced  here,  that  are  found  ia  the  isle  of 
Skie.    There  is  a  law  observed  by  the  n&iives,  that  all  their  fishing-lines  must  be  of 


WESTERN   ISLANDS   OF    SCOTLAND. 


62: 


equal  length  ;  for  the  longest  is  always  supposed  to  have  best  access  to  the  fish,  which 
would  prove  a  disadvantage  to  such  as  might  have  shorter  ones. 

There  are  some  forts  in  this  isle,  the  highest  is  in  the  south  end,  it  is  a  natural 
strength,  and  in  form  like  the  crown  of  a  hat ;  it  is  called  Ounn-Cann,  which  the  iii\. 
lives  will  needs  have  to  be  from  one  Canne,  cousin  to  the  king  of  Denmark.  The 
other  lies  on  the  side,  is  an  artificial  fort,  three  stories  high,  and  is  called  Castle  Vreoklc. 

The  proprietor  of  the  isle  is  Mr.  Mac-Leod,  a  cadet  of  the  family  of  that  name  ;  his 
seat  is  in  the  village  Clachan,  the  inhabitants  have  as  great  veneration  for  him  as  any 
subjects  can  have  for  their  king.  They  preserve  the  memory  of  the  deceased  ladies  of 
the  place,  by  erecting  a  little  pyramid  '^f  stone  for  each  ofihem,  with  the  lady's  name. 
These  pyramids  are  by  them  called  crosses  ;  several  of  them  are  built  of  stone  and  lime, 
and  have  three  steps  of  gradual  ascent  to  them.  There  are  eight  such  crosses  about  the 
village,  which  is  adorned  with  a  little  tower,  and  lesser  houses,  and  an  orchard  with  se- 
veral sorts  of  bei -"♦.,  pot-herbs,  &c.  The  inhabitants  are  all  protestants,  and  use  tlie 
same  language,  habit,  and  diet,  with  the  natives  of  Skie. 

About  a  quarter  of  a  mile  further  north  lies  the  isle  Rona,  which  is  three  miles  in 
length :  vessels  pass  through  the  narrow  channel  between  Rosay  and  Rona.  This  little 
isle  is  the  most  unequal  rocky  piece  of  ground  to  be  seen  any  where ;  there  is  but  very 
few  acres  fit  for  digging,  the  whole  is  covered  with  long  heath,  erica  baccifera,  mertillus, 
and  some  mixture  of  grass ;  it  is  reckoned  very  fruitful  in  pasturage  ;  most  of  the  rocks 
consist  of  the  hectic-stone,  and  a  considerable  part  of  them  is  of  a  red  colour. 

There  is  a  bay  on  the  south  west  end  of  the  isle,  with  two  entries,  the  one  is  on  the 
west  side,  the  other  on  the  south,  but  the  latter  is  only  accessible  ;  it  has  a  rock  within 
the  entry,  and  a  good  fishing. 

About  three  leagues  to  the  north-west  of  Rona  is  the  isle  Fladda,  being  almost  joined 
to  Skie  ;  it  is  all  plain  arable  ground,  and  about  a  mile  in  circumference. 

About  a  mile  to  the  north  lies  the  isle  Altwig,  it  has  a  high  rock  facing  the  east,  is 
near  two  miles  in  circumference,  and  is  reputed  fruitful  in  corn  and  grass  ;  there  is  a 
little  old  chapel  in  it,  dedicated  to  St.  Turos.  There  is  a  rock  of  about  forty  yards  in 
length  at  the  north  end  of  the  isle,  distinguished  for  its  commodiousness  in  fishing. 
Herrings  are  seen  about  this  rock  in  great  numbers  all  summer,  insomuch  that  the  fisher- 
boats  are  sometimes  as  it  were  entangled  among  the  shoals  of  them. 

The  isle  of  Troda  lies  within  half  a  league  to  the  northernmost  point  of  Skie,  called 
Hunish  ;  it  is  two  miles  in  circumference,  fruitful  in  corn  and  grass,  and  had  a  chapel 
dedicated  to  St.  Columbus.  The  natives  told  me  that  there  is  a  couple  of  ravens  in 
the  isle,  which  suffer  none  other  of  their  kind  to  come  thither ;  and  when  their  own 
young  are  able  to  fly,  they  beat  them  also  away  from  the  isle. 

Fladda-Chuan,  i.  e.  Fladda  of  the  Ocean,  lies  about  two  leagues  distant  from  the 
west  side  of  Hunish  point ;  it  is  two  miles  in  compass,  the  ground  is  boggy,  and  but 
indifferent  for  corn  and  grass :  the  isle  is  much  frequented,  for  the  plenty  of  fi&b  of  a'j 
kinds  on  each  quarter  of  it.  There  are  very  big  whales  which  pursue  the  fish  on  '.ne 
coast ;  the  natives  distinguish  one  whale  for  its  bigness  above  all  others,  and  told  me 
that  it  had  many  big  limpets  growing  upon  its  back,  and  that  the  eyes  of  it  were  of  sucli 
a  prodigious  bigness,  as  struck  no  small  terror  into  the  beholders.  There  is  a  chapel 
in  the  isle  dedicated  to  St  Columbus,  it  has  an  altar  in  the  east  end,  and  there  is  a  blue 
stone  of  a  round  form  on  it,  which  is  always  moist.  It  is  an  ordinary  custom,  wlwn  any 
of  the  fishermen  are  detained  in  the  isle  by  contrary  winds,  to  wash  the  blue  stone  with 
water  all  round,  expecting  thereby  to  procure  a  favourable  wind,  which  the  credulous 
tenant  liviiig  in  the  isle  says  never  fails,  especially  if  a  stranger  wash  the  stone :  the  stone 

4  L  2 


n 


U 

k 


u\ 


028 


MAUTIN'8    DRSCRIPTIOhf    OF    THE 


is  likewise  applied  to  the  sid.sof  people  troubled  with  stitches,  and  they  say  it  is  effectual 
for  that  purpose  :  and  so  great  is  the  regard  they  have  for  this  stone,  that  they  swear 
decisive  oaths  on  it. 

The  monk  0*Gorgon  is  buried  near  to  this  chapel,  and  there  is  a  stone  five  feet  high 
at  each  end  of  his  grave.  There  is  a!  ...idance  of  sea.fowl  that  come  to  hatch  their 
young  in  the  isle;  the  coulterncbs  arr  .ery  numerous  here,  it  comes  in  the  middle  of 
March,  and  goes  away  in  the  middle  ol  August :  it  makes  a  lour  round  ihe  isle  sun-ways 
before  it  settles  on  the  ground,  and  another  at  going  away  in  August ;  which  ceremony 
is  much  approved  by  the  tenant  of  the  isle,  and  is  one  of  the  chief  arguments  he  made 
use  of  for  making  the  like  round,  as  he  sets  out  to  sea  with  his  boat. 

There  is  a  great  flock  of  plovers,  that  come  to  this  isle  from  Skie  in  the  beginning 
of  September  ;  they  return  again  in  April,  and  are  said  to  be  near  two  thousand  in  all: 
I  told  the  tenant  he  might  have  a  couple  of  these  at  every  meal  during  the  wiriter  and 
spring,  but  my  motion  seemed  very  disugreeable  to  him  ;  for  he  declared  that  he 
had  never  once  attempted  to  take  any  of  them,  though  he  might  if  he  would  :  and  at 
the  same  time  told  me,  he  wondered  how  I  could  imagine  that  he  would  be  so  barbarous 
as  to  take  the  lives  of  such  innocent  creatures  as  came  to  him  only  for  self-preservation. 

There  are  six  or  seven  rocks  within  distance  of  a  musket-shot  on  the  south-cast  side 
the  isle,  the  sea  running  between  each  of  them :  that  lying  more  easterly  is  the  fort 
called  Bord  Cruin,  i.  e,  a  round  table,  from  its  round  form  ;  it  is  about  three  hundred 
paces  in  circumference,  flat  on  the  top,  has  a  deep  well  within  it,  the  whole  is  surrounded 
with  a  steep  rock,  and  has  only  one  place  that  is  accessible  by  climbing,  and  that  only  by 
one  man  at  a  time  :  there  is  a  violent  current  of  a  tide  on  each  side  of  it,  which  con- 
tributes to  render  it  an  impregnable  fort,  it  belongs  to  sir  Donald  Macdonald.  One 
single  man  above  the  entry,  without  being  exposed  to  shot,  is  able,  with  a  staffin  his  hand, 
to  keep  off  five  hundred  attackers ;  for  only  one  can  climb  the  rock  at  a  time,  and  that 
not  without  difficulty. 

There  is  a  high  rock  on  the  west  side  the  fort,  which  may  be  secured  also  by  a  few 
hands. 

About  half  a  league  on  the  south  side  the  round  table  lies  the  rock  Jeskar,  i.  e.  Fisher, 
because  many  fishing-boats  resort  to  it;  it  is  not  higher  than  a  small  vessel  under  sail. 
This  rock  affords  a  great  quantity  of  scurvy-grass,  of  an  extraordinary  size,  and  very 
thick ;  the  natives  eat  it  frequently,  as  well  boiled  as  raw  :  two  of  them  told  me  that 
they  happened  to  be  confined  there  for  the  space  of  thirty  hours  by  a  contrary  wind ; 
and  being  without  victuals,  fell  to  eating  this  scurvy-grass,  and  finding  it  of  a  sweet 
taste,  far  different  from  the  land  scurvy-grass,  they  eat  a  large  basket  full  of  it,  which 
did  abundantly  satisfy  their  appetites  until  their  return  home :  they  told  me  also  that  it 
was  not  in  the  least  windy,  or  any  other  way  troublesome  to  them. 

Island  Tulm  on  the  west  of  the  wing  of  Skie,  called  Troterness,  lies  within  a  musk*,  t- 
shot  of  the  castle  of  the  name  ;  it  is  a  hard  rock,  and  clothed  with  grass  ;  there  are  tWv 
caves  on  the  west  side,  in  which  abundance  of  sea  cormorants  build  and  h^-ch. 

About  five  leagues  to  the  south-west  from  Tulm  lies  the  island  Ascrib,  ivhich  is  divided 
into  several  parts  by  the  sea ;  it  is  about  two  miles  in  compass,  ami  affords  very  good 
pasturage  ;  all  kinds  of  fish  abound  in  ihe  neighbouring  sea.  On  the  south-west  side  of 
the  isle  Ascrib,  at  the  distance  of  two  leagues,  lie  the  two  small  isles  of  Timan,  directly 
in  the  mouth  of  Loch-arnisort ;  they  are  only  fit  for  pasturage. 

Or.  the  west  side  of  Vatemis  promontory,  within  the  mouth  of  Loch-fallart,  lies  Isa, 
two  miles  in  compass,  being  fruitful  in  corn  and  grass,  and  is  commodious  for  fishing  of 
cod  and  ling. 


WESTERN    ISLANDS    OF    SCOTLAND. 


629 


There  are  two  small  isles,  called  Mingoy,  on  the  north-east  side  oi'  this  isle,  which 
aft'ord  good  pasturage. 

There  is  a  red  short  kind  of  dulse  growing  in  the  south  end  of  the  isle,  which  occasions 
a  pain  in  the  head  when  eaten,  a  property  not  known  in  any  other  dulse  whatever. 

The  two  isles  Bnia  and  Harlas  lie  in  the  mouth  of  Loch-Bruckadit ;  they  are  both 
pretty  high  rocks,  each  of  them  about  a  mile  in  circumference  ;  they  aftbrd  good  pas- 
turage, and  there  are  red  currants  in  these  small  isles,  supposed  to  have  been  carried 
there  at  first  by  birds. 

The  souUiern  parts  of  Skie,  as  Sleat  and  Strath,  arc  a  month  earlier  with  their  grass 
th'in  the  northern  parts ;  and  this  is  the  reason  that  the  cattle  and  sheep,  &c.  bring 
forth  their  young  sooner  than  in  the  north  side. 

The  days  in  summer  are  much  longer  here  than  in  the  south  of  England  or  Scotland, 
and  the  nights  shorter,  which  about  the  summer  solstice  is  not  above  an  hour  and  an 
half  in  length ;  and  the  further  we  come  south,  the  contrary  is  to  be  observed  in 
proportion. 

The  air  here  is  commonly  moist  and  cold  ;  this  disposes  the  inhabitants  to  take  a 
larger  dose  of  brandy  or  other  strong  liquors  than  in  the  south  of  Scotland,  by  which 
they  fancy  that  they  qualify  the  moisture  of  the  air  :  this  is  the  opinion  of  all  strangers, 
as  well  as  of  the  natives,  aince  the  one  as  well  as  the  other  drinks  at  least  treble  the 
quantity  of  brandy  in  Skie  and  the  adjacent  isles,  than  they  do  in  the  more  southern 
climate. 

The  height  of  the  mountains  contributes  much  to  the  moisture  of  the  place,  but  more 
especially  the  mountain  Quillin,  v/hich  is  the  husbandman's  almanack ;  for  it  is  com- 
monly observed,  that  if  the  heavens  above  that  mountain  be  clear  and  without  clouds 
in  the  morning,  then  it  is  not  doubted  but  the  weather  will  prove  fair ;  et  e  contra,  the 
height  of  that  hill  reaching  to  the  clouds  breaks  them,  and  then  they  presently  after  fall 
down  in  great  rains  accorditig  as  the  wind  blows  :  thus  when  the  wind  blows  from  the 
south,  then  all  the  ground  lying  to  the  north  of  Quillin  hills  is  wet  with  rains,  whereas 
all  the  other  three  quarters  are  dry. 

The  south-west  winds  are  observed  to  carry  more  rain  with  them  than  any  other, 
and  blow  much  higher  in  the  most  northern  point  of  Skie  than  they  do  two  miles  fur- 
ther south ;  for  which  I  could  perceive  no  visible  cause,  unless  it  be  the  height  of  the 
hill,  about  two  miles  south  from  that  point ;  for  after  we  come  to  the  south  side  of  it, 
the  wind  is  not  perceived  to  be  so  high  as  on  the  north  side  by  half. 

It  is  observed  of  the  east  wind,  that  though  it  blow  but  very  gentle  in  the  isle  of  Skie, 
and  on  the  west  side  of  it,  for  the  space  of  about  three  or  four  leagues  towards  the  west, 
yet  as  we  advance  more  westerly  it  is  sensibly  higher  ;  and  when  we  come  near  to  the 
coast  of  the  more  western  isles  of  Ulst,  Harries,  &c.  it  is  observed  to  blow  very  fresh, 
though  at  the  same  time  it  is  almost  calm  on  the  west  side  the  isle  Skie.  The  wind  is 
attended  with  fair  weather,  both  in  this  and  other  western  isles. 

The  sea  in  the  time  of  a  calm  is  observed  to  have  a  rising  motion,  before  the  north 
wind  blows,  which  it  has  not  before  the  approaching  of  any  other  wind. 

The  north  wind  is  still  colder,  and  more  destructive  to  corn,  cattle,  Sec.  than  any  other. 

Women  observe  that  their  breasts  contract  to  a  lesser  bulk  when  the  wind  blows  from 
the  north,  and  that  then  they  yield  less  milk  than  when  it  blows  from  any  oiiier  quarter : 
and  they  make  the  like  observation  in  other  creatures  that  give  milk. 

They  observe  that  when  the  sea  yields  a  kind  of  pleasant  and  sweet  scent,  it  is  a  sure 
presage  of  fair  weather  to  ensue. 

The  wind  in  summer  blows  stronger  by  land  than  by  sea,  and  the  contrary  in  winter. 


h 


'■  \ 


630 


martin's  description  of  the 


In  the  summer  the  wind  is  sometimes  observed  to  blow  from  different  quarters  at  the 
same  time  :  [  have  seen  two  boats  sail  quite  contrary  ways,  until  they  came  within  less 
than  a  league  of  each  other,  and  then  one  of  them  was  becalmed,  and  the  other  con- 
tinucd  to  sail  forward. 

The  tide  of  ebb  here  runs  southerly,  and  the  tide  of  flood  northerly,  where  no  head- 
lands or  promontories  arc  in  the  way  to  interpose  ;  for  in  such  cases  the  tides  are  ob- 
served  to  hold  a  course  quite  contrary  to  the  ordinary  motion  in  these  isles,  and 
the  opposite  main  land  :  this  is  observed  between  the  east  side  of  Skie  and  the  opposite 
continent,  where  the  tide  of  ebb  runs  northerly,  and  the  tide  of  flood  southerly,  as  far 
as  Killach-stone,  on  the  south-east  of  Skie  ;  both  tides  running  directly  contrary  to  what 
is  to  be  seen  in  all  the  western  isles  and  opposite  continent.  The  natives  at  Kylakin 
told  me  that  they  had  seen  three  different  ebbings  successively  on  that  part  of  Skie. 

The  tide  of  ebb  is  always  greater  with  north  ivinds,  than  when  it  blows  from  any  other 
quarter  ;  and  the  tide  of  flood  is  always  hif>;her  with  south  winds  than  any  other. 

The  two  chief  spring-tides  are  on  the  tenth  of  September,  and  on  the  tenth  or  twen- 
tieth of  March. 

The  natives  are  very  much  disposed  to  observe  the  influence  of  the  moon  on  human 
bodies,  and  for  that  cause  they  never  dig  their  peats  but  in  the  decrease ;  for  they  ob- 
serve,  that  if  they  are  cut  in  the  increase,  they  continue  still  moist,  and  never  bum  clear, 
nor  are  they  without  smoke,  but  the  contrary  is  daily  observed  of  peats  cut  in  the 
decrease. 

They  make  up  their  earthen  dykes  in  the  decrease  only,  for  such  as  are  made  at  the 
increase  are  still  observed  to  fall. 

They  fell  their  timber,  and  cut  their  rushes,  in  time  of  the  decrease. 

THE  DISEASES  KNOWN,  AND  NOT  KNOWN,  IN  SKIE  AND  JHE  ADJACENT  ISLES. 

THE  gout,  corns  in  the  feet,  convulsions,  madness,  fits  of  the  mother,  vapours,  palsy, 
lethargy,  rheumatisms,  wens,  ganglions,  king's-evil,  ague,  surfeits,  and  consumptions, 
are  not  frequent,  and  barrenness  and  abortion  very  rare. 

The  diseases  that  prevail  here  are  fevers,  stitches,  cholic,  head-ache,  megrim,  jaundice, 
sciatica,  stone,  small-pox,  measles,  rickets,  scurvy,  worms,fluxes,  tooth-ache,  cough,  and 
squinance. 

The  ordinary  remedies  used  by  the  natives  are  taken  from  plants,  roots,  stones,  ani- 
mals, &c. 

To  cure  a  pleurisy,  the  letting  of  blood  plentifully  is  an  ordinary  remedy. 

Whey,  in  which  violets  have  been  boiled,  is  used  as  a  cooling  and  refreshing  drink 
for  such  as  are  ill  of  fevers.  When  the  patient  has  not  a  sweat  duly,  their  shirt  is 
boiled  in  water,  and  afterwards  put  on  them,  which  causes  a  speedy  sweat.  When  the 
patient  is  very  costive,  and  without  passage  by  stool  or  urine,  or  passes  the  ordinary  time 
of  sweating  in  fevers,  two  or  three  handfuls  of  the  sea- plant  called  dulse,  boiled  in  a 
little  water,  and  some  fresh  butter  with  it,  and  the  infbsion  drunk,  procures  a  pacuge 
both  ways,  and  sweat  shortly  after :  thv  dulse,  growing  on  stone,  not  that  on  the  sea- 
ware,  is  only  proper  in  this  case. 

To  procure  sleep  after  a  fever,  the  feet,  knees,  and  ancles  of  the  patient  are  washed 
in  warm  water,  into  which  a  good  quantity  of  chick-weed  is  put,  and  afterwards  some 
of  the  plant  is  applied  warm  to  the  neck,  aiiid  between  the  shoulders,  as  the  patient  goes 
to  bed. 


i 


I 


iliii't 


WESTERN    ISLANDS    OF    SCOTLAND. 


631 


NT  ISLES. 


The  tops  of  nettles,  chopped  small,  and  mixed  with  a  few  whites  of  raw  eggs,  applied 
to  the  forehead  and  temples,  by  way  of  a  frontal,  is  used  to  procure  sleep. 

Foxglove,  applied  warm  plaisterwise  to  the  part  aftccted,  removes  pains  that  follow 
after  fevers. 

The  sea.plant  linarich  is  used  to  procure  sleep,  as  is  mentioned  among  its  virtues. 

Erica-baccifcra  boiled  a  little  in  water,  and  applied  warm  to  the  crown  of  the  head 
and  temples,  is  used  likewise  as  a  remedy  to  procure  sleep. 

To  remove  stitches,  when  letting  blood  does  not  prevail,  the  part  affected  is  rubbed 
with  an  ointment  made  of  camomile  and  fresh  butter,  or  of  brandy  with  fresh  butter ; 
and  others  apply  a  quantity  of  raw  scurvy-grass  chopped  small. 

The  scarlet-fever,  which  appeared  in  this  isle  only  within  these  two  years  last,  is  ordi- 
narily cured  by  drinking  now  and  then  a  glass  of  brandy.  If  an  infant  happen  to  be 
taken  with  it,  the  nurse  drinks  some  brandy,  which  qualifies  the  milk,  and  proves  a  sue 
cessful  remedy. 

The  common  alga,  or  sea- ware,  is  yearly  used  with  success,  to  manure  the  fruit-trees 
in  sir  Donald  Macdonald's  orchard  at  Armadill :  several  affirm  that  if  a  quantity  of 
sea- ware  be  used  about  the  roots  of  fruit-trees,  whose  growth  is  hindered  by  the  sea  air, 
this  will  make  them  grow  and  produce  fruit. 

Head-ache  is  removed  by  taking  raw  dulse  and  linarich,  applied  cold  by  way  of  plaister 
to  the  temples.     This  likewise  is  used  as  a  remedy  to  remove  the  megrim. 

The  jaundice  is  cured  by  the  vulgar  a;*  follows :  the  patient  being  stripped  naked  be- 
hind to  the  middle  of  the  back,  he  who  acts  the  surgeon's  part,  marks  the  eleventh  bone 
from  the  rump  on  the  back  with  a  black  stroke,  in  order  to  touch  it  with  his  tongs,  as 
mentioned  already. 

Sciatica  is  cured  by  applying  the  case  with  the  fat  of  the  carrara-fowl  to  the  thigh  bone  ; 
and  it  must  not  be  removed  from  thence  till  the  cure  is  performed. 

FUmula-joMs,  or  spire- wert,  being  cut  small,  and  a  limpet  shell  filled  with  it,  and  ap- 
l^ied  to  the  thigh  bone,  causes  a  blister  to  rise  about  the  bigness  of  an  egg ;  which  being 
cut,  a  quantity  of  watery  matter  issues  from  it :  the  blister  rises  three  times,  and  being 
emptied  as  often,  the  cure  is  performed.  The  sea-plant  linarich  is  applied  to  the  place, 
to  cure  and  dry  the  wound. 

Crow-foot  of  the  moor  is  more  effectual  for  raising  a  blister,  and  curing  the  sciaica, 
than  flamula-jovis  ;  for  that  sometimes  fails  of  breaking  or  raising  the  skin,  but  the  crow- 
foot seldom  fails. 

Several  of  the  common  people  have  the  boldness  to  venture  upon  the  flamula-jovis, 
instead  ofa  purge  :  they  take  a  little  of  the  infusion,  and  drink  it  in  melted  fresh  butter, 
as  the  properest  vehicle  ;  and  this  preserves  the  throat  from  being  excoriated. 

Far  the  stone  they  drink  water-gruel  without  salt :  they  likewise  eat  allium,  or  wild 
gadick,  and  drink  the  infusion  of  it  boiled  in  water,  which  they  find  effectual  both  ways. 
The  infusion  of  the  sea  plant  dulse  boiled  is  also  good  against  the  stone  ;  as  is  likewise 
the  broth  of  wilks  and  limpets  :  and  against  the  cholic,  cobtiveness,  and  stitches,  a  quan- 
tity of  scurvy-grass  boiled  in  water,  with  some  fresh  butter  added,  and  eaten  for  some 
days,  is  an  effectual  remedy. 

Vo  kill  wornts,  the  infusion  of  tansy  in  whey  or  aquavit* ,  taken  fasting,  is  an  ordi- 
nary medicine  with  the  islanders. 

Caryophylata  alpina  chamedreos  fol :  it  grows  on  marble  in  divers  parts,  about  Christ- 
Church  in  Strath  ;  never  observed  before  in  Britain,  and  but  once  in  Ireland,  by 
Mr.  Hiuton.     Morison's  Hist.  Ray  Synopsis,  137. 


h 


632 


martin's    DE8CRIPTI0M    OF    TH25 


Carmcl,  alias  Knaphard,  by  Mr.  James  Sutherland  called  Argatilis  Sylvaticus :  it  has 
a  blue  Rower  in  July  i  the  plant  itself  is  not  used,  but  the  root  is  eaten  to  expel  wind  : 
and  they  say  it  prevents  drunkeiniess,  by  frequent  chewing  of  it ;  and  being  so  vised, 
gives.a  good  relish  to  all  lioMors,  nmilk  only  excepted.  It  isaromatick,  and  the  natives 
prefer  it  to  spice,  for  brevvnig  aquuvitre  ;  the  root  will  keep  for  many  years  :  some  say 
that  it  is  cordial,  and  allays  hunmr. 

Shnnnis  is  a  plant  highly  valued  by  the  natives,  who  eat  it  raw,  and  also  boiled  with 
fish,  flesh,  and  milk  :  it  is  used  as  a  sovereign  remedy  to  cure  the  sheep  of  the  cough  ; 
the  root  eaten,  fasting,  expels  wind  :  it  was  not  known  in  Britain,  except  in  the  north 
west  isles,  and  some  parts  of  the  opposite  continent.  Mr.  James  Sutherland  sent  it  to 
France  some  years  ago, 

A  quantity  of  wild  sage  chewed  between  one's  teeth,  and  put  into  the  ears  of  cows  or 
sheep  that  become  blind,  cures  them,  and  perfectly  restores  their  sight ;  of  which  there 
arc  many  fresh  instances  both  in  Skie  and  Harries,  by  persons  of  great  integrity. 

A  quantity  of  wild  sage  chopped  small,  and  eaten  by  horses  mixed  with  their  corn,  kills 
.>vorms  ;  the  horse  must  not  drink  for  ten  hours  after  eating  it. 

The  infusion  of  wild  sage  after  the  same  manner  produces  the  like  effect. 
Wild  sage  cut  small,  and  mixed  among  oats  given  to  a  horse  fasting,  and  kept  widi- 
out  drink  for  seven  or  eight  hours  after,  kills  worms. 

Fluxes  arc  cured  by  taking  now  and  then  a  spoonful  of  the  syrup  of  blue  berries 
that  grow  on  the  Mertillus. 

Plaintain  boiled  in  water,  and  the  hectic-stone  heated  red  hot  quenched  in  the  same,  is 
successfully  used  for  fluxes. 

Some  cure  the  tooth-ache  by  applying  a  little  of  the  flamula  jovis,  in  a  limpet-shell, 
to  the  temples. 

A  green  turf  heated  among  embers,  as  hot  as  can  be  endured,  and  by  the  patient  ap- 
plied to  the  side  of  the  head  aftccted,  is  likewise  used  for  the  tooth-ache. 
For  coughs  and  colds,  water  gruel  with  a  little  butter  is  the  ordinary  cure. 
For  coughs  and  hoarseness,  they  use  to  bathe  the  feet  in  warm  water,  lor  the  space  of 
a  quarter  of  an  hour  at  least ;  and  then  rub  a  little  quantity  of  deer's  grease  (the  older 
the  better)  to  the  soles  of  their  feet,  by  the  fire  ;  the  deer's  grease  alone  is  suflicient  in 
the  morning  :  and  this  method  must  be  continued  until  the  cure  is  performed.  And  it 
may  be  used  by  young  or  old,  except  women  with  child,  for  the  first  four  months,  and 
such  as  are  troubled  with  vapours. 

Harts-tongue  and  Maiden-hair,  boiled  in  wort,  and  the  ale  drunk,  is  used  for  coughs 
and  consumptions. 

Milk  or  water,  wherein  the  hectic-stone  hath  been  boiled  or  quenched  red-hot,  and 
being  taken  for  ordinary  drink,  is  also  eflicacious  against  a  consumption. 

The  hands  and  feet  often  washed  in  water,  in  which  the  hectic  stone  has  been  boiled, 
is  esteemed  restorative. 

Yarrow,  with  the  hectic-stone  boiled  in  milk,  and  frequently  drunk,  is  used  for  con- 
sumptions. 

Water  gruel  is  also  found  by  experience  to  be  good  for  consumptions ;  it  purifies  the 
blood,  and  procures  appetite,  when  drunk  without  salt. 

There  is  a  smith  in  the  parish  of  Kil-martin,  who  is  reckoned  a  doctor  for  curing 
fjuntness  of  the  spirits.    This  he  peifotms  in  the  following  manner  5 

The  patient  being  laid  on  the  anvil,  with  his  face  uppermost,  the  smith  takes  a  big 
hammer  in  both  hands,  and  makii^  his  face  all  grimace,  he  approaches  his  patient ; 
and  then  drawing  his  hammer  from  tne  ground,  as  if  designed  to  nit  nim  with  his  full 


VrESTERN    ISLANDS    OF    SCOTLAND. 


OJJ 


} :  it  has 

1  wind: 
so  uaed, 
;  natiives 
some  say 

ied  with 

cough ; 

he  north 

sent  it  to 

cows  or 
ich  there 
r. 
lorn,  kills 


ept  witlu 
le  berries 


e  same,  is 


ipet-shcU, 
>atient  ap- 

e  space  of 

the  older 

ifficient  in 

And  it 

)nths,  and 

or  coughs 

hot,  and 

en  boiled, 

d  for  con- 

urifies  the 

for  curing 

takes  a  big 
Is  patient ; 
th  his  full 


stirngth  on  Ins  Ibrchead,  he  ends  in  a  feint,  else  he  would  be  sure  to  cure  t1ie  patit'iu  of 
all  diseases:  but  the  smith,  being  accustomed  to  the  performance,  has  a  dexterity  of 
managing;  his  hammer  with  discretion  ;  though  at  the  same  time  he  must  do  it  so  iis  to 
strike  terror  in  the  patient :  and  this  they  say  has  always  the  designed  effect. 

The  smith  is  famous  for  his  pedigree ;  for  it  has  been  observed  of  a  long  time,  that 
there  has  been  but  one  only  child  born  in  the  family,  and  that  always  a  son,  and  when 
he  arrived  to  man's  estate,  the  father  died  presently  after:  the  present  smith  nnikea  i!|> 
the  thirteenth  generation  of  that  race  of  people  who  are  bred  to  be  smiths,  and  all  of 
them  pretend  to  this  cure. 

Iliaca  passio,  or  twisting  of  the  guts,  has  been  several  times  cured  by  drinking  a  draught 
of  cold  water,  with  a  little  oatmeal  in  it,  and  then  hanging  the  patient  by  the  heels  for  some 
time.  The  lu^t  instance  in  Skic  was  by  John  Morrison,  in  the  village  of  Talisker,  who 
by  this  remedy  alone  cured  a  boy  of  fourteen  years  of  age.  Dr.  Pitcairn  told  me,  that 
the  like  cure  had  been  performed  in  the  shire  of  Fife  for  the  same  disease.  A  cataplasm 
of  hot  dulse,  with  its  juice,  applied  several  times  to  the  lower  part  of  the  belly,  cured  the 
iliac  passion. 

The  sea  plant  dulse  is  used,  as  is  said  above,  to  remove  cholicks  ;  and  to  remove  that 
distemper  and  cosliveness,  a  little  quantity  of  fresh  butter,  and  some  scurvy-grass  boiled, 
and  eaten  with  its  infusion,  is  an  usual  and  effectual  remedy. 

A  large  handful  of  the  sea-plant  dulse,  growing  upon  stone,  being  applied  outwardly, 
as  is  mentioned  above  against  the  iliaca  passio,  takes  away  the  after- birth  with  great  ease 
and  safety ;  this  remedy  is  to  be  repeated  until  it  produce  the  desired  effect,  though  some 
hours  may  be  intermitted :  the  fresher  the  dulse  is,  the  operation  is  the  stronger ;  for  if 
it  is  above  two  or  three  days  old,  little  is  to  be  expected  from  it  in  this  case.  This  plant 
seldom  or  never  fails  of  success,  though  the  patient  had  been  delivered  several  days  be- 
fore ;  and  of  this  I  have  lately  seen  an  extraordinary  instance  at  Edinburgh  in  Scotland, 
when  the  patient  was  given  over  as  dead. 

Dulse,  being  eaten  raw  or  boiled,  is  by  daily  experience  found  to  be  an  excellent  an- 
tiscorbutic ;  it  is  better  raw  in  this  case,  and  must  be  first  washed  in  cold  water. 

For  a  fracture,  the  first  thing  they  apply  to  a  broken  bone  is  the  white  of  an  egg, 
and  some  barley  meul ;  and  then  they  tie  splinters  round  it,  and  keep  it  so  tied  for  some 
days.  When  the  splinters  are  imtied,  they  make  use  of  the  following  ointment,  viz.  a 
like  quantitv  of  betonica  pauli,  St.  John's  wort,  golden-rod,  all  cut  and  bruised  in  sheeps' 
grease,  or  fresh  butter,  to  a  consistence ;  some  of  this  they  spread  on  a  cloth,  and  lay  on 
the  wound,  which  continues  untied  for  a  few  days. 

Giben  of  St.  Kilda,  i.  e.  the  fat  of  sea  fowls  made  into  a  pudding  in  the  stomach  of  the 
fowl,  is  abo  an  approved  vulnerary  for  man  or  beast. 

The  vulgar  make  purges  of  the  infusion  of  scurvy  grass,  and  some  fresh  butter;  and 
this  they  continue  to  take  for  the  space  of  a  week  or  two,  because  it  is  mild  in  its  ope- 
ration. 

They  use  the  infusion  of  the  sea-plant  dulse,  after  the  same  manner,  instead  of  a 
purge. 

Lyes  that  are  blood-shot,  or  become  blind  for  some  days,  are  cured  here  by  applying 
some  blades  of  the  plant  fern,  and  the  yellow  is  by  them  reckoned  best ;  this  they  mix 
wi  h  the  white  of  an  e^,  and  lay  it  on  some  coarse  flax — and  the  egg  next  to  the  face 
and  brows,  and  the  patient  is  ordered  to  lie  on  his  back. 

To  ripen  a  tumor,  or  boil,  they  cut  female  jacobea  small,  mix  it  with  some  fresh  but- 
ter on  a  hot  stone,  and  apply  it  warm;  and  this  ripens  and  draws  the  tumor  quickly, 

▼  OL.   III.  4  u 


il 


I 


!; 


634 


MAIITIN's    description    of    THfc 


and  uitlinut  pain  :  the  same  remedy  is  used  for  women's  breasts  that  are  hard,    or 
jjwelkd. 

For  taking  the  syromsout  of  the  hands,  they  use  ashes  of  burnt  sea-UMrc,  mixed  with 
salt  water ;  and  washinj^  their  hands  in  it,  without  drying  them,  it  kills  the  worms. 

IVirnt  ashes  of  hea-ware  preserve  eheese  instead  of  salt;  which  is  frit|nintly  praetised 
in  this  isle.  Ashes  of  burnt  seu-ware  seower  llaxeu  thread  better,  and  make  it  whiter, 
than  any  thing  else. 

When  their  feet  are  swelled  and  benumbed  with  cold,  they  scarify  their  heels  with  a 
lancL 

'J'h  "  glisters  of  the  plant  mercury,  and  some  of  the  vulgar  use  it  as  a  purge, 

for  wh,  rves  both  ways. 

They  make  glisters  also  of  the  roots  of  flags,  water,  and  salt  butter. 

They  have  found  out  a  strange  remedy  for  such  as  could  never  ease  nature  at  sea  by 
stool  or  urine  :  there  were  three  such  men  in  the  parish  of  St.  Mary's  in  'J'rotterness, 
two  of  them  I  knew,  to  wit,  John  MacPhade,  and  Finlay  Mac-Phade  ;  they  lived  on  the 
coast,  and  went  often  a  fishing,  and  after  they  had  spent  some  nine  or  ten  hours  at  sea, 
their  bellies  would  swell :  for  after  all  their  endeavours  to  get  passage  either  ways,  it 
was  impracticable  until  they  came  to  land,  and  then  they  found  no  difHculty  in  the  thing. 
This  was  a  great  inconvenience  to  any  boat's  crew  in  which  either  of  these  three  men 
had  been  fishing,  for  it  obliged  them  often  to  forbear  when  the  fishing  was  most  plenti- 
ful, and  to  row  to  the  shore  with  any  of  these  men  that  happened  to  become  sick  ;  for 
landing  was  the  only  remedy.  At  length  one  of  their  companions  thought  of  an  cxpe- 
riment  to  remove  this  inconvenience  ;  he  considered,  that  when  any  of  these  men  had 
got  their  feet  on  dry  ground,  they  could  then  ease  nature  with  as  much  freedom  as  any 
other  person;  and  therefore  he  carried  a  large  green  lurf  of  earth  to  the  boat,  and 
placed  thv'  green  side  uppermost,  without  telling  the  reason.  One  of  these  men  who  was 
subject  to  the  infirmity  above  mentioned,  perceiving  an  earthen  turf  in  the  boat,  was 
surprised  at  the  sight  of  it,  and  inquired  for  what  purpose  it  was  brought  thither?  He 
that  laid  it  there  answered,  that  he  htd  done  it  to  serve  him,  and  that  when  he  was  dis- 
posed to  ease  nature,  he  might  find  hin»2'-'lf  on  land,  though  he  was  at  sea.  The  other 
took  this  as  an  affront,  so  that  from  words  they  came  to  blows :  their  fellows  with 
much  ado  did  separate  them,  and  blamed  hiui  that  brought  the  turf  into  the  boat,  since 
such  a  fancy  could  produce  no  other  eflfect  than  o  quarrel.  All  of  them  employed  their 
lime  eagerly  in  fishing,  until  some  hours  after,  that  the  angry  man,  who  before  was  so 
much  affronted  at  the  turf,  was  so  ill  of  the  swelling  of  his  belly  as  usual,  that  he  begged 
the  crew  to  row  to  the  shore,  but  this  was  very  disobliging  to  them  all.  He  that 
intended  to  try  the  experiment  with  the  turf,  bid  the  sick  man  stand  on  it,  and  he 
might  expect  to  have  success  by  it ;  but  he  refused,  and  still  resented  the  affront  which 
he  thought  was  intended  upon  him  :  but  at  last  all  the  boat's  crew  urged  him  to  try 
what  the  turf  might  produce,  since  it  could  not  make  him  worse  than  he  was.  The 
man,  being  in  great  pain,  was  by  their  repeated  importunities  prevailed  upon  to  stand 
with  his  feet  on  the  turf;  and  it  had  the  wished  effect,  for  nature  became  obedient 
both  ways  :  and  then  the  angry  man  changed  his  note,  for  he  thanked  his  doctor,  whom 
he  had  some  hours  before  beat.  And  from  that  time  none  of  these  three  men  ever  went 
to  sea  vvithout  a  green  turf  in  the  boat,  which  proved  effectual.  This  is  matter  of  fact, 
sufficiently  known  and  attested  by  the  better  part  of  the  parishioners  still  living  upon  the 
place. 


f 


WESTERN    l8LA>fl)S    OF    .SCOTLAND. 


635 


The  anciciU  way  the  ishindcrs  used  to  procure  sweat,  was  thus :  a  part  of  an  earthen 
floor  was  covered  with  lire,  iitid  wlu-n  it  wan  suiFuiciuly  heated,  the  fire  was  taken 
away,  and  the  ground  overtd  wiili  a  heap  of  straw;  upou  this  straw  a  qiumtity  ol 
water  was  poured,  and  the  patient  l)in{^  on  the  straw,  the  heat  of  it  put  his  whole  body 
into  u  sweat. 

To  cause  any  paiticular  part  of  his  body  to  sweat,  they  di|^  an  hole  in  an  cardicn 
floor,  and  fill  it  with  lui/.el  bticks,  and  dry  rushes  ;  above  these  tin 7  put  a  hcctick-stonc 
nd  hot,  and  pouring-  some  water  into  the  hole,  the  patient  holds  the  part  affected  over 
it,  and  this  procures  a  sjKedy  sweat. 

Their  common  way  of  procurinfj  sweat  is  by  drinking  a  large  draught  of  water 
j^ruel  with  some  butter,  as  they  go  to  bed. 

Of  the  various  Effects  of  Fishes  on  several  Constitutions  in  these  Islands, 

Dougal  Mac-Ewan  became  feverish  always  aller  rating  of  fish  of  any  kind,  except 
diornback  and  dog-fi^h. 

A  ling  fish,  having  brown  spots  on  the  skin,  causes  such  as  eat  of  its  liver  to  cast 
their  skin  from  head  to  foot.  Tliis  happened  to  three  children  in  the  hamlciof  Taliskir, 
after  eating  the  liver  of  a  brown  spotted  ling. 

Finlay  Iloss  and  his  family,  in  the  parish  of  Ugc,  having  eaten  a  fresh  ling-fish,  with 
brown  spots  on  its  skin,  he  and  they  became  indisposed  and  feverish  for  some  f«^w  days, 
and  in  a  little  time  after  they  were  blistered  all  over.  They  say  that  when  the  fresh 
ling  is  salted  a  few  days,  it  has  no  such  effect. 

There  was  a  huise  in  the  village  Bretill,  which  had  the  erection  backward,  contrasy 
to  ail  other  of  its  kind. 

A  weaver  in  Portrie  has  a  faculty  of  erecting  and  letting  fall  his  ears  at  pleasure,  imd 
opens  and  shuis  his  mouth  on  such  occasions.  ,      "  .     » 

A  boy  in  the  castle  of  Duntulin,  ciillefl  Mister  too  bynnme,  hatha  pain  and  swelling 
in  his  great  toe  at  any  change  01  the  f||t^(f|/i  Ult4  H  continues  only  for  the  space  of  one 
day,  or  two  at  most. 

Allen  Mac-ltod,  being  about  ten  yrars  of  age,  iiiHB  taken  ill  of  a  pain,  which  moved 
from  one  part  of  his  body  to  another,  and  wIk  rt'  It  was  lelt,  the  skin  appeared  blue  ;  it 
came  to  his  toe,  thigh,  testicles,  uriiis  iiiid  ]\i-<\i] ;  when  the  boy  was  bathed  in  warm 
water,  he  found  most  ease.  The  hiiidei  |mi|  iii  Ills  head,  which  was  last  affected,  had  a 
little  swelling  ;  and  a  woinfin  erujeavouriiig  l(  /  ae  the  humour  out  of  it,  bf  bruisiog 
it  on  each  side  with  her  nails,  silt  //jrcecl  jmU  hi  Hi  ime  time  a  little  animal  neir  an  inch 
in  length,  having  a  white  head  sharp  pojnh^j,  l\v  '.  '  "I"  M'  body  of  a  red  colour,  and 
full  of  small  feet  on  each  side.     /\l\\hv]jf^  ni  (\,i  m  in  the  head  and  lega 

of  several  persons  in  the  isles,  and  are  t|j:,l|i)g;'!  )     1  '      1     n m    ofFillian. 


YEAST,  HOW  PlU^9fel<Vpp  ^Y  THE  NATIVES. 

A  rod  of  oak,  of  four,  five,  six  or  eight  r  Ii  about,  twisted  round  like  a  wyth, 
boiled  in  wort,  and  well  dijid  and  jtept  in  a  hiik  bundle  of  barliey-stra-v,  and  being 
steeped  again  in  wort,  causetli  it  to  /erment,  and  procures  yeast;  the  rod  is  cut  before 
the  middle  of  May,  and  is  frequently  used  to  furnish  yeast ;  and  being  preserved  arsd 
used  in  this  manner,  it  serves  tor  many  years  together.  I  have  seen  the  experiment 
tried,  and  was  shewed  a  piece  djfii  thick  wyth,  which  hath  been  preserved  for  making  ale 
with  for  about  twenty  or  thirty  vcnrs. 

4.  M  2 


"1 

1! 


606 


UAnTIN*S    DESCRIPTION    OF    THE 


run  Kl'lKCTS  OF  EATING  HKME.OCKUOOT. 

Fcrpfus  Kaird,  an  empiric,  livinjjj  in  the  village  Talliskcr,  havinp^  by  n  mistake  eaten 
a  luinlock  root  instciid  ol  the  white  uild  c.irrot,  his  eyes  did  presently  roll  alx>iif, 
his  eouiitenaurc  bec.inie  very  pale,  hi-*  siirhi  h  .d  almuat  fliiltd  him,  the  frame  of  his 
body  was  all  in  a  stiunfj^c  cunvuUi'in,  unci  his  piidoida  retired  so  inwardly,  thai  ilure 
was  no  discerning  whtthcr  he  had  tlieii  been  nutle  or  female.  All  the  remedy  given 
him  in  this  state  uas  a  draugltt  of  hot  milk,  and  a  li.tle  unna-vitse  added  to  it ;  which 
he  no  sooner  drank,  but  he  vomiitd  presenti)  after,  yet  the  root  stilt  remained  In  his 
stomach.  They  continued  to  admini-ster  the  same  remedy  for  the  s|)acc  of  four  or  five 
hours  together,  hut  in  vain;  and  about  an  hour  alur  they  ceased  to  giu-  him  any 
thing  he  voided  the  root  by  stool,  and  then  was  restored  to  his  former  state  of  health : 
he  is  tttill  living,  fur  any  thing  I  know,  and  is  of  a  strotig,  healthful  constitution. 

Some  few  years  ago,  all  the  flax  in  tin;  barony  of  Troterness  was  over-run  with  a 
great  quantity  of  green  worms,  which  in  a  few  days  would  have  destroyed  it,  had  not 
a  flock  of  ravens  made  a  tour  round  the  ground  where  the  flax  grew,  for  the  space  of 
fourteen  miles,  and  eat  up  the  worms  in  a  very  short  time. 

The  inhabitants  of  this  isle  arc  generally  well  proportioned,  and  their  complexion  is 
for  the  most  part  black.  They  arc  not  obliged  to  art  in  forming  their  bodies,  for 
nature  never  fails  to  act  her  part  bountifully  to  them  ;  and  perhaps  there  is  no  part  of 
the  habitable  globe  where  so  few  bodily  imperfections  arc  to  be  seen,  nor  any  children 
that  go  more  early.  I  have  observed  several  of  them  walk  alone  before  they  were  ten 
months  old  :  they  are  bathed  all  over  every  morning  and  evening,  some  in  cold,  some 
in  warm  water ;  but  the  latter  is  most  commonly  used,  and  they  wear  nothing  strait 
about  them.  'I'hc  mother  generally  suckles  the  child,  failing  of  which,  a  nurse  is 
provided,  for  they  seldom  bring  up  any  by  hand :  they  give  new.born  infants  fresh 
butter  to  take  away  the  miconium,  and  this  they  do  for  several  days  ;  they  taste  nei- 
ther sugar  nor  ciimamon,  nor  have  they  any  daily  allowance  of  sack  bestowed  on  them, 
as  the  custom  is  elsewhere,  nor  is  the  nurse  allowed  to  taste  ale. 

The  generality  wear  neither  shoes  nor  stockings  before  they  are  seven,  eight,  or  ten 
years  old  ;  and  many  among  them  wear  no  night*caps  before  they  are  sixteen  years  old, 
and  upwards ;  some  use  none  all  their  life-time,  and  these  are  not  so  liable  to  head" 
aches  as  others  that  keep  their  heads  warm. 

They  use  nothing  by  way  of  prevention  of  sickness,  observing  it  as  a  rule  to  do  little 
or  nothing  of  that  nature.  The  abstemiousness  of  the  mothers  is  no  small  advantage 
to  the  children  :  they  are  a  very  prolific  people,  so  that  many  of  their  numerous  isaue 
must  seek  their  fortune  on  the  continent,  and  not  a  few  in  foreign  countries,  for  want 
of  employment  at  home.  When  they  are  any  way  fatigued  by  travel,  or  otherways, 
they  lail  not  to  bathe  their  feet  in  warm  water,  wherein  red  moss  has  been  boiled,  and 
rub  them  with  it    going  to  bed. 

Tlie  ancient  custom  of  rubbing  the  body  by  a  warm  hand,  opposite  to  the  fire,  is 
now  laid  aside,  except  from  the  lower  part  of  the  thigh  downwards  to  the  ancle  ;  this 
they  rub  before  and  behind,  in  cold  weather,  and  at  going  to  bed.  'I'heir  simple  diet 
contributes  much  to  their  state  of  health,  and  long  life ;  several  among  them  of  my  ac- 
quaintance arrived  at  the  age  of  eighty,  ninety,  and  upwards ;  but  the  Lady  Macleod 
lived  to  the  age  of  one  hundred  and  three  years :  she  had  then  a  comely  head  of  hair, 
ni>d  a  case  of  gofid  teeth,  and  always  enjoyed  the  free  use  of  her  understanding,  until 
Hie  week  in  which  she  died. 


WEsriRN    If  LAN  US   OF    3C0  1LANU. 


637 


The  inliul)i(;ints  ofiliis  and  all  the  WcsJcrn  Ihlcstlo  wear  their  shoes  after  Mr.  I.ockc's 
incxk-,  III  lii!>  Hook  (»l  i'.thicatioiu  fitid,  amoiiff  oilitr  great  udvuntajrcf*  by  it,  they  rtckori 
thev  two,  that  thty  arc  never  troubled  with  the  gout,  or  corri'i  in  tluir  feet. 

Tht  y  lie  lor  the  most  part  on  beds  of  straw,  and  some  on  beds  of  heath ;  which 
latter  IxinR  niadf  after  cheir  way,  with  the  top?*  up|K:riT)ost,  arc  almost  as  soft  as  a  fea- 
ther-bed,  and  yield  u  pleasaiit  scent  after  lying  on  them  once.  The  natives  by  expert, 
cncc  have  found  it  to  be  effectual  for  drying  superfluous  huniours,  and  strengihenirifv 
die  nerves.  It  is  very  refreshing  after  a  fatigue  of  any  kind.  The  I'icis  are  said  to 
lave  had  an  art  of  brewing  curious  ale  with  the  tops  of  heath,  but  they  refused  m 
«^ornnvnnicate  it  to  the  Scots,  and  so  it  is  quite  lost. 

A  native  of  this  isle  requires  treble  the  dose  of  physic  that  will  serve  one  living  in  tlu 
south  of  Scotland  for  a  purge ;  yet  an  islander  is  easier  purged  in  the  south  than  at 
home.  Those  of  the  best  rank  arc  easier  wrought  on  by  purging  medicines  than  th'' 
vulgar. 

The  inhabitants  are  of  all  people  easiest  cured  of  green  wotinds ;  thwy  are  not  so 
liable  to  fevers  as  others  on  such  occasions  ;  and  they  never  cut  off"  arm  or  leg,  thougli 
never  so  ill  broke,  and  take  the  freedom  to  venture  on  all  kind  of  meat  and  drink, 
contrary  to  all  rule  in  such  cases,  mid  yet  commonly  recover  of  their  wounds. 

Many  of  the  natives,  upon  occasion  of  sickness,  are  disposed  to  try  ex|x;rimcnts,  in 
u'hich  tliey  succeed  so  well,  that  I  could  not  hear  of  the  least  inconvenience  attending 
their  practice.  1  shall  only  bring  one  instance  more  of  this,  and  that  is  of  the  iliitc- 
rate  empiric,  Neil  Beaton  in  Skie  ;  who  of  late  is  so  well  known  in  the  isles  and  conti- 
nent, for  his  great  success  in  curing  several  dan^rous  distempers,  though  he  never  ap 
pcared  in  the  quality  of  a  physician  until  he  ar.-ived  at  the  age  of  forty  years,  and  then 
also  without  the  advantage  of  education.  He  pretends  to  judge  of  the  various  qualities 
of  plants  and  roots  by  their  different  tastes ;  he  has  likewise  a  nice  observation  on 
the  colours  ^)f  their  flowers,  from  which  he  learns  their  astringent  and  loosening  qualities  ; 
he  extracts  the  juice  of  plants  and  roots,  after  a  chymicul  way  peculiar  to  himself,  and 
with  little  r-  <\o  charge. 

He  consK.  ""s  his  p  iii*  nts'  constitution  before  any  medicine  is  administered  to  them  ; 
and  he  has  foi  ned  such  a  system  for  curing  diseases,  as  serves  for  a  rule  to  him  upon 
all  occasions  of  this  nature. 

He  treats  Riverius's  Lilit^m  Medicinae,  and  some  other  practical  pieces  that  he  has 
heard  of,  with  contempt ;  since  in  several  instances  it  appears  that  their  methods  of 
curing  has   ailed,  where  his  had  gf)od  success. 

Some  of  the  diseases  cured  by  hisn  are  as  follows:  running  sores  in  legs  and  arms; 
grievous  head  aches  ;  he  had  the  boldness  to  cut  a  piece  out  of  a  woman's  skull  broader 
than  half  a  crown,  and  by  this  restored  her  to  perfect  health.  A  gentlewoman  of  my 
acquaintance  having  contracted  a  dangerous  pain  in  her  belly,  some  days  after  her  de- 
livery of  a  child,  and  several  medicines  being  used,  she  was  thought  past  recovery,  if 
she  continued  in  that  condition  a  few  hours  longer ;  at  last  this  doctor  happened  to 
ecur-i  there,  and  being  ^employed,  applied  a  simple  plant  to  the  part  affected,  and  re. 
StOi  .d  the  patient  in  a  quarter  of  an  hour  after  the  application. 

"  )ne  of  his  patients  told  me  that  he  sent  him  a  cap  inter  led  with  some  seeds, 
£r/:  to  wear  for  the  cough,  which  it  removed  in  a  little  time ;  a..d  it  had  the  like  effect 
upon  his  brother. 

The  success  attending  this  man's  cures  was  so  e>.traordinar\  that  several  people 
thought  his  performances  to  have  proceeded  rather  from  a  compact  vith  the  devil,  than 
from  the  virtue  of  simples.     To  obviate  this,  Mr.  Beaton  pretends  to  have  had  some 


_«;^* 


tCib 


MAUIIN'm    UBiiCRlPTION    OF    THI 


cditcatinn  from  hin  futhcr,  though  he  died  when  he  himself  was  but  a  boy'.  I  have  dia- 
coursed  uith  him  M-rioiiMy  tit  ditVereiit  timen,  uiid  am  fully  italistied, that  he  iDtvuuo uii- 
lunful  means  iur  obtaining;  his  end. 

His  discourse  of  the  ncverul  constitutionH,  the  qualities  of  planti,  Sec.  was  more  solid 
than  could  have  Ixeii  ex|X'cted  from  one  of  his  education.  Several  sick  peonk  from 
ruuote  islcH  came  to  him  ;  niid  some  from  the  shire  of  Uoss,  ut  seventy  miles  distance, 
H*-nt  for  his  ndvicc  :  1  left  him  very  successful,  but  can  give  no  further  account  of  him 
Hince  that  lime. 

'riay  are  generally  a  very  saf^acious  people,  (jnick  of  apprehension,  and  even  the 
>nlirar  exceed  all  those  oi'  their  rank  and  education  I  ever  yet  saw  in  any  other  country. 
They  have  a  i^reat  genius  for  music  and  mechanics.  I  liave  observed  several  of  their 
•  hildren,  that,  before  tluy  could  speak,  were  capable  to  distinguish  and  make  choice 
of  one  tunc  before  another  upon  tlie  violin  ;  for  they  always  appeared  uneasy  until 
the  tune  which  they  fancied  best  was  played,  und  then  they  expressed  their  sati»fuctiott 
by  the  motions  of  iheir  head  and  hands. 

There  are  several  of  them  who  invent  tunes  very  taking  in  the  south  of  Scotland, 
ond  elsewhere  :  some  musicians  have  endeavoured  to  puss  for  first  inventors  of  them, 
hy  changing  their  name,  but  this  has  been  impracticable ;  for  whatever  language  gives 
the  modern  name,  the  tune  still  continues  to  speak  its  true  original :  and  of  this  I  nave 
Inren  shewed  several  instances. 

Some  of  the  natives  are  very  dexterous  in  engraving  trees,  birds,  deer,  dogs,  &c. 
'ipon  bone,  and  horn,  or  wood,  without  any  other  tool  than  a  sharp-pointed  knife. 

Several  of  both  sexes  have  a  quick  vein  of  poesy,  and,  in  their  language,  (which  is 
very  emphatic)  they  compose  rhyme  and  verse,  both  which  powerfully  affect  the  fancy  : 
and,  in  my  judgment,  (which  is  not  singular  in  this  matter,)  with  as  great  force  as  that 
of  any  ancient  or  modern  poet  I  ever  yet  read.  They  have  generally  very  retentive 
memories,  they  sec  things  at  a  great  distance.  The  unhappiness  of  their  education, 
and  their  want  of  converse  with  foreign  nations,  deprives  them  of  the  opportunity  to 
cultivate  and  beautify  their  genius,  which  seems  to  have  been  formed  by  Nature  for 
great  attainments.  And,  on  the  other  hand,  their  rrtiredness  may  be  rather  thought  an 
advantage,  at  least  to  their  better  part :  according  to  that  of  the  historian  ;  Plus  valuit 
apud  hos  ignorantia  viiiorum,  qiiam  apud  Gra^cos  omnia  precepta  philosophorum  :  '*  The 
ignorance  of  vices  is  more  powerful  among  those,  than  all  the  precepts  of  philosophy  are 
among  the  Greeks." 

For  they  are  to  this  day  happily  ignorant  of  many  vices  that  are  practised  in  the 
learned  and  polite  world:  I  could  mention  several,  for  which  they  have  not  as  yet  got 
a  name,  or  so  much  as  a  notion  of  them. 

The  diet  generally  used  by  the  natives  consists  of  fresh  food,  for  they  seldom  taste 
any  that  is  salted,  except  butter ;  the  generality  eat  but  little  flesh,  and  only  persons 
of  distinction  eat  it  every  day,  and  make  three  meals,  for  all  the  rest  cat  only  two,  and 
they  eat  more  boiled  than  roasted.  Their  ordinary  diet  is  butter,  cheese,  milk,  pota- 
toes, colworts,  brochan,  i.  e.  oatmeal  and  water  boiled ;  the  latter  taken  with  some 
bread  is  the  constant  food  of  several  thousands  of  both  sexes  in  this  and  other  -isles, 
during  the  winter  and  spring :  yet  they  undergo  many  fatigues  both  by  sea  and  land, 
and  are  very  healthful.  This  verifies  what  the  poet  saith,  Populis  sat  est  lymphaque  Ce- 
/esque  :  Nature  is  satisfied  with  bread  and  water. 

There  is  no  place  so  well  stored  with  such  great  quantity  of  good  beef  and  mutton, 
w  here  so  little  is  consumed  by  eating.  They  generally  use  no  fine  sauces  to  entice  a 
false  appetite,  ncr  brandy  or  tea  for  digestion  ;  the  purest  water  serves  them  in  such 


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WESreltN    ISLANDS    OF    SCOTLAND. 


639 


cases  :  this,  together  with  th'^ir  ordinary  exercise,  and  the  free  air,  preserves  their  bo.- 
dies  and  minds  in  a  regular  frame,  free  from  the  various  convulsionii  that  ordinarily  at- 
tend luxury.     There  is  not  one  of  them  too  corpulent,  nor  too  meagre. 

The  men-servants  have  always  double  the  quantity  of  bread,  &c.  that  is  given  to 
womon-servants ;  at  which  the  latter  are  no  ways  offended,  in  regard  of  the  many  fatigues 
by  sea  and  land,  which  the  former  undergo. 

Oon,  which  in  English  signifies  froth,  is  a  dish  used  by  several  of  the  islanders,  and 
some  on  the  opposite  main  land,  in  time  of  scarcity,  when  they  want  bread ;  it  is  made 
in  the  following  manner :  a  quantity  of  milk  or  whey  is  boiled  in  a  pot,  and  then  it  is 
wrought  up  to  the  mouth  of  the  pot  with  a  long  stick  of  wood,  having  a  cross  at  the 
lower-end ;  it  is  turned  about  like  the  stick  for  making  chocolate ;  and  being  thus 
made,  it  is  supped  with  spoons.  It  is  made  up  five  or  six  times,  in  the  same  manner, 
and  the  last  is  always  reckoned  best,  and  the  first  two  or  three  frothings  the  worst :  the 
milk  or  whey  that  is  in  the  bottom  of  the  pot  is  reckoned  much  better  in  all  respects  than 
simple  milk.  It  may  be  thought  that  such  as  feed  after  this  rate  are  not  fit  for  action  of 
any  kind ;  but  I  have  seen  several  that  lived  upon  this  sort  of  food,  made  of  whey  only, 
for  some  months  together,  and  yet  they  were  able  to  undergo  the  ordinary  fatigue  of  their 
employments,  whether  by  sea  or  land ;  and  I  have  seen  them  travel  to  the  tons  of  high 
mountains,  as  briskly  as  any  I  ever  saw. 

Some  who  live  plentifully  make  this  dish  as  abovesaid  of  goats'  milk,  which  is  said 
to  be  nourishing;  the  milk  is  thickened,  and  tastes  much  better  after  so  much  work- 
ing ;  some  add  a  little  butter  and  nutmeg  to  it.  I  was  treated  with  this  dish  in  several 
places,  and,  being  asked  whether  this  said  dish  or  chocolate  was  best  ?  I  told  them,  that 
if  we  judged  by  the  effects,  this  dish  was  preferable  to  chocolate  ;  for  such  as  drink  often 
of  the  former  enjoy  a  better  state  of  health  than  those  who  use  the  latter. 

GRADDAN. 

The  ancient  way  of  dressing  corn,  which  is  yet  used  in  several  isles,  is  called  grad- 
dan,  from  the  Irish  word  grad  ;  which  signifies  quick.  A  woman,  sitting  down,  takes 
a  handful  of  com,  holding  it  by  the  stalks  in  her  left  hand,  and  then  sets  fire  to  the 
ears,  which  are  presently  in  a  flame ;  she  has  a  stick  in  her  right  b^ud.  which  she 
manages  very  dexterously,  beating  off  the  grain  at  the  very  instant  wnen  the  husk  is 
quite  burnt ;  for  if  she  miss  of  that  she  must  use  the  kiln,  but  experience  has  taught 
them  this  art  to  perfection.  The  corn  may  be  so  dressed,  winnowed,  ground,  and 
baked,  within  an  hour  after  reaping  from  the  ground..  The  oat  bread  dressed  as  above 
is  loosening,  and  that  dressed  in  the  kiln  astringent,  and  of  greater  strength  for  la- 
bourers; but  the)r  love  the  graddan,  as  being  more  agreeable  to  their  taste.  This 
barbarous  custom  is  much  laid  aside,  since  the  number  of  their  mills  increased,  capt. 
Fairweather,  master  of  an  Engli^  vessel,  having  dropt  anchor  at  Bernera  of  Glenleg, 
over  against  Skie,  saw  two  women  at  this  employment,  and,  wondering  to  see  so  much 
flame  and  smoak,  he  came  near,  and  finding  that  it  was  corn  they  burnt,  he  run  away  in 
great  haste,  telling  the  natives  that  he  had  seen  two  mad  women  very  busy  burning  com : 
the  people  came  to'see  what  the  matter  was,  and  laughed  at  the  captain's  mistake,  though 
he  was  not  a  little  surprised  at  the  strangeness  of  a  custom  that  he  had  never  seen  or 
heard  of  before. 

There  are  two  fairs  of  late  held  yearly  at  Portrie  on  the  east  side  of  Skie :  the  con- 
venience of  the  harbour,  which  is  in  the  middle  of  the  isle,  made  them  choose  thb 
for  the  fittest  place.    The  first  holds  about  the  middle  of  June,  tiie  second  about  the 


'    ^11 


^   I 


II 


640 


AIARTIN'8  J)£SCftiriION  Of  iUti 


beginning  of  September.  Tiie  various  products  of  this  and  the  adjacent  isles  and  con- 
tinent are  sold  here«  viz.  horses,  cows,  sheep,  goatSj  hides,  skins,  butter,  ch'..se,  fish, 
wool,  &c. 

All  the  horses  and  cows  sold  at  the  fair  swim  to  the  main  land  over  one  of  the  ferries 
or  sounds  called  Kyles,  one  of  which  is  on  the  east,  the  other  on  the  south  side  of  Skie. 
That  on  the  east  is  about  a  mile  broad,  and  the  other  on  the  south  is  half  a  mile :  they 
begin  when  it  b  near  low  water,  and  fasten  a  twisted  wy  th  about  the  lower  jaw  of  each 
cow,  the  other  end  of  the  wy  th  is  fastened  to  another  cow's  tail,  and  the  number  so  tied 
together  is  commonly  fivcc  A  boat  with  four  oars  rows  off,  and  a  man  sitting  in  the 
stern  holds  the  wyth  in  his  hand,  to  keep  up  the  foremost  cow's  head ;  and  thus  all  the 
five  cows  swim  as  fast  as  the  boat  rows ;  and  in  this  manner  above  an  hundred  may  be 
ferried  over  in  one  day.  These  cows  are  sometimes  drove  above  four  hundred  miles 
further  south ;  they  soon  grow  fat,  and  prove  sweet  and  tender  beef. 


THEIR  HABIT. 

The  first  habit  wore  by  persons  of  distinction  in  the  islands  was  the  leni-croich,  from 
the  Irish  word  leni,  which  signifies  a  shirt,  and  croich,  saffron,  because  their  shirt  was 
dyed  with  that  herb :  the  ordmary  number  of  ells  used  to  make  this  robe  was  twenty- 
four ;  it  was  the  upper  garb,  reaching  below  the  knees,  and  was  tied  with  a  belt  round 
the  middle  :  but  tiie  islanders  have  laid  it  aside  about  a  hundred  years  aga 

They  now  generally  use  coat,  waistcoat,  and  breeches,  as  elsewhere ;  and  on  their 
heads  wear  bonnets  made  of  thick  cloth,  some  blue,  some  black,  and  some  grey. 

Many  of  the  people  wear  trowis:  some  have  them  very  fine  woven  like  stockings  of 
those  made  of  cloth ;  some  are  coloured,  and  others  striped :  the  latter  arc  as  well 
shaped  as  the  former,  lying  close  to  the  body  from  the  middle,  downwards,  and  tied 
round  with  a  belt  above  the  haunches.  There  is  a  square  piece  of  cloth  which  hangs 
down  before.  The  measure  for  shaping  the  trowis  is  a  stick  of  wood,  whose  length  is 
a  cubit,  and  that  divided  into  the  length  of  a  finger,  and  half  a  finger ;  so  that  it  re* 
quires  more  skill  to  make  it  than  the  ordinary  habit. 

The  shoes  anciently  wore  were  a  piece  of  the  hide  of  a  deer,  cow,  or  horse,  with  the 
hair  on,  being  tied  behind  and  before  with  a  point  of  leather.  The  generality  now  wear 
shoes,  having  one  thin  soal  only,  and  shaped  after  the  right  and  left  foot ;  so  that  what 
is  for  one  foot  will  not  serve  the  other.  ^ 

But  persons  of  distinction  wear  the  garb  in  fashion  in  the  south  of  Scotland.     .      *'  '■' 

The  plaid,  wore  only  by  the  men,  is  made  of  fine  wool,  the  thread  as  fine  as  can  be 
made  of  that  kind ;  it  consists  of  divers  colours,  and  there  is  a  great  deal  of  ingenuity 
required  in  sorting  the  colours,  so  as  to  be  agreeable  to  the  nicest  fancy.  For  this 
reason  the  women  are  at  great  pains  first  to  ^ve  an  exact  pattern  df  the  plaid  upon 
a  piece  of  wood,  having  ^e  number  d*  every  thread  of  the  stripe  on  it.  The  length 
of  it  is  commonly  seven  double  ells ;  the  one  end  hangs  by  the  middle  over  the  left 
arm,  the  other,  going  round  the  body,  hangs  by  the  end  over  the  left  arm  also :  the 
right  hand  above  it  is  to  be  at  liberty  to  do  any  thing  upon  occasion.  Every  isle  differs 
from  each  other  in  their  fiincy  of  making  plaids,  as  to  the  stripes,  in  breadth  and  colours. 
This  humour  is  as  dififerent  through  the  main  land  of  the  Highlands,  in  so  far  that  they 
who  have  seen  those  places  are  able,  at  the  first  vieW  of  a  man's  plaid,  to  gviess  the  place 
of  his  residence. 

When  they  travel  on  foot,  the  plaid  is  tied  on  the  breast  with  .a  bodkin  of  bone  or 
wood  (just  as  the  spina  wore  by  the  Gertnans,  ^cqQrciipg  to  tl^  {^eicrip^ioa  qC  C  Tacitus:) 


TTi 


WESTIRN    ISLANDS   OF    SCOTLAND. 


041 


the  pluid  i%  tied  round  the  middle  with  a  leather  belt ;  it  is  plaited  From  the  belt  to  the 
knee  very  nicely  :  this  dress  tor  footmen  is  found  much  easier  and  lighter  than  breeches 
or  trowis. 

The  ancient  dress  wore  by  the  women,  and  which  is  yet  wore  by  some  of  the  vulgar, 
called  arisad,  is  a  white  plaid,  having  a  few  »mall  stripes  of  black,  blue,  and  red ;  it 
reached  from  the  neck  to  the  heels,  and  was  tied  before  on  the  breast  with  a  buckle  ot 
silver  or  brass,  according  to  the  quality  of  the  person.  I  have  seen  some  of  the  former 
of  an  hundred  marks  value ;  it  was  broad  as  an  ordinary  pewter  plate,  the  whole  curi. 
ously  engraven  with  various  animals,  8cc.  There  was  a  lesser  buckle,  which  was  wore 
in  the  middle  of  the  larger,  and  above  two  ounces  weig^ ;  it  had  in  the  centre  a  lai^ 
piece  of  chrystal,  or  some  finer  stone,  and  this  was  set  all  round  with  several  finer  stones 
of  a  lesser  sire. 

The  plaid  being  plaited  all  round,  was  tied  with  a  belt  below  the  breast ;  the  belt 
was  of  leather,  and  several  pieces  of  silver  intermixed  with  the  leather  like  a  chain. 
The  lower  end  of  the  belt  has  a  piece  of  plate  about  eight  inches  long,  and  three  in 
breadth,  curiously  engraven ;  the  end  of  which  was  adorned  with  fine  stones,  or  pieces 
of  red  coral.  They  wore  sleeves  of  scarlet  cloth,  closed  at  the  end  as  men's  vests,  with 
gold  lace  round  them,  having  plate  buttons  set  with  fine  stones.  The  head  dress  was  a 
fine  kerchief  of  linen  strait  about  the  hIRtd,  hanging  down  the  back  taper-wise ;  a  large 
lock  of  hair  hangs  down  their  cheeks  above  their  breast,  the  lower  end  tied  widi  a  knot 
of  ribbands.    "  '   '^■'''■' 

The  islanders  have  a  great  respect  for  their  chiefs  and  heads  of  tribes,  and  they  con- 
clude grace  after  every  meal  with  a  petition  to  God  for  their  welfare  and  prosperity. 
Neither  will  they,  as  far  as  in  them  lies,  suffer  them  to  sink  under  any  misfortune  ;  but, 
in  case  of  a  decay  of  estate,  make  a  voluntu/y  contribution  on  their  behalf,  ab  a  common 
duty,  to  support  the  credit  of  their  families. 


V! 


WAY  OF  FIGHTING. 

The  ancient  way  of  fighting  was  by  set  batttes ;  and  for  arms,  some  had  broad  two- 
handed  swords  and  head-pieces,  and  others  bows  and  arrows.  When  all  their  arrows 
were  spent,  they  attacked  one  another  with  sword  in  hand.  Since  the  invention  of 
guns,  they  are  very  early  accustomed  to  use  them,  and  carry  their  pieces  with  them 
wherever  they  go :  they  likewise  learn  to  handle  the  broad  sword  and  tai^t.  The 
chief  of  each  tribe  advances  with  his  followers  within  shot  of  the  enemy,  having  first 
laid  aside  their  upper  garments ;  and,  after  one  general  discharge,  they  attack  them  with 
sword  in  hand,  having  their  target  on  their  lefl  hand  (as  they  did  at  Killicranky)  wlilch 
soon  brings  the  matter  to  an  issue,  and  verifies  the  observation  made  of  them  by  your 
tustoriaoft: 


AUT  MORS  CITO,  AUT  VICTORIA  LiJTA.       • :  . .  •"» 


This  isle  is  divided  into  three  parts,  which  are  possessed  bv  different  proprietors.  The 
southern  part»  called  Slait,  is  the  property  and  title  of  sir  Uonaki  Mac-Donald,  knight 
and  Inrpnet :  his  family  isnlways  <!fistinguished  from  all  the  tribes  of  his  name,  by  the 
Irish  as  weh  as  English,  and  caUed  M&c-Donald  absolutely,  and  by  Mray  of  excellence,  he 
being  reckoned  by  genealo^ts  and  all  others  the  first  for  antiquity  among  all  the  an- 
cient tribes,,  both  in  the  istle&and  contuient.  He  is  lineally  descended  from  Sommerledi 
who,  acbordin^  to  Bucharian,  was  thane  of  At^-le.  He  got  the  isles  into  his  possession 
by  virtue  of  his  wife^s  right ;  hb  son  was  called  Donald,  and  from  him  all  the  families 

VOL.    III.  4   N 


"^^n 


642 


martin's    description    of    TUB' 


of  the  name  Mac-Donald  are  descended.  He  was  the  first  of  that  name  who  had  the 
title  of  king  of  the  isles.  One  of  that  name,  subscribing  a  charter  granted  by  the  king 
of  Scots  to  the  family  of  Roxburgh,  writes  as  follows  :  *'  Donald,  king  of  the  isles, 
witness."  He  would  not  pay  homage  to  the  king  for  the  isles*  but  only  for  the  lands 
which  he  held  of  him  on  the  continent. 

One  of  Donald's  successors  married  a  daughter  of  king  Robert  II,  the  first  of  the 
name  of  Stuart,  by  whom  he  acquired  several  lands  in  the  Highlands.  The  earldom  of 
Ross  came  to  this  family,  by  marrying  the  heiress  of  the  house  of  Lcslv.  One  of  the 
earls  of  Ross,  called  John,  being  of  an  easy  temper,  and  too  liberal  to  the  church,  and 
to  his  vassals  and  friends,  his  son  iEneas  (by  Buchanan  called  Donald)  was  so  opposite 
to  his  father's  conduct,  that  he  gathered  together  an  army  to  oblige  him  from  giving 
away  any  more  of  his  estate.  The  father  raised  an  army  against  his  son,  and  fought 
him  at  sea,  on  the  coast  of  Mull ;  the  place  is  since  called  the  Bloody-bay  :  the  son 
however  had  the  victory.  This  disposed  the  father  to  go  straight  to  the  king,  and  make 
over  the  right  of  all  his  estate  to  him.  The  son  kept  possession  some  time  after ;  how- 
ever, this  occasioned  the  fall  of  that  great  family,  though  there  are  vet  extant  several 
ancient  tribes  of  the  name,  both  in  the  isles  and  continent.  Thus  far  the  genealogist 
Mac- Vurich,  and  Hugh  Mac-Donald,  in  their  manuscripts. 

The  next  adjacent  part  to  Slait,  and  joining  ipon  the  north  side,  is  Strath ;  it  is  the 
property  of  the  laird  of  Mac-Kinnon,  head  of  an  ancient  tribe.  r  Jt*-  mI'a  t;  x^v  ^  ^vc^P/J  / 

On  the  north-west  side  of  Strath  lies  that  part  of  Skie  called  MacIeod*8  country,  pos- 
sessed hy  Macleod.  Genealogists  say  he  is  lineally  descended  from  Leod,  son  to  the 
black  prmce  of  Man ;  he  is  head  of  an  ancient  tribe. 

The  barony  of  Trotemess,  on  the  north  side  of  Skie,  belongs  to  sir  Donald  Macl 
Donald ;  the  proprietors  and  all  the  inhabitants  are  protestants,  except  twelve,  who  are 
Roman  Catholics.  The  former  observe  the  festivals  of  Christmas,  Easter,  Good-Friday, 
and  that  of  St.  Michael's.  Upon  the  latter  they  have  a  cavalcade  in  each  parish,  and 
several  families  bake  the  cake  called  St.  Michael's  bannock. 


K 


poor: 


■>-f  Hfi 


-*^'?»'  ^c- 


THE  isle  of  Boot,  being  ten  miles  in  length,  lies  on  the  west  side  of  Cowal,  from 
which  it  is  separated  hy  a  narrow  channel,  in  several  parts  not  a  mile  broad.  The 
north  end  of  this  isle  is  mountainous  and  heathy,  being  more  designed  for  pasturage 
than  cultivation  :  the  mould  is  brown  or  blackr  and  in  some  parts  clayey ;  the  ground 
yields  a  good  produce  of  oats,  barley,  and  pease :  there  is  but  little  wood  growing  there, 
yet  there  is  a  coppice  at  the  side  of  Loch-fad.  The  ground  is  arable  from  the  middle 
to  the  southward,  the  hectic-stone  is  to  be  had  in  many  parts  of  thb  isle ;  and  there  is 
a  quarry  cf  red  stone  near  the  town  of  Rosa,  by  which  the  fort  there,  md  the  ehapd 
on  its  north  side,  have  been  built.  Rothsay,  the  head  town  of  the  slufe  of  Boot  and 
Arran,  lies  on  the  east  coast  of  Boot,  and  is  one  of  the  titles  of  the  prince  of  Scotland : 
king  Robert  III,  created  his  son  duke  of  Rothsay,  and  steward  of  Scotland ;  and  after- 
wards queen  Mary  created  the  lord  Damley  duke  of  Rothsay^,  before  her  marriage 
with  him.  This  town  is  a  very  ancient  royal  borough*  but  thmly  peopled,  there  not 
being  above  a  hundred  families  in  it,  and  Uiey  have  no  foreign  trade.  On  the  north 
side  of  Rothsay,  there  b  a  very  ancient  ruinous  fort,  nxind  in  form,  having  a  thick  wall, 
and  about  three  stories  high,  and  passages  round  mihui  the  wall ;  it  is  surrounded  with 
a  wet  ditch ;  it  has  a  gate  on  the  south,  and  a  double  gate  or  the  east,  and  a  bastbn  on 
each  «de  the  gate,  and  irithout  these  there  b  a  draw-bridge,  and  the  sea  flows  within 

■  JH    ...•■■ 


w 


WB8TBRN    ISLANDS    OF    SCOTLAND. 


643 


• 

* 


»■ 


'9 


forty  yards  of  it.  The  fort  is  large  enough  for  exercising  a  battalion  of  men ;  it  has  a 
chapel  and  several  little  houses  within*  and  a  large  house  of  four  stories  high  fronting  the 
eastern  gate.  The  people  here  have  a  tradition,  that  this  fort  was  built  by  king  Rosa, 
who  is  said  to  have  come  to  this  isle  before  king  Fergus  1.  The  other  forts  arc  £)own< 
Owie  and  Down-Allin,  both  on  the  west  side. 

The  churches  here  are  as  follow :  Kilmichel,  Kil-Blain,  and  Kil-Chattan,  in  the  south 
parish ;  and  Lady-Kirk  in  Rothsay  is  the  most  northerly  parish :  all  the  inhabitants  are 
protestants.  f i  .<#' 

The  natives  here  are  not  troubled  with  any  epidemical  disease :  the  smalUpcx  visits 
them  commonly  once  every  sixth  or  seventh  year.  The  oldest  man  now  living  in  this 
isle  is  one  Fleming,  a  weaver,  in  Rothsay ;  his  neighbours  told  me  that  he  could  never 
eas(^  nature  at  sea,  who  is  ninety  years  of  age.  The  inhabitants  generally  speak  the 
English  and  Irish  tongue,  and  wear  the  same  habit  with  those  of  the  other  islands ;  they 
are  very  industrious  fishers,  especially  for  herring,  for  which  use  they  are  furnished,  with 
about  eighty  large  boats :  the  tenants  pay  their  rent  with  the  profit  of  herrings,  if  they 
are  to  be  had  any  where  on  the  western  coast. 

The  principal  heretors  here  are  Stuart  of  Boot,  who  is  hereditary  sheriff  of  this  shire, 
and  hath  his  seat  in  Rosa :  BalUntine  of  Kcams,  whose  seat  b  at  the  head  of  the  bay  of 
that  name,  and  has  an  orchard  by  it :  ^uart  of  Estick,  whose  seat  has  a  park  and  or- 
chard. And  about  a  mile  to  the  south  of  Rothsay,  next  lies  too  isles  colled  Cumbray 
the  Greater,  and  the  Lesser ;  the  former  is  within  a  league  of  Boot.  This  island  has 
a  chapel  and  a  well,  which  the  natives  esteem  a  catholicon  for  all  diseases.  This  isle  is 
a  mile  in  length,  but  the  other  isle  is  much  less  in  compass.  Both  isles  are  the  property 
of  Montgomery  of  Skelmorly. 


r  ■■)'!. 


.h'^ii'fi'i4m(»i:l-  ■'^^'*'*--l'l! .,s*iJ :ti  1?.^  r. 


ARRAN. 


,'j^. 


THE  name  of  this  isle  is  by  some  derived  from  arran,  which  in  the  Irish  language 
signifies  bread :  otiiers  think  it  comes  more  probably  from  arin  or  arfyn,  which  in  their 
language  is  as  much  as  the  place  of  the  gianUFin-Mac-Coul's  slaughter  or  execution ; 
for  aar  signifies  slaughter,  and  so  they  will  ha^  arin  only  the  contraction  of  arrin  or  fin. 
The  received  tradition  of  the  great  giant  Fin-Mac.CouPs  military  valour,  which  he  ex< 
erased  upon  the  ancient  natives  here,  seems  to  favour  this  conjecture ;  this  they  say  is 
evident  from  the  maiii^  stones  set  up  in  divers  places  of  the  isle,  as  monuments  upon  the 
graves  of  persons  of  note  that  v  ;re  killed  in  battle.  This  isle  is  twenty-four  miles  from 
south  to  noth,  and  seven  miles  from  east  to  west :  it  lies  between  the  isle  of  Boot  and 
Kyntyre,  In  the  opponte  main  land.  The  isle  is  high  and  mountainous,  but  slopes  on 
each  side  round  the  coast,  and  the  glen  b  only  made  use  of  for  tillage.  The  mountains 
near  Brodick.bay  are  of  a  conuderable  height ;  all  the  hills  generally  aflbrd  a  good  pas- 
turage, though  a  great  part  of  them  be  covered  only  with  heath. 
IThe  mould  here  is  of  divers  colours,  being  black  and  brown  near  the  hills,  and  clayey 
and  sandy  upon  the  coast. 

The  natives  told  me  that  some  places  of  the  isle  afford  fuller's-earth.  The  coast  on 
the  east  side  b  rocky  near  ihe  shore ;  the  stones  on  the  coast,  for  some  miles  beneath 
Brodick,  are  all  of  a  red  colour,  and  of  these  the  castle  of  Brodick  is  built.  The  natives 
aay  that  the  mountains  near  the  castle  of  Brodkk  afford  crystal,  and  that  the  duchess 
of  Hamilton  put  so  great  a  value  on  it,  as  to  be  at  the  charge  of  cuttbg  a  necklace  of  it ; 
'which  the  inmdsitants  take  as  a  ^reat  honour  dune  them,  because  they  have  a  ^reat  ve- 
3ieration  for  her  grace.    There  is  no  considerable  woods  here,  but  a  few  coppices,  yet 


4  N  2 


'"!^'  '^^\T^^/ 


641 


martin's  DEfiCHIPTION  OF  THl 


IIP 


,1 


that  in  the  glen  towards  the  west  h  above  a  mile  in  length.  There  arc  capacious  fields 
of  arable  ground  on  each  side  Brodick.bay,  as  also  on  the  opposite  western  const.  The 
largest  and  best  field  for  pasture^  is  that  on  the  south-west  side.        ■■  i 

Several  rivers  on  each  side  this  i^le  afford  salmon,  particularly  the  two  rivers  on  the 
west  called  Mackir-side,  and  the  two  in  Kirk-Michel  and  Brodick-bay. 

Tlie  air  here  is  temperately  cold  and  moist,  which  is  in  some  measure  qualified  by  the 
fresh  breezes  that  blow  from  the  hills ;  but  the  natives  think  a  dram  of  strong  waters  is 
a  grjcd  corrective. 

There  are  several  caves  on  the  coast  of  this  isle :  those  on  the  west  are  pretty  large, 
particularly  that  in  Druim-Cruey,  a  hundred  men  may  sit  or  lie  in  it ;  it  is  conuncted 
gradually  from  the  floor  upwards  to  the  roof.  In  the  upper  end  there  is  a  large  piece 
of  rock  formed  like  a  pillar ;  there  is  engraven  on  it  a  deer,  and  underneath  it  a  Iwo- 
handed  sword ;  there  is  a  void  space  on  each  side  this  pillar. 

The  south  side  of  the  cave  has  a  horse  shoe  engraven  on  it  On  each  side  the  door 
there  is  a  hole  cut  out,  and  that  they  say  was  for  holding  big  trees,  on  which  the  caul- 
drons  hang  for  boiling  their  beef  and  venison.  The  natives  say  that  this  was  the  cave  in 
which  Fin-Mac-Coul  lodged  during  the  time  of  his  residence  in  this  isle,  and  that  his 
guards  lay  in  the  lesser  caves,  which  are  near  this  big  one  :  there  is  a  little  cave  joining 
to  the  largest,  and  this  they  call  the  cellar.       ^ 

There  is  a  cave  some  miles  more  southerly  on  the  same  coast,  and  they  told  me  that 
the  minister  preached  in  it  sometimes,  in  regard  of  its  being  more  centrical  than  the 
parish  church. 

Several  erected  stones  are  to  be  seen  on  each  side  this  isle  :  four  of  these  are  near 
Brodick-l>ay,  about  the  distance  of  seventy  yards  from  the  river,  and  are  seven  feet  high 
each.  The  highest  of  these  stones  that  fell  under  my  observation  was  on  the  south  side 
of  Kirk-Michel  river,  and  is  above  fiAeen  feet  high ;  there  is  a  stone  coffin  near  it,  which 
has  been  filled  with  hirman  bones,  until  of  late  that  the  river  washed  away  the  earth, 
and  the  bones  that  were  in  the  coffin :  Mac-Louis,  who  had  seen  them,  says  they  were 
of  no  larger  size  than  those  of  our  own  time.  On  the  west  side  there  are  three  stones 
erected  in  Baelliminich,  and  a  fourth  ^wroe  distance  from  these,  about  six  feet  high 
each.  In  the  moor  on  the  jcast  side  Drafm-Cruey  there  is  a  circle  of  stones,  the  4u-ea  b 
about  thirty  paces ;  there  is  a  stone  of  the  same  shape  and  kind  about  forty  paces  to  the 
west  of  the  circle :  the  natives  say  that  thisxirde  was  made  by  the  giant  Fm-Mac-Coul, 
and  that  to  the  single  stone.  Bran,  Fin>MaC'Coul'B  hunting  %og  was  usually  tied. 
About  half  a  mile  to  the  north  side  Baelliminich  there  are  two  stones  erected,  each  of 
them  eight  feet  high. 

There  is  a  circle  of  big  stones  a  little  to  the  south  of  Druim-Cruey,  the  area  of  which 
is  about  twelve  paces;  there  b  a  broad  tJtiia  stone  in  the  middle  of  this  circle*  support* 
ed  by  three  lesser  stones :  the  ancient  inhabitants  are  reported  to  have  burnt  Jiieir  sacri- 
fices on  the  to'oad  stone  in  time  of  heathenism. 

There  is  a  tlun  broad  stone  tapering  towards  the  top,  erected  within  a  quarter  of  a 
mile  of  the  sea,  near  Machir  river,  and  b  nine  feet  high ;  and  at  some  little  distance 
firomtheriver  there  is  a  krge  cavern  of  stones*  v 

Tliere  b  ancounence  cf  about  a  thousand  paces  incompass  on- the  sea-coast  in  Dm- 
un-Cruey  viHage,  and  it  b  fenced«bottt  with  a  stone  wali :  of  slid  it  was  a  sanctuary,  mul 
whttrvemtunbercl'men  or  cattle  could  get  witUn  it  were  secured  from  the  assaults  of 
their -enemies,  the'phce  beki|^  (privileged  by  uiHvenal  consent 

The  only  good  harbour  inthbisle  b  Lamladi,  which  is«i  the  south-east  end  of  the 
ble^«f  tint  name. 


''|b 


i 

9 

*  m 


«» 


-JHW 


x3(-?^mn:V^-VKmwuaxsi>iv:rjkmt 


WESTEKK    ISLAVDS    OF    SCOTLAKD. 


64J 


fields 
The 


-.h- 


% 


i*) 


There  is  a  great  riihing  of  cod  and  whiting  in  and  about  thu  bay. 

The  whole  isle  is  designed  b^  nature  more  for  pastura|j;e  than  cultivation ;  the  hilU 
MK  generally  covered  all  over  with  heath,  and  produce  a  ntixturc  of  the  erica  baccifera, 
cat'n-tuil,  and  juniper,  all  which  are  very  agreeable  to  the  eye  in  the  summer.  The 
highest  hills  of  this  inland  are  seen  at  a  considerable  dibtunce  from  several  parts  of  the 
continent  and  north.west  isles,  and  they  serve  instead  of  a  forest  to  maintam  the  deer, 
which  are  about  four  hundred  in  number,  and  i^'t-T  arc  carefully  kept  by  a  forester,  to 
cive  sport  to  the  duke  of  Hamilton,  or  any  of  his  family  that  ^o  a  hunting  there  ;  for 
if  any  of  the  natives  happen  to  kill  a  deer  without  licence,  which  is  not  often  granted, 
he  is  liable  to  a  line  of  twenty  pounds  Scots  for  each  deer :  and  when  they  grow  too 
numerous,  the  forester  grants  licences  for  killing  a  curtam  number  of  them,  on  condition 
they  Jpring  the  skins  to  himself. 

TRe  cattle  liere  are  horses  and  cows  of  a  middle  luze.  and  they  have  also  sheep  and 
goats.  This  isle  aftbrds  the  common  sea  and  land  fowls  that  are  to  be  bad  in  the 
western  isles.  The  black  cock  b  not  allowed  to  be  killed  here  without  a  licence ;  the 
transg^ssors  are  liable  to  a  fine. 

The  castle  of  Brodick,  on  the  north  side  of  the  bay  of  that  name,  stands  on  a  plain, 
from  wfaidi  there  is  about  four  hundred  naces  of  a  gradual  descent  towards  the  sea. 

This  casde  is  built  in  a  long  form :  ^m  south  to  north  there  is  a  wall  of  two  stories 
high,  that  encompasses  the  castle  and  tower :  the  space  within  the  wall  on  the  south  side 
the  castle  is  capable  of  mustering  a  battalion  of  men. 

The  castle  is  four  stories  high,  and  has  a  tower  of  great  height  joined  to  the  north  side, 
and  that  has  a  bastion  close  to  it,  to  which  a  loMrer  bastion  is  added.  The  south  and  west 
sides  are  surrounded  with  a  brood  wet  ditch,  but  the  east  and  north  sides  have  a  descent 
which  will  not  admit  of  a  wet  ditch.  The  gate  looks  to  the  east  This  castle  is  the 
duke  of  Hamilton's  seat,  when  his  grace  or  any  of  the  family  make  their  summer  visit 
to  this  island.  The  bailiff  or  steward  has  his  residence  in  this  castle,  and  he  has  a  de- 
4^  putatioiKto  act,  with  full  power  to  levy  the  rents,  ^ve  leases  of  the  Unda,  and  hokl 
courts  ^iustke. 
icPTh^jps  another  castle  belonging  to  the  jtjkc  in.!tlir>north  side  of  the  isle,  at  the 

'  ~ whicb  there  is  a  haWBur  for  barks  and  boats.    The  isle  oi 

.  m*«  fMperty  (a  very  amaO  part  excepted;)  it  lies  in  the 
ideopart  of  the  diocese  of  Avgvle... 

islai^  are  composed  of.  seven!  tribes.    The  tnost  anc  ient  fa- 
the  natiiKS  reckoned  to  be  Mac-Louis,  which  in  the  ancient 


Jidad  orLochJdenisti 
^^iran  is  the  duke 
sherifiUom  of  Boot, 
The  l^ubitants 


of  tlie  kmg's  coroners  within  this  bland,  and  as  such,  he 
|1ib  h|s  his  rigiit  of  late  from  the  family  of  I)a 


'Mi" ' 

language  ^nifi^P  tifib  son  of  Lewis:  they  own  thtmselves  to  be  descended  of  French 
parentage,^ieu*  simanK  in  Englbh  is  Fullertdn« and4heir  title  Kirk-Mitchell,  the  place 
of^eur  residenoi.  ^|lQidition  be  true,  this  lk|de  family  is  said  to  be  of  seven  hundred 
years  standiilgf  "Tfljfcresdpt  possessor  obtfgeo  me  with  the  sight  of  his  old  and  new 
clbiftq|s,  by  which  ^|Ps 
4nin  ^4ialbiptt  piDt^iaMo  bis  r^ffice 

TniltoQ,  whd^ein  4)is«iitS  an^  perquisites  o^boroner'are  confirmed  to  him  aind'bis  heirs. 
'He  b  obliged  to  havd[diree  men  t(||ittend  him  upon  all  public  emergencies,  and  he  is 
bound  bvjjp  cfffice  t^TiursUr  aU  mal^ctors,  and  to  deliver  them  to  the  steward,  or  in 
his  «te«IR<»  tfa^^xt  jqte^.  >.Ar||lif  any  oi"  the  inhabitants  refuse  to  pay  their  rents  at 
thef«|nl4erm,  (^coroner  nFboundtqgtoke  him  personally, or  to  seize  lus  goods.  And 
if  it  ^iould4»ppenj^at  tlie  ct»(|per<ii4th  his  retinue  of  three  menu  not  efficient  to puc 
is  office  ui  oipcu^Dn,  then  he  sumntons  all  the  inhabitants  to  concur  with  him ;  and 
medbtebLthey  rende  Apis  to  the  pbce,  where  he  fixes  his  coroner's  stt^ff.    The  per- 


i 


^: 


tBP' 


^^i 


«. 


-f] 


646 


martin's  diicriftion  of  tub 


quisites  due  to  the  coroner  are  a  firlct  or  bushel  of  oats,  and  a  lamb  from  every  village 
in  the  i!>le ;  both  which  arc  puuctually  paid  him  at  the  ordinary  terms. 

The  inhabitants  of  this  isle  are  well  proportioned,  generally  brown,  and  some  of  a 
black  complexion  :  they  enjoy  a  gcod  state  of  health,  and  have  a  genius  fur  all  cfcllinKS 
or  employments,  though  they  have  but  few  mechnnicks :  tlicy  wear  the  same  habit 
with  those  of  ihe  nearc&t  isles,  and  are  very  civil ;  they  all  speak  the  Irish  language,  yet 
the  Enslish  toneue  prevails  on  the  east  side,  and  ordinarily  the  ministers  preach  in  it, 
and  in  Irish  on  the  west  side.  Their  ordinary  asseveration  is  by  Nale,  for  I  did  not  hear 
any  oath  in  the  island. 

THE  CHURCHES  IN  THIS  ISLE  ARE, 

Kilbride  in  the  south-east,  Kilmore  in  the  south,  Cabel-Uual  a  chapel,  Kil-Hlichel 
in  the  village  of  that  name,  St.  James's  church  at  the  north  end. 

The  natives  are  all  protestants,  they  observe  the  festivals  of  Christmas,  Good«Fridry, 
and  Kubtcr.  I  hud  like  to  have  forgot  a  valuable  curiosity  in  this  isle,  which  they  call 
baul  muluy,  i.  e.  Molingus,  his  stone  globe :  this  saint  was  chaplain  to  Mac*donald  of  the 
isles  ;  his  name  is  celebrated  here  on  the  account  of  this  globe,  so  much  esteemed  by  the 
inhabitants.  This  stone  for  its  :  itrinsic  valuel^s  been  carefully  transmitted  to  posterity 
fur  several  ages.  It  is  a  green  stone,  much  like  a  globe  in  figure,  about  the  bigness  of  a 
goose  egp.  r.it 

The  virtue  of  it  is  to  remove  stitches  from  the  sides  of  sick  persons,  by  laying  it  close  to 
the  place  affected  ;  and  if  the  patient  does  not  out-live  the  distemper,  they  say  the  stone 
removes  out  of  the  bed  of  its  own  accord,  and  c  contra.  The  natives  use  this  stone  for 
swe  ring  decisive  oaths  upon  it. 

They  ascribe  another  extraordinary  virtue  to  it,  and  it  is  this :  the  credulous  vulgar 
firmly  believe  that  if  this  stone  is  cast  among  the  front  of  an  enemy,  they  \(rill  all  run 
away  ;  and  that  as  often  as  the  enemy  rallies,  if  this  stone  is  cast  among  them,  they  still 
lose  courage,  and  retire.  They  say  that  Mac-donald  of  the  isles  carried  this  st^e  .;!)out 
him,  and  that  victory  was  always  on  M^ide  when  he  threw  it  amone  the  ene^j^  'J^ht 
custody  of  this  globe  is  the  peculiaflprivilege  of  a  little  famjly  culed  ClaiTchattohs 
alias  Alac-intosh ;  they  were  ancient  followers  of  Mac-donald| 
is  now  in  the  custody  of  Margaret  Miller,  alias  Mac-intosh : 
and  preserves  the  globe  with  abundance  of  care  ;  it  is  wra^ 
and  about  that  there  is  a  piece  of  woolen  cloth,  andijhe  keeps 
chest,  when  it  is  not  given  out  to  exert  its  qualities.  '      ^-4  .  a.. 

^     I^ESAY, 

IS  a  big  rock,  about  six  leagues  to  the  south-west  oC  Arran ;  Wfts  in  form  of  a.si 
loaf,  but  the  rop  is  plain,  and  large  enough  foiVElrawing  up  a 
there  is  a  fresh  water  lake  in  the  midctte  of  the  plain,  me  ^ 
long  grass,  and  is  inaccessible,  except  on  the  sou^west  nact  bn  a  stair  cut  out  io  the 
rock ;  in  the  middle  of  it  there  is  a  small  tower  of  three  storRs  high,  €kh  the  top. 
There  is  a  fresh  water  spring  issuing  out  of  the  f^e  of  thisjpreat  rock ;  benNlthe  entiv 
there  is  a  place  where  the  fishers  take  up  their  reliance  dumg  their  stay  about  tti|j(4ocK 
in  quest  of  cod  and  ling ;  and  there  is  a  good  anchorage  for  theic  vessels,  veiy  near 


>ii-viiauQn(i| 

the  isles.    This  stenP^ 

lives  in  EUiallmianich, 

p  in  fairJUn^n  cloth, 

still  locked  up  in  her 


s  m  torm  ot  a  s\mtr- 
ousaftd  n>gn  in^ams  ^> 
ok  isle  is  aovereld  with 


fS 


t 


m 


i 


their  tents. 


o* 


f 


/ 


% 


1 


tillage 

:  of  a 
hllii.^ 
habit 
je,  yet 
1  in  it, 
)t  hear 


WESTERN    ISLANDS    07    SCOTLAND. 


047 


This  rock  in  the  summer  time  abounds  with  variety  ol'  sea-fowl,  that  build  and  hatch 
in  it.  The  Solan  gccsc  and  culterncb  arc  most  numerous  here  ;  the  latter  arc  Uy  the 
fishers  called  Albanich,  which  in  the  ancient  Irt^h  language  signifies  Scotsmen^ 

The  isle  hath  a  chapel  on  the  top  culled  Fiunnay,  and  an  ancient  pavement,  or  cause- 
way. 

Ilesay  is  the  earl  of  Cassil's  property,  the  tenant  who  farms  it  pay*  him  one  hun- 
dred  merks  Scots  yearly ;  the  product  of  the  isle  is  hogs,  fowl,  down,  and  fish.  The 
isle  Avon,  above  a  mile  in  circumference,  lies  to  the  south  of  Kintyrc  Mulu  ;  it  luith  n 
harbour  for  barks  on  the  north. 


li 


Michel 

Friday, 
ley  call 
1  of  the 
by  the 
DSterity 
ess  of  a 

close  to 
le  stone 
tone  for 

vulgar 
all  run 
ley  still  % 

c  .ilX)Ut 

)attoh8|^ 
is  stonP' 
nianich, 
n  cloth, 
linher 


hmAu 

'd  with 
It  in  the  * 
the  top.  s 
heentiT 


# 


THE  ISLE  GIGAY. 

THE  isle  Gigav  lies  about  a  leaeue  from  Lc  rgie  on  the  west  side  of  Kintyre  ;  it  is 
four  miles  in  length,  and  one  in  breadth,  was  formerly  in  the  diocese,  and  is  still  part  of 
the  sheriffdom  of  Argyle.  This  isle  is  for  the  most  part  arable,  but  rocky  in  other  parts : 
the  mould  is  brown  and  clayey,  inclining  to  red ;  ir  >>  good  for  pasturage  and  cultiva- 
tion. The  corn  growing  here  is  oats  and  barley.  The  cattle  bred  here  are  cows, 
horses,  and  sheep.  There  is  a  church  in^this  island  called  Kil-chattan,  it  has  an  altar  in 
the  east-end,  ana  upon  it  a  font  of  stone  #hich  is  very  large,  and  hath  a  small  hole  in  the 
middle  which  goes  quite  through  it.  There  are  several  tomb-stones  in  and  about  this 
church ;  the  family  of  the  Mac-neils,  the  principal  possessors  of  this  isle,  are  buried  un- 
der the  tomb-stones  on  the  east  side  the  church,  where  there  is  a  plat  of  ground  set  apart 
for  them.  Most  of  all  the  tombs  have  a  two  handed  sword  engraven  on  them,  and  tnerc 
is  one  that  has  the  representation  of  a  man  upon  it. 

Near  the  west  side  the  church  there  is  a  stone  of  about  sixteen  feet  high,  and  four 
broad,  erected  upon  the  eminence.  About  sixty  yards  distance  from  the  chapel,  there 
is  a  square  stone  erected  about  ten  feet  high ;  at  this  the  ancient  inhabitants  bowed,  be- 
cause It  was  there  where  they  had  the  first  view  of  the  church. 

There  is  a  cross  four  feet  high  at  a  little  distance,  and  a  cavern  of  stone  on  each  side 
of  it.    %  t^ 

Thb  isle  affords  no  wood  of  any  kind,  but  a  t^  bushes  of  juniper  on  the  little  hills. 
The  stones,  upon  whicl^||p  scurf  corkir  grows,  which  dyes  a  crimson  colour,  are  found 
here ;  as  also  those  thflproduce  the  crottil,  which  dyes  a  philamot  colour.  Some  of 
tite  natives  told  me  tnlRney  uaed  to  chew  nettles,  and  hold  them  to  their  nostrils  to 
staunch  bleeding  at  the  nose ;  and  that  nettles,  beir.^  applied  to  the  place,  would  also 
stop  bleeding  at  a  vein,  or  otherwise. 

There  is  a  well  in  the  north  end  of  this  isle  called  Toubir-more,  i.  e.  u  great  |well,  be> 
cause  of  its  effects,  for  which  it  is  famous  among  the  islanders ;  who,  together  with  the 
inhabitants  use  it  as  m^tholicon  for  diseases.  It  is  covered  with  stone  and  clay,  because 
the  natives  fancy  that  tbe  stream  that  flows  from  it  might  overflow  the  isle ;  and  it  ic  al- 
ways  opened  by  a  Diroch,  i.  e.  an  inmate,  else  they  think  it  would  not  exert  its  virtues. 
Tney  ascribe  one  very  extraordinary,  effect  to  it,  and  it  is  this ;  that  when  any  foreign 
boats  are  wind  bounds  here  (which  often  happens)  the  master  of  the  boat  oidinarily 
gives  the  nafive  that  lets  the  water  run  a  piece  of  money ;  and  they  say,  that  immedi- 
ately afterwards  the  wind  changes  in  fiivour  of  those  that  are  thus  detained  by  contrary 
wiiids.  Every  stranger  that  goes  to  drink  of  the  water  of  this  well  is  accustomed  to 
leave  on  its  stone  cover  a  piece  of  money,  a  needle,  pin,  or  one  of  the  prettiest  variegated 
stones  they  can  find. 


!;>  U 


^ 


648 


MAMTIN*t  UESCIIPTION  OF  THE 


Tiic  inhabitants  arc  nil  protcitttints,  and  speak  the  Irish  tongue  generally,  there  being 
bu'.  few  (hat  !i|)cak  English ;  they  arc  f^avc  and  reserved  in  their  convcriation  ;  they 
are  accubtomcd  nut  to  bury  on  Friday  ;  (hey  are  fair  or  brown  in  connpit  xion,  and  use 
the  bame  habit,  diet,  ike.  that  is  made  uk  of  in  the  adjacent  continent  and  i^lcs.  'I'hcre 
is  only  one  inn  in  thi^  iitle. 

The  isle  Curay  lies  a  quarter  of  a  mile  south  from  Gigay ;  it  is  nbotit  a  mile  in  com- 
pass, affurds  good  pasturage,  and  abounds  with  coney;*.  There  \>i  u  harbour  for  barktt 
on  the  north*!  ist  end  of  it.  This  island  is  the  property  of  Mac- Aletiter  of  Lcrgy,  a  fumi« 
ly  of  the  Mac-Donalds. 

JURAII. 

THE  i&Ie  of  Jurah  is,  by  a  narrow  channel  of  about  half  a  mile  broad,  scpamted  from 
(la.  The  natives  say  that  Jurah  is  so  called  from  Dih  and  Rah,  two  brethren,  who  are' 
believed  to  have  b.v'n  Danes  :  the  names  Dih  and  Rah  signifying  as  much  as  without 
grace  or  prosperity.  Tradition  says,  that  these  two  brethren  fought  and  killed  one  an- 
other in  the  village  Knock-Cronm,  where  there  are  two  stones  erected  of  seven  feet 
high  each,  and  under  them,  they  say,  there  are  urns  with  the  ashes  of  the  two  brothers ; 
the  distance  between  them  is  about  sixty  yards.  The  isle  is  mountainous  along  the 
middle,  where  there  arc  four  hills  of  a  considerable  heiglit ;  the  two  highest  arc  well 
known  to  sca-faring  men,  by  the  name  of  tiir  Paps  of  Jurah  :  they  arc  very  conspicuous 
from  all  quarters  of  sea  and  land  in  those  parts. 

This  isle  is  twenty-four  miles  long,  and  in  some  places  six  or  seven  miles  in  breadth ; 
it  is  the  duke  of  Argyle's  property,  and  part  of  the  bherifldcm  of  Argyle. 

The  mokl  is  brown  and  greyish  on  the  coast,  and  black  in  the  hills,  which  are  co- 
vered with  heath,  and  some  grass,  that  proves  good  pasturage  for  their  catrie,  which 
are  horses,  cowe,  sheep,  ana  goats.  There  is  variety  of  land  and  water-fowl  here. 
The  hills  ordinarily  have  about  three  hundred  deer  grazing  on  them,  which  are  not  to 
be  httnted  by  any,  without  the  steward's  licence.  This  isle  is  perhaps  the  wh^somest 
plat  of  ground  cither  in  the  isles  or  opntinent  of  Scotland,  as  appears  by  theWng  life 
of  the  natives,  and  their  state  of  health ;  to  whu:h  the  height  of  the  hilts  is  beKeved  to 
contribute  in  a  large  measure,  by  the  fresh  breezes  of  ^nM^^  come  from  them  to 
purify  the  sur:  whereas  llay  and  Gigay,  on  each  side  this  isIe|M|much  lower,  and  are 
not  so  wholesomr  by  far,  being  liable  to  several  diseases  that  af^^not  here.  The  mhabit* 
ants  observe,  that  the  air  of  this  place  is  perfectly  pare,  from  the  middle  of  March  titl 
the  end  or  middle  of  September.  There  is  no  epidemical  diseatie  that  prevails  here : 
fevers  are  but  seldom  olraerved  by  the  natives,  and  any  kind  of  ftux  is  rare :  the  gout  and 
agues  are  not  so  much  as  known  by  them,  neither  are  they  liablo  to  sciatica.  Convul- 
sions, \*apour8,  palsies,  surfeits,  lethargies,  megrims,  consumption!,  rickets,  pains  of  the 
stomach,  or  cougtis,  are  not  fr  .j[ucTit  here,  and  none  of  them  are  at  any  time  observed 
to  become  mad.  I  was  told  by  several  of  the  natives,  that  there  was  not  one  woman 
died  of  child-bearing  there  these  thirty-four  years  past.  Blood-letting  and  purging  are 
not  used  here. 

If  any  contract  a  cough,  they  use  brochan  only  to  remove  it.  If  after  a  fhrer  one 
chance  to  be  taken  ill  of  a  btitch,  they  take  a  quantity  of  lady-wrack,  and  hatCas  nHinh 
of  red-fog,  and  bml  them  in  water ;  the  patients  sit  upon  the  vessel,  and  receive  the 
fume,  which  by  experience  they  find  effectual  against  this  distemper.  Fevers  and  tliO 
^arrheas  are  fouiid  here  only  when  the  air  is  foggy  and  warm,  in  wmter  or  summer.  . 


»**^  ifcUW  r',- , '■»!•.; -, 


WIITBnN    IILANOS   Of    SCOILANO. 


04V 


^,.» 


The  inhabitantt  for  their  diet  make  une  of  beef  and  mutton  in  the  winter  and  npriof^ ; 
as  aiiic)  of  fiiih,  butter,  cheehc,  and  milk.  The  vul(;;\r  tukc  brochaii  frequently  fur  their 
diet  during  ihe  winter  and  itpringi  and  brochan  and  bread  Ukcd  fcr  tlie  space  of  two 
dav«t  restores  lost  appetite. 

^he  women  of  all  ranks  eat  a  lesser  (]Uantity  of  food  than  the  mr^.  :  this,  and  their 
not  wearing  any  thing  strait  about  them,  is  believed  to  contribute  much  to  the  health 
both  ci  the  mothers  and  children. 

There  are  several  fountains  of  excellent  water  in  this  isle  :  the  most  celebrated  of  theipi 
b  that  of  the  mountain  Beinbrck  in  the  Tarbat,  called  Touhir  ni  Lcchkin,  that  is,  the 
well  in  a  stony  descent ;  it  runs  eimtcrly,  and  tt.cv  commonly  reckon  it  to  be  lighter  by 
one  half  than  any  other  water  in  this  isle :  for  though  one  drink  a  great  quantity  of  it 
at  a  time,  the  belly  is  not  swelled,  or  any  way  *  burdened  by  it.  Natives  and  stranfi^crs 
find  it  efBcacioua  against  museousness  of  the  &tor!.ach,  and  the  utone.  The  river  Nissa 
receives  aU  the  water  that  issues  from  the  well,  and  this  is  the  reason  they  give  why  saU 
mons  here  are  in  goodness  and  taste  far  above  those  of  any  other  river  whatever.  The 
river  of  Crokbrcck  afibrds  salmon  also,  but  they  are  not  esteemed  so  good  as  those  of 
the  river  Nissa. 

Several  of  the  natives  have  lived  to  a  great  age  :  I  was  told  that  one  of  them,  called 
Giilour  Mac-crain,  lived  to  have  kept  one  hundred  and  eighty  Christmasses  in  his  own 
house ;  he  died  about  fifty  years  ago,  and  there  are  several  of  his  acquaintance  living 
to  this  day,  from  whom  I  nad  this,  account. 

Batliff  Campbell  lived  to  the  age  of  one  hundred  and  six  years,  he  died  three  years 
ago,  he  passed  the  thirty>three  last  years  before  his  death  in  this  isle.  Donald  Mac 
N'Mill,  who  lives  in  the  vilbige  of  Killeam  at  present,  'm  arrived  at  the  age  of  ninety 
years. 

A  woman  in  the  isle  of  Scorba,  near  the  north  end  of  this  isle,  lived  sevenscore  years, 
and  enjoyed  the  free  uae  of  her  senses  and  understanding  all  her  days :  it  is  now  two 
jeare  since  she  died. 

There  is  a  large  cave,  called  Kind's  Cave,  on  the  west  side  of  the  Tarbat,  near  the 
aea ;  thtn  is  a  well  at  the  entry,  which  renders  It  the  more  convenient  for  such  as  may 
have  occauon  to  lodge  in  it. 

About  two  miles  iurjiitr  from  the  Tarbat,  there  is  a  cave  at  Corptch,  which  hath  an 
altar  in  it  ( there  are  flpy  small  pieces  of  petrified  substance  hanging  from  the  roof  of 
thucavc.  •  ^^ 

There  is  a  jplace  where  vessels  use  to  anchor  on  the  west  side  of  this  i^and,  called 
Wlutfarlan,  about  one  hundred  yards  north  from  the  porter's  house. 

About  finir  leagues  south  from  the  north  end  of  this  isle  lies  the  bay  Da'l  Yaul, 
which  is  about  half  a  mile  in  length ;  there  is  a  rock  on  the  north  side  of  the  entry, 
wiHcb  thejr  say  is  fivt  fiuhom  deep,  and  but  three  fathom  within. 

About  a  feague  further  to  the  south,  on  the  same  coast,  lies  the  small  isles  of  Jura, 
within  which  there  is  a  good  anchoring  f^ace ;  the  south  entry  is  the  best :  island  Nin 
Gowir  must  be  Jcqpt  on  the  left  hand ;  it  is  easily  distinguished  by  its  bigness  frum 
the  rest  of  the  nks.  Conncy  isle  Kes  to  the  north  of  this  islaiKl.  There  are  black  ad 
white  spcMed  serpents  in  this  isle ;  their  head  beine  appKed  to  the  wound  is  by  the  na- 
tives used  as  the  best  remedy  for  their  poison.  Witlrni  a  mile  of  the  Tarbat  there  is  a 
«tone  elected  about  eight  feet  high.  Loch-Tarbat  on  the  west  side  runs  easteriy  for 
about  five  miles>  butis  not  a  harbour  for  vessels,  or  lesser  boats,  for  it  is  altogether  rocky. 

The  sknre  eo  te  west^Vieafibnia  cond  and  coraUne.    There  is  a  aort  of  dbbe  ^ow» 
ing  on  thb  ooaaty  of  a  whiter  colaiuv 
vot.  HI.  *  o 


I . 


j|4 


•^ 
'► 


6^0 


martin's  nESCRIPTIOK  OF  THE 


I 


Between  the  north  end  of  Jura,  and  the  isle  Scarba,  lies  the  famous  and  dangerous 
gulph  called  Cory  Vrekan,  about  a  mile  in  breadth  ;  ityields  an  impetuous  current, 
not  to  be  matcb«:d  any  where  about  the  ble  of  Britain.  The  sea  begins  to  boil  and  fer- 
ment  with  the  tide  of  flood,  and  resembles  the  boiling  of  a  pot  ;  and  then  increases 
gradually,  until  it  appear  in  many  whirlpools,  which  form  themselves  in  sort  of  pyra- 
mids, and  immediately  after  spout  up  as  hi^h  as  the  mast  of  the  litde  vessel,  and  at  the 
same  time  make  a  loud  report.  These  white  waves  run  two  leagues  with  the  wind  be. 
fore  they  break  :  the  sea  continues  to  repeat  these  various  motions  from  the  beginning 
of  the  tide  of  flood,  until  it  is  more  than  mlf  flood,  and  then  it  decreases  gradually  un- 
til it  hath  ebbed  about  half  an  hour,  and  continues  to  boil  till  it  is  .within  an  hour  of  low 
water.  This  boiling  of  the  sea  is  not  above  a  pistol-shot  distant  from  the  coast  of  Scarba 
Isle,  where  the  white  waves  meet  and  spout  up :  they  call  it  the  Kaillacii,  i.  e.  an  old 
hag ;  and  they  say,  that  when  she  puts  on  her  kerchief,  i.  e.  the  whitest  waves,  it  is 
then  reckoned  fatal  to  approach  her.  Notwithstanding  this  great  ferment  of  the  sea, 
which  brings  up  the  least  shell  from  the  ground,  the  smallest  fisher  boat  may  venture  to 
cross  this  gulph  at  the  last  hour  of  the  tide  of  flood,  and  at  the  last  hour  of  the  tide  of 
ebb.  .  -nr-f^k  . 

This  gulph  hath  its  name  from  Brekan,  said  to  be  son  to  the  king  of  Denmark,  who 
^vas  drowned  here,  cast  ashore  in  the  north  of  Jura,  and  buried  in  a  cave,  as  appears 
from  the  tomb  stone  and  altar  there. 

The  natives  ^old  me,  that  about  three  years  ago  an  English  vessel  happened  inadver- 
tently to  pass  through  this  gulph  at  the  time  when  the  sea  began  to  boil :  the  whiteness 
of  the  waves,  and  their  spouting  up,  was  like  the  breaking  of  the  sea  upon  a  rock ; 
they  found  themselves  attracted  irresistibly  to  the  white  rock,  as  they  then  supposed  it 
to  be :  this  quickly  obliged  them  to  consult  their  safety,  and  so  they  betook  themselves 
to  the  small  boat  with  all  speed,  and  thought  it  no  small  happiness  to  land  safe  in  Jura, 
committing  the  vessel  under  all  her  sails  to  the  uncertain  conduct  of  tide  and  wind. 
Ste  was  driven  to  the  opposite  continent  of  Knapdale,  where  she  no  sooner  arrived, 
than  the  tide  and  wind  became  contrary  to  one  another,  and  so  the  vessel  was  ouit  into  a 
creek,  where  she  was  safe ;  and  then  the  master  and  crew  were  bv  the  natives  of  this  isle 
conducted  to  her,  where  they  found  her  as  safe  as  they  left  her,  though  all  her  sails  were 
still  hoisted.  ilk 

The  natives  gave  me  an  account,  that  some  years  ago  a  ves^Hbad  brought  some  rats 
hither,  which  increased  so  much,  that  they  became  very  unea^^o  the  people,  but  on  a 
sudden  they  all  vanished ;  and  now  there  is  not  one  of  tnem  in  the  isle.         ;  ?•=  -^v^/'^i' 

There  is  a  church  here  called  Killearn,  the  inhabitants  are  all  protestants,  arid  6bsef^fe 
the  festivals  of  Christmas,  Easter,  and  Michaelmas ;  they  do  not  open  a  grave  on  Fri- 
day, and  bury  none  on  that  day,  except  the  grave  has  been  opened  before.  '!::\.-'  ^l'-iv<^H%? 

The  natives  here  are  very  well  proportioned,  being  generelly  black  of  complexion, 
and  free  from  bodily  imperfections.  They  speak  the  Irish  language,  and  wear  the  plaid, 
bonnet.  Sec.  as  other  islanders. 

f  :  The  isle  of  Ila  lies  to  the  West  of  Jura,  from  which  it  is  separate<iby  a  narrow  ohan- 
net :  it  is  twenty-four  miles  in  length  from  south  to  north,  and  eighteen  from  east  to 
west ;  there  are  some  little  mountains  about  the  middle  on  die  east  side.  The  const  is 
for  the  most  part  heathy  and  uneven,  and  by  consequence  not  proper  for  tillage ;  the  j^ 
north  end  is  also  fdW  of  heaths  and  hills.  The  south-west  and  west  is  pretty  wetlculti-  f 
vated,  and  there  is  six  miles  between  Kilrow  on  the  west,  and  Port  Escockin  the  east, 
which  is  arable,  and  well  inhabited.  There  arc  about  one  thousand  little  hiUs  on  this 
road,  and  all  abound  with  lime-stone ;  among  which  there  is  lately  disodvered  a  lead 


WESTERN   ISLANDS  Of    SCOTLAND. 


651 


langcrous 
i  current, 
il  and  fer- 
increases 
of  pyra- 
and  at  the 
;  wind  be- 
beginning 
dually  un- 
our  oflow 
;of  Scarba 
.  e.  an  old 
vaves,  it  is 
of  the  sea, 
venture  to 
the  tide  of 

imark,  who 
as  appears 

led  inadvcr- 
le  whiteness 
pon  a  rock; 
supposed  it 
:  themselves 
safe  in  Jura, 
and  wind, 
jner  arrived, 
IS  cast  into  a 
»  of  this  isle 
er  sails  were 

ht  some  rats 
)te,  but  on  a 

arid  obseryb 
rave  on  Fri- 

complexion, 
ear  tne  plaid, 

narrow  ohatv> 
1  from  east  to 
Thecotnt  b 
•  tillage ;  the   ^ 
!tty  weU«ulti-  * 

:k  in  the  east, 
ehiUson  this 
severed  a  lead 


mine  in  three  different  places,  but  it  has  not  turned  to  any  account  as  yet.    The  corn 
growing  here  is  barley  and  oats. 

There  is  only  one  harbour  in  this  isle,  called  Loch-Dale ;  it  lies  near  the  north  end, 
and  is  of  a  great  length  and  breadth ;  but  the  depth  being  in  the  middle,  few  vessels 
come  within  half  a  league  of  the  land-side. 

There  are  several  rivers  in  this  ble  affording  salmon.  The  fresh- water  lakes  are  well 
stocked  with  trouts,  eels,  and  some  with  salmons ;  as  Loch-Guirm,  which  is  four  miles 
in  circumference,  and  hath  several  forts  built  on  an  island  that  lies  in  it. 

Loch-Finlagan,  about  three  miles  in  circumference,  affords  salmon,  trouts,  and  eels : 
this  lake  lies  in  the  cejuter  of  the  isle.  The  isle  Fiiilagan,  from  which  this  lake  hath  its 
name,  b  in  it.  It  is  famous  for  being  once  the  court  in  which  the  great  Mac-Donald, 
king  of  the  isles,  had  his  residence :  his  houses,  chapel.  Sec.  are  now  ruinous.  His 
guards  de  corps,  called  Lucht-taeh,  kept  guard  on  the  lake-side  nearest  to  the  isle ;  the 
walls  of  their  houses  are  still  to  be  seen  there. 

I'he  high  court  of  judicature,  consisting  of  fourteen,  sat  always  here ;  and  there  was 
an  appeal  to  them  from  all  the  courts  in  the  isles :  the  eleventh  share  of  the  sum  in 
debate  was  due  to  the  principal  judge.  There  was  a  big  stone,  of  seven  feet  square, 
in  which  there  was  a  deep  impression  made  to  receive  the  feet  of  Mac- Donald ;  for  he 
was  crowned  king  of  the  Isles  standing  in  this  stone,  and  swore  that  he  would  con- 
tinue hb  vassals  in  the  possession  of  their  lands,  and  do  exact  justice  to  all  his  subjects ; 
and  then  hb  father's  sword  was  put  into  his  hand.  The  bishop  of  Argyle  and  seven 
priests  anointed  him  king,  in  presence  of  all  the  heads  of  the  tribes  in  the  isles  and 
continent,  and  were  hb  vassals :  at  which  time  the  orator  rehearsed  a  catalogue  of  his 
ancestors,  &c. 

s^f  There  are  several  forts  built  in  the  isles  that  are  in  fresh- water  lakes,  as  in  Ilan  Loch- 
guirn,  and  Ilan  Viceain :  there  is  a  fort  called  Dunnivag,  in  the  south-west  side  of  the 
isle,  and  there  are  several  caves  in  different  places  of  it.  The  largest  that  I  saw  was  in 
the  north  end,  and  b  called  Vah  Veamag ;  it  will  contain  two  hundred  men  to  stand 
or  sit  in  it.  There  is  a  kiln  for  drying  corn  made  on  the  east  side  of  it ;  and  on  the 
other  side  there  b  a  wall  built  close  to  the  side  of  the  cave,  which  was  used  for  a  bed- 
chamber :  it  had  a  fire  on  the  floor,  and  some  chairs  about  it,  and  the  bed  stood  close 
to  the  wall.  There  istA  stone  without  the  cave-door,  about  which  the  common  people 
make  a  tour  sunway»^ 

A  mile  on  the  souXwest  side  of  the  cave  is  the  celebrated  well,  called  Tonbir  in 
Knahiir,  which  in  the  ancient  language  is  as  much  as  to  say,  the  well  that  sallied  from 
^one  place  to  another ;  for  it  is  a  rq^ived  tradition  among  the  vulgar  inhabitants  of  this 
isle,  ^4nd  the  opposite  isle  of  Colonsay,  that  this  well  was  first  in  Colonsay,  until  an  im- 
prudt^t  woman  liappened  to  wash  her  hands  in  it,  and  that  immediately  after  the  well, 
being  thus  abused,  came  in  an  instant  to  Ila,  where  it  is  like  to  continue,  and  is  ever  since 
esteemed  a  catholicon  for  diseases  by  tti^:  natives  and  adjacent  islanders^  and  the  great 
resort  to  it  is  commonly  every  quarter-day. 

-  It  b  common  with  skk  people  to  make  a  vow  to  come  to  the  well,  and,  after  drink- 
ing, they  make  a  tour  sunways  round  it,  and  then  leave  an  offering  of  some  small  to- 
ken,  such  as  a  pin,  needle,  farthing,  or  the  like,  on  the  stone  cover  which  is  above  the 
well.  But  if  the  patient  is  not  like  to  recover,  they  send  a  proxy  to  the  well,  who 
acts  as  above-mentioned^  and  carries  home  some  of  the  water,  to  be  drank  by  the  sick 
person.  -■■■'■f^  -  ■  =*\, 

There  is  a  little  chapel  beside  this  well,  to  which  such  as  had  found  the  benefit  of  the 
y0(S^,fm»  \mk,  and  returned  thanks  to  God  for  their  recovery. 
..•  .  ,>,v,  4  o  2  -■     ^"—   ■■ 


! 


652 


martin's   DtSCllWTION    OF    THI 


There  are  several  rivers  on  each  side  of  this  isle,  that  afford  salmon :  I  was  told  by 
the  natives,  that  the  Brion  of  Ila,  a  famous  judge,  is,  according  to  his  own  desire,  buri- 
ed standing  on  the  brink  of  the  river  Laggan ;  having  in  his  right  hand  a  spear,  such  as 
they  use  to  dart  at  the  salmon. 

There  are  some  isles  on  the  coast  of  this  island,  as  Island  Texa,  on  the  south-west, 
about  a  mile  in  circumference ;  and  Island  Ouirsa,  a  mile  likewi&e  in  circumferencei  with 
the  small  isle  called  Nave,  .  -    / 

'         '      '  THE  NAMES  01' TIIE  CHintCHES  IN  TIUS  ISLE  ARE  AS  FOLLOW :         i  .      f 

Kil-Chollim-Kill,  St.  Columbus  his  church,  near  Port  Escock,  Kil-Chovan  in  tlic 
Rins,  on  the  west  side  the  isle ;  Kil.Chiaran  in  Rins,  on  the  west  side  Nerbols  in 
the  Rins,  St.  Columbus  his  church  in  Laggan,  a  chapel  in  Island  Nave,  and  Killhan 
Altn,  north-west  of  Kidrow.  There  is  a  cross  standmg  near  St.  Columbus's,  or  Port 
Escock  side,  which  is  ten  feet  high.  There  are  two  stones  set  up  at  the  east  side  of 
Loch-Finlagan,  and  they  are  six  feethi^h;  all  the  inhabitants  are  protestants ;  some 
among  them  observe  the  festivals  of  Christmas  and  Good-Friday.  They  are  well  pro- 
portioned, and  indifferently  healthful ;  the  air  here  is  not  near  so  good  as  that  of  Jura, 
from  which  it  is  but  a  short  mile  distant ;  but  Ila  is  lower  and  more  marshy,  which 
makes  it  liable  to  several  diseases  that  do  not  trouble  those  of  Jura.  They  generally 
speak  the  Irish  tongue,  all  those  of  the  best  rank  speak  English ;  they  use  the  same 
habit  and  diet  with  those  of  Jura.  This  isle  is  annexed  to  the  crown  of  Scotland ;  Sir 
Hugh  Campbell  of  Caddel  is  the  king's  steward  tliere«  and  has  one  half  of  the  island. 
This  isle  is  reckoned  the  furthest  west  of  all  the  isles  in  Britain :  there  is  a  village  on 
the  west  coast  of  it  called  Cul,  i.  e.  the  back  part ;  and  the  natives  say  that  it  was  so 
called,  because  the  ancients  thought  it  the  back  of  the  world,  as  beiiu;  the  remotest 
part  on  that  side  of  it.  The  natives  of  Ila,  Colonsay,  and  Jura  say,  t^at  there  is  an 
island  laving  to  the  south-west  of  these  isles,  about  the  distance  of  a  day's  sailing,  for 
which  they  have  only  a  bare  Uradition.  Mr.  Mac-Swen,  present  minister  in  the  isle 
of  Jura,  gave  me  the  following  account  of  it>  which  he  had  from  the  master  of  an  En- 
glish vessehhat  happened  to  anchor  at  that  little  isle,  and  came  afterwards  to  Jura; 
which  is  thus :  m 

As  I  was  sailing  some  thirty  leagues  to  the  south  west  of  Tmj^  I  was  becalmed  near 
a  little  ide,  where  I  dropt  anchor,  and  went  ashore.  I  found  Wcovered  all  over  with 
long  grass ;  there  were  abundance  of  seals  laying  on  the  rocks,  and  on  the  shore ;  there 
is  likewise  a  muliitude  of  sea-fowls  in  it :  there  is  a  river  in  the  middle,  and  on  each 
side  of  it  I  found  great  heaps  of  fi^h-bones  of  many  sorts;  there  are  many  planks  and 
boards  cast  up  upon  the  coast  of  the  isltr,  and  it  being  all  plain,  and  almost  level  with 
the  sea,  I  caused  my  men  (being  then  idle)  to  erect  a  heap  of  the  wood  about  two 
stories  high ;  and  that  with  a  design  to  make  the  itJand  more  conspicuous  to  sea-bring 
men.  This  isle  is  four  Englifth  miles  in  length  and  one  in  breadth :  I  was  about  thir- 
teen hours  sailing  between  this  isle  and  Jura.  Mr.  John  Mao-Sweo  above>mentioned, 
having  gone  to  the  isle  of  Colonsay,  some  few  days  after,  was  told  by  the  tnhubi- 
tantSy  that  from  an  eminence  near  the  monastery,  in  a  fair  diay,  they  saw  as  it  viwre  the 
.top  of  a  little  moimtain  in  the  south-west  sea,  and  that  they  doubted  not  but  it  was 
land,  though  they  never  observed  it  before.  Mr.  Mac-Swen  was  confirmed  in  this 
opinion  by  the  account  pbove-mentioned :  but  when  the  summer  was  over,  they  never 
saw  this  little  hill,  as  they  called  it,  an;^  more.  The  reason  of  which  is  supposed  to  be 
this,  that  the  high  winds*  inallpR^tHlity,  bad  cast  donwa  the  (Hie  of  wood,  that, forty 


WESTERN    ISLANDS    OF    SCOTLAND. 


653 


seamen  had  erected  the  preceding  year  in  that  i&land ;  which,  by  reason  of  the  descrip- 
tion above  recited,  we  may  aptly  enough  call  the  Green  Island. 


THE  ISLE  OF  COLONS  AY. 

ABOUT  two  leagues  to  the  north  of  Ila  lies  thie  isle  Oransay ;  it  is  separated  from 
Colonsay  only  at  the  tide  of  flood :  this  peninsula  is  four  miles  in  circumference,  being 
for  the  most  part  a  plain,  arable,  dry,  sandy  soil,  and  is  fruitful  in  corn  and  grass ;  it  is 
likewise  adorned  with  a  church,  chapel,  and  monastery ;  they  were  built  by  the  fa- 
mous St.  Culumbus,  to  whom  the  church  is  dedicated.  There  is  an  altar  in  this 
church,  and  there  has  been  a  modem  crucifix  on  it,  in  which  several  precious  stones 
were  fixed  ;  the  most  valuable  of  these  is  now  in  the  custody  of  Mac-Duffie,  in  black 
Ruimused  village,  and  it  is  ut>ed  as  a  catholicon  for  diseases ;  there  are  several  burying- 
places  herr,  and  the  tomb-stones  for  the  most  purt  have  a  two-handed  swqrd  engraven 
on  them.  On  the  south  side  of  the  church,  within,  lie  the  tombs  of  Mac-Duffie,  and  of 
the  cadets  of  his  family ;  there  is  a  ship  under  sail,  and  a  two-handed  sword  engraven 
on  the  principal  tomb-stone,  and  this  inscription,  Hie  jacit  Malcolumbus  Mac-Dume  de 
Colonsay  :  his  coat  of  arms  and  colour-staff*  is  fixed  in  a  stone,  through  which  a  hole  is 
made  to  hold  it.  There  is  a  cross  at  the  east  and  west  sides  of  this  church,  which  are  now 
broken ;  their  height  was  about  twelve  feet  each :  there  is  a  large  cross  on  the  west  side 
of  the  church,  of  an  entire  stone,  very  hard ;  there  is  a  pedestal  of  three  steps,  by  which 
they  ascend  to  it,  it  is  sixteen  feet  hi^h,  and  a^  foot  and  half  broad  ;  there  is  a  large 
crucifix  on  the  west  side  of  this  cross,  it  has  an  inscription  underneath,  but  not  legpble, 
being  almost  worn  off*  by  the  injury  of  time ;  the  other  side  has  a  tree  engraven  on  it. 

About  a  quarter  of  a  mile  on  the  south  side  of  the  church  there  is  a  cairne,  in  which 
there  is  a  stone  cross  fixed,  called  Mac-Dufiie*s  cross ;  for  when  any  of  the  heads  of  this 
family  were  to  be  interred,  their  corpses  were  laid  on  this  cross  for  some  moments,  In 
their  way  toward  the  church. 

'  On  the  north-side  of  the  church  there  U  a  square  stone. wall,  about  two  stories  high ; 
the  area  of  it  is  about  fourscore  paces,'  and  it  is  joined  to  the  church- wall ;  within  this 
square  there  b  a  lesser  square  of  one  story  high,  and  about  sixty  paces  wide,  three  sides 
of  it  are  built  of  small  pillars,  consisting  of  two  thin  stones  each,  and  each  pillar  vaulted 
above  with  two  thin  t^nes  tapering  upwards.  There  are  inscriptions  on  two  of  the 
pillars,  but  few  of  the  Tetters  are  perfect.  There  are  several  houses  without  the  square, 
which  the  monks  lived  in.  There  is  a  garden  at  twenty  yards  distance,  on  the  north jside 
the  houses.  '^^^    ':^»-^» -i^v.v  a  ^  4^W\-- 

'  The  natives  of  Colonsay  are  accustomed,  after  their  arrival  in  Oronsay  isle,  to  make 
si  tour  sunways  about  the  church,  before  they  enter  upon  any  kind  of  business.  My 
landlord  having  one  of  his  family  sick  of  a  fever,  asked  my  book,  as  a  idngular  favour, 
for  a  few  moments.  I  was  not  a  little  surprised  at  the  honest  man's  request,  he  being 
illiterate :  and  when  he  told  me  the  reason  of  it,  I  was  no  less  amazed,  for  it  was  to 
fan  the  patients  face  with  the  leaves  of  the  book :  and  this  he  did  at  night.  He  sought 
the  book  next  morning,  and  again  in  the  evening,  and  then  thanked  me  for  so  great  a 
favour:  and  told  me  the  sick  person  was  much  better  by  it;  and  thus  I  understood 
that  they  had  an  ancient  custom  of  fanning  the  face  of  the  sick  with  the  leaves  of  the 
Bible. 

i^'  The  isle  of  Colonsay  is  four  mites  in  length  from  east  to  west,  and  above  a  mile  in 
1>rendth.  The  mould  is  brown  and  sandy  on  the  coast,  and  affords  but  a  very  small 
product,  though  they  plough  their  ground  three  times ;  the  middle  is  rocky  and  heathy, 


■iri 


IT 


654 


MAUTIN's  UB8CRIPTI0N  OF  TUJL 


which  in  most  places  is  prettily  mingled  with  thick  ever-greens  of  erica-baccifera,  juni> 
per,  and  catVtail. 

The  cattle  bred  here  are,  cows,  horses,  and  sheep,  all  of  a  low  size.  The  inhabitants 
are  generally  well  proportioned,  and  of  a  black  complexion ;  they  speak  only  the  Irish 
tongue,  and  use  the  habit,  diet,  &c.  that  is  used  in  the  Western  Lies ;  they  are  all  pro- 
testants,  and  observe  the  festivals  of  Christmas,  Easter,  and  Good-Friday  ;  but  the  wo- 
men  only  observe  the  fesdval  of  the  Nativity  of  the  Blessed  Virein.  Kilouran  b  the 
principal  church  in  this  ble,  and  the  village  in  which  this  church  is  hath  its  name  from 
It.  1  here  are  two  ruinous  chapels  in  the  south  side  of  this  isle.  There  were  two  stones 
chests  found  lately  in  Kilouran  sands,  which  were  composed  of  five  stones  each*  and  had 
human  bones  in  them,  'i'here  are  some  fresh-water  lakes  aboundingwith  trouts  in  this 
isle.  There  are  likewise  several  forts  here,  one  of  which  is  called  Duncoll :  it  b  near 
the  middle  of  the  isle,  it  hath  large  stones  in  it,  and  the  wall  is  seven  feet  broad. 

The  other  fort  is  called  Dun-Evan :  the  natives  have  a  tradition  among  them,  of 
a  very  little  generation  of  people  that  lived  once  here,  called  Lusbirdan,  the  same  with 
pigmies.    1  his  ble  is  the  duke  of  Argyle's  property. 


MULL. 


.a.   -K^hi 


THE  isle  of  Mull  lies  on  the  west  coast,  opposite  to  Lochaber,  Swoonard,  and 
Moydart.  It  b  divided  from  these  by  a  narrow  c'lannel,  not  exceeding  half  a  league  in 
breadth ;  the  isle  is  twenty-four  miles  long  from  south  to  north,  and  as  many  in  breadth 
from  east  to  west.  A  south-east  moon  causes  high  tide  here.  This  isle  is  in  the  sheriff- 
dom of  Argyle ;  the  air  here  is  temperately  cold  and  mobt ;  the  fresh  breezes  that  blow 
from  the  mountains  do  in  some  measure  qualify  it :  the  natives  are  accustomed  to  take 
a  large  dose  of  aquavits  as  a  corrective,  when  the  season  is  very  mobt,  and  then  they 
are  very  careful  to  chew  a  piece  of  charmel-root,  finding  it  to  be  aromatic,  especially 
when  they  intend  to  have  a  drinking-bout ;  for  they  say  this  in  some  measure  prevents 
drunkenness. 

I'he  mould  is  generally  black  and  brown,  both  in  the  hills  and  valleys,  and  in  some 
parts  a  clay  of  different  colours.  The  heaths  afford  abundance  of  turf  and  peats, 
which  serve  the  natives  for  good  fuel.  There  is  a  great  ridge  of  mountains  about  the 
middle  of  the  isle,  one  of  them  very  high,  and  therefore  called  %in  Vore,  i.  e.  a  great 
mountain.  It  is  to  be  seen  from  all  the  Western  Isles,  and  a  considerable  part  of  the 
continent.  Both  mountains  and  valleys  afford  ^ood  pasturage  for  all  sorts  of  cattle,  as 
sheep,  goats,  and  deer,  which  herd  among  the  hills  and  bushes.  The  horses  are  but  of 
a  low  size,  yet  very  sprightly  ;  their  black  cattle  are  likewise  1o\t'  in  size,  but  their  flesh 
is  very  delicious  and  fine.  There  b  abundance  of  wild  fowl  in  the  hilb  and  valleys, 
and  among  them  the  black  cock,  heath-hen,  ptarmagan,  and  very  fine  hawks:  the  sea- 
coast  affords  all  such  fowl  as  are  to  be  had  in  the  Western  Isles.  The  corn  growing 
here  is  only  barley  and  oats.  There  is  great  variety  of  plants  in  the  hills  and  valleys, 
but  there  is  no  wood  here,  except  a  few  coppices  on  the  coast.  There  are  some  bays, 
and  places  for  anchorage,  about  the  isle.  The  bay  of  Duart  on  the  east  side,  and  to  the 
north  of  the  castle  of  that  name,  is  reckoned  a  safe  anchoring.place,  and  frequented  by 
strangers.  Lochbuy,  on  the  opposite  west  side,  is  but  an  indifferent  harbour,  yet  vessels 
go  into  it  for  herrings. 

The  coast  on  the  west  abounds  with  rocks  for  two  leagues  west  and  south-west.  The 
Bloody-Bay  is  over  against  the  north  end  of  island  Columkil,  and  only  fit  for  vesseb  of 
abput  an  hundred  tons. 


^^  ■i>iinia»« 


[ 


WESTERN    ISLANDS    OF    SCOTLAND. 


655 


Some  fc"/  miles  further  to  the  north-east  is  Loch.Leven,  the  entry  lies  to  the  west* 
ward,  and  goes  twelve  miles  easterly :  there  are  herrings  to  be  had  in  it  sometimes, 
and  it  abounds  with  oysters,  cockles,  muscles,  clams,  &c. 

Loch-lay  lies  on  the  south  side  of  Loch-Leven ;  it  is  proper  only  for  small  vessels  ; 
herrings  are  to  be  had  in  it  sometimes,  and  it  abounds  with  variety  of  shell  fish :  the 
small  isles,  called  the  White  Isle,  and  Isle  of  Kids,  are  within  this  bay.  To  the  north 
of  Loch-Leven  lies  Loch-Scaffbrd ;  it  enters  south-west,  and  runs  north-east ;  within  it 
lie  the  isles  Eorsa  and  Inchkenneth,  both  which  are  reputed  very  fruitful  in  cattle  and 
com. 

There  is  a  little  chapel  in  this  isle,  in  which  many  of  the  inhabitants  of  all  ranks  are 
buried.  Upon  the  north  side  of  Loch-ScafTord  lies  the  isle  of  Vevay ;  it  is  three 
miles  in  circumference,  and  encompassed  with  rocks  and  shelves,  but  fruitful  in  com 
grass,  &c. 

To  the  west  of  Ulva  lies  the  ule  Gometra,  a  mile  in  circumference,  and  fruitful 
in  proportion  to  the  other  isles. 

About  four  miles  further  lie  the  small  isles,  called  Kaimburg  More  and  Kernbug- 
Beg ;  they  are  naturally  very  strong,  faced  all  round  with  a  rock,  having  a  narrow  en- 
try, and  a  violent  current  of  a  tide  on  each  side,  so  that  they  are  almost  impregnable. 
A  very  few  men  are  able  to  defend  these  two  forts  against  a  thousand.  There  is  a  small 
garrison  of  the  standing  forces  in  them  at  present. 

To  the  south  of  these  forts  lie  the  small  isles  of  Fladdy,  Lungay,  Back,  and  the  Call 
of  the  Back :  cod  and  ling  are  to  be  had  plentifully  about  all  these  islands. 

Near  to  the  north-east  end  of  Mull  lies  the  isle  Calve  ;  it  is  above  two  miles  in  com- 
pass, has  a  coppice,  and  affords  good  pasturage  for  all  kinds  of  cattle.  Between  this  isle 
and  the  isle  of  Mull  there  is  a  capacious  and  excellent  bay,  called  Tonbir  Mory,  i.  e.  the 
Virgin  Mary's  well ;  because  the  water  of  a  well  of  that  name,  which  is  said  to  be  me- 
dicinal,  runs  into  the  bay. 

'.!»(■  One  of  the  ships  of  the  Spanish  armada,  called  the  Florida,  perished  in  this  bay, 
having  been  blown  up  by  one  Smallet  of  Dunbarton,  in  the  year  1588.  There  was  a 
great  sum  of  gold  and  money  on  board  the  ship,  which  disposed  the  earl  of  Argyle  and 
some  Englishmen  to  attempt  the  recovery  of  it ;  but  how  far  the  latter  succeeded  in  this 
e  nterprise  is  not  generally  well  known ;  only  that  some  pieces  of  gold  and  money,  and  a 
golden  chain,  were  taken  out  of  her.  I  have  seen  some  fine  brass  cannon,  some  pieces 
of  eight,  teeth,  beads,  and  pins,  that  had  been  taken  out  of  that  ship.  Several  of  the  in. 
habitants  of  Mull  told  me  that  they  had  conversed  with  their  relations  th?)t  were  living  at 
the  harbour  when  this  ship  was  blown  up ;  and  they  ^ve  an  account  of  an  admirable 
providence  that  appeared  in  the  preservation  of  one  Dr.  Beaton  (the  famous  physician  of 
Mull)  who  was  on  board  the  ship  when  she  blew  up,  and  was  then  sitting  on  the  upper 
deck,  which  was  blown  up  entire,  and  thrown  a  good  way  off ;  yet  the  Doctor  was 
saved,  and  lived  several  years  afteir. 

The  black  and  white  Indian  nuts  are  found  on  the  west  side  of  this  isle ;  the  natives 
pulverize  the  black  kernel,  or  the  black  nut,  and  drink  it  in  boiled  milk  for  curing  the 
diarrhea. 

There  are  several  rivers  in  the  isle  that  afford  salmon,  and  some  rivers  abound  with 
the  black  muscle,  that  breeds  pearl.  There  are  also  some  fresh- water  lakes  that  have 
trouts  and  eels.  The  whole  isle  is  very  well  watered  with  many  springs  and  fountains. 
They  told  me  of  a  spring  in  the  south  side  of  the  mountain  Bein  Vore,  that  has  a  yellow 
c(4oured  stone  at  the  bottom,  which  doth  not  bum  or  become  hot,  though  it  should  be 
kept  in  the  fire  for  a  whole  day  together. 


ii 


ii 


>  \i 


■ 


656 


martin's  ukscription  or  tuk 


The  amphibia  in  this  isle  are  seals,  otters,  vipers  of  the  Mine  kind  as  those  described 
in  the  isle  of  Skie,  and  the  natives  use  the  same  cures  for  the  biting  of  vipers.  Foxes 
abound  in  this  isle,  and  do  much  hurt  among  the  lambs  and  kids. 

There  are  three  castles  in  the  isle :  to  wit,  the  castle  of  Duart,  situated  on  the  east,  built 
upon  a  rock,  the  east  side  b  surrounded  by  the  sea.  This  was  the  seat  of  Sir  John 
MacLeaii,  head-df  the  ancient  family  of  the  MacLeans ;  and  is  now,  together  with 
the  estate,  which  was  the  major  part  of  the  bland,  become  the  duke  of  Argyle's  proper* 
ty»  by  the  forfeit  ure  of  Sir  John. 

Some  miles  further  on  the  west  coast  •stands  the  castle  of  Moy,  at  the  head  of  Loch- 
buy,  and  is  the  seat  of  Mac-Lean  of  Lochbuy. 

There  is  an  old  castle  at  Aros,  in  the  middle  of  the  island,  now  in  ruins.  There  are 
some  old  fortb  here  called  Dunns,  suprosed  to  have  been  built  by  the  Dunes*  There 
are  two  parish-churches  in  the  isle,  *  iz.  Killinchen-Benorth,  Loch-Leven.  and  a  little 
chapel,  called  Kilwichk-£win,  at  tlie  lakes  above  Loch-Lay ;  each  parish  hath  >  minister. 
The  inhabitants  are  all  Protestants  except  two  or  three,  who  are  R  naan  Catholics; 
they  observe  the  festivals  of  Christmas,  Easier,  Good-Friday,  and  St.  Michael's.  They 
speak  the  Irish  language  generally,  but  those  of  the  best  rank  speak  Englisli ;  iliey  wear 
the  same  habit  aa  tm  rest  of  the  blanders. 

JONA.         -r;  ".•   rr-  ■  •>•   :'     ■ 

'      i  -.■....,      .1.  i      J 

THIS  isle  in  the  Irish  language  is  called  L  Colmkil,  i.  e.  the  bthmus  of  Columbus 
tlie  clergyman.  Colum  was  hi^  proper  name,  and  the  addition  of  Kil,  which  signifies 
a  church,  was  added  by  the  blanders,  by  way  of  excellence ;  for  there  were  few  churches 
then  in  the  remote  and  lesser  bles. 

The  natives  have  a  tradition  among  them,  that  one  of  the  clergymen  who  accompa- 
nied Colun.bus  in  his  voyage  thither,  having  at  a  good  distance  espied  the  isle,  and  cned 
Joyfully  to  Cotumbusin  the  Iti^h  language,  Chi  mi,  i.  e.  I  see  her ;  meaning  thereby  the 
country  of  which  they  hud  been  in  quest:  that  Columbus  then  answered,  **  It  shall 
be  from  heiKeforth  called  Y.** 

The  Ule  is  two  miles  long  from  south  to  north,  and  one  in  breadth  from  east  to  west. 
The  east  side  is  all  arable  md  plain,  fruitful  in  corn  and  graas;  the  west  side  b  high 
and  rocky. 

This  isle  was  andently  a  seminary  of  learning,  famous  for  the  severe  disciplme  and 
sanctity  of  Columbus.  He  built  two  churches  and  two  monasteries  in  it,  one  ibrmen, 
the  other  for  women ;  which  were  endowed  by  the  kings  of  Scotland  and  olthe  blea; 
so  that  the  revenues  of  the  church  ^en  amounted  to  ibor  thooaand  murks  per  ann. 
Jona  was  the  buhop  of  the  isles'  cathedral,  after  the  Scots  lost  the  Isle  of  Man,  m  whieh 
king  Cratilinth  erected  a  church  to  the  bonoor  of  our  Saviour,  caUed  Fanum  Sodorense^ 
Hence  it  was  the  bbhop  of  the  bles  was  styled  Episcopus  Sodorensisk  The  vicar  of  Jona 
was  parson  of  Soroby  in  Tyre-^  and  dean  of  the  bles.  St.  Mary's  church  here  b  built 
in  form  of  a  cross,  the  choir  twenty  jravds  long,  the  cupob  twenty-one  feet  square,  the 
body  of  the  church  of  eoual  length  with  the  choir,  and  the  two  cross  aisles  haAF  that 
lei^th.  There  arc  two  chapels  on  each  side  of  the  chcnr,  the  entry  to  them  opens  with 
large  pillsurs  neatly  carved  in  basao  relievo ;  the  steeple  b  pretty  Uvge*  the  doorss  win* 
dowff.  Sec.  are  curiously  carved;  the  altar  is  larae,  and  of  aafine  marble  as  any  I  ever 
saw.  There  are  several  abbots  buried  within  iie  church ;  MacxUikeiitehi:hb<  -atatue'is 
done  in  bbck  marble,,  as  big  as  the  li£e,  in  hb  episcopal  habk,  with  a  mitte,  crosier, 
ring,  and  stones  alon^  the  breast,  &c.  The  rest  of  the  aUt)Ot»  are  doae  after  the  sane 
manner ;  the  inscription  of  one  tomb  is  as  follows: 


WISTIIN    I8LAKDS   OF  SCOTLAND. 


657 


Hie  iacet  Joannes  Mack-Fingone,  abbas  de  Oui,  qui  obiit  anno  Domini  milestmo  quin- 
gentesimo. 

Bishop  Knox,  and  several  persons  of  distinction,  as  Mac<Leod  of  Harries,  have  also 
been  buried  here. ' 

There  is  the  ruins  of  a  cloister  behind  the  church,  as  also  of  a  library,  ai.d  under  it  a 
large  room ;  the  natives  sayr  it  was  a  place  for  public  disputations. 

There  is  a  heap  of  stones  without  the  church,  under  which  Mac-kean  of  Ardminur. 
chin  lies  buried.  There  is  an  empty  piece  of  ground  between  the  church  and  the  gar. 
dens,  in  which  murderers,  and  children  that  died  before  baptism,  were  buried.  Near 
to  the  west  end  of  the  church  in  a  little  cell  lies  Columbus'  tomb,  but  without  in- 
acripcion ;  this  gave  me  occasion  to  cite  the  distich,  asserting  that  Columbus  was  buried 
in  Ireland ;  at  which  the  natives  of  Jona  seemed  very  much  displeased,  and  affirmed 
that  die  Irish  who  said  so  were  impudent  liars ;  that  Columbus  was  once  buried  in  this 
place,  and  that  none  ever  came  from  Ireland  since  to  carry  away  hb  corpse,  which,  had 
they  attempted,  would  have  proved  equally  vain  and  presumptuous. 

Near  St.  Columbus'  tomb  is  St.  Martin's  cross,  an  entire  stone  of  eight  feet  high  ; 
it  is  a  very  hard  and  red  stone,  with  a  mixture  of  grey  in  it.  On  the  west  side  of  the 
cross  is  engraven  a  large  crucifix,  and  on  the  east  a  tree ;  it  stands  on  a  pedestal  of  the 
same  kind  of  stone.  At  a  little  further  distance  is  Dun  Ni  Manich,  i.  e.  Monk's  fort, 
built  of  stone  and  lime,  in  form  of  a  bastion,  pretty  high.  From  this  eminence  the 
monks  had  a  view  of  all  the  families  in  the  isle,  and  at  the  same  time  enjoyed  the  free 
air.  A  little  further  to  the  west  lie  the  black  stones,  which  are  so  called,  not  from  their 
colour,  for  that  is  grey,  but  from  the  effects  that  tradition  sav  ensued  upon  perjury,  if 
any  one  became  guilty  of  it  after  swearing  on  these  stones  in  the  usual  manner ;  for  an 
oath  made  on  them  was  decisive  in  all  controversies. 

MaC'Donald,  king  of  the  isles,  delivered  the  rights  of  their  lands  to  his  vassals  in  the 
isles  and  continent,  with  uplifted  hands  and  bended  knees,  on  the  black  stones ;  and  in 
this  posture,  before  many  wiuiesses,  he  solemnly  swore  that  he  would  never  recall  those 
riffhts  which  he  then  granted :  and  this  was  instead  of  his  great  seal.  Hence  it  is,  that 
when  one  was  certain  of  what  he  affirmed,  he  said  positively,  I  have  freedom  to  swear 
this  matter  upon  the  black  stonies. 

On  the  south  nde  the  gate,  without  the  church,  is  the  taylors'  house,  for  they  only 
wrought  in  it.  The  natives  say,  that  in  the  time  of  the  plague  the  outer  gate  was  quite 
shut  up,  and  that  all  provuions  were  thrown  in  through  a  hole  in  the  gate  for  that  pur- 
pose. 

At  some  distance  south  from  St.  Mary's  is  St.  Ournn's  church,  commonly  called 
Reliqui  Ouran ;  the  saint  of  that  name  is  buried  within  it. 

The  laird  of  Mac-Kinnon  has  a  tomb  within  this  church,  which  is  the  stateliest  tomb 
in  the  isle.  On  the  wall  above  the  tomb  there  is  a  crucifix  engraven,  having  the  arms 
of  the  fiimily  underneath,  viz.  a  boar's  head,  with  a  couple  of  sheep's  bones  m  its  javirs. 
The  tomb-stone  has  a  statue  as  big  as  the  life,  all  in  armour,  and  upon  it  a  ship  under 
sail,  a  lion  at  the  head,  and  another  at  the  feet.  The  inscription  on  the  tomb  is  thus  : 
Hie  est  Abbas  Lachlani,  Mack*Fing(Jfhe,  et  ejus  filius  Abbatis  de  I.  iEtatis  in  Dno 
M^  cccc  ioin. 

There  are  other  persons  of  distinction  in  the  church,  all  done  in  armour.     !    ''"^    ^' ' 

On  ibs  south  side  of  the  church,  mentioned  above,  is  the  burial-place  in  which  the 
kings  and  cluefs  of  tribes  are  buried,  and  over  them  a  shrine ;  there  was  an  inscription, 
giving  an  account  of  each  particular  tomb,  but  time  has  worn  them  off.    The  middle- 

TOL.   III.  4   p 


•  •<•>;  .  ^ 


■<':■ 


f- 


658 


MARTIN'S  nilCKtrTION  OF  TRI 


i 


most  had  written  on  it,  **The  tombs  of  the  kings  of  Scotland ;"  of  which  fbrty.eight 
lie  there. 

Upon  that  on  the  right  hand  was  written,  *'The  tombs  of  the  kings  of  Ireland;" 
of  wnich  four  were  buried  here. 

And  upon  that  on  the  left  hand  was  written,  *'  The  kings  of  Norway;"  of  which 
eight  were  buried  here. 

On  the  ri^ht  hand,  within  the  entry  to  the  church>yard,  there  is  a  tomb-stone  now 
overgrown  with  earth,  and  upon  it  there  is  written.  Hie  jacet  Joannes  Turnbull,  quondam 
episcopus  Canterburienttis.  This  I  deliver  upon  the  autnority  of  Mr.  Jo.  Mac-Swen,  mi> 
nister  of  Jura,  who  says  he  read  it. 

Next  to  the  kings  is  the  tomb-stone  of  Mac*DonaId  of  Ila ;  the  arms,  a  ship  with 
hoisted  sails,  a  standard,  four  lions,  and  a  je :  the  inscription,  Hie  jacet  corpus  Angusii 
M  ack-Donuill  de  He. 

In  the  west  end  arc  the  tombs  of  Gilbrid  and  Paul  Sporran,  ancient  tribes  of  the  Mac- 
Donalds. 

The  families  of  Mac-Lean  of  Duart,  Lochbuy,  and  Coll,  lie  next,  all  in  armour,  as 

■r  as  the  life. 

Mac-Alister,  a  tribe  of  the  Mac- Donalds,  Mac-Ouery  of  Ulvey,  are  both  done  as 
ibove. 

There  is  a  heap  of  stones  on  which  they  used  to  lay  the  corps  while  they  dug  the 
grave.  There  is  a  stone  likewise  erected  here,  concerning  which  the  credulous  natives 
say,  that  whosoever  reaches  out  his  arm  along  the  stone  three  times,  in  the  name  of  the 
Father,  Son,  and  Holy  Gho&t,  will  never  err  in  steering  the  helm  of  a  vessel.  "    " 

One  tomb  hath  a  clergyman,  with  this  inscription  upon  it ;  Sancta,  &c. 

About  a  quarter  of  a  mile  further  south  is  the  church  Ronad,  in  which  several  prio- 
resses  are  buried  :  one  of  the  inscriptions  is.  Hie  jacet  Dna.  Anna  Terieti,  (ilia  quondam 
prioressae  de  Jona,  quae  obiit  anno  M*^  Christi,  animam  Abrahamo  commendamus. 

Another  inscription  is,  Behag  Nijn  Sorle  vie  II  vril  priorissa,  i.  e.  Bathia  daughter  to 
Some  ricd,  son  of  Gilbert,  prioress. 

Without  the  nunnery  there  is  such  another  square  as  that  beside  the  monastery  for 
men.  The  two  pavements,  which  are  of  a  hard  red  stone,  are  yet  entire ;  in  the  middle 
of  the  longest  pavement  there  is  a  large  cross,  like  to  that  mentioned  above,  and  is  called 
Mac-Lean's  Cross.  There  are  nine  places  on  the  east  side  the  isle,  called  Ports  for 
landing. 

The  dock  which  was  dug  out  of  port  Churich  is  on  the  shore,  to  preserve  Columbus* 
boat  called  Curich,  which  was  made  of  ribs  of  wood,  and  the  outside  covered  with  hides ; 
the  boat  was  long,  and  sharp.pointed  at  both  ends :  Columbus  is  said  to  have  transported 
eighteen  clergymen  in  his  boat  to  Jona. 

There  are  many  pretty  variegated  stones  in  the  shore  below  the  dock  ;  they  ripen  to 
a  green  colour,  and  are  uien  proper  for  carving.  The  natives  say  these  stones  are  for. 
tunate,  but  only  for  some  particqiar  thing,  which  the  person  thinks  fit  to  name,  in  ex- 
clusion of  every  thing  else. 

There  was  a  tribe  nere,  called  Clan  vie  n*  oster,  from  Ostiarii ;  for  they  are  saki  to 
have  been  porters.  The  tradition  of  :hese  is,  that  before  Columbus  died,  thirty  of  this 
family  lived  then  in  Jona,  and  that  upon  some  provocation  Columbus  entailed  a  curse 
upon  them ;  which  was,  that  they  might  all  perish  to  the  number  of  five,  and  that  they 
mi^t  never  exceed  thai  number,  to  which  they  were  accordingly  reduced :  and  ever 
since,  when  any  woman  of  the  family  was  in  labour,  both  she  and  the  other  four  were 


WIITEtN    ISLANDS   07    iCOTLAKO. 


659 


arraid  of  death ;  lor  if  the  child  that  was  to  be  then  born  did  not  die,  they  say  one  of 
the  five  was  sure  to  die  ;  and  this  they  affirm  to  have  been  verified  c  1  every  such  occa- 
sion successively  to  this  dav.  I  found  the  only  one  of  this  tribe  living  in  the  isle,  and 
both  he  and  the  natives  of  this  and  of  all  the  western  isles  unanimously  declare  that  this 
observation  never  failed }  and  all  this  little  family  is  now  extinct,  except  this  one  pooi 
man. 

The  life  of  Columbun,  written  in  the  Irish  character,  i»  in  the  custody  of  John  Mac 
Neil,  in  the  isle  of  Barray ;  another  copy  of  it  is  kept  by  Mac-Donald  of  Bcmbecula. 

The  inhabitants  have  a  tradition,  that  Columbus  suffered  no  women  to  stay  in  the  isle 
except  the  nuni ;  and  that  all  the  tradesmen  who  wrought  in  it  were  obliged  to  keep 
their  wives  and  daughters  in  the  opposite  little  isle,  called  on  that  account  Womens'-isU*. 
They  say,  likewise,  that  it  was  to  keep  women  out  of  the  isle  that  he  w  ^uld  not  sufier 
cows,  sheep,  or  goats,  to  be  brought  to  it. 

Beda,  in  his  Ecclesiastical  History,  lib.  iii.  cap.  4.  gives  an  account  of  him.  In  the 
year  of  our  Lord  565,  (at  the  time  that  Justin  the  younger  succeeded  Justinian  in  the 

government  of  the  Roman  empire)  the  famous  Columba,  a  presbyter  and  abbot,  but  in 
abit  and  life  a  monk,  came  from  Ireland  to  Britain,  to  preach  the  word  of  God  to  the 
northern  provinces  of  the  Picts ;  that  is,  to  those  who  by  high  and  rugged  mountains 
are  separated  from  the  southern  provinces.  For  the  southern  Picts,  who  have  their  ha- 
bitation on  this  side  the  same  hills,  had,  as  they  affirm  themselves,  renounced  idolatry, 
and  received  the  faith  a  long  time  before,  by  the  preaching  of  Ninian  the  bishop,  a  most 
reverend  and  holy  man,  of  the  country  of  the  Britons,  who  was  regularly  educated  at 
Rome  in  the  mysteries  of  truth. 

In  the  ninth  year  of  Meilochen,  son  to  Pridius  King  of  Picts,  a  most  powerful  king, 
Columbus,  by  his  preaching  and  example,  converted  that  nation  to  the  faith  of  Christ. 
Upon  this  account  they  gave  him  the  isle  above  mentioned  (which  he  calls  Hii,  bjok  iii. 
cap.  3.)  to  erect  a  monastery  in  ;  which  his  successors  possess  to  this  day,  and  where  he 
himself  was  buried,  in  the  seventy-seventh  year  of  his  age,  and  the  thirt^-second  after  his 
}ing  to  Britain  to  preach  the  gospel.  He  built  a  noble  monastery  in  Ireland  before 
us  coming  to  Britain  ;  from  both  which  monasteries  he  and  his  disciples  founded  se- 
veral other  monasteries  in  Britain  and  Ireland ;  an)ong  all  which,  the  monastery  of  the 
island  in  which  his  body  is  interred  has  the  pre-eminence.  The  isle  has  a  rector,  who 
is  always  a  presbyter-abbot,  to  Whose  jurisdiction  the  whole  province,  and  the  bishops 
themselves,  ought  to  be  subject,  though  the  thing  be  unusual,  according  to  the  example 
of  that  first  doctor,  who  was  not  a  bishop,  but  a  presbyter  and  monk ;  and  of  whose 
life  and  doctrine  some  things  are  said  to  be  wrote  by  his  disciples.  But  whatever  he 
was,  this  is  certain,  that  he  lefl  successors  eminent  for  their  great  chastity,  divine  love, 
and  regular  institution.  ' 

This  monastery  furnished  bishops  to  several  dioceses  of  England  and  Scotland ;  and 
amongst  others,  Aidanus,  who  Wi>a  sent  from  thence,  and  was  bishop  of  Lindisfaim, 
now  Holy-island. 


I    % 


THE  ISLE  OF  TIRE-IY  IS  SO  CALLED^  PROM  TIRE  A  COUNTRY,  AND  lY  AN  ISTH v  US  ,  THE  ROCKS  IN 
THE  NARROW  CHANNEL  SEEM  TO  FAVOUR  THE  ETYMOLOOY. 

THIS  isle  lies  about  eight  leagues  to  tlie  westof  Jona,  or  I  Colm-Kil.  The  land  is 
low  and  moorish,  but  there  are  two  little  hills  on  the  south-west  side ;  tiie  mould  is  ge- 
nerally brown,  and  for  the  most  part  sandy.  The  western  side  is  rocky  for  about  three 
leagues  :  the  isle  affords  no  convenient  harbour  for  ships,  but  has  been  always  valued 

4  p  2 


r&% 


660 


MAnTiir'i  oitoiiFTiov  or  rut 


for  its  extraoriVinaiy  fruitfulncss  in  corn,  ^et  Iwing  tilled  everyr  year,  it  is  become  leM 
fruitful  than  formerly*  Tiicrc  is  a  pluin  piece  of  ground  alx)ut  six  miles  in  compass  on 
the  cabt  coast,  called  the  Rive ;  the  grasn  i%  seldom  suffered  to  grow  the  leiigth  of  half 
an  inch,  being  only  kept  as  a  common,  yet  is  believed  to  excel  any  parcel  ofland  of  its 
extent  in  the  isles  or  opposite  continent :  there  arc  smnll  channels  in  it,  through  which 
the  tide  of  flood  comes  in,  and  it  sometimes  overRowsHhe  whole. 

The  isle  is  four  miles  in  length  from  the  south-east  to  the  north-west ;  the  natives  for 
the  most  part  live  on  barley-bread,  butter,  milk,  cheese,  fish,  and  some  eat  the  roots 
of  silver  weed;  there  are  but  few  that  eat  any  flesh,  and  the  servants  use  waUr-gruel 
often  with  their  bread.  In  plentiful  years  the  natives  drink  ale  generally.  There  are 
three  ale-houses  in  the  isle  :  the  brewers  preserve  their  ale  in  large  earthen  vessels,  and 
say  they  are  much  better  for  this  purpose  than  those  of  wood ;  some  of  them  contain 
twelve  English  gallons.  Their  measure  for  drink  is  a  thiitl  part  lar^r  than  any  I  could 
observe  in  any  other  part  of  Scotland.  The  ale  that  I  had  in  the  inn  being  too  weak, 
I  told  my  host  of  it,  who  promised  to  make  it  better ;  for  this  end  he  took  a  hectic- 
stone,  and  having  made  it  red-hot  in  the  fire,  he  quenched  it  in  the  ale.  The  companjr 
and  I  were  satisfied  that  the  drink  was  a  little  more  brisk,  and  I  told  him,  that  if  he  could 
add  some  more  life  to  our  ale,  he  would  extremely  oblige  the  company.  This  he 
frankly  undertook  ;  and  to  effect  it  toasted  a  barly-cake,  and  having  broke  it  in  pieces, 
he  put  it  into  the  dish  with  the  ale ;  and  this  experiment  we  found  as  effectual  as  the 
first.  I  enquired  of  him  if  he  had  any  more  art  to  revive  our  ale,  and  then  he  would 
make  it  pretty  good ;  he  answered,  that  he  knew  of  nothing  else  but  a  malt  cake,  which 
he  had  not  then  ready ;  and  so  we  were  obliged  to  content  ourselves  with  what  pains 
had  been  already  used  to  revive  our  drink.  The  natives  preserve  their  yeast  by  an 
oaken  wy^*  which  they  twist  and  put  into  it ;  and  for  future  use  keep  it  in  Imrley- 
straw.  The  cows  and  horses  are  of  a  very  low  size  in  this  isle,  being  in  the  winter  and 
spring  time  often  reduced  to  eat  sea- ware.  The  cows  give  plenty  of  milk ;  when  they 
have  enough  of  fresh  sea- ware  to  feed  on,  it  fattens  them :  the  horses  pace  naturally,  and 
are  very  sprightly,  though  little.  The  ground  abounds  with  flint,  stone ;  the  natives 
tell  me  they  find  pieces  of  sulphur  in  several  places.  The  west  winds  drive  the  ordinary 
Indian  nuts  to  the  shore  of  this  ble,  and  the  natives  use  them  as  above,  for  removing 
the  diarrhea ;  and  the  water  of  the  well  called  Tonbir  in  Donich  is  by  the  natives  drunk 
as  a  catholicon  for  diseases. 

Some  years  ^;o  about  one  hundred  and  sixty  litUe  whales,  the  bigja;est  not  exceeding 
twenty  feet  long,  run  themselves  ashore  in  this  isle,  very  seasonably,  m  time  of  scarcity, 
for  the  natives  did  eat  them  all ;  and  told  me  that  the  sea-pork,  i.  e.  the  whale,  is  both 
wholesome  and  very  nourishing  meat.  There  is  a  fresh- water  lake  in  the  middle  of  the 
isle,  on  the  east  side  of  which  there  is  an  old  castle,  now  in  ruins.  The  isle  being  tow 
and  moorish,  is  unwholesome,  and  makes  the  natives  subject  to  the  ague.  The  inhabi- 
tant living  in  the  south-east  ports  are  for  the  most  part  bald,  and  have  but  very  thin  hair 
on  their  heads.  There  is  a  cave  in  the  south-west,  which  ti'e  natives  are  accustomed  to 
watch  in  the  night,  and  then  take  many  cormorants  in  it.  There  are  several  forts  in 
the  isle ;  one  in  the  middle  of  it,  and  t)un-Taelk  in  Baelly  Petris :  they  are  in  form 
the  same  with  those  in  the  northern  isles.  There  ajre  several  great  and  small  circles  of 
stones  in  this  ble.  The  inhabitants  are  all  Protestants ;  they  observe  the  festivals  of 
Christmas,  Good-Friday,  Easter,  and  St.  Michael's  Day.  Upon  the  latter  there  is  a 
general  cavalcade,  at  which  all  the  inhabitants  rendezvous.  They  speak  the  Irish  tongue, 
and  wear  the  Highland  dress.    Tlus  isle  is  the  duke  of  Argyle's  property,  it  being  one 


WIITIRN    ULANDI    OF    tCOTLANO. 


fl6l 


of  the  isles  lately  posietsed  by  the  Uird  o(  Mac- Lean :  the  parish  church  in  the  isle  in 
called  Soroby,  and  is  a  parsonage. 

THE  ISLE  OF  COLL. 

THIS  isle  lies  about  half  a  league  to  the  east  and  north.ea&t  of  Tire*iy,  from  which 
it  hath  been  severed  by  the  sea.  It  u  ten  miles  in  length,  and  three  in  breadth  ;  it  is 
generally  composed  of  little  rocky  hills,  covered  with  heath.  The  north-side  is  much 
plainer,  and  arable  ground,  affording  barley  and  oats  ;  the  inhabitant  always  feed  on 
the  latter,  and  thoae  of  Tire-iy  on  the  former.     Tlie  isle  of  Coll  produces  more  boys  than 

{rirU,  and  the  isle  of  Tire>iy  more  girls  than  bovs ;  as  if  nature  mteiided  both  these  isles 
or  mutual  alliances,  without  being  at  the  trouble  of  going  to  the  adiuccnt  islet  or  conti- 
nent to  be  matched.  The  parish<book,  in  which  the  number  of  the  baptized  is  to  be 
seen,  confirms  this  observation. 

There  are  several  rivers  in  this  isle  that  afford  salmon.  There  is  a  fresh- water  lake  in 
the  south-east  side,  which  hath  trouts  and  eels.  Within  a  quarter  of  a  mile  lies  a  little 
castle,  the  scat  of  Mac-Lean  of  Coll,  the  proprietor  of  the  isle :  he  and  all  the  inhabitants 
are  Protestants  {  they  observe  the  festivals  of  Christmas,  Good-Friday,  Enster,  and 
St.  Michael :  at  the  latter  they  have  a  general  cavalcade.  All  the  inhabitants  speak  the 
Irish  icn^e,  (a  few  excepted,)  and  wear  the  habit  used  by  tlie  rest  of  the  islanders. 
This  isle  is  much  wholesomer  than  that  of  Tire-iy.  1  saw  a  gentleman  of  Muc-Leun  of 
Coil's  family  here,  aged  eightv-five,  who  walked  up  and  down  the  fields  daily. 

Cod  and  ling  abound  on  the  coast  of  this  isle,  and  are  of  a  larger  size  here  than  in  the 
adjacent  isles  and  continent. 

On  the  south-east  coast  of  this  isle  lie  the  train  of  rocks  called  the  Cairn  of  Coll ;  they 
reach  about  half  a  league  from  the  shore,  and  are  remarkable  for  their  fatality  to  sea- 
farinp;  men,  of  which  there  are  several  late  instances.  There  is  no  venomous  creature 
in  this  island,  or  that  of  Tire-iy.    .    *^ ,      ..      .    ,,.  .  .       .    ,.         . 


'I'i' 


RUM. 


THIS  isle  lies  about  four  leagues  south  from  Skie ;  it  is  mountainous  and  heathy, 
but  the  coast  is  arable  and  fruitful.  The  isle  is  five  miles  long  from  south  to  north, 
and  three  from  east  to  west ;  the  north  end  produces  some  wood.  The  rivers  on  each 
side  afford  salmon.  There  is  plenty  of  land  and  sea-fowl ;  some  of  the  latter,  especially 
the  puffin,  build  in  the  hills  as  much  as  in  the  rocks  on  the  coast,  in  which  there  are 
abundance  of  caves :  the  rock  facing  the  west  ude  is  red,  and  that  on  the  east  side  grey. 
The  mountains  have  some  hundreds  of  deer  grazing  in  them.  The  natives  gave  me  an 
account  of  a  strange  observation,  which  they  say  proves  fatal  to  the  posterity  of  Lachlin, 
a  cadet  of  Mac-L«an  of  Coil's  family ;  that  if  any  oX  them  shoot  at  a  deer  on  the  moun- 
tain  Finchra,  he  dies  suddenly,  or  contracts  some  violent  distemper,  which  soon  puts  a 
period  to  his  life.  They  told  me  some  instances  to  this  purpose :  whatever  may  be  in 
It,  there  is  none  of  the  tribe  above  named  will  ever  offer  to  shoot  the  deer  in  that 
mountain. 

The  bay  Loch-Screford  on  the  east  ude  b  not  fit  for  anchoring,  except  without  the 
entry. 

There  b  a  chapel  in  this  isle ;  the  natives  are  Protestants ;  Mac-Lean  of  Coll  is  pro- 
^prietor,  and  the  language  and  habit  the  same  with  the  northern  isles. 


t- 


662 


martin's   DISCRirTION    or    THB 


'  ISLE  MUCK. 

IT  lies  a  little  to  the  south.west  of  Rum,  being  four  miles  in  circumference*  all  sur. 
rounded  with  a  rock  ;  it  is  fruitful  in  corn  and  grass  :  the  hawks  in  the  t-ocks  here  arc 
reputed  to  be  very  good.  The  cattle,  fowls,  and  amphibia  of  this  island,  are  the  same 
as  in  other  isles ;  tne  natives  speak  the  Irish  tongue  only,  and  use  the  habit  wore  by  their 
neighbours.  ^  .   .    .     .   , 

* 

ISLE  CANNAY. 

THIS  isle  lies  about  half  a  mile  off  Rum ;  it  is  two  miles  from  south  to  north,  and 
one  from  east  to  west.  It  is  for  the  most  part  surrounded  with  a  high  rock,  and  the 
whole  fruitful  in  com  and  grass :  the  south  end  hath  plenty  of  cod  and  ling. 

There  is  a  high  hill  in  the  north  end,  which  disorders  the  needle  in  the  compan :  I 
laid  the  compass  on  the  stony  ground  near  it,  and  the  needle  went  often  round  with 
great  swiftness,  and  instead  of  settling  towards  the  north,  as  usual*  it  settled  here  due  east. 
The  stones  in  the  surface  of  the  earth  arc  black,  and  the  rock  below  facing  the  sea  is 
red  :  some  offirm  that  the  needle  of  a  ship's  compass,  sailing  by  the  hill,  is  disordered  by 
the  force  of  the  magnet  in  this  rock  ;  but  of  this  I  have  no  certainty. 

The  natives  call  tnis  isle  by  the  name  of  Tarsin  at  sea ;  the  rock  Heisker  on  the  south 
end  abounds  with  wild  geese  in  August,  and  then  they  cast  their  quills.  The  church  in 
this  isle  is  dedicated  to  St.  Columbus.  All  the  natives  are  Roman  Catholics ;  they  use 
the  language  and  habit  of  the  other  isles.  Allan  Mac«Donald  is  proprietor.  There  is 
good  anchorage  on  the  north'Cast  of  this  isle.  ,     .  ^  *.,    ,„ 


A  DESCRIPTION  OF  THE  ISLE  OF  EGG. 


'-».,.,-'■ 


'■*>; 


THIS  isle  lies  to  the  south  of  Skie  about  four  leagues ;  U  is  three  miles  in  length, 
and  !.  mile  and  a  half  in  breadth,  and  about  nine  in  circumference  :  it  is  all  rocky  and 
mountainous  from  the  middle  towards  the  west;  the  east  side  is  plainer,  and  more 
arable  :  the  whole  is  indifferently  gooc)  for  pasturage  and  cultivation.  There  is  a  moun- 
tain in  the  south  end,  and  on  the  top  of  it  there  is  a  high  rock,  called  Skur  Egg,  about 
an  hundred  and  fifty  paces  in  citcumference,  and  has  a  fresh-water  lake  in  the  middle 
of  it ;  there  is  no  access  to  this  rock  but  by  one  passage*  which  makes  it  a  natural  fort. 
There  is  a  harbour  on  the  south-east  side  of  this  isle,  which  may  be  entered  into  by  either 
side  the  small  isle  without  it.  There  h  a  very  big  cave  on  the  south-west  side  of  this 
isle,  capable  of  containing  several  hundreds  of  people.  The  coatit  guarding  the  north- 
west is  a  soft  quarry  of  white  stone,  having  some  caves  in  it.  There  is  a  vvelt  in  the  vil- 
lage called  Fivepennies,  reputed  efficacious  against  several  distempers  :  the  natives  told 
me  that  it  never  fails  to  cure  any  person  of  their  first  disease,  only  by  drinking  a  Quantity 
of  it  for  the  space  of  two  or  three  days  ;  and  that  if  a  stranger  lie  at  this  well  in  the 
night-time,  it  will  procure  a  deformity  in  some  part  of  his  body*  but  has  no  effect  on  u 
native ;  and  this  they  say  hath  been  frequently  experimented. 

There  is  a  heap  of  stones  here,  called  Mailin  Dessil,  i.  e.  a  place  consecrated  to  the 
saint  of  that  name,  about  which  the  natives  oblige  themselves  to  make  a  tour  round 
sun-ways. 

There  is  another  heap  of  stones,  which  they  say  was  consecrated  to  the  Virgin  Mary. 

In  the  village  on  the  south  coast  of  this  isle  there  is  a  well,  called  St  Katherine's  well ; 
the  natives  have  it  in  great  esteem,  and  believe  it  to  be  a  catholicon  for  diseases.  They 
told  me  that  it  had  been  such  ever  since  it  was  consecrated  by  one  Father  Hugh,  a  popish 


WIITIRN    ISLANDS   OF    ICOTLAHU. 


663 


priett,  in  the  following  manner  ;  hr  ol)ligc(l  all  (he  inhnhitants  to  come  to  tliii  ucll,  nnd 
then  employed  them  to  briiiu;  together  u  grcut  hcup  ol'  btuncM  at  the  head  of  the  opriiig, 
by  way  of  penance.  This  being  done,  he  said  muHs  at  the  well,  and  then  con!K:(  rated  it ; 
he  gave  each  ol  the  inhabitiinta.  a  piece  of  wax  candle,  which  they  lighted,  and  all  of 
them  made  the  dessil,  of  going  round  the  well  Huit-way»,  the  prie«t  leading  them  :  nnd 
from  that  time  it  Wast  accounted  unlawful  to  boil  uny  meat  with  the  water  of  iliiii  well. 

The  natives  observe  St.  Katherine's  anniversary  :  all  of  them  come  to  the  well,  and 
having  drank  a  draught  of  it,  they  make  the  dcsVil  round  itiiun*way«;  this  is  utwayH 
performed  on  the  fifteenth  day  of  April.  The  inhabitants  of  this  isle  arc  well  nropor- 
tioned  (  they  speak  the  Irish  tongue  only,  and  wear  the  hubit  of  the  islanders  i  they  arc 
all  Roman  (Jatholicks,  except  one  woman,  that  is  a  nrotestant. 

.  There  is  a  church  here  on  the  cast  side  the  isle,  aedicutcd  to  St.  Donnan,  whose  anni. 
veraarythev  observe. 

About  thirty  yards  from  the  church  there  is  a  sepulchral  urn,  under  ground ;  it  is  a 
big  stone  hewn  to  the  bottom,  about  four  feet  deep,  and  the  diameter  of  it  is  about  the 
■ame  breadth ;  I  caused  them  to  dig  the  ground  above  it,  and  we  found  a  flat  thin  stone 
covering  the  urn :  it  was  almost  full  of  human  bones,  but  no  head  among  them,  and 
they  were  fair  and  dry.  I  enquired  of  the  natives  what  was  become  of  the  heads,  and 
they  could  not  tell ;  but  one  of^  them  said,  perhaps  their  heads  had  been  cut  ofl*  with  a 
two  handed  sword,  and  taken  away  by  the  enemy.  Some  fevr  paces  to  the  north  of  the 
urn  there  is  a  narrow  passage  under  ground,  but  how  far  it  reaches  they  could  give  me 
no  account. 

The  natives  dare  not  call  this  isle  bv  its  ordinary  name  of  Egg,  when  they  arc  at  sea, 
but  island  Nim-Ban'More,  i.  e.  the  isle  of  big  women.  St.  Donnan's  well,  which  is  in 
the  south-west  end,  is  in  great  esteem  by  the  natives;  for  St.  Donnan  is  the  celebrated 
tutelar  of  this  isle.     The  natives  do  not  allow  protestants  to  come  to  their  burial. 

The  proprietors  of  the  isl(^  are  Allan  Muc-Donald  of  Moydort,  and  Allan  Mac«DonaId 
of  Moron. 


:  U'» 


•  ■; ' '' 


ST.  KILDA.  OR  HIRT. 


THE  first  of  these  names  is  taken  from  one  Kilder,  who  lived  here ;  and  from  him 
the  large  well  Tombir-Kilda  has  also  its  name.  Hirta  is  taken  from  the  Irish  ler,  which 
in  that  language  signifies  west ;  this  isle  lies  directly  opposite  to  the  isles  of  North- Vist, 
Harries,  8ic.  It  is  reckoned  eighteen  leagues  from  the  former,  and  twenty  from  Har- 
ries.  This  isle  is  by  Peter  Goas.  in  a  map  he  made  of  it  at  Rotterdam,  called  St.  KiU 
der ;  it  is  the  remotest  of  all  the  Scots  north-west  isles :  it  is  about  two  miles  in  length, 
and  one  in  breadth  ;  it  is  faced  all  round  with  a  steep  rock,  except  the  bay  on  the  south> 
east«  which  is  not  a  harbour  fit  for  any  vessel,  though  in  the  time  of  a  calm  one  may  land 
upon  the  rock,  and  get  up  into  the  island  with  a  little  climbing.  The  land  rises  pretty 
high  in  the  middle,  and  there  is  one  mountain  higher  than  any  other  part  of  the  island. 
There  are  several  fountains  of  good  water  on  each  side  this  isle.  The  com  produced 
here  is  oats  and  barley«  the  latter  is  the  largest  in  the  western  isles. 

The  horses  aixl  cows  here  are  of  a  lower  size  than  in  the  adjacent  isles,  but  the  sheep 
differ  only  in  the  bigness  of  their  tioms,  which  arc  very  long. 

There  is  an  ancient  fort  on  the  south  end  of  the  bay,  called  Dun-fir-Volg.  i.  e.  the 
fort  of  the  Volscij  *  this  is  the  sense  put  upon  the  word  by  the  antiquaries  of  the  opposite 
islesofVist.  /  .„._    ,. 


Mil 


-/■J*.,. 


664 


MAHTIK'S  DESCRIPTION  OF  THB 


The  isle  Soa  is  near  half  a  mile  distant  from  the  west  side  of  St.  Kilda ;  it  is  a  mile  in 
circumference,  very  high,  and  steep  all  round  Borera,  lies  above  two  leagues  north  of 
St.  Kilda ;  it  is  near  a  mile  in  circumference,  the  most  of  it  surrounded  with  a  high  rock. 
The  largest  and  the  two  lesser  isles  are  good  for  pasturage,  and  abound  with  a  prodigious 
number  of  sea  fowl  from  March  till  September ;  the  Solan  geese  are  very  numerous 
licre,  insomuch  that  the  inhabitants  commonly  keep  yearly  above  twenty  thousand 
young  and  old  in  their  little  sione  houses,  of  which  there  are  some  hundreds  for  preserv- 
mg  their  fowls,  eggs,  8cc.  They  use  no  salt  for  preserving  their  fowl ;  the  eg^  of  the 
sea  wild  fowl  arc  preserved  some  months  in  the  ashes  of  peats,  and  are  astrmgent  to 
such  as  be  not  accustomed  to  eat  them. 

The  Solan  goose  is  in  size  somewhat  less  than  a  land  goose,  and  of  a  white  colour, 
except  the  tips  of  the  wings,  which  are  black,  and  the  top  of  thek*  head,  which  is 
yellow ;  their  bill  is  long,  small  pointed,  and  very  hard,  and  pierces  an  inch  deep  into 
wood,  in  their  descent  after  a  fish  laid  on  a  board,  as  some  use  to  catch  them.  When 
they  sleep,  they  put  their  bead  under  their  wings,  but  one  of  them  keeps  watch,  and  if 
that  be  surprised  by  the  fowler  (which  often  happens)  all  the  rest  are  th^  easily  caugh't 
by  the  neck,  one  after  another ;  but  if  the  centinel  gives  warning,  by  crying  loud,  then 
all  the  flock  make  their  escape.  When  this  fowl  fishes  for  herring,  it  flies  about  sixty 
yards  high,  and  then  descends  perpendicularly  into  the  sea,  but  after  all  other  fish  it  de- 
scends a-sukant :  the  reason  for  this  manner  of  pursuing  the  herrings  b,  because  they 
are  in  greater  shoals  than  any  other  fish  whatsoever. 

There  is  a  barren  tribe  of  Solan  geese,  that  keep  always  together,  and  never  mix  a- 
mong  the  rest  that  build  and  hatch.  The  Solan  geese  come  to  those  blands  in  March, 
taking  the  advantage  of  a  south-west  wind :  before  their  coming,  they  send  a  few  of 
their  number,  as  harbingers  before  them,  and  when  they  have  made  a  tour  round  the 
isles,  they  return  immediately  to  the  company ;  and  in  a  few  days  after,  the  whole  flock 
comes  together,  and  stays  till  September.  The  natives  make  a  pudding  of  the  fat  of 
this  fowl,  in  the  stomach  of  it,  and  boil  it  in  their  water-gruel,  which  they  call  brochan ; 
they  drink  it  likewise  for  removing  the  cough ;  it  is  by  daily  experience  found  to  be  an 
excellent  vulnerary. 

The  inhabitants  eat  the  Solan  goose-egg  raw,  and  by  experience  find  it  to  be  a  good 
))ectora].  The  Solan  geese  are  daily  making  up  their  nests  from  March  till  September ; 
they  make  them  in  the  shelves  of  high  rocks ;  they  fish,  hatch,  and  make  their  nests  by 
turns,  and  they  amass  for  this  end  a  great  heap  of  grass,  and  such  other  things  as  they  catch 
floating  on  the  water :  the  steward  of  St.  Kilda  told  me,  that  they  had  found  a  red  coat 
in  a  nest,  a  brass  sun  dial,  and  an  arrow,  and  some  Molucca  beans  in  another  nest. 
This  Solan  goose  is  believed  to  be  the  sharpest  sighted  of  all  sea  fowls ;  it  preserves  five 
or  six  herrings  in  its  gorget  entire,  and  carries  them  to  the  nest,  where  it  spews  them 
out  to  serve  as  food  to  the  young  ones :  they  are  observed  to  go  a  fishing  to  several  isles 
that  lie  about  thirty  leagues  distant,  and  carry  the  fish  in  their  gorget  all  that  way  ;  and 
this  is  confirmed  by  the  Engfish  hooks,  which  are  found  sticKing  to  the  fish-bones  in 
their  nests,  for  the  natives  have  no  such  hooks  among  them. 

They  have  another  bird  here  called  Fulmar;  it  is  a  grey  fowl,  about  the  size  of  a 
moor-hen  ;  it  has  a  strong  bill,  with  wide  nostrils ;  as  often  as  it  goes  to  sea,  it  isacer. 
tain  sign  of  a  western  wind,  for  it  sits  always  on  the  rock,  when  the  wind  is  to  blow 
from  any  other  quarter.  This  fowl,  the  natives  say,  picks  its  food  out  of  live  whales, 
and  that  it  eats  sorrel ;  for  both  those  sorts  of  food  are  found  in  its  nest.  When  any 
one  approaches  the  Fulmar,  it  spouts  out  at  its  bill  about  a  quart  of  pure  oil ;  the  natives 


WESTERN    IILAN08   OP    SCOTLAND. 


665 


surprize  the  fowt  and  preserve  the  oil,  and  bum  in  their  lamps :  it  is  good  against  rhcu- 
matick  pains  and  aches  in  the  bones,  the  inhabitants  of  the  adjacent  isles  value  it  as  h 
catholicon  for  diseases  ;  some  take  it  for  a  vomit,  others  for  a  purge.  It  has  been  suc- 
cessfully used  against  rheumatick  pains  in  Edinburgh  and  London :  in  the  latter  it  has 
been  lately  used  to  asauage  the  swelling  of  a  strained  toot,  a  cheek  swelled  with  the  tooth- 
ache, i^nd  for  discussing  a  hard  bile,  and  proved  successful  in  all  the  three  cases. 

There  is  plenty  of  rod  and  ling,  of  a  great  size,  round  thb  isle,  the  improvement  ol 
which  might  be  of  great  advantage. 

The  inhabitants  are  about  two  hundred  in  number,  and  are  well  proportioned;  they 
speak  the  Irish  language  only ;  their  habit  is  much  like  that  used  in  the  adjacent  isles, 
but  coarser  :  they  are  not  subject  to  many  diseases  ;  they  contract  u  cough  as  often  as 
any  strangers  land  and  stay  for  any  time  among  them,  and  it  continues  for  some  eight  or 
ten  days  ;  they  say  the  very  infants  on  the  breast  are  itifected  by  it.  The  men  arc 
stronger  than  the  inhabitants  of  the  opposite  "vestem  isles;  they  feed  much  on  fowl, 
especially  the  Solan  geese,  puffin,  and  mimar,  eating  no  salt  with  them.  This  is  be. 
lieved  to  be  the  cause  of  a  leprosy,  that  has  broke  out  among  them  of  late :  one  of  them 
that  was  become  corpulent,  and  had  his  throat  almost  shut  up,  being  advised  by  me  to 
take  salt  with  his  meat,  to  exercise  himself  more  in  the  fields  than  he  had  done  of  late, 
to  forbear  eating  of  fat  fowl,  and  the  fat  pudding  called  giben,  and  to  eat  sorrel,  was 
very  much  concerned,  because  all  this  was  very  disagreeable ;  and  my  advising  him  to 
eat  sorrel  was  perfectly  a  surprize  to  htm  :  but  when  I  bid  him  consider  how  the  fat 
fulmar  eat  this  plant,  he  was  at  last  disposed  to  take  r>y  advice ;  and  by  this  means 
alone,  in  a  few  days  after,  hu  voice  was  much  clearer,  his  appetite  recovered,  and  he  was 
in  a  fiiir  way  of  recovery.  Twelve  of  these  lepers  died  the  year  after  of  this  distemper/ 
and  were  in  the  same  condition  with  this  man. 

Both  sexes  have  a  genius  for  poesy,  and  compose  entertaining  verses  and  songs  in 
tlieir  own  langu^,  which  is  very  emphaticaL  Some  years  ago,  about  twenty  of  th*-' 
number  happened  to  be  confinedin  the  rock  Stack  N'armin  for  several  days  together, 
without  iiny  kind  of  food ;  the  season  then  not  favouring  their  endeavours  to  return  home, 
one  of  itlieir  number  plucxed  all  their  knives  out  of  the  hafts,  wrought  a  hook  out  of 
each,  and  then  beat  them  out  to  their  former  length ;  he  had  a  stone  for  an  anvil,  and  a 
dagger  for  a  hammer  and  file :  and  with  these  rude  hooks,  and  a  few  sorry  fishing-lines, 
they  purchased  fish  for  their  maintenance,  during  their  confinement  for  several  days  in 
the  rock.  All  the  men  in  the  isle  having  gone  to  the  isle  Boreray  for  purchase,  the 
rope  that  fastened  their  boat  happened  to  break  ;  and  by  this  unlucky  accident  the 
boat  was  quite  lost,  and  the  poor  people  confined  in  the  isle  fit>m  the  middle  of  March 
till  the  lattw  end  of  May,  without  so  much  as  a  crust  of  bread ;  but  they  hud  sheep, 
fowl#  and  fish,  in  abundance.  They  were  at  a  loss  how  to  acquaint  their  wives  and 
friends  that  all  of  them  were  alive ;  but  to  effect  this,  they  kindled  as  many  fires  on 
the  top  cS  an  eminence  as  there  were  men  in  number :  this  was  no  sooner  seen,  and  the 
fires  counted*  then  the  women  understood  the  agnal,  and  were  so  overjoyed  at  this  i^n- 
ezpecied  news,  that  they  fell  to  labour  the  ground  with  the  foot-spade,  a  fatigue  they 
had  never  been  accustomed  to  ;  and  that  year's  product  of  com  was  the  most  plentiful 
that  they  had  for  many  years  before.  After  the  stewaid's  arrival  in  the  isle,  about  the 
end  of  May,  he  sent  his  galley  to  bring  home  all  the  men  confined  in  the  isle,  to  tiieir 
80  muoh  longed  for  St  Kilda ;  where  the  tnutual  joy  between  them  and  their  wives, 
and  other  relations,  was  extraordmary. 

The  inhabitants  are  of  the  reformed  religion ;  they  assemble  in  the  church-yard  on  the 
Loid's  Day,  and  in  the  morning  they  say  the  Lord's  Prayer,  Creed,  and  Ten  Command- 

VOL.  III.  4  q, 


666 


mautin's  DfiscRirrioN  of  tub 


ments  :  they  work  at  no  employment  till  Monday,  neither  will  they  allow  a  stranger 
to  work  sooner.  The  ofliwr,  or  steward's  deputy  commonly,  and  sometimes  any  of 
tluir  neighbours,  baptize  their  children  soon  after  they  are  born  ;  and  in  the  following 
form  :  "  A.  I.  I  baptize  you  to  your  father  and  mother,  in  the  nsime  of  the  Father,  Son, 
«nd  Hcjly  Ghost."  'I'hey  marry  early  and  publicly,  all  the  natives  of  both  stxes  being 
present ;  the  officer  who  performs  the  marriage  tenders  a  crucifix  to  the  married  couple, 
wlioluy  their  right  hands  on  it,  and  then  the  marriage  is  ratified. 

They  observe  iht  festivals  of  Christmas,  Easter,  Good-Friday,  and  that  of  AlUSaints; 
upon  tl;e  latter  they  bake  a  large  cake,  in  form  of  a  triangle,  furrowed  round,  and  it 
mu>t  be  all  eaten  that  night.  They  are  hospitable,  and  charitable  to  strangers,  as  well 
as  the  poor  Lclonging  to  themselves,  for  whom  all  the  families  contribute  a  proportion 
monthly,  and  at  every  festival  each  family  sends  them  a  piece  of  mutton  or  beef. 

They  swear  decisive  oaths  by  the  crucifix,  and  this  puts  an  end  to  any  controversy ; 
for  there  is  not  one  instance,  or  the  least  suspicion  of  perjury  among  them.  The  cruci- 
fix is  of  brass,  and  about  nine  inches  in  length  ;  it  lies  upon  the  altar,  but  they  pay  no 
religious  worship  to  it.  One  of  the  inhabitants  was  so  sincere,  that  (rather  than  for- 
swear himself  on  the  crucifix  he  confessed  a  capital  crime  before  the  minister,  and  my- 
self. They  never  swear,  or  steal,  neither  do  they  take  God's  name  in  vain  at  any  time ; 
they  are  free  from  whoredom  and  adultery^  and  of  those  other  immoralities  that  abound 
so  much  every  where  else. 

One  of  the  inhabitants  called  Roderick,  a  fellow  that  could  not  read,  obtruded  a  false 
religion  upon  the  credulous  people,  which  he  pretended  to  have  received  from  St.  John 
the  Baptist.  It  is  remarkable,  that  in  his  rhapsodies,  which  he  called  prayers,  he  had 
the  word  Eli ;  and  to  this  purpose,  £U  is  our  preserver.  There  is  a  little  hill,  upon 
which  he  says  John  the  Baptist  delivered  sermons  and  prayers  to  him  ;  this  he  called 
John's  Bush,  and  made  the  people  believe  it  was  so  sacred,  that  if  either  cow  or  sheep 
<iid  taste  of  its  grass,  they  were  to  be  killed  immediately  after,  and  the  owners  were  to 
t-at  them,  but  never  without  the  company  of  the  impostor.  He  made  them  likewise  be- 
lieve that  each  of  them  had  a  tutelar  saint  in  heaven  to  intercede  for  them,  and  the  an- 
niversary of  every  one  of  those  was  to  be  necessarily  observed,  by  having  a  splended 
treat,  at  w  hich  the  impostor  was  always  t-  ^  principal  person.  He  taught  the  women 
a  devout  hymn,  which  he  said  he  had  from  thj  Virgin  Mary  ;  he  made  them  believe  that 
it  secured  any  woman  from  miscarriage  that  could  repeat  it  by  heart,  and  each  of  them 
paid  the  impostor  a  sheep  for  it. 

Upon  Mr.  Cambell's  arrival  and  mine  in  St.  Kilda,  Roderick  made  a  public  recanta- 
tion of  his  imposture ;  and  being  then  by  us  brought  to  the  isle  of  Harries,  and  after- 
wards to  the  isle  of  Skie,  he  has  made  public  confession  in  several  churches  of  his  con- 
verse with  the  devil,  and  not  John  the  Baptist,  as  he  pretended,  and  seems  to  be  very 
penitent.  He  is  now  in  Skie  isle,  from  whence  he  is  never  to  return  to  his  native  coun- 
try. His  neighbours  are  heartily  glad  to  be  rid  of  such  a  villain,  and  are  now  happily 
delivered  from  the  errors  he  imposed  upon  them.  The  isle  is  the  Laird  of  Mac-leod's 
property,  he  is  head  of  one  the  most  ancient  tribes  in  the  isles ;  he  bestows  the  isle  upon 
a  cadet  of  his  name,  whose  fortune  is  low,  to  mahitain  h'ls  family,  and  he  is  called 
steward  of  it :  he  visits  the  isle  once  every  summer,  to  demand  the  rents,  viz.  down, 
wool,  butter,  cheese,  cows,  horses,  fowl,  oil,  and  barley.  The  steward's  deputy  is  one 
of  the  natives,  and  stays  always  upon  the  place;  he  has  free  lands,  and  an  omerof 
barley  from  each  family  ;  and  has  the  honour  of  being  the  first  and  last  in  their  boat, 
as  they  go  and  come  to  the  lesser  isles  or  rocks.  The  andent  measure  of  omer  and  cu- 
bit continues  to  be  used  in  this  isle.    They  have  neither  gold  nor  silver,  but  barter 


WESTERN    ISLANDS    OF  SCOTLAND. 


667 


among  themselves  aiid  the  stewards  men  for  what  they  want.  Some  years  ago  llie 
steward  determined  to  exact  a  sheep  from  cver^  family  in  the  ible,  the  number  amount- 
ing to  twenty 'Seven ;  and  for  this  he  put  them  m  mind  of  a  late  precedent,  of  their  hav. 
ing  given  the  like  number  to  his  predecessor.  But  they  answered,  that  what  tiicy  gave 
then  was  voluntary,  and  upon  an  extraordinary  occasion  of  his  being  wind-bound  in 
the  isle,  and  that  this  was  not  to  be  a  custom  afterwards.  However  the  steward  sent  his 
brother,  and  with  a  competent  number  of  men,  to  take  the  sheep  from  them  by  force  ; 
but  the  natives,  arming  themselves  with  their  daggers  and  fishing  rods,  attacked  the 
steward's  brother,  giving  him  some  blows  on  the  head,  and  forced  him  and  his  p^rty  to 
retire,  and  told  him  that  they  would  pay  no  new  taxes :  and  by  this  stout  resistance 
they  preserved  their  freedom  from  such  imposition. 

The  inhabitants  live  contentedly  together  in  a  little  village  on  the  east-side  St.  Kilda, 
which  they  commonly  call  the  country ;  and  the  isle  Borreray,  which  is  little  more  than 
two  leagues  distant  from  them,  they  call  the  northern  country.  The  distance  between 
their  houses  is  by  them  called  the  High-street:  their  houses  are  low,  built  of  stone  and 
a  cement  of  dry  earth ;  they  have  couples  and  ribs  of  wood  covered  with  thin  earthern 
turf,  thatched  Over  these  with  straw,  and  the  roof  secured  on  each  side  with  double 
ropes  of  straw  or  heath,  poised  at  the  end  with  many  stones  :  their  beds  are  commonly 
made  in  <he  wall  of  their  houses,  and  they  lie  on  straw,  but  never  on  feathers  or  down, 
though  they  have  them  in  greater  plenty  than  all  the  western  isles  besides.  The  reason 
for  making  their  bed-room  in  the  wal.s  of  their  houses  is,  to  make  room  for  their  cows, 
which  they  take  in  during  the  winter  and  spring. 

'•^"They  are  very  exact  in  their  properties,  and  divide  both  the  fishing  as  well  as  fowling 
rocks  with  as  great  niceness  as  tney  do  their  corn  and  grass ;  one  will  not  allow  hi^ 
neighbour  to  sit  and  fish  on  his  seat,  for  this  being  a  part  of  his  possession,  he  will  take 
care  that  no  encroachment  be  made  upon  the  least  part  of  it :  and  this  with  a  particular 
regard  to  their  successors,  that  they  may  lose  no  privilege  depending  upon  any  parcel  of 
their  farm.  They  have  but  one  boat  in  the  isle,  and  every  man  hath  a  share  in  it,  pro- 
portionably  to  the  acres  of  ground  for  which  they  pay  rent.  They  are  stout  rowers, 
and  will  tug  at  the  oar  for  a  long  time,  without  any  mtermission.  When  they  sail,  they 
use  no  compass,  but  take  their  measures  from  the  sun,  mwon,  or  stars;  and  they  rely 
much  on  the  course  of  the  various  flocks  of  sea  fowl :  and  this  last  is  their  surest  direc- 
tory. When  they  go  to  the  lesser  isles  and  rocks,  to  bring  home  sheep,  or  any  other 
purchase,  they  carry  an  iron  pot  with  them,  and  each  family  furnishes  one  by  turns ; 
and  the  owner  on  such  occasions  has  a  small  tax  paid  him  by  all  the  families  m  the  isle, 
which  is  by  them  called  the  p|Ot-penny. 

There  was  another  tax  paid  by  each  family  to  one  of  the  natives,  as  often  as  they 
kindled  a  fire  in  any  of  the  lesser  isles  or  rocks,  and  that  for  the  use  of  his  steel  and 
flint ;  and  this  was  by  them  called  the  fire-penny. 

Thb  tax  was  ver)'  advantageous  to  the  proprietor,  but  very  uneasy  to  the  common- 
wealth, who  could  not  be  furnished  with  fire  on  these  occasions  any  other  way.  But  I 
told  them  that  the  chrystal  growing  in  the  rock  on  the  shore  would  yield  fire,  if  struck 
with  the  back  of  a  knife,  and  ol  this  I  shewed  them  an  experiment ;  which,  when  they 
saw,  was  a  very  surprising,  and  to  them  a  profitable  discovery  in  their  esteem,  being^  such 
as  could  be  had  by  every  man  in  the  isle ;  and  at  thj  same  time  delivered  them  from  an 
endless  charge :  but  it  was  very  disobliging  to  tlw  poor  man  who  lost  his  tax  by  it. 

The  inhabitants  of  St.  Kilaa  excel  all  those  I  ever  saw  in  climbing  rocks :  they  told 
me  that  some  years  ago  their  boat  was  split  to  pieces  upon  thfc  west  Side  of  Borreray  isle» 
and  they  were  forced  to  lay  hold  on  a  bare  rock,  which  was  steep,  and  above  twenty 

4  q.2 


I 


I 


668 


martin's  UI8CRIPTI0N  OF  THE,. 


fathom  high ;  notwithstanding  this  difficulty,  some  of  them  climbed  up  to  the  top,  and 
from  thence  let  down  a  rope  and  plaids,  and  so  drew  up  all  the  boat's  crew,  though  the 
climbing  this  rock  would  seem  impossible  to  any  other  except  themselves. 

This  little  commonwealth  hath  two  ropes  of  about  twenty  four  fathoms  I^gth  each, 
for  climbing  the  rocks,  which  they  do  by  turns ;  the  ropes  are  secured  all  round  with 
cows'  hides  salted  for  the  use,  and  which  preserves  them  from  being  cut  by  the  edge  of 
the  rocks.  By  the  assistance  of  these  ropes  the^  purchase  a  great  number  of  eggs  and 
fowls :  I  have  seen  them  bring  home  in  a  morning  twenty-nine  large  baskets  all  full  of 
eggs ;  the  least  of  the  baskets  contained  four  hundred  big  eggs,  and  the  rest  eight  hun. 
dred  and  above  of  lesser  eggs.  They  had  with  them  at  the  same  time  about  two  thou- 
sand sea  fowl,  and  some  fi«i,  together  with  some  limpets,  called  patella,  the  biggest  I 
ever  saw.  They  catch  many  fowls  likewise,  by  laying  their  gins,  which  are  made  of 
horae-hair«  having  u  noose  at  the  distance  of  two  feet  each ;  tlie  ends  of  the  rope  at 
'  Mch  the  noose  lungs  are  secured  by  stone. 

The  natives  gave  me  an  account  of  a  verv  extraordinary  risque  which  one  of  them 
ran  as  laying  his  gins,  which  was  thus :  as  he  was  walking  bare-foot  along  the  rock 
where  he  had  dxed  his  gin,  he  happened  to  put  his  toe  in  a  noose,  and  immediately  fell 
down  the  rock,  but  hung  by  the  toe,  the  gin  being  strong  enough  to  hold  him,  and  the 
stones  that  secured  it  on  each  end  being  heavy :  the  poor  man  continued  hanging  thus 
ff>r  the  space  ot  a  night  on  a  rock  twenty  fathom  height  above  the  sea,  until  one  of  his 
neighbours,  hearing  nim  cry,  came  to  his  rescue,  drew  him  up  by  the  feet,  and  so  saved 
him. 

These  poor  people  do  sometimes  fall  down  as  they  climb  the  rocks,  and  perish :  their 
wives  on  such  occasions  make  doleful  songs,  whicn  they  call  lamentations.  The  chief 
topicks  are  their  courage,  their  dexterity  in  climbing,  and  their  great  affection  which 
they  shewed  to  their  wives  and  children. 

It  is  ordinary  with  a  fowler,  after  he  has  got  his  purchase  of  fowls,  to  pluck  the  fattest, 
and  carry  it  home  to  his  wife  as  a  mark  of  his  affection ;  and  this  is  called  the  rock-lbwi. 

The  batchelors  dv  in  like  manner  carry  this  rock  fowl  to  their  sweethearts,  and  it  is 
the  greatest  present  they  can  make,  considering  the  danger  they  run  in  acquiring  it 

1  he  richest  man  in  the  isle  has  .  ~*  above  eight  cows,  eighty  sheep,  and  two  or  three 
horses.  If  a  native  here  have  but  a  few  cattle,  he  will  marry  a  woman,  though  she  have 
no  other  portion  from  her  friends  but  a  pound  of  horse-hair«  to  make  a  gin  to  catch 
fowls. 

The  horses  here  are  very  low  of  stature,  and  employed  only  to  carry  home  their 
peats  and  turf,  which  is  their  fuel.  The  inhabitants  ride  their  horses  (which  were  but 
eighteen  in  all)  at  the  anniversary  cavalcade  of  All-Saintr :  this  they  never  fail  to  ob- 
serve. They  begin  at  the  shore,  and  ride  as  far  as  the  houses ;  they  use  no  saddles  of 
any  kind,  nor  bridle,  except  a  rope  of  straw  which  manages  the  horse's  head :  and  when 
they  have  all  taken  the  horses  by  turns,  the  show  is  over  for  that  time. 

This  isle  produces  the  finest  hawks  in  the  western  isles,  for  they  go  many  leagues  for 
their  prey,  there  being  no  land-fowl  in  St.  Kilda  proper  for  them  to  eat,  except  pigeons 
and  plovers. 

One  of  the  inhabitants  of  St.  Kilda  being  some  time  ago  wind-bound  in  the  isle  of 
Harries,  was  prevailed  on  by  somt  of  them  that  traded  to  Glasgow  to  go  thither  with 
them.  He  was  astonished  at  the  length  of  the  voyage,  and  of  the  |;reat  kingdoms,  as  he 
thought  them,  that  is  isles,  by  which  they  sailed ;  the  latest  in  his  waydkl  not  exceed 
twenty  four  miles  in  lengthy  but  he  considered  how  much  they  exceeded  his  own  little 
Dative  country. 


WBSTEIIN    I8LAWD8   OF    SCOTLAND. 


669 


Upon  his  arrival  at  Glasgow,  he  was  like  one  that  had  dropt  from  the  clouds  into  u 
new  world  ;  whose  language,  habit,  &c.  were  in  all  respects  new  to  him  :  he  never  ima- 
gined that  such  big  houses  of  stone  were  made  with  hands  ;  and  for  the  pavements  of  the 
streets,  he  thought  it  must  needs  be  altogether  natural ;  for  he  could  not  believe  that 
men  would  be  at  the  pains  to  beat  stones  into  the  ground  to  walk  upon.  He  stood 
dumb  at  the  door  of  his  lodging  witt*  the  greatest  admiration  ;  and  when  he  saw  a  coach 
and  two  horses,  he  thought  it  to  be  a  lUtlie  house  they  were  drawing  at  their  tail,  with 
men  in  it ;  but  he  condemned  the  coachman  for  a  fool  to  sit  so  uneasy,  for  he  thought 
it  safer  to  sit  on  the  horse's  back.  The  mechanism  of  the  coach-whecI,  and  its  running 
about,  was  the  greatest  of  all  his  wonders. 

When  he  went  through  the  streets  he  desired  to  have  one  to  lead  him  by  the  hand. 
Thomas  Ross,  a  merchant,  and  others,  that  took  the  diversion  to  carry  him  through 
the  town,  asked  hb  opinion  of  the  High  Church?  He  answered,  that  it  was  a  large 
rock,  yet  there  were  some  in  St.  Kilda  much  higher,  but  that  these  were  the  best  caves 
he  ever  saw ;  for  that  was  the  idea  which  he  conceived  of  the  pillars  and  arches  upon 
vHiich  the  church  stands.  When  they  carried  him  into  the  church,  he  was  yet  mor^ 
surprized,  and  held  up  his  hands  with  admiration,  wondering  how  it  was  possible  for 
men  to  build  such  a  prodigious  fabric,  which  he  supposed  to  be  the  largest  in  the  uni. 
verse.  He  could  not  imagine  what  the  pews  were  designed  for,  and  he  fancied  the  people 
that  wore  masks  (not  knowing  whether  they  were  men  or  women)  had  been  guilty  of 
some  ill  thine,  for  which  they  dared  not  shew  their  faces.  He  was  amazed  at  women's 
wearing  patches,  and  fancied  them  to  have  been  blisters.  Pendants  seemed  to  him  the 
most  ridiculous  of  all  things ;  he  condemned  perriwigs  mightily,  and  much  more  the 
powder  used  in  them :  in  fine,  he  condemned  all  things  as  superfluous  he  saw  not  in 
his  own  country.  He  looked  with  amazement  on  every  thing  that  was  new  to  him.  When 
he  heard  the  church-bells  rin^,  he  was  under  a  mighty  consternation,  as  if  the  fabric  of 
the  world  had  been  in  great  disorder.  He  did  not  think  there  had  been  so  many  people 
in  the  world  as  in  the  city  of  Glasgow ;  and  it  was  a  great  mystery  to  him  to  think  what 
they  could  all  design  by  living  so  many  in  one  place.  He  wondered  how  they  could  all 
be  furnished  with  provision ;  and  when  he  saw  big  loaves,  he  could  not  tell  whether 
they  were  bread,  stone,  or  wood.  He  was  amazed  to  think  how  they  could  be  pro- 
vided with  ale,  for  he  never  saw  any  there  that  drank  water.  He  wondered  how  they 
made  them  fine  clothes,  and  to  see  stockings  made,  without  being  first  cut  and  after* 
wards  sewn,  was  no  small  wonder  to  him.  He  thought  it  foolish  in  women  to 
wear  thin  silks,  as  being  a  very  improper  habit  for  such  as  pretended  to  any  sort  of 
employment.  When  he  saw  the  women's  feet,  he  judged  them  to  be  of  another  shape 
than  those  of  the  men,  because  of  the  different  shape  of  their  shoes.  He  did  not  ap- 
prove of  the  heels  worn  by  men  or  women ;  and  when  he  observed  horses  with  shoes 
on  their  feet,  and  fastened  with  iron  nails,  he  could  not  forbear  laughing,  and  thought 
it  the  most  ri^culous  thing  that  ever  fell  under  his  observation.  He  longed  to  see  his 
native  country  again,  and  passionately  wished  it  were  blessed  with  ale,  brandy,  tobacco, 
and  iron,  as  Glasgow  was. 

There  is  a  couple  of  large  eagles  who  have  their  nest  on  the  north  end  of  the  isle ; 
the  inhabitants  told  me  that  they  commonly  make  their  purchase  in  the  adjacent  i^^les 
and  continent,  and  never  take  so  much  as  a  lamb  or  hen  fi-om  the  place  of  their  abode, 
where  they  propagate  their  kind.  I  forgot  to  give  an  account  of  a  singular  providence 
that  happened  to  a  native  in  the  isle  of  Skie,  called  Neil,  who,  when  an  infant,  was  left 
by  his  mother  in  the  field,  not  for  from  the  houses  on  the  north  side  Lorh-Portie ; 
an  eagle  came  in  the  mean  time,  and  carried  him  away  in  its  talons  as  far  as  the  south 


t 

v 

1 1 


r 

»  . 


o7U 


MAiniN  8   J)CSCKIPTION   OF  THE 


side  of  ihc  locli,  and  ihcrc,  laying  him  on  the  ground,  some  people  that  were  herding 
sheep  there  perceived  it,  and  hearing  the  infant  cry,  ran  immediately  to  its  rescue;  and 
by  good  Providence  found  him  untouclied  by  the  eagle,  and  carried  him  home  to  his 
mother.  He  is  still  living  in  that  parish,  and,  by  reason  of  this  accident,  is  distinguished 
among  his  neighbours  by  the  surname  of  Kagle.  ^ 

AN  ACnouM'  OF  THE  SIXOND-SILIHT,  1\  IRISH  CALLED  TAISH.  ' 

'i  he  second-sight  is  n  singular  faculty  of  seeing  an  otherwise  invisible  object,  uithout 
any  previous  means  used  by  the  person  that  sees  it  for  that  end  ;  the  vision  makes  such 
a  lively  impression  upon  the  seers,  that  they  neither  see  nor  think  of  any  thing  else,  ex- 
cept the  vision,  as  long  as  it  continues  :  and  then  they  ap[)ear  pensive  or  jovial,  accord- 
ing to  the  object  which  was  represented  to  them. 

At  the  sight  of  a  vision,  the  eye-lids  of  the  person  are  erected,  and  the  eyes  continue 
staring  until  the  object  vanish.  This  is  obvious  to  others  who  are  by,  when  the  per* 
sons  happen  to  see  a  vision,  and  occurred  more  than  once  to  my  own  observation,  and 
to  others  that  were  with  me. 

There  is  one  in  Skic,  of  whom  his  acquaintance  observed,  that  when  he  sees  a  vision, 
the  inner  part  of  his  eye-lids  turn  so  far  upwards,  that  after  the  object  disappears,  he 
must  draw  them  down  with  his  fingers,  and  sometimes  employs  others  to  draw  them 
down,  which  he  finds  to  be  the  much  easier  way.  .<  i* 

This  faculty  of  the  second-sight  does  not  lineally  descend  in  a  family,  as  some  ima> 
gine,  fur  I  know  several  parents  who  are  endowed  with  it,  but  their  children  not,  and 
vice  versa :  neither  is  it  acquired  by  any  previous  compact.  And,  after  strict  inquiry,  I 
could  never  learn  from  any  among  them,  that  this  faculty  was  communicable  any  way 
whatsoever. 

The  seer  knows  neither  the  object,  time,  nor  place  of  a  vision,  before  it  appears ; 
xind  the  same  object  is  often  seen  by  different  persons,  living  at  a  considerable  distance 
from  one  another.  The  true  way  of  judging  as  to  the  time  and  circumstance  of  an  ob- 
ject is  by  observation  ;  for  several  persons  of  judgment,  without  this  faculty,  are  more 
capable  to  judge  of  the  design  of  a  vision,  than  a  novice  that  is  a  seer.  If  an  object 
appear  in  the  day  or  night,  it  will  come  to  pass  sooner  or  later,  accordingly. 

If  an  object  is  seen  early  in  a  morning  (which  is  not  frequent)  it  will  be  accom* 
plished  in  a  few  hours  afterwards.  If  at  noon,  it  will  commonly  be  accomplished  that 
very  day.  If  in  the  evening,  perhaps  that  night ;  if  after  candles  be  lighted,  it  will  be 
accomplished  that  night :  the  latter  always  in  accomplishment,  by  weeks,  months,  and 
sometimes  years,  according  to  the  time  ofnigluthe  vision  is  seen. 

V  len  a  shroud  is  perceived  about  one,  it  is  a  sure  prognostic  of  death  :  the  time  is 
jui'  ai  according  to  the  height  of  it  about  the  person :  for  if  it  is  not  seen  above  the 
mu  '  ;  -  death  is  not  to  be  expected  for  the  space  of  a  year,  and  perhaps  some  months 
longer ;  and  as  it  is  frequently  seen  to  ascend  higher  towards  the  head,  death  is  con- 
cluded to  be  at  hand  within  a  few  days,  if  not  hours,  as  daily  experience  confirms* 
Examples  of  this  kind  were  shewn  me,  when  the  persons  of  whom  the  observations  then 
made  enjoyed  perfect  health. 

One  instance  was  lately  foretold  by  a  seer  that  was  a  novice,  concerning  the  death 
of  one  of  my  acquaintance ;  this  was  communicated  to  a  few  only,  and  with  great  con* 
fidence ;  I  being  one  of  the  number  did  not  in  the  least  regard  it,  until  the  death  of 
the  person,  about  the  time  foretold,  did  confirm  me  of  the  certainty  of  the  predictioo* 


^;:i,-»^v,^,;%-s3i:.; 


.'^ilT-' ■ffttF""-' 


WtSl'EU!^    UtANDS    Ul'    aCUlLAND. 


(>7l 


The  novice  nicuiioiicd  above  is  now  a  skilful  sccr,  as  appears  from  miUiy  late  instances  ; 
he  lives  in  the  parish  of  St.  Mary's,  the  most  northern  in  Skie. 

If  a  woman  is  seen  standin^^  at  a  man'^  left  hand,  it  is  a  presage  that  hhe  will  be  his 
niff,  wluthtr  they  be  married  toothers,  or  unmarried,  at  the  time  of  the  apparition. 

IRiwo  or  three  women  arc  seen  a  J  once  standing  near  a  man's  left  hand,  she  that  is 
mxt  him  uiil  undoubtedly  be  his  wife  lirst,  and  soon,  whether  all  three,  or  the  man,  be 
single  or  married  at  the  time  of  the  vision  or  not ;  of  which  there  arc  several  late  in- 
stances among  those  of  my  acquaintance.  It  is  an  ordinary  thing  for  them  to  see  a  man 
that  is  to  come  to  the  house  shortly  after ;  and  if  he  is  not  of  the  seer's  acquaintance, 
yet  he  gives  such  a  lively  description  of  his  stature,  complexion,  habit,  8cc.  that  upon  his 
arrival  he  answers  the  character  given  him  in  all  respects. 

If  the  person  so  appearing  Ix;  one  of  the  seer*s  acquaintance,  he  will  tell  his  name,  as 
well  as  other  particulars ;  and  he  can  tell  by  his  countenance  whether  he  comes  in  a  good 
or  bad  humour. 

I  have  been  seen  thus  myself  by  seers  of  lK)th  sexes  nt  some  hundred  miles  distance : 
some  that  saw  me  in  this  manner  had  never  seen  me  personally,  and  it  happened  ac- 
cording to  their  visions,  without  any  previous  design  of  mine  to  go  to  those  places,  my 
coming  there  being  purely  accidental. 

It  is  ordinary  with  them  to  see  houses,  gardens,  and  trees,  in  places  void  of  all  three  ; 
and  this  in  process  of  dme  uses  to  be  accomplished :  as  at  Mogstot  in  the  isle  of  Skie, 
where  there  were  but  a  few  sorry  cow>houses  thatched  with  straw,  yet  in  a  few  years 
after  the  vision,  which  appeared  often,  was  accomplished,  by  the  building  of  several 
good  houses  on  the  very  spot  represented  to  the  seers,  and  by  the  planting  of  orchards 
there. 

To  see  st  spark  of  fire  fall  upon  one'b  arm  or  breast,  is  a  forerunner  of  a  dead  child  to 
be  seen  in  the  arms  of  those  persons ;  of  which  there  are  several  fresh  instances. 

To  see  a  seat  empty  at  the  time  of  one's  sitting  in  it,  is  a  presage  of  that  person's  death 
quickly  after. 

When  a  novice*  or  one  that  has  lately  obtained  the  second-sight,  sees  a  vision  in  the 
night-time  without  doors,  and  comes  near  a  fire,  he  presently  falls  into  a  swoon. 

Some  find  themselves  as  it  were  in  a  crowd  of  people,  having  a  corpse  which  they  carry 
along  with  them  ;  and  after  such  visions  the  seers  come  in  sweating,  and  describe  the 
people  that  appeared ;  if  there  be  any  of  their  acquaintance  among  them,  they  give 
an  account  of  their  names,  as  also  of  the  bearers,  but  they  know  nothing  concerning 
the  corpse. 

All  tnose  who  have  the  second-sight  do  not  alwap  see  these  visions  at  once,  though 
they  be  together  at  the  time.  But  if  one,  who  has  this  faculty,  designedly  touch  his  fellow- 
seer  at  the  instant  of  a  vision's  appearing,  then  the  second  sees  it  as  well  as  the  first ;  and 
this  is  sometimes  discerned  by  those  that  are  near  them  on  such  occasions. 

There  is  a  way  of  foretelling  death  by  aery  that  they  call  Taisk,  which  some  call  a 
Wr&th  in  the  Lowland. 

They  hear  a  loud  cry  without  doors,  exactly  resembling  the  voice  of  some  particular 
person,  whose  death  is  foretold  by  it.  The  last  instance  given  me  of  this  kind  was  in 
the  village  Rigg,  in  the  isle  of  Skie. 

Five  women  were  sitting  together  in  the  same  room,  and  all  of  them  heard  a  loud  cry 
passing  by  the  window ;  they  thought  it  plainly  to  be  the  voice  of  a  maid  who  was  one 
of  the  number ;  she  blushed  at  the  time,  though  not  sensible  of  her  so  doing,  contracted 
a  fever  next  day,  and  died  that  week.      ■        '  ■»  -•     ?: 


I 


4 


■V. 


JflTir 


?<M« 


*     .>.«. 


672 


martin's    OBtCtlPTION    OF    THE 


Things  also  are  foretold  by  t melHng,  sometimes  as  follows :  fish  or  flesh  is  frequently 
smclled  m  a  fire,  when  at  the  same  time  neither  of  the  two  are  in  the  house,  or  m  any 
probability  like  to  be  had  in  it  for  some  weeks  or  months  ;  for  they  seldom  eat  flesh, 
and  though  the  sea  be  near  them,  yet  they  catch  fish  but  sekloro,  in  the  winter  and 
spring.  This  smell  several  persons  have,  who  are  not  endued  with  the  second'Sight, 
and  it  is  alwavs  accomplished  soon  after. 

Children,  horses  and  cows  see  the  second-sight,  as  well  as  men  and  women  advanced 
in  vears. 

That  children  see  it  is  plain  from  tlieir  crying  aloud  at  the  very  instant  that  a  corpse 
or  any  other  vision  appears  to  an  ordinary  seer.  I  was  present  in  a  house  where  a 
child  cried  out  of  a  sudden,  and  being  asked  the  reason  of  it,  he  answered,  that  he  had 
seen  a  great  white  thing  lying  on  the  board  which  was  in  the  corner:  but  he  was  not 
believed,  until  a  seer  who  was  present  told  them  that  the  child  was  in  the  right :  *'  For, 
(said  he)  I  saw  a  corpse,  and  the  shroud  about  it,  and  the  board  will  be  used  as  part  of  a 
coffin,  or  some  way  employed  about  a  corpse :"  and  accordingly,  it  was  made  into  a 
coffin,  for  one  who  was  m  perfect  health  at  the  time  of  the  vision. 

That  horses  see  it  is  likewise  plain,  from  their  violent  and  sudden  starting,  when  the 
rider  or  seer  in  company  with  him  sees  a  vision  of  any  kind,  night  or  day.  It  is  ob- 
servable of  the  horse,  that  he  will  not  go  forward  that  way,  until  he  be  led  about  at  some 
distance  from  the  common  road,  and  then  he  is  in  a  sweat. 

A  horse  fastened  by  the  common  road,  on  the  side  of  Loch-Skeriness  in  Skie,  did 
break  his  rope  at  noon-dav,  and  run  up  and  down,  without  the  least  visible  cause.  But 
two  of  the  neighbourhood  that  happened  to  be  at  a  little  distance,  and  in  view  of  the 
horse,  did  at  the  same  time  see  a  considerable  number  of  men  about  a  corpse,  directing 
their  course  to  the  church  of  Snisort ;  and  this  was  accomplished  within  a  few  days  after, 
by  the  death  of  a  gentlewoman  who  lived  thirteen  miles  from  that  church,  and  came  from 
another  parish,  from  whence  veiy  few  come  to  Snisort  to  be  buried. 

That  cows  see  the  second-sight  appears  from  this ;  that  when  a  woman  is  milking  a 
cow,  and  then  happen  to  see  the  second-sight,  tlie  cow  runs  away  in  a  great  fright  at  the 
same  time,  and  will  not  be  pacified  for  some  time  after. 

Before  I  mention  more  particulars  discovered  by  the  second.sight,  it  may  not  be  amiss 
to  answer  the  objections  that '  ave  lately  been  made  against  the  reality  of  it. 

Object.  1.  These  seers  are  visionary  and  melancholy  people,  and  fancy  they  see 
things  that  do  not  appear  to  them,  or  any  body  else. 

Answ.  The  people  of  these  isles,  and  particularly  the  seers,  are  very  temperate,  and 
their  diet  is  simple  and  moderate  in  quantity  and  quality  ;  so  that  their  brains  are  not  in 
all  probability  disordered  by  undigested  fumes  of  meat  or  drink.  Both  sexes  are  free 
from  hysteric  fits,  convulsions*  and  several  other  distempers  of  that  sort ;  there  are  no 
madmen  among  them,  nor  any  instance  of  self-murder.  It  b  observed  amongr  them, 
that  a  man  drunk  never  sees  the  second-sight ;  and  he  that  b  a  visionary  would  duoover 
himself  in  other  things  as  well  as  in  that ;  and  such  as  see  it  are  not  judged  to  be  vision- 
aries by  any  of  their  friends  or  acquaintance. 

Object.  2.  There  is  none  among  the  learned  able  to  oblige  the  world  with  a  satisfy- 
ing account  of  those  visions,  therefore  it  is  not  to  be  believed. 

Answ.  If  every  thing  for  which  the  learned  a^  not  able  to  give  a  satisfyii^  account 
be  condemned  as  impossible,  we  may  find  many  other  things,  generally  believed,  that 
must  be  rejected  as  false  by  this  rule.  For  instance,  yawning,  and  its  influence,  and  that 
the  loadstone  attracts  iron ;  and  yet  these  are  true,  as  well  as  harmless,  though  we  can 


-itjji" 


Wl.STLllN    ISLANDS   OV    SCOJLAKh. 


673 


'e(jucntly 
:  in  any 
:at  flesli, 
ntcr  and 
nd'Sigbt, 

advanced 

a  corpse 

where  a 

at  he  had 

was  not 

"  For, 

ipnrt  of  a 

ade  into  a 

when  the 
It  is  ob- 
it at  some 

Skie,  did 
luse.  But 
!W  of  the 
directing 
ays  after, 
amefrom 

milking  a 
ghtatthe 

:  be  amiss 

they  see 

erate,  and 
are  not  in 
s  are  free 
;re  are  no 
tnsr  them, 
Icusoover 
be  vision- 

a  satisfy- 

;  account 
ived,  that 
I,  and  that 
^  we  can 


give  no  satisfying  account  of  their  causes.     And  if  wc  know  so  liitic  ui  iiatur.il  causes, 
how  much  k^a  can  wc  pretend  to  things  that  are  supernatural  ? 

Object.  3.  The  seers  are  impostors,  and  the  people  who  believe  thcni  arc  credulous, 
and  easily  imposed  upon. 

Answ.  '1  he  seers  are  generally  illiterate  and  welUmcaning  people,  and  altogether  void 
of  design,  nor  could  I  ever  learn  that  any  of  them  made  the  least  gain  by  it,  neither  is  it 
reputable  among  them  to  have  that  faculty  :  besides,  the  people  of  the  isles  are  not  so 
credulous  as  to  believe  implicitly,  before  the  thing  foretold  is  accomplished ;  but  when 
it  actually  comes  to  pass  afterwards,  it  is  not  in  their  power  to  deny  it,  without  oft'crin;^ 
violence  to  their  senses  and  reason.  Besides,  if  the  seers  were  deceivers,  can  it  be  reu- 
sonuble  to  imagine,  that  all  the  islanders,  who  have  not  the  second-sight,  should  com 
bine  together,  and  offer  violence  to  their  understandings  and  senses,  to  force  themselves 
to  believe  a  lie  from  age  to  age.  There  are  several  persons  among  them,  whose  birth 
and  education  raise  them  above  the  suspicion  of  concurring  with  an  imposture,  merely 
to  gratify  an  illiterate  and  contemptible  sort  of  persons ;  nor  can  a  reasonable  man  be. 
Uevc  that  children,  horses,  and  cows,  could  be  pre-engaged  in  a  combination  to  persuade 
the  world  of  the  reality  of  the  second-sight. 

Such  as  deny  those  visions  give  their  assent  to  several  strange  passages  in  history,  upon 
the  authority  aforesaid  of  historians  that  lived  several  centuries  before  our  time ;  and 
yet  they  dmy  the  people  of  this  generation  the  liberty  to  believe  their  intimate  friends 
and  acquaintance,  men  of  probity  and  unquestionable  reputation,  and  of  whose  veracity 
they  have  greater  certainty,  than  we  can  have  of  any  ancient  historian. 

£very  vision  that  is  seen  comes  exactly  to  pass  according  to  the  true  rules  of  obser- 
vation, though  novices  and  heedless  persons  do  not  always  judge  by  those  rules.  I 
remember  the  seers  returned  me  this  answer  to  my  objection,  and  gave  several  instances 
to  that  purpose,  whereof  the  following  is  one. 

A  boy  of  my  acquaintance  was  often  surprized  at  the  sight  of  a  coffin  close  by  h\» 
shoulder,  which  put  him  into  a  fright,  and  made  him  to  believe  it  was  a  forerunner  of 
his  own  death,  and  this  his  neighbours  also  judged  to  be  the  meaning  of  that  vision : 
but  a  seer  that  lived  in  the  village  Knockow,  where  the  bov  was  then  a  servant,  told 
them  that  they  were  under  a  great  mistake,  and  desired  the  boy  to  lay  hold  of  the  first 
opportunity  that  oflfered  ;  and  when  he  went  to  a  burial,  to  remember  to  act  as  a 
bearer  for  some  moments :  and  this  he  did  accordingly  within  a  few  days  after,  when 
one  of  his  acquaintance  died  ;  and  from  that  time  forward  he  was  never  troubled  with 
seeing  a  coffin  at  his  shoulder,  though  he  has  seen  many  at  a  distance,  that  concerned 
others.  He  is  now  reckoned  one  of  the  exactest  seers  in  the  parish  of  St.  Mary's  in 
Skie,  where  he  lives. 

There  is  another  instance  of  a  woman  in  Skie,  who  frequenUy  saw  a  vision  repre- 
senting a  woman  having  a  shroud  about  her  up  to  the  middle,  but  always  appeared  with 
her  back  towards  her,  and  the  habit  in  which  it  seemed  to  be  dressed  resembled  her 
own :  thisf  was  a  mystery  for  some  time,  until  the  woman  tried  an  experiment  to  satisfy 
her  curiosity,  which  was,  to  dress  herself  contrary  to  the  usual  way ;  that  is,  she  put  that 
part  of  her  clothes  behind  which  was  always  before,  fancying  that  the  vision  at  the  next 
appearing  would  be  the  easier  distinguished :  and  it  fell  out  accordingly,  for  the  vibion 
soon  after  presented  itself  with  its  face  and  dress  looking  towards  the  woman,  and  it 
proved  to  resemble  herself  in  all  points^  and  she  died  in  a  litUe  time  after. 

There  are  visions  seen  by  several  persons,  in  whose  days  they  are  not  accomplished  ^ 
and  this  b  one  of  the  reasonsi  yAiy  some  things  have  been  seen  that  are  said  never  to 

VOL.   UJ.  4  R 


'ir* 


MAnVlM^e   l)b8CKllfll(#N   Ul    lllk 


come  to  ()u>)«,  i.nd  tlicrc  iirc  aUo  sicvcrul  visions  leen,  uhicli  arc  not  understood  until 
i\\cs  he  ncconiplishal. 

The  sccnnd-si^lii  is  nut  a  late  dincovcr}',  seen  by  one  or  two  in  a  corner,  or  a  remote 
ibie,  but  it  h  seen  by  many  jKrsons  of  both  sexes  in  several  isles,  separated  above  forty 
or  fifty  leagues  from  one  another  :  the  inhabitants  of  many  of  these  isles  never  had  the 
feast  converse  by  word  or  writing  ;  and  this  faculty  of  seeing  visions  h.  "Ing  continued, 
as  we  wert'  informed  by  tradition,  ever  since  the  plantation  of  these  isles*  without  being 
disproved  by  the  nicest  sceptic,  after  the  strictest  inquiry,  seems  to  be  a  clear  proof  of 
its  reality. 

It  is  observable,  that  it  was  much  more  common  twenty  years  ago,  than  at  present ; 
for  one  in  tun  do  not  sec  it  now  that  saw  it  then. 

1'he  second-sight  is  not  confmed  to  the  Western  Isles  alone,  for  I  have  an  account 
that  it  is  likewise  seen  in  several  parts  of  Holland,  but  particularly  In  Bommcl,  by  a 
woman,  for  which  she  is  courted  by  some,  and  dreaded  by  others.  She  sees  a  smoke  about 
one's  face,  which  is  a  forerunner  of  the  death  of  a  person  so  seen  ;  and  she  did  actually 
foretell  the  death  of  several  that  lived  there  :  she  was  living  in  that  town  this  last  winter. 

The  corpses-candles,  or  dead-mens'  lights  in  Wales,  which  are  certain  prognostics 
of  death,  are  well  known  and  attested. 

The  second  sight  is  likewise  seen  in  the  Isle  of  Man,  as  appears  by  this  instance : 
Cnpt.  Leaths,  the  chief  magistrate  of  Belfast,  in  his  voyage  1090,  lost  thirteen  men  by  a 
violent  storm,  and,  upon  his  landing  in  the  Isle  of  Man,  an  ancient  man,  clerk  to  a  parish 
there,  told  him  immediately  that  he  had  lost  thirteen  men  ;  the  captain  inquiring  how  he 
came  to  the  knowledge  of  that,  he  answered,  that  it  was  by  thirteen  lights  which  he  had 
seen  come  into  the  church-yard ;  as  Mr.  Sachaverel  tells  us  in  his  late  Description  of 
the  Isle  of  Man. 

It  were  ridiculous  to  suppose  a  combination  between  the  people  of  the  Western  Isles  of 
Scotland,  Holland,  Wales,  and  the  Isle  of  Man,  since  they  aire  separated  by  long  seas, 
and  are  people  of  different  languages,  govemment8»  and  interests  :  they  have  no 
correspondence  between  them,  and  it  is  probable,  that  those  inhabiting  the  North-west 
isles  have  never  yet  heard  that  any  such  visions  arc  seen  in  Holland,  Wales,  or  the  Isle 
of  Man. 

Four  men  of  the  village  Flodgery  in  Skie  being  at  supper,  one  of  them  did  suddenly 
fet  fall  his  knife  on  the  table,  and  looked  with  an  angry  countenance ;  the  company 
observing  it,  inquired  his  reason,  but  he  returned  them  no  answer  until  they  had  supped, 
and  then  he  told  them  that  when  he  let  fall  his  knife,  he  saw  a  corpse  with  the  shroud 
about  it  laid  on  the  table,  which  surprized  him,  and  that  a  little  time  would  accom- 
plish the  vision.  It  fell  out  accordingly,  for  in  a  few  days  after  one  of  tlie  family 
died,  and  happened  to  be  laid  on  that  very  table.  This  was  told  me  by  the  master  of 
the  family. 

Daniel  Stewart,  an  inhabitant  of  Hole,  in  the  north  parish  of  St.  Mary's  in  the  isle  of 
Skie,  saw  at  noon-day  five  men  on  horseback  riding  northward ;  he  ran  to  meet  them, 
and  when  he  came  to  the  road,  he  could  see  none  of  them,  which  was  very  surprizing 
to  him,  and  he  told  it  his  neighbours :  the  very  next  day  he  saw  the  same  number  of 
men  and  horses  coming  along  the  road,  but  was  not  so  ready  to  meet  them  as  before, 
until  he  heard  them  speak,  and  then  he  found  them  to  be  those  that  he  had  seen  the  day 
before  in  a  vision ;  this  was  the  only  vision  of  the  kind  he  had  ever  seen  in  his  life. 
The  company  he  saw  was  sir  Donakl  Mac-Donald  and  his  retinue,  who  at  the  time  of 
tjne  vision  was  at  Armidal,  near  forty  miles  souUi  of  the  place  where  the  man  lived* 


<v- 


iifiiii 


WrilTEMN    IStANDt    OF  8C0TLAN0. 


075 


A  woman  of  Stornbay  ii)  Lcwbi  had  u  luaul  who  saw  vi^iotts,  and  orioi)  Hll  into  u 
swoon  ;  her  niibtrc^H  was  very  mitch  conccriii'd  ubout  hir,  but  ((hiUI  ii'ii  jind  om  nu\ 
nitrunit  to  prevent  her  seeing  those  things  :  at  last  tin:  resolved  to  pour  >.<>inc.  ol'  the  wau  i 
used  ii)  Ijuptism  on  her  matd'tt  face,  believing  Uiit  would  mevcnt  her  Kccin'r  any  more 
sight!*  of  tluH  kind.  And  accordin;;iy  she  curried  her  maid  with  her  next  hord'ii  Oay, 
and  both  of  diem  &at  near  the  basin  in  which  the  water  stu«xl,  and  after  baptism,  Inforc 
the  minister  had  concluded  the  last  prayer,  she  put  her  hand  in  the  basin,  took  up  a  . 
much  water  as  she  could,  and  threw  it  on  the  maid's  face ;  at  which  strange  action  tlu 
mrnistcr  and  the  congregation  were  equally  surprized.  Af\er  prayer,  the  minister  in- 
(juircd  of  the  woman  the  meaning  of  such  an  unbecoming  and  distracted  action  ;  she 
told  him,  it  was  to  prevent  her  maid's  seeing  visions  :  and  it  fell  out  accordingly,  for 
from  that  time  she  never  once  more  saw  a  vision  of  any  kind.  This  account  was  given 
me  by  Mr.  Morrison,  minister  of  the  place,  before  several  of  his  parishioners,  who  knew 
the  truth  of  it.  I  submit  die  matter  of  fact  to  the  censure  of  the  learned  ;  but  for  my 
own  part,  I  think  it  to  have  been  one  of  satan'it  devices  to  njake  credulous  people  have 
an  esteem  for  holy  water. 

John  Morrison,  of  Bragir  in  Lewis,  a  person  of  unquestionable  sincerity  and  reputa* 
tion,  told  me,  that  within  a  mile  of  his  house  a  girl  of  twelve  years  old  was  troubled  at  the 
frequent  sight  of  a  vision,  resembling  herself  in  stature,  complexion,  dress,  8cc.  and 
seemed  to  stand  or  sit,  and  to  be  always  employed  as  the  girl  was  ;  this  proved  a  great 
trouble  to  her :  her  parents,  being  much  concerned  nbout  it,  consulted  the  said  John 
Morrison,  who  inquired  if  the  girl  was  instructed  in  the  principles  of  her  religion,  and 
finding  she  was  not,  he  bid  them  teach  her  the  Creed,  Ten  Commandments,  and  the 
Lord's  Prayer,  and  that  she  should  sa^  the  latter  daily  after  her  prayers.  Mr.  Morrison 
and  his  family  joined  in  prayer  in  the  girl's  behalf,  begging  that  Gud  of  his  goodness 
would  be  pleased  to  deliver  her  from  the  trouble  of  such  a  vision  :  after  which,  and  the 
girl's  complying  with  the  advice  as  above,  she  never  saw  it  any  more. 

A  man  living  three  miles  to  the  north  of  the  said  John  Morrison  is  much  haunted  by 
a  spirit,  appearing  in  all  points  like  to  himself;  and  he  asks  many  impertinent  questions 
of  the  man  when  m  the  nelds«  but  speaks  not  a  word  to  him  at  home,  though  he  seldom 
misses  to  appear  to  him  every  night  in  the  house,  but  to  no  other  i^rson.  He  told  this 
to  one  of  his  neighbours,  who  advised  him  to  cast  a  live  coal  at  the  face  of  the  vision  the 
next  time  he  appeared :  the  man  did  so  next  night,  and  all  the  family  saw  the  action ; 
but  the  following  day  the  same  spirit  appeared  to  him  in  the  fields,  and  beat  him  severely, 
so  as  to  oblige  him  to  keep  his  bed  for  the  space  of  fourteen  days  after.  Mr.  Morrison, 
minister  of  the  parish,  and  several  of  his  friends  came  to  see  the  man,  and  joined  in 
prayer  that  he  might  be  freed  iirom  this  trouble,  but  he  was  still  haunted  by  that  spirit  a 
year  after  I  leR  Lewis. 

A  man  in  Knockow,  in  the  parish  of  St.  Mary's,  the  northernmost  in  Skie,  being  in 
perfect  health,  and  sitting  with  his  fellow-servants  at  night,  was  on  a  sudden  taken  ill, 
dropt  from  his  seat  backward,  and  then  fell  a  vomiting ;  at  which  all  the  family  were 
much  concerned,  he  having  never  been  subject  to  the  like  before  :  but  he  came  to  him- 
self soon  after,  and  had  no  sort  of  pain  about  him.  One  of  the  family,  who  was  accus- 
tomed to  see  the  second-sight,  told  them  that  the  man's  illness  proceeded  from  a  vtry 
strange  cause,  which  was  thus :  an  ilUnatured  woman  (naming  her  by  her  name)  who 
tivesin  the  next  adjacent  village  of  Bomskittag,  came  before  him  in  a  very  furious  and 
angry  manner,  her  countenance  full  of  passion,  and  her  mouth  full  of  reproaches,  and 
threatened  him  with  her  head  and  hands,  until  he  fell  over  as  you  have  seen  him. 
This  woman  had  a  fancy  for  the  man,  but  was  like  to  meet  with  a  disappointment  as  tc 

4  It  2 


!■ 


f 


'i7d 


MAUTIIt*S    Uk.iCIlil'TION    0¥    THC 


liis  nuirryiitg  Iter.     I'liii  m»taticr  wai  toUl  me  by  the  master  of  the  lumily,  und  otiierb, 
nhowerc  present  when  it  happened. 

One  that  lived  in  St.  Marj  'son  il»c  west  side  of  the  ihic  ofSkic,  told  Mr.  Muck'Phcr« 
^on,  the  niinister,  nnd  others,  Uiathc  saw  a  vision  of  a  corpse  coming  towards  the  church, 
not  by  the  common  road,  but  by  it  more  rng(^d  way,  which  rendered  the  thing  incre- 
dible,  and  occasioned  his  neighbours  to  call  hun  a  fool ;  but  he  bid  them  have  patience, 
md  they  would  see  the  truth  of  what  he  asserted  in  a  short  time  :  and  it  fell  out  accord* 
ingly  ;  for  one  of  the  neighbourhood  died,  and  his  corpse  was  carried  along  the  same  un* 
accustomed  way,  the  common  road  being  at  that  time  Riled  with  a  deep  snow.  This 
account  was  given  me  by  the  minister,  and  others,  living  there.  • 

Mr.  Mack-Phcrson*s  servant  foretold  that  u  kiln  should  take  fire,  and  being  some  time 
after  reproved  by  his  master  for  talking  so  foolibhty  of  the  second-sight,  he  answered,  that 
he  could  not  help  his  seeing  such  things  as  presented  themselves  to  his  view  in  a  very 
lively  manner  ;  adding  further,  I  have  just  now  seen  that  boy  sitting  by  the  fire  with  his 
face  red,  as  if  the  blood  hod  been  runnmg  down  his  forehead,  and  I  could  not  avoid 
seeing  this  :  and  as  for  the  accomplibhnient  of  it  within  forty.eight  hours,  there  is  no 
doubt,  says  he,  it  having  appearca  in  the  day  .time.  The  minister  became  very  angry 
at  his  man,  and  charged  him  never  to  speak  one  word  more  of  the  second-sight,  or  if 
he  could  not  hold  his  tongue,  to  provide  himself  another  master,  telling  him  he  was  an 
unhappy  fellow,  who  studied  to  abuse  credulous  people  with  false  predictions.  There 
w'*i  no  more  said  on  this  subject  until  the  next  day,  that  the  boy,  of  whom  the  seer  spoke 
came  in,  having  his  face  all  covered  with  blood  ;  which  happened  by  his  falling  on  a 
heap  of  stones.     This  account  was  given  me  by  the  minister  and  others  of  his  family. 

Daniel  Dow,  alias  Black,  an  inhabitant  of  Bornskittag,  was  frequently  troubled  at  the 
sight  of  a  man  threatening  to  give  him  a  blow :  he  knew  no  man  resembling  this  vision  ; 
but  the  stature,  complexion  and  habit  werw  so  impressed  on  his  mind,  that  he  said  he 
could  distinguish  him  from  any  other,  if  he  should  happen  to  see  him.  About  a  year 
aAer  the  vision  appeared  first  to  him,  his  master  sent  him  to  Kyle.Rnes,  above  thirty 
miles  further  south-east,  where  he  was  no  sooner  arrived,  than  he  distinguished  the  man 
who  had  so  often  appeared  to  him  at  home ;  and  within  a  kn  hours  after  they  happened 
to  quai^rel,  and  came  to  blows,  so  as  one  of  them  ( I  forgoi  't>  hich)  was  wounded  in  the 
head.  This  was  told  me  by  the  seer's  master,  and  others  (vho  live  in  the  place.  The 
man  himself  has  his  residence  there,  and  is  one  of  the  prcci&est  seers  in  the  isles. 

Sir  Normand  Mac-Leod,  and  some  others,  playing  at  tables,  at  a  game  called  in  Irish 
Falmar-more,  wherein  there  are  three  of  a  side,  and  each  of  them  throw  the  dice  by 
turns  ;  there  happened  to  be  one  difficult  point  in  the  disposing  of  one  of  the  table- men : 
this  obliged  the  gamester  to  deliberate  before  he  was  to  change  his  man,  since  upon  the 
disposing  of  it  the  winning  or  losing  of  the  g&\me  depended.  At  last  the  butler,  who 
stood  behind,  advised  the  player  where  to  place  his  man ;  with  which  he  complied,  and 
won  the  game.  This  being  thought  extraordinaty,  and  Sir  Normand  hearing  one  whis- 
er  him  in  the  ear,  asked  who  advised  him  so  skilfully  ?  He  answered,  it  was  the  but- 
Jer ;  but  this  seemed  more  strangle,  for  he  could  not  play  at  tables.  Upon  this  Sir  Nor. 
man  asked  him  how  long  it  was  since  he  had  learnt  to  play  ?  and  the  fbllow  ovimed  that 
he  never  played  in  his  life,  but  that  he  saw  the  spirit  Browny  reaching  his  arm  over  the 
player's  head,  and  touched  the  part  with  his  finger,  cm  die  point  where  the  table-man 
was  to  be  placed.  This  was  told  me  by  Sir  Normand  and  others,  who  happened  to  be 
present  at  the  time. 

Daniel  Dow  above-named,  foretold  the  death  of  a  young  woman  in  Minginis,  within 
less  than  twenty.four  hours  before  the  time ;  and  accordingly  she  died  suddenly  in  the 


P' 


WEItERK    IILANOI   OJ'    ICOTLAND. 


677 


licidtf*  thoiigli  At  the  time  of  the  prediction  she  \vm  in  prrffct  health  ;  but  the  shroud  ap< 
ncurin  gcloisc  about  her  head,  w.ih  the  (ground  of  hi!f  conlidcncc*  that  her  death  was  at 
liund. 

The  same  Daniel  Dow  foretold  the  death  of  a  child  in  his  master's  arms,  by  seeing  a 
spark  of  fire  fall  uii  hii  left  ui  ni ;  and  this  was  likewise  uccumplithed  soon  after  the  pre« 
<liction. 

Some  of  the  inhabitants  of  Hurries  sailing  round  the  isle  ol  Skie,  with  a  design  to  go 
to  the  opposite  main  land,  were  strangely  surprized  with  an  uppariuon  of  two  men  hung, 
ing  down  by  the  ro()es  that  secured  the  must,  but  could  not  conjecture  what  it  meant. 
They  pursued  the  voyage,  but  the  wind  turned  contrary,  and  so  forced  them  into  Broad, 
ford  in  the  isle  of  Skie,  where  they  found  Sir  Donald  Mack-Donald  keeping  a  Sheriff's 
Court,  and  two  criminals  receiving  sentence  of  death  there  :  the  ropes  and  mast  of  that 
very  boat  were  made  use  of  to  hang  those  criminals.  This  was  told  me  by  several,  who 
had  this  instance  from  the  boat's  crew. 

Several  persons  living  in  a  certain  family  told  me,  that  they  had  frequently  seen  two 
men  standing  at  a  young  gentlewoman's  left  hand,  who  was  their  master's  daughter  : 
they  told  the  mens' names;  and  being  her  e(|uals,  it  was  not  doubted  but  she  would  be 
married  to  one  of  them  ;  and  perhaps  to  the  other,  after  the  death  of  the  first.  Some- 
time  after  a  third  man  appeared,  and  ne  seemed  always  to  stand  nearest  to  her  6f  the 
three,  but  the  seers  did  not  know  him,  though  they  could  describe  him  exactly.  And 
within  some  months  after,  this  man,  who  was  seen  last,  did  actually  come  to  the  house, 
and  fulfilled  the  description  given  of  him  by  those  who  never  saw  him  but  in  a  vision  ; 
and  lie  married  the  woman  shortly  ifter.  They  live  in  the  isle  of  Skie  -,  both  they  and 
others  con lirmed  the  truth  of  this  inutnnce  when  I  saw  them. 

Mack-Lcod's  porter,  passing  by  a  galley  that  lay  in  the  dock,  saw  her  filled  with  men, 
having  a  coq)sc,  and  near  to  it  he  saw  several  of  Mack-Leod's  relations :  this  did  in  a  man- 
ner persuade  him  that  his  master  was  to  die  soon  after,  and  that  he  was  to  be  the  corpse 
which  was  to  be  transported  in  the  gttllcy.  Some  months  after  the  vision  was  seen,  Mack- 
Leod,  with  several  of  his  relations  ai:d  others,  went  to  the  isle  of  Mull;  v  here  some 
days  after,  Maclean  of  Torlosk  happened  to  die,  and  his  corp^  wai  transported  in  the 
galley  to  his  buriaUplace ;  and  Mack^Leod'a  relations  were  on  l)oard  to  attend  the  func> 
ral,  while  Mack-Leod  staid  ashore,  and  went  along  with  the  corpse  after  their  landing. 

Mr.  Dou^l  Mack-Pherson,  minister  of  St.  Mary's  on  the  west  side  of  Skie,  having 
his  servants  m  the  kiln,  drying  of  corn,  the  kiln  happened  to  take  fire,  but  was  soon  ex- 
tinguished. And  within  a  few  months  after,  one  of  the  minister's  servants  told  him 
that  the  kiln  would  be  on  fire  again  shortly  ;  at  which  he  grew  very  angry  with  his  man, 
threatening  to  beat  him,  if  he  should  presume  to  prophesy  mischief,  by  that  lying  way  of 
the  second-sight  Notwithstanding  this,  the  man  asserted  iwsttively,  and  with  great  as- 
surance, that  the  kiln  would  certainly  take  fii^,  let  them  use  all  the  precautions  they 
could.  Upon  this,  Mr.  M&ck-Pherson  had  the  curiosity  to  inquire  of  his  man,  if  he  could 
guess  within  what  space  of  time  the  kiln  would  take  fire  ?  he  told  him  before  Hallow- 
tide.  Upon  which,  Mr.  Mack-Pherson  called  for  the  key  of  the  kiln,  and  told  his  man 
that  he  would  take  care  of  the  kiln  until  the  limited  d?.y  was  expired,  for  none  shall  en- 
ter it  sooner  ;  and  by  this  means  I  shall  make  the  devil,  if  he  is  the  author  of  such  lies, 
and  you,  both  liars.  For  this  end  he  kepi  the  key  of  the  kiln  in  his  press,  until  the  time 
was  over,  and  then  delivered  the  key  to  the  servants,  concluding  his  man  to  be  a  foot 
and  a  cheat.  Then  the  servants  went  to  dry  com  in  the  kiln,  and  were  charged  to 
have  a  special  care  of  the  fire ;  yet  in  a  little  time  after  the  kiln  took  fire,  and  it  was  all 
in  a  flame,  according  to  the  prediction,  though  the  man  mistook  the  time.  Retold  his 


i 


ti 


(2.* 


(•78 


Wi' 


II 


•■II' 


MAIITIn's  DCSCRIl'TION  OF  TllK 


master,  ihut  within  a  few  moments  after  the  fire  of  the  kiln  hud  been  first  extinguished 
he  saw  it  all  in  a  Same  ugain  ;  and  this  appearing  to  him  in  the  day>timc,  ii  would  come 
to  nass  the  sooner. 

John  Mack-Normand,  and  Daniel  Mack-Ewin,  travelling  along  the  road,  two  miles  to 
the  north  of  Snisort  church,  saw  a  body  of  men  coming  from  the  north,  as  if  they  had  a 
corpse  with  them  to  be  buried  in  Snisort :  this  determined  them  to  advance  towards  the 
river,  which  was  the  n  a  little  before  them,  and  having  waited  at  the  ford,  thinking  to 
meet  those  that  they  expected  with  the  funeral,  were  altogether  disappointed  ;  for  a^'ter 
taking  a  view  of  ihc  ground  all  round  them,  they  discovered  that  it  was  only  a  virion. 
This  was  very  surprizing  to  them  both,  for  they  never  saw  any  thing  by  way  of  the 
second-sight  before  or  after  that  time.  This  they  told  their  neighbours  when  they  came 
home,  and  it  hupi^ened  that  about  two  or  thrr-^  weeks  after  a  corpse  came  along  that 
road  from  another  parish,  from  which  few  or  none  are  brought  to  Snisort,  except  per. 
sons  of  distinction ;  so  that  this  vision  was  exactly  accomplished. 

A  gentleman,  who  is  a  native  of  Skie,  did,  when  a  boy,  disoblige  a  seer  in  the  isle  of 
JRasay,  and  upbraid  him  for  his  ugliness,  as  being  black  by  name  and  nature.  At  lasl 
the  seer  told  him  very  angrily,  my  child,  if  I  am  black,  you'll  be  red  ere  long.  The 
master  of  the  family  chid  him  for  this,  and  bid  him  give  over  his  foolish  predictions, 
since  nobody  believed  them  ;  but  next  morning  the  boy  being  at  play  near  the  houses, 
fell  on  a  stone,  and  wounded  himself  on  the  forehead,  so  deep,  that  to  this  day  there  is 
a  hollow  scar  in  that  part  of  it 

James  Beaton,  surgeon  in  the  isle  of  North- Vist,  told  me,  that  being  in  the  isle  of 
Mull,  a  seer  told  him  confidently,  that  he  was  shortly  to  have  a  bloody  forehead  ;  but 
he  disregarded  it,  and  called  the  seer  ?.  fool.  However  this  James,  being  called  by  some 
of  the  Macleans  to  go  along  with  them  to  attack  a  vessel  belonging  to  the  Earl  of  Argyle, 
who  was  then  coming  to  possess  Mull  by  force,  they  attacked  the  vessel,  and  one  of 
the  Macleans  being  wounded,  the  said  James,  while  dressing  the  wound,  happened  to 
rub  his  forehead,  and  then  some  of  his  patient's  blood  stuck  to  his  face,  which  accom- 
plished the  vision 

My  lord  visrcnnt  Tarbat,  one  of  her  majesty's  secretaries  of  state  in  Scothnd, 
travelling  in  the  shire  of  Ross,  in  the  north  of  Scotland,  came  into  a  house,  and  sat 
down  in  an  artri^  chdir :  one  of  his  retinue,  who  had  the  faculty  of  seeing  the  second- 
sight,  spoke  to  some  of  my  lord's  company,  desiring  them  to  persuade  him  to  leave  the 
house  ;  for,  said  he,  there  is  a  great  misfortune  will  attend  somebody  in  it,  and  that 
withia  a  few  hours.  This  was  told  my  lord,  but  he  did  not  regard  it :  the  seer  did 
soonafier  renew  his  intreaty,  with  much  eagerness,  begging  that  my  lord  might  remove 
out  of  that  luihappy  chair,  but  had  no  other  answer  than  to  be  exposed  for  a  fool. 
Some  hotirs  alter  my  lord  removed,  and  pursued  his  journey ;  but  was  not  gone  many 
hours,  when  a  trooper  ridine  upon  die  ice,  near  the  house  whence  iny  lord  removed,  fell 
and  broke  his  thigh,  and  being  afterwards  brought  into  that  house,  was  laid  in  the  armed 
chair,  where  his  wound  was  dressed,  which  accomplished  the  visbn.  I  heard  this  in- 
stance from  several  hantib,  and  had  it  since  confirmed  by  my  lord  himself 

A  man  in  th?  parbh  of  St  Mary's,  in  the  barony  of  Troterness  in  Skie,  called  Lach- 
lin,  lay  sick  for  th«  space  of  some  months,  decaying  daily,  insomuch  tH»:  ^il  his  relations 
and  acquaintance  d'^spaired  of  hb  recovery.  One  of  the  parishoiners,  called  Archibald 
Mack-Donald  >  being  reputed  famous  for  his  skill  in  foretelling  things  to  come  by  the  se- 
cond-sight, asserted  positively  that  the  sick  man  would  never  £einthe  house  where  he  then 
lay.  Tms  being  thougiit  very  improbable,  all  the  neighbours  condemned  Archibald  as 
a  fo<}lbh  prophet :  upon  which  he  passionately  aifirmec^^  that  if  ever  that  sick  man  dies 


W£SrERN    ISLANDS    OF    SCOTLAND. 


679 


ctiiigiiislK-d 
/outd  come 

wo  miles  to 

they  had  a 

owards  the 

thinking  to 

I J  for  after 

ly  a  virion. 

way  of  the 

they  came 

aloi!g  that 

xcept  per« 

the  isle  of 
e.  At  last 
mg.  The 
predictions, 
the  houses, 
day  there  is 

the  isle  of 
:head  ;  but 
cd  by  some 
lof  Argyle, 
,  and  one  of 
lappened  to 
Ich  accom> 

n  Scothnd, 
se,  and  sat 
the  second- 
to  leave  the 
it,  and  that 
le  seer  did 
ight  remove 
for  a  fool, 
gone  many 
EBiOved,  Cell 
1  the  armed 
:ard  this  in- 

alled  Lach- 
tiis  relations 
1  Archibald 
by  the  se- 
here  he  then 
.rchibald  as 
ckman  dies 


ill  the  house  where  he  now  lies,  I  shall  from  henceforth  renounce  my  part  o'  ncavcn; 
adding  withal,  the  sick  man  was  to  be  carried  alive  out  of  the  house  in  wh'  ,n  he  then 
lay,  but  that  ho  would  never  return  to  it  alive :  and  then  he  named  the  |  arsons  that 
should  carry  out  the  sick  man  alive.  The  man  having  lived  some  weeks  lonj^er  than  his 
friends  imagined,  ud  proving  uneasy  and  troublesome  to  all  the  family,  they  consider- 
ed that  Archibald  had  reason  for  his  peremptory  assertion,  and  therefore  th(  i-esolvcd 
to  carry  him  to  a  house  joining  to  that  \\  which  he  then  lay  :  but  the  poor  man  would 
by  no  means  give  his  consent  to  be  moved  from  a  place  where  he  believed  he  should 
never  die ;  so  much  did  he  rely  on  the  words  of  Archibald,  of  whose  skill  he  had  seen 
many  demonstrations.  But  at  last  his  friends,  being  fatigued  day  and  night  with  the 
sick  man's  uneasiness,  they  carried  him  against  his  inclination  to  another  little  house, 
which  was  only  separated  by  an  entry  from  that  in  which  he  lay,  and  their  f'^"  were 
scarce  within  the  threshold,  when  the  sick  man  gave  up  the  ghost;  and  it  was  rf  mr.rk- 
able  that  the  two  neighbours,  which  Archibald  named  would  carry  him  out,  were  ac- 
tually the  persons  that  did  so.  At  the  time  of  the  prediction,  Archibald  saw  him  carried 
out  as  above,  and  when  he  was  within  the  door  of  the  other  house,  he  saw  him  all 
white,  and  the  shroud  being  about  him,  occasioned  his  confidence  as  above  mentioned. 
This  is  matter  of  fact,  which  Mr.  Daniel  Nicholson,  minister  of  the  parish,  and  a  consi- 
derable number  of  the  parishioners,  are  able  to  vouch  for,  and  ready  to  attest,  if  c  xasion 
requires. 

The  same  Archibald  Mack-Donald  happened  to  be  in  the  village  Knockow  one 
night,  and  before  supper  told  the  family,  that  he  had  just  then  seen  the  strangest  thing 
he  ever  saw  in  his  life ;  to  wit,  a  man  with  an  ugly  long  cap,  always  shaking  his  head : 
but  that  the  strangest  of  all  was,  a  little  kind  of  a  harp  which  he  had,  with  four 
strings  only,  and  that  it  had  two  ha.t*8  horns  fixed  in  the  front  of  it.  All  that  heard 
this  odd  vision  fell  u  laughing  at  /krchibald,  telling  him  that  he  was  dreaming,  or  had 
not  his  wits  about  him  i  since  he  pretended  to  see  a  thing  that  had  no  being,  and  was 
not  so  much  as  heard  of  in  any  part  of  the  world.  All  this  could  not  alter  Archibald's 
opinion,  who  told  them,  that  they  must  excuse  him,  if  he  laughed  at  them  after  the  ac- 
compUshment  of  the  visicn.  Archibald  returned  to  his  own  house,  and  within  three  or 
four  days  after  a  man,  with  the  cap,  harp,  Sec.  came  to  the  house,  and  the  harp,  strings* 
horns,  and  cap,  answered  the  description  of  them  at  first  view :  he  shook  his  head  when 
he  played,  for  he  had  two  bells  fixed  to  his  cap.  This  harper  was  a  poor  man,  and 
msH^  himself  a  buffoon  for  his  bread,  and  was  r  ever  before  seen  in  those  parts ;  for  at 
the  time  of  the  prediction,  he  was  in  the  ble  of  Barray,  which  is  above  twenty  leagues 
distant  from  that  part  of  Skie.  This  story  is  vouched  by  Mr.  Daniel  Martin,  and  all  his 
family,  and  such  as  were  then  present,  and  live  in  the  \illage  where  this  happened. 

Mr.  Daniel  Nicholson,  minister  of  St.  Mary's  in  Skie,  die  parish  in  which  Archibald 
Mack-Donald  lived,  told  me,  that  one  Sunday,  after  sermon  at  the  chapel  Uge,  he  took 
occasion  to  inquire  of  Archibald,  if  he  still  retained  that  unhappy  faculty  of  seeing  the 
second-sight,  and  he  wished  him  to  lay  it  aade,  i^  possible ;  for,  said  he,  it  is  no  true 
character  of  a  good  man.  Archibakl  was  highly  di^leased,  and  answered,  that  he 
hoped  he  was  no  more  unhappy  than  his  neighbours,  for  seeing  what  they  a)uld  not  per- 
ceive ;  adding,  I  had,  says  he,  as  serious  thoughts  as  my  neighboiirs,  in  time  of  hearing 
a  sermon  to-day,  and  even  then  I  saw  a  corpse  laid  on  the  ground  close  to  die  pulpit, 
and  I  assure  you  it  will  be  accomplished  shortly,  for  it  was  in  the  day-time.  Mr. 
Nicholson,  and  several  parishioners  then  present,  endeavoured  to  dissuade  Archibald 
from  this  discourse  ;  but  he  still  asserted  that  it  would  quickly  come  to  pass,  and  that 
%\\  his  other  predlcdons  of  this  kliid  had  ever  been  accomplished.    There  was  none  in 


680 


mautin's  ubscripiion  of  the 


'f 


ihc  parish  then  sick,  and  kw  are  buried  at  that  little  chapel,  nay,  somclliucs  not  one  in  a 
year  is  buried  there  ;  yet  when  Mr.  Nicholson  returned  to  preach  in  the  suid  chapel, 
two  or  three  weeks  after,  he  found  one  buried  in  the  very  spot  named  by  Archibald. 
This  story  is  vouched  by  Mr.  Nicholson,  and  several  of  the  parishioners  still  living. 

Mr.  Daniel  Nicholson  above-mentioned,  being  a  widower  at  the  age  of  forty. four, 
this  Archibald  saw  in  a  vision  a  young  ^ntlewoman  in  a  good  dress  frequently  standine 
at  Mr.  Nicholson's  right  hand,  and  this  he  often  told  the  parishioners  poshivcly ;  and 
gave  an  account  of  her  complexion,  stature,  habit,  and  that  she  would  in  time  be  Mr. 
Nicholson's  wife:  this  beuig  told  the  minister  by  several  of  them,  he  desired  them  to 
have  no  regard  to  what  that  foolish  dreamer  had  said ;  for,  said  he,  it  is  twenty  to  one 
if  ever  I  marry  again.  Archibald  happened  to  see  Mr.  Nicliolson  soon  after  this  slight- 
ing  expression,  however  he  persisted  still  in  his  opinion,  and  said  confidently  that  Mr. 
Nicholson  would  certainly  marry,  and  that  the  woman  would  in  all  points  make  up  the 
character  he  gave  of  her,  for  he  saw  her  as  often  as  he  saw  Mr.  Nicholson.  This  story 
^'ns  told  me  above  a  year  before  the  accomplishment  of  it ;  and  Mr.  Nicholson,  some 
two  or  three  years  after  Archibald's  prediction,  went  to  the  synod  in  Boot,  where  he 
had  the  first  opportunity  of  seeing  one  Mrs.  Morrison,  and  from  that  moment  fancied 
her,  and  afterwards  married  her.  She  was  no  sooner  seen  in  the  isle  of  Skie,  than  the 
natives,  who  had  never  seen  her  before,  wc'^  satisfied  that  she  did  completely  answer 
the  character  i    ^n  of  her,  8cc.  by  Archibald. 

One  who  had  been  accustomed  to  see  the  second.sight  in  the  isle  of  Egg,  which  lies 
about  three  or  four  leagues  to  the  south-west  part  of  the  isle  of  Skie,  told  his  neighbours, 
that  he  had  frequently  seen  an  apparition  of  a  man  in  a  red  coat  lined  with  blue,  and 
having  on  his  head  a  strange  sort  of  blue  cap,  with  a  very  high  cock  on  the  fore  part 
of  it,  and  that  the  man  who  there  appeared  was  kissing  a  comely  maid  in  the  vilL^e 
where  the  seer  dwelt ;  and  therefore  declared  that  a  man  m  such  a  dress  would  certaimy 
debauch  or  mariY  such  a  young  woman.  TJiis  unusual  vision  did  much  expose  the  seer, 
for  all  the  inhabitants  treated  him  as  a  fooi,  though  he  had  on  several  other  ocasions 
foretokl  things  that  afterwards  were  accomplished ;  this  they  thought  one  of  whe  most 
unlikely  things  to  be  accomplished  that  could  have  entered  into  an^  man's  head.  This 
iitory  V.  AS  then  discoursed  of  in  the  isle  of  Skie,  and  all  that  heard  it  laughed  at  it ;  it  be- 
ing a  rarity  to  see  any  foreigner  in  Egg,  and  th<i  young  woman  had  no  thoughts  of  going 
any  where  else.  This  story  was  told  me  at  Edinburgh  by  Norroand  Mack-Leod  of 
Graban,  in  September  1688,  he  being  just  then  come  from  the  isle  of  Skie ;  and  there 
we-e  preocntthe  Laird  of  Mack-Leod,  and  Mr.  Alexander  Mack>Leod  advocate,  and 
others. 

About  a  year  and  a  half  after  the  late  Revolution,  Major  Ferguson,  now  colonel  of 
one  of  Her  Majesty's  regiments  of  foot,  was  then  sent  by  the  government  with  six  hun- 
dred men,  and  some  frigates,  to  reduce  the  islanders  that  had  appeared  for  K.  J.  and  per- 
haps the  small  isle  of  E^g  had  never  been  regarded,  though  some  of  the  inhabitants  had 

been  at  the  battle  of  Killicranky,   *""'  *" '"  ^     ' '  '     ' '     '  *'  ' 

Ferguson  to  go  to  the  isle  i 

happened  to  be  in  the  isle  of  Skie,  and  killed  one  of  Major 
upon  notice  of  which  the  Major  directed  his  course  to  the  isle  of  £^,  where  he  was 
sufficiently  revenged  of  the  natives ;  and  at  the  same  time  the  maid  above  mentioned,  be- 
ing very  handsome,  was  then  forcibly  carried  on  board  one  of  the  vessels,  by  f>ome  of 
the  soldiers,  where  she  was  kept  above  twenty-four  hours,  and  ravished,  and  biutishly 
robbed  at  the  same  time  of  her  fine  head  of  hair :  she  is  since  married  in  the  isle,  and  in 
good  reputaUon ;  her  misfortune  beii^  pitied,  and  not  reckoned  her  crime. 


WESTERN    ISLANDS    OF    SCOTLAKD. 


681 


one  in  a 
chapel, 
chibald. 

rty.four, 
standing 
L>ly;  and 
e  be  Mr. 

them  to 
y  to  one 
is  slight- 
that  Mr. 
:e  up  the 
■'his  story 
ion,  sonic 
vhere  he 
fancied 

than  the 
y  answer 


ivhich  lies 
lighboursy 
blue,  and 
fore  part 
[he  vilLje 
I  certaimy 
e  the  seer, 
ocasions 
^he  most 
ad.  This 
t  it ;  it  be. 
ts  of  going 
k-Leod  of 
and  there 
Dcate,  and 

colonel  of 
li  six  hun- 
L  and  per- 
itants  had 
led  Major 
ie  of  Egg 
iers  there : 
re  he  was 
tioned,  be- 
y  fiorae  of 
1  biutbhiy 
sle,  and  in 


Sir  Normand  Mack-Leod,  who  has  his  residence  in  the  isle  cfBemera,  which  lies  be. 
tween  the  isles  of  North- Vist  and  Harries,  went  to  the  Isle  of  Skie  about  business,  without 
{Appointing  any  time  for  his  return ;  his  servants,  in  his  absence,  being  altogether  in  the 
targe  hall  at  night,  one  of  them,  who  had  been  accustomed  to  see  the  second-sight,  told 
the  rest  they  must  remove,  for  they  would  have  abundance  of  other  company  in  the 
hall  that  night.  One  of  his  fellow-servants  answered,  that  there  was  very  little  appear- 
ance of  that,  and  if  he  had  seen  an^  vision  of  company,  it  was  not  like  to  be  accom* 
^'lishcd  this  night :  but  the  seer  insisted  upon  it  that  it  was.  They  continued  to  argue 
the  improbabiUtv  of  it,  because  of  the  darkness  of  the  night,  and  the  danger  of  coming 
through  the  rocks  that  lie  round  the  isle :  but  within  an  hour  after,  one  of  sir  Nor- 
mand's  men  came  to  the  house,  bidding  them  provide  lights,  &c.  for  his  master  had 
newly  landed ;  and  thus  the  prediction  was  immediately  accomplished. 

Sir  Normand,  hearing  of  it,  called  for  the  seer,  and  examined  him  about  it ;  he  an* 
swered,  that  he  had  seen  the  spirit  called  Brownie,  in  human  shape,  come  several  times, 
and  make  a  shew  of  carrying  an  old  woman  that  sat  by  the  fire  to  the  door ;  and  at  last 
seemed  to  carry  her  out  by  neck  and  heels,  which  made  him  laugh  heartily,  and  gave 
occasion  to  the  rest  to  conclude  he  was  mad,  to  laugh  so  without  reason.  This  instance 
was  told  me  by  sir  Normand  himself. 

Four  men  from  the  isles  of  Skie  and  Harries  having  gone  to  Barbadoes,  staid  there 
for  fourteen  years ;  and  though  they  were  wont  to  see  the  second-sight  in  their  native 
country,  tliey  never  saw  it  in  Barbadoes :  but,  upon  thefr  return  to  England,  the  first 
night  after  their  landing  they  saw  the  second.sight,  as  it  was  told  me  by  several  of  their 
acquaintance. 

John  Morrison,  who  lives  in  Bemen  of  Harries,  wears  the  plant  called  Fuga  Daemo- 
num,  sewed  in  the  neck  of  hi&coat,  to  prevent  his  seeing  of  visions,  and  says  he  never 
saw  any  since  he  first  carried  that  plant  about  him.  He  suffered  me  to  feel  the  plant 
in  the  neck  of  his  coat,  but  would  by  no  means  let  me  open  the  seam,  though  I  ottered 
him  a  reward  to  let  me  do  it. 

A  spirit,  by  the  country  people  called  Brownie,  was  frequently  seen  in  all  t!ie  most 
considerable  families  in  the  isles  and  north  of  Scotland,  in  th  ^  shape  of  a  tall  man ;  but 
within  these  twenty  or  thirty  years  past  he  b  seen  but  rarely. 

There  were  spints  also  that  appeared  in  the  shape  of  women,  1  orses,  swine,  cats,  and 
some  like  fiery  balls,  which  would  follow  men  in  the  fields ;  but  there  has  been  but  few 
instances  of  these  for  forty  years  past. 

These  spirits  used  also  to  form  sounds  in  the  air,  resembling  those  of  a  harp,  pipe, 
crowing  of  a  cock,  and  of  the  gprinding  of  querns ;  and  sometimes  they  have.heard  voices 
in  the  air  by  night  singing  Irish  songs :  the  words  of  which  songs  some  of  my  acquain. 
tance  still  retain.  One  of  them  resembled  the  voice  of  a  woman  who  had  died  some  time 
before,  and  the  song  related  to  her  state  in  the  (.:her  world.  These  accounts  I  had  fi:om 
perscik    of  as  great  integrity  as  any  are  in  the  world. 

A  BRIEF  ACCOUNT  OF  THE  AiWANTAGE^I  THE  ISLES  AFFORD  BY  SEA  AND  LAND,  AND  PARTICULARLY 

F*>R  A  FISHING  TRADE. 


..,*,. 


.'■X 


THE  North'West  Isles  are  cf  aU  others  most  capable  of  improvement  by  sea  and  land ; 
yet,  by  reason  of  their  distance  from  trading  towns,  and  because  of  their  language,  which 
IS  Irish,  the  inhabitants  have  never  had  any  opportunity  to  trade  at  home  or  abroad,  or  to 
acquire  mechanical  artSt  and  other  sciences :  so  that  they  are  still  left  to  act  by  the  force 

VOL.     III.-  -y.i^^'----     .      '..      'rw-,,    .-;  4g  .,-.;.,. 


•     I 


I 


682 


martin's  description  of  THt 


afl! 


of  their  natural  genius,  and  what  they  could  learn  by  ubscrvalion.  They  have  not  yet 
arrived  to  u  competent  knowledge  in  agriculture,  i'or  which  cause  many  tracts  of  rich 
ground  lie  neglected,  or  at  least  but  meanly  improved,  in  pruportioii  to  tvhut  they  might 
be.  'J'his  ib  the  more  to  be  regretted,  because  ihe  pt  opie  are  as  capable  tu  acquire  arts  or 
sciences  as  any  other  in  Europe.  If  two  or  more  persons  skilled  in  agriculture  were  sent 
from  the  LowUmds  to  each  parish  in  the  isles,  they  would  soon  enable  the  natives  to  furnish 
themselves  with  such  plenty  of  corn  as  would  mj'iniuin  all  their  puor  and  idle  people; 
many  of  which,  for  want  of  subsistence  at  hunie,  are  forced  to  seek  their  livelihood  in 
foreign  countries,  to  the  great  loss,  as  well  as  dishonour,  of  the  nation.  This  would 
enable  them  A^o  to  furnisli  the  oppposite  barren  parts  of  the  continent  with  bread ;  and 
so  much  the  more,  that  in  plentiful  ye.  *hc\  afford  them  good  quantities  of  corn  in 
this  iniiint  state  of  their  agriculture.  'I.i  '-ve  many  large  parcels  of  ground  never 
yet  manured,  which,  if  cultivated,  would  mu.  in  double  the  number  of  the  present  in- 
habitants, and  increase  and  preserve  their  cattle ;  many  of  which,  for  want  of  hay  or  straw, 
die  in  the  winter  and  spring :  so  that  I  have  known  particular  persons  lose  above  one 
hundred  cows  at  a  time,  merely  by  want  of  fodder. 

This  is  so  much  the  more  inexcusable,  'because  the  ground  in  the  Western  Isles  is 
naturally  richer  in  many  respects  than  in  many  other  parts  of  the  continent ;  as  appears 
from  several  instances,  particularly  in  Skie,  and  the  opposite  Western  Isles,  in  which 
there  are  many  valleys,  Sec.  capable  of  good  improvement,  and  of  which  divers  experi- 
ments have  been  already  made ;  and  besides,  most  of  those  places  have  the  convenience 
of  fresh-water  lakes  and  rivers,  as  well  as  of  the  sea,  near  at  hand,  to  furnish  the  inhabi- 
tants with  fish  of  many  sorts,  and  alga  marina  for  manuring  the  ground. 

In  many  places  the  soil  is  proper  for  wheat ;  and  that  their  grass  is  good,  is  evident 
from  the  great  product  of  their  cattle :  so  that  if  the  natives  were  taught,  and  encou- 
raged to  t^e  pams  to  improve  their  corn  and  hay,  to  plant,  inclose,  and  manure  ;heir 
ground,  drain  lakes,  sow  wheat  and  pease,  and  plant  orchards  and  kitchen-gardens,  &c. 
they  might  have  as  great  plenty  of  all  things  for  the  sustenance  of  mankind,  as  any  other 
'  people  in  Europe. 

I  have  known  a  hundred  families,  of  four  or  five  persons  a  piece  at  least,  maintained 
there  upon  little  farms,  for  which  they  paid  not  above  five  shillings  sterling,  one  sheep, 
and  some  pecks  of  corn  per  ann.  each ;  which  b  enough  to  shew,  that,  by  a  better 
improvement,  that  country  would  maintain  many  more  inhabitants  than  now  live  in  the 
isles. 

If  any  man  be  disposed  to  live  a  solitary  retired  life,  and  to  withdraw  from  the  noise 
of  the  world,  he  may  have  a  place  of  retreat  there  in  a  small  island,  or  in  the  comer  of  a 
large  one,  where  he  may  enjoy  himself,  and  live  at  a  very  cheap  rate. 

If  any  family,  reduced  to  low  circumstances,  had  a  mind  to  retire  to  any  of  these  isles, 
there  is  no  paurt  of  the  known  world  where  they  may  have  the  products  of  sea  and  land 
cheaper,  live  more  securely,  or  among  a  more  tractable  and  mild  people.  And  that  the 
country  in  general  b  healthful,  appears  from  the  good  state  of  health  enjoyed  by  the  in- 
habitants. 

I  shall  not  offer  to  assert  that  there  are  mines  of  gold  or  silver  in  the  Western  Isles, 
from  any  resemblance  they  may  bear  to  other  parts  that  afford  mines,  but  the  natives 
affirm  that  gold  dust  has  been  found  atGriminis  on  the  western  coast  of  the  isle  of  North. 
Vist,  and  at  Copveaul  in  Harries ;  in  which,  as  well  as  in  other  parts  of  the  isles,  the 
teeth  of  the  sheep  which  feed  there  are  dyed  yellovr. 


WESrBRN    ISLANDS    OF    SCOTLANS. 


^85 


not  yei 

of  rich 
might 
arts  or 
ere  sent 
furnish 
people  i 
lood  in 
would 
d;  and 
corn  in 
never 
sent  in- 
)r  straw, 
ove  one 


There  is  a  good  lead  mine,  having  a  mixture  of  silver  in  it,  on  the  west  end  of  the 
isle  of  Ita,  near  Port  Escock  ;  and  Buchanan  and  others  say,  that  the  isle  Lismorc  aBbrdb 
lead  :  and  Slait  and  Strath,  on  the  south-west  of  Skie,  are,  in  stone,  ground,  grass,  &c. 
exactly  the  same  wi»^  that  part  of  Ila  where  there  is  a  lead  mine.  And  if  search  were 
made  in  the  isles  and  .lills  ot  the  opposite  main,  it  is  not  improbable  that  some  good  minc& 
might  be  discovered  in  some  of  them. 

I  was  told  by  a  gentleman  of  Lochaber,  that  an  Englishman  had  found  some  gold<dust 
in  a  mountain  near  the  river  Lochy,  but  could  never  6nd  out  the  place  again  after  his 
return  from  England.  That  there  have  been  gold  mines  in  Scotland  is  clear,  from  the 
manuscripts  meiltioned  by  Dr.  Nicholson,  now  Bishop  of  Carlisle,  in  his  late  Scots 
Hist.  Library. 

The  situation  of  these  isles  for  promoting  trade  in  general  appears  advantageous 
enough  :  but  more  particularly  for  a  trade  with  Denmark,  Sweden,  Hamburgh,  Hol- 
land, Britain,  and  Ireland.  France  and  Spain  seem  remote,  yet  they  do  not  exceed  a 
week's  sailing,  with  a  favourable  wind. 

The  general  opinion  of  the  advantage  that  might  be  reaped  from  the  improvement 
of  the  fish  tradei  in  these  isles,  prevailed  among  considering  people  in  former  times  to 
attempt  it. 

The  first  that  I  know  of  was  by  king  Charles  the  First,  in  conjunction  with  a  com- 
pany of  merchants ;  but  it  miscarried,  because  of  the  civil  wars  which  unhappily  broke 
out  at  that  time. 

The  next  attempt  was  by  king  Charles  the  Second,  who  also  joined  with  some  mer- 
chants ;  and  this  succeeded  well  for  a  time.  I  am  assured  by  such  as  saw  the  fish 
catched  by  that  company,  that  they  were  reputed  the  best  in  Europe  of  their  kind,  and 
accordingly  were  sold  for  a  greater  price  ;  buc  this  design  was  ruined  thus :  the  king, 
having  occasion  for  money,  was  advised  to  withdraw  that  which  was  employed  in  the 
fishery  ;  at  which  the  merchants  being  displeased,  and  disagreeing  likewise  among  them- 
selves,  they  also  withdrew  their  money  ;  and  the  attempt  has  never  been  renewed  since 
that  time. 

The  settling  a  fishery  in  those  parts  would  prove  of  great  advantage  to  the  govern, 
ment,  and  be  an  effectual  means  to  advance  the  revenue,  by  the  customs  on  export  and 
import,  Sec. 

It  would  be  a  nursery  of  stout  and  able  seamen  in  a  very  short  time,  to  serve  the  go- 
vernment  on  all  occasions.  The  inhabitants  of  the  isles  and  opposite  main  land  being 
very  prolific  already,  the  country  would  beyond  all  peradventure  become  very  populous 
in  a  littfe  time,  if  a  nshery  were  once  settled  among  them.  The  inhabitants  are  not  con- 
temptible for  their  number  at  present,  nor  are  uiey  to  learn  the  use  of  the  oar,  for  all 
of  them  are  generally  veiy  dextrous  at  it :  so  that  those  places  need  not  to  be  planted 
with  a  new  colony,  but  only  furnished  with  proper  materials,  and  a  few  expert  hands, 
to  join  whh  the  natives  to  set  on  foot  and  advance  a  fishery. 

The  people  inhabiting  the  Western  Isles  of  Scotland  may  be  about  forty  thousand, 
and  many  of  them  want  employment ;  this  is  a  great  encouragement  both  for  setting 
up  other  manufactories  and  the  fishing  trade  among  them :  besides,  a  great  number  of 
people  may  be  expected  from  the  opposite  continent  of  the  Highlands,  and  north ; 
which,  from  a  late  computation,  by  one  who  had  an  estimate  of  their  number  from  seve- 
ral ministers  in  the  country,  are  reckoned  to  exceed  the  number  of  Islanders  above  ten 
to  one :  and  it  is  too  well  known,  that  many  of  them  also  want  employment.  The  ob- 
jection, that  they  speak  only  Irish,  b  nothing :  many  of  them  under'^tand  English,  in  all 

4s2 


r 


684 


martin's  description  or  tme 


the  considerable  islands,  which  are  sufficient  to  direct  the  rest  in  catching  and  curing  fish ; 
and  in  a  little  time  the  youth  would  learn  English. 

The  commodiousness  and  safety  of  the  numerous  bays  and  harbours  in  those  isles 
seem  as  if  nature  had  designed  them  for  promoting  trade  :  they  are  likewise  furnished 
with  plenty  of  good  water,  and  stones  for  buildmg.  The  opposite  main  land  affords 
wood  of  divers  sorts  for  that  use.  They  have  at^ndance  of  turf  and  peat  for  fuel ; 
and  of  this  latter  there  is  such  plenty  in  many  parts,  as  might  furnish  salt-pans  with  fire 
all  the  year  round.  The  sea  forces  its  passag^  m  several  small  channels  through  the  land, 
so  as  it  render^  the  design  more  easy  and  practicable. 

The  coast  of  each  isle  affords  many  thousand  load  of  sea-ware,  which,  if  preserved, 
might  be  successfully  used  for  making  glass,  and  likewise  kelp  for  soap. 

The  generality  of  the  bays  afford  all  sorts  of  shell-iish  in  great  plenty ;  as  oysters, 
clams,  muscles,  lobsters,  cockles,  &c  which  might  be  pickled,  and  exported  in  p;reat 
quantities.  There  arc  great  and  small  whales  of  divers  kinds  to  be  had  round  the  isles, 
and  on  the  shore  of  the  opposite  continent ;  and  are  frequently  seen  in  narrow  bays, 
where  they  may  be  easily  caught.  The  great  number  of  rivers,  both  in  the  isles  and 
opposite  main  land,  afford  abundance  of  salmon,  which,  if  rightly  managed,  might  turn 
to  a  good  account. 

The  isles  afford  likewise  great  quantities  of  black  cattle,  which  might  serve  the  traders 
both  for  consumption  and  export. 

Strath  in  Skie  abounds  with  good  marble,  which  may  be  had  at  an  easy  rate,  and  near 
the  sea. 

There  is  good  wool  in  most  of  the  isles,  and  very  cheap ;  some  are  at  the  charge 
of  carrying  it  on  horseback,  about  seventy  or  eighty  miles,  to  the  shires  of  Murray  and 
Aberdeen. 

There  are  several  of  the  isles  that  afford  a  great  deal  of  very  fine  clay ;  which,  if  im> 
pro:'  :d,  might  turn  to  a  good  account  for  making  earthen>ware  of  all  sorts. 

The  most  centrical  and  convenient  places  for  Keeping  magazines  of  cask,  salt,  8cc. 
are  those  mentioned  in  the  respective  isles ;  as  one  at  Loch'Maddy  isles,  in  the  isle  of 
North- Vist ;  a  second  in  the  isle  of  Hermetra,  on  the  coast  of  the  island  Harries  ;  a 
third  in  island  Glass,  on  the  coast  of  Harries ;  b.^'1  a  fourth  in  Stornvay,  in  the  isle  of 
Lewis.  '^' 

But  for  settiing  a  magazine  or  colony  for  trade  in  general,  and  fishing  in  particular, 
the  isle  of  Skie  is  absolutely  the  most  centrical,  both  with  regpard  to  the  isles  and  oppo- 
site main  land ;  and  the  most  proper  places  in  this  isle  are  island  Isa  in  Loch-faUart, 
and  Loch-Uge,  both  on  the  west  side  of  Skie ;  Loch.Portrie,  and  Scowsar,  on  the  east 
side,  and  island  Dierman  on  the  south  side :  these  places  abound  with  all  sorts  of  fish 
that  are  caught  in  those  seas ;  and  they  are  proper  places  for  a  considerable  number  of 
men  to  dwell  in,  and  convenient  for  settling  magazines  in  them.  <  '■■'■'■ 

There  are  many  bays  and  harbours  that  are  convenient  for  building  towns  in  several 
of  the  other  isles,  if  trade  were  settled  among  them ;  and  cod  and  ling,  as  well  as  fish 
of  lesser  size,  are  to  be  had  generally  on  the  coast  of  the  lesser,  as  well  as  of  the  larger 
isles.  I  am  not  ignorant  that  foreigners,  sailing  through  the  Western  Isles,  have  been 
tempted,  from  the  sight  of  so  many  wild  hills,  that  seem  to  be  covered  all  over  with 
heatii,  and  faced  with  high  rocks,  to  imagine  that  the  inlrabitants,  as  well  as  the 
places  of  their  residence,  are  barbarous ;  and  to  this  opinion  their  habit,  as  well  as  their 
language,  have  contributed.  The  like  is  supposed  by  many  that  live  in  the  south  of 
Scotland,  who  know  no  more  of  the  Western  Isles  than  the  natives  of  Italy  :  but  the 


WESTERN    ISLANDS  OF    SCOTLAND. 


685 


lion  is  not  so  fierce  as  he  is  paintetl,  neither  are  the  people  dcscrilKd  here  so  barbarous 
as  the  world  imagines  :  it  is  not  the  habit  that  makes  the  monk,  nor  doth  the  p^arb  in 
fashion  qualify  him  that  wears  it  to  be  virtuous.  The  inhabitants  have  humanity,  and 
use  strangers  hospitably  and  charitably.  I  could  bring  several  instances  uf  barbarity 
and  theft  committed  by  stranger  seamen  in  the  isles,  but  there  is  not  one  instance  of 
any  injury  offered  by  the  islanders  to  any  seamen  or  strangers.  I  had  a  panicular 
account  of  seamen,  who  not  many  years  ago  stole  cattle  and  sheep  in  several  of  the 
isles ;  and  when  they  were  found  on  board  their  vessels,  the  inhabitants  were  satisfied 
to  take  their  value  in  money  or  goods,  without  any  further  resentment :  though  many 
seamen,  whose  lives  were  preserved  by  the  natives,  have  made  them  very  ungrateful 
returns.  For  the  humanity  and  hospitable  temper  of  the  islanders  to  sailors,  I  shall  only 
give  two  instances :  Capt  Jackson  of  Whitehaven,  about  sixteen  years  ago,  was  obliged 
to  leave  his  ship,  being  leaky,  in  the  bay  within  island  Glass,  alias  Seal  pa,  in  the  isle  of 
Harries,  with  two  men  to  take  care  of  her,  though  loaded  with  goods :  the  ship  was  not 
within  three  miles  of  a  house,  and  separated  from  the  dwelling-places  by  mountains  ; 
3ret  when  the  capt^n  returned,  about  ten  or  twelve  months  after,  he  round  his  men 
and  the  vessel  safe. 

Capt.  Lotch  lost  the  Dromedary  of  London,  of  six  hundred  tons  burthen,  with  all 
her  rich  cargo  from  the  Indies ;  of  which  he  might  have  saved  a  great  deal,  had  he  em- 
braced  the  assistance  which  the  natives  offered  him  to  unlade  her :  but  the  captain's 
shyness,  and  &ar  of  being  thought  rude,  hindered  a  gentleman  on  ^he  place  to  employ 
about  seventy  hands  which  he  had  ready  to  unlade  her,  and  so  the  cargo  was  lost.  The 
captain  and  his  men  were  kindly  entertained  there  by  Sir  Normand  Mack-Leod  ;  and 
though  among  other  valuable  goods  they^  had  six  boxes  of  gold  dust,  there  was  not  the 
least  thing  taken  from  them  by  the  inhabitants.  There  arc  some  pedlars  from  the  shire 
of  Murray  and  other  parts,  who  of  late  have  fixed  their  residence  in  the  ble  of  Skie, 
and  travel  through  the  remotest  isles  without  any  molestation ;  though  some  of  those 
pedlars  speak  no  Irish.  Several  barks  come  yearly  from  Oiicney  to  the  Western  Isles, 
to  fish  for  cod  and  ling :  and  many  from  Anstruther,  in  the  shire  of  Fife,  came  formerly 
to  Barray  and  other  isles  to  fish,  before  the  battle  of  Kilsyth ;  where  most  of  them 
being  cut  off,  that  trade  was  afterwards  neglected. 

The  magazines  and  fishing-boats,  left  by  fweigners  in  the  isles  above  mentioned,  were 
reckoned  secure  enough,  when  one  of  the  natives  only  was  left  in  charge  with  them  till 
the  next  season ;  and  so  they  might  be  still.  So  that  if  a  company  of  strangers  from 
any  part  should  settle  to  fish  or  trade  in  these  isles,  there  is  no  place  of  greater  security 
inany  partof  £uro[>e;  for  the  proprietors  are  always  readv  to  assist  and  support  all 
strangers  within  their  respective  jurisdictions.  A  few  Dutch  families  settled  inStomvay, 
in  the  isle  of  Lewis,  after  king  Charles  the  Second's  restoration,  but  some  cunning  mer- 
chants  found  means  by  the  secretaries  to  prevail  with  the  king  to  send  them  away, 
though  they  brought  the  islanders  a  great  deal  of  money  for  the  products  of  their  sea 
and  land  fowl,  and  taught  them  something  of  the  art  of  fishing.  Had  they  staid,  the 
islanders  must  certainly  have  made  considerable  progress  in  trade  by  this  time  ;  for  the 
small  idea  of  fishing  they  had  from  the  Dutch  has  had  so  much  effect,  as  to  make  the 
people  of  the  little  village  of  Stornvay  to  excel  all  those  of  the  neighbouring  isles  and 
continent  in  the  fishing  trade  ever  since  that  time. 

For  the  better  government  of  those  isles,  in  case  of  setting  up  a  fishing  trade  there,  it 
may  perhaps  be  fouud  necessary  to  erect  the  isles  of  Skie,  Lewis,  Harries,  South  and 
North  Vist,  Sec.  into  a  ^hcrivalty,  and  to  build  a  royal  borough  in  Skie  as  the  center, 
because  of  the  people's  great  distance,  in  remote  isles,  from  tne  head  borough  of  the 


686 


martin's  description  of  tHe 


shire  of  Inverness.  This  would  Neem  much  more  necessary  here  than  those  of  Boot 
and  Arran,  that  lie  much  nearer  to  Dunbarton,  though  the/  be  necessary  enough  in 
themselves. 

It  may  likewise  deserve  the  consideration  of  the  government,  whether  they  should 
not  make  the  isle  of  Skie  a  free  port,  because  of  the  great  encouragement  such  immu> 
nities  give  to  trade  ;  which  always  issues  in  the  welfare  uf  the  public,  and  adds  strength 
and  reputation  to  the  government.  Since  these  Isles  are  capable  of  the  improvements 
above-mentioned,  it  is  a  great  loss  to  the  nation  they  should  be  thus  neglected.  This 
is  the  general  opinion  of  foreigners  as  well  as  of  our  own  countrymen,  who  know  them ; 
but.  I  leave  the  further  enquiry  to  such  as  shall  be  disposed  to  attempt  a  trade  there,  witli 
the  concurrence  of  the  government.  Scotland  has  men  and  money  enough  to  set  up 
a  fishery  ;  so  that  there  bcems  to  be  nothing  wanting  towards  it,  but  the  encouragement 
of  those  in  power,  to  excite  the  inclination  and  industry  of  the  people. 

If  the  Dutch  in  their  public  edicts  call  their  fisherv  a  golden  mine,  and  at  the  same 
time  affirm  that  it  yields  them  more  profit  than  the  Indies  do  to  Spain ;  we  have  very 
great  reason  to  begin  to  work  upon  those  rich  mines,  not  only  in  the  isles,  but  on  all  our 
coast  in  general.  We  have  multitudes  of  hands  to  be  employed,  at  a  very  easy  rate ; 
we  have  a  healthful  climate,  and  our  fish,  especially  the  herring,  come  to  our  coast  in 
April  or  Muy,  and  in  the  bay  in  prodigious  shoals  in  July  or  August.  I  have  seen  com- 
plaints from  Loch'Essort  in  Skie,  that  all  the  ships  there  were  loaded,  and  that  the  bar. 
rel  of  herring  migiit  be  had  there  for  four-pence,  but  there  were  no  buyers. 

I  have  known  the  herring-fishing  to  continue  in  some  bays  from  September  till  the 
end  of  January  ;  and  wherever  they  are,  all  other  fish  follow  them,  and  whales  and  seals 
in  particular :  for  the  larger  fish  of  all  kinds  feed  upon  herring. 


A  BRIEF  DESCRIPTION  OF  THE  ISLES  OF  ORKNEY  AND  SHETLAND,  8cc. 

THE  isles  of  Orkney  lie  to  the  north  of  Scotland,  having  the  inain  Caledonian  Ocean, 
which  contains  the  Hebrides  on  the  west,  .ind  the  Germ»n  Ocean  on  the  east,  and  the 
sea  towards  the  north  separates  them  from  the  isles  of  Shetland.  Pictland  Firth  on  the 
south,  which  is  twelve  miles  broad,  reaches  to  Dungisbiehead,  the  most  northern  point 
of  the  main  land  of  Scotland. 

Authors  differ  as  to  the  origin  of  the  name  ;  the  English  call  it  Orkney,  from  Erick, 
one  of  the  first  Pictish  Princes  that  possessed  them  :  and  it  is  observed,  that  Pict  or 
Pight  in  the  Teutonick  language  signifies  a  fighter.  The  Irish  call  them  Arkive,  from 
the  first  planter ;  and  Latin  authors  call  them  Orcades.  They  lie  in  the  northern  tem- 
perate zone,  and  thirteenth  climate ;  the  longitude  is  between  twenty-two  degrees  and 
eleven  minutes,  and  latitude  fif^y-nine  degrees  two  minutes  :  the  compass  varies  here 
eight  degrees ;  the  longest  day  is  about  eighteen  hours.  The  air  is  temperately  cold, 
and  the  night  so  clear,  that  in  the  middle  of  June  one  may  see  to  read  all  night  long  ; 
and  the  (kys  in  winter  are  by  consequence  very  short.  Their  winters  here  are 
commonly  more  subject  to  rain  than  snow,  for  the  sea-air  dissolves  the  latter.  The 
winds  are  often  very  boisterous  in  this  country. 

The  sea  ebbs  and  flows  here  as  in  other  parts,  except  in  a  few  sounds,  and  about 
some  promontories ;  which  alter  the  course  of  the  tides,  and  make  them  very  impetu- 
ous. 

The  isles  of  Orkney  are  reckoned  twenty-six  in  number ;  the  lesser  isles,  called  Holms, 
are  not  inhabited,  but  fit  for  pasturage :  most  of  their  names  end  in  a  or  ey,  thi^t  in  the 
Teutonick  language  signifies  water,  with  which  they  are  all  surrounded.  ^ 


'•ftVV'-w.^ 


WESTERN    ISLANDS    OF  SCOTLANn. 


687 


The  main  lund,  called  by  the  ancients  Pomona,  is  about  twenty-four  lonf*.  and  in  the 
middle  of  it,  on  the  ^ouihbide,  lies  the  only  town  in  Orkney,  culled  Kirkwall,  which  is 
about  diree  quarters  of  a  mile  in  length  ;  the  Danes  called  it  Cracoviaca.  There  has 
been  two  fine  edifices  in  it,  one  of  them  called  the  king's  palace,  which  is  suppose  d  to 
have  been  buili  by  one  of  the  bishops  of  Orkney,  because  ni  the  wall  there  is  u  bishop's 
mitre  and  arms  engraven,  and  the  bishops  anciently  had  their  residence  in  it. 

The  palace  now  called  the  bishop's  was  built  by  Patrick  Stewait,  earl  of  Orkney, 
anno  KiOO. 

There  is  a  stately  church  in  this  town,  having  a  steeple  erected  on  four  large  pillars 
in  the  middle  of  it ;  there  are  fourteen  pillars  on  each  side  the  church :  it  is  called  by 
the  name  of  St.  Magnus's  church,  being  founded,  us  the  inhabitants  say,  by  Magnus 
king  of  Norway  ;  whom  they  believe  to  be  interred  there.  The  seat  of  justice  for  these 
isles  is  kept  here  ;  the  steward,  sheriff,  and  commissary,  do  each  of  them  keep  their  re- 
spective courts  in  this  place.  It  hath  a  public  school  for  teaching  of  grammar  learning, 
endowed  with  a  competent  salary. 

This  town  was  erected  into  a  royal  borough  when  the  Danes  possessed  it,  and  their 
charter  was  afterwards  confirmed  to  them  by  king  James  the  Third,  Anno  1486.  They 
have  from  that  charter  a  power  to  hold  Borough-Courts,  to  imprison,  to  arrest,  to 
make  by-laws,  to  chuse  their  own  magistrates  yearly,  to  have  two  weekly  markets  ; 
and  they  have  also  power  of  life  and  death,  and  of  sending  commissioners  to  parliament, 
and  all  other  privileges  granted  to  royal  boroughs.  This  chatter  was  dated  at  Edin- 
burgh the  last  day  of  March,  I486,  and  it  was  since  ratified  by  king  James  the  V.  and 
king  Charles  II.  The  town  is  governed  by  a  provost,  four  bailiffs,  and  a  common- 
council. 

On  the  west  end  of  the  main  is  the  king's  palace  formerly  mentioned,  built  by  Robert 
Stewart,  earl  of  Orkney,  about  the  year  1574.  Several  rooms  in  it  have  been  curiously 
painted  with  scripture  stories,  as  the  flood  of  Noah,  Christ's  riding  to  Jerusalem,  8cc. 
and  each  figure  has  the  scripture  by  it  that  it  refers  to.  Above  tne  arms  within  there 
is  this  lofty  inscription.  Sic  fuit,  est,  8c  erit.  This  island  is  fruitful  in  com  and  n'ass, 
and  has  several  good  harbours ;  one  of  them  at  Kirkwall,  a  second  at  the  bay  of  Ker- 
ston  village,  near  the  west  end  of  the  isle,  well  secured  against  wind  and  weather ;  the 
third  is  at  Deer-Sound,  and  reckoned  a  very  good  harbour;  the  fourth  is  at  Graham- 
shall,  towards  the  east  side  of  the  isle,  but  in  sailing  to  and  from  the  east  side,  seanu-n 
would  do  well  to  sail  betwixt  Lambholm  and  the  main  land,  and  not  between  Lamb- 
holm  and  Burray,  which  is  shallow. 

On  the  east  of  the  main  land  lies  the  small  isle  Copinsha,  fruitful  in  com  and  grass; 
it  is  distinguished  by  sea-faring  men  for  its  conspicuousness  at  a  great  distance.  To  the 
north  end  of  it  lies  the  Holm,  called  the  Horse  of  Copinsha.  Over  against  Kerston 
Bay  lie  the  isles  of  Hoy  and  Waes,  which  make  but  one  isle,  about  twelve  miles  in 
length,  and  mountainous.  In  this  island  is  the  hill  of  Hoy,  which  is  reckoned  the  high- 
est m  Orkney. 

The  isle  of  Soulh-Ronalshaw  lies  to  the  east  of  Waes,  it  is  five  miles  in  length,  and 
fruitful  in  corn  ;  Burray  in  the  south  end  is  the  ferry  to  Duncansbay  in  Caithness.  A 
litUe  further  to  the  south  lies  Swinnr  isle,  remarkable  only  for  a  part  of  Pightland-Firth 
lying  to  the  west  of  it,  called  the  "W  Ms  of  Swinna :  they  are  two  whirl-pools  in  the  sea, 
which  run  about  mth  such  violence,  that  any  vessel  or  boat  coming  within  their  reach 
go  always  round  until  they  sink.  These  wells  are  dangerous  only  when  there  is  a  dead 
calm  ;  for  if  a  boat  be  under  sail  with  any  wind,  it  is  easy  to  go  over  them.  If  any  boat 
be  forced  into  these  wells  by  the  \  alence  of  the  tide,  the  boat-men  cast  a  barrel  or  an 


088 


martin's  uiscmrTioN  or  thi 


oar  into  the  wdts;  niul  while  it  is  swallowing  it  up,  the  sea  continues  calm,  and  gives 
the  boat  ;ui  opportunity  to  past  over. 

To  the  north  of  the  main  lies  the  isle  of  Shapinsha,  five  miles  in  length,  and  has  an 
harbour  at  Elwick  on  the  south.  Further  to  the  north  lie  the  isles  of  Stronsa,  five  miles 
in  length,  and  Kdu,  which  is  four  miles ;  Ronsa  lies  to  the  north-west,  and  is  six  miles 
long.  The  isle  Sunda  lies  north,  twelve  miles  in  length,  and  is  reckoned  the  most  fruit- 
ful and  beautiful  of  all  the  Orcades. 

The  isles  of  Orkney  in  general  are  fruitful  in  corn  and  cattle,  and  abound  with  store 
of  rabbits. 

The  sheep  are  very  fruitful  here,  many  of  them  have  two,  some  three,  and  others 
four  lambs  at  a  time ;  they  often  die  with  a  disease  called  the  Sheep-dead,  which  is  oc* 
casioncdby  little  animals,  about  half  an  inch  lonv,  that  are  engendered  in  their  liver. 

The  horses  are  of  a  very  small  size«  but  hardy,  and  exposed  to  the  rigour  of  the  sea- 
son, during  the  winter  and  spring :  the  grasa  being  then  scarce,  they  are  fed  with  sea- 
ware. 

The  fields  every  where  abound  with  variety  of  jplants  and  roots,  and  the  latter  are  ge- 
nerally very  large ;  the  common  people  dress  their  leather  with  the  roots  of  Tormentil, 
instead  of  bark. 

The  main  land  is  furnished  with  abundance  of  good  marie,  which  is  used  successAilly 
by  the  husbandman  for  manuring  the  ground. 

The  inhabitants  say  there  are  mines  of  silver,  tin  and  lead,  in  the  main  land,  South- 
Ronalshaw,  Stronsa,  Sanda,  and  Hoy*  Some  veins  of  marble  are  to  be  seen  at  Buck- 
quoy,  and  Swinna.  There  are  no  trees  in  these  isles,  except  in  garden*,  and  those  bear 
no  Kuit.  Their  common  fuel  is  peat  and  turf,  of  which  there  is  such  plenty,  as  to  fur- 
nish a  sal^pan  with  fuel.    A  south-east  and  north-west  moon  cause  high  water  here. 

The  Finland  fishermen  have  been  frequently  seen  on  the  coast  of  this  isle,  particularly 
in  the  vear  1682.  The  people  on  the  coast  saw  one  of  them  in  his  little  boat,  and  endea- 
voured to  take  him,  but  could  not  come  at  him,  he  retired  so  speedily.  They  say  the 
fish  retire  from  the  coast  when  they  see  these  men  come  to  it. 

One  of  the  boats,  sent  from  Orkney  to  Edinburgh,  is  to  be  seen  in  the  Physicians 
Ha*l,  with  the  oar  he  makes  use  of,  and  the  dart  with  which  he  kills  his  fish. 

There  is  no  venemous  creature  in  this  country.  The  inhabitants  sav  there  is  a  snail 
there,  which  has  a  bright  stone  growing  in  it  There  is  abundance  of  shell  fish  here,  as 
oysters,  muscles,  crabs,  cockles,  &c.  of  this  latter  they  make  much  fine  lime.  The 
rocks  on  the  shore  afford  plenty  of  sea  ware,  as  alga-marina.  See. 

The  sea  abounds  with  variety  of  fish,  but  especially  herring,  which  are  much  neglect- 
ed since  the  battle  of  Kilsyth,  at  which  time  the  fishermen  from  Fife  were  almost  all 
killed  there. 

There  are  many  small  whales  round  the  coast  of  this  isle ;  and  the  amphibia  here  are 
otters  and  seals. 

The  chief  product  of  Orkney,  that  is  yearly  exported  from  thence,  is  com,  fish,  bides, 
tallow,  butter,  skins  of  seals,  otter-skins,  lamb-skins«  rabbit-skins,  stuffs,  white  salt,  wool, 
pens,  down,  feathers,  hams,  8cc. 

Some  spermaceti,  and  ambergrease,  as  also  the  os  ctepier,  are  found  on  the  shore  of 
several  of  those  isles. 

This  country  affords  plenty  of  sea  and  land  fowl,  as  geese,  ducks,  Solan  geese,  swans, 
lyres,  and  eagles,  which  are  so  strong  as  to  carry  away  children.  There  is  also  the 
cleck-goose ;  the  shells  in  which  this  fowl  is  said  to  be  produced  are  found  in  several 
isles,  sticking  to  trees  by  the  bill ;  of  this  kind  I  have  seen  many :  the  fowl  was  covered 


1=;w«iry*'""*'tf.  '>mmi*i-i,iSiS:ii-»m^-^'^'Se^iSm3ii>''^^ 


WISTKRN    ISLANDS   OF    SCOTLAND. 


689 


by  a  shell,  and  the  head  stuck  to  the  tree  by  the  liill,  but  I  never  saw  nny  of  thctn  with 
life  in  them  upon  the  tree  ;  but  the  natives  told  me,  that  they  had  obhcrvcd  liicm  to 
move  with  the  heat  of  the  sun. 

The  Picts  are  believed  to  have  been  the  first  inhabitants  of  these  iilcs,  and  there  arc 
houses  of  a  round  form  in  several  parts  of  the  country,  called  by  the  name  of  I'lCts 
houses  ;  and  for  the  same  reason,  the  Firth  is  called  l*ightland  or  IVntland  Firth.  Our 
historians  call  these  isles  the  ancient  kingdom  of  the  Picts.  Buchanan  giies  an  account 
of  one  Belus  King  of  Orkney,  who,  Ixring  defeated  by  King  ICwen  the  second  of  Scot- 
land, became  desperate,  and  killed  himself.  The  eiBgies  of  this  Belus  arc  engraven  on  a 
stone  in  the  church  of  Birsa  on  the  main  land.  Bocthius  makes  mention  of  anothtr  uf 
their  kings,  called  Bannus.  and  by  others  Gcthus,  who,  Ix'ing  vancjuished  by  Claudius 
Caesar,  was  by  him  afterwards,  together  with  his  wife  and  family,  carried  captive  to 
Rome,  and  there  led  in  triumph.  Anno  Christi  43. 

The  Picts  possessed  Orkney  until  the  reign  of  Kenneth  the  second  of  Scotland,  who 
subdued  the  country,  and  annexed  it  to  his  crown.  From  that  time  Orkney  was  |)eacc- 
ably  possessed  by  the  Scots,  until  about  the  year  10tf9,  that  DonakI  Bane,  intending  to 
secure  the  kingdom  to  himself,  promised  both  these  and  the  Western  Isles  to  Magnus 
King  of  Norway,  upon  condition,  that  he  should  support  him  with  a  competent  force  : 
which  he  performed  ;  and  by  this  means  became  master  of  these  isles,  until  the  reign  of 
Alexander  the  third,  who  by  his  valour  expelled  the  Danes.  The  Kings  of  Denmark 
did  afterwards  resign  their  title  for  a  sum  of  money,  and  this  resignation  was  ratified 
under  the  great  seal  of  Denmark,  at  the  marriage  of  King  James  the  sixth  of  Scotland, 
with  Anne  Princcf  of  Denmark. 

Orkney  has  been  trom  time  to  time  a  title  of  honour  to  several  persons  of  great  nua- 
lity  :  Henry  and  William  Sinclairs  were  called  Princes  of  Orkney ;  and  Rothuel  Hep. 
burn  was  made  Duke  of  Orkney  :  Lord  George  Hamilton  (brother  to  the  present  Duke 
of  Hamilton)  was  by  the  late  King  William  created  Kixrl  of  Orkney.  The  Karl  ot 
Morton  had  a  mortgage  of  Orkney  and  Zetland  from  King  Charles  the  iirst,  which 
was  since  reduced  by  a  decree  of  the  lords  of  Session,  obtained  at  the  instance  of  the 
King's  advocate  against  the  earl  :  and  this  deceree  was  afterward  ratified  by  act  of  par. 
liament,  and  the  earldom  of  Orkney,  and  Lordship  of  Zetland,  have  since  that  lime 
been  erected  into  a  stewartry.  The  reason,  on  which  the  decree  was  founded,  is  said  to 
have  been  that  the  earl's  deputy  seized  upon  some  chests  of  gold  found  in  the  rich  Am. 
sterdam  ship,  called  the  Carlmelan,  that  was  lost  in  Zetland  1664. 

There  are  several  gentleman  of  estate »  in  Orkney  but  the  Queen  is  the  principal  pro- 
prietor ;  and  one  halfof  the  whole  beU  mgs  to  the  crown,  besides  the  late  accession  of 
the  bishop's  rents,  which  is  about  9000  merks  Scots  per  Annum.  There  is  a  yearly 
roup  of  Orkney  rents,  and  he  that  offers  highest  is  preferred  to  be  the  King's  steward 
for  the  time ;  and  as  such,  he  is  principal  judge  of  the  country.  But  this  precarious 
lease  is  a  public  loss  to  the  inhabitants,  especially  the  poorer  sort,  who  complain  that 
they  would  be  allowed  to  pay  money  for  their  corn  and  meal  in  time  of  scarcity,  but 
that  the  stewards  carried  it  off  to  other  parts,  and  neglected  the  interest  of  the  country. 
The  interest  of  the  crown  suffers  likewise  by  this  means,  for  much  of  the  crown  lands 
lie  waste  :  whereas,  if  there  were  a  constant  steward,  it  might  be  much  better  managed, 
both  for  the  crown  and  the  inhabiants. 

There  is  a  tenure  of  land  in  Orkney,  differing  from  any  other  in  the  kingdom,  and 
this  they  call  Udal  Right,  from  Ulaus  kin^  of  Norway,  who,  after  taking  possession  of 
those  islands,  gave  a  right  to  the   inhabitants,   on  condition   of  paying  the  third  no 

VOLflll.  •  4t 


690 


MARTtN*«    DEICniPl'ION    Ot    THK 


himself;  nml  tlii^  x\^\\K  the  iiihiihiiiintH  had  »ucc<Mivtly,  without  any  charter.     All  the 
land"*  of  OikiiLV  an:  Udal  lands,  Kinn'"*  lauds,  or  fcur<l  lands. 

They  (lilltr  in  their  in<  asurcii  from  other  parts  of  Scotland,  for  they  d'i  not  use  the 
peck  or  firlct,  hut  weigh  their  corn*  in  I'ismorcs,  or  I'umlKrs;  the  least  (|iianiiiy  nuy 
call  a  Merk,  \\\\\c\\  is  lighteen  ounces,  and  twentyfour  make  a  Lei>pounU,  or  Stlcn, 
which  iit  the  itume  with  the  Danes  that  u  sttoiic  weight  ii  with  lis. 

TIIK  ANCIKN r  HTATK  OI'  Till.  ClIUIK  II  OI  OUKNKV. 

TIIR  churches  of  Orkney  and  Zetland  ibics  were  formerly  under  th«'  gnvernmrnf  of 
at<i>iiopi  tlu  iMtlicdial  church  was  St.  Mugnus  in  Kirkwall.  TIktc  are  ihir )  >iMe 
chureheM,  u>id  ahoiit  one  hundred  chapcl*>  in  the  country,  and  the  whole  make  upubuut 
ciphieeii  parishc  s. 

This  diocese  had  several  great  dignities  and  privilej^es  for  u  long  time,  but  by  the  suc- 
cession and «  haiigc  of  n\aiiy  mattters  they  were  lessened.  Dr.  Robert  Keid,  their  bishop, 
ip^idc  an  erection  of  seven  dignities,  viz.  1.  A  provost,  to  whom,  under  the  bishop,  the 
got  crnment  of  the  canons,  Sec.  did  delong ;  he  had  allotted  to  him  the  pretxndarv  of 
Holy  Trinity,  and  the  vicarage  of  South  Ronalshaw.  2.  An  arch-deacon.  3.  A  pre- 
centor, who  had  the  prebendary  of  Ophir,  and  the  vicarage  of  Stenuis.  4.  A  chancellor, 
who  was  to  be  learned  in  both  laws ;  to  him  was  given  the  prebendary  of  St.  Mary  in 
Sanda,  and  the  vicarage  of  Sanda.  5.  A  treasurer,  who  was  to  Lcep  the  treasure  of 
the  church,  and  sacred  vestments,  &c.  he  was  rector  of  St.  Nicholas  in  Stronsa.  C.  A 
sub-dean,  who  was  parson  of  Hoy,  &c.  7.  A  sub-chantrr,  who  was  botmd  to  play  on 
the  organs  each  Lonl's  Day,  and  festivals ;  he  was  prebendary  of  St.  Colme.  He  e. 
rccted  seven  other  canonries  and  prebends ;  to  which  dignities  he  assigned,  besides 
their  churches,  the  rents  of  the  parsonages  of  St.  Colme,  in  Waes,  and  Holy-Cross,  in 
Westra,  as  also  the  vicarages  of  the  parish  churches  of  Sand,  Wick,  and  Srromness. 
He  erected,  besides  these,  thirteen  chaplainv;  every  one  of  which  was  to  have  twenty- 
four  meils  of  corn,  and  ten  merks  of  money,  for  their  yearly  salary  ;  besides  their  daily 
distributions,  which  were  to  be  raised  from  the  rents*  of  the  vicarage  of  the  cathedral 
church,  and  from  the  foundation  of  Thomas  Bishop  of  Orkney,  and  the  twelve  pounds 
ratified  by  king  James  the  Third,  and  James  the  Fourth  of  Scotland.  To  these  he  add- 
ed a  Sacrist,  and  six  boys  to  bear  tapers.  The  charter  of  the  erection  is  dated  at  Kirk- 
wall, October  38,  Anno  1554. 

This  was  the  state  of  the  church  under  popery.  Some  time  after  the  reformation, 
Bishop  Law  being  made  Bishop  of  Orkney,  and  the  earldom  united  to  the  crown  (by 
the  forfeiture  and  death  of  Patrick  Stewart,  earl  of  Orkney)  he  with  the  consent  of  his 
chapter  made  a  contract  with  king  James  the  Sixth,  in  which  they  resign  all  their  ec- 
clesiastical  lands  to  the  crov/n ;  and  the  king  gives  back  to  the  bishop  several  lands  in 
Orkney,  as  Horn,  Orphir,  &c.  and  his  majesty  gave  also  the  commissariot  of  Orkney  to 
the  bishop  and  his  successors  ;  and  then  a  compenent  number  of  persons  for  a  chapter 
were  agreed  on.    This  contract  was  made  Anno  1614. 

THE  ANCIENT  MONUMENTS  AND  CURIOSITIES  IN  THESE  ISI^NDS  ARE  AS  FOLLOW  : 

IN  the  isle  of  Hoy,  there  is  the  Dwarfie-stone  between  two  hills,  it  is  about  thirty, 
four  feet  long,  and  about  sixteen  feet  broad ;  it  is  made  hollow  by  human  industry  :  it 
has  a  small  square  entry  looking  to  the  east,  about  two  feet  high,  and  has  a  stone  pra- 


\i% 


";4^»i»<i«»«w<^''«iiL*„----- 


WIITEUM    ISLANDS    OF    SCOTLAND. 


601 


portiunubic,  at  two  feet  dihtaiicc  hcforr  the  entry.  At  one  of  the  cmls  ulthin  this  stone 
there  is  cut  out  ti  bed  and  pillow,  capubic  o(  two  pcrvms  to  lie  in  ;  at  the  other  opposite 
end  there  is  a  void  opuce  cut  out  rcHeniblin((  a  (xd;  and  nliovc  both  these  there  inn 
hirge  Itole,  which  it  is  sup|)osed  wus  a  vent  for  smoke.  The  cummun  tradition  is,  that  a 
Ijiant  and  his  wile  nude  this  their  place  of  retreat. 

About  a  mile  to  the  west  of  the  main  land  at  Skenl-housCi  there  is  in  the  top  of  ht(;h 
rocks  many  stones  disp<jsed  like  a  street,  about  a  (|uarter  of  a  mile  in  length,  and  between 
twenty  and  thirty  feet  bro.td.  They  dift'er  in  fimirc  and  mafrnitudc,  are  of  a  red  colour  ; 
some  resemble  a  heart,  some  u  crown,  leg,  shoe,  last,  weaver's  shuttle,  8cc. 

On  the  west  and  cast  side  of  Loch-8tenuis,  on  die  main  land,  there  are  two  circles  of 
large  stone  erected  in  a  ditch;  the  larger,  which  is  round,  on  the  north-west  tide,  is  u 
hundred  paces  diameter,  and  some  of  the  stones  are  twenty  feet  high,  and  above  four  in 
breadth ;  they  an  not  all  of  u  height,  nor  placed  at  an  e(iual  distance,  and  many  oi  thcni 
arc  fallen  down  on  the  ground. 

About  a  little  distance  further,  there  is  a  scmi-circle  of  larger  stones  than  those  meu' 
tioned  above.  There  are  tvn  r  ,cen  mounts,  at  the  cast  and  west  side  of  the  circle, 
which  arr  supposed  to  be  artificial ;  and  Tibulc  of  silver  were  found  in  them  some  time 
ago,  which  on  one  side  resembled  a  horsi  ^>•shoc,  more  tha'>  any  thing  else. 

The  hills  and  circles  are  Ix'lievcd  to  have  been  places  designed  to  offer  sacrifice  in 
time  of  Pagan  idolatry  ;  and  for  this  reason  the  people  called  them  the  ancient  temp'es 
of  the  Gods,  as  we  may  find  by  Bocthius,  in  the  life  of  Manius.  Several  of  the  inhabit- 
ants have  a  tradition,  that  the  6un  was  worshipped  in  the  larger,  and  the  moon  in  the 
lesser  circle. 

In  the  chapel  of  CIct,  in  the  isle  of  Sanda,  there  is  a  grave  of  nineteen  feet  in  ler.);5tii ; 
some  who  had  the  curiosity  to  open  it,  found  only  a  piece  of  a  man's  backbone  in  it,  big- 
ger than  that  of  ahorse.  The  minister  of  the  place  had  the  curiosity  to  keep  the  bone 
by  him  for  some  time.  The  inhabitants  have  a  tradition  of  a  giant  there,  whose  stature 
was  such,  that  he  could  reach  his  hand  as  high  as  the  top  of  the  chanel.  There  have 
been  large  bones  found  lately  in  Westra,  and  one  of  the  natives  who  died  not  long 
ago,  was  for  his  stature  distinguished  by  the  title  of  the  Mickle,  or  great  Man  of  Waes. 

There  are  erected  stones  in  divers  parts,  both  of  the  main  and  lesser  isles,  which  are 
believed  to  have  been  erected  as  monuments  of  such  as  distinguished  themselves  in  battle. 

There  have  been  several  strange  instances  of  the  efl'ects  of  thunder  here ;  as  that  of 
burning  Kirkwall  steeple  by  lightning  in  the  year  1670.  At  Stromness  a  gentleman 
had  twelve  kine,  six  of  which  in  a  stall  were  suddenly  killed  by  thunder,  and  the  other 
six  left  alive ;  and  it  was  remarkable  that  the  thunder  did  not  kill  them  all  as  they  stood, 
but  killed  one  and  missed  another.  This  happened  in  1680,  and  is  attested  by  the  mi- 
nister and  others  in  the  parish. 

There  is  a  ruinous  chapel  in  Papa  Westra,  called  St.  Tredwels,  at  the  door  of  wliich 
there  is  a  heap  of  stones ;  which  was  the  superstition  of  the  common  people,  who  have 
such  a  veneration  for  this  chapel  above  any  other,  that  they  never  fail,  at  their  comiiig  to 
it,  to  throw  a  stone  as  an  offei  mg  before  the  door ;  and  this  they  reckon  an  indispensibic 
duty  enjoined  by  their  ancestors. 

Lady- Kirk  in  South- Ronalshaw,  though  ruinous,  and  without  a  roof,  is  so  much  reve- 
renced by  the  natives,  that  they  chuse  rather  to  repair  this  old  one,  than  to  build  a  new 
church  in  a  more  convenient  place,  and  at  a  cheaper  rate  :  such  is  the  power  of  education, 
that  these  men  cannot  be  cured  of  these  superstitious  fancies,  transmitted  to  them  by 
their  ignorant  ancestors. 

4x2 


692 


martin's  description  or  ihe 


Within  the  ancient  fabric  of  J^»dy.Church  there  is  a  stone  of  four  f  et  in  length,  and 
two  in  breadth,  tapering  at  both  ends  :  this  stone  has  engraven  on  it  the  print  of  two 
feet,  concerning  wl)ich  the  inhabitants  have  the  following  tradition :  that  St.  Magnus 
wanting  a  boatt  to  carry  him  over  Pightland>Firth  to  the  opposite  main  land  of  Caithness, 
made  use  of  this  stone  instead  of  a  boat,  and  afterwards  earned  it  to  this  church,  where  it 
continues  ever  since.  But  oth::rs  have  this  more  reasonable  opinion,  that  it  has  been 
used  in  time  of  Popery  for  delinquents,  who  were  obliged  to  stand  bartfoot  upon  it  by 
viray  of  penance.  Several  of  the  vulgar  inhabiting  the  lesser  isles  observe  the  anniver< 
sary  of  thc.r  respective  saints.  There  is  one  day  m  harvest  on  which  the  vulgar  abstain 
from  work,  because  of  an  ancient  and  foolish  tradition,  :hat  if  they  do  their  vi'ork,  the 
ridges  will  bleed. 

Thisy  have  a  charm  for  stopping  excess' v?  bleeding,  either  in  man  or  bciist,  whether 
the  cause  be  interral  or  external ;  which  is  performed  by  sending  the  naiuC  of  the  pa> 
tiient  to  the  charmc  r,  v/ho  adds  some  more  words  to  it,  and,  after  repeating  those  words, 
the  cure  is  i)erformed,  though  the  charmer  be  several  miles  distant  from  *he  patient.  They 
have  likewise  other  charmr>,  w'.iich  they  use  frequently  at  a  distance,  and  that  also  with 
success. 

The  inha'mtants  are  v/ell  proportioned,  and  seem  to  be  more  sanguine  than  they  are ; 
the  poor^'r  sort  live  much  upon  fish  of  various  kinds,  and  sometimes  without  any  bread. 
The  inhabitants  in  general  are  subject  to  the  scurvy,  imputed  to  the  fish  and  salt  meat, 
which  is  their  daily  food  ;  yet  several  of  the  inhabitants  arrive  at  a  gre^.t  age :  a  woman 
in  Evie  brought  forth  a  chHd  in  the  sixty  .third  year  of  her  p^. 

One  living  in  Kerstoii  lately  was  one  hundred  and  twe'/e  years  old,  and  went  to  sea 
at  one  hundred  and  ten.  A  gentleman  at  Stronsa,  about  fuur  years  ago,  had  a  son  at 
a  hundred  and  ten  yearri  old.  One  William  Muir  in  Westra  lived  a  hundred  and  forty 
years,  and  died  about  eighteen  years  ago.  l^e  inhabitants  speak  the  English  tongue  : 
several  of  the  vulgar  ^peak  the  Danish  or  Norse  language ;  and  many  among  them  retain 
the  ancient  Danish  names. 

Those  of  Distinction  arc  hospitable  and  obliging,  the  vulgar  are  generally  civil  and 
affable.  Both  of  them  wear  the  habit  in  fashion  in  the  Lowlands,  and  some  wear  a 
seal-skin  for  shoes ;  which  they  do  not  sew,  but  only  tie  them  about  their  feet  r/ith  strings, 
and  sometimes  thongs  of  leather :  they  are  generally  able  and  stout  seamen. 

The  common  people  are  very  laborious,  and  undergo  great  fatigues,  and  no  small 
hazard  in  fishing.  The  isles  of  Orkney  were  formerly  liable  to  frequent  incursions  by 
the  Norwegians,  and  those  inhabiting  the  Western  Isles  of  Scotland.  To  prevent  which, 
each  village  was  obliged  to  furnish  a  large  boat  well  manr?d  to  oppose  the  enemy,  and 
upon  their  landing  all  the  inhabitants  were  to  appear  armed  ;  and  beacons  were  set  on 
the  top  of  the  highest  hills  and  rocks,  to  give  a  general  warning  on  the  sight  of  an  ap< 
proaching  enemy. 

About  the  year  1634,  Dr.  Graham  being  then  bishop  of  Orkney,  a  young  boy,  called 
William  Garioch,  had  some  acres  of  land,  and  some  cattle,  &c.  left  him  by  his  father 
deceased  :  he,  being  young,  was  kept  by  his  uncle,  who  had  a  great  desire  to  obtain  the 
;a*»ds,  &c.  belonging  to  his  nephew ;  who,  being  kept  short,  stole  a  setten  of  barley, 
which  is  aoout  twenty-eight  pound  weight,  f:  om  his  uncle ;  for  which  he  pursued  the 
youth,  who  was  then  eighteen  years  of  age,  before  the  sheriff.  The  theft  being  proved, 
the  young  man  received  sentence  of  death ;  but  going  up  the  ladder  to  be  hanged,  he 
prayed  eavnestly  that  God  would  inflicc  some  visible  judgment  on  his  uncle,  who  out  of 
covf^tousness  had  procured  his  death.  The  uncle  happened  after  this  to  be  walking  in 
the  churchy£;d  of  Kirkwall,  and  as  he  stood  upon  the  young  man's  grave,  the  bishop's 


1; 


WESTERN    ISLANDS    OF    SCOTLAND. 


693 


igth,  and 
nt  of  two 

Magnus 
'aithncss, 

where  it 
has  been 
pon  it  by 

anniven 
ar  abstain 
K'ork,  the 

whether 
sf  the  pa- 
se  words, 
nt.  They 
also  with 

they  are ; 
ny  bread, 
salt  meat, 
a  woman 

:nt  to  sea 
i  a  son  at 
and  forty 
1  tongue : 
tern  retain 

'  civil  and 
le  wear  a 
th  strings, 

!  no  small 
irsions  by 
nt  which, 
lemy,  and 
;re  set  on 
of  an  ap- 

toy,  called 
his  father 
obtain  the 
of  barley, 
jrsued  the 
ig  proved, 
anged,  he 
ivho  out  of 
valking  in 
e  bishop's 


dog  run  at  him  all  of  a  sudden,  and  tore  out  his  throat ;  and  so  he  became  a  monu- 
ment  of  God's  wmth  against  such  covetous  wretches.  This  account  was  given  to  Mr. 
Wallace,  minister  there,  by  several  that  were  witnesses  of  the  fact. 

SCHETLAND. 

SCHETLAND  lies  north-east  from  Orkney,  between  the  60th  and  61st  degree  of 
latitude  ;  the  distance  between  the  head  of  Sanda,  which  is  the  most  northerly  part  of 
Orkney,  and  Swinburg.head,  the  most  southerly  point  of  Schetland,  is  commonly 
reckoned  to  be  twenty  or  twenty>one  leagues:  the  tides  running  betwixt  are  al- 
ways impetuous,  and  swelling,  as  well  in  a  calm  as  when  a  fresh  gale  blows ;  and  the 
greatest  danger  is  near  the  Fair  Isle,  which  lies  nearer  to  Schetland  than  Orkney  by 
four  leagues. 

The  lai^st  isle  of  Schetland,  by  the  natives  called  the  main-land,  is  sixty  miles  in 
length  from  south-west  to  the  north-east,  and  from  sixteen  to  one  mile  in  breadth. 
Some  call  these  isles  Hethland,  others  Hoghland,  which  in  the  Norse  tongue  signifies 
high-land ;  Schetland  in  the  same  language  signifies  sea-land. 

This  isle  is  for  the  most  part  mossy,  and  more  cultivated  on  the  shore  than  in  any 
other  part ;  it  is  mountainous  and  covered  with  heath,  which  renders  it  fitter  for  pas- 
turage  than  tillage.  The  inhabitants  depend  upon  the  Orkney  isles  fnr  their  cr^rn.  The 
ground  is  generally  so  b(^gy,  that  it  makes  riding  impracticable,  and  travelling  on  foot 
not  very  pleasant ;  there  being  several  parts  into  which  people  sink,  to  the  endanger, 
ing  their  lives,  .of  ivhich  their  have  been  several  late  instances.  About  the  summer 
solstice,  they  have  t.j  much  light  all  night,  that  they  can  see  to  read  by  it.  The  sun  sets 
between  ten  and  eleven,  and  rises  between  one  and  two  h  the  morning,  but  then  the 
day  is  so  much  the  shorter,  and  the  night  longer,  in  the  winter.  This,  together  with 
the  violence  of  the  tides  and  tempestuous  seas,  deprives  the  inhabitants  of  all  foreign  cor- 
respondence from  October  till  April,  and  often  till  May ;  during  which  space,  they  are 
altogether  strangers  to  the  rest  of  mankind,  of  whom  they  hear  not  the  least  news.  A 
remarkable  instance  of  this  happened  after  the  late  Revolution  :  they  had  no  account 
of  the  Prince  of  Orange's  late  landing  in  England,  coronation,  &c.  until  a  fisherman 
happened  to  land  in  these  isles  in  the  May  following :  and  he  was  not  believed,  but  in- 
dicted for  high-treason  for  spreading  such  news. 

The  air  of  this  isle  is  cold  and  piercing,  notwithstanding  which  many  of  the  inha- 
bitants arrive  at  a  great  age ;  of  which  there  are  several  remarkable  instances.  Bu- 
chanan in  his  Hist.  lib.  i.  gives  an  account  of  one  Laurence,  who  lived  in  his  time,  some 
of  whose  ofisprin^^  do  still  live  in  the  parish  of  Waes ;  this  man,  after  he  arrived  at  one 
hundred  years  of  age,  marriv?d  a  wife,  went  out  a  fishing  when  he  was  one  hundred 
and  forty  years  old,  and,  upon  his  return,  died  rather  of  old  age,  than  of  any  distemper. 

The  inhabitants  give  an  account  of  Tairville,  who  arrived  at  the  age  of  one  hundred 
and  eighty,  and  never  drank  any  malt  drink,  distilled  waters,  nor  wine.  They  say 
that  his  son  lived  longer  than  him,  and  that  his  grandchildren  lived  to  a  good  age,  and 
seldom  ur  never  drank  any  stronger  liquors  than  milk,  virater,  or  bland. 

The  disease  that  affiicts  the  inhabitants  here  most  is  the  scurvy,  which  they  suppose  is 
occasioned  by  their  eating^too  much  salt-fish.  There  is  a  distemper  here  called  bastard 
scurvy,  which  discovers  itself  by  the  falling  of  the  hair  firom  the  peoples'  eye-brows, 
and  the  fallin?  of  their  noses,  &l.  and  as  soon  as  the  symptoms  appear,  the  persons  are 
removed  to  the  fields,  where  little  houses  are  built  for  them,  on  purpose  to  prevent  in- 
fection.   The  principal  cause  of  this  distemper  is  believed  to  be  want  of  bread,  and 


094 


MARTINIS  DESCRIPTION  0?  T»E 


feeding  on  fish  alone,  particularly  the  liver :  many  poor  families  are  sometimes  without 
bread  for  three,  four,  or  five  months  together.  They  say  likewis'-  that  their  drinking 
of  bland,  which  is  their  universal  liquor,  and  preserved  for  the  winter  as  part  of  their 
provisions,  is  another  cause  of  this  distemper.  This  drink  is  made  of  buttermilk  mixed 
with  water;  there  be  many  of  them  who  never  taste  ale  or  beei,  lor  their  scarcity 
of  bread  is  such,  that  they  can  spare  no  corn  for  drink :  so  that  they  have  no  other 
than  bland,  but  what  they  get  from  foreign  vessels  that  resort  thither  every  summer  to 
fish. 

The  isles  in  general  afford  a  great  quantity  of  scurvy-grass,  which,  used  discreetly, 
is  found  to  be  a  good  remedy  against  this  diisease.  Thejaundice  is  coinmonly  cu>ed  by 
drinking  the  powder  of  shell-snails  among  their  drink,  in  the  space  of  three  or  four 
days.  They  first  dry,  then  pulverize  the  snails  ;  and  it  is  observable,  that  though  this 
dust  should  be  kept  all  the  year  round,  and  grow  into  vermin,  it  may  be  dried  again, 
and  pulverized  for  that  use. 

The  ibies  afford  abundance  of  sea-fowl,  which  serve  the  inhabitants  for  part  of 
their  food  during  summer  and  harvest,  and  the  down  and  feathers  bring  them  great 
gain. 

The  several  tribes  of  fowl  here  build  and  hatch  apart,  and  every  tribe  keeps  close 
together,  as  if  it  were  by  consent.  Some  of  the  lesser  isles  are  so  crouded  with  variety 
of  sea-fowl,  that  they  darken  the  air  when  they  fly  in  great  numbers.  After  their  coming, 
which  is  commonly  in  February,  they  sit  very  close  together  for  some  time,  till  they  re- 
cover the  fatigue  of  their  long  flight  from  their  remote  quarters ;  and  after  they  have 
hatched  their  young,  and  find  they  are  able  to  fly,  they  go  away  together  to  some  other 
unknown  place. 

The  people  inhabiting  the  lesser  isles  have  abundance  of  eggs  and  fowl,  which  contri- 
bute to  maintain  their  families  during  the  summer. 

The  common  people  are  generally  very  dextrous  in  climbing  the  rocks  in  quest  of 
those  eggs  and  fowl ;  but  this  exerciL.e  is  attended  with  very  great  danger,  and  some- 
times proves  fatal  to  tliose  that  venture  too  far. 

The  most  remarkable  experiment  of  this  sort  is  at  the  isle  called  the  Noss  of  Brassah, 
and  is  as  follows :  the  Noss  being  about  sixteen  fathom  distant  from  the  side  of  the 
opposite  main,  the  higher  and  lower  rocks  have  two  stakes  fastened  in  each  of  them, 
and  to  these  there  are  ropes  tied :  upon  the  ropes  there  is  an  engine  hung,  which  they 
call  a  cradle ;  and  in  this  a  man  makes  his  way  over  from  the  greater  to  the  lesser  rocks, 
where  he  makes  a  considerable  purchase  of  eggs  and  fowl ;  but  his  return  being  by  an 
ascent,  makes  it  more  dangerous,  though  those  on  the  great  rock  have  a  rope  tied  to  the 
cradle,  by  which  they  draw  it  and  the  man  safe  over  for  the  most  part. 

There  are  some  rocks  here  computed  to  be  about  three  hundrf  '  fathom  high ;  and 
the  way  of  climbing  them  is,  to  tie  a  rope  about  a  man's  middle,  and  let  him  down  with 
a  basket,  in  which  he  brings  up  his  eggs  and  fowl.  The  isle  of  Foula  is  the  most  dan* 
gerous  and  fatal  to  the  climbers,  for  many  of  them  perish  in  the  attempt. 

The  crows  are  very  numerous  in  Schetland,  and  differ  in  their  colour  from  those  on 
the  main  land ;  for  the  head,  wings  and  tail  of  those  in  Schetland  are  only  black,  and 
their  back,  breast  and  tail  of  a  gray  colour.  When  black  crows  are  seen  there  at  any 
time,  the  inhabitants  say  it  is  a  presage  of  approaching  famine. 

There  are  fine  hawks  in  these  isles,  and  particularly  those  of  Fair  Isle  are  reputed 
among  the  best  that  are  to  be  had  any  where  ;  they  are  observed  to  go  far  for  their  prey, 
and  particularly  for  moc.-fowl  as  far  as  the  isles  of  Orkney,  which  aie  about  sixteen 
leagues  froni  them. 


WESTERN    ISLANDS    OF    SCOTLAND. 


695 


There  are  likewise  many  eagles  in  and  about  these  isles,  which  are  very  destructive  to 
the  sheep  and  lambs. 

This  country  produces  little  horses,  connmonly  called  Shelties,  and  they  are  very 
sprightly,  th  ugh  the  leiist  of  their  kind  to  be  seen  any  where ;  they  are  lower  in  sta- 
ture than  ihobc  of  Orkiity,  and  it  is  common  for  a  man  of  ordinary  strength  to  lift  a 
Slicltic  from  the  ground  ;  yet  this  little  creature  is  able  to  carry  double.  Tlie  black 
are  esteenuci  to  be  the  most  hardy,  but  the  pyed  ones  seldom  prove  so  good  :  they  live 
many  times  till  thirty  years  of  age,  and  are  fit  for  service  all  the  while.  These  horses 
are  never  br  night  into  a  house,  but  exposed  to  the  rigour  of  the  season  all  the  year 
round  ;  and,  when  they  have  no  grass,  feed  upon  sea- ware,  which  is  only  to  be  had  at  the 
tide  of  ebb. 

The  isles  of  Schetland  produce  many  sheep,  which  have  two  and  three  lambs  at  a 
time ;  they  would  be  much  more  numerous,  did  not  eagles  destroy  them  :  they  arc 
likewise  reduced  to  feed  on  sea- ware  during  the  frost  and  snow. 


in 


THE  LESSER  ISLES  OF  SCHETLAND  ARE  AS  FOLLOW: 

The  isle  Trondra,  which  lies  opposite  to  Scalloway  town  on  the  west ;  three  miles 
long,  and  two  broad. 

Further  to  the  north-east  lies  the  isle  of  Whalsey,  about  three  miles  in  length,  and  as 
many  in  breadth ;  the  rats  are  very  numerous  here,  and  do  abundance  of  mischief  by 
destroying  the  corn. 

At  some  further  distance  lie  the  small  isles  called  Skerries ;  there  is  a  church  in  one 
of  them.  These  isles  and  rocks  prove  often  fatal  to  seamen,  but  advantageous  to  the 
inhabitants,  by  the  wrecks  and  goods  that  the  winds  and  tides  drive  ashore ;  which 
often  supply  them  with  fuel,  of  which  they  are  altogethet  destitute.  It  was  here  that 
the  Carmelan  of  Amsterdam  was  cast  ay,  as  bound  for  the  East  Indies,  ann.  1664. 
Among  the  rich  cargo  she  had  several  citcsts  of  coined  gold  ;  the  whole  -as  valued  at 
3,000,000  guilders ;  of  all  the  crew  four  only  were  saved.  The  inhabit  mta  of  the  small 
isles,  among  other  advantages  they  had  by  this  reck,  had  the  pleasure  of  drinking 
liberally  of  the  strong  drink  which  was  driven  ashore  in  'arge  casks,  for  the  space  of  three 
weeks. 

Between  Brassa-Sound  and  the  opposite  main  lies  the  Unicorn,  a  lai^roUo  rock, 
visible  only  At  low  water;  it  is  so  called  ever  since  a  vessel  c'  that  name  perished  upon 
it,  commanded  by  William  Kirkaldy,  of  Gronge,  who  was  i  eager  pursuit  of  the  earl 
of  Bothwell,  and  very  near  him  when  his  ship  struck. 

On  the  east  lies  the  isle  called  Fisholm  ;  to  the  north-east  lies  Little  Rue,  and  on  the 
west  Mickle  Rue ;  the  latter  is  eight  miles  in  length,  and  two  in  bre  ith,  and  has  a  good 
harbour. 

Near  to  Esting  lies  the  isles  of  Vemantry,  which  have  several  harbours ;  Omey, 
Little  Papa,  Helisha,  Sec. 

To  the  north  west  of  the  Ness  lies  St.  Nin^^n's  Isle ;  it  has  a  chapel  and  an  altar  in  it, 
upon  which  some  of  the  inhabitants  retain  the  ancient  superstitious  custom  of  burning 
candle. 

Papa-Stour  is  two  miles  in  length ;  it  excels  any  isle  of  its  extent  for  all  the  conveni- 
encies  of  human  life :  it  has  four  good  harbours,  one  of  which  looks  to  the  south, 
another  to  the  west,  and  two  to  the  north. 

The  Lyra-Skerries,  so  called  from  the  fowl  of  that  name  that  abound  in  them,  lie 
near  this  isle. 


696 


MAIITIN's    OB8CRIPTI0N    OF    THE 


About  six  leagues  west  of  the  main  lies  the  isle  Foula,  about  three  miles  in  length ;  it 
has  a  rock  remarkable  for  its  height,  which  is  seen  from  Orkney  when  the  weather  is 
fair ;  it  hath  a  harbour  on  one  side^ 

The  isle  of  Brassa  lies  to  the  east  of  Tingwall ;  it  is  five  miles  in  length,  ana  two  in 
breadth :  some  paru  of  the  coast  are  arable  ground,  and  there  are  two  churches  in  it. 

Further  to  the  east  lies  the  small  isle  called  the  Noss  of  Brassa. 

The  isle  of  Burray  is  three  miles  long,  has  good  pasturage,  and  abundance  of  fish  on 
its  coast :  it  has  a  large  church  and  steeple  in  it.  The  inhabitants  say  that  mice  do  not 
live  in  this  isle  when  brought  to  it ;  and  that  the  earth  of  it  being  brought  to  any  other 
part  where  the  mice  are,  the>  will  quickly  abandon  it. 

Haveroy  isle,  which  is  a  mile  and  a  half  in  length,  lies  to  the  south-east  of  Burray. 

The  isle  of  Yell  is  sixteen  miles  long,  and  from  eight  to  one  in  breadth  ;  it  lies  north- 
east from  the  main :  there  are  three  churches  and  several  small  chapels  in  it. 

The  isle  of  Ilakashie  is  two  miles  long ;  Samphrey  isle  one  mile  long ;  Biggai  isle  is  a 
mile  and  a  half  in  length :  all  three  lie  round  Yell,  and  are  reputed  among  the  best  of  the 
lesser  isles. 

The  isle  of  Fetlor  lies  to  the  north-east  of  Yell,  and  is  five  miles  in  length,  and  four  in 
breadth ;  it  hath  a  church,  and  some  of  the  Picts  houses,  in  it. 

The  isle  Unst  is  eight  miles  long,  and  is  the  pleasantestof  the  Schetland  isles ;  it  has 
three  churches,  and  as  many  harbours ;  it  is  reckoned  the  most  northern  of  all  the 
British  dominions.  The  inhabitants  of  the  isle  Vaila  say  that  no  cat  will  live  it,  and  if 
any  cat  be  brought  to  it,  they  will  rather  venture  to  sea  than  stay  in  the  isle  ;  they  say  that 
a  cat  was  seen  upon  the  isle  about  fifty  years  ago,  but  how  it  came  there  was  unknown. 
They  observed  about  the  same  time  how  the  proprietor  was  in  great  torment,  and  as 
they  suppose  by  witchcraft,  of  which  they  say  he  then  died.  There  is  no  account  that 
any  cat  has  been  seen  in  the  isle  ever  since  that  gentleman's  death,  except  when  they 
were  carried  to  it,  for  making  the  above-mentioned  experiment. 

The  inhabitants  say  that  if  a  compass  be  placed  at  the  house  of  Udsta,  on  the  west  side 
of  the  isle  Fetlor,  the  needle  will  be  in  perpetual  disorder,  without  fixing  to  any  one 
pole ;  and  that  being  tried  afterwards  in  the  top  of  that  house,  it  had  the  same  effect 
JThey  add  further,  that  when  a  vessel  sails  near  that  house,  the  needle  of  the  compass  is 
disordered  in  the  same  manner. 

There  is  a  yellow  sort  of  metal  lately  discovered  in  the  isle  o>  Uzia,  but  the  inhabit- 
ants had  not  found  t.  way  to  melt  it,  ao  that  it  is  not  yet  turned  to  any  account. 


THE  ANCIENT  COURT  OF  JUSTICE, 

In  these  islands,  was  held  in  Holm,  in  the  parish  of  Ting^vall,  in  the  middle  of  the 
main  land.  This  Holm  is  an  island  in  the  middle  of  a  fresh- water  lake ;  it  is  to  this 
day  called  the  Law-Ting,  and  the  parish,  in  all  probability,  hath  its  name  from  it.  The 
entrance  to  this  Holm  is  by  some  stones  laid  in  the  v  ater ;  and  in  the  Holm  there  are 
four  great  stones,  upon  which  sat  the  judge,  clerk,  and  other  officers  of  the  ourt.  The 
inhabitants  that  had  law  suits  attended  at  some  distance  from  the  Holm,  on  tne  other 
side  of  the  lake ;  and  when  any  of  them  was  called  by  the  officer,  he  entered  by  the 
stepping-stones ;  and  being  dismissed,  he  returned  the  same  way.  This  was  the  practice 
of  the  Danes.  The  inhabitants  have  a  tradition  among  them,  that  after  one  had  re- 
ceived sentence  of  death  upon  the  Holm,  he  obtained  a  remission,  provided  he  made  his 
escape  through  the  crowd  of  people  on  the  lake  side,  and  touched  I'ingwall  steeple  be- 
fore any  could  lay  hold  on  him.  This  steeple  in  those  days  was  an  asylum  for  malefactors 


WESTERN    IStAKDS    OF  SCOTLAND. 


6P7 


and  debtors  to  flee  into.  The  inhabitants  of  this  isle  are  all  protcstants  ;  they  generally 
apeak  the  English  tongue,  and  many  among  them  retain  the  ancient  Danish  language, 
tspccially  in  the  more  northern  isles.  There  are  several  who  sjieak  English,  Norse,  and 
Dutch  ;  the  last  of  which  is  acquired  by  their  converse  with  the  Hollanders,  that  fish 
yearly  in  those  isles. 

The  people  arc  generally  reputed  discreet,  and  charitable  to  strangers  ;  and  those  of 
the  best  rank  are  fashionable  in  their  apparel. 

Shetland  is  much  more  populous  now  than  it  was  thirty  years  ago,  which  is  owing  to 
the  trade>  and  particularly  that  of  their  fishery,  so  much  followed  every  year  by  the 
Hollanders,  Hamburghers,  and  others.  The  increase  of  people  at  Lerwick  is  conside- 
rable ;  for  it  had  but  three  or  four  families  about  thirty  years  ago,  and  is  since  increased 
to  about  three  hundred  families  ;  and  it  is  observable,  that  few  of  their  families  were 
natives  of  Shetland,  but  came  from  several  parts  of  Scotland,  and  especially  from  the 
northern  and  eastern  coast. 

The  fishery  in  Shetland  is  the  foundation  both  of  their  trade  and  wealth ;  and  though 
it  is  of  late  became  less  than  before,  yet  the  inhabitart^ ,  by  their  industry  and  applica« 
tion,  make  a  greater  profit  of  it  than  formerly,  when  ihey  had  them  nearer  the  coast, 
both  of  the  larger  and  lesser  isles ;  but  now  the  grey  fish  of  the  latest  size  are  not  to  be 
had  in  any  quantity  without  going  further  into  the  ocean.  The  fish  commonly  bought 
by  strangers  here  are  cod  and  ling ;  the  inhabitants  themselves  make  only  use  of  the 
smaller  fish  and  herrings,  which  abound  on  the  coast  of  this  isle  in  vast  shoals. 

The  fish  called  tusk  abounds  on  the  coast  of  Brassa ;  the  time  for  fishing  is  at  the 
end  of  May.  This  fish  is  as  big  as  a  ling,  of  a  brown  and  yellow  colour,  has  a  broad 
tail ;  it  is  Ixtter  fi'esh  than  salted :  they  are  commonly  sold  at  fifteen  or  sixteen  shillmgs 
\he  hundred. 

The  inhabitants  observe,  that  the  further  they  go  to  the  northward  the  fish  are  of  a 
larger  size,  and  in  greater  quantities.  They  make  great  store  of  oil,  particularly  of  the 
large  gray  fish,  by  them  called  seths,  and  the  younger  sort  sillucks :  they  sity  that  the 
liver  of  one  seth  affords  a  pint,  of  Scots  measure,  being  about  four  of  English  measure. 
The  way  of  making  the  oil  is  first  by  boiling  the  liver  in  a  pot  half  full  of  water,  and 
when  it  boils  the  oil  goes  to  the  top,  and  is  skimmed  off  and  put  in  vessels  for  use. 
The  fishers  observe  of  late,  that  the  livers  of  fish  are  less  in  size  than  they  have  been 
formerly. 

The  Hamburghers,  Bremers,  and  others,  come  to  this  country  about  the  middle  of 
May,  set  up  shops  in  several  parts,  and  sell  divers  commodities ;  as  linen,  muslin,  and 
such  things  as  are  most  proper  for  the  inhabitants,  but  more  especially  beep,  brandy, 
and  bread ;  all  which  they  barter  for  fish,  stockings,  mutton,  hens,  &c. :  and  when  the 
inhabitants  ask  money  for  their  goods,  they  receive  it  immediately. 

In  the  month  of  June  the  HoUaudei^  come  with  their  fishing-busses  in  great  numbers 
upon  the  coast  for  herring ;  and  when  they  come  into  the  sound  of  Brassa,  \"here  the 
herrings  are  commonly  most  plentiful,  and  very  near  the  shore,  they  dispose  th?ir  nets, 
&c.  in  wder,  but  never  begin  till  the  twenty-fourth  of  June ;  for  this  is  the  time  limited 
among  themselves,  which  is  observed  as  a  law,  that  none  will  venture  to  tran^^s. 
This  fishing-trade  is  very  beneficial  to  the  inhabitants,  who  have  provisions  and  neces- 
saries imported  to  their  doors,  and  employment  for  all  their  people,  who  by  their  fish- 
ing, and  selling  the  various  products  of  the  country,  bring  in  a  considerable  sum  of 
mrniey  yearly.  The  proprietors  of  the  ground  are  considerable  gtuners  also,  by  letting 
their  nouses,  which  serve  as  shops  to  the  seamen  during  their  residence  here. 

VOL.  III.  .■.■■-''■  4  u 


UBHJ'^'ro  !J»  ■  W  .WMS 


698 


HABTIN^S  DESCRIPTION  OF  THE 


There  have  been  two  thousand  busses  and  upwards  fishing  in  this  sound  in  one  sum- 
mer ;  but  they  are  not  always  so  numerous :  they  generally  go  away  in  August  or 
September. 

There  are'  two  little  towns  in  the  largest  of  the  Shetland  isles :  the  most  ancient  of 
these  is  Scalloway  ;  it  lies  on  the  west  side  of  the  isle,  which  is  the  most  beautiful  and 
pleasant  part  of  it.  It  hath  no  trade,  and  but  few  inhabitants,  the  who!;  being  about 
ninety  in  number.  On  the  south-east  end  of  the  town  stands  the  castle  of  Scalloway, 
which  is  four  <itorieH  high;  it  hath  several  conveniences  and  useful  houses  about  it,  and 
is  well  furnished  with  water.  Several  rooms  have  been  curiously  painted,  though  the 
better  part  be  now  worn  oif.  This  ancient  house  is  almost  ruinous,  there  bemg  no 
care  taken  to  repair  it.  It  served  as  a  garrison  for  the  English  soldiers  that  were  sent 
hither  by  Cromwell.  This  house  was  built  by  Patrick  Stewart,  earl  of  Orkney,  anno 
1600.  The  gate  hath  the  following  inscription  on  it:  Patricius  Orchadise  et  Zelandiae 
comes.  And  underneath  the  inscription :  Cuius  fundamen  saxiim  est,  domus  ilia  ma- 
nebit ;  lahilis  e  contra  si  sit  arena  perit.  That  house  whose  foundation  is  on  a  rock 
shall  stand  ;  but  if  on  the  sand  it  shall  fall. 

The  inhabitants  say  that  th'^s  house  was  built  upon  the  sandy  foundation  of  oppression, 
in  which  they  say  the  earl  exceeded ;  and  for  that  and  other  crimes  was  executed. 

There  is  a  high  stone  erected  between  Tingwall  and  Scalloway  :  the  inhabitants  have 
a  tradition,  that  it  was  set  up  as  a  monument  of  a  Danish  general,  who  was  killed  there 
by  the  ancient  inhabitants,  in  a  battle  against  the  Danes  and  Norwegians. 

The  second  and  latest  built  town  is  Lerwick ;  it  stands  on  that  side  of  the  sound  where 
the  fishing  is  :  the  ground  on  which  it  is  built  is  a  hard  rock,  one  side  lies  toward  the 
sea,  and  the  other  is  surrounded  with  a  moss,  without  any  arable  ground. 

On  the  north  is  the  citadel  of  Lerwick,  which  was  built  in  the  year  1665,  in  time  of 
the  war  with  Holland,  but  never  completed ;  there  is  little  more  of  it  now  kit  than  the 
walls.  The  inhabitants,  about  thirty  years  ago,  fished  up  three  iron  cannon  out  of  a 
ship  that  h&d  been  cast  away  near  eighty  years  before ;  and  being  all  over  rust  they 
made  a  great  fire  of  peats  round  them  to  get  oif  the  rust ;  and  the  fire  having  heated 
the  cannon,  all  the  three  went  oif,  to  the  great  surprize  of  the  inhabitants,  who  say  they 
saw  the  balls  fall  in  the  middle  of  Brassa  Sound,  but  none  of  them  had  any  damage  by 
them. 

There  are  many  Picls  houses  in  this  country,  and  several  of  them  entire  to  thiis  day ; 
the  highest  exceeds  not  twenty  or  thirty  feet  in  height,  and  are  about  twelve  feet  broad 
in  the  middle  ;  they  taper  towards  both  ends,  the  entry  is  lower  than  the  doors  of  houses 
commonly  are  now,  the  windows  are  long  and  very  narrow,  and  the  stairs  go  up  be- 
tween the  walls.  These  houses  were  built  for  watcli-towers,  to  give  notice  of  an  ap- 
proaching enemy ;  there  is  not  one  of  them  but  what  is  in  view  of  some  other;  so  that 
a  fire  bemg  nn  ade  upon  the  top  of  any  one  house,  the  signal  was  communicated  to  all  the 
rest  in  a  few  moments. 

The  inhabitants  say  that  these  houses  were  called  burghs,  which  in  the  Saxon  lan- 
guage signifies  a  town  or  castle  fenced  all  round.  The  names  of  fortified  places  in  the 
western  isles  are  in  several  parts  called  Borg ;  and  the  villages  in  which  the  forts  stand 
are  always  named  Borg. 

The  inhabitants  of  Orkney  say  .that  several  burying-places  among  them  are  called 
burghs,  from  the  Saxon  word  burying. 

It  is  generally  ackno.wledgcd  that  tbe.Bicts  were  originally  Germans,  and  particularly 
from  that  part  of  it  bordering  upon  the  Baltic  Sea.  They  were  called  Phi^htian,  that  is,. 
Hghters.  ^The  Romans  called  them  Picti.     Some  writers  call  them  Pictavi|  either 


tV 


WESTISRN    ISLANDS  Of    9C0TLANU. 


C99 


sum- 
ust  or 


from  that  name  of  Phighlian,  which  they  took  to  themselves,  or  liom  ilicir  beauty ; 
and  accordingly  Boethius,  iii  his  character  of  them,  joins  both  these  together :  Quud 
crant  corporibus  robustissimus  candidisque ;  and  Versicgan  says  the  same  of  them. 

The  RomanK  called  them  Picti,  because  they  had  their  shields  painted  x}(  divers  co 
lours.     Some  think  the  name  came  from  pichk,  which  in  the  ancient  Scots  language 
signifies  pitch,  that  they  coloured  their  faces  with,  to  make  them  terrible  to  their  cne> 
mics  in  buttle  :  and  others  think  the  name  was  taken  from  their  painted  habit. 

This  isle  makes  part  of  the  shire  of  Orkney  ;  there  arc  twelve  parishes  in  it,  and  a 
greater  number  of  churches  and  chapels.  Shetland  pays  not  above  one-third  to  tht' 
crown  of  what  Orkney  does. 

The  ground  being  for  the  most  part  boggy  and  moorish,  is  not  so  productive  of  grain 
as  the  other  isles  ^nd  main  land  of  Scotland ;  and  if  it  were  not  for  the  sea-ware,  by 
which  the  ground  is  enriched,  it  would  yield  but  a  very  small  product. 

There  is  lately  discovered  in  divers  parti  abundance  of  lime-stone,  but  the  inhabitants 
arc  not  sufficiently  instructed  in  the  use  of  i'.  for  their  corn  fand. 

There  is  plenty  of  good  peats,  which  serve  as  fuel  for  the  inhabitants,  especially  on 
the  main. 

The  amphibia  in  these  isles  are  seals  and  otters  in  abundance :  some  of  the  latter  are 
trained  to  go  a  fishing,  and  fetch  several  sorts  of  fish  home  to  their  masters. 

There  are  no  trees  in  any  of  these  isles,  neither  is  there  any  venomous  creature  to  be 
found  here. 

There  have  been  several  strange  fish  seen  by  the  inhabitants  at  sea,  some  of  the  shape 
of  men  as  far  as  the  middle ;  they  are  botU  troublesome  and  very  terrible  to  the  fishers, 
who  call  them  Sea-devils. 

It  is  not  lon^  since  every  family  of  any  considerable  substance  in  those  islands  was 
haunted  by  a  spirit  they  called  Brovvny,  wliich  did  several  sorts  of  work ;  and  this  was  the 
reason  why  they  gave  him  offerings  of  the  various  products  of  the  place :  thus  some, 
when  they  churned  their  milk>  or  brewed,  poured  some  milk  and  wort  through  the  hole 
of  a  stone,  called  Browny*s  stone. 

A  minister  in  thb  country  had  an  account  from  one  of  the  ancient  inhabitants,  who 
formerly  brewed  ale,  and  sometimes  read  his  bible,  that  an  old  woman  in  the  family 
told  him  that  Browny  was  much  displeased  at  his  reading  in  that  book ;  and  if  he  did 
not  cease  to  read  in  it  any  more,  Browny  would  npt  serve  him  as  forme*  y.  But  the 
man  continued  his  reading  notwithstanding,  and  when  be  brewed,  refused  to  ^ve  any 
sacrifice  to  Browny ;  and  so  his  first  and  second  brewing  miscarried,  without  any  visible 
cause  in  the  malt;  but  the  third  brewing  proved  good,  and  Browny  got  no  more  sacri- 
fice from  him  after  that. 

There  was  another  instance  of  a  lady  in  Unst  who  refused  to  give  sacrifice  to  Browny, 
and  lost  two.  brewings;  but  the  third  proved  good,  and  so  Browny  vanbhcd  quite,  and 
troubled  them  no  more. 

ji^  I  shall  add  no  more,  but  that  the  great  number  of  foreign  ships  which  repair  hither 
jrearly,  upon  the  account  of  fishing,  ought  to  excite  the  people  of  Scotland  to  a  speedy 
improvement  of  that  profitable  trade ;  which  they  may  carry  on  with  more  ease  and 
profit  in  their  own  seas  than  any  foreigners  whatever. 


■3^  in:*^h  r<i'.ii»i -i  tuMfC^.M^iftAiii'' 


.i'>f) 


AUG  13 1890 


■  K,  ■>■ 


-.:   >-» 


•*/      V    ■      '^i 


C^ 


:^^jL'£i^ 


^'. 


i 


R 


A  VOYAGE  TO  St.  KILUA  , 

BY  M.  MARTIN,  Okmt.« 

PRBFACB* 

MEN  are  g^enerally  fond  enough  of  novelty,  not  to  suffer  any  thing  represented  uns 
der  that  plausible  invitation  to  pass  unnoticed.  A  description  of  some  remote  cor- 
ner in  the  Indies  shall  be  sure  to  afford  us  high  amusement,  whilst  a  thousand  things 
much  nearer  to  us  might  engage  our  thoughts  to  better  purpose,  and  the  knowledge  of 
them  serve  to  promote  our  true  interest,  and  the  history  of  nature.  It  is  a  piece  of 
weakness  and  tolly, to  value  things  merely  on  account  of  their  distance :  thus  men  have 
travelled  far  in  search  of  foreign  plants  and  animals,  and  continued  strangers  to  the 
productions  of  their  own  climate.  The  following  relation,  therefore,  I  hope  will  not 
prove  unprofitable  or  dbpleasing,  unless  the  advantages  of  truth  and  unaffected  simpli- 
city should  prejudice  it  in  the  opinion  of  such  as  are  more  trifling  and  curious  than  solid 
andiudicious. 

1  he  author,  bom  in  one  of  the  most  spacious  and  fertile  isles  in  the  west  of  Scotland, 
by  a  laudable  curiosity  was  prompted  to  undertake  the  voyage*  and  that  in  an  open  boat, 
to  the  almost  manifiest  hazard  of  his  life,  as  the  seas  and  tides  in  those  rocky  islands  are 
more  inconstant  and  rasing^  than  in  most  other  places.  And  he  has  been  careful  to 
relate  nothing  in  the  foUowing  account,  but  what  he  asserts  for  truth,  either  upon  his 
own  particular  knowledge,  or  from  the  constant  and  harmonious  testimony  given  him 
by  the  inhabitants  ;  people  so  plain,  and  so  little  inclined  to  impose  upon  mankind, 
that  perhaps  no  place  in  the  world  at  this  day  knows  instances  like  these  of  true  primi-- 
tive  honour  and  simplicity  ;  a  people  abhorrmg  lying  tricks  and  artifices,  as  tliey  do  the 
most  poisonous  plants  or  devouring  animals. 

The  author  confesses  he  might  have  put  these  papers  into  the  hands  of  some  capable 
6f  giving  theiQ,  what  they  really  want,  a  politer  turn  of  phrase ;  but  he  hopes  for  the 
indulgence  of  at  least  the  mtelligent  reader,  who  will  always  set  a  higher  value  upon  un- 
adorned truth  in  such  accounts,  than  the  utmost  borrowings  of  art,  or  the  advantages  of 
tefipftdUnguage.  .  .^         „    ,,.:,,.....,.,._,  ^,_  ^,  ;,,,^ 


1  . 


-I-    •* ~ut 


Vff^-  • 


A  VOYAGE,  &c.     ,        *  .  ^  i 

THE  various  relations  concerning  St.  Kilda,  nven  by  tfiDse  of  the  western  isles  and 
continent,  induced  me  to  a  narrow  enquuy  about  it  :  for  this  end  L  applied  my. 
self  to  the  present  steward,  who,  by  his  description,  and  the  products  of  me  island 
which  were  brought  to  me,  together  witl;  a  natural  impulse  of  curiosity,  formed  such  an 
idea  of  it  in  my  mind,  that  I  determined  to  satisfy  myself  with  ^ing  thither,  it  having 
been  never  hitherto  described  to  any  purpose ;  .the  accounts  given  by  Buchanan  and 
Sir  Robert  Murray  being  but  relations  from  second  and  third  nands,  neither  of  them 
ever  having  the  opportunity  of  being  upon  the  place.  I  attempted  several  times  to  visit 
it,  but  in  vain,  until  last  summer,  the  laird  of  Mack-Leod  heartily  recommending  the 
care  of  the  inhabitants  of  St.  Kilda  to  Mr  John  Campbell,  minister  of  Harries,  he  went 
to  St.  Kilda,  and  I  chearfuUy  embraced  the  occasion  ;  and  accordingly  we  embarked  at 
the  isle  Esay  in  Harries,  May  29, 1697,  the  wand  at  &  £• 


From  the  fourth  edidon^  L<md«D|  \!fiS.  Ivo.        ^ 


it 


•IAHTIN's    VOYAOM    to    8T.  kILDA. 


701 


We  set  sail  with  a  gentle  breeze,  bearing  to  the  westward,  and  were  not  well  got  out 
of  the  harbour,  when  Mr.  Campbell  observing  the  whiteness  of  the  waves  atte  idcd  with 
an  extraordinary  noise  beating  upon  the  rocks,  expressed  his  di»like  of  it,  being  in  those 

Earts  a  prognostic  of  an  ensuing  storm  ;  but  the  same  appearing  sometimes  in  scmmrr 
efore  excessive  heat,  it  was  slighted  bv  the  crew,  out  us  wc  advanced  about  two 
leagues  further  upon  the  coast  of  the  isle  of  Pabbay,  the  former  signs  appearing  mt,^ 
conspicuously,  we  unanimously  concluded  a  storm  approaching,  which  occasioned  v 
motion  for  our  returns  but  the  wind  and  ebb-tide  concurring,  determined  us  to  purHue 
our  voyage,  in  hopes  of  arriving  at  our  desired  harbour  before  the  wind  or  utorm  should 
rise,  which  we  judged  would  not  be  suddenly  :  but  our  fond  imagination  was  not  se- 
conded with  a  {jood  event,  as  will  appear;  for  we  had  scarce  sailed  u  league  further, 
when  the  wind  inclined  more  southerly,  and  altered  our  measures ;  we  endeavoured  by 
the  help  of  our  oars  to  reach  the  Haw-sker  rocks,  some  four  leagues  to  the  south  coast, 
which  we  were  not  able  to  effect,  though  we  consumed  the  night  in  this  vain  expecta. 
tion.  By  this  time  we  so  far  advanced  in  the  ocean,  that  afler  a  second  motion  for  our 
return  it  was  found  impracticable,  especially  since  we  could  not  promise  to  fetch  any 

Iioint  of  Scotland ;  this  obliged  us  to  make  the  best  of  our  way  for  St.  Kilda,  though 
abouring  under  the  disadvantages  of  wind  and  tide ;  our  crew  extremely  fatigued  and 
discouraged,  without  sight  of  land  for  sixteen  hours ;  at  length  one  of  them  discovered 
several  tribes  of  the  fowls  of  St.  Kilda  flying,  holding  their  course  southerly  of  us,  which 
(to  some  of  our  crew)  was  a  demonstration  we  had  lost  our  course,  by  the  violence  of 
the  flood  and  wind,  both  concurring  to  carry  ua  northerly,  though  we  steered  tiy  our  com. 
pass  right  west. 

The  inhabitants  of  St.  Kilda  take  their  measures  from  the  flight  of  those  fowls,  whetn 
the  heavens  are  not  clear,  as  from  a  sure  compass,  experience  shewing  that  every  tribe 
of  fowls  bends  their  course  to  their  respective  quarters,  though  out  of  sight  of  the  isle  : 
this  appeared  clearly  in  our  gradual  advances ;  and  their  motion  being  compared,  did 
exactly  quadrate  with  our  compass.  The  inhabitants  rely  so  much  upon  this  observa- 
tion,  that  they  prefer  it  to  the  surest  compass ;  but  we  begged  leave  to  differ  from  them, 
though  at  the  same  time  we  could  not  deny  their  rule  to  be  as  certain  as  our  compass. 
While  we  were  in  this  state  we  discovered  the  isle  Borera,  near  three  leagues  north  of 
St.  Kilda,  which  was  then  about  four  leagues  to  the  south  of  us ;  this  was  a  joyful  sight, 
and  gave  new  vigour  to  our  men,  who,  being  refreshed  with  victuals,  lowering  mast  and 
sail,  rowed  to  a  miracle.  While  they  wore  tugging  at  the  oars,  we  plied  them  with  plenty 
of  aquavitae  to  support  them,  whose  tihrro wed  spirits  so  far  wasted  their  own,  that  upon 
our  arrival  at  Borera,  them  was  scarce  one  of  (hem  able  to  manage  cable  or  an«hor :  we 
put  in  under  the  liollow  of  an  extraordinary  high  rock,  to  the  north  of  this  isle,  which 
was  all  covered  with  a  prodigious  number  of  Solan  geese  hatching  in  their  nests ;  the 
heavens  were  darkened  oy  their  flying  over  our  heads,  their  excrements  were  in  such 
quantity,  that  they  gave  a  tincture  to  the  sea,  and  at  the  same  time  sullied  our  boat  and 
aothes :  two  of  them  confirmed  the  tri^th  of  what  has  been  frequently  reported  of  their 
stealing  from  one  another  grass  wherewith  to  make  their  nests,  by  affording  us  the  fol. 
lowbg  very  agreeable  diversion,  and  it  was  thusj  one  of  them  finding  his  neighbour's 
nest  without  the  fowl,  lays  hold  on  the  opportunity,  and  steals  from  it  as  much  grass  as 
he  couki  conveniend^  carry  off,  taking  his  flight  towards  the  ocean  ;  from  thence  he 
presently  returns,  as  if  he  made  a  foreign  purchase,  but  it  does  not  pass  for  such  :  for 
the  owner  had  discovered  the  fkct  before  the  thief  had  got  out  of  sight,  and  too  nimble 
for  his  cunning,  waits  his  return,  all  armed  with  fury,  and  engages  him  desperately.. 
This  Moody  battle  was  fought  abcrre  our  headst  and  proved  fatal  to  the  thi^f,  who  fell. 


-ul 


\m 


_-j|j 


ro2 


MAKTIN't  VOYAOX    TO    ST.  KILDAt 


; 


dead  so  nV nr  otir  boat  that  our  men  took  him  up,  nnd  presently  drcucd  and  eat  liim ; 
whicli  (hey  rcckuncd  us  an  umcn  ufgood  succcm  in  the  voyage. 

\Vc  |)i()|)uscd  being  at  St.  Kilda  next  day,  but  our  expectation  was  frustrated  by  a 
violent  siuru),  uhiol)  ulmoiit  drove  u»  to  the  ocean,  where  we  incurred  no  small  ri:>que, 
bciiiii;  iiu  \v;t)tt  nttcd  fur  it ;  our  men  laid  aside  all  hopes  of  life,  puMesbcd  with  the  lie. 
Iit-i'ili;it  all  this  mibfortune  proceeded  from  the  imnostor  Roderick  (of  whom  hereafter) 
who  they  ttelieved  had  employed  the  devil  to  raijte  this  extraordinary  storm  aguin^t 
Mr.  Canipl)ell,  who  was  to  counteract  him.  All  our  arguments,  whether  from  natural 
reason  or  the  providence  of  God,  were  not  of  furce  enough  to  persuade  them  to  the 
contrary,  until  it  pleased  God  to  command  a  calm  the  day  following,  which  was  the 
first  of  June,  and  then  we  rowed  to  St  Kilda.  As  we  came  close  upon  the  rock*^  some 
of  the  inhabitants,  who  were  then  employed  in  setting  their  gins,  welcomed  us  with  a 
"  G(xl  8ave  you,'*  their  usual  salutation,  admiring  to  see  us  get  thither  contrary  to  wind 
und  tide  ;  they  were  walking  unconr;.rnedly  on  the  side  otthis  prodigious  high  rock« 
at  the  same  time  keeping  pace  with  our  boat,  to  my  great  admiration,  insomuch  that  I 
was  quickly  obliged  to  turn  away  my  eyes,  lest  I  should  liave  had  the  unpleasant  spec. 
tacle  of  some  of  them  tumbling  down  into  the  sea ;  but  they  themselves  had  no  such 
fears,  fur  they  outrun  our  bout  to  the  town ;  from  thence  they  brought  the  steward  and 
all  the  inhabitants  of  both  sexes  to  receive  us  :  we  approached  the  outmost  part  of  the 
low  rock,  called  the  Saddle;  a  parcel  of  the  inhabitants  were  mounted  upon  it,  hi  'ig 
on  their  feet  the  usual  dress  on  such  occasions,  i.  e.  socks  of  old  rags  sowed  with  feat  .ers 
instead  of  thread :  our  boat  being  come  pretty  near,  it  was  kept  off  this  rock  with  long 
poles;  some  of  their  number  coming  by  pairs  into  the  sea  received  Mr.  Campbell  and 
me  upon  their  shoulders,  and  carried  us  to  land,  where  we  were  received  with  all  the 
demonstrations  of  joy  and  kindness  they  were  able  to  express ;  the  impostor  Roderick 
endeavouring  to  outdo  his  neighbours,  and  placing  himself  always  in  the  front  of  our 
attendants,  discovered  his  hypocrisy.  We  all  walked  together  to  the  little  village,  where 
there  was  a  lodging  prepared  for  us,  furnished  with  beds  of  straw :  according  to  the 
ancient  custom  of  the  place,  the  officer  who  presides  over  them  in  the  steward's  absence 
summoned  the  inhabitants,  who  by  concert  agreed  upon  a  daily  maintenance  for  us,  as 
bread,  butter,  cheese,  mutton,  fowls,  eg^,  fire,  &c.  all  which  was  to  be  given  in  at  our 
lodging  twice  every  day  ;  this  was  done  m  a  most  regular  manner/each  family  by  turns 
paymg  their  quota,  proportionably  to  their  lands :  I  remember  the  allowance  for  each 
roan  per  diem,  beside  a  barley  cake,  was  eighteen  of  the  ergs  laid  by  tlie  fowl  called 
by  them  Lavy,  and  a  greater  number  of  the  lesser  eggs,  as  they  differed  in  proportion ; 
the  largest  of  these  eggs  is  near  in  bigness  to  that  of  a  goose,  the  rest  of  the  eggs  gradu- 
ally of  a  lesser  size. 

We  had  the  curiosity,  after  three  weeks  residence,  to  make  a  calculation  of  the  num- 
ber of  eggs  bestowed  upon  those  of  our  boat,  and  the  steward's  birlin  or  g^Iey  ;  the 
whole  amounted  to  six  thousand  eggs :  the  inhabitants  were  thrice  our  number, 
'  and  must  consume  a  number  of  eggs  and  fowls  in  proportion.  From  this  it  is  easy  to 
imagine,  that  a  vast  number  of  fowl  must  resort  here  all  summer,  which  is  yet  the  more 
probable,  if  it  be  considered  that  every  fowl  l\ys  but  one  egg  at  a  time,  when  allowed  to 
natch. 

The  inhabitants  live  together  in  a  small  village,  carrying  all  the  signs  of  art  extreme 
poverty ;  the  houses  are  of  a  low  form,  and  the  doors  all  to  the  north.east,  to  secure 
them  from  the  shocks  of  the  tempestuous  south-west  winds.  The  walls  of  the  houses  are 
rudely  built  of  stone,  the  short  couples  joining  at  the  ends  of  the  roof,  upon  whose  sides 
small  ribs  of  wood  are  laid,  and  these  covered  with  straw  {  the  whole  seciured  by  ropes 


martin's  votaob  to  it.  xiloa. 


7as 


made  of  twi&ted  heath,  the  extremitiy  of  which  on  each  side  is  poised  with  stone,  to  pre. 
serve  the  thatch  from  being  blown  nway.  This  little  villiigc  is  seated  on  a  vullcy  sur. 
rounded  with  four  mountains,  serving  as  ramparts  of  defence,  and  are  so  m.tny  amphi. 
theatres,  from  whence  a  fulr  prospect  of  the  ocean  and  isles  may  t)c  seen  in  a  fine  day. 

This  W.  is  by  the  inhabitants,  as  likewise  by  all  the  western  istlanders,  called  Hirt ; 
Buchanan  calls  it  Hirta  ;  Sir  John  Narbrough,  and  all  sailors,  St.  KiUla  ;  in  sea  maps  it  \% 
called  St.  Kilder,  particularly  in  a  Dutch  sea  map  frum  Ireland  to  Zealand,  published 
at  Amsterdam  by  Pet(  r  Goas  in  the  year '1663,  wherein  it  is  placed  due  west,  betwixt 
fifty  and  sixty  miles  from  the  middle  of  the  Lewis,  and  the  isle  answers  directly  to  the 
fifty.eighth  degree  of  northern  latitude,  as  marked  upon  the  ends  of  the  map,  and  from 
it  lies  Rnkol,  a  .small  rock  sixty  leagues  to  the  westward  of  St.  Kilda ;  the  inhabitants 
of  this  place  call  it  Rokabarra ;  this  map  contains  the  soundings  of  some  places  near 
St.  Kilda ;  these  not  exceeding  twenty  or  thirty  fathom ;  it  contains  only  the  larger  isle, 
and  a  part  of  the  lesser  isles ;  this  island  is  also  called  St.  Kilda,  by  a  company  of 
French  and  Spaniards,  who  lost  their  ship  at  Rokol  in  the  year  1686,  which  they  named 
to  the  inhabitants  of  St.  Kilda,  whose  latitude  is  BHy-seven  degrees  and  three  minutesi. 

The  air  here  is  sharp  and  wholesome ;  the  hills  are  often  covered  with  ambient  white 
mists,  which  in  winter  are  forerunners  of  snow,  if  they  continue  on  the  tops  of  the  hills  ; 
and  in  summer,  if  only  on  the  tops  of  the  hills,  they  prognosticate  rain ;  when  they  descend 
to  the  vallies,  it  is  a  prognostic  of  excessive  heat.  The  ni^ht  here  about  the  time  of  the 
summer  solstice  exceeds  not  an  hour  in  length,  especially  if  the  season  is  fair,  then  the 
sun  disappears  but  for  a  short  space,  the  reflex  from  die  sea  being  all  the  time  visible  : 
the  harvest  and  winter  are  liable  to  great  winds  and  rain,  the  south-west  wind  annoyih^ 
them  more  than  any  other :  it  is  commonly  observed  to  blow  from  tlie  west  for  the  most 
pert  of  if  not  all,  July. 

St.  Kilda  is  two  miles  long  from  east  to  west ;  in  breadth  from  south  to  north  one 
mile  ;  and  five  miles  in  circumference.  It  is  naturally  fenced  with  one  continued  face 
of  a  rock  of  great  height,  except  a  part  oi  the  bay,  which  lies  to  the  ^outh•east,  and  is 
well  defended  generally  with  a  raging  sea  :  this  bay  is  half  a  mile  in  length,  and  as  much 
in  breadth ;  it  is  not  common  for  anyvessels  to  anchor  within  this  bay,  in  case  of  a  storm, 
as  it  might  be  dangerous  for  them ;  therefore  they  drop  anchor  at  the  entry,  judging  it 
the  securest :  the  only  plane  for  landing  is  on  the  north  side  of  this  bay,  upon  a  rock 
with  a  little  declination,  which  is  slippery,  being  covered  with  several  sorts  of  sea  weeds 
these,  with  a  boisterous  sea,  render  the  place  almost  inaccessible,  the  sea  being  seldom 
otherwise,  but  under  favour  of  a  neap  tide,  a  north-east  or  west  wind,  or  with  a  peHect 
calm ;  when  these  circumstances  concur,  the  birlin  or  boat  is  brought  to  the  side  of  the 
rock,  and  all  the  inhabitants  of  both  sexes  are  ready  to  join  their  united  force  to  hale 
her  through ;  for  this  end  they  have  a  rope  fastened  to  the  fore-part ;  and  a  competent 
number  of  them  are  employed  on  each  side ;  both  these  are  determined  by  a  cryer, 
who  is  employed  on  purpose  to  warn  them  ali  at  the  same  minute,  and  he  ceases  when. 
ever  he  finds  it  convenient  to  give  them  a  breathing; 

At  the  head  of  the  bay  is  a  plain  sand,  only  to  be  seen  in  summer,  the  winter  sea 
washing  it  all  off  the  stones  ;  there  is  no  landing  upon  this  place  with  safety,  which  the 
steward  has  learned  to  his  cost.  There  is  a  little  bay  on  the  west  side  of  this  isle,  all 
faced  with  an  iron-coloured  rock ;  some  vessels  take  shelter  here^  when  the  wind  is  at 
south  or  north-east ;  there  is  a  place  of  the  rock  liere,  on  the  south  &ide  the  rivulet, 
where  you  may  land,  if  a  neap-tide  or  calm  offer.  The  sea  is  very  impetuous  every 
where  about  thb  isle ;  they  shewed  me  large  stones  which  were  lately  removed  out  of 


! 

i 


■.rts'irjinii.'Mtat  — r 


I 

t 


t 


704 


martin's  toyaob  T0  it.  kilda< 


(lieir  pittcc,  and  cut  into  the  K«ilic»*  dock  ;  I  measured  tome  of  them,  which  were  if\ 
\et)f;{\\  hontc  seven,  others  right  feet,  and  three  or  four  feet  in  breadth. 

On  tlic  ttouti)  part  of  the  souih<cat>t  bay  i«  a  little  old  ruinous  fort  called  the  Down. 
It  it  evident  from  what  has  been  already  said,  that  this  place  may  be  reckoned  among 
(he  struiigciit  forts,  natural  or  artificial,  in  the  world;  nature  has  provided  the  place 
with  store  of  ammunition  for  acting  on  the  defensive  ;  that  is,  a  heap  of  loose  stones  in 
the  top  of  the  hill  Oterveaul,  directly  above  the  landing-place ;  it  is  very  easy  to  dis> 
charge  vollies  of  this  ammunition  directly  upon  the  place  of  landing,  and  tiMt  from  a 
great  eminence  almost  iierpendicular  ;  thin  I  my!>elf  had  occasion  to  demonstrate,  having 
i'ur  my  divcrbionput  it  in  practice,  to  the  great  ajitisfaction  of  the  inhabitants,  to  whom 
this  defence  Lad  never  hitherto  occured  :  but  thev  are  resolved  to  make  use  of  this  for 
the  future,  to  keep  off  the  Lowlandcrs,  againnt  whom  of  late  they  have  conceived  strong 
prejudices.  A  few  hands  may  be  capable  of  resisting  some  hundreds  by  the  above- 
mentioned  weapons.  The  four  great  mountains  are  faced  on  the  side  towards  the  sea, 
with  rocks  of  extraordinary  height ;  the  hill  Conagir,  on  the  north  aide,  is  not  less  than 
two  hundred  fathom  perpendicular  above  the  sea. 

Around  this  isle  are  four  arches  or  vaults,  tlirough  which  the  sea  passes,  as  does  the  day. 
light  from  either  side,  which  is  visible  to  any,  though  at  a  considerable  distance  ;  some 
oi  them  representing  a  large  gate  :  two  of  these  look  to  the  pouth,  and  two  north-west  % 
that  on  the  point  of  the  west  bay  is  six  fathom  high  above  water,  four  in  breadth,  fifty 
paces  in  length,  the  top  two  fathom  thick,  and  very  strong,  the  cattle  feeding  upon  it 

There  are  several  veins  of  different  atone  to  be  seen  in  the  rocks  of  the  south-east 
bay ;  upon  the  north  side  of  this  rock  is  one  as  it  were  cut  out  by  nature,  resembling  • 
terrace  walk.  The  chrystal  grews  under  the  rock  at  the  landing-place,  this  must  be 
pierced  a  foot  or  two  deep,  before  the  chrystal  can  be  had  from  the  bed  of  sand  where 
It  lies ;  the  water  at  the  bottom  is  of  a  black  colour ;  the  largest  piece  is  not  above  four 
inches  long,  and  about  two  in  diameter,  each  piece  sexangular. 

Upn  the  west  side  of  this  isle  lies  a  valley,  with  a  declination  towards  the  sea,  with  a 
rivulet  running  through  the  middle  of  it,  on  each  side  of  which  is  an  ascent  of  half  a 
mile  ;  all  whicn  piece  of  ground  is  called  by  the  inhabitants,  the  female  warrior's  glen  : 
this  amazon  is  famous  in  tlieir  traditions :  her  house  or  dairy  of  stone  is  yet  extant ; 
some  of  the  inhabitants  dwell  in  it  all  summer,  though  it  be  some  hundred  years  old ; 
the  whole  is  built  of  stone,  without  any  wood,  lime,  earth,  or  mortar  to  cement  it,  and 
is  in  form  of  a  circle  pyramid-wise  towards  the  top,  with  a  vent  in  it,  the  fire  being  al- 
ways in  the  centre  of  the  floor  ;  the  stones  are  long  and  thin,  which  supplies  the  defect 
of  wood :  the  body  of  this  house  contains  not  above  nine  persons  sitting ;  there  are  three 
beds  or  low  vaults  at  the  side  of  the  wall,  which  contains  five  men  each,  and  are  sepa- 
rated by  a  pillar ;  at  the  entry  to  one  of  these  low  vaults  is  a  stone  standing  upon  one  end ; 
upon  this  she  is  reported  oitlinarily  to  have  laid  her  helmet;  there  are  two  stones  on  the 
other  side,  upon  which  she  is  sud  to  have  laid  her  sword :  they  tell  you  she  was  much 
addicted  to  hunting,  and  that  in  her  days  all  the  space  betwixt  this  isle  and  that  of  Har- 
ries was  one  contuiued  tract  of  dry  land.  Some  years  ago  a  pair  of  large  deer's  horns 
were  found  in  the  top  of  Otarveaul  Hill,  almost  a  foot  under  ground,  and  a  wooden 
dish  full  of  deer's  grease.  It  b  said  of  this  virarrior,  that  she  let  loose  her  grey-houndb 
after  the  deer  in  St.  Kilda,  making  their  course  towards  the  opposite  isles.  There  are 
several  other  traditions  concemiog  this  famous  amazon.    But  I  shall  trouble  my  reader 

with  no  lAOre  01   tnem*         .,,.      .;,.fv    .    (i   ...    ^;;,«','   tyi*-    /*»;.:'V>,v^<,, '^i-i.^t^-y.*-  '"i-*     •'•jjjs /•■,.•"»    i-wayt 

i,i   _.--i-  ;>;.*< .J^frf- »;;.;-v*^' .''i  •«|». 


if  .>/* 


1\.  » 


>*^,--; 


^ 


MANTIN  «   VOYAOl   TO   IT*  KILOA. 


70S 


In  this  i«!e  are  plenty  of  excellent  rountnlni  or  iprint;*  i  that  mm  the  female  wnrrior's 
house  is  rcinittd  the  best :  iti  called  Tou-bir-ium>bcuy,  importing  no  Ic^kS  than  the 
well  of  nuaiiiic^  o«'  virines ;  it  runs  from  east  to  went,  bcinfj^  lixty  pace*  uiceiit  ubovc  the 
Bcu :  I  drank  of  it  twice,  un  'Cngliiih  quart  each  timtr;  it  was  very  clear,  exceeding 
cold,  light  and  diuretic  ;  I  was  not  tiblc  to  hold  my  h.tnd  i,\  it  above  a  few  minutCN,  for 
itscoldnc&Si  the  inhubitnnt^  of  Luirics  find  t  cfl'cctual  ngoinst  windy  cholicv,  gruvel, 
and  head-aches ;  thin  well  hath  u  cover  of  &tone. 

There  is  a  very  large  mcII  near  the  town,  culled  St.  Kiider's  Well ;  from  which  the 
island  is  supposed  to  derive  its  name  t  thiti  water  is  not  inferior  to  that  abovcmt  ntion- 
ed ;  it  runs  to  the  south'east  from  the  north- west. 

There  is  another  well  withui  half  a  mile  of  this,  n.-^n^cd  after  one  Conirdan,  un  hun. 
drcd  paces  above  the  sea,  and  runs  from  north-west  towards  the  south-east,  having  a 
stone  cover. 

Within  twelve  paces  of  this  is  a  small  excellent  foimtain,  which  those  of  Hurries  and 
St.  Kilda  will  needs  call  by  the  author's  name,  and  were  then  resolved  to  give  it  a  cover 
of  stone,  such  as  is  ubovc  described. 

There  is  a  celebrated  well  issuing  out  of  the  face  of  a  rock  on  the  north  side  of  the  east 
bay,  called  the  Well  of  Youth,  but  is  only  accessible  by  the  inhabitants,  no  atran|];er  dating 
to  climb  the  steep  rock  ;  the  water  of  it  is  received,  as  it  falls,  into  the  sea ;  it  runs  to* 
wards  the  sor(h.east.  The  taste  of  the  water  of  those  wells  uas  so  agreeable  to  me,  that, 
for  several  weeks  after,  the  beat  fountains  in  the  adjacent  isles  seemed  to  have  lost  their 
relish.  There  is  a  rivulet  running  close  by  the  town,  and  another  larger  beyond  Kii- 
der's Well ;  this  last  serves  for  washing  linen,  which  it  does  as  well  without  sonp,  as 
other  water  with ;  of  this  we  had  experience,  which  was  a  confirmation  of  what  had 
been  reported  to  us  concernine  this  water :  we  searched  if  in  the  brinks  we  could  dis- 
cover any  fuller's  earth,  but  round  none;  we  discovered  ^ome  pieces  of  iiun-orc  in 
several  places ;  this  livulet  drops  from  the  mossy  ground  in  the  tops  of  the  hills. 

The  whole  island  is  one  hard  rock,  formed  into  lour  high  mountains,  three  of  which 
are  in  the  middle ;  all  thinly  covered  with  black  or  brown  earth,  not  above  a  foot, 
some  places  half  a  foot  deep,  except  the  tops  of  the  hills«  where  it  is  above  three  feet 
deep,  and  affords  them  good  turf;  the  grass  is  very  short,  but  kindly,  producing  plenty 
of  milk :  the  number  of  sheep  commonUr  maintained  in  St.  Kilda,  ^nd  the  two  adjacent 
isles,  does  not  exceed  two  thousand,  and  fi;enerally  they  are  speckled,  some  white,  some 
philamort,  and  are  of  a  common  size ;  they  do  not  resemble  goats  in  any  respect,  as 
Buchanan  was  informed,  except  in  their  horns,  which  are  extraordinary  large,  pnrticu- 
larly  those  in  (he  lesser  isles. 

The  number  of  horses  exceeds  not  eighteen,  all  of  a  red  colour,  very  low,  and  smooth 
skinned,  and  are  employed  in  carrying  turf  and  corn,  and  ut  their  anniversary  cavalcade, 
of  which  hereafter.  The  cows,  which  are  about  ninety  in  number,  small  and  great,  have 
their  foreheads  white  and  black,  which  is  discernible  at  a  great  distance ;  are  of  a  low 
stature,  but  fat  and  sweet  beef;  the  dogs,  cats,  and  all  the  sea-fowls  of  this  isle,  are 
speckled. 

The  soil  is  very  grateful  to  the  labourer,  producing  ordinarily  sixteen,  eighteen,  or 
twenty  fold ;  their  grain  is  only  bear,  and  some  oats ;  the  barley  is  '^he  largest  produced 
in  all  the  western  isles:  they  use  no  plough  but  a  kind  of  crooked  spade  :  their  harrows 
are  of  wood  as  are  the  teeth  in  the  front  also,  and  all  the  rest  supplied  only  with  long  tan* 
gles  of  sea-ware  tied  to  the  harrow  by  the  small  ends :  the  roots  hanging  loose  behind, 
scatter  the  clods  broken  by  the  wooden  teeth :  this  they  are  forced  to  use  for  want  of 
wood.    Their  arable  land  is  very  nicely  parted  into  ten  divisions,  and  these  into  sub-di- 

VOL.  Ill*  4  X 


li 


,  i 


706 


martin's    voyage    to    ST*    KILDA. 


visions,  each  distinguished  by  the  name  of  some  deceased  man  or  woman,  who  were  na- 
tives of  the  place  ;  there  is  one  spot  called  Multa  Terra,  another  Multus  Agris.  The 
chief  ii^grrdient  in  their  composts  is  ashes  of  turf  mised  with  straw  ;  with  these  they  mix 
their  urine,  which  by  experience  they  find  to  have  much  of  the  vegetable  nitre ;  they 
do  not  preserve  it  in  quaniities,  as  elsewhere,  but  convey  it  immediately  from  the  foun- 
tain  to  ihe  ashes,  which  by  daily  practice  they  find  most  advantageous ;  they  join  also  the 
bones,  wings,  and  entrails  of  their  sea-fowls  to  their  straw ;  they  sow  very  thick,  and 
have  a  proportionable  growth  ;  they  pluck  all  their  bear  by  the  roots  in  handfuls,  both 
for  the  sake  of  their  houses,  which  they  thatch  with  it,  and  their  cows,  which  they  take  in 
during  the  winter ;  the  corn  produced  by  this  compost  is  perfectly  free  from  any  kind  of 
weed  ;  it  produces  much  sorrel  where  rlic  compost  reaches. 

The  coast  of  St.  Kilda,  and  the  lesser  isles,  arc  plentifully  furnished  with  variety  of 
cud,  ling,  mackarel,  congars,  braziers,  turbot,  graylords,  syths ;  these  last  two  are  of 
the  same  kind,  only  differing  in  bigness ;  some  call  them  black-mouths ;  they  are  as 
large  ns  any  salmon,  and  somewhat  longer :  there  are  also  laiths,  podloes,  herring,  and 
many  more :  most  of  these  are  fished  by  the  inhabitants  upon  the  rock,  for  they  have 
neither  nets  nor  long  lines^  Their  common  bait  is  the  Hmpits  or  patellae,  parboiled  : 
they  use  likewise  the  flesh  of  a  fowl  called  by  them  Bowger,  which  the  fish  near  the  lesser 
isles  catch  greedily :  sometimes  they  use  the  bowger's  flesh  and  the  patella:  at  the  same 
time  upon  one  hook,  and  this  proves  successful  also.  In  the  month  of  July  a  consider- 
able quantity  of  mackerel  run  themselves  ashore,  but  always  with  a  spring  tide.  The 
amphibia  seen  here  are,  the  otters  and  seals  :  this  latter  the  inhabitants  reckon  very  good 
meat :  no  sort  of  trees,  not  even  the  least  shrub,  grows  here,  nor  has  a  bee  been  ever 
seen  here. 

Levinis,  a  rock  about  fourteen  paces  high,  and  thirty  in  circumference,  but  narrower 
at  the  top,  stands  about  half  a  league  to  the  south-east  bay,  covered  with  no  kind  of  earth 
or  grass  :  a  spring  of  fresh  water  issues  out  from  the  side  of  it :  this  rock,  by  an  ancient 
custom,  belongs  to  the  galley's  crew.  Betwixt  the  west  point  of  St.  Kilda,  and  the  isle 
Soa,  is  the  famous  ruck  Stackdon,  i.  e.  a  Mischievous  Rock,  for  it  hath  proved  so  to 
some  of  their  number,  who  perished  in  attempting  to  climb  it :  it  is  much  of  the  form 
and  height  of  a  steeple :  there  is  a  very  great  dexterity,  and  it  is  reckoned  no  small 
p'tce  of  gallantry,  to  climb  this  rock,  especially  that  part  of  it  called  the  Thumb,  which 
IS  so  tittle,  that  of  all  the  parts  of  a  man's  body,  the  thumb  only  can  lay  hold  on  it,  and 
that  must  be  only  for  the  space  of  one  minute :  during  which  time  his  feet  have  no  sup- 
port, nor  any  part  of  his  body  touches  the  stone,  except  the  thumb,  in  which  minute  he 
must  jump  by  the  help  of  his  thumb,  (the  agility  of  his  body  concurring  to  raise  him 
higher  at  the  same  time)  to  a  sharp  point  of  the  rock,  which,  when  he  has  got  hold  of« 
puts  him  out  of  danger,  and  having  a  rope  about  his  middle,  which  he  casts  down  to 
the  boat,  by  the  help  of  this  he  brings  up  as  many  persons  as  are  designed  for  fowling 
at  this  time :  the  foreman,  or  principal  climber,  has  the  reward  of  four  fowls  bestowed 
upon  him  over  and  above  his  proportion:  perhaps, one  might  think  four  thousand  too 
little  to  compensate  so  great  a  danger  as  this  man  incurs ;  but  he  has  the  advantage  by 
it,  of  bein^  recorded  among  tiieir  greatest  heroes ;  as  are  all  the  foremen,  who  lead  the 
van  in  getting  up  this  same  Mischievous  Rock. 

Within  pistol-shot  from  this  place  is  the  isle  Soa,  a  mile  and  an  half  in  circumference, 
but  contracted  narrower  toward  the  top,  being  a  full  half  mile  in  difficult  ascent  all 
round,  most  of  it  bare  rock,  some  parts  of  it  covered  with  grass,  but  dangerous  to  a- 
sc^nd';  the  landing  is  also  very  hazardous,  both  in  regard  of  the  raging  sea,  and  the 
rock  that  must  be  climbed ;  yet  the  inhabitants  are  accustomed  to  carry  burthens  both 


^.. 


10  were  na- 
gris.  The 
e  they  mix 
nitre;  they 
n  the  foun- 
3111  also  the 
thick,  and 
kdfuls,  both 
they  take  in 
any  kind  of 

I  variety  of 

two  are  of 

they  are  as 

terring,  and 

»r  they  have 

parboiled  : 

ar  the  lesser 

at  the  same 

a  consider- 

tide.    The 

n  very  good 

:e  been  ever 

mt  narrower 
:ind  of  earth 
y  an  ancient 

and  the  isle 
jroved  so  to 
1  of  the  form 
led  no  small 
lumb,  which 
>ld  on  it,  and 
have  no  sup- 
:h  minute  he 
',  to  raise  him 

got  hold  of, 
asts  down  to 
1  for  fowling 
wis  bestowed 
thousand  too 
idvantage  by 
who  lead  the 

rcum&rence, 
ult  ascent  all 
ngerous  to  a- 
sea,  and  the 
}urthens  both 


martin's    VOrACE    TO    ST.    KILUA. 


707 


up  it  and  down,  and  of  this  I  was  once  a  witness.  There  is  scarce  any  landing  here,  ex* 
ccpt  in  one  place,  and  that  under  favour  of  a  west  wind  and  i.^.p  tide;  the  waves  upon 
the  rock  discover  when  it  is  accessible  ;  if  they  appear  white  from  St.  Kilcla,  the  iiih:ibit. 
ants  do  not  so  much  as  offer  to  launch  out  their  boat,  in  order  to  land  in  Son,  or  '.my 
other  isle  or  rock,  though  their  lives  were  at  stake.  This  little  isle  is  furnished  with  an 
excellent  spring,  the  grass  is  very  sweet,  feeds  five  hundred  sheep,  each  of  which  gene- 
rally has  two  or  three  Iambs  at  a  birth,  and  every  Iamb  so  fruitful,  that  it  brings  iorih 
another  before  itself  is  a  year  old.  The  same  is  also  observed  of  lambs  in  the  little  isles 
adjacent  to  those  of  Harries  and  North-Wist.  The  sheep  in  the  isle  Soa  are  never 
milked,  which  disposes  them  to  be  the  more  prolific :  there  are  none  to  catch  them  but 
the  inhabitants,  whom  I  have  seen  pursue  the  sheep  nimbly  do'.vn  the  steep  descent,  with 
as  great  freedom  as  if  it  had  been  a  plain  field. 

This  isle  abounds  with  an  infinite  number  of  fowl,  as  fulmar,  lavy,  falk,  bowger,  &c. 

There  was  a  cock-boat  some  two  years  ago  came  from  a  ship  for  water,  being  fiivour. 
ed  by  a  perfect  calm ;  the  men  discerned  a  prodigious  number  of  eggs  upon  tlie  rocks, 
which  tempted  them  to  venture  near  the  place,  and  at  last  obtained  a  competent  num- 
ber of  them;  one  of  the  seamen  was  industrious  enough  to  put  them  into  his  breeches, 
which  he  took  off  for  that  purpose  ;  some  of  the  inhabitants  of  St.  Kilda  who  happened 
to  be  in  the  isle  that  day  were  spectators  of  this  diversion,  and  were  offended  at  it,  being 
done  without  their  consent ;  they  therefore  devised  an  expedient,  which  at  once  robbed 
the  seamen  pf  their  eggs  and  the  breeches ;  it  was  thus  :  they  found  a  few  loose  stones 
in  the .  superficies  of  the  rock,  some  which  they  let  fall  down  perpendicularly  above 
the  seamen,  the  terror  of  which  obliged  them  quickly  to  remove,  abandoning  both 
breeches  and  eggs  for  their  safety ;  and  the  tarpaulin  breeches  were  no  small  ornament 
in  a  place  where  all  wore  girded  plaids. 

About  two  leagues  and  a  half  to  the  north  of  St.  Kilda  is  the  rock  Stack-Ly,  two 
hundred  paces  in  circumference,  and  of  a  great  height,  being  a  perfect  triangle,  turn- 
ing to  a  point  at  the  top ;  it  is  visible  above  twenty  leagues  distant  in  a  fair  day,  and  ap- 
pears blue ;  there  is  no  grass  nor  earth  to  cover  it,  but  sometimes  perfectly  white  with 
Solan  geese  sitting  on  and  about  it.  One  would  think  it  next  to  impossible  to  climb 
this  rock,  which  I  expressed,  being  very  near  it ;  but  the  inhabitants  assured  me  it  was 
practicable,  and  to  convince  me  of  the  truth  of  it,  they  bid  me  look  up  near  the  top, 
where  I  perceived  a  stone  pyramid-house,  which  the  inhabitants  built  for  lodging  them- 
selves in  it  in  August,  at  wnich  time  the  season  proves  inconstant  there ;  this  obliges  the 
inhabitants  in  point  of  prudence  to  send  a  competent  number  of  those,  to  whose  share 
the  lot  falls ;  these  are  to  land  on  this  rock  some  days  before  the  Solan  geese  take  wing ; 
if  they  neglect  this  piece  of  fore-sight,  one  windy  day  may  disappoint  them  of  five,  six, 
or  seven  thousand  Solan  geese,  which  this  rock  affords  yearly.  They  are  so  very  nu- 
merous here,  that  they  cannot  be  divided  in  respect  to  their  lands,  as  elsewhere ;  this 
therefore  is  the  reason  why  they  send  here  by  lots,  and  those  who  are  sent  act  for  the 
public  interest,  and  when  they  have  knocked  on  the  head  all  that  may  be  reached,  they 
then  tarry  them  to  a  sharp  point,  called  the  Casting  Point,  from  whence  they  throw 
them  into  the  sea,  for  the  height  is  such  that  they  dare  not  throw  them  into  the  boat,  until 
the  boatmen  cry  enough,  lest  the  sea,  which  has  a  strong  current  there,  should  carry  them 
off*,  as  it  does  sometimes,  if  too  many  arc  thrown  down  at  once :  thus  by  degrees,  getting 
all  in,  they  return  home ;  and  after  their  arrival  every  man  has  his  share  proportioned  to 
his  lands,  and  what  remains  under  the  number  ten  is  due  to  the  officer,  as  a  part  of  his 
yearly  salary.  In  this  rock  the  Solan  geese  are  allowed  to  hatch  their  first  eggs,  but  it  is 
not  so  in  the  rocks  next  to  be  described;  and  that  for  this  reason,  that  if  all  were  allowed  to 

4x2 


5s  V 


708 


martin's  voyage  to  ST.  XILDA. 


I 


hatch  at  the  same  time,  the  loss  of  the  product  in  one  rock  would  at  the  same  time  prove 
the  loss  of  all  the  rest,  since  all  would  take  wing  pretty  nearly  at  the  same  time. 

The  isle  Borera  lies  near  hair  a  league  from  Stack-Ly,  to  the  north-east  of  it,  being  in 
circumference  one  mile  and  an  half;  it  feeds  about  four  hundred  sheep  per  annum,  and 
would  feed  more,  did  not  the  Solan  geese  pluck  a  large  share  of  the  grass  for  their  nests. 

This  isle  is  very  high,  all  rock,  inaccessible,  except  in  a  calm,  and  has  only  one  place 
for  landing,  towards  the  south  :  in  the  west  end  of  this  isle  is  Stallir- House,  which  is 
much  larger  than  thut  of  the  female  warrior  in  St.  Kilda,  but  of  the  same  model  in  all 
respects  ;  it  is  all  green  without,  like  a  little  hiil  ;  the  inhabitants  have  a  tradition  that  it 
was  built  by  one  Stallir,  a  devout  hermit  of  St.  Kilda ;  and  had  he  indeed  travelled  the 
universe,  he  could  scarcely  have  found  a  more  solitary  place  for  a  monastic  life. 

There  are  about  forty  stone  pyramids  in  this  isle,  for  drying  and  preserving  their  fowl, 

8cc.   These  little  houses  are  all  of  loose  stones,  and  seen  at  some  distance  ;  here  is  also 

a  surprizing  number  of  fowl,  the  grass  as  well  as  the  rocks  filled  with  them.     The  Suian 

geese  possess  it  for  the  most  part :  they  are  always  masters  wherever  they  come,  and 

have  already  banished  several  species  of  fowl  from  this  isle. 

An  earthquake  was  felt  here  in  the  year  1C86,  which  lasted  only  for  a  few  minutes, 
it  was  very  amazing  to  the  poor  people,  who  were  unacquainted  with  any  such  commo- 
tion before,  or  since. 

To  the  west  of  Borera  lies  the  rock  Stack.Narmin,  within  pistol  shot  ;  this  rock  is 
half  a  mile  in  circumference,  and  as  inaccessible  as  any  of  the  above-mentioned  ;  there 
is  a  possibility  of  landing  only  in  two  places  ;  nor  that  but  in  a  perfect  calm,  and  after 
landing  the  danger  in  climbing  is  verj^  gi^at.  The  rock  has  neither  earth  or  grass  to 
cover  It,  has  a  fountain  of  good  water  issuing  out  above  the  middle  of  it,  running  east* 
erly,  and  abounds  with  Solan  geese  and  other  fowl ;  here  are  several  stone  pyramids,  as 
well  for  lodging  the  inhabitants  that  attend  th»  seasons  of  the  Solan  geese,  as  for  those 
that  preserve  and  dry  them.  The  sea  rises  and  rages  extremely  upon  this  rock :  we  had 
the  curiosity,  being  invited  by  a  fair  day,  to  visit  it  for  pleasure,  but  we  found  it  very 
hazardous ;  the  waves  from  under  our  boat  rebounding  from  off  the  rock,  and  mount, 
ing  over  our  heads,  we  durst  not  venture  to  land,  though  men  with  ropes  were  sent  be- 
fore us ;  we  thought  it  indeed  hazard  enough  to  be  near  this  rock  ;  the  wind  blowing 
fresh,  we  had  much  difficulty  to  reach  St.  Kilda  again.  I  remember  they  brought  eight 
hundred  of  the  preceding  year's  Solan  geese,  dried  in  their  pyramids ;  after  our  landing, 
the  geese  being  cast  together  in  one  heap  upon  the  ground,  the  owners  fell  to  share  out 
each  man  his  own ;  at  which  I  was  a  little  surprized,  they  being  all  of  a  tribe  ;  but  having 
found  upon  enquiry  that  every  goose  carried  a  distinguishing  mark  on  the  foot,  peculiar 
to  the  owner,  I  was  then  satisfied  in  this  piece  of  singularity. 

There  is  a  violent  current,  whether  ebb  or  flood,  upon  all  the  coasts  of  St.  Kilda,  the 
lesser  isles  and  rocks.  It  is  observed  to  be  more  impetuous  with  spring  than  neap  tides ; 
there  are  eddies  on  all  the  coasts,  except  at  a  sharp  point  where  the  tides  keep  their 
due  course ;  the  ebb  southerly,  and  flood  northerly. 

A  south-east  moon  causes  high  tide  ;  the  spring-tides  are  always  at  the  full  and  new 
moon ;  the  two  days  following  they  are  higher,  and  from  that  time  decrease  until  th« 
increase  of  the  moon  again,  with  which  it  rises  gradually  till  the  second  after  the  full 
moon.  This  observation  the  seamen  find  to  hold  true  betwixt  the  Mule  of  Kantyre,  and 
the  Fanow-Head  in  Strathnaver. 

The  land  fowls  produced  here  are  hawks,  extracntlinary  good,  eagles,  plovers,  crows, 
wrens,  stone-chakcr,  craker,  cuckoo ;  this  last  is  said  very  rarely  to  be  seen  here,  and 
that  upon  extraordinary  occasions,  such  as  the  death  of  the  proprietor  Mack-Leod,  the 


ITARTIN's    VOVAGC    to    ST.    XltDA. 


709 


steward's  death,  or  the  arrival  of  some  notable  stranger.  I  was  not  able  to  forbear 
laughing  at  this  relation,  as  founded  only  upon  fancy  ;  which  I  no  sooner  expressed, 
than  the  inhabitants  wondered  at  my  incredulity,  saying  that  all  their  ancestors  for  a 
series  of  several  ages  had  remarked  the  truth  of  this  observation,  and  for  a  further  con. 
firmation  appealed  to  the  present  steward,  whether  he  had  not  known  this  observation 
to  hivr  been  true,  both  in  his  own  and  his  father's  time,  who  was  also  steward  before 
him  ?  After  a  particular  inquiry,  he  told  me,  that  both  in  his  own  and  father's  life- 
time,  the  truth  of  the  observation  had  been  f  istantly  believed,  and  that  sevcal  of  the 
inhuliitants  now  living  have  observed  the  cuciLuo  to  have  appeared  after  the  death  of  the 
two  labt  proprietors,  and  the  two  last  stewards,  and  also  before  the  arrival  of  several 
strangers  ;  it  was  taken  notice  of  liefore  our  arrival,  which  they  ascribe  to  my  coming 
there,  as  the  only  stranger,  the  minister  having  been  there  before. 

The  sea-fowl  are,  first,  gairfowl,  being  the  stateliest,  as  well  as  the  largest  sort,  and 
above  the  size  of  a  Solan  goose,  of  a  black  colour,  red  about  the  eyes,  a  large  white  spot 
under  each,  a  long  broad  bill ;  it  stands  stately,  its  whole  body  erected,  its  wings  short, 
flies  not  at  all ;  lays  it  egg  upon  the  bare  rock,  which,  if  taken  away,  she  lays  no  more 
for  that  year ;  she  is  whole.footed,  and  has  the  hatching  spot  upon  her  breast,  i.  e.  a  bare 
spot,  from  which  the  feathers  have  failen  off  with  the  heat  in  hatching ;  its  egg  is  twice 
as  big  as  that  of 'a  Solan  goo^,  and  is  variously  spotted,  black,  green«  and  dark  ;  it 
comes  without  regard  to  a^.y  wind,  appears  the  first  of  May,  and  goes  away  about  the 
middle  of  June. 

The  Solan  goose,  as  some  imagine  from  the  Irish  word  Sou'l-er,  corrupted  and 
adapted  to  the  Scottish  language,  qui  oculis  irretortis  e  longinquo  respicit  prsedam,  equals 
a  common  goose  in  bigness ;  is  by  measure  from  the  tip  of  the  bill  to  the  extremity  of 
the  foot  thirty-four  inches  long,  and  to  the  end  of  the  tail  thirty-nine ;  the  wings  extend 
very  far,  there  being  seventy-two  inches  distance  betwixt  the  extreme  tips ;  its  bill  is 
long,  straight,  of  a  dark  colour,  a  little  crooked  at  the  poirit ;  behind  the  eyes  the  skin 
of  the  side  of  the  head  is  bare  of  feathers,  the  ears  small,  the  eyes  hazel-coloured ;  it 
hath  four  toes,  the  feet  and  leg»  black  as  far  as  they  are  bare  ;  the  plumage  is  like  that 
of  a  goose.  The  colour  of  the  old  ones  is  white  all  over,  excepting  the  extreme  tips 
of  the  wings,  which  are  black,  and  the  top  of  the  head,  which  is  yellow,  as  some  think 
the  effect  of  age.  The  young  ones  are  of  a  dark  brown  colour,  turning  white  after  they 
area  year  old;  its  egg  somewhat  less  than  that  of  a  land-goose,  small  at  each  end,  and 
casts  a  thick  scurf,  and  has  little  or  no  yolk  ;  the  inhabitants  are  accustomed  to  drink  it 
raw,  having  from  experience  found  i'  ery  pectoral  and  cephalic.  The  Solan  geese 
hatch  by  turns.  When  it  returns  from  its  fishing,  it  carries  five  or  six  herrings  in  its 
gorget,  all  entire  and  undigested :  upon  its  arrival  at  the  nest,  the  hatching  fowl  puts 
its  head  in  the  fisher's  throat,  and  pulls  out  the  fish  with  its  bill  as  with  a  pincer,  and 
that  with  a  very  great  noise,  which  I  had  occasion  frequently  to  observe.  They  continue 
to  pluck  grass  for  their  ne»ts  from  their  coming  in  March  till  the  young  fowl  is  ready  to 
fly  in  August  or  September,  according  as  the  inhabitants  take  or  leave  the  first  or  second 
eggs.  It  is  remarkable  they  nevet  pluck  grass  but  on  a  windy  day  ;  the  reason  the  in- 
habitants give  for  this  is,  that  a  windy  day  is  their  vacation  from  fishing,  and  they  bestow 
it  upon  this  eniploynient,  which  proves  fatal  to  many  of  them  ;  for,  after  their  fatigue, 
they  often  fall  asleep,  and.  tlie  inhabitants,  taking  the  opportunity,  are  ready  at  hand  to 
knock  them  on  the  head.  Their  food  is  herring,  mackarel,  and  syes.  English  hooks 
are  often  found  in  the  stomachs  both  of  young  and  old  Solan  geese,  though  none  of  this 
kind  are  used  nearer  than  the  isles  twenty  leagues  distant ;  this  must  happen  either  from 


710 


martin's    VOVAGE    to    ST.    KILDA. 


i 


the  Gsh  pulling  away  the  hooks  in  those  blcs,  and  then  going  to  St.  Kilda,  or  by  their 
being  carried  thither  by  the  old  geese. 

The  Solan  geese  are  always  the  surest  sign  of  herrings,  for  wherever  the  one  is  seen, 
the  other  is  never  far  off.  There  is  a  tribe  of  barren  Solan  geese,  which  have  no  nests, 
and  sit  upon  the  bare  rock  ;  these  are  not  the  young  fowls  of  a  year  old»  whose  dark 
colour  would  soon  distinguish  them,  but  old  ones,  in  all  things  like  the  rest ;  these 
have  a  province,  as  it  were,  allotted  them,  and  are  in  a  separate  state,  having  a  flock 
two  hundred  paces  distant  from  all  other ;  neither  do  they  meddle  with,  or  approach 
to  those  hatching,  or  any  other  fowl ;  they  sympathize  and  fish  together :  this  was 
told  me  by  the  mhabitants,  and  afterwards  confirmed  several  times  by  my  ownob< 
servation. 

The  Solan  geese  have  always  some  of  their  number  keeping  centry  in  the  night,  and 
if  they  are  surprized,  as  it  often  happens,  all  the  flock  are  taken  one  after  another ;  but 
if  the  centinel  be  awake  at  the  approach  of  the  creeping  fowlers,  and  hear  a  noise,  it 
cries  softly,  Grog,  grog,  at  which  the  flock  move  not ;  but  if  the  centinel  sees  or  hears 
the  fowler  approaching,  he  cries  quickly,  Bir,  bir,  which  should  seem  to  import  danger, 
since  immediately  after  the  whole  tribe  take  wing,  leaving  the  fowler  alone  on  the  rock, 
to  return  home  re  infecti,  all  his  labour  for  that  night  being  spent  in  vain.  ApoUonius 
TyansBus  might  have  here  found  a  large  field  of  diversion,  who  is  said  to  have  travelled 
over  many  kingdoms  to  learn  the  langun^c  of  beasts  and  birds. 

Besides  this  way  of  stealing  upon  them  in  the  night-time,  tlicy  are  also  catched  in 
common  gins  of  horse-hair,  from  which  they  struggle  less  to  extricate  themselves  than 
any  other  fowl,  notwithstanding  their  size  and  strength ;  they  are  also  caught  in  the 
herring- loches  with  a  board  set  on  purpose  to  float  above  water,  upon  it  a  herring  is 
fixed,  which  the  goose  perceiving,  flies  up  to  a  competent  height,  till  finding  himself 
in  a  straight  line  above  the  fish,  bends  his  course  perpendicularly,  piercing  the  air  as  an 
arrow  from  a  bow,  hits  the  board,  into  which  he  runs  his  bill  with  all  his  force,  and  is 
irrecoverably  taken.  The  Solan  goose  comes  about  the  middle  of  March,  with  a  S.  W. 
wind,  warm  snow,  or  rain,  and  goes  away,  according  as  the  inhubitants  determine 
the  time,  i.  e.  by  taking  away  or  leaving  its  egg,  whether  at  the  first,  second,  or  third 
time  he  lays. 

The  fulmar  in  bigness  equals  the  malls  of  the  second  rate ;  its  wings  very  long,  the 
outside  of  which  are  of  a  greyish  white  colour,  the  inside  and  breast  all  white,  a  thick 
bill  two  inches  long,  crooked,  and  prominent  at  the  end,  with  wide  nostrils  in  the  middle, 
all  of  a  pale  colour ;  the  upper  mandible,  or  jaw,  hangs  over  the  lower  on  both  sides, 
and  at  the  point,  the  feet  pale,  not  very  broad,  with  sharp  toes,  and  a  back  toe ;  it 
picks  food  out  of  the  backs  of  living  whales ;  it,  as  is  said,  uses  sorrel  with  it,  for  both  are 
found  in  its  nest ;  it  lays  its  egg  commonly  the  first,  second,  or  third  day  of  May  ; 
which  is  larger  than  that  of  a  Solan  goose  egg,  of  a  white  colour,  and  very  thin,  the 
shell  so  very  tender,  that  it  breaks  in  pieces  if  the  season  proves  rainy  ;  when  the  egg  is 
once  taken  away  it  lays  no  more  that  year,  like  other  fowl ;  the  young  ones  are  hutched 
in  the  middle  of  June,  and  are  ready  to  take  wing  be£(at  the  twentieth  of  July ;  it  comes 
in  November,  the  sure  messenger  of  evil  tidings,  being  always  accompanied  with  boister- 
ous west  winds,  great  snow,  rain,  or  hail,  and  is  the  only  sea-fowl  that  stays  here  all 
the  year,  except  the  month  of  September  and  part  of  October.  The  inhabitants  prefer 
this,  whether  young  or  old,  to  all  other ;  the  old  is  of  a  delicate  taste,  is  a  mixture  of 
fat  and  lean ;  the  flesh  white,  no  blood  to  be  found  but  in  the  head  and  neck  ;  the 
young  is  all  fat,  except  the  bones,  having  nq  blood  but  in  the  head ;  and  when  the. 


■-,  -sis»«fw.»«aairs*T.T:;."".T  ■ 


martin's    voyage    Ta   ST.  XILDA. 


711 


young  fulmar  is  ready  to  take  wing,  upon  being  approached,  ejects  a  quantity  of  pure 
oil  out  at  his  bill,  and  will  be  certain  to  hit  any  that  attack  him  in  the  face,  though 
seven  paces  "istant ;  this  he  uses  by  way  of  defence,  but  the  inhabitants  take  care 
to  prevent  it  by  surprizing  the  fowl  behind,  having  for  this  purpose  a  wooden  dish  fixed 
to  the  end  of  their  rods,  which  they  hold  before  his  bill  as  he  spouts  out  the  oil ;  they 
surprize  him  also  from  behind  by  taking  hold  of  his  bill,  which  they  tie  with  a  thread, 
and  upon  their  return  home  they  untie  it,  with  a  dish  under  to  receive  the  oil ;  this  oil 
is  sometimes  of  a  reddish,  sometimes  of  a  vellow  colour,  and  the  inhabitants  and  other 
islanders  put  a  great  value  upon  it,  and  use  it  as  a  catholicon  for  diseases,  especially  for 
pains  in  the  bones,  stitches,  &c.  some  in  the  adjacent  isles  use  it  as  purge,  others  as  an 
emetic  ;  it  is  hot  in  quality,  and  forces  its  passage  through  any  wooden  vessel. 

The  fulmar  is  a  sure  prognosticator  of  the  west  wind  ;  if  it  comes  to  land,  no  west 
wind  is  to  he  expected  for  some  time,  but  if  it  keeps  at  sea ,  or  goes  to  sea  from  the  land, 
whether  the  wind  blow  from  the  south,  north,  or  east,  or  whether  it  is  a  perfect  calm, 
his  keeping  the  sea  is  always  a  certain  presage  of  an  approaching  west  wind ;  from  that 
quarter  he  is  observed  to  return  with  his  prey  ;  its  egg  is  as  large  as  that  of  a  Solan 
goose,  white  in  colour,  sharp  at  one  end,  somewhat  blunt  at  the  other. 

The  scraber,  so  called  in  St.  Kilda,  in  the  Farro  islands  puiBnet,  in  Holland  the  Green- 
land dove,  has  a  small  bill,  sharp  pointed,  a  little  crooked  at  the  end,  and  prominent ; 
it  is  as  large  as  a  pigeon,  its  whole  body  being  black,  except  a  white  spot  on  each  wing ; 
its  egg  grey,  sharp  at  one  end,  and  blunt  at  the  other. 

It  comes  in  the  month  of  March,  and  in  the  night  time,  without  regard  to  any  wind  ;. 
it  is  never  to  be  seen  but  in  the  night,  being  all  the  day  either  abroad  at  fishing,  or  upon 
its  nest,  which  it  digs  very  far  under  grouivd,  from  whence  it  never  comes  in  day-light ; 
it  picks  its  food  out  of  the  living  whale,  with  which,  they  say,  it  uses  sorrel,  and  both 
are  found  in  its  nest.  The  young  puffin  is  as  fat  as  the  young  fulmar,  and  goes  away  in 
Atigust,  if  its  first  egg  be  spared. 

The  iavy,  so  called  by  the  inhabitants  of  St.  Kilda,  by  the  Welch  guillem,  is  nearly 
as  big  as  a  duck ;  its  head  and  upper.side  of  the  neck  all  downwards  of  a  dark  brown, 
the  breast  white,  the  bill  straight,  and  sharp  pointed ;  the  upper  chop  hanging  over  the 
lower ;  its  feet  and  claws  black. 

Its  egg  in  bigness  is  near  to  that  of  a  goose  egg,  sharp  at  one  end,  and  blunt  at  the 
other;  the  colour  of  it  prettily  mixed  with  green  and  black;  others  of  them  are  of  a 
pale  colour,  with  red  and  brown  streaks,  but  the  latter  is  very  rare ;  this  egg  for  ordi- 
nary  food  is  by  the  inhabitants,   and  others,  preferred  above  all  the  eggs  had  liere. 
This  fowl  comes  with  a  south-west  wind,  if  fair,  the  twentieth  of  February ;  the  time  of 
its  goin^  away  depends  upon  the  inhabitants  taking  or  leaving  its  first,  second,  or  third 
e^ :  if  It  stays  upon  land  for  the  space  of  three  days  without  intermission,  it  is  a  sign  of 
southerly  wind  and  fair  weather,  but  if  it  goes  to  sea  before  the  third  expires,  it  is  then 
a  sign  of  a  storm. 

The  bird,  by  the  inhabitants  called  the  falk,  the  razor-bill  in  the  west  of  England,  the 
awk  in  the  north,  the  murre  in  Cornwall,  alca  hoeri,  is  a  size  less  than  the  Iavy ;  its 
head,  neck,  back,  and  tail  black  :  the  inside  toward  the  middle  of  the  throat  white,  the 
throat  under  the  chin  of  a  dusky  black  :  beyond  the  nostrils  in  the  upper  jaw  is  a  fur- 
row  deeper  than  that  in  the  coulter-neb :  the  upper  chop  crooked  at  the  end,  and  hangs 
over  the  lower,  both  having  transverse  furrows.  It  lays  its  egg  in  May,  its  young  take 
wing  the  middle  of  July,  if  the  inhabitants  do  not  determine  its  stay  longer,  by  taking 
the  egg,  which  in  bigness  is  next  to  the  Iavy,  or  guillem  eg^,  and  is  variously  spotted., 
sharp  at  one  end,  and  blunt  at  the  other. 


\ 


712 


martin's    VOYAOK    to    ftl.  KILOA. 


The  bowgcr,  so  called  by  those  in  St.  Kilda,  coultcr-neb  by  those  in  the  Farn  Islands, 
and  in  Cornwall,  pope,  is  of  the  size  of  a  pigeon,  its  bill  short,  broad,  and  compressed 
sidewiiic,  contrary  to  the  bills  of  ducks,  of  a  triangular  figure,  and  ending  in  a  sharp 
point,  the  upper  jaw  arcuate,  and  crooked  at  the  point ;  the  nostrils  arc  long  holes 
produced  by  the  aperture  of  the  mouth  ;  the  bill  is  of  two  colours,  near  the  head  of 
an  ash  colour,  and  red  towards  the  point;  the  feet  are  yellow,  the  claws  are  of  a  dark  blue; 
the  whole  back  black,  breast  and  \x\\y  white.  They  breed  in  holes  underground*  and 
come  with  a  south-west  wind  about  the  twenty-second  of  March,  lay  their  egg  the  twen- 
ty-sccond  of  April,  and  produce  the  fowl  the  twenty-second  of  May,  if  their  first  egg  be 
not  taken  away  ;  it  is  sharp  at  one  end  and  blunt  at  the  other. 

The  assilag  is  as  largo  as  a  linnet,  black  bill,  wide  nostrils  at  the  upper  part, 
crooked  at  the  point  like  the  fulmar's  bill.  It  comes  about  the  twenty-second  of 
March,  without  any  regard  to  winds,  lays  its  egg  about  the  twentieth  of  May,  and 
produces  the  fowl  towards  the  middle  of  October,  then  goes  away  about  the  end  of 
November. 

There  are  three  sorts  of  sea-malls  here:  the  first  of  a  grey  colour,  like  a  goose;  the 
second  considerably  less,  and  of  a  grey  colour ;  and  the  third  sort  white,  and  less  in  size 
than  a  tame  duck  ;  the  inhabitants  call  it  reddag ;~  it  comes  the  fifteenth  of  April  with 
a  south-west  wind,  lays  its  egg  about  the  middle  of  May,  and  goes  away  in  the  month 
of  August. 

The  tirma,  or  sea-pie,  by  the  inhabitants  called  trilichan,  comes  in  May,  goes  away 
in  August :  if  it  comes  the  beginning  of  May,  it  is  a  sign  of  a  good  summer,  if  later,  the 
contrary  is  observed.     This  fowl  is  cloven-footed,  and  consequently  swims  not. 

It  is  observed  of  all  the  sea-fowls  here,  that  they  are  fattest  in  time  of  hatching,  ex- 
cept the  Solan  geese. 

Every  fowl  lays  an  egg  three  different  times,  except  the  gair-fowl  and  fulmar,  which 
lay  but  once  :  if  the  first  or  second  egg  be  taken  away,  every  fowl  lays  but  one  other 
egg  that  year,  except  the  sea-malls,  and  they  ordinarily  lay  the  third  egg,  whether  the 
first  and  second  eggs  be  taken  away  or  no. 

The  inhabitants  observe,  that  when  the  April  moon  goes  far  in  May,  the  fowls  are  ten 
or  twelve  days  later  in  laying  their  eggs  than  ordinarily  they  use  to  be. 

The  inhabitants  likewise  say,  that  of  these  fowls  there  first  come  over  some  spies,  or 
harbingers,  especially  of  the  Solan  geese,  towering  about  the  islands  where  their  nests 
are,  and  that  when  they  have  made  a  review  thereof  they  fly  away,  and  in  two  or  three 
days  after  the  whole  tribe  are  seen  coming.  Whither  the  fowls  fly,  and  where  they 
spend  their  winter,  the  inhabitants  are  utterly  ignorant  of. 

The  eggs  are  found  to  be  of  an  astringent  and  windy  quality  to  strangers,  but,  it  seems, 
are  not  so  to  the  inhabitants,  who  are  used  to  eat  them  from  the  nest.  Our  men  upoh 
their  arrival  eating  greedily  of  them  became  costive  and  feverish,  some  had  the  hemor- 
rhoid  veins  swelled ;  Mr.  Campbell  and  I  were  at  no  smalt  trouble,  before  we  could 
reduce  them  to  their  ordinary  temper ;  we  ordered  a  glister  for  them  made  of  the  roots 
of  sedges,  fresh  butter,  and  salt,  which,  being  administered,  had  its  wished  for  effect ; 
the  inhabitants  reckoned  this  an  extraordinary  performance,  being,  it  seems,  the  first  of 
the  kind  they  had  ever  heard  of. 

They  preserve  their  eggs  commonly  in  the  stone  pyramids,  scattering  the  burnt  ashes 
of  turf  under  and  about  them,  to  defend  them  from  the  air,  dryness  being  their  only 
preservative,  and  moisture  their  corruption ;  they  preserve  them  six,  seven,  or  eight 
months,  as  abovesaid,  and  then  they  become  appetizing  and  loosening,  especially  those 
that  begin  to  turn.  ^ 


..... 


l^IAnTI^f'b    VOYAGE    TO    SI.    KILLA. 


713 


That  such  a  f^reat  number  of  wild  fowl  are  so  tame,  as  to  be  easily  taken  by  the  rods 
and  gins,  is  not  to  be  much  admired  by  any  who  will  be  at  the  pains  to  consider  the  rea- 
son, which  is  the  great  inclination  of  propagating  their  species  ;  so  powerful  is  the  na- 
tural afli-clion  for  their  oflspring,  that  i hey  choose  rather  to  die  upon  the  egg,  or  fowl, 
than  csccipe  with  their  own  lives  (which  liicy  could  do  in  a  minute)  and  leave  cither  of 
these  to  be  destroyed. 

It  deserves  our  consideration  to  reflect  seriously  upon  the  natural  propensity  and  sa- 
gacity of  these  animals  in  their  kind  ;  which,  if  compared  with  many  rational  creatures, 
do  fur  outstrip  them,  and  justly  obey  the  prescript  of  their  natures,  by  living  up  unto 
that  instinct  that  Providence  has  given  them. 

The  inhabitants  here  arc  originally  descended  of  those  of  the  adjacent  isles,  Lewis, 
Harries,  South  and  North  Vist,  and  Sky  :  both  sexes  are  naturally  grave,  and  of  a 
fair  complexion ;  such  as  arc  not  fair  are  natives  only  for  an  age  or  two,  but  their  oil'- 
spring  proves  fairer  than  themselves. 

There  are  several  of  them  would  be  reckoned  among  beauties  of  the  first  rank,  were 
they  upon  a  level  with  others  in  their  dress. 

Both  men  and  women  are  well  proportioned,  nothing  diflfering  from  those  of  the  isles 
and  continent.  The  present  generation  comes  short  of  the  last  in  strength  and  longevity. 
They  shewed  us  huge  big  stones  carried  by  the  fathers  of  some  of  the  inhabitants  now 
living ;  any  of  which  is  a  burthen  too  heavy  for  any  two  of  the  present  inhabitants  to 
raise  from  the  ground,  and  this  change  is  all  within  the  compass  of  forty  years.  But 
notwithstanding  this,  any  one  inhabiting  St.  Kilda  is  alvvay:  reputed  stronger  than  two 
of  the  inhabitants  belonging  to  the  isle  of  Harries,  or  the  adjacent  isles.  Those  of  St. 
Kilda  have  generally  but  very  thin  beards,  and  those  too  do  not  appear  till  they  arrive  at 
the  age  of  thirty,  and  in  some  not  till  after  thirty- five ;  they  have  all  but  a  few  hairs 
upon  the  upper  lip,  and  point  of  the  chin. 

Both  sexes  have  a  lisp,  but  more  especially  the  women,  neither  of  them  pronouncing 
the  letters  d,  g,  or  r.  I  rcmer  bcra  story  of  a  craker  that  lisped  (two  years  ago)  the 
boys  of  the  place  took  notice  of,  and  were  pleased  to  hear  him,  and  to  ape  his  cry  ;  one 
of  the  steward's  men  beholding  them,  enquired  the  meaning  of  their  noise,  which,  he 
told  them,  was  ridiculous ;  they  returned  answer,  that  it  was  worth  his  while  to  behold 
the  sport  of  a  lisping  craker,  whom  they  aped ;  but  the  man  replied,  that  they  played 
the  fool,  for  the  craker  diverted  himself  in  lisping  after  them,  and  charged  them  with 
that  imperfection  ;  the  boys  no  sooner  heard  this,  but  away  they  ran,  and  left  the  crake 
to  cry  and  lisp  as  he  pleased. 

There  are  some  of  both  sexes  who  have  a  genius  for  poetry,  and  are  great  admirers 
of  music  :  the  trump  or  Jew's  harp  is  the  only  musi(;al  instrument  they  have,  ivhich 
disposes  them  to  dance  mightily.  Their  sight  is  extraordinary  good,  and  they  can  dis- 
ccrn  things  at  a  great  distance ;  they  have  very  good  memories,  and  are  resolute  in  their 
undertakings,  chaste,  and  honest,  but  reputed  jealous  of  their  wives.  They  argue 
closely,  and  with  less  passion  than  other  islanders,  or  those  inhabiting  the  high-lands  on 
the  continent.  "* 

They  are  very  cunning,  and  there  is  scarce  any  circumventing  of  them  in  traffic  and 
bartering :  the  voice  of  one  is  the  voice  of  all,  being  all  of  a  piece,  one  common 
interest  uniting  them  firmly  together.  They  marry  very  young,  the  women  at  about 
thirteen  or  fourteen  :  and  are  nice  in  examining  the  degrees  of  consanguinity  before 
marriage.  They  give  suck  to  their  children  for  two  years.  The  most  ancient  person, 
among  them  at  present  is  not  above  eighty  years  old. 

VOL.  111.  4.  V  »■ 


1 


v 


I 


I 


i 


( 


i 


I 


714 


martin's  voyage  to  &t.  kilua. 


Providence  is  very  favourable  to  them,  in  that  they  arc  not  infested  with  several  dis* 
eases  which  are  so  predominant  in  the  other  parts  of  the  world  :  the  distempi-r  that  most 
prevails  here  is  the  spotted  fever,  and  that  too  confuied  to  one  tribe,  to  whom  this  disease 
IS,  as  it  were,  become  hereditary  ;  others  are  liable  to  fluxes,  fevers,  pleuri:>ies,  and  the 
spleen ;  for  all  which  they  have  but  u  few  remedies :  to  get  away  their  pleurctic  disor- 
ders,  they  commonly  lie  upon  a  warm  hearth,  with  the  side  affected  downwards ;  this 
they  look  upon  at)  almost  infallible  for  dispelling  the  humour  or  u  ind  that  torments 
them.  The  smulUpox  hath  not  been  heard  of  in  this  place  for  several  ages,  except  in 
one  instance,  of  a  single  man  who  had  been  infected  on  the  arrival  of  two  of  the 
steward's  retinue,  who  had  not  been  well  axovcred  of  it. 

The  plants  produced  here  are  lapathum  vulgare,  the  common  dock,  scurvy. grass 
round,  being  large  as  the  palm  of  the  hand,  mille.foil,  burta  pastoris,  silver- weed,  or  ar- 
gentine, plantane,  sage,  chicken.weed,  sorrel,  long,  or  the  common  sorrel,  alUhail,  or 
sidcrites,  the  sea-pinck,  tormentil,  the  scurf  upon  the  stones,  which  has  a  drying  and  heal- 
ing quality,  and  is  likewise  used  for  dying.  The  inhabitants  are  ignorant  of  the  virtues 
of  these  herbs ;  they  never  had  a  potion  of  physic  given  them  in  their  lives,  nor  know 
any  thing  of  phlebotomy  ;  so  that  a  physician  could  not  expect  his  bread  in  this  common- 
wealth. 

They  have  generally  good  voices,  and  sound  lungs  ;  to  this  the  Solan  goose  egg  supped 
raw  doth  not  a  little  contribute ;  they  are  seldom  troubled  with  a  cough,  except  at  the 
steward's  landing,  which  is  no  less  rare  than  firmly  believed  by  the  inhabitants  of  the 
adjacent  isles. 

Those  of  St.  Kilda,  upon  the  whole,  gave  me  this  following  account :  that  they  always 
contract  a  cough  upon  the  steward's  landing,  and  it  proves  a  great  deal  more  trouble- 
some  to  them  in  the  night-time,  they  then  discharging  a  great  deal  of  phlegm ;  this 
indisposition  continues  for  some  ten,  twelve,  or  fourteen  days  :  the  most  sovereign  re- 
medy against  this  disease  is  their  great  and  beloved  catholicon,  the  giben,  i.  e.  the  fat  of 
their  fowls,  with  which  they  stuff  the  stomach  of  a  Solan  goose,  in  fashion  of  a  pudding; 
this  they  put  in  the  infusion  of  oat-meal,  which  in  their  language  they  call  brochan  : 
but  it  is  not  so  effectual  now  as  at  the  beginning,  because  of  the  frequent  use  of  it.  I 
told  them  plainly,  that  I  thought  all  this  notion  of  infection  was  but  a  mere  fancy,  and 
that  at  least  it  could  not  always  hold ;  at  which  they  seemed  ofiended,  saying,  that  never 
any  before  the  minister  and  myself  was  heard  to  doubt  of  the  truth  of  it ;  which  is 
plainly  demonstrated  upon  the  landing  of  every  boat :  adding  further,  that  every  de- 
sign was  always  for  some  end,  but  here  there  was  no  room  fot  any,  where  nothing  could 
be  proposed  ;  but,  for  the  confirmation  of  the  whole,  they  ap[)ealed  to  the  case  of  infants 
at  the  breast,  who  were  likewise  very  subject  to  this  cough,  but  could  not  be  capable  of 
affecting  itj  and  therefore,  in  their  opinion,  they  were  infected  by  such  as  lodged  in 
their  houses.  There  were  scarce  young  or  old  in  the  isle  whom  I  did  not  examine 
particularly  upon  this  head,  and  all  agreed  in  the  confirmation  of  it.  They  add  farther, 
that  when  any  foreign  goods  are  brought  thither,  then  the  cough  is  of  longer  duration 
than  otherwise.  They  remark,  that  if  the  fever  lias  been  among  those  of  the  steward's 
retinue,  though  before  their  arrival  there,  some  of  the  inhabitants  are  infected  with  it. 
If  any  of  the  inhabitants  of  St.  Kilda  chance  talive,  though  but  a  short  space,  in  the 
isles  of  Harries,  Skie,  or  any  of  the  adjacent  isles,  they  become  meagre,  nnd  contract  such 
a  cough,  that  the  g^ben  must  be  had,  or  else  they  must  return  to  their  native  soil.  This 
giben  is  more  sovereign  for  removing  of  coughs,  being  used  by  many  other  islanders 
than  those  of  St.  Kilda.  They  love  to  have  it  frequently  in  their  meat  as  well  as  drink, 
by  which  too  frequent  use  of  it  it  b  apt  to  lose  its  virtue :  it  was  remarkable,  that  after 


martin's    voyage    to    ST.    KILDA. 


ri.s 


;rul  (lis. 
uit  most 
distasc 
iiiid  the 
c  elisor- 
Js ;  this 
urments 
Kccpt  ill 
of  the 

vy- grass 
d,  orar- 
hail,  or 
nd  heal- 
t:  virtues 
or  know 
ommon- 

3;  supped 
pt  at  the 
Its  of  the 

y  always 

trouble, 
^m ;  this 
reign  re- 
the  fat  of 
pudding ; 
brochan : 
of  it.  I 
ancy,  i\nd 
lat  never 
which  is 
every  de- 
ing  could 
of  infants 
apable  of 
lodged  in 
:  examine 
Id  farther, 

duration 
steward's 
d  with  it. 
:e,  in  the 
^ract  such 
)il.     This 

islanders 
I  as  drink, 

that  after 


this  infected  cough  was  over,  we  strangers,  and  the  inhabitants  of  St.  Kilda,  making  ii|> 
the  number  of  about  two  hundred  and  Kf\y,  though  wc  had  frequently  assembled  upon 
the  occ'dsioii  of  divine  service,  yet  neither  young  nor  old  among  us  all  did  so  much  as 
once  cough  mure. 

Some  thirteen  years  ago  the  leprosy  broke  out  among  them,  and  some  of  their 
number  died  by  it ;  there  arc  two  families  at  present  labouring  under  this  disease.  Thc 
symptoms  of  it  arc,  their  feet  beginning  to  fail,  their  appetite  declining,  their  faces  be- 
coming too  red,  and  breaking  out  in  pimples,  a  hoarseness,  and  their  hair  fulling  ofl 
from  their  heads,  the  crown  of  it  '.'xulccrutes  and  blisters,  and  lastly,  their  beards  grow 
thinner  than  ordinary. 

This  disease  may  in  a  large  mear.iire  be  ascribed  tu  their  gross  feeding,  and  that  on 
those  fat  fowls,  as  the  fulmar  and  the  Solan  geese ;  the  latter  of  which  they  keep  for 
the  space  of  a  whole  year,  without  salt  or  pepper  to  preserve  them  ;  these  they  eat  roasted 
or  boiled. 

One  of  these  lepers  being  with  me  one  day  at  the  Fulmar-rock,  importuned  mc  to 
give  him  a  remedy  for  his  disease :  I  began  to  chide  him  for  his  ill  diet  in  feeding  so 
grossly ;  but  finding  the  poor  fellow  ready  and  implicitly  disposed  to  do  whatever  I 
should  enjoin,  I  bid  him  take  example  from  the  fulmar,  who,  they  say,  feeds  sometimes 
on  sorrel :  this  was  a  very  surprizing  advice  to  him ;  but  when  he  considered  that  the 
fulmar  required  sorrel  to  qualify  the  whale,  he  was  the  sooner  persuaded  that  his  gibeii 
and  goose  might  require  the  same  :  I  advised  him  further,  to  abstain  from  the  giben  and 
fat  fowls,  which  was  no  small  trouble  to  him,  for  he  loved  them  exceedingly  :  1  ob'iged 
him  likewise  to  mount  the  hill  Conagor,  a  mile  in  height,  once  every  morning  and 
evening,  and  he  was  very  careful  to  comply  with  those  injunctions  for  the  space  of  three 
days ;  m  which  short  time  he  made  some  advances  towards  recovering  his  almost  lost 
speech  and  appetite,  for  his  throat  was  pretty  nearly  stopped  up.  He  continued  this 
practice  a  week  longer,  by  which  means  he  mended  considerably  ;  and  I  left  him  fully 
resolved  to  proceed  in  this  practice,  until  he  was  perfectly  restored  to  his  former  state  of 
health.  I  had  the  occasion  to  observe  another  of  these  lepers  rave  for  some  minutes, 
and  when  he  was  recovered  to  his  right  mind,  he  worked  at  his  ordinary  employment. 

The  inhabitants  are  Christians,  and  much  of  the  primitive  temper,  neither  inclined  to 
enthusiasm  nor  to  Popery.  They  swear  not  the  common  oaths  that  prevail  in  the  world ; 
when  they  refuse  or  deny  to  give  what  is  asked  of  them,  tliey  do  it  with  a  strong  asse- 
veration,  which  they  express  emphatically  enough  in  their  language  to  this  purpose  : 
"  You  are  no  more  to  have  it,  than  if  God  had  forbid  it ;"  and  thus  they  express  the 
highest  degree  of  passion.  They  do  not  so  much  as  name  the  devil  once  in  their  life- 
times. 

They  leave  off  working  at  twelve  o'clock  on  Saturday,  as  an  ancient  custom  delivered 
down  to  them  from  their  ancestors,  and  go  no  more  to  it  again  till  Monday  morning. 
They  believe  in  God  the  Father,  the  Son,  and  Holy  Ghost ;  in  a  future  state  of  happi. 
ness  and  misery,  and  that  all  events,  whether  good  or  bud,  are  pre-determined  by  God. 
They  use  a  set  form  of  prayer  at  the  hoisting  of  their  sails :  they  lie  down  at  night,  rise 
again  in  the  morning,  and  begin  their  labours  always  in  the  name  of  God.  They  have 
a  notion  that  spirits  are  embodied,  and  fancy  them  to  be  locally  in  rocks,  hills,  or  where- 
ever  they  list,  in  an  instanc. 

Here  are  three  chapels,  each  of  them  built  with  one  end  towards  the  east,  the  other 
towards  the  west,  the  altar  always  placed  ut  the  eabt  end :  the  first  of  these  is  called 
Christ  Chapel,  near  the  village  :  it  is  covered  and  thatched  after  the  manner  of  their 
houses :  there  is  a  brazen  crucifix  lies  upon  the  altar,  not  exceeding  a  foot  in  length : 

4  V  2 


i 


i 


i 

i 

I 


I 


716 


UARTIIf'3    VOYARR    TO    ST.    XlLUA. 


the  hocly  is  completely  done,  distended,  and  has  a  crown  on,  all  in  the  crucified  poiture ; 
they  have  it  in  great  reverence,  though  they  pay  no  kind  of  adoration  or  worship  to  it  ; 
nor  do  they  either  handle  or  see  it,  except  upon  the  occasions  of  marriage,  and  swearing 
decisive  oaths,  which  puts  an  end  to  all  strife,  and  both  these  '^crcmonics  are  publicly 
performed.  The  chtirch-yard  is  about  an  hundred  paces  in  circumference,  fenced  ill 
uiih  a  little  stone  wall,  within  which  they  bury  their  dead;  and  take  care  to  keep  it  per- 
fectly nrat,  void  of  any  kind  of  nastiness,  nor  suO'cr  their  cattle  to  have  any  access  to  it. 
The  inhabirnnts,  young  and  old,  come  to  the  church-yard  every  Sunday  morning,  the 
ch.ipel  not  being  capacious  enough  to  receive  them  ;  here  they  devoutly  say  the  Lord's 
Player,  Creed,  and  Ten  Commandments. 

They  observe  the  festivals  of  Christmas,  Easter,  Good-Friday,  St.  Columba's  Day, 
and  that  of  All  Saints;  upon  this  they  have  an  anniversary  cavalcade,  the  number  of 
their  horses  not  exceeding  eighteen  ;  these  they  mount  by  turns,  having  neither  saddle, 
nur  indeed  a  bridle  of  any  Jtind,  except  a  rope,  which  manages  the  horse  only  on  one 
side  ;  they  ride  from  the  shore  to  the  house,  and  when  each  man  has  performed  his  tour, 
the  show  is  at  an  end.  They  are  very  charitable  to  their  poor,  of  whom  there  are  not 
at  present  above  three,  and  these  carefully  provided  for  by  thi*^  le  comtnoMwealth, 
each  particular  family  contributing  according  to  their  ability  for  th  r  necessities  ;  their 
condition  is  enquired  into  weekly,  or  monthly,  as  their  occasions  serve,  but  more  espe- 
cially at  the  time  of  their  festivals  they  slay  some  sheep,  on  purpose  to  distribute  among 
the  pooi%  with  bread  proportionable ;  they  are  very  charitable  likewise  to  strangers  in 
distress ;  this  they  had  opportunity  to  express  to  a  company  of  Frenchmen  and  Spaniards, 
who  lost  their  ship  at  Rokol  in  the  year  1686,  and  came  in  a  pinnace  to  St.  Kilda, 
where  they  were  plentifully  supplied  with  barley -bread,  butter,  cheese,  Solan  geese,  eggs, 
8cc.  Both  seamen  and  inhabitants  were  barbarians  one  to  another,  the  inhabitants 
speaking  only  the  Irish  tongue,  to  which  the  French  and  Spaniards  were  altogether 
strangers.  Upon  their  landing  they  pointed  to  the  west,  naming  Rokol  to  the  inhabi- 
tants, and  after  that  they  pointed  downward  with  their  finger,  signifying  the  sinking  and 
perishing  of  their  vessel :  they  shewed  them  Rokol  in  the  sea  map,  far  west  of  St.  Kilda. 
This  and  much  more  the  masters  of  these  ships  told  to  a  priest  in  the  next  island,  who  . 
understood  French.  The  inhabitants  acquainted  m^  that  the  pinnace  which  carried  the 
seamen  from  Rokol  was  so  very  low,  thut  the  crew  added  a  foot  height  of  canvass  round 
it  all,  and  began  to  work  at  it  upon  Sunday  ;  at  which  the  inhabitants  were  astonished, 
and  being  highly  dissatisfied,  plucked  the  hatchets  and  other  instruments  out  of  their 
hands,  and  did  not  restore  them  till  Monday  morning. 

The  inhabitants  had  occasion  to  shew  great  kindness  to  a  boat's  crew  that  was  driven 
from  the  opposite  isle  S.  W.  whither  they  themselves  were  driven  afterwards,  and  where 
they  were  treated  with  no  less  civility  and  kindness  than  the  above-mentioned  had  been 
by  them ;  so  that  it  may  be  said  of  them  with  great  justice,  that  their  charity  is  as  exten- 
sive as  the  occasions  of  it. 

The  second  of  these  chapels  bears  the  name  of  St.  Columba,  the  third  of  St.  Brianan  ; 
both  built  after  the  manner  of  Christ's  chapel,  having  church  yards  belonging  to  them, 
and  are  a  quarter  of  a  mile  distant  from  each  other. 

They  told  me  of  a  ship  that  dropped  anchor  in  the  moiith  of  the  bay  the  preceding 
year,  and  that  the  Lowlanders  aboi^rd  her  were  not  Christians :  I  enquired  if  their  inter- 
preter, who  they  said  spoke  bad  Irish,  had  owned  this  to  be  a  truth.  They  answered  in  the 
negative :  but  that  they  knew  this  by  their  practices,  and  that  in  these  three  particulars : 
the  first  was,  the  working  upon  Sunday,  carrying  several  boats  full  of  stones  aboard  for 
ballast :  the  second  was,  the  taking  away  some  of  their  cows  without  any  return  for 


^~ 


■^if^ku: 


w-^ 


MARTIN  S    VOYACn    TO    ST.  k'lLDA. 


17 


them,  ("<oppt  a  fi'vv  Irish  copper  pieces ;  and  «hc  third  wai,  the  attempt  made  by  them 
to  ruvish  ihcir  womoi,  a  prartioc  altogether  unknown  it)  St.  Kilda,  where  there  hnMnot 
l)C(n  oiu;  instance  <(  fornicaiicjn  or  adultery  for  many  ages  Ixilbre  this  time.  I  remem- 
ixr  they  told  nie  tliat  the  hribc  oft'irtd  for  debauching  the  poor  women  was  a  piece  of 
brnnd  nmney,  than  which  there  could  be  no'hing  less  charming  in  a  place  where  the 
inh:il)itantH  make  nodistin^nion  lK-l»ixta  guinea  and  a  sixpence. 

Tlieir  marri.igcs  arc  celebrated  al^er  the  following  maimer :  when  any  two  of  them 
have  agreed  to  take  one  another  for  man  and  wife,  the  officer  who  presides  over  them 
Kummons  all  the  inhabitants  of  both  »exes  to  Christ's  chapel,  where  being  assembled,  he 
eiu|nires  publicly  if  thtre  be  any  lawhd  impediment  why  these  parties  should  not  be 
joined  in  tne  bond  of  matrimony  ?  And  if  there  be  no  objection  to  the  contrary,  he  then 
enquires  of  the  parties  if  they  are  rtstdved  to  live  together  in  weal  and  woe,  8cc.  After 
their  assent  he  declares  them  marrit  d  persons,  and  then  desires  them  to  miify  this  their 
solemn  promise  in  the  presence  of  God  and  the  people,  in  order  to  which  the  crucifix  is 
tendered  to  them,  and  both  put  their  right  hands  upon  it,  as  the  ceremony  by  which 
they  swear  fidelity  one  to  another  during  their  life-time. 

Mr.  Can.pbell,  the  minister,  married  in  this  manner  fifteen  pair  of  the  inhabitants  on 
the  seventeenth  of  June,  who  immediately  after  their  marriage  joined  in  a  country  dance, 
with  bagpipe  for  their  music,  which  pleased  them  exceedingly. 

They  baptize  in  the  following  manner :  the  parent  calls  in  the  ofHcer,  or  any  of  his 
neighbours,  to  baptize  his  child,  and  another  to  be  sponsor;  he  that  performs  the  mini- 
ster's part  being  told  what  the  child's  name  is  to  be,  says,  "  A.  B.  1  baptize  thee  to 
your  father  and  vour  mother,  in  the  name  of  the  Father,  Son,  and  Holy  Ghost :"  then 
the  sponsor  takes  the  child  in  his  arms,  as  doth  his  wife  as  godmother,  and  ever  after 
this  there  is  a  friendship  between  the  parent  and  the  sponsor,  which  is  esteemed  so  sacred 
and  inviolable,  that  no  accident,  how  cross  soever,  is  able  to  set  them  at  variance,  and  it 
reconciles  such  as  have  been  at  enmity  formerly. 

This  isle  belongs  in  property  to  the  laird  of  Mack-Leod,  head  of  one  of  the  most  an- 
cient families  of  Scotlaiid ;  it  is  never  farmed,  but  most  commonly  bestowed  upon  some 
favourite,  one  of  his  friends  or  followers,  who  is  called  Steward  of  the  Isle.  The  present 
steward's  name  is  Alexander  Mack-Leod,  who  pays  y«.;>rly  to  his  master  an  acknow- 
ledgment of  the  various  products  of  this  isle.  This  steward  visits  St.  Kilda  every  sum- 
mer, and  upon  his  arrival  he  and  his  retinue  have  all  the  milk  in  the  it>le  bestowed  on 
them  in  a  treat ;  there  is  another  bestowed  on  them  tipon  St.  Columba's  Day,  the  fif- 
teenth of  June  ;  and  we  had  a  share  of  this  second  treat.  The  steward's  retinue  consists 
of  forty,  fifty,  or  sixty  persons,  and  among  them,  |)erhap4,  the  most  meagre  in  the  parish 
are  carried  thither  to  be  recruited  with  good  cheer ;  but  this  retinue  is  now  retrenched, 
as  also  some  of  their  ancient  and  unreasonable  exactions. 

The  steward  lives  upon  the  charge  of  the  inhabitants  until  the  time  that  the  Solan 
geese  are  ready  to  fly,  which  the  inhabitants  think  long  enough ;  the  daily  allowance 
paid  by  them  is  very  regularly  exacted,  with  regard  to  their  respective  proportions  of 
lands  and  rocks.  There  is  not  a  parcel  of  men  in  the  world  more  scrupulously  nice 
and  punctilious  in  maintaining  their  liberties  and  properties  than  these  are,  being  most 
religiously  fond  of  their  ancient  laws  and  statutes  ;  nor  will  ihey  by  any  means  consent 
to  alter  their  first,  though  unreasonable,  constitutions ;  and  we  had  a  pregnant  instance 
of  this  their  genius  for  preserving  their  ancient  customs;  they  have  unchangeably  con> 
tinned  their  first  and  ancient  measures,  as  the  maile,  amir,  and  cubit :  this  maile  contains 
ten  pecks ;  the  amir,  which  they  at  present  make  use  of,  is  probably  the  Hebrew  omer, 
which  contains  near  two  pecks ;  the  cubit,  or,  in  their  language,  lave  keile,  i.  e.  an  band 


! 


718 


KIARTtN^S   VOVAGE    TO    IT.    KILDA. 


9 


of  wood,  in  the  distance  from  the  elbow  to  the  finj^cr**'  ends ;  Ih'w  they  only  use  in  measur> 
inK  thi  ir  bouts  :  the  amir,  or  rather  half-amir,  ns  they  cull  it,  i<i  compo«ird  of  thin  boiirds, 
nnd,  us  they  ncknowtedge,  hus  been  usied  these  fourscore  years  ;  in  which  tract  of  time  it 
IH  coiihiderably  fallen  ithortof  the  measure  of  which  it  was  at  first,  which  they  theniHelvcn 
do  not  ciltogetht-r  deny ;  the  steward,  to  compeniiate  this  loss,  pretends  to  a  rectived 
custom  of  adding  the  hand  of  him  that  measures  the  corn  to  the  amir  side,  holding  sornc 
of  the  hurley  above  the  due  measure,  which  the  inhabitants  complain  of  as  unreasonable : 
the  steward,  to  satisfy  them,  offered  to  refer  Uie  debate  to  Mr.  Campbell's  decision  and 
mine,  they  themselves  being  to  propose  their  objections,  and  two  of  his  retinue,  who 
were  well  skilled  in  the  customs  of  the  place,  in  the  time  of  some  of  the  former  stewards, 
being  appointed  to  answer  them,  and  he  nromised  that  he  would  acnuicscc  in  the  deci> 
sion,  though  it  should  prove  to  his  prejuuice;  but  they  would  not  alter  that  measure  if 
Mack-Leo<ldid  not  expresnly  command  it,  being  persuaded  that  he  could  not  attempt  to 
do  so,  as  his  and  their  ancestors  had  had  it  in  sucn  esteem  for  so  many  ages.  So  great 
was  their  concern  for  this  amir,  that  they  unanimously  determined  to  send  the  officer 
ns  envoy,  according  to  the  ancient  custom,  to  represent  their  case  to  Mack.Leod;  this  was 
the  result  of  a  general  council,  in  which  the  master  of  every  family  }ias  a  vote,  since 
every  family  pays  this  officer  nn  amir  of  barley  per  annum,  to  maintain  his  character. 

1  his  officer,  as  such,  is  obliged  to  adjust  the  respective  proportions  of  lands,  grass,  and 
rocks,  and  what  else  could  be  claimed  by  virtue  of  the  last  tack  or  lease,  which  is  never 
longer  than  for  three  years,  condescended  to  by  the  steward ;  nay,  he  is  obliged  always 
to  (lispute  with  the  steward  for  what  is  due  to  any  of  them,  and  never  to  give  over  until 
he  has  obtained  his  demand,  or  put  the  steward  into  such  a  passion,  that  he  gives  the 
officer  at  leaNt  three  strokes  with  his  cudgel  upon  the  crown  of  his  head,  which  is  the 
utmost  that  is  required  of  him  by  their  ancient  customs.  I  said  to  the  officer  who  gave 
me  this  account,  what  if  the  steward  should  give  him  but  one  blow  ?  he  answered,  that 
the  inhabitants  would  not  be  satisfied,  if  he  did  not  so  far  plead  a5i  to  irritate  the  steward 
to  give  both  a  second  and  a  third :  I  had  the  farther  curiosity  to  enquire  of  the  steward 
himself,  if  he  was  wont  to  treat  the  officer  in  this  manner;  who  answered,  that  it  was  an 
ancient  custom,  which  in  his  short  time  he  had  not  had  occasion  to  practise ;  but  if  he 
should,  he  would  not  confine  himself  to  the  number  of  three  blows,  if  the  officer  should 
prove  indiscreet. 

The  steward  bestows  some  acres  of  land  upon  the  officer  for  serving  him  and  the  in< 
habitants;  he  gives  him  likewise  the  bonnet  worn  by  himself,  upon  his  going  out  of  the 
island  v  the  steward's  wife  leaves  with  ^he  officer's  wife  the  kercher  or  head-dress  worn 
by  herself,  and  she  bestows  likewise  upon  her  an  ounce  of  indigo.  The  steward  has  a 
large  cake  of  barley  presented  to  him  by  the  officer  at  every  meal,  and  it  must  be  made 
so  Targe  as  shall  be  sufficient  to  satisfy  three  men  at  a  time,  and  bv  way  of  eminence  it 
is  baked  in  the  form  of  a  triangle,  and  furrowed  twice  round;  the  officer  is  likewise 
obliged  to  furnish  the  steward  with  mutton  or  beef  to  his  dinner  every  Sunday  during 
his  residence  in  the  island. 

Notwithstanding  these  reciprocal  acts  of  kindness,  this  officer  must  be  allowed  to  go 
in  quality  of  an  envoy  toMack-Leod  against  the  steward  upon  extraordinary  occasions* 
if  tne  commonwealth  have  any  grievances  to  redress,  as  that  of  the  amir  now  depend* 
ing ;  but  the  commission  given  him  is  limited,  the  whole  boat's  crew  being  joined  in 
commission  with  him,  and  are  a  check  upon  him,  lest  his  dependence  upon  the  steward 
might  be  apt  to  bias  him.  He  makes  his  entry  very  submissively,  taking  off  his  bonnet 
at  a  great  distance  when  he  appears  in  Mack-Leod's  presence,  bowing  his  head  ancii  hand 
low  near  tq  the  ground,  his  retinue  doing  the  like  behind  him,  one  suter  another,  mak- 


MAKTIN'S    VOYAOI    to    it.    KILDA. 


7\y 


\nf(,  as  it  u'crc,  u  chiiin  ;  lUh  (K-ing  ihcir  manner  of  walking  uoili  hi  iiuific  utul  abroad 
for  tUvy  walk  not  ubrcant  ui  othcrH  do  ;  and  in  making  their  |iurchusc  among  the  ruck^, 
one  leads  tlic  van,  and  the  rest  i'ullow. 

The  number  of  |k:oi)Ic  inhabiting  this  isle  at  pri  <cnt  is  about  one  hundred  and  eighty, 
who  in  the  stcword's  absence  are  governed  by  one  Donald  Mack-GIII-Colin,  a-i  their 
meiirc,  which  imports  an  oflicer.  This  oflicer  was  anciently  chosen,  or  ut  Icist  approved 
of,  by  the  [)coplc,  bcibre  the  steward  settled  him  in  his  oflicc,  but  rtow  the  stewards  have 
tlie  nomination  of  him  absolutely ;  he  is  president  over  them  mi  alt  their  dcbaten,  takes 
care  that  tl'c  lots  Ik  managed  impartially,  that  none  to  whose  share  they  full  may  have 
cause  to  repine,  whether  it  be  for  the  steward's  service,  or  that  of  the  commonwealth. 
The  use  ofthe  lots,  together  with  the  crucifix,  do  mightily  contribute  to  their  peace  and 
quiet,  keeping  every  one  within  his  pro|K:r  boundfi.  It  must  needs  Ix.*  a  very  odd  case 
indeed,  that  falls  not  within  the  compiiss  of  cither  of  these  two  to  determine.  When 
any  case  happens  which  docs  not  fall  under  the  decision  of  lots,  niid  it  is  capable  of 
bemg  decided  only  by  the  oath  of  die  parties,  then  the  crucifix  must  determine  ttic  mat 
tcr ;  and  if  it  should  prove  to  be  a  case  of  the  highest  importance,  any  of  them  arc  nt 
liberty  to  refer  it  to  his  neighbour's  oath,  without  any  suspicion  cf  perjury,  provided 
the  ceremony  of  touching  the  crucifix  with  their  right  hand  be  observed ;  and  this  is 
always  publiclv  performed. 

If  any  man  is  guilty  of  beatinji;  his  neighbour,  he  is  liable  to  a  fine  not  exceeding  the 
value  of  two  shillings  sterling;  if  any  has  beat  his  neighbour  so  a3  to  draw  blood  from 
him,  he  is  liable  to  a  fine,  not  exceeding  four  and  sixpence.  These  <:rimes  arc  com* 
plained  of  by  the  officer  to  the  steward,  upon  his  arrival,  who  either  exacts  the  whole, 
or  dispenses  with  the  fines,  as  he  judges  convenient  for  their  future  quiet  and  [icacc. 

They  have  only  one  common  iciln,  which  serves  them  all  by  turns,  as  the  lots  fall  to 
their  share ;  he  whose  lot  happens  to  be  last  does  not  resent  it  at  all. 

The  officer,  by  virtue  of  his  place,  is  obliged  through  a  point  of  honour  to  be  the  first 
that  lands  in  the  lesser  isles  and  rocks,  from  whence  they  carry  their  fowls  and  eggs,  and 
not  without  some  trouble  too.  This  noiion  of  honour  exposes  him  to  frequent  dangers ; 
and  perhaps  it  may  not  be  unpleasant  to  describe  it,  as  I  have  seen  it  practised  ;  and  it  is 
thus  :  when  they  come  as  near  to  the  rock  as  they  think  may  consist  with  the  safety  of 
the  boat,  which  is  not  a  little  tossed  by  the  raging  ofthe  sea,  those,  whose  turn  it  is,  arc 
employed  with  poles  to  keep  off  the  boat,  which  is  in  great  danger,  in  regard  of  the  vio> 
lence  of  the  waves  beating  upon  the  rock,  and  they  are  to  watch  the  opportunity  of  the 
calmest  wave ;  upon  the  first  appearance  of  which  the  officer  jumps  out  upon  the  rock  ; 
if  there  may  be  any  apparent  danger,  he  ties  a  rope  about  his  middle,  with  one  end  of 
it  fastened  to  the  boat ;  if  he  has  landed  safe,  he  then  frxes  his  feet  in  a  secure  place,  and 
by  the  assistance  of  this  rope  draws  up  all  the  crew  to  him,  except  those  whose  turn  it  is 
to  look  af^er  the  boat ;  but  if  in  jumping  out  he  falls  into  the  sea,  as  his  misfortune  is  so 
to  do  sometimes,  he  is  drawn  into  the  boat  ag^ain  by  that  part  of  the  rope  that  is  so  fasten. 
ed  to  it,  and  then  the  nexr,  whose  turn  it  is,  must  try  his  luck,  the  officer  after  his  fall 
being  supposed  to  be  sufficiently  fatigued,  so  that  he  is  not  obliged  to  adventure  his  per- 
son again  to  a  second  hazard  upon  this  occasion,  especially  as  he  is  exposed  to  the  greatest 
danger  that  oflers  upon  their  landing,  wht^n  they  re:urn  back  again  to  the  isle,  where  rhe 
sea  often  rages,  he  being  obliged  then  by  virtue  of  iiis  office  to  stay  in  the  boat,  after  the 
whole  crew  are  landed,  where  he  must  continue  employing  his  pole,  until  the  bout  be  either 
brought  safe  to  land,  or  split  upon  the  rocks. 

They  furnish  themselves  wth  ropes  to  carry  them  through  the  more  inaccessible  rocks; 
of  these  ropes  tbei^  are  only  three  in  the  whole  isli'.ud»  each  of  them  twenty -four  fa* 


1 


720 


martin's  voyage  to  sr.  xilua. 


thorns  in  length  ;  and  they  are  either  knit  together  and  lengthened  by  tying  the  one  to 
the  other,  or  used  separately,  as  occasion  requires ;  the  chief  thing  upon  whlrh  the 
strength  of  these  ropes  depends  is  cow's  hides  salted,  and  cut  out  in  one  long  piece  ; 
this  they  twist  round  the  ordinary  rope  of  hemp,  which  becures  it  from  being  cut  by  the 
rocks :  they  join  sometimes  at  the  lower  end  two  rojies,  one  of  which  they  tie  ujout  the 
middle  of  one  climber,  and  another  about  the  middle  of  another,  that  these  may  assist 
one  another  in  case  of  a  fall ;  but  the  misfortune  is,  that  sometimes  the  one  happens  to 
pull  down  the  other,  and  so  both  fall  into  the  sea ;  but  if  they  escape,  as  they  commonly 
do  of  late,  they  get  an  incredible  number  of  eggs  and  fowls. 

'I'he  rojies  belong  to  the  commonwealth,  and  are  not  to  be  used  without  the  general 
consent ;  the  lots  determine  the  tiine,  place,  and  persons  for  using  them  ;  they  get  toge. 
ther  ill  three  days  a  much  greater  number  of  fowls  and  eggs  than  their  boat  i>  able  to 
carry  away,  and  therefore  what  is  over  and  above  they  leave  behind  in  their  stone  pyra- 
mids :  they  catch  their  fowls  with  gms  made  of  horse-hair ;  these  are  tied  to  the  end  of 
their  fishin{;-rods,  with  which  the  fcwlers  creep  through  the  rocks  indiscernibly,  putting 
the  noose  over  their  heads  and  about  their  necks,  and  so  draw  them  instantly  ;  they  use 
likewise  hair  gins,  which  they  set  upon  plain  rocks,  both  the  ends  fastened  by  a  stone, 
and  so  catch  forty  or  fifty  a  day  with  them. 

The  inhabitants,  I  must  tell  you,  run  no  small  danger  in  quest  of  these  fowls  and  eggs, 
insomuch  that  I  fear  it  would  be  thought  an  hyperbole  to  relate  the  inaccessiblencss, 
steepness,  and  height  of  these  formidable  rocks  which  they  venture  to  climb.  I  myself 
have  seen  some  of  them  climb  up  the  corner  of  a  rock,  with  their  backs  Co  it,  making 
use  only  of  their  heels  and  elbows,  without  any  other  assistance;  and  they  have  this 
way  acquired  a  dexterity  in  climbing  beyond  any  I  ever  yet  saw  :  necessity  lias  made 
them  apply  themselves  to  this,  and  custc  has  perfected  them  in  it ;  so  that  it  is  become 
familiar  to  them  almost  from  their  cradles,  the  young  boys  at  three  years  old  begin  to 
climb  the  walls  of  houses  :  their  frequent  discourses  of  climbing,  tc^ether  with  the  fa- 
tal end  of  several  in  the  exercise  of  it,  is  the  same  to  them,  as  that  of  fighting  and  killing 
\js  with  soldiers,  and  is  become  as  familiar  and  less  formidable  to  them,  than  otherwise 
certainly  it  would  be.  I  saw  two  young  men,  to  whose  share  the  lots  fell  in  June  last 
for  taking  the  nest  of  a  hawk,  which  was  in  a  high  rock  above  the  sea,  bringing  home 
the  hawks  in  a  few  minutes,  without  any  assistance  at  all. 

Their  dogs  are  likewise  very  dextrous  in  climbing  and  bringing  out  from  rheir  holes 
those  fowls  which  build  their  nests  fjj  Midtr  ground,  such  as  the  scralier,  puffinet,  &c. 
which  they  carry  in  their  teeth  to  theii  nmajrf*  ra,  letting  them  fall  upon  the  ground  before 
them,  though  asleep. 

The  inhabitants  speak  the  Irish  tongue  only ;  they  express  themselves  slowly,  but  per- 
tinently, and  have  the  same  language  with  those  of  Harries  and  other  isles,  who  retain  the 
Irish  in  its  purity. 

Their  habit  anciently  was  of  sheepskins,  which  has  been  worn  by  several  of  the  inhabit- 
'ants  now  living ;  the  men  at  this  day  wear  a  short  doublet  reaching  to  their  waist, 
about  that  a  double  plait  of  plaid,  both  ends  joined  together  with  the  bone  of  a  fulmar ; 
this  plaid  reaches  no  further  than  their  knees,  and  is  above  the  waist  girt  wkh  a  leather 
belt ;  they  wear  caps  of  the  same  colour  and  shape  with  the  capuchms,  but  shorter ; 
and  on  Sundays  they  wear  bonnets ;  some  of  late  have  got  breeciies,  they  are  made  wide 
and  open  at  the  knees ;  they  wear  cloth  stockirigs,  and  go  without  shoes  in  summe*  j 
their  leather  is  dressed  with  the  roots  of  tormentil. 

The  women  wear  upon  their  heads  a  linen  dress,  strait  before,  and  dramng  to  a  small 
point  behind  below  the  shoulders,  a  foot  and  an  half  in  length,  an^ja  lock  of  about  sixty 


li:_. 


■■^^ry'r!-;:K:'mx 


■  vgN'i'Wg^^'gfevvysiyaijw'r^  s.<iim>~  •" 


MARTIN  S    VOYAGE    TO  ftT.    XILOA. 


721 


hairs  hanging  down  each  cheek,  to  their  breasts,  the  lower  end  tied  with  a  knot ;  their 
plaid,  which  is  the  upper  garment,  is  fastened  upon  their  breasts  with  a  large  round 
buckle  of  brass  in  form  of  a  circle  :  the  buckles  anciently  worn  by  the  steward's  wives 
were  of  silver,  but  the  present  steward's  wife  makes  no  use  of  either  this  dress  or  buckle. 
The  women  inhabiting  this  isle  wear  no  shoes  nor  stockings  in  the  summer-time  :  their 
ordinary  and  only  shoes  arc  made  of  the  necks  of  Solan  geese,  which  they  cut  above  the 
eyes,  the  crown  of  the  head  serves  for  the  heel,  the  whole  skin  being  cut  close  at  the 
breast,  which  end  being  sowed,  the  foot  enters  into  it,  as  into  a  piece  of  narrow  stock< 
ing ;  this  shoe  does  not  last  above  five  days,  and  if  the  downy  side  be  next  the  ground, 
then  not  above  three  or  four  ;  however,  there  are  plenty  of  them,  some  thousands  beings 
catched,  or,  as  they  term  it,  stolen  every  March. 

Both  sexes  wear  coarso  flannel  '  hirts,  which  they  put  off  when  they  go  to  bed ;  they 
thicken  their  clothes  upon  flakes,  .  t  nats  of  hay  twisted  and  woven  together  in  small 
ropes  ;  they  work  hard  at  this  eb>ployment,  first  making  use  of  their  hands,  and  then 
of  their  feet ;  when  they  are  at  thh  work,  they  commonly  sing  the  whole  time,  one  of 
their  number  acting  the  part  of  a  prime  chantress,  whom  all  the  rest  follow. 

They  place  the  faces  of  their  dead  towards  the  east  when  tbey  bury  them,  bewail  their 
relations  excessively,  and  upon  these  occasions  make  doleful  songs,  which  they  call  la- 
ments.  Upon  the  news  of  the  late  Mack-Leod's  death,  they  abandoned  their  houses, 
and  mourned  two  days  in  the  fields.  They  kill  a  cow,  or  a  sheep,  before  the  interment, 
unless  it  be  in  the  spring,  when  this  ceremony  is,  on  account  of  the  cattle  being  at  that 
time  poor  and  lean,  deferred  till  they  become  fat. 

Their  ordinary  food  is  barley  and  some  oat-bread  baked  with  water  :  they  eat  all  the 
fowl  already  described,  being  dried  in  their  stone-houses,  without  any  salt  or  spice  to 
preserve  them  ;  and  all  their  beef  and  mutton  is  eat  fresh,  after  the  same  manner  they 
use  the  giben,  or  fat  of  their  fowls  ;  this  giben  is  by  daily  experience  found  to  be  a  sove- 
reign remedy  for  healing  of  green  wounds  ;  it  cured  a  cancer  in  an  inhabitant  of  the 
isle  of  Lewis,  and  a  fistula  in  one  Nicholson  of  Skie,  in  St.  Mary's  parish ;  this  was  per- 
formed by  John  Mack-Lean,  surgeon,  there  :  they  boil  the  sea-plants,  dulse  and  slake, 
melting  the  giben  upon  thepr>  instead  of  butter,  and  upon  the  roots  of  silver- weed  and 
dock  boiled,  rnd  also  with  their  scurvy-grass  stoved,  which  is  very  purgative,  and  h 
here  of  an  extraordinary  breadth.  They  use  this  giben  with  their  fish,  and  it  is  become 
the  common  vehicle  that  conveys  all  their  food  down  their  throats.  They  are  undone 
for  want  of  salt,  of  which  as  yet  they  are  but  little  sensible  ;  they  use  no  set  times  for 
their  meals,  but  are  determined  purely  1^  their  appetites. 

They  use  only  the  ashes  of  sea- ware  for  salting  their  cheese,  and  the  shortest  ortly, 
which  grows  in  the  rocks,  is  used  by  them  ;  tliat  being  reckoned  the  mildest. 

Their  drink  '»  water  or  whey  commonly  :  they  brew  ale  but  rarely,  using  the  juice 
of  netrle-roots,  which  they  piit  in  a  dish  with  a  little  barley-meal  dough  ;  these  sowens, 
(i.  e.  flummery,)  being  blended  together,  produce  yest,  which  puts  their  wort  into  a  fer- 
ment, and  makes  good  ale,  which,  when  drank  plentifully  of,  generally  dbposes  them  to 
dance  merrily. 

They  preserve  the  Solan  geese  in  their  pyramids  for  the  space  of  a  year,  slitting  them 
down  the  back,  for  they  have  no  salt  to  keep  them  with.  They  have  built  above  five 
hundred  of  these  stone  pyramids  for  their  fowls,  eggs,  &x. 

We  made  particular  inquiry  after  the  number  of  Solan  geese  consumed  by  t»rh  fa- 
mily in  the  year  before  we  came  there,  and  it  amounted  in  the  whole  to  twenty.two 
thousand  six  hundred,  which,  they  said,  was  less  than  the  ordinary  number,  a  great  many 
being  lost  by  the  badness  of  the  season,  and  the  great  current  into  which  ^hey  are 

VOL.    III.  4  z 


ii 


r 


i 


\ 


723 


AIAHXIN's    voyage    to    ST.    KILDA. 


obliged  to  be  thruwu  when  taken,  the  rock  being  of  so  extraordinary  a  height,  that  they 
cannot  reach  the  bout. 

There  is  one  boat  sixteen  cubits  long,  which  serves  <>'"  whole  commonwealth  ;  it  is 
very  curiously  divided  into  apartments,  proportionable  .a  their  lands  and  rocks  ;  every 
individual  has  his  space  distinguished  to  a  hair's  brcadui,  which  his  neighbour  cannot 
encroach  so  much  us  to  lay  an  egg  upon  it. 

Every  partner  in  summer  provides  a  large  turf  to  cover  his  space  of  the  boat,  thereby 
defending  it  from  thti  violence  of  the  sun,  which  (in  its  meridian  height)  reflects  most 
vehemently  from  the  sea  and  rock,  upon  which  the  boat  lies  ;  at  the  drawing  it  up, 
both  sexes  are  employed  in  pulling  a  long  rope  at  the  fore  end  ;  they  are  determined  in 
uniting  their  strength  by  the  cryer,  who  is  therefore  excepted  from  his  share  in  the 
labour. 

There  is  but  one  steel  and  tinder-box  in  all  this  commonwealth ;  the  owner  whereof 
fails  not,  upon  every  occasion  to  strike  fire  in  the  lesser  isles,  to  gu  there,  and  exact  three 
eggs,  or  one  of  the  lesser  ibwls,  from  each  man  as  a  reward  for  his  service ;  this  by  them 
is  called  the  fire-penny,  and  this  capitation  is  very  uneasy  ;o  them ;  I  bid  them  try  their 
crystul  with  their  knives,  which  when  they  saw  it  produced  fire,  they  were  not  a  little 
astonished,  and  at  the  same  time  accused  their  own  ignorance,  considering  the  quantity 
of  crystal  growing  under  the  rock  of  their  coast.  This  discovery  has  relieved  them 
from  the  fire -penny  tax,  and  they  are  now  no  longer  liable  to  it. 

They  have  likewise  a  pot-penny  tax,  which  is  exacted  in  the  same  manner  as  the  fire- 
penny  was,  but  is  much  more  reasonable ;  for  the  pot  is  carried  to  the  inferior  isles  for 
the  public  use,  and  is  in  hazard  of  being  broken ;  so  that  the  owners  may  justly  exact 
upon  this  score^  since  any  may  venture  his  pot  when  he  pleases. 

When  they  have  bestowed  some  hours  in  fowling  about  the  rock,  and  caugl.:  a  com- 
petent number,  they  sit  down  near  the  face  of  it  to  refresh  themselves,  and  in  the  mean 
time  they  single  out  the  fattest  of  their  fowls,  plucking  them  bare,  which  they  ca/ry 
home  to  their  wives  or  sweethearts,  as  a  great  present,  and  it  is  always  accepted  very 
kindly  from  them,  and  could  not  indeed  well  be  otherwise,  without  great  ingratitude, 
seeing  these  men  ordinarily  expose  themselves  to  great  danger,  if  not  to  the  hazard  of 
their  lives,  to  procure  those  presents  for  them. 

In  the  face  of  the  tock,  south  from  the  town,  is  the  famous  stone,  known  by  the  name 
of  the  Mistress-Stone;  it  resembles  a  door,  exactly,  and  is  in  the  very  front  of  this  rock, 
which  im  twenty  or  thirty  fathom  perpendicular  in  height,  the  figure  of  it  being  dis- 
i';ernible  about  the  distance  of  a  mile  :  upon  the  liniel  of  this  door,  every  bachelor- 
woer  is,  by  an  ancient  custom,  obliged  in  honour  to  give  a  specimen  of  his  affection  for 
the  love  of  his  mistress,  and  it  is  thus  :  he  is  to  stand  on  his  left  foot,  having  the  one 
half  <A  it  over  the  rock  ;  he  then  draws  the  right  foot  towards  the  left,  and,  in  this  pos- 
ture, bowing,  puts  both  his  fists  further  out  to  the  right  foot ;  after  he  has  performed 
this,  he  lias  acquired  no  small  reputation,  being  ever  after  accounted  worthy  the  finest 
woman  in  the  world :  they  firmly  believe  this  achievement  is  always  attended  with  the 
desired  success. 

This  being  the  custom  of  the  place,  one  of  the  inhabitants  very  gravely  desired  me 
to  let  him  know  the  lime  limited  by  me  for  trying  this  piece  of  gallantry  before  I  de- 
signed to  leave  the  place,  that  he  might  attend  me :  I  told  him  the  performance  would 
have  a  quite  contrary  entct  upon  me,  by  robbing  me  both  of  my  life  and  mistress  at  the 
»ame  moment ;  but  he  was  of  a  contrary  opinion,  and  insisted  on  the  good  fortune  at- 
tending it ;  but  I  must  confess  all  his  arguments  were  too  weak  to  make  me  attempt  the 
experiment.  __  , 


';^«B«g5K 


cwpT'tasv'i;. 


martin's   VOVAUE    to    ST.  KILDA. 


They  take  their  measures  in  going  to  the  lesser  islands  from  the  iippcr.rance  of  the 
heavens  ;  for  when  it  is  clear  or  cloudy  in  such  a  quarter,  K  is  a  prognostic  of  wind  or 
fair  weather  ;  and  when  the  waves  arc  high  on  the  east  point  of  the  bay,  it  is  an  infal- 
lible sign  of  a  storm,  especially  if  they  appear  very  white,  even  though  the  weather  \k 
at  that  time  calm. 

If  the  waves  in  the  bay  make  a  noise  as  they  break  before  their  beating  upon  the  shore, 
it  is  an  infallible  forerunner  of  a  west  wind  ;  if  a  black  cloud  appears  above  the  south 
side  of  the  bay,  a  south  wind  follows  some  hours  afterwards.  It  is  observed  of  the  sea 
betwixt  St.  Kilda  and  the  isles  Lewis,  Harries,  &c.  that  it  rages  more  with  a  north  wind, 
than  when  it  blows  from  any  other  quarter.  And  it  is  likewise  observed  to  be  less  raging 
with  the  south  wind  than  any  other. 

They  know  the  lime  of  the  day  by  the  motion  of  the  sun  from  one  hill  or  rock  to 
another;  upon  either  of  these  the  sun  is  observed  to  appear  at  different  times;  and 
when  the  sun  does  not  appear,  they  measure  the  day  by  the  ebbing  and  flowing  of  the 
sea,  which  they  can  tell  exactly,  though  they  should  not  see  the  shore  for  some  days 
together :  their  knowledge  of  the  tides  depends  upon  the  changes  of  the  moon,  which 
they  are  likewise  very  exact  in  observing. 

They  use  for  their  diversion  short  clubs  and  balls  of  wood  ;  the  sand  is  a  fair  field  for 
this  sport  and  exercise,  in  which  they  take  great  pleasure,  and  are  very  nimble  at  it ;  they 
play  for  eggs,  fowl,  hooks,  or  tobacco ;  and  so  eager  are  they  for  victory,  that  they 
strip  themselves  to  their  shirts  to  obtain  it :  they  use  swimming  and  diving,  and  are  very 
expert  in  both. 

The  women  have  their  assemblies  in  the  middle  of  the  village,  where  they  discourse  of 
their  affairs,  in  the  mean  time  employing  their  di-staflf,  and  spinning,  in  order  to  make 
their  blankets  ;  they  sing  and  jest  for  diversion,  and  in  their  way  understand  poetry,  and 
make  verses.  Both  men  and  women  are  very  courteous ;  as  often  as  they  passed  by 
us  every  day,  they  saluted  us  with  their  ordinary  compliment  of  "  God  save  you  ;"  each 
of  them  making  their  respective  curtsies. 

Both  sexes  have  a  great  inclination  to  novelty ;  and,  perhaps,  any  thing  may  be 
thought  new  with  them,  that  is  but  different  from  their  way  of  managing  land,  cattle, 
fowl,  &c,  A  parcel  of  them  were  always  attending  the  minister  and  me,  admiring  our 
habit,  behaviour,  &.c.  In  a  word,  all  we  did  or  said  was  wonderful  in  their  esteem  ; 
but,  above  all,  writing  was  most  astonishing  to  them  :  they  cannot  conceive  how  it  is 
possible  for  any  mortal  to  express  the  conceptions  of  his  mind  in  such  black  characters 
upon  white  paper.  After  they  had  with  admiration  argued  upon  this  subject,  I  told 
them,  that  within  the  compass  of  two  years  or  less,  if  they  pleased,  they  might  easily  be 
taught  to  read  and  write,  but  they  were  not  of  the  opinion  that  either  of  them  could  be 
obtained,  at  least  by  them,  in  an  age. 

The  officer,  in  his  embassy  in  July  last,  travelled  so  fir  as  to  land  on  the  continent 
next  to  Skie,  and  it  was  a  long  journey  for  a  native  of  St.  Kilda,  for  scarce  any  of  the 
inhabitants  have  e('er  had  the  opportutiity  of  travelling  so  far  into  the  world. 

They  observed  many  wonderful  things  in  the  course  of  their  travels  j  and  think  Mack- 
Leod'sfimily  is  equivalent  to  that  of  an  imperial  court,  and  believe  the  king  alone  to  be 
superior  to  him :  they  say  his  lady  wore  so  strange  a  lowland  dress,  that  it  was  im- 
possible  firt"  them  to  describe  it ;  they  admired  glass  windows  hugely,  and  a  looking-glass 
to  them  was  a  prodigy  ;  they  were  amazed  when  they  saw  hangings  covering  a  thick 
wall  of  stone  and  lime,  and  condemned  it  as  vain  and  superfluous. 

They  reckon  the  year,  quarter,  and  month,  as  in  Great  Britain.  They  compute  the 
several  periods  of  time  by  the  lives  of  the  proprietors  and  stewards,  of  whose  greatest 

4z2 


aumt-M 


724 


martin's    VOYAGB    to    ST.    KILDA. 


actions  they  have  a  tradition,  of  which  they  discourse  with  as  great  satisfaction,  as  any 
historian  reflecting  on  ihe  Caesarn,  or  greatest  generals  in  the  world. 

They  account  riding  one  of  the  greatest  of  earthly  grandeurs,  and  told  me,  with  a 
strange  admiration,  that  Mack-Leod  travelled  not  on  foot,  as  they  supposed  all  other 
men  did,  and  that  they  had  seen  several  horses  which  were  kept  on  purpose  for  him  to 
ride  upon. 

One  of  their  number  landing  in  the  isle  of  Harries,  enquired  who  was  the  pro- 
prietor of  those  lands  ?  They  told  him  that  it  was  Mack-Leod ;  which  did  not  a 
little  raise  his  opinion  of  him.  This  man  afterwards,  when  he  was  in  the  isle  of  Skie, 
and  had  travelled  some  miles  there,  one  day  standing  upon  an  eminence,  and  looking 
round  about,  fancied  he  saw  a  great  part  of  the  world,  and  then  asked  to  whom  those 
lands  belonged  ?  and  when  one  of  the  company  had  acquainted  him,  that  Mack-Leod 
was  master  of  those  lands  also,  the  St.  Kilda  man  lifting  up  his  eyes  and  hands  to  hea* 
ven,  cried  out  with  admiration,  *'  O  mighty  prince,  who  art  master  of  such  vast  terri- 
tories !"  This  he  expressed  so  emphatically  in  the  Irish  language,  that  the  saying  from 
that  time  became  a  proverb,  whenever  any  body  would  express  a  greatness  and  pleni- 
tude of  power. 

One  of  the  things  they  admired  most  was  the  growth  of  trees ;  they  thought  the 
beauty  of  the  leaves  and  branches  admirable,  and  how  they  grew  to  such  a  height  above 
plants  was  far  beyond  their  conception  :  one  of  them,  much  astonished,  told  me,  that 
the  trees  pulled  him  back  as  he  travelled  through  the  woods ;  and  they  resolved  once 
to  carry  some  few  of  them  on  their  backs  to  their  boats,  and  take  them  to  St.  Kilda, 
but,  upon  second  thoughts,  the  length  of  the  journey,  being  through  the  greatest  part 
of  the  isle  of  Skie,  deterred  them  from  this  undertaking,  for  though  they  excel  others 
in  strength,  they  are  yet  but  bad  travellers  on  foot,  being  so  much  unused  to  it. 

One  of  their  number  travelling  in  the  isle  of  Skie  to  the  south  p;trt  of  it,  thought  this  a 
prodigious  journey  ;  and  seeing  in  the  opposite  continent  the  shire  of  Inverness,  divided 
from  Skie  only  by  a  narrow  sea,  inquired  of  the  company  if  that  was  the  border  of 
England. 

One  of  the  St.  Kilda  men,  after  he  had  taken  a  pretty  large  dose  of  aqua-vit8B,  and  was 
become  very  heavy  with  it,  as  he  was  falling  into  a  sleep,  and  fancying  it  to  be  his  lastt, 
expressed  to  his  companions  the  great  satisfaction  he  had  in  meeting  with  such  an  easy 
passage  out  of  this  world  ;  "  For  (said  he)  it  is  attended  with  no  kind  of  pain.*'  In 
short,  their  opinion  of  foreign  objects  a  as  remote  from  the-  ordinary  sentiments  of  other 
men,  as  they  are  thtmselves  from  all  foreign  converse. 

I  must  not  omit  acquainting  the  reader,  that  the  account  given  of  the  sailors*  rude- 
ness to  the  inhabitants  has  created  great  prejudices  in  them  against  seamen  in  general ; 
and,  though  I  endeavoured  to  bring  them  into  some  good  opinion  of  them,  it  will  not 
be  improper  to  speak  of  the  terms  upon  which  the  inhabitants  are  resolved  to  receive 
strangers.  They  will  adoiit  of  no  number  exceeding  ten,  and  they  too  must  be  un- 
armed, or  the  inhabitants  will  oppose  them  with  all  their  might }  but  if  any  number  not 
exceeding  the  above  come  peaceably,  and  with  good  designs,  they  may  expect  water 
and  fire  gratis,  and  what  else  the  place  affords  on  the  easiest  terms  in  the  world. 

The  inhabitants  of  St.  Kilda  are  much  happier  than  the  generality  of  mankind,  being 
almost  the  only  people  in  the  world  wlio  feel  the  sweetness  of  true  liberty  :  what  the 
condition  oi  the  people  in  the  gdden  age  is  feigned  by  vhe  poets  to  be,  that  theirs  really 
is;  I  mean,  in  innocence  and  simplicity,  purity,  mutual  kve  and  coitUal  friendship,  free 
from  solicitous  cares>  and  anxious  covetousness ;  from  envy,  deceit,  and  dissimulation ; 
from  ambition  and  pride,  and  the  consequences  that   attend  them,     'i'hcy  are  alto- 


'  ■^>r'  ^r^v'-'-^'Si^r^:  gyi^:,;ar>u;i7S!?^-^!'?^:'Sfv^;!n'?^  Ti':TiP?«?5^'c^!8^^'*-«'''rir"  v'  ■*^'rH- 


MAUTIN's   voyage    to    ST.    KILDA. 


725 


as  any 


rudc- 


gether  ignorant  of  tl«  vices  of  foreigners,  and  governed  by  the  dictates  of  reason  and 
Christianity,  as  it  was  first  delivered  to  them  by  those  heroic  souls,  whose  zeal  moved 
them  to  undergo  danger  and  trouble  to  plant  religion  here,  in  one  of  the  remotest  corners 
of  the  world. 

There  is  this  only  wanting  to  make  them  the  happiest  people  in  this  habitable  globe,  viz, 
that  they  rhemselves  do  not  know  how  happy  they  are,  and  how  much  they  are  above 
the  avarice  and  slavery  of  the  rest  of  mankind.  Their  way  of  living  makes  them  con. 
temn  gold  and  silver,  as  below  the  dignity  of  human  nature  ;  they  live  by  the  munifi. 
cence  of  Heavesi,  and  have  no  designs  upon  one  another,  but  such  as  are  purely  suggest- 
ed by  justice  and  benevolence. 

There  being  about  thirty  of  the  inhabitants  one  day  together  in  the  isle  Soa,  they 
espied  a  man  with  a  grey  coat  and  plaid,  in  a.  shirt,  floating  on  the  sea  upon  his  belly, 
and  saw  likewise  a  mail  pecking  at  his  neck  ;  this  vision  continued  above  a  quarter  of 
an  hour,  and  then  disappeared  ;  but  shortly  after  one  of  the  spectators  chanced  to  fall 
into  the  sea,  and.  being  drowned,  resembled  the  forewarning  vision  in  all  things,  and 
the  mall  was  ako  seen  upon  his  neck  ;  this  was  told  me  by  the  steward  some  years  be- 
fore, and  afterwards  was  confirmed  to  me  by  such  as  were  themselves  eye-witnesses  of  it. 

None  of  the  inhabitants  pretended  to  the  secorld-sight,  except  Roderick  the  impostor, 
and  one  woman,  and  she  told  her  neighbours,  that  she  saw,  some  weeks  before  our 
coming,  a  boat  ^different  from  that  ot  the  steward)  with  some  strangers  in  it,  drawing 
near  to  their  isle. 


'fi/1     >r: 


An  Account  of  one  Roderiik,  supposed  to  have  had  Conversation  with  n/amiliar  Spirit^ 
and pfetending  to  be  sent  by  St.  John  the  Baptist,  with  new  Revalations  and  Discove- 
ries. 

AFTER  our  landing,  the  minister  and  I,  according  to  our  first  resolution,  examined 
the  inhabitants  apart,  concerning  the  new  pretended  religion  delivered  to  them  by  their 
false  prophet. 

AH  of  them,  young  as  well  as  old,  both  men  and  women,  unanimously  agreed  in  the 
following  account :  they  heartily  congratulated  the  minister's  arrival,  and  at  the  same 
tinse  declared  their  abhorrence  of  the  impostor's  delusions,  and  with  repeated  instances 
be^lged,  for  the  Lord's  sake,  that  he  might  be  for  ever  removed  out  of  the  isle. 

This  impostor  is  a  comely,  well-proportioned  fellow,  red-haired,  and  exceeding  all  the 
innabitants  of  S:.  Kilda  in  strength,  climbing,  &c.  He  is  illiterate,  and  under  tne  same 
orcumstances  wioh  his  oompanions  :  for  he  had  not  so  much  as  the  advantage  of  ever 
seeing  an%  of  the  Western  isles  ;  all  his  conversation  being  with  the  steward's  retinue 
only,  who  tvere  as  ignorant  of  letters  as  himself. 

In  ttK  eighteenth  year  of  his  ag«>.  he  took  tise  I'tb^y  of  going  to  fish  on  a  Sunday  (a 
pncticr  ahoeether  unknown  in  Sc.  Kilda)  and  he  asscits,  that  in  his  return  homeward, 
a  man  in  a  Lowland  dress,  i.  e.  a  cloak  and  hat,  appeared  to  him  upon  the  road ;  at  this 
unexpected  meeting  Rodt  rick  fell  flat  on  the  ground,  in  great  disorder  ;  the  man  de- 
sired him  not  to  be  surprized  at  bis  presence,  for  that  he  was  John  the  Baptist,  imme- 
diately come  from  heaven  with  good  tidings  to  the  inhabitants  of  that  place,  who  had 
been  for  a  long  time  kept  in  ignorance  and  error  ;  thut  he  had  commission  to  instruct 
Roderick  in  the  laws  ui  Heaven,  for  the  edification  of  his  neighbours :  Rtidcrick  an- 
swered, that  he  was  no  way  Qualified  for  so  great  a  charge ;  but  the  pretended 
Baptist  desired  him  to  be  of  good  courage,  for  thut  he  would  instantly  make  him  capable 
for  his  mission,  and  then  delivered  to  him  the  following  schein^i  in  wbieh  IRodf ric:k  so 


na 


MAUTIN's    voyage    to    ST.    KILDA. 


mixed  the  laudable  customs  of  the  church  with  his  own  diabolical  inventions,  that  it  be. 
cnme  impossible  Tor  so  ignorant  a  people  to  distinguish  the  one  from  the  other. 

The  first  and  principal  command  he  imposed  upon  them  was,  that  of  the  Friday's  fast, 
which  he  enjoined  with  such  strictness,  as  not  to  allow  one  of  them  to  taste  any  kind 
of  food  before  ni\2;\tt,  no,  not  so  much  as  a  snuff  of  tobacco,  which  they  love  extremely  ; 
this  bare  fast,  without  anv  religious  exercise  attending  it,  was  the  first  badge  and  cogni. 
zance  of  hts  followers.  He  persuaded  the  people,  tiiat  some  of  their  deceased  neigh- 
bours were  nominated  saints  in  heaven,  and  advocates  for  those  who  survived  ;  he  told 
them  every  one  had  his  respective  advocate;  that  the  anniversary  of  every  saint  was  to 
be  commemorated  by  every  person  under  whose  tutelage  he  was  reputed  to  be.  And 
this  is  observed  by  treating  the  neighbours  with  a  plentiful  entertamment  of  beef  or 
mutton,  fowls,  &,c.  the  impostor  himself  being  ever  the  chief  guest  at  the  feast ;  from 
whence  a  share  of  the  provision  was  punctually  sent  to  his  wife  and  ciiildren ;  the  num- 
ber of  sheep  ordinarily  consumed  on  these  occasions  was  proportionable  to  the  ability  of 
him  that  bestowed  them. 

He  imposed  likewise  several  penances,  which  they  were  obli^d  to  submit  to,  under 
pain  of  lieing  expelled  from  the  society  of  his  congregation,  which  he  pretended  to  be 
founded  upon  no  less  authority  than  that  of  St.  John  the  Baptist,  and  threatened  to  in- 
flict the  severest  judgments  upon  those  who  should  prove  refractory,  and  not  obey  his 
injunctions. 

The  ordinary  penince  he  imposed  upon  them  was,  making  them  stand  in  cold  wa- 
ter, wiihout  any  regard  to  the  season,  during  his  pleasure ;  and  if  there  were  more  of 
them  upon  whom  this  severity  was  to  be  inflicted,  they  were  to  pour  cold  water  upon 
one  ;inother's  heads  till  they  had  satisfied  his  tyrannical  humour.  This  diabolical  severity 
was.  vv.dence  enough  that  he  was  sent  by  him  who  is  the  "father  of  lies,  and  was^  mur- 
derer from  the  beginning." 

He  commanded  that  every  faniily  should  slay  a  sheep  upon  the  threshold  of  »heir  door^ 
bitt  a  knife  must  not  so  much  as  touch  it :  he  would  have  them  only  make  use  of  their 
crooi  cd  spades  for  their  instruments  to  kill  them  with  ;  for  which,  if  duly  considered, 
there  is  nothing  more  improper,  the  edge  with  which  he  commanded  the  sheep's  neck 
to  be  cut  being  almost  half  an  inch  thick.  Now  this  was  to  be  done  ia  the  evening,  and 
if  either  young  or  old  had  tasted  a  bit  of  the  meat  of  it  that  night,  the  equivalent  number 
of  sheep  were  to  be  slain  ihe  following  day,  after  the  former  manner. 

He  forbid  the  use  of  the  Lord's  Prayer,  Creed,  and  Ten  Commandments,  and  instead 
of  them  prescribed  diabolical  forms  of  his  own.  His  prayers  and  rhapsodical  forms 
were  often  blended  with  the  names  of  God,  our  blessed  Saviour,  and  the  immaculate 
Virgin ;  he  used  the  Irish  word  phersichin,  i.  e.  verses,  which  is  not  known  in  St.  Kilda, 
nor  in  the  north-west  isles,  except  to  such  as  can  read  the  Irish  tongue.  But  what 
seemed  most  remarkable  in  his  obscure  prayers  was,  his  mentioning  Eh,  with  the  cha- 
racter of  our  preserver.  .He  used  several  unintelligible  words  in  his  devotions,  of  which 
he  could  not  tell  the  meanmg  himself;  saying  only  that  he  had  received  them  implicitly 
from  St.  John  the  Baptist,  and  delivered  them  before  his  hearers  without  any  ex- 
plication. 

He  taught  the  women  a  devout  hymn,  which  he  railed  the  Virgin  Mary's,  as  sent 
from  her ;  this  hymn  was  never  delivered  in  public,  but  always  in  a  private  house,  or 
some  remote  place,  where  no  eye  could  see  t\\v.\\\  but  that  of  heaven  ;  he  pemunded  the 
innocent  women  that  it  was  of  such  met  it  and  eflicacy,  that  any  one  who  was  able  to 
repeat  it  by  heart  would  not  die  in  child-bearing ;  and  every  w  oiuan  paid  a  sheep  to  the 
impostor  for  teaching  her  the  hymn. 


'^tBfO "'.'tl'-i*-'"" 


\ 


martin's    voyage    to    ST.    XILUA. 


7-i7 


The  place  and  manner  of  teaching  this  hymn  afforded  him  n  fair  opportunity  of  do- 
bauching  many  of  the  simple  women ;  and  this  some  of  tl)cir  number  acknowledged  to 
the  minister  and  me  upon  examination. 

He  prescribed  to  all  his  auditory  long  rhymes,  which  he  called  psnlms  ;  these  he  or. 
dinarily  sung  at  his  rhapsodical  preachments. 

He  endeavoured  to  alter  the  common  way  of  burying,  viz.  in  placing  the  faces  of  the 
dead  to  the  east,  and  would  have  |)ersuaded  them  to  place  them  to  the  south,  and  that 
he  might  prevail  the  more  with  them  so  to  do,  he  set  the  bodies  of  those  of  his  own  fa< 
mily  who  happened  to  die  in  that  position  :  but  the  iiihabituuts  would  never  follow  his 
example  in  this,  but  continued  their  former  practice. 

He  persuaded  the  women,  that  if  in  all  things  they  complied  with  his  new  revelation, 
they  should  be  undoubtedly  carried  to  heavei>,  and  that  in  their  journey  thither  they  were 
to  pass  through  the  firmament  riding  upon  white  horses.  These  and  many  more  sucl^ 
whims  he  imposed  upon  the  people,  of  which  this  is  a  short  abstract. 

This  unhappy  fellow,  to  consecrate  his  cnterprize,  pitched  upon  a  little  rising  spot  of 
ground,  which  he  called  John  the  Baptist's  Bush,  upon  which  he  said  these  oracles  were 
delivered  to  him.  This  bush  was  from  that  time  forward  believed  to  be  holy  ground, 
and  must  not  be  trod  upon  by  any  of  their  cattle  ;  if  by  chance  one  of  them  happen  to 
touch  it,  it  was  forthwith  to  be  slain,  aiul  eaten  by  Roderick  and  the  owners ;  and  if  any 
proved  refractory,  and  were  resolved  to  spare  their  cattle,  a  most  dreadful  commination 
was  issued  out  against  them,  of  being  thenceforwi\rd  excluded  from  any  further  fellow- 
ship with  him,  until  they  should  acknowledge  their  faults,  and  comply  with  his  luxurious 
desires,  which  to  disobey  he  made  them  believe  was  damnable.  It  was  reckoned  meri- 
torious for  any  body  to  reveal  those  who  had  transgressed  the  orders  given  by  him. 

This  impostor  continued  for  several  years,  without  controul,  to  delude  these  innocent 
welUmeaning  people,  until  at  last  his  villainous  design  upon  the  women  was  found  out, 
which  he  intended  to  accomplish  under  the  raask  of  the  devout  hymn  he  taught  them, 
and  was  first  discovered  by  the  officer's  wife,  who  the  impostor  first  made  a  proselyte  of 
to  his  false  doctrines,  and  after  that  would  have  debauched  her  from  her  conjugal  fidelity. 
This  woman  was  so  heroically  virtuous,  as  to  communicate  his  lewd  design  to  her  hus< 
band,  who  ordered  the  matter  so  as  to  be  in  a  room  hard  by  at  the  time  the  supposed 
Roderick  would  be  coming,  where  he  continued  till  this  letcher  began  to  caress  his  wife, 
and  then  he  thought  himself  obliged  seasonably  to  appear  to  her  rescue,  and  boldly  re- 
proved the  impostor  for  his  wicked  practices,  which  were  so  widely  contrary  to  his  pro- 
fession, and  that  upon  the  whole  it  appeared  he  had  no  true  mission. 

The  impostor  was  very  much  surprized  at  this  unexpected  and  fatal  disappointment, 
which  put  him  into  aa  extreme  disorder,  insomuch  that  he  asked  the  officer's  pardon, 
acknowledged  his  crime,  and  promised  never  to  attempt  the  like  again.  The  officer 
continued  to  upbraid  him,  telling  him  he  was  instigated  by  the  devil ;  that  innocence  and 
chastity  were  always  the  effects  of  true  religion,  and  that  the  contrary  practices  were 
countenanced  only  by  false  prophets ;  and  that  now  no  other  proof-  was  wanting  of  his 
being  a  notorious  deceiver  :  however,  the  impostor's  gniat  reputation  prevailed  with  the 
officer  to  patch  up  a  friendship,  for  the  continuance  of  which  he  condescended  to  be 
Roderick's  sponsor  at  the  baptism  of  one  of  his  children  ;  of  which  ceirmony  an  account 
has  been  given :  when  there  is  no  opportunity  of  beiii^  sponsor  to  each  other,  and  it 
is  thought  necessary  to  enter  into  bonds  of  friendship  at  baptism,  the  inhabitants  of  the 
western  isles  supply  this  ceremony  by  tasting  a  drop  of  each  other's  blood. 

Notwithstanding  the  fri^dship  thus  patched  up  between  the  officer  and  Roderick, 
the  tatter's  miscarriages  got  air,  which  administered  occasion  to  the  most  thinking  among 


'! 


. 


I, 

n 


%. 


■M 


7aa 


martin's   voyage    to   8T.  kiloa. 


them  to  doubt  much  of  his  mission ;  his  father,  who  was  reputed  a  very  honest  man, 
told  him  frequently  that  he  was  a  deceiver,  and  would  come  to  a  fatal  end.  For  this  m- 
postor  once  prophebied  that  one  of  the  inhabitants  (whose  name  I  have  heard)  should 
be  killed  in  n  battle,  to  be  fought  in  the  isle  of  Harries,  within  a  limited  space  of  time  ; 
the  unthinking  man,  relying  on  this  infallible  oracle,  ventured  more  desperately  on  the 
rock  than  usual,  fu'  ''vin!'-  he  could  not  fall,  but  it  so  happened  that  he  tumbled  over 
and  was  drowned,  o  ^  the  inhabitants  were  a  good  deal  alarmed  ;  but  the  impostor 

still  continued  in  the  >e  of  his  pretended  mission. 

One  of  the  inhabiia.u^  called  Muldonich,  alias  Lewis,  cousln-gcrman  to  this  man, 
had  a  ewe  which  brought  forth  three  lambs  at  ope  time,  which  were  seen  feeding  upon 
the  sacred  bash,  but  Lewis  refused  to  comply  with  the  order  for  killing  the  sheep,  and 
had  the  boldness  to  aver  that  it  was  an  unreasonable  piece  of  worship  to  destroy  so  many 
^tattle,  and  deprive  the  owners  of  their  property,  adding  withall,  that  he  never  heard  any 
such  thing  practised  in  any  of  the  western  isles  upon  a  religious  account.  The  impostor 
insisted  that  the  heavenly  command  was  to  be  observed  by  all  his  followers,  adding  the 
dreadful  threatening  against  such  as  proved  disobedient ;  but  Lewis  nevertheless  re* 
mained  obstinate,  chusing  to  be  excluded  from  such  worship  rather  than  kill  his  sheep. 

The  silly  people  expected  no  less  than  a  speedy  judgment  to  befall  this  recusant ;  but 
when  nothmg  ensued  upon  his  disobedience,  they  all  began  to  have  a  less  veneration  for 
the  impostor  than  before ;  and  began  to  think  within  themselves  that  they  might  as 
well  have  ventured  to  run  the  same  risque  with  Lewis  for  the  preservation  of  their  cattle. 

Notwithstanding  this  notorious  villainy,  the  impostor  continued  to  maintain  his  au- 
thority, till  one  night  (for  it  was  always  at  night  that  he  kept  his  religious  meetings,)  by 
a  special  providence,  a  b  "^y  of  the  isle  of  Harries,  (who  had  staid  with  his  father  a  year 
in  St.  Kilda,  and  was  employed  in  mending  their  boat)  happened  to  go  into  the  house 
where  Roderick  was  preaching  ;  the  boy  lurked  in  the  dark,  and  gave  his  father  an  ac 
count  of  what  he  had  heard,  at  least  so  far  as  he  coidd  remember ;  which  the  boy's 
father  communicated  to  the  steward  upon  his  arrival,  who,  being  highly  concerned  at 
the  relation  given  him>  carried  Roderick  along  with  him  to  the  isle  of  Skie  before  the 
late  Mack-Leod,  who  forbid  him  from  that  time  forward  to  pr'^ach  any  more,  on  pain 
of  death. 

This  was  a  sensible  mortification,  as  well  as  disappointment,  to  the  impostor,  who  had 
flattered  himself  that  Mack-Leod  would  hear  him  preach,  and  expected  no  less  than  to 
persuade  him  to  become  a  proselyte,  as  he  has  since  confessed. 

This  fellow  asserts,  that  every  night  after  he  had  assembled  the  people,  he  heard  a 
voice  without  saying,  '*  Come  you  out;"  which,  when  he  heard,  he  had  no  power  to 
stay  within ;  and  that  after  his  going  forth,  John  the  Baptist  always  met  him,  and  in. 
structed  him  what  he  should  say  to  the  people  at  that  particular  meeting.  He  says,  that 
St.  John  used  to  repeat  the  discourse  to  him  only  once,  which  he  owns  he  could  scarcely 
remember  one  sentence  of,  and  therefore  he  enquired  of  the  saint  how  to  behave  himself 
in  this  case ;  that  the  answer  was,  "  Go,  you  have  it ;"  which  the  impostor  believing, 
was  upon  his  return  able  to  deliver  fluently  all  he  had  heard,  and  would  continue,  after 
his  own  way,  for  several  hours  together,  to  preach,  until  he  had  lulled  most  of  his  hearers 
to  sleep. 

When  the  earthquake  before-mentioned  was  over,  one  of  the  inhabitants  enquired  of 
him  with  admiration  how  the  rock  was  made  to  tremble  ?  he  answered,  that  it  was  the 
effect  of  pleasant  music  played  by  a  devout  saint  in  a  church  under  ground :  nis  I'eigh- 
bour  owned  his  love  for  musick,  but  heartily  wished  never  to  hear  any  more  of  this 
kind,  which  carried  so  great  terror  along  witk'it. 


,  „j->.»<iiMi>iV»>W*(,'' 


est  man, 
this  im- 
)  should 
of  time ; 
von  the 
led  over 
impostor 

his  man, 
ing  upon 
tcep,  and 
so  many 
leard  any 
impostor 
Iding  the 
leless  re- 
sheep, 
ant;  but 
ration  for 
might  as 
eir  cattle, 
n  his  au- 
ings,)  by 
er  a  year 
he  house 
tcr  an  ac 
the  boy's 
icemed  at 
lefore  the 
,  on  pain 

,  who  had 
ss  than  to 

e  heard  a 
power  to 
,  and  in- 
says,  that 
1  scarcely 
e  himself 
[relieving, 
lue,  after 
is  hearers 

quired  of 
t  was  the 
lis  reip^h- 
e  jf  this 


uautin's  voyage  to  ST.  kILOA* 


729 


The  impostor  owned  the  truth  of  all  this  account,  first  to  the  minister  and  me,  and 
then  publicly,  aAcr  divine  service,  in  the  presence  of  all  the  inhabitants,  and  such  as 
were  come  to  that  place  from  the  i^lc  of  Harries.  The  minister  and  congregation 
joiittly  prayed  for  repentance  and  pardon  to  this  poor  wretcli,  which,  when  ended,  we 
curried  him  nnd  nil  tlic  inhabitants  to  the  bush  pretended  to  be  sncred ;  he  himself, 
leading  the  van,  was  commanded  to  demolish  that  wall  which  he  had  ordered  to  be 
built  round  the  said  ()ush  (which  otherwise  would  in  a  nliort  time  have  proved  a  purga* 
tory,  to  have  robbed  them  of  all  their  goods)  which  he  and  the  inhabitants  did  in  the 
space  of  an  hour;  we  made  them  scatter  the  stones  up  and  down  in  the  field,  lest  their 
posterity  might  see  suc!i  a  monument  of  folly  and  ignorance.  We  reproved  the  cre- 
dulous people  for  complying  implicitly  with  such  follies  and  delusions  as  were  delivered 
to  them  by  the  impostor ;  and  all  of  them  with  one  voice  answered,  that  what  they  did 
was  unaccountable  ;  but  seeing  one  of  their  own  number  and  s'  mp,  in  all  respects,  en- 
dued, as  they  fancied,  with  a  powerful  faculty  of  preaching  so  fluently  and  frequently, 
and  pretending  to  converse  with  John  the  Baptist,  they  were  induced  to  believe  his  mis» 
sion  from  heaven,  and  therefore  complied  with  his  commands  without  dispute,  and  the 
rather,  us  he  did  not  attempt  to  change  their  laws  of  neighbourhood. 

They  now  regret  their  wandering,  and  hope  that  God  may  pardon  their  error,  as 
what  they  did  was  with  a  design  (though  a  mistaken  one)  to  serve  him. 

They  are  now  overjoyed  to  find  themselves  undeceived,  and  the  light  of  the  gospel 
restored  to  them,  as  it  was  at  first  delivered  to  their  ancestors  by  the  first  christian 
monks,  who  had  gone  thither  to  instruct  them. 

This  impostor  is  a  poet,  and  also  endued  with  that  rare  faculty  of  enjoying  the  second- 
sight,  which  makes  it  the  more  probable  that  he  was  haunted  by  a  lamiliar  spirit.  It 
hath  been  observed  of  him,  before  his  imposliirc  wfts  discovered,  that  so  often  as  he  was 
cm|)loyed  by  the  steward  to  go  to,  or  return  from,  Marries,  tliey  wf.re  always  expensed 
to  the  greatest  dangers  by  violent  storms,  being  at  oiifc  Ihiie  nijvt  n  fifty  leagues  to  the 
north-east,  and  by  special  providence  were  at  last  cast  upon  tlic  little  isle  Rona,  twenty 
leagues  northeast  of  Jjcwis :  the  steward's  wife,  and  all  tils  crew,  reflecting  upon  these 
dangers  since  the  discovery  of  his  imposture,  eoijld  »i^ver  be  nrr vailed  upon  to  receive 
■     '   *   •  **"        r.     •        .    i  .4    J         '   ifHiidiiu  /tot  to  admit  him 


H.f''ll 


him  again  into  their  boat.     They  often  intreated  Mi   1 
into  our  boat,  but  we  did  not  yield  Jo  lli'if  frars,  for  n.  i  J  Jiid  brought  him  along 

with  us,  and  afterwards  delivered  him.  tu  ili..  ijteward's  st'rv.uiiH  in  the  ible  of  Pabby  in 
Harries,  where  he  remains  still  In  (jiiHtody»  in  order  in  nis  Ui^ii 


Vet.  tti. 


9  A 


AN  ACCOUNT  OF  HIRTA  AND  RONA. 

QIVEN'  TO  SIR  ROnKIiT  SlUUALD  DV  THE  LOUD  REGISTER  Sill  GEOBUE  M'KENZIE,  OF  TAREAT 

HIRTA. 

THE  island  of  Hirta,  of  all  the  isles  about  Scotland,  lieth  furthest  out  into  the  sea, 
is  very  mountuinoub,  and  not  accessible  but  by  climbing :  it  i%  incredible  what  num- 
bcr  ot  fowls  frtqueut  the  rocks  there ;  so  far  as  one  can  i>ee,  the  sea  is  covered  with 
them,  and  when  ilu-y  rise  they  darken  the  sky,  they  are  so  numerous;  they  are  ordina- 
rily  catched  this  way  :  a  man  lies  upon  his  back  with  a  lung  pole  in  his  hand,  and 
knucketh  ihein  down  as  they  fly  over  him.  There  be  many  sorts  of  these  fowls  5  some 
of  them  of  strange  shapes,  among  which  there  is  one  they  call  the  gare  fowl,  which  is 
bigger  than  a  gouse,  and  hath  eggs  as  big  almost  as  those  of  the  ostrich.  Among  the 
other  commodnies  they  export  out  of  the  island,  this  is  none  of  the  meanest.  They 
take  the  fat  of  these  fowls  that  frequent  the  island,  and  stufl'  the  stomach  of  this  fowl 
with  it,  which  they  preserve  by  hanging  it  near  the  chimney,  where  it  is  dried  with  the 
smoke,  and  they  sell  it  to  their  neighbours  on  the  continent,  as  a  remedy  they  use  for 
aches  and  pains. 

Their  sheep  upon  that  island  of  Hirta  are  far  different  from  all  others,  having  long 
legs,  long  horns,  and,  instead  of  wool,  a  bluish  hair  upon  them  ;  for  the  figure  and  de- 
scription it  seems  to  cipproach  in  resemblance  to  the  ovis  Chilcnsis.  Some  natural  histo- 
rians  make  mention  of  the  milk  of  those  sheep  ;  they  make  butter  and  a  sort  of  cheese, 
which  my  lord  Register  saith  pleases  his  taste  better  than  Hollaod  cheese.  They  have 
no'jalt  there,  but  what  they  make  by  burnii  g  of  sea-tangle,  which  is  very  black.  Their 
greatest  trade  is  in  feathers  they  sell ;  and  the  exercise  they  affect  most  is  climbing  of  sreep 
rocks  :  he  is  the  prettiest  man  who  ventures  upon  the  most  inaccessible,  though  all  they 
gain  is  the  eggs  of  the  fowls,  and  the  honour  to  die,  as  many  of  their  ancestors,  by  break- 
ing of  their  necks ;  which  Pliny  observes  of  these  people,  which  he  calls  hyperborei. 

RONA. 

THE  island  of  Rnna  hath  for  many  generations  been  inhabited  by  five  families,  which 
seldom  exceed  thirty  souls  in  all :  they  have  a  kind  of  commonwealth  among  them,  in 
so  far  if  any  of  them  have  more  children  than  another,  he  that  hath  fewer  taketh  from 
the  other  what  makes  his  number  equal,  and  the  excrescence  of  above  thirty  souls  is  sent 
with  the  summer  boat  to  the  Lewis,  to  the  earl  of  Seaforth,  their  master,  to  whom  they 
pay  yearly  some  quantity  of  meal  stitched  up  in  sheep  skins,  and  feathers  of  sea  fowls. 
They  have  no  fuel  for  fire  uptm  the  island  ;  but  by  the  special  providence  of  God,  the 
sea  yearly  casts  in  so  much  timber  as  serves  them :  their  sheep  there  have  wool,  but  of  a 
bluish  colf'Ur. 

There  is  a  chapel  in  the  midst  of  the  isle,  where  they  meet  twice  or  thrice  a  day.  One 
of  the  families  is  hereditary  beddall,  and  the  master  of  that  stands  at  the  altar  and  prayethi 
the  rest  kneel  upon  their  knees  and  join  with  him.  Their  religion  is  the  Romish  religion  : 
there  is  always  one  who  is  chief,  and  conmiands  the  rest,  and  they  are  so  well  satisfied 
with  their  cor«dition,  that  they  exceedingly  bewail  the  condition  of  those,  as  supernume- 
rary, they  mu!>t  send  out  of  the  island. 


#• 


:;^?r--=:^=Kise.;sr-.-.r: 


kRBAT 


.r 


■'■V    ■-.  ^>"     '-'r,  ;\' 


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A  BRIEF  DESCRIPTION 


or 


ORKNEY,  ZETLAND,  PIGHTLAND-FIRTH,  AND  CAITHNESS; 

WHEREIN,  AITEB  A  8HURT  JOURNAL  Of   THE  AUTHOR'S    VOYAGE   rirrfllEH,  THESE   NORTHERN 
PLACES  ARE  FIRST  MORE  GENERALLY  DESCRIBED ; 
THEN  A  PARTICULAR  VIEW  18  GIVEN  OF  THE  8EVKU  VL  ISLES  THERETO  BELONGING: 
TOGETHER   WITH   AN  ACCOUNT  OF   WHAT  IS   MOST    RAKE  AND  REM ARKAOLE  THEREIN :  WITH 

THB  AUTHOR'S  OBSERVATIONS  THEREUPON. 


BY  JOHN  BRAND.* 


^u 


?;'        To  his  grace  James,  duke  of  Hamilton. 
May  it  please  your  grace, 

UPON  my  return  from  Zetland,  as  bound  in  duty,  I  paid  my  respects  to  your  grace, 
who  was  pleuMcd  to  ask  if  I  had  kept  a  diary?  which  I  acknowledged,  but  could 
not  shew  it,  till  the  remarks  therein  contained  were  tnubcribed,  wliich  when  done, 
your  grace  should  haVe  them  to  glance  at  some  leisure  hour.  Thus  your  command 
giving  rise  to  this  undertaking,  I  have  presumed  to  make  the  dedication  to  your  grace. 

The  noble  and  illutitrious  family  of  Han)iit()n,  the  first  in  the  nation,  standcth  in  no 
need  of  panegyrics  frpm  me,  to  set  forth  its  eminency.  His  grace.  )oar  father,  was  very 
instrumental  in  settling  the  peace  and  quiet  of  this  kingdom  at  the  late  merciful  and  won- 
derful revolution,  as  became  a  patriot  of  his  country  ;  under  whose  presidency,  in  the 
convention  of  estates,  the  government  of  our  church  was  restored,  which  since  hatn  been 
coitfirmed  by  the  subsequent  parliaments. 

In  his  surviving  consort,  your  pious  mother,  these  endowments  and  qualifications 
requisite  in  the  consort  of  a  prince  have  eminently  shined  forth,  which  will  embalm  her 
name  to  succeeding  generations :  her  Hkewise  being  so  very  helpful  to  many  afflicted 
ones,  both  in  the  former  years  of  this  church's  distress  and  trouble,  and  in  the  latter  of  great 
scarcity  and  dearth,  she  knowing  how  valuable  are  the  blessings  of  those  who  were  ready 
to  perish. 

Your  grace's  honourable  appearance  for,  and  acknowledgment  of,  presbyterian  go. 
vernment  in  the  last  session  of  parliament,  was  acceptable  to  many  ;  and  1  hope  your 
grace  shall  never  have  cause  to  repent  of  your  continuing  to  favour  the  ancient  govern- 
ment of  this  churchy  which,  as  it  is  conform  to  the  scripture  plan,  so  the  Lord  hath  been 
graciously  pleased  to  own  and  countenance  it,  in  the  great  things  he  hath  done  for  and 
by  the  ministers  and  professors  thereof..  _ 

Among  these  things,  for  which  ^pu  stand  obliged  to  the  wise  conduct  of  providence, 
one  is,  that  you  have  been  so  well  directed  in  the  happy  choice  of  your  consorts.  Your 
present  lady  of  a  sweet  and  gentle  temper ;  her  carriage  obliging  and  discreet  to  all ;  her 
loving  to  entertain  pious  and  religious  discourse ;  her  modest  and  exemplary  dress :  I 
wish  she  may  prove  a  blessing  to  your  illustrious  family,  and  be  as  Rachel  or  as  Leah, 
which  two  did  build  up  the  house  of  Israel. 

Your  noble  brother  lord  George  hath  been  created,  by  our  present  gracious  king, 
earl  of  Orkney,  for  his  heroick  appearances,  under  the  auspicious  conduct  of  our  ki  g, 
who  was  pleased  to  take  notice  thereof,  some  of  these  being  under  his  majesty's  view ; 

i  *  Edinburgh,  1701,  octavo. 

5  A  2 


733 


URAilli^S    DESCUIPTION    OF    ORKNEY, 


and  in  testimony  of  his  royal  favour,  dignify  him  with  this  honourable  title,  which  in 
the  years  of  ancient  times  hath  blazoned  the  escutcheons  of  kings. 

The  branches  of  your  illustrious  family  do  flourish  in  several  parts  of  the  nation,  though 
God  in  his  holy  providence  hath  m  ide  lately  a  breach  thereupon,  to  your  grief,  dnd  the 
nation's  loss. 

YourGrace*s  relation  to  the  ancient  and  honourable  fanily  of  Douglas  gives  m& 
occasion  to  mention  that  old  alliance  betwixt  that  house  .i<d  the  princes  of  Orkney. 
William  Lord  ofNiddisdale,  commonly  called  the  Black  Diuglas,  by  Egidia  or  Giles, 
daughter  of  King  Robert  II.  had  a  daughter  of  the  same  name  married  to  Henry  Sin* 
clair«  usually  styled  Knight  of  the  Cockle,  of  the  Garter,  and  Prince  of  Orkney.  To 
him  succeeded  his  son  William  Sinclair,  married  to  Elizibeth  Douglas,  daughter  to 
Archibald  Earl  of  Douglas,  sirnained  Tineman ;  whose  titles  were,  Knight  of  the  Gol- 
den Fleece  and  of  the  Cockle,  Prince  of  Orkney,  Duke  of  Holdenburgh,  Earl  of  Caith- 
ness, Lord  Sinclair,  Lord  of  Niddi:>dale,  Great  Admiral  of  Scotland,  &c. 

My  Lord,  the  knowledge  of  history  is  that  which  the  most  of  men  are  taken  with,  as 
being  both  pleasant  and  useful ;  and  it  cannot  but  stain  the  reputation  of  any,  though 
able  to  give  account  of  what  is  rare  in  other  coimtries,  if  they  be  ignorant  of  their  own, 
and  places  which  depend  thereupon,  where  things  no  less  remarkable  do  occur,  which 
may  both  exercise  the  ingenious,  and  edify  the  gracious  inquirers. 

But  above  all,  blessed  are  they  who  miake  a  religious  improvement  of  natural  observes, 
and  use  all  arts  and  sciences  as  hand-maids  to  religion  and  piety.  The  knowledge  of 
Christ  is  the  queen  of  sciences  ;  hence  a  learned  Paul  "  determtneth  to  know  nothing 
but  Christ,  and  him  crucified ;"  and  those  who  in  all  ages  have  been  wise  unto  salvation, 
have  preferred  Christ's  cross  to  the  world's  crown :  and,  with  Moses,  **  reckoned  his 
worst  things  better  than  the  world's  best."  The  knowledge  of  all  other  things,  without 
the  knowledge  of  Christ,  is  as  a  shadow  without  the  substance,  and  a  body  without  the 
head,  as  some  have  instituted  the  comparison ;  yea,  they  are  'w«(tm  without  mind  and 
judgment :  the  cardinal  virtues,  as  they  are  called,  may  be  attained  in  shew,  but  not  in 
truth.  Quid  enim  iUis  cum  virtutibus  qui  Dei  virtutem  Christum  ignorant  f  all  the  glory 
and  grandeur  of  the  world,  laid  in  the  balance  with  this  piece  of  saving  knowledge,  is 
but  as  a  grain  weight  to  counter-balance  a  huge  mountain :  hence  a  notable  saying  of  a 
truly  noble  lord,  when  set  upon  by  the  Jesuits  to  change  his  religion,  tempting  him  with 
splendid  and  rich  offers, "  Let  their  money  (sfuth  he)  perish  with  them,  who  think  all 
the  glory  of  the  world  worth  one  day's  communion  with  Jesus  Christ."  And  truly  it 
is  but  small  gain  the  most  painful  arid  able  student  doth  reap,  if,  after  all  his  labour  in 
the  records  ^antiquity  and  researches  of  nature,  and  it  may  be  through  the  maze  of 
intricate  disqubition,  he  lose  his  soul,  and  notwithstanding  of  all  his  learning  be  thrust 
into  hell,  bein^  forced  to  cry  out  on  death-bed,  as  it  is  reported  tlie  learned  Grotius 
once  did.  Ah  vitam  perdidi,  operose  nihil  agenda 

My  Lord,  I  hoi)e  it  will  not  prove  unsavory  to  your  Grace  that  I  have  a  little  en- 
larged this  epistle,  in  commending  of  Christ  and  religion,  which  so  much  transcendeth 
our  commendation  and  praise,  whence  so  many  advantages  do  accrue  to  us,  and  among 
others,  when  there  are  early  impressions  of  piety  on  any,  the  conscience  for  ever  after 
useth  to  hang  about  them,  notwithstanding  the  tenor  of  their  lives  hath  been  assaulted 
with  manifold  temptations.  That  your  Grace  may  still  continue  to  be  a  true  lover  of 
your  country,  and  a  zealous  asscrtor  of  her  rights  and  liberties,  is  and  ^all  be  the  desire 
ofhim^wboiS)  «    ,:    . 

May  it  please  your  Grace,  ...,., 

Your  Grace's  most  humble  and  most  dutiful  servant, 

JOHN  BRAND. 


ZETLAND,   PICHTLAND-FIRTH,    AND    CAITHNESS. 


733 


PREFACE  TO  THE  READER. 

I  SHALL  not  insist  on  an  apologyr  why  I  trouble  ihc  sweating  press,  though  I  might 
use  and  plead  the  common  topics,  taken  from  the  advice  and  importunity  of  others, 
and  to  prevent  the  publishing  of  some  of  these  remarks,  excerpt  from  my  papers,  by 
some  into  whose  hands  they  had  fallen,  after  they  had  lien  by  me  several  months. 

There  are  several  grave  persons  in  these  isles,  of  good  and  solid  judgment,  both  mi< 
nisters  and  others,  who,  being  better  acquainted  with  the  places  of  their  ordinary  resi« 
dence  than  it  can  be  supposed  I  had  occasion  to  be,  might  have  published  something 
more  valuable  on  this  head,  and  set  their  remarks  in  a  clearer  light ;  as  likewise  some 
of  my  dear  brethren  of  the  commission  might  have  done  it  to  greater  advantage.  Yet 
the  engagements  that  lay  or.  me  to  transcribe  the  most  .remarkable  occurrences,  and  the 
solicitation  of  some  thereupon  to  publish  them,  have  some  way  obliged  me  to  make  this 
appearance.  However,  if  others  hereby  shall  be  excited  to  serve  the  public,  by  giving 
a  fuller  and  clearer  description  cfthese  generally  little  known  places,  this  essay  will  not 
prove  altogether  unuseful ;  and  if  I  had  known  that  any  intended  to  have  published 
something  of  this  nature,  the  world  had  not  been  troubled  with  my  scribbling. 

I  hope  none  will  Judge  that  I  act  without  my  line,  in  giving  descriptions  of  this  nature, 
seeing  all  are  called  to  '*  remember  the  works  of  the  Lord,  and  talk  of  his  doings,"  as 
they  have  occasion  :  and  all  alon^  I  endeavour  to  keep  in  mind  the  character  I  bear, 
dropping  something  of  a  spiritual  improvement. 

Our  historians,  such  as  I  have  consulted,  have  given  but  a  very  brief  and  lame,  and 
in  some  things  a  false,  account  of  those  places,  especially  Zetland,  which  .is  unknown  to 
the  most  of  the  nation,  if  not  that  they  have  only  heard  there  were  such  isles  as  the 
Zetlandick.  It  is  true,  there  is  one  Mr.  Wallace,  a  late  minister  in  Orkney,  who  hath 
gratified  (he  world  by  giving  a  description  of  the  Orkney  isles  ;  but  neither  Zetland  nor 
Caithness  doth  he  meddle  with  :  and  as  to  Orkney,  there  are  several  things  which  de- 
serve their  own  remark  he  makes  no  mention  of;  and  others  have  fallen  out  since  his 
time,  which  I  have  noticed :  so  that,  on  the  whole,  the  account  now  given  even  of 
Orkney  will  appear  almost  new  to  any  who  shall  be  pleased  to  compare  the  two  de- 
scriptions together. 

No  doubt  but  such  as  know  these  places  will  desiderate  several  things  no  less  remark- 
able than  what  are  observed  ;  but  still  my  reader  would  remember  that  this  is  but  a 
diary  transcribed.  Yet  this  I  may  say,  as  I  have  not  willingly  suffered  myself  to  be  im- 
posed on,  so  neither  have  I  imposed  any  thing  on  the  credulous  world,  but  delivered 
such  things  which  either  I  was  witness  to,  or  had  good  ground  to  believe  from  persons 
worthy  of  credit;  so  that  if  any  thing  appear  questionable,  I  have  ordinarily  in  general 
given  my  author  for  it. 

I  suppose  the  judicious  reader,  in  perusing  the  following  sheets,  will  find  things  both 
curious  and  instructive,  affording  matter  of  meditation  to  the  wise  observers  of  Provi- 
dence. 

As  to  any  philosophical  or  philological  observes,  as  I  am  unfit  for,  so  am  I  far  from  a 
magisterial  dictating  of  them  to  any,  but  soberly  proposed  my  own  sentiments,  which,  if 
my  reader  do  not  relish,  he  may  follow  his  own. 

Although  the  style  be  not  quaint  and  elegant,  embellished  with  the  ornaments  of  art, 
yet  I  hope  it  will  be  found  plain  and  intelligible ;  and  though  sometimes  obliged  to  ex- 
press myself  in  the  dialect  or  idiotism  of  the  country,  yet  ordinarily  such  words  and 
phrases  are  some  way  explained :  so  when  I  speak  of  Orkney  or  Zetland  as  not  in  Scot- 
land, though  depending  thereupon,  I  express  myself  as  the  country  do. 


if' 


734 


brand's    SI8CEIFTI0N    07    ORKNEY, 


As  to  the  commission's  work  I  havr  not  meddled  therewith,  except  when  the  thread 
of  the  history  did  require  me  to  touch  it.  However,  this  I  may  add,  our  weak  endea- 
vours for  the  advancement  of  the  interest  of  our  Lord  Jesus  in  these  remote  corners 
have  not  been  found  by  superior  judicatories  ahogf  ther  unsuccessful ;  and  I  suppose  it 
repents  none  ot  us  of  our  voyage  thither,  however  dangerous  it  did  prove. 


A  DESCRIPTION  OF  ORKNEY,  &c. 

INTRODUCTION. 

IT  is  a  principle,  generally  acknowledged,  that  all  men  in  their  several  stations,  accor> 
ding  to  their  capacities,  are  carefully  to  study  the  maintaining  and  promoting  of  the 
Rood  and  interest  of  that  kingdom,  nation,  or  society,  whereof  they  are  members  ;  for 
if  it  go  not  well  with  the  public  in  common,  it  cannot  reasonably  be  thought  that  the 
happiness  of  any  in  particular  can  long  continue,  more  than  it  can  go  well  with  the  se* 
veral  members  of  a  natural  body,  when  the  body  itself  is  distressed.  It  was  this  generous 
love  and  concern  for  their  country  that  so  signalized  the  ancient  Romans,  and  made 
them  in  a  short  time  arrive  to  such  a  height  of  ^lurv  and  honour  :  unto  this  did  their 
philosophers,  poets,  and  orators  warmly  excite  their  k'How-citizens,  so  that  the  more  or 
the  less  any  laid  out  themselves  this  way,  their  uchievements  accordingly  were  reputed 
noble  and  heroic,  and  their  persons  enowncd. 

Yet  much  more  will  we  find  ou  selves  bound  to  advance  one  another's  good,  if  we 
look  on  ourselves  not  only  as  men  and  members  of  the  brxiy  politic,  but  as  Christians 
and  members  of  that  budy,  whereof  Christ  is  the  ht- ud ;  therefore  our  love  of,  care  for, 
and  sympathy  with  one  anotner,  is  much  commended  in  holy  scripture,  which  the  apostle 
well  lUustrateth  in  several  places,  by  that  apposite  and  elegant  similitude  of  the  members 
of  a  natural  body,  their  conspiring  to  the  mutual  good  of  one  another ;  and  expressly 
commandeth,  "Look  not  every  man  on  his  own  things,  but  also  on  the  things  of 
others  ;"  and  the  want  thereof  he  doth  hea\ily  regret  in  the  same  chapter:  "Fori 
have  no  man  like-minded,  who  will  naturally  care  for  your  state :  for  all  seek  their  own, 
not  the  things  which  are  Jesus  Christ's :"  which  selfish  and  narrow  spirit,  as  it  hath  too 
much  prevailed  in  all  ages  of  the  Christian  church  since  the  days  of  the  apostles :  so  in  none 
more  than  this  of  ours,  as  the  learned  Owen  observeth,  imputmg  the  shame  and  the  almost 
ruin  of  Christianity  thereunta  **  The  Lord  Chiist  (suth  he)  hath  ordained  that  the 
members  of  the  same  church  and  society  should  mutually  watch  over  one  another,  and 
the  whole  body  over  all  the  members,  unto  their  edification :  and  that  the  practice  of  it 
is  so  much  lost  as  it  is,  is  the  shame  and  almost  ruin  of  Christianity." 

But  more  especially  these  cloathed  with  authority  civil  or  ecclesiastic  stand  obliged  to 
this  public  care,  ministers  being  as  pilots  or  govenors  under  Christ  to  the  ship  of  the 
church,  as  magistrates  under  God  are  to  that  of  the  state.  And  the  chai^  of  ministers 
having  a  more  immediate  respect  to  the  soul  and  better  part  of  man,  they  are  called  the 
more  diligently  to  take  heed  thereto,  and  so  to  steer  their  course  throup;h  the  boisterous 
sea  of  this  world,  as  that  not  only  they  themselves  at  length  nuiy  arrive  and  rest  at  the 
fair  havens  of  Immanuel's  land;  but  that  also  through  grace  they  may  carry  along' many 
with  them,  embarked  on  the  same  bottom^ of  the  convenant,  by  the  means  of  word  and 
discipline.  Ministers  are  stewards,  watchmen,  shepherds,  bishops,  or  overseers,  && ; 
all  which  do  imply  a  charge  to  be  discharged  by  them  for,  the  good  of  others. 


ZETLANB,    PIGHTLANfi'FIRTH}    AND    CAITHNESS. 


735 


Ministers  may  be  considered  in  a  threefold  relation.  1.  As  Christians  related  toChrist, 
%vhic^  is  common  to  them  with  all  believers.  2.  As  ministers,  and  related  to  that  parti, 
cular  church,  or  portion  of  the  church  in  general,  the  inspection  whereof  is  assigned  to 
thenr ,  and  in  which  more  especially  and  immediately  they  are  called  to  labour.  3.  As 
the}  stand  related  to  the  church  national,  whereof  they  are  ministers,  whose  good  they 
are  o  endeavour,  as  God  in  his  holy  and  wise  providence  shall  uiford  them  access.  And 
that  in  all  these  respects  ministers  may  the  more  approve  themselves  unto  their  great 
Lord  and  Master,  according  to  his  appointment,  the  apostles'  example,  and  the  practice 
of  the  church  in  all  ages,  they  do  associate  themselves  unto  councils,  meetings,  orassem* 
blie),  more  or  less  general,  that  so  by  common  counsel  and  consent  they  may  consult  the 
interest  of  the  church  of  Christ  within  their  respective  districts  and  bounds  ;  which  as 
it  hith  been  the  laudable  practice  of  other  churches,  so  of  the  church  of  Scotland,  ever 
since  her  first  reformation  from  popery. 

For  which  end  the  general  assembly  of  this  national  church,  moved  with  zeal  for  the 
glorir  of  God,  hath  travelled  much  since  the  late  happy  Revolution  in  planting  the 
north  of  Scotland,  and,  that  they  might  not  be  wanting  in  visiting  the  utmost  bounds 
thereof,  with  the  isles  thereto  belonging,  have  deputed  several  commissions,  who,  re- 
pairing  thither,  might  upon  the  place  take  under  their  consideration  the  concerns  of  the 
church  of  Christ  in  these  corners,  and  determine  therein  as  they  should  see  cause,  ac- 
eording  to  the  word  of  God,  and  acts  of  assemblies  of  this  church.  Particularly,  one 
was  sent  to  Caithness  and  Orkney,  anno  1698,  who  did  God  and  his  church  good  ser. 
vice  there. 

Ir  like  manner  the  general  assembly,  anno  1700,  upon  the  desire  of  certain  ministers 
in  2  etland,  and  information  of  the  state  of  uffairs  in  these  remote  islands,  found  it  ne- 
cessiiry  to  depute  a  commission  thither,  consisting  of  seven  ministers  and  one  ruling 
elder ;  with  power  not  only  to  visit  and  order  the  churches  there,  but  likewise  to 
concur  with  and  assist  the  presbyteries  of  Orkney  and  Caithness*  as  there  should  be 
occa  Mon. 

or  this  commission  the  author,  being  one,  designs  a  brief  description  of  these  re. 
marhable  parts ;  after  a  short  journal  of  his  voyage  thither,  with  some  cursory  observes 
then  upon. 


.*■*-.' 


Ch  A  p.  I. — Containing  a  brief  Journal  of  our  Voyage  from  Leith  to  Orknev.  and  thence 
to  Zetland;  as  likewise  of  our  return  from  Zetland  by  Orkney  to  Caithness;  toge- 
ther with  a  summary  Account  qfthe  remarkable  Dangers  we  were  in. 


ON  Friday,  April  12,  1700,  about  six  o'clock  in  the  morning,  we  set  sail  from 
Leit  1  for  Orkney,  the  wind  (air,  though  faint,  which  not  being  able  to  bear  us  up  against 
the  tide,  we  dropt  anchor  two  miles  east  of  Inch  Keith,  where  we  lay  from  ten  till  three 
in  tlie  afternoon,  when  a  brisk  gale  ari-^ing,  we  weighed  anchor,  and  sailed  down  the 
Firtli.  the  ship  making  so  good  way,  that  before  next  morning  at  break  of  day  we  were 
past  Montross. 

Cn  Saturday  the  wind  lessened,  yet  about  sunset  we  past  Peterhead,  steering  towards 
tbe  ixtint  of  Kinnair,  leaving  the  Bridges  of  Ratray  (a  ridge  of  blind  rocks)  on  our  lar* 
board.  Next  morning,  being  the  Lord's  Day,  with  a  jgentle  wind,  we  made  the  best 
of  cur  way  through  Murray  Firth,  spending  the  day  in  religious  exerciises  with  the 
inarinepi  and  some  passengers  in  company  with  us.  When  tefore  Peterhead  we  saw 
the  ins  of  a  great  fish,  about  a  yard  ^bove  the.  water,,  which  they  call  a  pricker ;  also 


•t  I 


736 


IRANO'S    DlSCRimON    OF    OIKNirr 


ubout  ten  at  night  a  whale  was  seen,  by  the  help  of  moonlight,  at  a  little  distance  from 
our  ship,  casting  forth  the  water  in  a  hideous  manner. 

Next  morning  about  seven  o'clock  we  got  sight  of  Orkney,  and  the  wind  blow* 
ing  somewhat  harder  than  it  had  done  the  formrr  night,  in  the  afternoon  we  passed 
the  east  end  of  Pightland-firth,  which,  though  ordinarily  raging  with  the  impetuous 
current  of  a  seu,  by  reason  of  the  manjr  tides  meeting  there,  yet  we  found  it  not  so ; 
but,  in  the  midst  of  that  part  wc  passed,  dined  upon  deck,  so  meeting  with  least  danger, 
where  we  feared  the  greatest.  We  put  into  Holms-iound,  and  arrived  there  about  seven 
at  night,  on  the  Monday  after  our  setting  sail. 

The  ship's  crew  told  us,  that  though  they  had  frequently  sailed  these  seas  to  and  from 
Orkney,  yet  never  had  they  a  better  or  pleasanter  voyage :  which  providential  favour 
was  the  more  observable,  the  wind,  next  day  after  we  landed,  blowing  strong  from  the 
north,  and  lasting  several  days.  Which,  if  it  had  come  on  before  we  had  accomplished 
our  voydge,  we  would  not  only  have  been  blown  back  to  sea,  hut,  thereby  a  tempest 
arising,  we  had  been  in  no  small  danger.  We  desired  to  look  upon  this  as  a  sigmil  mercy^ 
and  a  token  for  ^ood. 

We  would  have  hired  our  bark  to  Zetland,  but  the  master  being  under  charter- 
party,  was  obliged  to  return  with  a  fraught  of  victual  to  Leith,  and  not  having  the  occa- 
sion of  any  other  ship  or  l)ark,  we  vktc  forced  to  hire  one  of  these  open  boats  of  about 
sixty  meilii,  which  the  Orkney  men  use  for  carrying  victual  to  Zetland,  else  we  could  not 
^o  for  Zetland  this  season,  though  the  ministers  and  o;hers  told  us  our  passage  might 
prove  dangerous. 

Our  stay  in  Kirkwall,  the  chief  town  in  Orkney  (assisting  that  presbytery  in  some  of 
their  affairs)  was  from  the  16th  to  the  27th  of  April,  when,  with  three  ministers  of  thb 
country  on  the  commission,  we  took  boat  for  Sunda,  about  thirty  miles  north-east  from 
Kirkwall,  and  in  our  way  to  Zetland,  having  ordered  our  own  boat  to  follow  with  the 
first  fair  wind.  We  put  off  about  two  in  the  afternoon,  the  men  rowing  with  six  oars 
about  half  way,  when  the  wind  rising  something  favourable,  with  a  little  sail  and  four 
oars  we  got  over  Stronza- firth.  Though,  as  we  came  near  our  kinding-place  in  Sanda, 
the  increasing  wind  raised  the  waves  so  high,  that  sometimes  they  intercepted  the  sight 
of  the  island.  Yet  we  all  got  safe  en  shore  betwixt  nine  and  ten  at  night.  The  mercjr 
of  our  escape  was  the  more  remarkable,  that  our  boat  was  thronged  with  passengers, 
and  so  overloaden,  that  the  water  came  almost  to  her  brim ;  so  that  if  the  sea  had  not 
been  smooth  and  calm  when  we  passed  through  Stronza.firth,  we  had  been  probably 
all  lost :  as  these  who  had  knowledge  of  those  seas  did  afterwards  declare  unto  us. 

We  waited  in  Sanda  for  a  wind  m>m  April  27  till  May  9,  when  the  wind  presenting, 
we  went  to  the  isle  of  Eda,  lying  a  little  to  the  west  of  Sanda,  where  our  boat  was,  but 
before  we  could  get  aboard,  the  wind  shifted  to  south-east,  and  then  to  east  and  by 
south,  which  was  too  scrimp  to  fetch  Zedand  ;  however,  the  wind  now  being  very 
changeable,  we  judged  it  expedient  for  us  to  lie  near  our  boat,  and  lay  hold  on  the 
first  occasion  :  so  May  1 1,  the  wind  at  south-east,  we  put  to  sea,  but  scarce  well  were 
we  without  the  Red-head  of  Eda,  when  the  wind  proving  contrary,  we  returned  to 
Calf-sound  May  12,  being  the  Lord's-day ,  we  spent  in  religious  exercises  with  the  people 
of  the  isle ;  in  the  evening  the  wind  turning  fair,  we  resolved  next  monung  early  to  get 
aboard,  if  the  wind  held.  Tlus  last  night,  after  we  returned  to  Calf-sound,  was  terrible 
for  wind  and  rain  from  the  west  (the  wind  soon  akering  after  we  had  got  in  again 
to  Calf-sound)  with  which  we  could  not  have  kep^  the  sea,  in  all  probability.  A  great 
mercy  then  it  was,  that  we  were  determined  to  return,  and  did  not  keep  the  sea,  as  some 
advised,  for,  though  within  half  an  hour  after  we  had  got  into  the  sound,  the  wind 


SiTLANOi    riCHTLANO*riRTM,    AND  CAITIINKSii. 


737 


turned  fair,  yet  being  too  strong,  the  teti  became  foul  and  tempettuous,  which  was  not 
fur  our  open  boat. 

Monday  morning,  May  13,  about  two  o'clock,  we  were  called  to  go  aboard,  whicn 
we  did  accordingly  ;  the  wind  at  west,  or  west  and  by  north,  the  guic  was  brisk,  i>ut 
not  very  great,  which  we  were  glad  of,  thereby  expecting  a  s[)cedy  passage  :  so  wc 
with  two  other  boats  in  company  loobcd,  but  scarce  were  wc  a  league  without  the  heads, 
when  we  saw  a  storm  of  wind  and  rain  making  in  the  west,  whence  the  wind  blew,  whcrC' 
upon  one  of  the  boatmastcrs  in  company  advised  us  to  tack  about,  and  cndeavcnir  to  fetch 
Calf-sound  again ;  which  counsel  wc  j'.idging  lo  be  safe,  accordingly  essayed  to  follow 
it,  but  the  wind  and  sea  rising  more  boisterous,  and  the  current  of  the  ebb  being  strong 
from  the  aound,  we  could  not  by  any  means  tfiectiiate  our  design,  though  we  made  se. 
veral  trips,  not  without  danger,  the  sea  with  its  broken  and  swelling  waves  threuten. 
ing  to  swallow  us  up  every  moment :  the  mariners  stood  by  their  sails,  crying,  this  work 
was  very  dangerous  ;  and  at  one  time,  as  one  of  them  observed  the  boat  had  taken  in 
about  ten  barrels  of  water,  the  pump  was  still  kept  going,  we  Judged  ourselves  to  be 
lost  men,  and  some  expressed  so  much.  In  these  straits  we  desired  tlie  boatmaster,  sit- 
ting by  the  helm,  to  see  if  he  could  make  any  other  harbour  or  bay  ;  he  answered, 
"  God  have  mercy  on  us,  for  the  sea  we  dare  not  keep,  and  there  is  not  another  nar* 
bour  in  Orkney  we  can  make ;"  the  men  were  fatigued  with  the  toil  of  their  hard  work, 
and  almost  at  the  giving  over.  We  then  knew  to  our  experience  the  meaning  of  that 
Scri|,tuic,  Ps.  107.  27.  of  seamen  in  a  storm  being  at  their  wits  end.  Though  the 
wind  was  fair  for  Zt:tland,  yet  we  durst  not  hold  on  our  course,  the  sea  not  only  being 
tempestuous,  but  we  had  also  several  roustA,  or  im|)etuous  tides,  to  pass,  and  then  the 
ebb  was  in  the  sea,  which  made  them  *-o  much  the  more  dangerous.  Thus  straitened, 
we  thought  it  adviseable  to  go  down  with  some  sail  before  the  wind  to  the  north  end  of 
Sanda,  and  endeavour  to  get  into  Otterswick  or  Taphnes8>buy ;  we  first  atternpted 
Otterswiuk,  and,  lest  we  should  have  been  blown  by  the  bay's  mouth,  we  held  so  near 
land,  that  the  boat  beat  several  times  upon  a  rock ;  however  we  got  in,  and  dropt  anchor 
on  the  weaiher.skle  of  the  shore. 

We  were  all  much  refreshed  with  this  great  deliverence  from  so  imminent  a  danger. 
When  we  had  ridden  some  hours  at  anchor,  the  wind  and  sea  calmed.  About  seven  at 
night,  one  of  the  boatmasters  in  company,  who  had  entered  the  bay  a  littie  before  us, 
weighed  anchor  and  put  to  sea  again.  Some  of  our  number  were  for  lying  still,  till 
the  weather  was  better  settknl ;  others  thought,  that  seeing  God  had  commanded  a  calm, 
that  we  had  a  fiivourable  wind,  that  the  sky  appeared  to  be  well  set  and  promising, 
and  that  the  other  k»dened  boat  had  gone  to  sea  before  us,  it  might  teem  from  iIksc 
tlungs  Providence  invited  us  to  sea  again  :  whereupon  we  put  off,  but  before  we  had 
come  the  length  of  North  Ronalsha,  scarce  a  league  di^ant  from  the  bay  we  hs,a  ucen 
in,  the  wind  became  so  faint,  that  the  mariners  took  them  to,  their  oars  to  help  them 
through  North  Ronabha  Roust,  thence,  when  we  canie  to  Dennis-Roust,  we  made  some 
way  with  our  saib  vrithout  oars,  the  tide  then  turning  and  the  flood  beginning  to  run  in 
the  sea. 

Tuesday,  May  14,  about  one  or  two  in  the  morning,  the  wind  shifted  to  east  south- 
east, then  to  east,  and  our  boatmaster  telling  us  that  he  was  forced  to  steer  a  northern 
course,  else  he  could  not  bear  sail,  and  so  holcUng  on,  not  a  stone  in  Zetland  he  could 
hit,  as  he  expressed  himself^  we  all  judged  it  most  proper  to  return  to  Orkney  :  when 
we  had  tacked  about,  the  wind  shifted  to  north.east,  a  strong  gale,  together  with  great 
rains,  which  caused  a  rolling  and  a  swelling  sea,  (for  rains  here  without  winds  do  raise 
or  canker,  (as  they  term  it)  the  tea,  and  much  more  when  wind  and  rain  come  on  at 

vot.  III.  ;  -  5  a 


(jb 


uuand's  oiscaiPTioM  or  okknev, 


once  ;  however  wc  got  in  safely  to  Stronza-road,  which  was  the  rendiest  we  could  makcw 
It  WHS  n  hnppy  providence  that  wc  then  returned  at  that  nick  of  time,  for  the  flood  not 
beinp;  all  hpciil,  we  were  thereby  likewise  hastened  in  our  way,  su  tliiit  within  a  few 
hours  wc  cnmc  to  our  port,  though,  as  was  reckoned,  we  were  near  midway  between 
Orkney  and  lair  [sle.  The  storm  increased  with  the  day,  and  after  our  landing  it  was 
so  very  great,  that  we  were  obliged  to  keep  within  doors  fur  several  hours  :  and  if  then 
wc  had  been  at  sea,  it  is  terrible  for  us  to  think  upon  the  dismal  effects  which  might 
have  followed  thereupon,  for,  without  all  peradventure,  we  had  certainlv  perished,  if  the 
Lord  by  some  wonder  of  mercy  had  not  rescued  us,  as  indeed  he  had  formerly  done. 
**  O  that  we  would  praise  the  Lord  for  his  goodness,  and  for  his  wonderful  works  to  the 
children  of  men  ;"  and  that  so  long  as  we  Five,  we  may  never  forget  the  13th  and  14th 
days  of  May,  wherein  the  Lord  wrought  a  great  deliverance  for  us. 

Thus  being  discouraged,  we  were  in  great  perplexity,  not  knowing  what  to  do,  whe- 
ther to  make  any  further  attempt,  or  to  return  home,  re  infecta,  seeing  God  in  his  pro- 
vidence had  so  crossed  us  hitherto,  and  it  might  be  his  mind  we  should  not  go  for* 
ward.  Upon  these  fluctuating  and  perplexing  thoughts,  we  asked  God's  mind  in  the 
matter,  after  which  more  light  did  arise,  and  we  unanimoiisly  resolved  yet  to  try  what 
the  Lord  would  do  with  us. 

Friday,  May  17,  between  eight  and  nine  in  the  morning,  wind  and  sky  promising 
well,  wc  put  to  sea,  and  passetfthe  Fair  Isle  about  five  afternoon,  keeping  it  on  our 
starboard,  then  our  gale  increasing,  but  continuing  fair,  at  south-west,  we  made  goul 
way.  About  midnight  W(  pasttcd  Swinburgh  head,  the  southernmost  point  of  land  in 
Zetland,  having  thence  twenty-four  miles  sail  up  within  laixl  to  Lerwick,  whither  wc 
were  bound.  The  wind  growing  more  vehement,  we  lowered  our  mainsail  and  took 
in  a  riiF ;  with  the  breaking  of  the  day  there  arose  a  mist,  whereby  we  could  scarce  sec 
land,  however  we  judged  it  safest  to  keep  as  near  it  as  we  could,  and  sailed  away  by  the 
coast ;  but  being  to  pass  through  a  sound,  having  the  isle  of  Musa  on  our  starboard,  and 
Bun  a  Land  on  our  larboard,  our  seamen  mistook  the  point  of  Musa,  taking  another 

()oint  in  the  mainland  for  it,  and  the  mist  lying  on,  we  were  almost  engaged  in  the 
and,  and  so  would  have  fallen  among  the  rocks,  which  they  coming  to  suspect  held  to 
sea,  resolving  to  sail  without  the  point,  which  they  did  with  difficulty,  the  bout  being 
so  close  haled,  and  the  blast  so  great,  that  the  helm  a-lee  was  scarce  able  to  command 
her  and  ktep  her  by  the  wind :  which,  when  they  liad  done,  came  to  discover  their 
error.  Hence  sailing  tlu-ough  Musa-sound,  we  came  to  Brassa-sound,  and  arrived  at 
Lerwick  on  Saturday  about  four  o'clock  in  the  morning. 

We  had  a  aitick  passage,  sailing  about  a  hundred  miles  in  nineteen  or  twenty  hours 
time :  especially  considering  that  we  were  not  half  an  hour  on  shore,  when  a  strong 
wind  blew  from  the  north,  which  if  it  had  come  on  but  a  little  sooner,  we  would  have 
been  driven  back  to  sea.  There  is  likewise  another  providence  remarkable,  that  we 
had  only  an  ordinary  desirable  gale  when  we  passed  the  Fair  Isle,  where  always  there 
goes  a  great  rolling  sea,  but  when  within  the  heads  of  the  land  of  Zetland  we  had 
It  very  strong,  so  that  scarcely  we  could  have  wrestled  and  held  out  against  it  in  the 
occean. 

We  arrived  in  Zetland  May  18,  and,  having  brought  to  some  period  and  close  our 
principal  work  there,  we  set  sail  for  Orkney,  June  11,  saluting  and  bidding  heartily 
farewell  to  the  ministers,  and  some  gentlemen  of  the  country,  and  to  the  most  con- 
siderable inhabitants  of  Lerwick,  who  kindly  accompanied  us  to  our  boat.  Wc  leil 
Zetland  Tuesday,  June  11,  about  five  afternoon,  and  having  the  wind  at  north-west  or 
north' west  and  by  north,  we  passed  the  Start-liead  of  Sandii  about  four  ;:ext  morning. 


CETLAND,    Pir.KILAND-FIRTlt,    AND   CAUHNBin. 


739 


and,  emkavouring  to  set  into  Kcttoltafi  In  Sanda,  tvj  put  one  of  die  minister  of  that 
isle  ashore,  our  boat,  throuf^h  our  boatmastcr'a  inadvertency,  struck  c.i  a  rock,  wuhout 
sustaioing  any  damage  we  knew  ;  but  the  wind  not  ncrmittinp;  to  turn  up  to  ih.it  road, 
wc  all  came  to  Kirkwall,  and  arrived  there  before  nmc  in  the  morning.  Our  p.is^agc 
from  Zetland  to  Orkney  was  yet  quicker  than  it  was  from  Orkney  to  Zetland,  wc  being 
but  hixtccn  hours  in  running  one  hundred  and  twenty,  or,  as  some  say,  one  hundred 
and  twenty-eight  miles.  Staying  in  Orkney  a  few  tlays,  wc  pa^ssed  Pight  land 'firth  to 
Caithness,  and  having  dispatched  our  work  in  conjunction  whh  the  presbytery  there, 
we  came  home  by  land,  repairing  with  joy  to  our  several  charges,  where  wc  may  set 
up  our  Kbcn-Ezer,  saying  '*  Hitherto  hath  the  Lord  helped  us." 

I  think  wc  are  called  seriuusily  to  reflect  upon  the  manner  of  the  Lord's  dealings  with 
us ;  we  have  been  long  detained  and  crossed  in  our  way  to  Zetland,  though  we  made 
several  attempts  to  ^  forward;  as  to  our  commission,  we  were  appointed  by  the  ge- 
neral assembly  of  this  church,  and  it  being  put  upon  us  without  any  desire  of  ours,  or 
inclination  that  way,  we  accordingly  undertook  our  voyage,  and  came  with  a  favour- 
able gale  to  Orkney  :  it  is  true,  that  there  are  natural  causes  of  wind  and  rain,  whereof 
we  are  to  make  a  bpiritual  improvement,  especially  when  they  do  impede  or  promote 
design  ;  moreover,  God's  judgments  are  a  great  depth,  and  by  the  course  of  nature, 
in  giving  greater  or  lesser  winds  at  his  pleasure,  he  may  carry  on  his  more  general  works 
of  providence,  and  vet  thereby  more  especially  intend  the  punishment  of  the  wicked,  or 
the  chastisement  ot  his  people,  which  they  are  called  to  consider  and  improve  :  and  as 
true  it  is,  God  in  his  wise  sovereignty  may  so  deal  with  his  people,  for  the  trial  of  their 
faith  and  othe^  graces,  that  they  may  be  still,  and  know  that  he  is  God,  rirting  as  he 
pleaseth  amo.ig  the  children  of  men  :  the  devil  also,  who  is  the  prince  of  the  power  of 
the  air,  may  have  an  evil  and  malicious  hand  in  things  of  this  nature,  especially  when 
men  propose  to  do  good,  which  tends  to  the  ovenhrow  of  his  kingdom.  O  that  what 
we  have  met  with  may  be  so  blessed  as  to  render  us  more  zealous  against  him  and  all 
sin,  whereby  his  kingdom  is  established  in  tht  world,  ••  That  wc  may  fight  with  devils, 
and  be  more  than  conquerors  through  him  who  loveth  us."  I  say,  though  these  things 
and  the  like  sometimes  may  and  ought  to  be  had  a  regard  unto,  yet  I  do  huinbly  judge 
that  upon  these  so  very  dreadful  dangers  we  have  in  great  mercy  escaped,  we  are  called 
to  examine  ourselves,  and  search  unto  our  sins,  as  we  are  Christians  and  as  we  are  minis- 
ters,  for  which  the  Lord  may  have  a  controversy  with  us  ;  our  not  being  so  faithful  in 
our  personal  and  pastoral  work,  in  working  our  own  and  others  salvation ;  our  impa- 
tience in  not  waiting  the  Lord's  time,  but  being  too  anxious  to  be  in  Zetland  at  any 
rate  ;  and  it  is  like  in  our  not  being  so  single  in  our  ends  in  going  as  we  ought  to  be, 
8ic.  I  conclude  this  chapter  as  the  Psalmist  doth  Ps.  cvii.  reflecting  on  the  wonders  of 
Providence,  '*  Who  is  wise,  and  will  observe  those  things,  even  they  shall  understand  the 
loving-kindness  of  the  Lord." 


1' 


'1 


Chap.  IL — A  Description  of  Orkney^  its  Situation,  Name^  first  Planters,  Language^ 
Manners  of  the  People^  JVholesomeness  of  the  Air  fCornSi^c. 

THE  isles  belonging  to  Scotland  have  commonly  been  divided  into  three  classes : 
the  western,  scattered  in  the  Deucaledonian  Ocean,  on  the  west,  the  Orkney  and  Zet- 
landick,  both  lying  to  the  North  of  Scotland.  As  to  the  Western  Isles,  though  in 
number  far  exceeding  both  the  isles  of  Orkney  and  Zetland,  yet  I  take  no  notice  thereof 
in  the  subsequent  description :  oiir  commission  not  being  deputed  thither,  so  only  the 

5  B  2 


740 


buand'm  discription  or  ouknit« 


latter  hHuII  I  ^ive  tome  brief  account  of,  not  intendinp;  to  advance  any  thing,  but  wbai 
I  huvc  cither  found  to  be  true  from  my  own  ol)Hcrvatinn,  or  had  by  good  inform.ition 
I'rom  bonsibtc  and  grnvc  persons,  wortliy  of  credit :  and  shall  begin  with  Orkney,  as 
order  re(|uireth,  we  first  landing  there. 

Orkney  lies  to  the  north  of  Scotland,  bounded  on  the  west  by  the  Deiicnlrdonian 
ocean  ;  on  the  ca»t,  by  the  German ;  on  the  north,  by  the  scu  which  divides  Orkney 
from  Zetland  ;  and  on  the  Houth,  by  Pightland- Firth,  twelve  milci  broad,  fro  n  Dun- 
gi^bicHeud  or  John  Groat'H  house,  the  northern-most  house  in  Scotland,  to  Berwick  in 
South  HonaUha,  the  southernmost  point  of  Orkney.  It  is  commonly  said  to  be  about 
the  fiAyninth  degree  of  latitude  at  Kirkwall,  which  lies  within  the  country  ;  though  the 
southernmust  pomt  of  South  Iloiuldsha  is  distant  from  the  northernmost  of  North 
Uonaidshu  near  a  degree. 

That  Orkney  or  Orcudes  is  the  name  of  these  isles  is  agreed  In  by  ancient  and  modern 
writers,  but  of  the  etymology,  and  whence  the  name  is  derived,  none  I  suppose  will  be 
found  to  give  a  satisfying  account.  Some  alledging  it  to  come  from  Orcas,  which 
Ptoloiny  reckons  to  be  a  promontory  of  Caithness,  opposite  to  Orkney ;  others  from 
the  Greek  word  nf"  coerceo,  these  isles  breaking  and  restraining  the  force  of  the  ra- 
ging waves;  r..from  Hurricano,  because  of  the  boisterous  winds  and  hurricanes  which 
often  blow  in  this  cnimtry  :  or  from  Erick  or  Orkenwald,  or  some  other  Pictish  prince 
famous  there  nt  its  first  plantation.  Which  derivations,  some  of  them  nt  least,  canhot 
but  appear  far-fetcht  to  the  thinking  reader  :  and  indeed  many,  in  giving  the  reasons  of 
names,  do  rather  please  their  own  curiosity  than  render  a  true  account  of  their  criginal ; 
seeing  the  reasons  generally  of  the  an':ient  names  of  countries  are  buried  in  oblivion, 
through  the  want  of  writers,  and  neglci^t  of  the  first  inhabitants,  especially  in  these  parts 
of  the  world,  wherein  learning  more  slowly  advanced. 

The  first  planters  and  posriessors  of  the  cointtry  seem  to  have  been  the  Picts,  there  being 
several  okl  houses,  both  here  and  in  Zetland,  which  to  this  day  are  called  Picts  or 
Pight  Houses,  and  the  Firth  between  Orkney  and  Caithness  is  still  called  Pightland- 
Firth ;  whereupon  some  of  our  historians,  as  Boethius,  writingof  the  isles  of  Orkney, 
doth  observe,  design  Orkney  the  most  ancient  kingdom  of  the  Picts;  Orchades  insulae, 
aiitiquissimnm  Pictorum  regninn  a  quibusdam  nostrarum  rerum  scriptoribus  vocitutas. 
And  we  find  mention  made  of  the  kingsof  Orkney,  as  Buchanan  tells  us  of  one  Belus,  who, 
having  invaded  Scotland,  was  defeated  anJ  put  to  flight  by  Ewen  II.  king  of  Scots,  kill- 
ing  most  of  his  army,  updh  which  Belus,  being  much  discouraged  and  broken  in  spirit, 
debpairing  of  life,  pi!lt  hand  in  himselfi  and  became  his  own  executioner.  Boe- 
thius calls  him  Balus ;  Balus  autem  Orchadum  rex  fractus  animo,  desperate  salute,  ne  in 
hoctium  potes'atem  veniret,  manuem  sibi  intusit.  And  in  the  church  of  Birsa,  at  the  west 
end  of  the  mainland  in  Orkney,  there  is  a  long  stone  yet  standing  erect,  with  the  name  Be- 
lus inscribed  thereon  in  ancient  characters ;  probably  this  was  the  place  of  his  interment. 
Also  the  minister  of  Sandwick's  Manse  is  said  to  have  been  the  residence  of  one  of  the 
kings  of  Picts,  and  therefore  to  this  day  is  called  Konnisgar,  or  the  King's  House ;  and 
that  part  of  the  manse,  which  they  say  served  for  the  palace  of  a  king,  is  so  little,  though 
now  kept  in  some  repair,  tl  it  it  could  not  accommodate  a  family  of  an  ordinary  rank ; 
the  figure  thereof  and  contrivance  of  its  two  rooms  or  chambers,  one  above  and  an- 
other below,  of  narrow  dimensions,  are  antique,  and  the  building  hath  been  but  coarse. 
Boethius  likewise  tells  of  another  king  called  Banus,  whom  Cbudious  Caesar  having  sub- 
dued anno  Christo  43,  he  carried  him  with  his  wife  and  chiklren  captive  to  Rome,  and 
were  led  by  him  in  triumph :  Buchanan  questions  the  truth  of  this  history,  Tacitus  a'- 
firming  that  part  of  Britain  then  to  have  been  altogether  unknowtr  to  the  Romans,  ncic 


ZBTIANI),    riOi  rLAND*riRTII,    AND    CAITflNElS. 


741' 


ttincre tamcn crcdidcrim quod nostri tradunt ncriiitorcs Ike. <|U0<1  Tacitus nflirmrt  ante  Ju. 
Ill  A^ricolac  iidviiitum,  cam  Britannia:  partem  Rinianisomiiiu  incof^titum  ftiistc.  But  if 
B<'cthiuH  tiiA  relation  be  iriii',  the  vanc|ui>hiii(i^  of  Orkney  tmtli  l)etn  reputed  aomcihing 
ConNider.ible,  Kceing  not  to  every  cun((uerur  \\a%  ulluwed  by  ll)c  Human  Sctutc  the  glo. 
ry  of  a  tiiuniph. 

It  i<i  uts"  probable  the  government  uf  thc^c  isles  continued  with  the  Pictith  Prince  till 
the  days  of  Kenneth  II.  King  of  Scots,  a  warlike  nrince,  who  huvin^j;  prevailed  with  his 
nobleH  contrary  to  their  own  inclination,  by  n  n«>tal)le  piece  of  craH,  to  engage  in  a  war 
against  the  Picts,  with  an  undaunted  valour  and  rourigc  roii'.«(i  tin:  Pictinh  urmy,  and 
wasted  their  country  with  fire  and  sword,  pursuing  them  to  the  Orkney  Islc»,  which  he 
then  annexed  to  the  crown  of  Scotland,  reigning  from  Orkney  to  AdrianN  Wall,  Aimr 
Oom.  854.  Thence  Orkney  continued  in  the  posaeHnion  of  the  Scots  till  the  day^  of 
Donald  Bane,  aboat  the  yeur  1099,  who,  that  he  might  »ecure  the  kingdom  to  himself, 

Siromised  the  ivies  to  Magnus,  king  of  Norway,  if  he  would  assist  him  with  a  necessary 
brce;  which  oflfer  Magnus  accepting,  the  No>'wegians  became  masters  of  the  isles,  till  Alex> 
ander  III.  about  the  year  1263,  recovered  r'lem,  by  expelling  the  Norwegians:  which 
evei  since  were  possessed  and  disposed  of  by  our  kings.  To  be  brief,  at  length  William 
Douglas,  eail  of  Mortoun,  ^ot  a  wadset  of  Orkney  and  ZeUand  from  king  Charles  I. 
which  wadset,  with  all  the  rights,  contracts,  infeftments,  &c.  thereunto  appertaining, 
was  reduced  by  a  decreet  of  the  lords  of  Session,  obtained  at  the  instance  of  his  majesty's 
Advocate  against  William  Douglass,  also  earl  of  Mortoun,  grand-child  to  the  aforesaid 
carl,  February  1669,  which  decreet  was  ratified  and  confirmed  by  act  of  parliament  the 
December  following,  erecting  the  earldom  of  Orkney  and  lordship  of  Zetland  into  a 
stewarty,  to  be  called  in  all  time  coming  the  Stewartv  of  Orkney  and  Zetland.  The  rea« 
son  commonly  given,  why  the  earl  of  Mortoun  lost  the  wadset,  was,  because  some  chests 
of  gold  were  !>cized  by  the  earl's  Deputs  in  Zetland,  got  out  of  a  rich  ship,  called  the 
Carmelan  of  Amsterdam,  cast  away  there  anno  1G64 ;  none  of  this  gold  coming  to  the 
king's  treasury,  though  some  of  it,  as  was  alledged,  came  to  the  earl's  hands. 

From  our  history  we  may  know,  that  Orkney  and  Zetland  have  been  reckoned  so 
great  and  considerable  a  part  of  his  majesty's  ancient  kingdom,  that  for  divers  ages 
they  occasioned  much  expence  of  blood  and  treasure,  for  the  rni'intaining  tiereof  against 
the  invasion  of  foreigners,  ai^  recovering  thr  sr.me  out  of  their  hands  by  arms  and  trca. 
ties.  The  title  likewise  of  these  i&les  hath  still  been  reputed  honou.'able ;  hence  it  hath 
pleased  our  present  king  to  confer  this  tide  of  earl  of^  Orkney  upon  lord  George  Ha- 
milton, brother  to  his  grace  the  duke  of  Hamilton,  for  good  services  done  by  him  to  his 
majesty's  person  and  government. 

I  proceed  to  consider  the  present  state  of  the  country.  The  people  here  are  person- 
able and  comely,  and  many  of  them,  as  I  observed,  are  of  a  ruddy  complexion,  which 
may  be  by  reason  of  the  sea  air  and  their  frequent  fish  diet,  such  a  colour  and  counte- 
nance as  our  mariners  use  to  have  and  retain  for  some  days  after  they  are  come  from 
sea :  they  are  generally  hospitable  and  civil,  giving  kind  and  humane  entertainment  to 
strangers,  which  we  found  to  our  experience.  Both  men  and  women  are  fashionable 
in  their  clothes,  no  men  here  use  plaids,  as  they  do  in  our  hignlands,  in  the  North 
Isles  of  Sanda,  Westra,  &c  Many  of  the  country  people  wear  a  piece  of  a  skin,  as  of  a 
seal,  commonly  called  a  selcb,  calf,  or  the  like,  for  shoes,  which  they  fasten  to  their  feet 
with  strings  or  thongs  of  leather.  Their  houses  are  in  good  order,  and  well  furnished,  ac- 
cording to  their  qualities. 

They  generally  speak  Englbh,  neither  do  I  think  they  have  so  much  of  the  northern 
accent  as  in  many  places  (U  the  north  of  Scotland,  yet  several  of  the  isles  have  som' 


^ 


m 


r42 


BRANO'f    DESCRIPTIOK    OF    ORKNEY. 


words  and  phrases  peculiar  to  themselves.  There  are  also  some  who  speak  Norse,  especi- 
ally  in  the  muin  land,  us  in  the  parish  of  Hara  there  are  a  few  yet  living,  who  can  speak 
no  other  thing,  this  language  not  being  quite  extinct  among  them  since  the  Norwegians, 
whose  language  it  is,  had  this  country  in  possession.  And  though  Caithness  be  near  to 
Orkney,  yet  none  in  Orkney  can  speak  Irish,  though  the  greatest  part  in  Caithness  can ; 
nor  can  any  in  Caithness  s|)eak  Noi;se,  though  some  in  Orkney  yet  can  do  it. 

Th(?  air,  as  it  is  piercing  and  cold,  so  it  is  free  and  healthy  ;  hence  many  arrive  at  a 
good  old  age :  one  in  Evie  brought  forth  a  child  in  the  sixty* third  year  of  her  age,  as 
the  minister,  who  had  inquired  tlvrcunto,  declared  :  a  man  in  the  parish  of  Holmi,  who 
died  not  many  years  since,  lived  with  his  wife  in  a  conjugal  state  above  eighty  years,  as 
the' present  minister  of  the  place  informed  me:  a  gentleman  in  Strunza,  who  died  about 
two  years  since,  was  begotten  of  his  father  when  one  hundred  years  old,  this  was  attest- 
ed by  the  ministers,  who  knew  the  truth  thereof:  one  William  Muir  in  Westra  lived  one 
hundred  and  forty  years,  and  died  about  sixteen  years  ago,  by  a  decay  of  nature's  heat 
and  vigour,  incident  to  such  an  infirm,  decrepit  age,  without  any  ordinary  sickness,  as  a 
gentleman  in  these  bounds,  well  acquainted  with  him,  told  me.  The  disease  they  are 
most  obnoxious  unto  is  the  scurvy,  occasioned,  as  is  judged,  by  the  sea  air,  fishes,  salt- 
meats.  Sec.  It  is  observed  likewise  that  it  is  colder  m  the  summer  time,  than  it 
is  with  us  in  the  south,  but  warmer  in  the  winter,  the  snow  not  using  to  lay  long ;  for 
(beside  other  things  that  might  be  said  on  this  head,  which  also  respect  other  countries) 
in  the  summer  cold  breezes  come  off* the  sea,  which  tempers  the  heat;  and  in  the  win- 
ter season  the  same  breezes  may  qualify  the  extreme  cold  and  frost,  which  useth  to  be 
greatest  when  the  air  is  most  quiescent,  and  least  disturbed  with  winds ;  the  great  mo- 
tion also  of  the  rapid  tides  may  contribute  not  a  little  the^^unto. 

Their  ordinary  grain  are  oats  and  barley,  and  though  other  grains  should  be  sown, 
the  product  would  not  be  great,  if  any  at  all,  they  not  taking  with  such  a  weak  and  cold 
soil,  and  the  many  brinish  blasts  these  isles  lay  exposed  unto.  As  for  wheat  bread,  it  is 
rare  and  scarce  to  be  had,  if  not  at  Kirkwall  and  some  gentlemens*  houses,  who  bring 
the  flour  from  Murray,  or  the  south  of  Scotland.  As  for  their  oats  and  barley,  the 
grain  is  less  and  blacker  than  it  is  with  us :  yea,  though  they  should  bring  good  and  fair 
seed  from  other  countries,  within  a  few  years  it  would  degenerate  una  become  like 
their  own ;  which  is  the  reason  why  their  meal  and  br jad  are  of  such  a  black  colour. 
Yet  in  some  places  the  meal  is  whiter,  and  said  to  be  better  than  in  others.  Their  not 
being  so  diligent  in  winnowing  their  corns,  not  having  such  good  mills  for  grinding  as 
we  have,  may  be  partly  the  cause  thereof.  In  some  places  also  they  use  not  to  shear  their 
corn,  but  pluck  it  up  by  the  roots,  as  we  do  the  lint,  because  of  the  scarcity  of  fodder  to 
their  beasts,  which  corns,  if  not  taken  pains  upon,  will  abound  with  sand  and  dust. 
Nevertheless,  for  aught  I  hear  or  know,  their  bread  and  ale  are  wholesome,  and  the  na- 
tives take  well  with  them.  I  thought  first  when  we  landed  in  Orkney,  their  oat  bread 
and  fleshes  also  had  some  fish  taste,  but  when  we  had  tarried  some  days  there,  we  were 
not  so  sensible  of  it. 

Their  arable  ground  is  better  and  more  fertile  than  at  first  to  strangers  appearetb, 
•whence  I  heard  some  gentlemen  declare,  it  was  wonderful  to  think  how  great  the  pro- 
duct of  these  isles  is,  considering  the  many  barren  mountains  and  much  waste  ground 
that  are  in  them.  They  dung  their  land  for  the  most  part  with  sea- ware,  which  having 
gathered  they  suffer  to  rot,  either  on  the  coasts,  or  by  carrying  it  up  to  the  land  upon 
horses,  or  on  their  backs ;  they  lay  it  in  heaps  till  the  time  of  labouring  approach ; 
which  is  the  reason  why  the  skirts  of  the  isles  are  more  ordinarily  culuvated,  and  do 
more  abound  with  corns,  than  places  at  a  greater  distance  from  the  sea,  where  they  have 


ZETLAND,    PICHTLANU-FIRTII,    AND    CAITllNKSli. 


743 


sspeci- 
speak 


not  such  gooding  at  hand.  Their  ploughs  arc  little  and  light,  having  only  one  stilt, 
and  but  little  iron  in  them ;  hence,  when  at  the  end  of  the  ridge,  he  who  holds  it  lifts  it 
up  and  carries  it  to  the  other  side  of  the  ridge,  and  if  he  please  may  carry  it  home  on 
his  shoulders  :  the  reason  they  give  of  this  is,  that  although  some  of  their  ground  be 
strong,  yet  their  beasts  are  weak,  and  unable  to  go  through  with  a  plough  of  any  con* 
sideruble  weight. 

Their  horses,  kine,  sheep,  lambs,  &c.  are  of  a  lesser  size  than  with  us,  and  are  to  be 
bought  at  an  easier  rate,  for  a  good  cow  will  be  had  for  five  pounds  Scots,  or 
four  pounds  sixteen  shillings,  at  which  price  they  are  obliged  to  sell  her  at  Kirkwall 
about  Martinmass.  A  good  wedder  for  twenty  shillings  Scots.  A  hen  for  two  shillings  or 
two  shillings  and  six-pence,  &c.  The  sheep  here  are  generally  wild,  therefore,  when  they 
would  have  them  taken,  they  ordinarily  do  it  by  dogs  trained  for  the  purpose,  the  owner 
of  the  sheep  giving  to  the  master  of  the  dog  two  shillings  Scots  for  each  one  that  is  taken, 
and  if  theyr  be  not  so  wild  but  one  shilling.  Some  husbandmen  told  us,  they  would  ra- 
ther  labour  their  land  over  again,  than  take  their  sheep  when  they  would  have  them 
washed  <ind  shorn;  1  saw  a  young  man  come  from  the  hills  wet  and  weary,  having  a 
k)ng  time  pursued  one,  to  kill  for  our  use.  Their  kine  are  of  divers  colours,  some  white, 
others  of  a  pied,  some  red,  others  red  and  white,  8cc.  So  that  I  think  there  are  as  many  of 
these  colours  as  are  of  a  black.  They  have  do  rivers,  no  place  of  the  land  being  above 
two  or  three  miles  distant  from  the  sea,  therefore  they  draw  water  out  of  wells  for  their 
cattle,  or  drive  them  to  lochs  or  lakes,  some  whereof  they  have,  or  to  some  small 
brooks  which  run  from  these  lochs :  which  lochs  likewise  cause  their  mills  to  go. 

They  have  abundance  of  cattle  in  many  places,  whereby  is  afforded  them  plenty  of 
milk,  which  yieldeth  much  butter,  some  whereof  is  very  good,  yellow  and  sweet,  but 
that  which  is  called  Orkney  butter  at  Edinburgh  is  only  their  farm- butter,  which  they 
are  obliged  to  pay  to  the  taxmen  or  masters,  whereof  a  quantity,  according  to  compact 
and  agreement,  being  gathered,  they  are  at  little  or  no  trouble  to  make  and  keep  it 
clean.  Their  sheep  also  are  very  fruitful,  many  of  them  having  two,  and  some  three,  at 
abirth,  which  as  Mr.  Wallace  lately,  so  Boethius  of  old,  did  observe,  oves  illic  pene  omnes 
geminos,  immo  trigeminos  pleraeque  partus  edunt 

Fishes  of  divers  sorts  are  taken  in  great  plenty,  yet  not  so  numerous  as  formerly,  for 
now  before  they  catch  their  great  fishes,  as  keeling,  ling,  &c.  they  must  put  far  out  into 
the  sea  with  their  little  boats,  and  thereby  undergo  great  danger,  which  in  former  times 
they  used  to  get  nearer  the  coasts :  however,  such  a  number  is  taken,  that,  beside  what 
for  their  own  supply,  many  are  sent  abroad  to  other  countries  for  sale.  Particulariy 
there  are  grey  fishes,  called' silluks,  scarce  half  so  big  as  a  herring  generally,  which  swim 
and  are  taken  in  great  numbers  upon  the  coasts,  so  that  sometimes  they  soon  sell  one 
thousand  of  them  for  six  or  seven  shillings  Scots.  This  fish  is  pleasant  to  the  taste,  and 
also  they  say  very  wholesome,  which  seems  to  be  confirmed  by  this,  that  in  the  late  years 
of  great  scarcity  the  poorer  people  lived  upon  them,  almost  as  their  food,  they  often  not 
enjoying  a  crumb  of  bread  for  m^ny  weeks.  So  our  good  God,  on  the  shutting  uf  one 
door,  opened  another  in  his  holy  and  wise  providence  for  the  relief  of  the  poor. 

Hemngs  do  swim  here  in  abundance,  which  formerly  occasioned  several  ships  fre- 
quenting these  isles,  but  since  the  battle  of  Kilsyth,  they  say  that  trade  hath  failed,  many 
of  the  Enster  men,  who  were  ordinary  fishers  upon  these  coasts,  being  killed  there. 
When  I  was  in  Papa  Westra,  they  pointed  out  to  me  a  holm  upon  the  east  side  of  the 
isle,  where  I  saw  the  ruins  of  some  huts  or  little  houses,  whereunto  these  Enster  men 
sometimes  resorted,  during  the  herring- fishing.  A  gentleman  living  in  this  isle  told  me 
that  the  former  year,  1699,  there  was  a  great  quantity  of  herring  sperm  or  spawn  driven 


^- 


744 


BBAND^S    OESCUIPTION    OF    ORKNEY, 


upon  the  shore,  and  lay  there  for  some  time  in  heaps :  which  evidenceth  tliut  herrings  in 
their  season  are  yet  on  these  coasts :  though  means  be  not  used  to  take  them. 

Beside  the  many  other  excellent  fishes,  as  keeling,  ling,  scate,  turbot,  and  sometimes 
they  say  sturgeon,  &c.  inere  are  also  many  sliell  fishes  taken ;  us  lobsters,  sold  for  an  half, 
penny  or  four  pence  Scots  ;  oysters,  much  bigger  than  with  us,  for  four  shillings  Scots 
per  hundred ;  partens  and  muscles  ;  and  cockles  in  so  great  plenty,  that  they  make 
much  good  lime  of  their  shells,  besides  which  they  have  no  other  lime  in  Orkney,  suve 
what  they  bring  from  the  south. 

They  have  plenty  both  of  land  and  sea  fowls:  as  eagles,  hawks,  ember.goose,  claik- 
goose,  dunter-goose,  solan> goose,  swans,  lyres,  scarffa,  kettiwaiks,  plover,  muir-fowl. 
duck  and  drake,  &c.  The  king*s  falconer  useth  to  go  every  year  to  the  isles,  taking 
the  young  hawks  and  falcons  to  breed,  and  every  house  in  the  country  is  ob'.iged  to  give 
him  a  hen  or  a  dog,  except  such  as  are  exempted.  The  eagles  do  much  hurt  to  the 
young  store,  falling  down  upon  their  lambs  and  hens,  and  taking  them  away  with  them 
to  their  nests,  killing  and  pulling  out  the  eyes  and  hearts  of  their  sheep ;  hence  there  is 
an  act  standing  in  the  steward's  books,  that  whoever  shall  kill  an  eagle,  shall  have  a  hen 
out  of  every  liouse  of  the  parish  where  he  is  killed;  yet,  notwithstanding  of  this  en. 
couragement,  I  hear  but  of  few  killed,  they  fleeing  high,  and  dispatching  their  prey  so 
quickly  :  I  saw  a  young  one  in  the  palace  of  Birsa,  almost  twice  the  bigness  of  a  goose, 
though  not  a  monfh  old,  it  is  a  ravenous  fowl,  and  would  have  run  upon  us,  if  we  hud 
not  kept  it  off  with  our  staves ;  as  to  its  colour,  it  is  for  the  most  part  black,  and  some, 
thing  of  a  yellow  or  golden  colour  about  the  head  and  in  some  parts  of  the  wings.  It 
is  to  be  observed  of  the  lagle,  that  he  doth  more  destruction  in  places  at  some  distance 
from  his  nest  than  in  these  that  are  nearer  it.  Eagles,  hawks,  and  such  like  fowls,  have 
their  nests  ordinarily  on  some  high  ragged  rock,  washed  by  the  sea  beneath,  some  of 
which  we  saw  as  we  had  occasion  to  sail  by  them. 

The  ember-goose,  though  not  altogether  so  big  as  our  land  goose,  yet  it  useth  to 
weigh  a  stone  weight.  It  hath  short  wings,  not  able  to  bear  up  the  body  for  fleeing, 
hence  it  is  never  seen  to  fly,  neither  sit  on  any  rock  in  the  sea,  as  other  fowls  do,  but 
hath  its  nest,  wherein  it  hatcheth  its  eggs,  one  or  two  at  once,  under  the  water,  at  the 
foot  of  a  rock,  as  they  informed  me  hath  been  found.  It  is  of  a  darkish  grey  colour, 
and  white  about  the  neck,  of  broad  feet  like  our  land  goose,  and  a  long  faieak,  and 
though  ever  in  the  water,  yet  hath  not,  I  think,  such  a  strong  fish  taste  as  the  Solan 
goose.  It  is  more  difficult  to  get  them  shot  than  other  sea  fowls,  they  being  very  quick- 
sighted,  and  on  the  first  apprehension  of  danger  get  beneath  the  water  :  yea  by  reason  of 
their  many  featlfers,  they  will  receive  a  shot  on  their  breast,  and  it  not  penetrate  :  where- 
fore who  would  be  at  them  design  for  their  heads,  or  to  shoot  them  against  the  feathers. 
The  lyre  is  a  rare  and  delicious  sea-fowl,  so  very  fat,  that  you  would  take  it  to  be 
wholly  fat ;  it  is  somewhat  less  than  a  duck. 

The  sea  fowls  are  so  numerous,  that  a  gentleman  in  Westra  told  his  minister,  that 
some  years  ago  he  for  his  own  part  killed  so  many,  as  afforded  him  fifty,  sixty,  and 
some  years  one  hundred  stone  weight  of  feathers  (whereby  accrues  to  the  owners  more 
gain  than  by  the  flesh  of  the  fowls)  though  for  some  seasons  past  he  had  taken  but  few ; 
for  it  is  observed,  that  these  fowls  follow  the  small^shes,  which  are  their  ordinary  food  ; 
hence  the  more  fishes,  the  more  fowls,  and  when  the  fishes  forsake  this  and  the  other  place, 
the  fowls  likewise  do  so  within  a  short  time.  Because  of  this  abundance  of  fowk,  therefore, 
it  is,  that  the  gentleman  and  some  others  have  the  rocks  in  several  places  dwided  among 
them,  as  they  have  their  land.  Which  fowls  they  either  kill  by  small  shot  out  of  boats 
at  the  foot  of  the  frequented  rocks,  or  else  men  are  let  down  by  ropes  from  the  top  of 


ZETLAND,    PlGMTLAND-FinTH,    AND    CAITHNESS. 


r4j 


the  rocks,  who  search  for  the  nests,  taking  the  eggs  and  what  fowls  they  can  appro- 
hend.  Many  kinds  of  the  sea-fowls  arc  of  a  pied  colour,  some  of  which  are  not  to  be 
found  with  us  in  the  south. 

There  are  here  no  partridges,  but  plenty  of  muir-fowls,  hence  in  some  isles  they 
will  take  twenty,  thirty,  or  forty  pair  in  one  day,  the  hills  covered  with  heather  being  by 
nature  fitted  for  their  living  and  accommodation.  Conies  also  do  abound  in  most  of  the 
isles,  but  no  hares  are  to  be  seen ;  so  that  if  any  be  brought  into  the  country,  as  they 
say  hath  been  tried,  they  will  not  live  and  propagate  as  in  other  places.  I  hear  of  few, 
if  any,  venomous  creatures  in  these  isles,  as  Boethius  of  old  did  observe:  Serpentesaut 
aliud  animal  venenosum  nullum,  id  quod  dc  Hibemii  quoque  verum  est.  No  bees  either 
are  here,  there  being  no  provision  proper  for  ♦.hem,  beside  they  would  not  take  well  with 
this  cold  climate. 

No  trees  there  are  in  this  country,  nor  bushes,  save  a  few  in  the  bishop's  garden  at 
Kirkwal,  which  are  esteemed  as  a  rarity,  for  when  planted  and  taken  care  of,  they 
sometimes  grow  up  the  height  of  their  garden  wall,  but  afterwards  they  gradually  go 
back  and  decay.  This  several  gentlemen  very  desirous  of  having  trees  to  grow  declared, 
which  then  must  be  imputed  to  the  nature  of  the  soil,  and  sharpness  of  the  sea  air,  and 
not  lo  the  sloth  of  the  inhabitants,  as  our  historian  asserts :  Nulla  usquam  arbor  ac  ne  fru- 
tex  quidem  prater  ericam,  nee  id  tarn  coeu  aut  soli  vitio  quam  incolarum  ignavi^,  quod 
facile  ostenditur  ex  arborum  radicibus,  quae  pluribus  in  locis  eruuntur.  For  though  indeed 
it  be  true  that  roots,  and  sometimes  bodies  of  trees,  are  found  in  mosses,  yet  this  is  rare, 
and  only  to  be  had  in  some  places ;  whereas  gentlemen  say,  they  bring  in  exotic  or 
foreign  plants,  they  sow  seed  for  nurseries,  which  useth  to  arrive  at  some  greater  growth 
than  what  is  planted,  yet  after  all  their  pains  and  expence  in  using  such  proper  means, 
so  conducive  for  obtaining  their  end,  no  perfection  or  bearing  of  fruit  can  be  attained  : 
and  that  trees,  which  yet  are  but  small,  and  look  dry  and  withered,  do  grow  in  the  bi- 
shop's garden,  may  be  because  of  its  inclosure,  having  the  church  on  one  side,  the  town 
of  Kirkwal  on  the  other,  and  the  bishop's  house  on  a  third ;  which  kind  of  fences  may 
keep  off  the  cold  breezes  that  come  from  the  sea,  and  destroy  the  growth  of  trees  in  other 
places. 

Though  there  are  no  trees,  and  so  no  fruits  for  the  table,  yet  there  is  no  lack  of  good 
roots  ior  the  kitchen,  as  cabbage,  carrots,  parsnips,  turnips,  crummocks,  artichokes, 
&c. ;  all  which  useth  to  be  bigger  here  than  with  us  ordinarily,  especially  their  arti- 
chokes  excel ;  hence  some  gentlemen  do  barrel  and  send  them  out  of  the  country  for 
a  present  to  their  friends :  besides  these,  they  have  likewise  variety  of  herbs  in  the  field, 
very  beneficial  to  such  as  understand  their  virtue  and  use. 

Peats  and  turf  are  the  ordinary  fuel  they  use,  which  they  have  very  good  and  in  great 
plenty  through  the  country,  except  in  some  places,  which  do  not  so  abound  therewith, 
as  in  Sanda  they  are  obliged  to  bring  peats  from  the  adjacent  isles,  they  not  having  in 
their  own  isle  to  suffice  them ;  and  the  usual  manner  of  agreement  with  the  proprietor 
of  the  moss  is  for  so  much  a  day  for  so  many  peats  as  a  man  can  cast :  aud  in  such 
places  where  there  is  scarcity  of  fuel,  the  poorer  sort  make  use  of  dried  kine's  dung,  or 
tangles,  which  in  summer's  heat  they  prepare  for  the  winter's  cold.  They  have  a  few 
salt-pans  in  some  places,  where  plenty  of  peats,  which  are  very  useful  to  the  country : 
at  some  times  much  timber,  the  wrecks  of  ships  cast  away  at  sea,  or  broken  on  their 
isles,  is  driven  ashore,  which  the  inhabitants  seizing  keep  for  bumwood,  and  if  good 
and  fresh  (as  sometimes  ships  from  Norway  suffer  shipwreck  upon  or  nigh  to  these  isles,) 
they  make  other  uses  of  it :  I  saw  several  chimney-pieces  thereof.  The  more  ignorant 
people  construct  this  as  a  favourable  providence  to  them,  therefore  they  call  these  wrecks 

VOL.  III.  5  c 


'1, 


746 


brand's   description    of    ORKNEY* 


God's  send,  though  not  so  favouiable  to  the  poor  mariners  a^id  others  who  suffer 
thereby. 

Although  the  sea  seemeth  to  favour  them,  by  bringing  such  timber,  and  sometimes 
casks  Hiid  luig^heads  of  wine,  brandy,  Sic.  to  their  dours,  yet  this  turbulent  swelling  jca 
and  strong  current  of  a  tide  pays  them  home  sore,  for  frequently  thereby  their  small 
passage  or  iiaher  boats  are  cast  away,  sometimes  all  in  them  perishing,  at  other  times 
some  saved  whh  difEculty.  And  at  all  times  it  is  highly  dangerous  for  any  not  experi> 
enced  with  these  seas  to  pass  through  between  the  isles,  though  with  small  boats,  because 
of  the  many  blind  rocks  lying  there,  upon  which  sometimes  the  inhabitants  themselves 
do  solit,  what  through  some  mistake,  inadvertency,  darkness  of  the  night,  or  otherwise. 

Tne  ministers  inform  us  they  are  often  in  great  danger  in  going  to  their  churches 
froni  isle  to  isle,  vi!?iting  their  parishes,  going  to  the  presbytery,  8cc.  Sometimes  pale 
death,  with  its  grim  countenance,  presenting  itself,  and  staring  them  in  the  face,  as  one 
drawn  out  by  the  hair  of  the  heaa  ;  another  esca|)in^  on  the  keel  of  the  overwhelmed 
boar ;  sometimes  they  are  arrested  by  a  storm  in  the  isles,  and  kept  from  their  own  fa> 
milies  for  some  weeks,  even  when  the  passage  will  be  scarce  a  mile  or  half  a  mile  over. 
They  tell  us,  in  the  isle  of  Westra  there  was  a  marriage  not  long  since,  where  about  an 
hundred  persons  were  convened  from  other  isles,  and  were  detained  fur  six  or  seven 
weeks  together,  so  that  the  many  of  them  daily  saw  their  own  houses,  yet  they  durst  not 
adventure  to  pass  over,  till  the  falling  wind  and  sea  took  off  their  confinement. 

In  every  isle  there  is  a  Wart  or  Ward>hill,  the  highest  hill  in  the  isle,  on  the  top 
whereof  they  used  to  kindle  a  fire  when  they  saw  an  enemy  approaching,  or  discerned 
any  danger,  that  so  they  might  alarm  the  neighbourhood,  that  the  dispersed  inhabitants 
of  the  country  having  thereby  notice  given  them  might  convene  for  their  succour,  or  be 
upon  their  own  defence,  which  beacons  on  the  tops  of  mountains  the  scripture  makes 
mention  of,  as  Isa.  xxx.  17.  And  a  late  learned  author  asserteth,  "  That  great  flame 
with  smoke  rising  up  out  of  the  city,  which  was  appointed  as  a  sign  between  the  men 
of  Israel  and  the  lyers  in  wait,  Judg.  xx.  38,  40,  seems  to  be  meant  by  this." 

There  are  several  gentlemen  in  Orkney  who  have  considerable  estates,  but  the  King 
is  the  great  proprietor,  having  about  ihe  one  half  of  the  rents  of  the  whole  country ; 
which  rents  are  let  out  to  tax-men  for  so  mach  per  annum,  as  is  agreed  upon  at  the 
public  roup,  who  by  their  deputes  gather  in  the  revenues  of  the  crown,  and  being  the 
King's  stewards,  they  are  the  principal  judges  of  the  country.  The  rents,  when  collect, 
ed,  whether  paid  in  money,  meal,  oats,  barley,  or  butter,  are  ordinarily  sent  south; 
which  causeth  a  great  grudge  among  the  people,  some  of  them  thereby  being  redacted 
to  great  straits,  not  getting  meal,  barley,  or  the  like,  sometimes  to  buy,  as  m  the  late 
dearth,  though  then  the  product  of  these  isles,  comparativciv,  were  beyond  that  of  many 
other  places  in  the  kingdom.  The  bishop's  rents,  amounting  to  eight  or  nine  thousand 
merks  per  annum,  and  so  more  considerable  than  the  rents  of  several  other  bishopricks 
in  the  kingdom,  now,  since  the  abolition  of  prelacy,  coming  in  to  the  king's  treasury, 
and  at  his  disposal,  are  also  sent  south,  and  not  coni>umed  within  the  isles,  as  they  used 
formerly  to  be,  when  the  bishops  resided  here,  at  which  the  people  are  likewise  dissa- 
tisfied, and  thereby,  as  some  better  acquair.ted  with  their  humours  and  inclinations  do 
inform  me,  the  presbyterian  government  is  made  the  less  acceptable  to  many  of  them. 

The  people  greatly  cr  out  of  the  oppression  they  groan  under,  by  reason  of  the  fre- 
quent, change  of  stewards,  their  masters,  who  being  tax*men,  and  so  only  to  continue  for 
such  a  definite  time,  each  endeavours  to  gather  in  his  rents,  and  that  as  soon  as-may  be, 
which  many  of  the  poor  people  cannot  get  so  quickly  given,  whereupon  sevcrai  of  them 
are  put  to  doors,  and  all  taken  from  them,  which  hath  occasioned  much  of  the  king's 


ZETLAND,    PIGIITLANO>FIRTH»    AND    CAITHNESS. 


747 


land  now  to  be  lying  waste  and  lee  ;  whereas,  if  they  always  had  one  master,  their  cir. 
cumstances  might  he  much  better,  for  sometimes  it  so  falleth  out  that  the  husbandman 
will  gain  as  much  in  one  year  as  will  compensate  the  loss  of  another;  the  master  likewiiic 
would  be  more  encouraging  to  them,  and  concerned  in  their  welfare,  and  they,  having 
leases  set  them,  would  more  endeavour  the  improving  of  their  ground,  which  now  they 
do  not,  they  not  knowing  but  the  next  year  they  may  have  a  new  master,  whose  little 
finger  may  be  thicker  than  his  predeceswr's  loins.  Vet  let  not  my  reader  judge  that  I 
hereby  intend  the  impeachment  of  any  particular  person  or  persons,  who  have  been  tax- 
men  there,  or  now  are  ;  but  my  design  is  to  shew  that  this  is  the  common  complaint  of 
the  country,  both  in  Orkney  and  Zetland. 

The  gentlemen  tell  us  they  have  another  kind  of  holding  here  than  is  in  other  places, 
and  the  best  right  they  have  to  their  lands  is  that  which  they  callUdall  right ;  a  posses- 
sion which  the  natives  successively  have,  without  either  charter  or  seisin,  all  their  lands  be- 
ing either  such  Udall  lands,  or  king's  lands,  or  feued  lands.  This  Udall  right  is  said  to 
be  called  from  one  Ulaus,  king  of  Norway,  who,  when  he  possessed  the  cotmtry,  gave  to 
the  inhabitants  a  right  to  so  much  land,  he  always  retaining  to  himself  the  third  part,  and 
enjoying  the  increase  thereof. 

Their  measure  is  not  the  same  with  ours,  they  not  using  peck  and  firlot,  but,  instead 
thereof,  weigh  their  corns  on  pismires  or  pundlers.  The  least  quantity  is  called  a  merk, 
which  is  eighteen  ounces  ;  twenty-four  merks  make  a  leis  pound  or  setten,  which,  with 
the  Danes,  is  that  which  we  call  a  stone ;  six  settens  a  miet,  which  is  their  boll ;  and 
eighteen  meils  make  a  chalder.  Neither  do  they  use  pocks  or  sacks,  as  we  do ;  but  car. 
ry  and  keep  their  corns  and  meal  in  a  sort  of  vessel  made  of  straw,  bound  about  with  ropes 
of  the  same,  called  Cassies. 


Chap.  hi. — Wherein  the  several  Isles  and  Parishes  belonging  to  Orkney  are  entt' 
meratedt  and  briejly  described, 

HAVING  given  some  description  of  Orkney  in  general,  I  shall  now  give  some  more 
particular  account  of  the  several  isles  thereunto  belonging,  which  are  divided  into  such 
as  are  inhabited,  and  so  are  more  commonly  called  isles;  and  such  as  are  not  inhabited, 
which  they  call  Holms,  only  used  for  pasturage.  The  isles  are  said  to  be  twenty-six  in 
number,  viz.  Pomona,  or  the  Mainland,  being  much  larger  than  any  of  the  rest,  Gram- 
sey.  Hoy,  Swinna.  South-Ronaldsha,  Burra,  Lambholm,  Flotta,  Faira,  Cava,  Copinsha, 
Shapinsha,  Damsay,  Inhallo,  Gairsa,  Rousa,  Eaglesha,  Stronza,  Papa-Sronza,  £da. 
North- Faira,  U'^estra,  Papa-Westra,  VVyre,  Sanda,  and  North-Ronaldsha.  To  which 
may  be  added  Pightland- Skerries,  it  being  sometimes  inhabited  in  i.he  summer-time,  and 
Waes,  which,  in  a  high  stream,  is  divided  from  Hoy,  whereunto  it  is  joined  by  alow  and 
narrow  neck  of  land ;  as  also  the  Calf  of  Eda,  it  having  a  salt  pan  in  it.  It  may  be 
observed  that  most  of  the  names  of  these  isles  end  in  a  or  ey,  which  in  the  Teutonick 
tongue  signiiieth  water,  to  shew  that  these  isles  are  pieces  of  land  surrounded  with  water. 

The  first  is  Pomona,  or  the  Mainland,  said  to  be  twenty -four  miles  in  length  from  east 
to  west,  and  in  some  places  six  or  eight  miles  broad  ;  nigh  to  the  middle  whereof  is  the 
town  of  Kirkwall,  about  three  quarters  of  a  mile  in  length  from  south  to  north,  the  only 
remarkable  town  in  all  this  country,  and  beside  which  there  is  no  other  royal  buigh  in 
Orkney  or  Zetland.  The  Danes,  who  had  the  Orcades  long  in  possession,  called  it 
Cracc viaca,  which  name  Buchanan  takes  to  be  the  same  with  Kirkwall,  but  corrupted : 
Quod  Dani  Cracoviacam  appellabant^  nunc  nomine  corrupto  Kircua  Scotis  dicitur.  It 
standeth  upon  the  north  Mde  of  the  ble,  in  a  low  and  moist  ground ;  hence  a  minister  in  tbi&> 

5c2- 


I 


748 


brand's    DISCRIPTION    of    ORKNEY, 


country  told  mc  thai  in  several  places  of  their  large  church,  where  the  more  respected 
burghers  ordinarily  bury  their  dead,  they  can  scarce  dig  two  feet  of  earth  but  water 
will  arise  ;  so  that  he  hath  seen,  when  they  interred  the  corpse,  they  behoved  to  press 
them  down  in  the  water  till  the  mould  or  earth  was  cast  upon  them.  It  is  now  much 
decayed  as  to  trade  and  number  of  inhabitants,  as  many  ancient  burghs  in  this  kint^dom 
are.  In  it  hath  Ijecn  two  stately  edifices,  the  king's  and  the  bishop's  palaces :  the  former 
is  now  verv  ruinous,  being  the  ancientest  of  the  two,  built,  as  is  thought,  by  some  of  the 
bishops  oi  Orkney,  it  having  the  vestige  of  a  bishop's  mitre  and  arms  engraven  upon 
the  wall  that  looks  to  the  street,  and  in  which,  it  is  said,  the  bishops  of  oM  had  their 
residence ;  the  other,  called  the  bishop's  palace,  wherein  the  bishops  lately  lived,  was 
built  by  Patrick  Stewart,  earl  of  Orkney,  anno  1606,  son  to  Robert  Stewart,  natural  son 
to  king  James  V.  This  palace  b  also  going  to  ruin,  though  with  some  expence  it  could 
be  kept  in  good  repair. 

The  church  is  a  very  noble  ana  large  structure,  having  in  it  fourteen  or  fifteen  strong 
pillars  on  each  side ;  the  steeplr  standing  on  four  bigger  and  higher  pillars  in  the  middle 
of  the  church,  wherein  there  are  several  old  and  good  bells.  In  the  eastern  part  only  of 
this  great  church  is  divine  service  performed,  which  is  furnished  with  good  seats  for 
accommodating  the  inhabitants,  and  other  conveniences  proper  for  that  end.  It  is 
commonly  called  St.  Magnus'  Church,  being  built,  or  at  least,  as  some  say,  the  founda- 
tion  laid  by  Magnus,  king  of  Norway,  whom  they  report  to  have  been  buried  here ; 
though  others  say  he  was  buried  in  Ea^esha,  an  isle  to  the  north  of  Kirkwall.  There 
are  many  of  this  name  of  Magnus  in  this  country. 

At  Kirkwall  there  is  a  safe  road ;  but  ships  coming  from  the  south  cannot  get  so  easily 
into  it,  by  reason  that  the  s^me  wind  which  brings  them  to  Orkney  often  will  not  suffer 
them  to  turn  up  to  Kirkwall,  they  being  obliged  to  encompass  a  point  of  land  stretching 
to  the  north-east,  before  they  can  make  the  road,  so  that  frequently  they  lie  at  Elwick, 
or  Deer>sound,  two  anchoring  places  to  the  east,  or  north-east  of  Kirkwall,  until  that  the 
vrind  shall  favour  them. 

On  :he  main  land  good  corns  do  grow  in  several  places,  though  likewise  there  be  much 
moorish  ground ;  but  the  pleasantest  part  of  the  isle  I  take  to  be  the  west  end  thereof, 
about  Birsa,  Hara,  Sandwick,  and  Stromness,  where  there  are  several  spots  well  fur. 
nished  with  grass  and  corn.  In  the  parish  of  Birsa  is  the  king's  house,  situated  on  a 
plain  champain  ground  on  the  west  end  of  the  main  land,  nigh  to  the  sea,  or  Deucnle- 
dotiian  ocean,  which  formerly  when  in  order  hath  had  several  pleasant  and  diverting 
avenues  about  it.  At  a  large  quarter  of  a  mile's  distance  to  the  south  we  saw  the  plea- 
santest  mixture  of  gowans,  so  commonly  called,  or  daisies,  white  and  yellow,  on  every  side 
of  the  way  growing  very  thick,  and  covering  a  considerable  piece  of  the  ground,  that 
ever  we  had  occasion  to  see.  The  palace  was  built  in  form  of  a  court  by  Robert  Stewart, 
earl  of  Orkney,  about  the  year  1574  ;  it  is  two  stories  high,  the  upper  hath  been 
prettily  decorated,  the  ceiling  being  all  painted,  and  that,  for  the  most  part,  with  schemes 
holding  forth  scripture  histories,  as  Noah's  flo6d,  Christ's  riding  to  Jerusalem,  8cc  and 
the  scripture  is  set  down  beside  the  figure :  it  v^as  inhabited  within  these  twenty  years, 
but  is  now  fast  decaying.  When  we  entered  the  palace  gate,  we  saw  above  it  that  in- 
scription so  much  talked  of,  and  reputed  treasonable  by  king  James  VI.  :  Robertus 
SteuartusfiliusJacobiVti.  RexScotorumhocaedificiuminstruxit;  which  inscription  could 
not  but  offend  the  lawful  heir  of  the  crown,  for  it  cannot  well  be  thought  that  the  earl 
4nd  all  about  him  were  such  blunderers  in  the  Latin  tongue,  as  to  put  down  Rex  instead 
of  Regis,  if  there  had  been  no  design  in  it.  Within  the  palace  we  saw  also  the  motto 
above  his  arms :  Sic  fuit,  est,  et  erit ;  which  was  a  piece  of  too  great  arrogancy  for  any 


I 


EETLANI,    HGHTLAHU-hlRTU,    AND    CAITHNlitiU* 


749 


m:in  to  assume  that  unto  liimself  which  properly  belongs  to  the  Son  of  God.  whose  wise 
ju  lament  is  not  unworthy  of  our  rtmaric,  that  now  only  it  can  bo  said  of  his  house  and 
(atnily,  now  extinct,  sic  fi  it;  which  that  great  king  Nebuchadnczar  knew  to  his  expe- 
rience, **  That  these  who  walk  in  pride  God  is  able  to  abase." 

Among  other  pleasant  )laces  in  this  west  end  of  the  Mainland  we  may  take  notice  of 
K  rfal  Hill,  a  little  to  the  east  of  the  house  of  Brachncss,  in  the  parish  of  Sandwick, 
w  lich  is  very  large  on  th :  top,  and  plain  almost  like  a  bowling-ffreen,  so  that  nine  or 
ten  thousand  men  could  easily  be  drawn  up  in  order  thereupon ;  it  is  Jl  over  very  green, 
without  any  heath  or  sucti  like  growing  there,  neither  are  there  any  rising  hillocks  on 
it  that  we  could  discern,  is  ordinarily  are  to  be  seen  on  other  hills ;  and  because  of  its 
being  so  very  pleasant,  ths  inhabitants  about  call  it  Chearful-Hill<  Within  a  few  miles 
also  of  the  west  end  of  tl  e  Mainland  is  the  Loch  of  Stennis,  the  largest  in  Orkney, 
whereon  are  some  mills ;  some  trouts  and  salmon  gilses  arc  found  in  it  and  the  brooks 
that  run  from  it. 

Beside  Kirkwall-road,  there  are  several  other  harbours  or  bays  on  the  Mainland, 
wh  erein  ships  can  safely  lie ;  as  one  at  Kerston,  a  small  village  at  the  west  end  of  the 
Mainland,  much  frequented  by  ships  going  to  the  west  of  Scotland  or  Ireland,  or  com- 
ing' therefrom ;  another  is  at  Holm's  Sound,  towards  the  south-east  side  of  the  isle,  to 
which  sometimes  barks  d' )  resort  from  the  south  ;  several  ships  also  going  through  Land 
from  the  south  to  the  west  sea  drop  anchor  here ;  and  when  they  pass  they  must  sail  be- 
tween Lambholm,  a  little  isle  in  the  sound,  and  the  Mainland ;  for  the  way  on  the  other 
sid^:  between  Lambholm  uid  Burra,  though  it  seem  more  open,  yet  it  is,  thev  say,  shaU 
lou  and  dangerous.  But  none  I  think  will  dare  to  sail  through  these  isles  without  some 
Hicisure  both  of  skill  and  experience,  else  it  will  be  to  the  hazard  of  their  lives,  and  the 
losi  of  ship  and  cargo,  th  :re  being  several  turnings,  blind-rocks,  and  shallows ;  where- 
fort!  many  do  judge  it  the  safest  course  to  keep  the  wide  sea,  and  so  sail  without  the  isles, 
especially  if  the  weather  be  not  well  sftt  and  promising.  Another  convenient  road  is  at 
Dei:r-Sound,  to  the  east  of  the  Mainland,  where  is  a  great  bay,  commodious  for  navies 
to  ride  in.  Some  other  'larbours  and  bays  also  there  are  upon  the  Mainland ;  but  these 
are  the  most  remarkable. 

Nigh  to  the  point  of  D<  :er-Ness  some  years  ago  was  cast  away  a  ship  transporting  some 
prisoners  to  America,  who  were  for  the  most  part  west-countrymen,  apprehended,  im- 
prisoned, and  then  banished,  for  adhering  to  presbyterian  principles:  there  were,  as  is 
said,  above  an  hundred  vho  perished,  being  kept  under  the  deck,  and  tied  together  by- 
pairs,  whereas,  if  they  hal  been  at  liberty,  the  greatest  part,  if  not  all,  might  have  been 
savt^'d,  as  a  few  were,  then  upon  deck  with  the  mariners.  The  country  people  here  did, 
and  do  think,  that  the  ca|>tain  of  the  ship  willingly  suffered  her  to  drive  upon  this  point, 
and  the  men  there  to  peiish ;  and  if  so,  it  is  probable  that  others,  though  not  aboard, 
have  been  concerned  in  (his  mischiveous  design,  as  the  authors  and  abettors  thereof. 

In  the  Mainland  are  seven  parishes,  but  thirteen  kirks ;  for  many  ministers  in  Orkney 
have  two  and  some  thre«;  kirks,  wherein  they  ordinarily  preach  by  turns :  the  first  is 
De<.'mes8  and  St.  Andrevi^'s,  at  the  east  end  of  the  isle,  where  two  kirks,  one  at  Deerness, 
and  another  at  St.  Andnw's,  wherein  their  minister  preacheth  by  turns ;  here  live  the 
lainls  of  New-work  and  Fankerness.  Under  this  minister's  inspection  also  is  Copinsha, 
a  little  isle  to  the  east  of  the  Main,  wherein  a  few  families,  some  com  land  and  pastu- 
reg<; :  it  at  a  little  distance  appears  to  be  as  an  high  rock  conspicuous  to  seamen ;  but 
it  declineth  ^nd  lieth  low  towards  the  west  To  the  north-east  of  it  lieth  a  Holm,  called 
the  Horse  of  Copinsha. 

'JDiie  next  parish  is  Holm,  also  on  the  east  of  the  Main,  to  the  west  of  Deerness  and 
St.  Andrew's,  wherein  h  but  one  kirk ;  in  this  parish  liveth  the  laird  of  Graham's-Hall. 


750 


BllANU  S    UBSCniPTIOir    OF    OUKNSVi 


To  their  in'mistcr*ii  charge  belongeth  Lambholm,  a  little  ihle  to  the  south  of  the  Main, 
wherein  a  family  or  two.  North  wcHt  from  Hulm  the  parish  and  town  of  Kirkwall  licth, 
where  one  church,  but  they  should  have  two  ministers :  a  part  of  their  chargr  is  called 
the  parish  of  St.  Ola.  To  the  west  of  Kirkwall  is  Orphir,  where  is  but  one  kirk.  To 
the  north-west  of  Kirkwall  lieth  Firch  and  Stcnnis,  having  two  kirks,  wherein  their  mi* 
ni^ter  preacheth  per  vices,  or  bv  turns  :  to  this  parish  belongs  Durascy,  a  little  isle.  To 
the  north  of  Firth  and  Stcnnis  is  Evie  and  Rendal,  having  two  kirks,  wherein  their  mi- 
nister preacheth  per  vices.  To  this  parish  beiongeth  Gairsey,  a  little  pleasant  isle,  wherein 
liveth  Sir  William  Craig,  of  Gairsey. 

To  the  west  of  Evie  and  Rcndal  is  Hara  and  Birsa,  where  are  two  kirks,  in  which  the 
minister  preuchcth  per  vices ;  the  king's  house  is  in  Birsa  as  abovesaid.  Next  to  Birsa, 
to  the  south>west,  is  Sandwick  and  Stromness,  wherein  arc  two  kirks,  which  their  mi- 
nister goeth  to  per  vices.  To  Stromness  bclungeth  Kcrston,  where  the  best  harbour  in 
Orkney,  and  by  reason  it  is  daily  increasing  as  to  houses  and  number  of  inhabitants, 
(who  are  encouraged  to  dwell  here  pon  the  account  of  the  many  ships  that  do  frequent 
this  port,  and  often  tarry  for  some  time) ;  the  minister  and  gentlemen  concur  in  sup> 
plicatine  judicatories  competent,  that  Kerston  with  some  of  the  country  adjacent  may  be 
erected  uito  a  parish  by  itself,  that  so  the  inhabitants  of  the  place,  and  strangers  resorting 
thereunto,  may  be  served  with  preaching  and  other  parts  of  the  pastoral  work ;  their 
present  church  at  Stromness  being  four  miles  distant  from  them,  wherein  abo  they  can 
nave  sermon  but  every  other  Sabbath.     In  Sandwick  lives  the  laird  of  BrachnesSc 

To  the  south  of  Stromness  and  Sandwick  lieth  Hoy  and  Waes,  which  ordinarily  make 
but  one  isle,  though  sometimes,  by  a  hieh  stream  overflowing  the  low  and  narrow  pas. 
sage  whereby  they  are  joined  to  one  another,  they  are  divided  into  two ;  the  isle  is  about 
ten  or  twelve  miles  long  from  west  to  east.  Waes,  at  the  east  end  of  the  isle,  is  better 
inhabited  than  Hoy,  at  the  west  end  thereof,  it  lying  lower,  and  so  fitter  for  pasturage 
and  labouring ;  whereas  Hoy  is  more  mountainous,  only  having  some  houses  on  the 
skirts  of  the  hills,  by  the  coasts,  and  some  corn  land  about  their  houses.  The  hill  of 
Hoy  is  the  highest  in  Orkney,  whence  we  have  a  fair  prospect  of  all  the  circumjacent 
isles,  as  also  of  Caithness,  Stranaver,  Sutherland,  &c.  on  the  south  side  of  Pightland- 
Firth,  yet  though  it  be  so  high,  it  cannot  hold  true  what  some  do  assert,  that  from  this 
hill  is  to  be  seen  the  sun  all  the  night  over  in  the  month  of  June,  when  he  is  about  the 
tropic  of  Cancer,  for  seeing  the  sun  is  for  several  hours  seen  above  the  horizon  the 
shortest  day  of  winter,  he  must  necessarily  be  so  far  depressed  the  shortest  night  in  sum- 
mer, so  that  his  body  cannot  then  be  seen,  though  something  of  a  clear  li^ht  may  be 
discerned,  as  it  were,  accompanying  the  sun  from  his  setting  to  his  rising  point,  by  rea- 
son of  the  reflection  and  refraction  of  his  rays  upon  and  through  the  sea,  he  dipping  so 
little  below  their  horizon.  For  the  further  illustration  of  this,  the  ministers  of  the  nor- 
thern isles  of  Orkney  told  me  that  in  the  month  of  June  they  will  see  to  read  small  print, 
or  write,  at  midnight ;  and  in  December  fur  some  days  they  can  neither  see  to  read  nor 
write  unless  that  they  light  a  candle,  as  one  of  them  attested  from  his  experience.  To 
the  south  of  the  entry  into  the  Sound  between  Hoy  and  Kerston  in  the  Mainland  is  the 
Comb  of  Hoy,  the  highest  rock  in  Orkney,  looking  to  the  west  or  Deucaledonian  Ocean, 
much  frequented  by  sea-fowls. 

The  mmistcr  of  Hoy  hath  two  kirks,  one  in  Hoy,  and  another  in  Gramsey,  a  tittle 
pleasant  isle  about  a  mile  long,  lying  to  the  north  of  Hoy,  between  it  and  Kerston  in  the 
Mainland ;  but  ships  that  go  through  this  Sound  use  to  sail  between  Gra^nscy  and  the 
Mainland,  the  way  between  Gramsey  and  Hoy  being  very  dangerous.  The  minister  of 
Waes  hath  two  kirkS)  one  in  Waes,  and  another  in  Flotta,  a  pleasant  little  isle,  ar«l  as 


ZETLAND,    PICIITLANO^riRTHi   AND    CAITHNIS8. 


751 


c.ipnble  of  improvement  as  any  itlc  in  Orkney  ;  Faira  and  Cava,  also  two  other  little 
ittles.  are  u  purt  of  his  charge  ;  these  IhIcs  lie  to  the  east  of  VVaes  and  Hoy. 

Nigh  to  the  east  of  Waes  and  Hoy  licb  South- Ronaldsha,  (\vc  miles  long  from  north 
to  south,  and  about  two  broad  in  several  places  ;  it  is  the  southernmost  of  all  the  isles  of 
Orkney,  and  very  fertile  and  populous ;  at  the  south  end  thereof  is  Burwick,  whence 
tlie  ordinary  passage  is  to  Duncan'!i.bay  in  Caithness  over  Pightland-Firth.  Their  minister 
hath  three  kitks,  two  in  South. Ronuldsha,  one  at  the  south  end  of  the  isle,  called  our 
Lady's- Kirk,  and  another  at  the  north  end,  called  St.  Feter*s-Kirk.  He  hath  a  third 
kirk  in  Burra,  a  pleasant  little  isle  to  the  north  of  South. Ronaldsha,  wherein  is  much 
conwland  and  many  rabbits ;  in  this  isle  liveth  Sir  Archibald  Stuart.  To  this  parish 
belongs  Swinna,  a  little  isle  in  Fightland-Firth,  of  which  more  afterwards,  when  we  come 
to  discourse  of  Pightland  Firth. 

To  the  north  of  the  mainland  lies  the  Northern  Isles,  as  Shapinsha  to  the  north-cast, 
four  or  five  miles  long,  to  this  parish  belongs  but  one  kirk.  It  hath  u  safe  harbour  at 
Elwick,  on  the  south  of  the  isle :  here  is  the  house  of  the  sound,  which  lookcth  well, 
and  hath  a  pleasant  situation  on  a  rising  ground,  lying  to  the  south. 

To  the  north'Cast  from  Shapinsha  lielh  Stronsa,  about  four  or  five  miles  long,  it  is 
well  inhabited,  and  the  grass  and  corns  are  good  :  Papa- Stronsa  is  a  little  isle  over 
against  it  towards  north-east;  wherein  but  one  family  ;  between  Papa-Stronsa  and  Stronsa 
b  a  safe  harbour  or  bay,  well  fenced  by  promontories  or  capes  of  land  :  it  is  said  to  be 
the  best  north  bound  harbour  in  all  the  Northern  lales.  Opposite  to  Stronsa  to  north- 
west  lies  Eda,  about  four  miles  of  length  from  north  to  south,  it  is  full  of  moss  and 
moor,  and  but  thinly  inhabited :  some  of  the  .neighbouring  isles  get  their  peat  hence. 
In  it  a  loch  and  mill.  To  the  north-east  of  Eda  is  the  Calf,  a  holm  so  called  ;  between 
which  and  Eda  is  Calf-sound,  a  convenient  and  safe  road.  The  minister  of  S  tronsa  and 
Eda  hath  two  kirks,  one  in  Stronsa,  and  another  in  Eda,  where  he  preacheth  every  third 
sabbath.  To  the  west  of  Eda  lies  North  Faira,  a  little  pleasant  isle,  wherein  a  few 
families. 

On  the  east  side  of  Eda  stands  a  house  built  by  John  Stewart,  earl  of  Carrick,  anno 
1663,  some  of  whose  offspring  are  yet  living  in  the  neighbouring  isles.  The  occasion 
of  his  coming  and  living  in  this  remote  corner  is  reported  to  have  been  some  discon- 
tent which  fell  out  between  him  and  his  lady  ;  he  built  at  a  great  expence  twelve  salt- 
pans in  the  Calf  of  Eda,  over  against  his  house,  which  for  some  time  were  all  at  work, 
he  designing  to  have  driven  a  foreign  trade  with  his  salt,  but  he  dying,  after  a  few  years 
abode  there,  the  house  and  pans,  not  being  kept  in  repair,  went  to  ruin,  so  that  now 
only  one  salt-pit  is  standing.     Thus  his  project  died  with  himself. 

To  the  north  east  of  Eda  is  Sanda,  the  pleasantest,  I  think,  of  the  Orkney  Isles,  nine 
or  ten  miles  long  from  south  to  north,  in  many  places  a  mile  or  a  mile  and  a  half,  and 
in  some  scarce  half  a  mile  broad,  having  several  tongues  of  land  washed  by  the  sea, 
hence  some  do  compare  it  to  the  shape  of  a  lobster :  no  place  in  the  isle  is  high  and 
mountainous,  and  many  spots  of  it  are  very  plain,  and  even  like  a  bowling-green,  every 
where  it  is  well  furnished  wit'i  grass,  and  much  good  corn,  said  to  be  the  best  in  Ork- 
ney ;  it  alone  payeth  to  the  king  forty-two  chalders  of  victual,  every  one  of  which  chal- 
dersistwenty.one  bolls  of  our  measure  ;  the  whole  isle  is  but  as  one  rich  cuningar,  or  a 
coney -warren,  for  I  never  saw  a  greater  number  of  conies  running  in  any  place  than  I 
did  here ;  hence  the  heritors  kill  several  hundreds  of  them  yearl]'  ^r  their  use.  There 
are  several  bays  for  ships,  as  Kitletoft,  Otterswick,  and  Taphness-bay.  Some  gen- 
tlemen also,  who  have  considerable  interests,  as  Burgh,  Lapness,  &c.    many  fowls 


!i 


I 


75S 


BRAND*!    DKSCRirTIOK   OF   OIKKIY, 


rn-qiient  this  isle,  as  duck  and  drake,  plover,  be.  no  that  there  in  good  sport  for 
the  fuwlcr.  The  hiirlings  or  sturcit  arc  ax  numcruui,  I  judge,  as  the  sparrows  &re 
ivith  UH. 

Ill  Saiidu  are  two  ministers,  one  having  one  kirk  called  Lady-Kirk,  on  the  east  side 
of  the  iblc  towards  the  north  end  thcrcol ;  in  thiii  isle  are  home  sotxrr,  knowing,  and  good 
(Kople  ;  particularly  in  thi^  Ludy  puritkh,  in  the  former  FrcNbvterian  times,  there  was  a 
goodly  zealous  minister,  Mr.  Arthur  Murray,  who  went  south  after  the  revolution,  an. 
16G0,  and  died  there  ;  some  of  the  old  people  yet  alive,  who  were  under  his  minis  try, 
cannot  speak  of  him  without  tears  :  '*  The  righteous  shall  be  had  in  everlasting  re> 
mcmbrancc."  The  other  minister  hath  under  his  inspection  three  kirks,  two  in  Sanda, 
Crosh  Kirk,  and  Burncss,  niid  one  in  North* RondaUha,  an  isle  to  the  north  of  Sanda, 
two  or  three  miles  long.  Doth  these  isles  of  Sanda  and  North- Ronaklsha  lie  low,  and 
dangerous  for  seamen,  who  cannot  discover  them  at  any  di^ttance,  especially  in  a 
misty  day  or  dark  night,  till  close  upon  them,  and  so  arc  ready  to  suflfer  shipwreck,  as 
many  do. 

To  the  west  of  Sanda  lies  Westra,  seven  miles  long,  it  is  well  inhabited,  having  much 
corn  in  it  ;  here  is  Fitta-hill,  where  they  say  the  fairies  arc  frequently  seen  t  it  u  the 
highest  hill  in  all  the  northern  isles  of  Orkney.  In  the  north  end  of  this  isle  is  the 
castle  of  Noutland,  built  by  Gilbert  Balfour  for  the  use  of  Jamea  Hepburn  earl  of  Both- 
well,  married  to  Queen  Murv  the  27th  of  May,  an.  1567,  in  the  abby  of  Holyrood- 
house,  who  fearing  he  should  not  always  retain  and  enjoy  his  present  grandeur,  which 
the  nobit- s  envied  him  for,  he  likewise  being  suspected  f|[uilty  of  the  muider  of  my  Lord 
Darnly,  her  former  husband,  caused  to  be  built  this  strong  castle,  which,  upon  a 
chan(;e  of  the  scene,  he  might  betake  himself  unto,  situated  upon  a  high  rock  nigh  to 
the  D(  ucalcdunian  Ocean,  having  plain  champain  ground  about  it ;  it  is  four  stories 
high,  and  the  lowest  is  strongly  vaulted,  above  which  is  a  high  hall,  having  two  air-holes 
through  the  aich,  so  to  give  vent  to  the  powder,  if  at  any  time  they  should  be  sur- 

Erized  with  a  blast,  the  walls  are  very  thick,  and  all  the  free-stone  for  the  building  was 
rought  from  the  south :  the  roof  is  flat  and  fenced  with  rails  of  stone,  whence  we  have 
«  a  fair  view  of  the  circumjacent  country.  There  are  several  holes  or  slits  in  the  build- 
ing,  not  only  to  let  in  the  light,  but  to  gall  an  approaching  enemy  with  small  shot,  if 
at  any  time  they  should  be  attacked ;  but  the  Lord,  often  taking  the  sinner  in  his  own 
craftiness,  suffered  him  not  so  to  escape,  by  sheltering  himself  in  this  nest.  This  castle 
was  never  completed,  for  in  one  part  thereof  the  walls  are  but  half  the  height  intended, 
and  never  hitherto  covered  with  a  roof,  and  he  being  pursued  by  the  Lords  of  the 
congregation,  never  possessed  it,  or  so  much  as  saw  it,  if  not  at  a  distance,  for  he  taking 
himself  to  sea  with  two  or  three  ships  came  to  Kirkwal  in  Orkney,  and  being  driven 
thence  by  William  Kircaldy  of  Grange,  he  fled  to  Zetland,  where  the  pursuer  had 
-  almost  overtaken  him,  if  the  pilot's  skill  in  these  seas  had  not  made  a  way  to  escape, 
in  holding  down  by  the  side  of  a  blind  rock  well  enough  known  to  the  pilot,  which  the 
pursuer  ignorant  of  split  upon ;  which  rock  to  this  day  is  called  the  Unicom,  from  the 
name  of  a  ship  that  perished  upon  it  Bothwell  escaped  to  Norway,  where  being  ap- 
prehended, he  was  taken  to  Denmark,  and  cast  into  %  filthy  prison,  where  he  died  after 
ten  years  imprisonment :  his  wicked  life  having  this  miserable  end  :  '*  Though  hand 
join  in  hand,  the  wicked  shall  not  go  unpunished ;"  and  ordinarily  murder,  (whereof 
he  was  suspected  to  be  guilty,)  so  crieth  from  the  ground,  that  it  bringeth  down  re- 
markable and  often  tremendous  judgments  in  time*  There  are  several  gentlemcns'* 
houses  in  Westra.  >  •    ;  .    .  ■ 


I 


^ -T»»-^,W"iL'!.'7r.'g?<S" -.  Ag:'...':'^- 


-c-^r 


ZETLAND,    PIOHTLAKD.riMTH,    ANB  CAITHlfilf. 


753 


The  minister  of  Wcstra  hath  three  churches,  wherein  he  preaches  per  vices,  two  in 
Wcstru,  one  at  thi*  west  end  of  the  isle  culled  the  Wc»t-Kirk,  and  another  nigh  to  the 
north  end  culhd  the  North*  Kirk,  the  third  church  is  in  Papa.  Wetitra,  a  liitic  isile  of 
three  mites  lon^  from  south  to  north  t  betwixt  it  and  Westra  there  is  a  convenient  hnr« 
hour  for  ships  at  Piriwn  ;  as  also  in  the  same  sound  a  little  to  the  north  of  this  harbour 
lies  a  holm,  wherein  there  hath  Ixren  a  little  chapel,  whereof  some  of  the  ruinous  walls 
arc  yet  to  be  seen.  Pupa-VVeitra  aboundeth  with  rabbits,  and  hath  some  com  land, 
but  not  so  much  as  some  other  isles,  it  being  hard  and  stony  eround ;  it  bclongcth  to  u 

EMitleman  called  Holland,  and  hath  been  reputed  famous  for  St.  Trodwell's  Chapel  uikI 
och  or  Luke.    To  the  east  of  this  isle  lictn  the  Holm  where  the  Enster  men  had  their 
huts  as  ulx)ve. 

To  the  south  of  Westra  lies  Rousa,  an  isle  six  miles  long,  full  of  heathy  hills,  abound- 
ing with  moor-fowls  ;  there  is  not  much  corn  in  it,  and  but  thinly  inhabited.  There  is 
a  loch  and  mill  thereon,  that  gocth  ordinarily  all  the  summer  over,  which  is  rare  in 
these  Isles.  The  minister  ol  Rouau  hath  two  kirks,  one  in  Rousa  and  another  in  Egle. 
aha,  a  pleasant  isle  two  miles  long,  where  a  church  much  frequented  by  superstitions 
people,  with  a  hi||h  steeple,  seen  at  n  great  dixtance,  wh«re  (as  some  would  have  it)  St. 
Magnus  was  buned.  To  his  charge  also  belongs  Inhallo,  a  little  isle  to  the  west  oi' 
Rousa,  also  Wyre,  a  small  isle. 

Thus  I  have  glanced  at  the  description  of  the  Orcades ;  most  of  which  I  have  had 
occasion  to  see,  wherein  we  see  there  are  seventeen  parishes ;  eight  in  the  mainland, 
viz.  Kirkwall,  Holm,  Deemess  and  St.  Andrews,  Evie  and  Kendal,  Firth  and  Stennis, 
Orphir,  Birsa  and  Hara,  Sandwick  and  Stromness ;  and  nine  in  the  other  isles,  viz. 
South  Ronalsha  and  Bura,  Waes  and  Flotta,  Hoy  and  Gramsey,  Shapinsha,  Stronsa 
and  Eda,  Lady-Kirk  in  Sanda,  Cross*kirk  and  Burness  in  Sanda,  and  North  Ronalsha, 
Westra  and  Papa- Westra,  Rousa  and  Eglesha  ;  but  there  are  thirty -one  kirks ;  and 
these  ministers  look  upon  themselves  as  more  happily  posted,  who  have  only  one  kirk, 
especially  if  they  have  not  more  kirks  in  several  isles ;  this  tending  more  to  the  ediiica- 
tion  of  the  people  under  their  charge,  and  consequently  to  their  peace  and  encourage- 
ment,  they  every  Lord's  Day  dispensing  ordinances  m  the  same  place,  to  the  samo 
people,  whereas  those  who  have  more  kirks  committed  to  them  are  sometimes  obliged 
to  preach  in  one  place,  and  sometimes  in  another,  and  the  people  generally  frequent  out 
their  own  kirk,  especially  if  thev  be  in  different  isles ;  hence  ordinarily  they  enjoy  the 
ordinances  only  every  other  Sabbath,  and  in  some  places  but  one  of  three,  which  can- 
not but  obstruct  the  progress  of  the  Gospel  among  them.  Besides,  it  is  uneasy,  ex- 
pensive, and  dangerous  for  them  to  travel  irom  isle  to  isle,  and  sometimes  a  storoi  aris- 
ing the^  are  necessarily  detained  there.  The  stipends  here  are  small,  and  for  the  most 
pa'i  t  puid  by  the  steward  or  his  depute,  the  king  being  the  principal  proprietor,  yet  they 
C(in  live  very  wel!  upon  them.,  victuals  bein^  had  at  an  easy  rate. 

The  people  are  generally  tractable,  submissive  and  respectful  to  their  ministers,  which 
is  very  desirable  and  encouraging  to  those  who  labour  among  them,  when  true  zeal 
enlargeth  the  desires,  and  puts  an  edge  upon  the  sfHrits  of  pastors  in  the  discharge  of  the 
Lord  a  work  for  the  good  of  souls* 

Chap.  TV.— Some  Tfuntp  remarkable  in  Orkney^  as  ancient  Monument^  strange 

Providences^  &?c.  are  represented, 

HAVING  taken  a  view  of  the  country  in  general,  and  the  several  isles  in  particular, 
I  shall  now  divert  my  reader  with  some  things  remarkable,  not  altogether  unworthy  oC 
vol.  III.  5  X) 


M 


714 


•iAKD*i  BiioiirTfoir  or  orkkit, 


our  ub)irrv!iti«)n,  luch  at  lome  ancient  monument,  fttning^  accidentt,  «nd  lome  other 
lliing^t,  iu)t  only  curious  and  dclcctuhle,  but  uUo  nrofiiable  to  the  judicious  ;  utfordinif 
iiKittcr  "  of  uicdiuiion  to  the  wiitc  observers  of  tnctic  thingn,  who  rrgard  the  works  uf 
tt>e  Lord,  tiiid  duly  ponder  (he  operalioiii  of  his  handa,  in  the  years  of  ancient  and  tat' 
ttr  limes." 

'I'hc  first  we  take  notice  of  is  the  atone  called  the  Dwnrftc  Stone,  lyiufi^  in  a  valley 
lx:twcen  two  hills,  to  the  north  of  the  Hill  of  Hoy,  it  is  about  thirty-four  feet  fonjif,  six* 
ti-cn  or  seventeen  broad,  and  eight  thick,  hollowed  b)  the  hand  uf  some  mason,  as  the 
print  of  the  mason-irons  do  yet  shew  ;  it  hath  a  square  hole  for  the  entry,  looking  to 
tlic  cast,  two  feet  high,  with  a  stone  proportionable  standii^g  before  this  cn(ry  ut  two 
feet  distance  ;  within  at  one  end  is  hewn  out  a  bed  with  a  pillow,  wherein  two  persons 
may  lie  almost  at  their  full  length  ;  opposite  to  this,  at  the  other  end,  is  something  also 
hewn  out  like  a  couch,  between  which  bed  and  couch  there  is  a  lurgr  hole  above, 
about  the  bigness  of  the  entry,  through  which  a  person  may  come  up  to  the  top  uf  the 
stone,  and  might  serve  for  a  vent  to  the  smoke,  if  so  be  they  had  put  any  fire  upon  a 
liearth  between  the  two  beds.  Beneath  this  stone  runs  to  the  south  u  cold  and  plea* 
aant  spring,  which  might  afford  drink  to  the  inhabitants.  Who  hewed  this  stone,  or  for 
what  use  it  was,  we  could  not  learn ;  the  common  tradition  among  the  people  is,  that  a 

?iant  with  his  wife  lived  in  this  isle  of  Hoy,  who  had  this  stone  for  their  castle.  But 
would  rather  think,  seeing  it  could  tu)t  accommodate  any  of  a  gigantic  stature,  that  it 
might  be  for  the  ase  of  some  dwarf,  as  the  name  seems  to  import,  or,  it  being  remote 
from  any  house«  might  be  the  retired  cell  of  some  melancholy  hermit.  The  stone  also 
may  be  called  tJie  JJwarfie  Stone,  per  antiphrasin,  or  by  way  of  opposition,  it  being  so 
very  great. 

To  the  north-west  of  this  stone  is  a  high  mountain  of  a  steep  ascent,  called  the  Wart- 
bill  of  Hoy,  looking  to  the  north  ;  nigh  to  the  top  of  which  hill,  about  mid-day,  is  seen 
something,  and  that  at  a  good  distance,  wliich  glitters  and  shines  wonderfully,  and  though 
some  have  climbed  up  and  searched  for  it,  yet  could  find  nothing ;  it  shines  most  in 
the  summer  time :  the  people  talk  of  it  as  some  enchanted  carbuncle ;  others  take  it 
to  be  a  water  that  reflecteth  tne  sun's  raya,  and  so  causeth  such  a  sparkling  and  splen* 
dor ;  but  a  gentleman  who  liveth  nigh  to  this  rock  told  us,  that  it  shines  most  in  the 
greatest  drought,  when  no  water  is  near  it. 

At  the  west  end  of  the  mainland,  about  a  mile  and  a  half  to  the  west  of  the  house 
of  Skael,  on  the  top  of  high  rocks,  there  is  something  like  a  street,  near  to  a  quarter  of 
u  mile  in  length,  and  between  twenty  and  thirty  feet  in  breadth,  all  laid  with  stones  of 
different  figures  and  magnitudes,  of  a  reddish  colour :  some  of  which  stones  bear  the 
image  and  representation  of  a  heart,  others  of  a  crown,  others  of  a  shoe,  a  leg,  a  last, 
a  weaver's  shuttle,  &c.  And  that  which  renders  it  yet  the  more  strange  is,  when  these 
stones  are  raised,  many  of  them  have  the  same  figure  and  shape  below  on  the  one  side, 
that  they  have  above  on  the  other ;  which  street  all  beholders  look  on  as  very  wonder- 
ful. I  saw  a  part  of  the  garden  wall  of  the  house  of  Skael,  decored  in  the  forepart 
thereof  with  these  stones ;  we  intended  to  have  sent  a  parcel  of  them  south  to  our  friends 
as  a  rarity,  if  they  had  not  been  forgot  at  our  return  from  Zetland.  Whether  these 
stones  be  so  laid  and  figured  by  art  or  by  nature  will  be  hard  to  determine.  For  there 
is  no  house  nigh  to  this  street,  neither  are  the  ruins  of  any'  which  formerly  have  been 
there  to  be  seen.  So  puzzling  are  the  works  of  God  to  the  most  ingeniotis  and  accurate 
observers  of  Providence. 

At  the  lock  of  Stennis  in  the  mainland,  in  that  part  thereof  where  the  loch  is  nar- 
rowest, both  on  the  west  and  east  side  of  the  loch,  tnere  is  a  ditch,  within  which  there 


1 4.  J  I J  main 


aiTLANO,    PICUILAKO-riKTHi   ANT   CAir.i.ll. 


755 


ii  a  circle  of  large  and  hi|;li  ktoncs  erected  :  the  larger  round  it  on  the  \vc%t  aide, 
ttbovc  one  hundred  \)nccn  dMinctcr :  the  utoncii,  »ct  abtut  in  ftirm  of  a  cir*  Ic  within  a 
large  ditch,  arc  not  ull  of  a  like  quantity  and  nisc,  though  aomc  of  them,  1  think,  arc 
upwtirdi  of  twenty  feet  high  ulwvc  grounj,  four  ur  five  feet  brrtud,  and  u  foii*  or  two 
thick,  Hunie  oi  which  atoocn  arc  fallen,  bur  many  of  them  are  yet  alunding,  between 
which  there  IN  not  un  equul  diatancc,  but  manv  of  them  urc  about  tenor  twelve  Tet 
distant  from  each  ottier.  On  the  other  aide  of  the  loch,  over  which  wc  paatx  by  u  bridge 
laid  with  ktoneu  aHer  the  manner  of  a  atrcet,  the  loch  there  being  bhullnw,  arc  two 
atones  standing,  of  u  like  bigneM  with  the  rc&t,  wlurrcof  one  h.  .h  a  round  hole  in  the 
mid»t  of  it,  at  a  little  diatancc  from  which  ktonea  there  la  another  ditch,  about  half  a 
mile  from  the  former,  but  of  a  fur  k%%  circumference,  within  which  also  there  are  immo 
atonea  standing,  tiomcthing  bigger  than  the  oUier  atonc*i  on  the  wc5t  »idu  of  the  loch, 
in  form  uf  u  aemicircle,  I  think,  rather  than  of  a  circle,  opening  to  the  east,  for  I  see 
no  atonea  that  have  fallen  there  save  one,  which  when  standing  did  complete  but  the 
semicircle.  Both  at  the  east  and  west  end  of  the  bigger  round  arc  two  green  mountn, 
which  appear  to  be  artificial  i  in  one  of  which  mounts  were  found,  saith  Mr.  Wallace^ 
nine  fibulao  of  silver,  round,  but  opening  in  one  place  like  to  a  horseshoe. 

It  is  most  probably  thought  that  these  were  the  high-places  in  times  of  pngnn  idota^ 
try,  whereon  sacrifices  were  oflc-rcd,  and  that  the  two  artificial  mounts  of  eartli  served 
for  the  san'c  purpose,  or  were  the  places  where  the  ashes  of  the  sacrifices  were  cast,  a<» 
some  Avill  have  it.  Boethius,  in  the  life  of  Mainus  king  of  Scots,  obscrveth,  that  the 
people  called  these  huge  stones  drawn  together  in  the  form  of  a  rirck,  the  ancient 
temple  of  the  gods :  Ut  populus  ad  religioncm  moverentur,  pri&cis  »acris  novas  quasdam  et 
solennet  ccremonias  superaddidit  (Rex  nimirum  Mainus)  diis  immortalibiis  peragendas, 
ut  immeniis  saxis  variia  in  regionum  locis  (ut  res  cxposcebat)  in  coronidem  admotis, 
eorumaue  maximo  ad  meridiem  porrecto,  cujus  proara  foret  usus :  victimre  ibi  diisim. 
mortalibus  socrificium  cremarentur.  Fxtant  in  rei  fidem,  vel  hoc  nostro  nvo  ingentia  ea 
saxa  ducta  in  circoa,  prisca  deorum  phana  vulgus  oppellat.  Many  of  the  country  do  sav, 
that  in  the  larger  round  the  sun»  and  in  the  lesser  the  moon,  was  worshipped  by  the  old 
pagan  inhabitants  of  these  isles. 

And  indeed  to  build  their  altars  of  earth  or  unpolished  stones  seems  to  have  been  the 
custom  of  ancient  times*  and  even  of  the  first  ages  of  the  Roman  empire,  as  the  learned 
Spencer  endeavours  to  prove  from  Tertullian,  Etsi  a  Numa  conccpta  est  curiositas  super- 
stitiosa,  nondum  tamen  aut  simulacris  aut  templis  res  divina  apud  Romanos  constabat. 
Fru{|^i  religio  et  pauperes  ritus  et  nulla  capitolia  ccrtantia  coelo ;  sed  temeraria  dc  cespite 
altaria,  et  vasa  adlmc  Samia,  etnidor  ex  illis,  et  Deus  ipse  nusquam.  And  further  con- 
firming  the  same  from  Cluverius  writing  of  the  German  antiquities.  And  concludes 
with  giving  the  reasoii  why  the  Gentiles  of  old  were  so  taken  with  rude,  undigested, 
artless,  and  unpolished  altars  and  places  of  worship,  becauie  they  judged  them  more 
holy  and  more  acceptable  to  the  Gods :  Gentes  antiques,  saith  he,  natura  vel  traditione 
doctae,  naturalia  omnia  rudia  licet  et  impolita,  sanctiona  ct  diis  suis  gratiora  credidenint. 
And  here  in  these  monuments  nothmg  like  art  or  form :  the  stones  are  not  po- 
lished, nor  all  of  a  like  thickness^  height  or  breadth,  nor  of  an  equal  distance  from, 
each  other. 

In  the  isle  of  Sanda  there  is.  a  chapel  called,  the  chapel  of  Glet,  wherein  there  is  » 
^ve  nineteen  feet  long,  which  when  opened  some  years  ago,  there  was  nothing  found 
m  it  save  the  piece  of  a  back-bone  of  a  man^,  greater  than  the  back-bone  of  any  horse. 
This  the  minister  of  the  place  declared  unto  me,  who  saw  the  grave  opened,  and  mea- 
sured it  from  the  head  to  the  foot  stoiie  thereof ;  who  also  for  some  time  had  the  boue. 

5u2 


P 


. 


) 


756 


BEAKD*S   SE9C1IPTI0N    OP    ORXNBV, 


in  his  custody.  The  vulgar  tradition  is,  that  there  was  a  giant  there,  who  was  of  so 
tall  a  stature  that  he  could  have  stood  upon  the  ground  and  put  the  copstone  upon  the 
chapel,  which  no  man  now  living  by  far  could  do. 

There  are  also  bones  found  in  Westra,  between  Tukey  and  the  West  Church,  as  great 
as  horse  bones,  as  the  minister  of  Westra  informed  me.  And  some  there  have  been 
lately  of  a  gigantic  stature  in  these  isles ;  as  that  man  who  died  not  long  since,  whom 
for  his  height  they  commonly  call  the  Meikle  Manof  Waes. 

Through  this  country  we  find  several  obelisks,  or  very  high  and  great  stones  set  up, 
as  one  in  the  isle  of  £da,  another  on  the  mainland,  within  a  mile  of  Birsu,  &c.  they 
appear  to  be  much  worn,  by  the  washing  of  wind  and  rain,  which  shews  they  are  of  a 
long  standing,  and  it  is  very  strange  to  think  how  in  these  places  and  times  they  got 
such  large  stones  carried  and  erected.  Mirabile  profecto  quisquis  ea  spectaverit  qua  arte 
quibus  corporis  virihus  lapides  tanta  mole  in  ununi  locum  fuerint  congesti.  The  reason  and 
end  of  their  setting  up  cannot  be  certainly  known  ;  however  we  may  conjecture,  that 
probably  it  was  in  remembrance  of  some  famous  battle,  or  hath  been  the  ancient  fu- 
neral  monuments  of  some  renoti^ned  persons,  who  have  fallen  in  battle  or  been  buried 
there.  Several  of  which  stones  and  monuments  are  to  be  seen  in  many  places  through 
Scotland,  and  in  Norway  they  are  very  common,  as  our  travellers  who  huve  seen 
them  inform  me.  And  it  is  like  these  stones  have  been  set  up  by  the  Norv/cgiuns,  when 
they  possessed  this  country. 

In  Scapha  about  a  mile  from  Kirkwall  to  south-west  it  is  stud  there  was  kept  a  large 
and  ancient  cup,  which  they  say  belonged  to  St  Magnus  king  of  Norway,  who  first  in- 
structed them  in  the  principles  of  the  Christian  religion  and  founded  the  church  of 
Kirkwall,  with  which  full  of  some  strong  drink  their  bishops  at  their  first  landing  were 
presented ;  which,  if  he  drank  out,  they  highly  praised  him,  and  made  themselves  to 
believe,  that  they  should  have  many  and  fruitful  years  in  his  time.  This  Buchanan 
relates,  and  as  Mr.  Wallace  observeth,  is  still  believed  there,  and  talked  of  as  a  truth. 
Scyphum  habent  antiquum,  saith  Buchanan,  quern  divi  Magni,  qui  primus  ad  eos  Christi 
doctrinam  attulit,  fuisse  praedicant ;  is  cum  ita  superet  communium  poculorum  amplitudi- 
nem,  ut  e  Lapitharum  convivio  reservatus  videri  possit,  eo  suos  episcopos  initio  ad  se 
ailventantes  explorant :  qui  plenum  uno  haustu  ebiberit  (quod  admodum  raro  evenit) 
miris  eum  laudibus  prosequurttur.  atque  hinc  velut  Iseto  augurio  sequentium  annorum 
proventum  animis  prsecipiunt.  The  country  to  this  day  have  the  tradition  of  this,  but  we 
did  not  see  the  cup,  nor  could  we  learn  where  it  was.  And  indeed  that  which  renders 
this  the  more  credible  is,  that  the  Norwegians  at  present,  as  merchants  and  mariners  in- 
forms us,  have  a  custom  like  unto  this,  that  if  any  come  to  pay  them  a  visit,  especially  if 
they  be  strangers,  they  use  to  present  them  mtn  a  large  cup  full  of  drink,  which  they 
take  not  well  if  their  guests  drink  not  out.  They  say,  some  of  these  cups  will  contain 
three  mutchins,  others  a  pint,  and  some  a  quart,  of  our  measure. 

The  wind,  and  sea,  in  any  storm,  beats  most  tempestuouslyjfand  vehemently  here  upon 
the  rocks :  a  little  to  the  west  of  Kercton  in  the  mainland,  there  is  a  rock  called  the  Black 
Craig  of  Stromness,  about  seventy  fathom  high;  ui)on  which  in  a  storm  the  sea  from  the 
Deucaledonian  ocean  doth  beat  with  such  violence  and  force,  that  the  waves,  breaking 
thereupon,  cause  the  water  to  rise  to  the  top  of  the  rock  like  snow,  and  fly  like  a  white 
sheet  before  the  wind,  blasting  the  corns  for  three  or  four  miles  behind  the  rock,  if  it 
fall  out  in  or  a  little  before  harvest ;  and  this  it  doth  likewise  in  several  other  places  of  the 
country,  as  some  gendemen,  who  knew  it  to  their  experience,  did  declare.  Yea,  so  great 
is  the  violence  of  these  tempestuous  seas,  that  thereby  some  great  stones  are  cast  out  and 
others  are  worn,  so  that  large  caves  in  some  places  run  from  the  sea  within  the  rock. 


'* 


SJagsrsT^ 


ZfiTLANl),   PICHTIAND'FIRTR,    AND   CAITHNESS. 


757 


beneath  the  ground  for  some  considerable  way.  I  saw  one  of  these  at  the  cast  end  of  tlic 
mainland  in  the  parish  of  Holm,  it  is  all  covered  above  with  the  rock  and  earth,  save 
that  within  these  few  years  some  of  the  rock  and  earth  fell  in,  or  was  blown  up  (as  they 
call  it)  in  one  night,  by  a  violent  storm  blowing  from  south.east;  hence  now  there  is  a  hole 
in  the  hill  above,  like  the  eye  of  a  coal-pit,  which  is  terrible  to  look  down  into  :  there  is 
another,  something  like  this,  in  South- Ronaldsha.  In  these  caves,  doves  and  sea-fowls  in 
great  numbers  use  to  nestle. 

Several  strange  fishes  are  here  taken,  or  cast  ashore  sometimes,  which  are,  they  say,  very 
beautiful  to  look  upon,  but  we  never  had  occasion  to  see  any  of  them.  There  arc  lik  . 
wise  a  great  number  of  little  whales,  which  swim  through  these  isles,  which  they  call 
spout-whales  or  pellacks,  some  of  which  I  have  seen  ;  and  they  tell  us  it  is  dangerous 
for  boats  to  fall  among  them,  lest  they  be  overturned  by  them  :  the  former  year,  anno 
1699,  there  were  thirteen  of  these  whales  driven  on  shore  upon  Gairsay's  Land,  and 
eleven  upon  Eglesha's,  about  one  time,  as  the  gentlemen  themselves  did  inform  me,  of 
which  oil  is  made,  very  beneficial  to  the  masters  of  the  ground.  The  otters  also,  seals  or 
selchs,  and  other  suchsea<creatures,  are  very  numerous,  but  now  their  number  is  so  much 
diminished,  that  not  one  cjf  twenty  is  to  be  seen,  and  they  have  found  several  of  them 
lying  dead  upon  the  shore  ;  S9me  hence  observing  that  the  judgments  of  God,  as  to  scar. 
city  of  suitable  provisions  to  these  creatures,  are  upon  the  waters  also. 

The  tides  here  are  so  rapid  that  they  will  carry  a  ship  along  with  them,  though  the  wind 
be  contrary,  if  not  very  strong,  and  in  going  among  these  isles  scarce  are  they  out  of  one 
tide  when  they  are  enfi;aged  in  another ;  and  in  goii  j  from  place  to  place  they  will  find 
sometimes  the  same  flood  for  them«  and  at  other  times  against  them,  and  so  with  the  ebb, 
especially  there  are  some  impetuous  tides,  whichjthey  call  rousts,  caused  by  the  strong 
current  of  a  tide  meeting  with  a  narrow  passage  ;  the  quickness  and  rapidity  of  the  tide 
compensing  the  narrowness  of  the  passage,  as  it  is  in  lanes^  which  straitens  the  blowing 
wind,  and  makes  the  wind  to  blow  so  much  the  harder,  in  a  proportion  to  the  | .  jssure 
it  suffers  by  the  straits  of  the  lane ;  so  may  we  reason  concerning  the  rousts  which  run 
among  the  isles.  I  have  seen  some  of  these  rousts  boil  like  unto  a  seething  got,  with 
their  high«  white,  and  broken  waves,  in  a  cilm  summer  day,  when  there  was  no  wind 
blowing.  At  one  time  sailing  by  the  side  of  Lasha  Roust,  between  Sanda  and  the  Calf 
of  Eda,  the  roust  getting  some  hold  of  us,  turned  about  the  head  of  our  boat  very  quick- 
ly, and  though  there  were  four  able  young  men  rowing,  beside  the  help  we  had  by  the 
sail,  wc  could  not  without  great  difficulty  make  our  way  through  it :  they  tell  us,  that  if 
the  greatest  ship  in  Britain  fell  into  this  roust,  where  it  is  strongest,  it  would  turn  her  a- 
bout  at  pleasure,  and  detain  her.  till  the  tide  fell  weak,  even  though  she  had  a  right  fa. 
vourable  gale.  These  rousts  are  more  dangerous  in  an  ebb  than  in  a  flood,  the  ebb  being 
observed  still,  cseteris  paribus,  to  make  the  foulest  and  most  tempestuous  sea,  and  espe- 
cially they  will  foam  and  rage,  if  the  tide  be  running  in  the  wind's  eye :  and  when  there 
is  any  storm,  they  will  cause  any  ship  or  boat  to  stand  on  end,  and  be  ready  to  s.mk  her  in 
the  fall.  Several  of  which  rousts  we  had  occasion  to  meet  with,  but  the  Lord  brought 
us  safe  through. 

Though  the  general  current  of  the  tide  be  still  the  same,  from  west  to  east  in  a  flood,  and 
froni  east  to  west  in  an  ebb,  yet  running;  with  violence  upon  the  land  they  cause  a  contrary 
motion  in  the  sea  next  to  it,  which  they  call  Easteror  Wester  Birth,  according  to  its  course. 
And  there  are  some  things  which  have  been  observed  as  very  strange  in  the  running  of  the 
tides,  as  that  it  flows  two  hours  sooner  on  the  west  side  of  Sanda  tfian  it  doth  on  the  east : 
and  at  Hammoness  in  the  same  isle  both  ebb  and  flood  runs  one  way,  except  at  the  begin, 
ningof  a  quick  stream,  when  for  two  or  three  hours  the  flood  runs  south:  in  North 


# 


H 


758 


BUAND's    description    of    ORKNEY, 


I 


Faira  the  sea  ebbs  nine  hours,  and  flows  but  three,  but  the  reasons  of  these  |)henomcna 
will  not  be  so  intricate  or  hard  to  resolve,  if  we  consider  the  situation  of  these  isles,  where 
the  tide  seems  to  alter  his  course  ;  for  the  flood  coming  from  the  west  to  the  west  side  of 
Sanda,  it  takes  some  time  before  it  can  get  about  the  points  of  the  isle  to  the  south  side 
thereof ;  so  in  North  Faira,  the  sea  is  more  open  whence  the  flood  cometh,  but  the  ebb 
runneth  through  several  isles,  turning  many  points  of  land  before  it  come  to  North  Faira, 
which  cannot  but  retard  its  motion :  so  at  Hammoness  in  Sunda,  the  situadonn  of  the  place 
much  deter mincth  the  running  of  the  tide. 

The  rapid  motion  of  these  tides  among  the  isles,  and  their  meeting  with  one  another, 
makes  it  very  dangerous,  and  sometimes  more  especially  in  a  calm  ;  so  a  minister  there 
told  u«,  that  he  was  never  nearer  death  in  his  life  than  in  a  dead  calm  when  nigh  to 
Wcbtru,  for  they  saw  the  sea  coming,  which  they  thought  would  swallow  them  up,  and 
there  being  no  wind  they  could  not  get  out  of  the  way,  but  God  so  ordered  it  in  his-wise 
prtjvidt-nce,  that  the  sea,  or  swell  of  the  sea,  which  they  feared,  broke  on  the  fore  part  of 
the  boat,  and  so  they  escaped. 

There  are  frequently  Finmen  seen  here  upon  the  coasts,  as  one  about  a  year  ago  on 
Stronsa,  and  another  within  these  few  months  on  Westra,  a  gentleman  with  many 
others  in  the  isle  looking  on  him  nigh  to  the  shore,  but  when  any  endeavour  to  apprC' 
hend  ihem,  they  flee  away  most  swiftly ;  which  is  very  strange,  that  one  man,  sitting  in 
his  little  boat,  should  come  some  hundred  of  leagues  from  their  own  coasts,  as  tltey 
reckon  Finland  to  be  from  Orkney ;  it  may  be  thought  wonderful  how  they  live  all 
that  time,  and  are  able  to  keep  the  sea  so  long.  His  boat  is  made  of  seaUskins,  or  some 
kind  of  leather,  he  also  hath  a  coat  of  leather  upon  him,  and  he  sitteth  in  the  middle  of 
his  boat,  with  a  little  oar  in  his  hand,  fishing  with  his  lines :  and  when  in  a  storm  he  sees 
the  high  surge  of  a  wave  approaching,  he  hath  a  way  of  sinking  his  boat,  till  the  wave  pass 
over,  least  thereby  he  should  be  overturned.  The  *ishers  here  observe  that  these  Fin- 
men  or  Finland-men  by  their  coming  drive  away  the  fishes  from  ihe  coasts  One  of 
their  boats  is  kept  as  a  rarity  in  the  Physicians  Hall  at  Edinburgh. 

On  the  west  side  of  Papa- Westra,  between  it  and  Westra,  there  is  an  Holm,  wherein 
once  there  was  a  little  chapel,  whereof  some  of  the  side-walls  are  now  only  standing,  in 
which  they  say  there  were  seven  sisters  buried,  who  were  nuns,  and  desired  to  lie  in  this 
holm,  about  whose  graves  this  chapt .  was  built :  about  a  year  ago,  there  were  seen 
several  times,  at  mid-day,  about  twenty  men  walking  on  that  holm,  among  whom  there 
was  one  higher  and  greater  than  the  rest,  who  sometimes  stood  and  looked  unto  the 
chapel ;  this  my  informer  with  a  hundred  people  in  the  isle  of  Papa  saw,  who  could  at- 
test the  same  :  after  which  appearance  there  was  a  boat  cast  away  on  that  holm  with 
four  men  in  her,  who  were  all  lost 

In  the  links  of  Tranaby  in  Westra,  and  of  Skeal  in  the  mainland,  washed  from  the 
west  by  the  Deucaledonian  Ocean,  some  places  are  discovered  when  the  sea  washeth 
away  the  sand,  which  shews  that  such  places  have  been  cemeteries  or  burying  places  for 
their  dead  of  old,  of  a  square  figure,  and  the  stones  are  joined  together  by  some  cement ; 
when  opened,  earth  and  sometimes  bones  are  found  in  them ;  the  reason  some  do  give  of 
this  is  because  the  way  of  interring  dead  bodies  among  many  of  the  ancients,  (as  among 
the  Saxons  in  the  isle  of  Britain)  was  not  in  deep  graves,  but  under  clods  or  turfs  of 
earth  made  into  hillocks.  But  none  of  these  we  had  occasion  to  see.  Concerning  that 
rock  called  Less,  surrounded  with  the  sea,  nigh  to  the  Noup-head  in  Westra,  upon 
which  some  say,  if  any  man  go,  having  iron  on  him,  the  sea  will  instantly  rage,  so  that  no 
boat  can  come  ;:;gh  to  take  him  off,  nor  the  sea  be  settled,  till  the  peice  of  iron  be  cast 
into  it ;  when  in  Westra  we  enquired  about  it,  but  found  no  ground  for  the  truth 
thereof, 


.,^ 


A.teW*'/***'"' 


i'^'flStSv^^. 


^•'*C- 


ZETLAND,    FICHTLANO'FIIITH,    AND    CAITHNESS. 


m 


Mr.  Wallace  narrates  a  remarkable  providence,  which  the  ministers  here  confirmed  to 
us  as  a  truth ;  concerning  four  men  in  Stronsa  who  used  to  fish  together  in  one  boat, 
among  whom  there  was  one  John  Smith,  whose  wifi:  being  desirous  he  should  intermit 
his  fishing  for  a  time,  he  having  purcliased  a  great  plenty  of  fish,  which  he  not  being  so 
willing  to  do,  on  a  day  she  rihing  before  him  stopped  the  windows,  and  other  places  ia 
the  house,  whereby  light  was  let  in,  and  so  went  to  the  fields ;  the  other  three  men  after 
their  usual  manner  went  to  sea,  whose  boat  she  saw  overturned  and  themselves  perish ; 
upon  which  she  returned  home  to  her  husband:  and  nodnubt  would  have  given  the  sad 
news  of  his  neighbours  perishing,  not  without  joy  congratulating  that  he  was  not  this 
day  m  coinpany  with  them:  but  upon  her  coming  into  her  house  she  had^et  a  more 
melancholy  sight ;  her  husband  lying  dead,  choaked  in  that  vessel,  wherein  th'^y  used  to 
make  ucine. 

An  honest  man  in  Orkney  told  me  that  some  years  ago,  when  he  was  coming  home 
with  timber  and  some  other  things  in  his  boat,  from  Innerness,  and  was  almost  the  length 
of  the  isle  of  £da,  where  he  lived,  the  boat  turned  and  lay  upon  her  side,  but  the  sails 
being  spread  in  the  water  hindered  the  mast  to  go  down,  and  her  altogether  to  overturn, 
mucn  of  what  they  had  in  went  to  the  sea,  and  he  with  the  other  seamen  in  company  sat 
upon  the  side  of  the  boat,  and  were  so  for  some  hours  tossed  up  and  down,  whither  the 
tide  did  drive  them,  they  in  the  mean  time  comforting  and  refreshing  one  another  with 
places  of  scripture  and  notes  of  sermons,  which  lately  they  hud  heard,  and  sometimes  put- 
ting up  earnest  prayers  to  God,  whom  the  wind  and  seas  do  obey ;  at  length  God,  not  turn- 
ing away  his  mercy  from  them,  njr  their  prayer  from  him,  graciously  gave  ear  unto  their 
cry,  and  brought  them  all  safe  ashore  toother  with  the  boat  on  the  west  side  of  Sanda, 
much  of  the  timber  and  what  they  had  m  being  driven  ashore  to  the  very  place  before 
them.  A  great  mercy,  when  not  only  they,  but  their  boat,  and  most  of  their  loadening, 
were  saved.  Some  of  those  men  whom  I  am  acquainted  with,  and  do  judge  godly,  can. 
not  speak  of  this  deliverance  but  with  great  concernedness  and  afiection,  which  makes 
me  to  think  this  mercy  not  to  have  been  cast  of  common  providence,  but  a  gracious  re> 
turn  of  their  prayer. 

The  effects  of  thunder  in  this  country  are  very  surprizing ;  1670  the  steeple  of  Kirk- 
wall was  burnt  with  lightning :  and  anno  1680,  there  was  a  gentleman  in  Stromness  in 
the  westend  ofthemamland  had  a  stall,  wherein  there  v/cru  twelve  kine;  the  thunder 
killed  every  other  one,  killing  one  and  passing  another,  so  that  there  were  six  killed,  and 
six  alive ;  this  the  ministers  confirmed  as  a  certain  truth  to  their  knowledge. 

There  was  a  man  that  died  not  many  years  ago,  who  when  a  child,  being  left  in  the 
field,  (the  mother,  as  some  say,  shearing  at  a  little  distance  from  him)  was  taken  up  by 
an  eagle,  und  carried  from  the  parish  of  Orphir,  in  the  mainland,  to  the  isle  of  Waes,  over 
three  or  four  miles  of  sea,  but  in  God's  good  providence,  the  eagle  being  quickly  pur- 
sued to  his  nest,  whither  the  child  was  taken,  he  was  recovered  witnout  any  hurt. 

.  It  was  observed  that  in  the.se  isles,  before  the  late  dearth,  there  were  several  strange  birds 
seen,  such  as  they  have  not  seen  formerly  nor  since.  One  of  the  ministers  told  me,  that 
one  bird  frequented  his  house  about  that  time  for  a  quarter  of  a  year,  which  was  of  a 
black,  white,  red  and  green  colour :  as  also  he  saw  another,  all  striped  (X  sprainged  on 
the  back,  which  birds  were  beautiful  to  behold. 

There  was  a  monster  about  seven  years  ago  born  of  one  Helen  Thomson,  spouse  to 
David  Martin,  weaver,  in  North  Ronaldsha,  havtng  his  neck  between  head  and  shoulders 
a  quarter  and  an  half  of  a  yard  long,  with  a  face,  nose,  eyes,  mouth  &c.  to  the  back, 
as  well  as  before,  so  that  it  was  two  faced,  which  monster  came  living  into  the 
world :  this  the  minister  declared  unto  us,  having  taken  the  attestation  of  the  women 


f 


760 


brand's    DB8CAIPTX0N    OF    ORXNEVf 


present  at  the  birth,  he  not  being  on  the  place  at  the  time :  and  it  is  said  that  a  certn  ia 
woman  should  have  wished  this  upon  the  mother,  whom  she  alledged  had  lyed  upon  h  er, 
in  her  wrath  wishing,  that  if  she  spoke  a  lie  she  might  bring  forth  a  monster,  which  ac* 
cordingly  came  to  pass  in  God's  holy  and  wise  providence. 

Some  say  there  arc  several  mines  of  silver,  tin,  lead,  8cc.  Also  some  veins  of  marble 
and  alabaster ;  Buchanan  commends  this  country  for  white  and  black  lead,  of  which  there 
is  to  be  had  as  good  as  in  Britain.  Sex  diversis  in  locis  hujus  insulae,  metallae  sunt  plumbli 
albi  &  nigri  tam  probi  quam  usquam  in  Britannia  reperiatur.  As  also  several  of  fine 
shells  to  be  found  un  the  shore  and  rocks,  but  we  had  occasion  to  see^none  of  them,  save 
some  of  these  nuts,  whereof  they  make  snuff-boxes. 

Chap.  V. — Some  Heathenish  and  Popish  Ritest    Charms,   fife,  yet  remaining 

the  Orkney  Islest  are  glanced  at. 

BEFORE  that  I  bring  to  a  close  my  discourse  concerning  Orkney,  I  shall  give  an  ac- 
count of  some  customs  yet  prevailing  among  them,  which  can  be  constructed  to  be  no. 
thing  else  save  the  sour  dregs  of  Pagan  and  Popish  superstition  and  idolatry,  yea,  and 
many  of  them,  such  as  the  charms  practised  by  them,  to  be  the  mere  and  woeful  effects  of 
pure  devilry,  and  not  the  product  of  nature's  operation. 

But,  lest' I  should  be  mistaken,  I  judge  it  not  amiss  to  premise,  that  not  all,  nay,  nor  the 
generality'  of  Orkney,  are  hereby  impeached  as  guilty  of  these  evils,  for  I  know  there  are 
many  judicious  and  wise  men,  and  I  hope  some  real  christians,  among  them,  who  abhor 
and  detest  such  things  as  much  as  any,  but  hereby  some  foolish  and  silly  ones  are  intend- 
ed, whom,  deceiving  and  being  deceived,  Satan  leadeth  captive  at  his  will ;  nor  yet  that 
all  the  isles  are  alike  lying  under  the  charge,  for  there  are  some  of  them,  whose  inhabi- 
tants are  generally  more  moral  and  discreet :  neither  b  it  alledged,  that  such  sinful  and 
corrupt  customs  prevail  as  much  now  as  formerly,  for  they  are  much  away  by  what 
they  were,  and  that  even  of  late :  nor  is  it  denied  but  that  honest  and  faithful  ministers 
will  labour  to  have  them  abolished  every  where,  seeing,  alas !  there  is  much  horrid 
wickedness  and  manifest  devilry  too  with  us  in  the  south,  as  well  as  with  them  in  the 
north*  so  that  no  part  of  the  kingdom  can  plead  not  guilty. 

But  my  principal  scojie  and  design  is  to  manifest  the  works  of  darkness,  and  to  show 
how  busy  the  god  of  this  world  is  in  deluding  and  blinding  poor  souls,  and  how  ready 
we  are  to  be  his  drudges  and  slaves ;  tliat  so  these  things,  being  wisely  and  seriously  con. 
sidered,  all  may  be  induced  to  make  a  christian  improvement  thereof,  both  with  respect 
to  themselves  and  others,  whom  they  are  called  to  pity  and  pray  for,  '*  if  peradventure 
God  will  give  them  repentance,  to  the  acknowledging  of  the  truth,  that  they  may  be  re- 
covered out  of  the  snare  of  the  devil ;"  and  more  esnecially  that  the  general  assemblies, 
and  other  judicatories  of  thb  church,  as  they  are  called,  may  be  pleased  to  continue  their 
fatherly  care  over  these  northern  isles,  that  though  they  be  remote  from  them  as  to  situ- 
ation, yet  they  may  be  near  unto  them  as  to  a  warm  and  kindly  affection,  which  our 
cliurch  hath  not  been  wanting  in  hitherto. 

And  first  we  would  take  notice,  that  the  old  maxim,  "  Ignorance  is  the  mother  of 
devotion,"  so  much  cried  up  by  the  papists  and  their  judicially  blinded  clergy,  is  so  far 
from  being  the  mother  of  devotion,  that  it  is  both  the  mother  and  nurse  of  the  most 
damnable  errors.  Superstitions  and  delusions,  as  these  isles  know  to  their  sad  experi- 
ence ;  for  ignorance  of  the  principles  of  our  hdy  religion  doth  greatly  prevail  among 
the  commonalty,  so  that,  as  one  of  their  ministers,  not  without  some  concern  and  gridT 
for  the  same,  tdd  ra«,  not  one  of  a  hundred  in  some  of  their  parishes  caB  read.    Ihw 


r'T?  ^3P53u5i5Iir^ 


ZKTLAND,    PICHTLAND'YIllTH,    AND    CAZTHKBS8. 


761 


tn 


this  comes  to  pass,  that  the  people  should  be  so  grossly  ignorant,  I  shall  not  undertake  to 
determine,  it  is  commonly  imputed  to  their  want  of  schools  through  the  country,  which 
indeed  I  will  not  say,  but  is  one  great  cause  thereof,  and  therefore  that  this  so  very 
dreadful  an  evil  may  be  effectually  remedied,  cure  should  be  taken  by  all  concerned,  that 
schools  be  erected  in  every  parish,  and  a  competent  salary  provided  for  the  master's 
maintenance  and  encouragement ;  and  that  also  in  every  isle  where  there  is  any  number 
of  inhabitants,  some  persou  should  be  appointed  fur  the  instruction  and  education  of 
their  children ;  and  until  that  such  a  course  be  taken,  the  people  generally  will  be  igno- 
rant still,  and  the  ministers,  as  to  the  preaching  part,  may  complain  in  the  words  of  the 
prophet,  ••  Whom  shall  we  teach  knowledge?  and  whom  shall  ;ve  make  to  understand 
doctrine  ?  them  that  are  weaned  from  the  milk,  and  drawn  from  the  breasts."  For  it 
is  much  about  one  to  preach  to  auditors  besotted  with  stupidity  and  ignorance,  aij  it  is 
to  give  exhortation  unto  babes,  therefore  it  is  that  our  church  in  her  assemblies  hath  so 
frequently  and  seriously  pressed  the  learning  of  children  to  read,  and  the  providing  of 
schools  for  that  end,  pastors  to  l)e  diligent  in  that  initiating  and  necessary  work  of  exami- 
nation and  preaching  catechetic  doctrines,  and  the  concurrence  of  parents  with  both,  in 
laying  out  themselves  fur  the  instruction  of  their  children,  as  well  by  themselves  as  by 
others ;  godly  ministers  well  knowing  that  the  success  of  ordinances  and  edification  of 
their  people  dependeth  much  thereupon,  as  the  means  which  the  Lord  useth  to  bless 
for  the  bringing  in  of  his  elect ;  knowledge  being  so  necessary  to  the  being  of  faith,  that 
the  latter  is  sometimes  expressed  by  the  name  of  the  former. 

And  seeing  they  retain  not  God  in  their  knowledge,  it  is  no  wonder  they  be  given  over  to 
a  reprobate  mind,  to  do  things  which  are  not  convenient ;  no  wonder  they  frequent  their 
old  chapels  for  superstitious  ends,  of  which  the  corrupt  and  purblind  reason  of  man  hath 
been  always  very  fond  :  no  wonder  that  being  in  the  dark,  without  the  lanthorn  of  the 
knowledge  of  scripture  revelation,  they  mistake  their  way,  and  by  the  using  of  charms, 
and  consulting  of  charmers,  they  *'  run  to  Beelzebub,  instead  of  having  recourse  to  the 
God  of  Israel.*'  Which  ignorance  to  be  the  cause  of  these  evils  will  appear  the  more 
evidently,  if  we  consider,  that  in  these  isles,  where  there  is  a  greater  measure  of  the  know- 
ledge of  God,  there  is  not  such  a  following  of  these  horrid  and  hellish  practices. 

There  are  several  old  chapels  in  these  isles,  which  the  people  resort  unto,  but  that 
which  I  heard  of,  as  most  famous,  is  St.Tredwers  chapel  in  Papa- Westra,  whichtheyhave 
such  a  veneration  for,  that  they  will  come  from  other  isles  in  considerable  numbers  to 
it ;  some  of  us  having  occasion  to  be  on  that  isle,  we  saw  this  chapel,  situated  on  a  small 
low  rock,  within  a  loch,  commonly  called  St.  Tredwel's  Loch,  to  which  we  passed  by  step, 
ing  stones ;  before  this  chapel  door  'here  was  a  heap  of  small  stones,  into  which  the  su- 
perstitious people,  when  they  come,  do  cast  a  small  stone  or  two  for  their  offering,  and 
some  will  cast  in  money  ;  the  chapel  hath  been  but  little,  and  is  now  ruinous,  only  some 
of  the  walls  are  standing,  which  the  people  are  so  far  from  suffering  to  be  demolished, 
that  they  labour  to  keep  them  up,  and  though  the  proprietor  of  the  ground  hath  some 
way  inclosed  it,  yet  this  proves  not  effectual  to  prevent  the  frequenting  thereof.  At  the 
north  east  side  of  the  loch,  nigh  to  the  chapel,  there  is  a  high  stone  standing,  behind^ 
which  there  is  another  stone  lying,  hollowed  in  the  form  of  a  manger,  and  nigh  to  this 
there  is  another  high  stone  standing,  with  a  round  hole  through  it ;  for  what  use  these 
stonef  si-rxed,  we  could  not  learn;,  whether  for  binding  the  horses  of  such  to  them  as 
came  to  the  chapel,  and  giving  them  meat  in  the  hollow  stone,  or  for  tying  the  sacrifices 
to,  as  some  say,  in  the  times  of  Pagan  idolatry,  is  uncertain. 

This  St.  Tredwel's  Loch,  nigh  to  the  east  end  of  which  this  chapel  is,  is  held  bv  the  peo- 
pie  as  mtdicinal,  whereupon  many  diseased  and  infirm  persons  resort  to  it,  somesay  ing  that . 

vol.,  nu.  5  a 


762 


brand's   description    of    ORKNEY* 


thereby  they  have  got  good ;  as  a  certain  gentleman's  sister  upon  the  isle,  who  was  not 
able  to  go  to  this  loch  without  help,  yet  returned  without  it ;  as  likewise  a  gentleman  in 
the  countrj',  who  was  much  distressed  with  sore  eyes,  went  to  this  loch,  and  washing  there 
became  sound  and  whole,  though  he  had  been  at  much  pains  andcxpence  to  cure  them 
formerly.  With  both  which  persons  he  who  was  ministt.  of  the  place  for  many  years 
was  well  acquainted,  and  told  us  that  he  saw  them  both  before  and  after  the  cure.  The 
present  minister  of  Westra  told  me,  that  such  as  are  able  to  walk  use  to  go  so  many 
times  about  the  loch  as  they  think  will  perfect  the  cure,  before  they  make  any  une  of  the 
water,  and  that  without  speaking  to  any,  for  they  believe  that  if  thev  speak  this  will  marr 
the  cure:  also  he  told  that  on  a  certain  morning  not  long  since  he  went  to  this  loch, 
and  found  six  so  making  their  circuit,  whom  with  some  difficulty  he  obliging  to  speak, 
said  to  him  they  came  there  for  their  cure. 

How  i!  cometh  to  pass  that  this  loch  should  accomplish  the  cure  of  any  I  leave  to 
my  reader  to  judge,  whether  it  be  by  any  medicinal  or  healing  virtue  in  the  water,  which 
I  mcline  not  to  think,  the  cure  being  so  circumstantiated,  or  if  the  force  and  strength  of 
the  imagination  of  the  persons  afflicted  may  have  any  tendency  that  way,  which  some 
judge  hnth  its  own  influence  in  some  such  like  cases ;  or  rather  by  the  aid  and  assistance 
of  Satan,  whom  God  in  his  holy  and  wise  providence  may  permit  so  to  do,  for  the  fur. 
ther  judicial  blinding  and  hardening  of  these  who  follow  such  unwarrantable  and  un* 
lawful  courses,  God  so  punishing  them,  by  giving  them  up  to  such  strong  delusions :  yet 
I  hear,  that  when  they  have  done  all  that  is  usual  for  them  to  do,  as  going  about  the 
loch,  washing  their  bodies  or  any  part  thereof,  leaving  something  at  the  loch,  as  old 
clouts  and  the  like.  Sec.  it  is  but  in  few  in  whom  the  effect  of  healing  is  produced.  As 
for  this  loch's  appearing  like  blood  before  any  disaster  befall  the  Royal  Family,  as  some 
do  report,  we  could  find  no  eround  to  believe  any  such  thing. 

These  chapels  the  people  frequent,  as  for  other  ends,  so  for  prayer,  they  placing  a  kind 
of  merit  therein  when  performed  in  such  places,  and  this  they  observe  more  than  pri. 
vate  retirements ;  and  if  they  be  under  any  sickness,  or  in  any  danger,  as  at  sea,  they 
will  vow  so  to  do :  and  when  they  go  to  the  chapels  to  pay  the  vows  taken  on,  they 
used  to  lay  several  stones  one  above  another,  according  to  the  number  of  vows  which 
they  made,  some  of  which  heaps  we  saw  in  St.  Tredwel's  chapel ;  and  none  must  go 
empty  handed,  but  leave  behind  them  something,  either  a  piece  of  money,  or  of  bread, 
or  a  stone,  which  they  judge  will  be  sufficient. 

As  at  all  times,  when  occasion  oifers,  they  observe  these  superstitious  practices,  so 
especially  during  Lent  they  will  not  neglect  their  devotions  in  such  places ;  and  on  Easter 
Sunday  several  boats  will  be  seen  gomg  to  them  from  other  isles :  and  though  their 
ministers  both  privately  and  publicly  have  spoken  to  them,  yet  they  cannot  get  them 
to  forbear  and  abandon  these  customs.  And  the  minister  of  South.Ronaldsha  told  us, 
hat  many  of  the  i^eople  in  that  isle,  especially  such  as  live  at  the  south  end  thereof  nigh 
""o  the  kirk,  called  Our  Lady's  Kirk,  whereof,  though  now  the  walls  only  be  standing, 
-/ithout  a  roof,  yet  the  very  stones  thereof  they  reverence,  and  are  not  far  from  ador- 
Lig ;  and  so  tenacious  are  they,  that  when  in  rough  weather  he  hath  procured  the  con- 
veniency  of  a  barn  to  preach  in,  yet  the  people  obliged  him  to  come  to  this  ruinous 
fabric,  else  many  of  them  would  not  have  heard :  they  are  now  about  the  putting  of  a 
roof  on  this  church,  which  the  gentlemen  of  the  isle  are  not  inclined  to,  judging  other 
places  more  commodious  for  it  to  be  built  in ;  but  proposals  of  this  nature  do  not  relish 
with  the  people,  they  being  so  superstitiously  wedded  to  the  place  of  its  present  situation : 
whereupon  the  heads  of  families  will  rather  by  themselves  contribute  to  the  repairing  of 
this  old  church,  than  suffer  a  new  one  to  be  built  in  any  other  place  of  the  isle,  though 
less  to  their  cost. 


'C-V-MSLi"* 


ZRTLANn,    PIGHTtAND-FIRTH,    AND    CAITHNESS. 


In  this  old  fabric  ol"  Our  Lady's  Church  there  is  a  stone  lying,  about  four  feet  long, 
und  two  feet  broud,  but  narrower  and  round  at  the  two  ends,  upon  the  surface  of  which 
stone  there  is  the  pri  it  of  two  feet,  concerning  which  the  superstitious  people  have  a 
tradition,  that  St.  Magnus,  when  he  could  not  get  a  boat  on  a  time  to  carry  him  over 
Pightiand- Firth,  took  this  stone,  and  setting  his  feet  thereupon,  passed  the  Firth 
safely,  and  left  the  stone  in  this  church,  which  hath  continued  here  ever  since  ;  but  as 
I  think,  and  some  mo'e  judicious  people  do  likewise  suggest,  it  hath  been  a  stone,  upon 
which,  under  popery,  the  delinquents  stood  bare-footed  -.uflfering  penance.  It  is  like 
when  thus  St.  Magnu  i  came  over  the  Firth,  it  hath  been  at  that  tim«  when  he  was  seen 
riding  through  Aberdeen,  giving  the  first  account  of  the  defeat  of  the  English  at  Ban- 
nockburn,  and  afterward  was  seen  going  over  Pightland* Firth.  And  indeed  both  are 
alike  destitute  of  any  sliadow  of  truth,  credible  only  by  these  superstitious  and  silly  ones, 
whom  the  god  of  this  world  hath  blinded. 

Several  of  the  isles  have  their  saints'  days,  which  some  do  superstitiously  observe. 
There  is  one  day  in  harvest  on  which  the  more  ignorant,  especially  in  Rousa,  say,  if  any 
work,  the  ridges  will  hlood.  I'he  lark  some  call  our  Lady's  hen  :  and  some  sucn  popish 
dregs  are  to  be  found  :  the  Lord  preserve  this  land  from  popery's  inundation  ;  for  as  it 
is  credible,  from  what  liath  been  said,  and  some  better  acquainted  with  this  country  did 
inform  us,  that  if  popiiry  get  footing  again  (from  the  fears  of  which  in  the  good  provi- 
dence of  God  we  were  lately  delivered)  many  of  the  inhabitants  of  these  isles  would 
readily  embrace  it,  and  by  retaining  some  of  these  old  popish  rites  and  customs  seem  to 
be  in  a  manner  prepared  for  it. 

Next  to  glance  at  their  charms,  which  I  shall  briefly  do,  and  not  give  any  account 
how  they  perform  them,  lest  thereby  I  should  seem  to  point  out  to  any  how  to  try  the 
experiment  of  this  hellish  art  and  tremendous  devilry,  which  I  think  I  do  sufficiently 
guard  against,  not  only  by  barely  reciting  there  are  such,  but  also  by  proper  precautions 
adduced  in  this  chapter. 

They  have  a  charm  whereby  they  stop  excessive  blooding  in  any,  whatever  way  they 
come  by  it,  whether  by  or  without  external  violence.  The  name  of  the  patient  being 
sent  to  the  charmer,  he  saith  over  some  words,  (which  I  heard,)  upon  which  the  blood 
instantly  stoppeth,  though  the  blooding  patient  were  at  the  greatest  distance  from  the 
charmer  :  yea,  upon  the  saying  of  these  words,  the  blood  will  stop  in  the  bleeding  throats 
of  oxen  or  sheep,  to  the  astonishment  of  spectators ;  which  account  we  had  from  the 
ministers  of  the  country. 

There  is  a  charm  likewise  they  make  use  of  for  the  tooth-ach,  whereof  I  had  the  fol. 
lowing  instance  from  an  honest  man  worthy  of  credit.  Some  years  ago  there  was  one 
who  used  this  charm  for  the  abating  the  pain  of  one  living  in  £da,  tormented  therewith, 
and  though  the  action  then  was  at  a  distance,  the  charmer  not  being  present  with  the 
{latient,  yet,  according  to  the  most  exact  calculation  of  the  dme  when  the  charm  was 
performed  by  the  charmer,  there  fell  a  living  worm  out  of  the  patient's  mouth  when  he 
was  at  supper :  this  my  informer  knew  to  be  a  truth,  and  the  man  from  whose  mouth 
it  fell  is  yet  alive  in  the  isle  of  Sanda.  Whether  this  worm  was  generated  in  the  cor- 
rupted part,  and  so  fell  out  by  the  devil's  means  at  the  using  of  the  charm,  or  the  worm 
was  brought  by  an  evil  spirit  aliunde  to  the  mouth,  and  thence  falling  down,  I  shall  not 
determine. 

Also  when  the  beasts,  as  oxen,  sheep,  horses,  &c.  are  sick,  they  sprinkle  them  with  a 
water  made  up  by  them,  which  they  call  Fore-spoken-water ;  wherewith  likewise  they 
sprinkle  their  boats,  when  they  succeed  and  prosper  not  in  their  fishing:  and  especially 
on  Hallow-even,  they  usedtoseinor  sign  their  boats,  and  put  a  cross  of  tar  upon  them, 
which  my  informer  haih  often  seen.    Their  houses  also  some  use  then  to  sein. 

5  E  2 


764 


brand's  dbscription  of  orxkiy, 


They  have  a  charm  also  whereby  they  try  if  persons  be  in  a  decay  or  not,  and  if  they 
will  die  thereof,  which  they  call  Ousting  of  the  Heart.  Of  this  the  minister  of  Stroiisa 
and  Eda  told  us  he  had  a  very  remarkable  passage,  in  a  process  yet  standing  in  his  session 
records. 

Several  other  charms  also  they  have  about  their  marriage,  when  women  in  travail, 
when  their  cow  is  calving,  when  churning  their  milk,  or  when  brewing,  or  when  their 
children  are  sick,  by  taking  them  to  a  smith  (without  premonishing  him)  who  hath  had 
a  smith  to  his  father  and  a  smith  to  his  grand-father.  .\nd  of  several  such  like  charms 
wc  had  an  account  from  the  ministers,  us  likewise  how  these  charms  were  performed  { 
but  of  these  enough. 

Although  these  charms  sometimes,  yet  not  ahvays  do  they  produce  the  desired  effects; 
as  in  the  instance  of  staying  of  blood,  one  of  the  charrncr's  wives  fell  once  u  bleeding, 
which  he  by  all  his  art  was  not  able  to  stop  ;  whereupon  he  is  said  thus  to  h.ivc  ex- 
pressed  himself :  "  I  have  stopped  the  bleeding  of  an  hundred,  and  yet  I  cannot  do  it  to 
my  wife." 

That  such  admirable  effects  upon  the  using  of  the  charms  arc  prodticed  by  the  agency 
of  demons,  I  think  few,  if  any,  will  doubt,  did  so  p<-rmitting  it  to  be,  in  his  holy  and 
wise  providence,  for  the  further  punishment  and  judicial  blinding  of  those  who  follow 
such  unlawful  courses,  and  the  devil  thereby  engaging  his  slaves  more  in  his  service  :  yet 
not  always  the  effects  desired  and  expected  do  follow,  that  all  may  know  the  devil  is  a 
chained  one,  and  can  do  nothing  without  the  permisson  of  a  sovereign  God,  who  is 
Lord  over  all.  Our  assemblies,  sensible  of  the  great  sin  and  evil  that  is  in  using  these 
charms,  and  consulting  of  charmers,  have  made  several  acts  both  against  the  one  and 
the  other,  strictly  inhibiting  and  discharging  all  such  hellish  practices,  and  requiring  all 
ministers  diligently  to  see  to  the  observance  and  execution  thereof. 

Evil  spirits,  also  called  fairies,  are  frequently  seen  in  several  of  the  isles,  dancing  and 
making  merry,  and  sometimes  seen  in  armour  :  also  I  had  an  account  of  the  wild  senti- 
ments of  some  of  the  people  concerning  them ;  but  with  such  I  shall  not  detain  my 
reader,  we  hastening  our  voyage  to  Zetland. 

A  DESCRIPTION  OF  ZETLAND. 

Chap.  VI. — The  Counry  in  general  described.     The  Soily  Product,  Manners  of  the 

People^  Csfc.  hinted  at, 

ZETLAND  lies  to  the  north-east  from  Orkney,  between  the  sixtieth  and  sixty-first 
degree  of  lalitude,  there  being  about  twenty  or  twenty-one  leagues  betwixt  the  Start- 
Head  of  Sanda,  the  northernmost  point  thereof,  and  Swinburg  Head,  the  southernmost 
point  of  land  in  Zetland,  over  a  very  rolling  and  swelling  sea,  wherein  there  constantly 
runs  the  strong  current  of  a  tide,  which  causing  the  sea  to  rise  with  its  swelling  waves, 
the  whole  passage  betwixt  Orkney  and  Zetland  is  but  as  one  continued  roust,  or  strong 
and  impetuous  tide,  especially  about  the  Fair-Isle,  still  such  a  great  sea  goeth,  even  in  'he 
greatest  calm,  that  the  boats  are  like  to  sling  the  masts  out  of  them ;  and  our  boat- 
master  told  us,  that  frequently,  when  he  had  been  passing  the  Fair-Isle  \\\  a  dead  calm, 
the  boat  hath  been  so  tossed  by  the  swelling  sea,  that  it  would  have  taken  in  water  on 
every  side  :  and  I  have  heard  the  mariners  often  declare,  that  there  is  more  hazard  in 
these  seas  than  in  going  to  the  Eastern  or  Western  Indies.  The  Fair-Isle  (of  which 
more  afterward)  is  reckoned  to  be  but  eight  leagues  from  Zetland,  whereas  it  is  about 


*2!9^?^yT' 


•■»ft."^n^-'- 


I 


ZITLAND,   PICHTLANO-riRTH,   4N0    CAITII^flSI. 


7$B 


twelve  or  thirteen  leagues  from  Orkney  ;  so  that  ,vc  ahull  consider  it  together  with  the 
isles  bclun{];inf;  to  Zcrtland. 

Zcdaiid  consistcth  of  more  isles  than  Orkney,  whereof  some  are  more,  others  less  con. 
ftiderabic,  beside  many  holms  serving  lor  nasturap;c*.  The  largest  of  them  is  that  which 
they  call  the  Mainland,  sixty  miles  long  from  south  or  south  and  by  west,  to  north  or 
north  and  by  east  :  as  to  breadth  not  all  alike  ;  for  though  in  some  places  it  be  sixteen 
miles,  yet  in  others  it  is  scarce  one  mite  broad,  it  being  so  intersected  with  vocs,  sounds, 
or  lochs,  that  it  may  be  suid  to  consist  of  a  great  number  of  promontories  or  brunches  of 
land  stretching  themselves  into  the  sea. 

All  this  country,  consisting  of  so  many  isles,  goeth  under  one  common  name,  called 
by  some  Hcthland,  by  others  Zetland,  and  also  Schetland.  The  etymology  of  which 
names  is  very  uncertain,  as  was  that  of  Orkney,  !>ome  assigning  one  reason  of  the  name, 
and  others  another,  ut  their  pleasure  :  that  which  seenuth  most  probable  is,  thut  this 
country  is  called  Hithland,  because  it  is  very  mountainous  und  riseth  high  above  the 
wafrs  ;  so  a  high  land  in  Norse  is  called  Highland  :  it  is  culled  Zeland,  or  Zetland, 
because  of  the  great  sea  wherewith  on  all  hands  it  it  encompassed,  zee  being  sea  in  that 
language  ;  and  called  Schetland,  because  of  a  kind  of  custom  or  tribute  called  Scat, 
which  they  paid  to  their  Norwegian  masters  when  they  were  in  possession  of  this  country, 
and  the  tribute  or  custom  imposed  upon  the  inhabitants  of  Norway  to  this  day  is  called 
Scat ;  and  though  Ztttand  be  now  annexed  to  the  crown  of  Scotland,  yet  there  is  a  cer- 
tain rent  or  due,  which  the  gentlemen  and  some  others  here  do  pay  yearly  to  the  King 
or  his  steward,  which  is  still  called  Scat.  I  say,  although  we  cannot  be  positive  in  deter- 
mining the  reasons  of  the  name,  yet  it  seems  to  be  of  a  Norwegian  or  Danish  original. 

Seemg  I  have  already  had  under  consideration  by  wh')m  Orkney  was  first  planted 
and  inhabited,  and  how  it  hath  been  disposed  of  hitherto,  I  judge  it  not  very  needful 
for  me  to  add  any  more  to  that  purpose  concerning  Zetland ;  for  it  is  more  than  pro* 
bable,  that  about  the  same  time,  by  the  same  persons,  hath  Zetland  also  been  inhabited, 
seeing  there  are  many  more  Picts  nouses  remaining  there,  and  some  of  them  as  to  out> 
ward  appearance  in  better  case,  than  are  to  be  found  in  Orkney,  and  always  our  histo- 
rians in  their  descriptions  of  these  northern  isles  of  Orkney  and  Zetland  have  reckoned 
them  as  under  the  government  of  the  same  masters  ;  therefore  without  further  premising 
preliminaries  of  this  nature,  I  come  to  consider  the  present  state  of  the  country. 

Although  the  country  be  large,  yet  it  is  in  many  places  but  thinly  inhabited,  and 
that  for  the  most  part  upon  the  coasts,  and  indeed  otherwise  it  cannot  well  be,  for  there 
are  few,  if  any,  places  in  Zetland  but  they  are  within  two  miles  of  the  sea,  which  they 
incHne  to  dwell  nigh  unto,  being  more  convenient  for  their  fishing,  and  for  the  gooding 
ofchnr  laid,  wliich  isordintrity  by  sea- ware,  hence,  it  would  be  incommodious  for 
them  upon  these  accounts  to  be  at  any  distance  from  it.  Besides,  the  country  is  gene- 
rally mossy  and  mountainous,  all  covered  over  with  heath,  yea  the  far  greater  part 
thereof  is  as  one  great  moss  or  quagmire  made  up  of  water  and  earth  blended  together, 
whir^h  ki'id  of  ground  would  require  much  labour  and  expence  to  bring  in  either  to  be 
grazing  or  corn  land,  if  at  all  in  m  my  places  they  could  get  it  done  ;  for  from  Scalloway 
on  the  west  side  of  the  Mainland,  to  Lerwick  on  the  east  side  thereof,  four  miles  over 
land,  it  is  but  a  continued  tract  of  moss  and  moor,  so  that  there  is  not  one  house  all  that 
way,  till  we  come  near  unto  Lerwick;  whereas  we  would  think  that  this  piece  of  ground 
should  be  l)etter  inhabited  than  many  others,  considering  the  great  resort  of  strangers 
in  the  summer  time  thereunto,  if  nature  had  not  laid  such  inconveniences  in  the  way, 
which  would  prove  so  difficult  to  overcome. 


766 


■  hand's    DISCRIPTION    op    ORXKir, 


Tlic  people  are  generally  discreet  and  civil,  not  so  rustic  und  clowniiili  as  would  be 
expccU'd  ill  stich  a  place  ul'  the  world,  which  may  be  much  owing  to  their  convi  rsi  .«nd 
commerce  wiih  strangers,  who  repair  to  these  isles  in  the  summer  season,  with  whom  the 
inhabitants  do  keep  u  constant  bartering  or  trade  ;  which  trading,  as  it  makes  them  the 
better  to  live,  so  it  may  tend  not  u  litde  to  the  cultivating  of  their  manners.  They  are 
also  very  fashionable  in  their  cloaths,  and  the  gentry  want  not  their  fine  stuffs,  such  as 
Holland,  Iluniburgh,  &,c.  tlo  aR'ord,  so  that  they  arc  to  be  seen  in  as  good  an  order  and 
dreis  as  with  us  in  the  south  :  the  boors,  fishers,  and  other  country  people,  also  do  go 
honest'likc  and  decent  in  their  apparel,  as  beconielh  their  station. 

They  also  have  always  Ijcen  m  repute  for  hospitality,  and  indeed  wc  have  seen  no 
other  to  contradict  that  which  is  sicken  60  much  to  their  commendation  and  praise ;  for 
at  any  time  when  we  had  occasion  to  visit  gentlemen,  merchants,  or  others,  we  were 
always  by  them  kindly  entertained ;  und  so  much  are  they  said  to  be  given  to  this  com< 
mendable  piece  of  humanity,  that  if  they  do  purchase  any  thing  from  foreign  merchants, 
which  they  put  anv  value  upon,  such  as  wheat*bread,  some  stronr  liquor,  &c.  even  the 
country  people  will  not  use  it  themselves,  but  reserve  it  fur  the  entertainment  of  stran* 
gers.  As  for  those  old  inhabitants  of  the  Danish  blood,  of  whom  it  was  said,  "  that  they 
were  seeming  fair,  but  really  false,  and  superlatively  proud,"  they  arc  much  worn  out 
of  this  country  ;  and  if  at  any  time  ships  be  driven  ashore  upon  their  coasts,  the  inhabi* 
tants  use  Tcry  kindly  and  humanely  to  treat  the  distressed  company,  of  which  humane 
treatment  a  ship  belonging  to  the  Firth  had  a  late  experience,  being  broke  on  the  coast 
there  in  December  last,  as  some  of  the  ship's  company  informed  me.  Such  a  kind  and 
generous  reception  merchants  and  mariners  meet  not  with  in  many  places  upon  which 
they  are  unhappily  cast,  from  whom  better  things  would  be  expected.  In  the  matters 
of  God  and  religion,  the  body  of  the  people  are  said  to  be  very  ignorant,  by  those  who 
know  them  better  than  we  can  be  supposed  to  have  had  access  to  do,  considering  (he 
short  time  of  oui*  stay  and  abode  am.ong  them  ;  which  may  be  imputed  to  their  want  of 
convenient  schools  for  the  instruction  of  their  youth  in  many  places  of  the  country ; 
which  also  was  assigned  as  the  reason  why  ignorance  doth  so  much  prevail  in  the  Ork- 
ney isles  ;  which  great  evil,  the  mother  and  leader  of  many  others,  all  should  labour  to 
redress  as  they  are  severally  called  and  concerned,  authority  also  interposing  their  com- 
mand, and  not  denying  their  countenance  and  encouragement  thereunto. 

Yet  we  must  say  that  the  people  do  frequent  the  dispensing  of  gospel  ordinances,  and 
seem  to  hear  with  some  measure  of  attention  and  reverence,  and,  as  appeared  to  us,  not 
without  some  seriousness  and  concern  upon  their  spirits,  which  after  hearing  continued 
with  some,  as  we  found  by  our  converse  with  them  ;  which  encouraged  us  to  set  and 
keep  up  two  week«day  sermons  at  Lerwick  during  our  stay  in  the  bounds,  which  the 
people  thronged  unto,  thereby  shewing  great  respect  to  the  ordinances  dis|x;nscd  by  us  ; 
so  that  matters  looked  far  otherwise  than  what  was  expected  by  ousselves  and  manv 
others  before  we  came  to  this  country.  And  indeed,  after  conference  upon  this  head, 
all  of  us  judged,  that  if  things  were  got  put  into  a  better  order,  and  some  evils  removed, 
which  I  forbear  to  mention,  knowing  that  they  will  come  under  the  cognizance  and 
consideration  of  others,  who  are  in  a  capacity  to  redress  them,  there  might  be  a  harvest 
through  grace. 

Although  there  be  a  Latin  school  at  Kirkwall  in  Orkney,  yet  there  is  none  in  all  this 
country,  which  cannot  but  be  very  prejudicial  to  the  inhabitants,  the  advancement  of  the 
education  of  their  youth  being  thereby  hindered,  many  promising  and  pregnant  ingenys 
lost,  and  letters  discouraged ;  for  gentlemen  are  either  obliged  to  keep  their  children 
at  home,  and  so  they  must  want  that  piece  of  learning  which  tends  so  much  to  form  and 


IITLAND,    riCIITLAND<riRTH|    AND    CAITHKKSI. 


767 


polUh  their  minds,  and  to  complete  them  us  gentlemen,  or  else  send  them  to'other  coun. 
tricK  where  i-diicaiioii  is  to  be  had,  which  muny  urc  averse  to  do,  not  only  becauHc  of 
the  char)^*  and  rxpencc  they  will  Ix;  at,  but  also  of  thr  fear  they  will  be  in,  in  sending 
their  children  over  sea,  and  keeping;  them  so  long  at  Huch  a  distance  from  them.  As  for 
chaplain*!,  though  they  cuiild  be  hud,  which  would  be  with  difficulty  in  this  corner,  vet 
all  gentlemen  who  have  children  to  educate  cannot  well  iK'ar  the  charges  of  bringmg 
them  over  from  Scotland,  and  keeping  them  with  them  for  so  long  a  time  :  whereupon 
the  ministers  there  are  very  desirous  that  the  government  may  be  addressed  for  encou- 
ragement to  school-masters  through  the  country,  and  particularly  that  a  Latin  school 
be  set  up  either  at  Lerwick  or  Scalloway. 

English  is  the  common  language  among  them,  yet  many  of  the  people  speak  Norse, 
or  corrupt  Danish,  especially  such  as  live  in  the  more  northern  isles  ;  yea,  so  ordinary 
is  it  in  some  places,  that  it  is  the  first  lat)guage  their  children  speak.  Several  here  also 
speak  good  Dutch,  even  servants,  though  they  have  never  been  out  of  the  country,  bc> 
cause  of  the  many  Dutch  ships  which  do  frequent  their  ports.  And  there  are  some  who 
have  something  of  all  these  three  lanf;u:iges,  English,  Dutch,  and  Norse.  The  Norse 
hath  continued  ever  since  the  Norwegians  had  these  isles  in  possession  ;  and  in  Orkney 
(as  hath  been  said)  it  is  not  quite  extinct,  though  there  be  by  far  more  of  it  in  Zetlandf, 
which  many  do  commonly  use. 

It  is  observable  that  the  names  of  the  descendants  of  the  old  inhabitants  differ  from 
the  names  of  others  now  numerous  among  them,  for  these  only  have  a  name  without  a 
simome,  save  what  is  taken  from  their  father's  name,  and  by  adding  son  or  daughter 
thereunto  ;  exemp.  gra.  Agnes  Magnus  daughter ;  her  own  name  is  Agnes,  her  father's 
is  Magnus,  to  which  daughter  is  added,  which  is  the  whole  denomination  or  designation 
under  which  such  a  woman  goes :  so  Marion,  Peter's  daughter  ;  Laurens,  John's  son, 
&c.  which  they  say  is  yet  the  Danish  way  of  expressing  and  distinguishing  names  :  and 
for  further  clearing,  if  there  be  two  men  or  women  of  tne  same  name,  they  use  also  to 
design  them  by  the  places  where  they  ordinarily  reside,  as  Agnes  Magnus  daughter  in 
Trebister,  that  so  she  may  be  discriminated  from  another  woman  of  the  same  name  living 
in  another  place.  It  is  probable  that  hence  flowed  these  sirnames,  such  as  Williamson, 
Robertson.  Jamieson,  Davidson,  &c.  which  do  abound  with  us  in  Scotland.  In  some 
words  also  thGu:.propunciationdoth  differ  from  that  of  ours ;  as  for  instance,  they  often 
use  to  leave  out  the  letter  h  in  their  pronunciation,  as  if  it  did  not  belong  to  the  word ; 
so  three  they  pronounce  as  tree,  thou  as  tou  or  tu,  &c.  They  have  also  some  Norish 
words  which  tliey  commonly  use,  which  we  understood  not  till  they  were  explained ; 
such  as  air,  which  signifies  a  sand-bank ;  oyse,  an  inlet  of  the  sea ;  voe,  a  creek  or  bay, 
8cc. :  and  these  words  are  much  used  both  in  Zedand  and  Orkney. 

It  would  appear  that  the  country  is  now  much  better  inhabited  than  formerly  some 
ages  ago  it  hath  been  ;  for  we  hear  but  of  few  who  leave  this  country,  having  once  fixed 
their  abode  therein,  though  there  be  many  who  have  lately  come  to  it  from  Orkney. 
Caithness,  Sutherland,  Buchan,  and  other  places,  especially  in  the  north  of  Scotland  : 
so  that  in  all  Lerwick,  the  most  considerable  town  in  the  country,  there  are  but  very 
few  whose  grand-fathers  have  lived  in  those  isles.  And  in  Lerwick  itself,  about  thirty 
years  ago,  there  were  only  four  houses,  and  some  years  before  there  were  none  at  all, 
though  now  there  are  between  two  and  three  hundred  families  in  it. 

Though  the  ground  be  generally  bad,  and  the  climate  cold,  yet  it  is  not  unwholesome 
living  here,  as  appears  from  the  many  vigorous  old  people  that  abound  in  the  isles, 
whose  health  I  think  is  rather  more  firm  and  sound  than  with  us ;  neither  are  they 
liable  to  such  frequent  sickness :  whether  this  is  to  be  imputed  to  the  freencss  and  purity 


W 


■  MAHD*I    DIICRirTION    OF    OIKKir* 


of  the  air.  or  to  the  quahty  uf  their  diet,  or  the  nobriety  of  their  living,  or  to  all  these 
•nU  the  like,  1  ^hall  nut  jud^  :  yet  they  tell  us  thcv  ii!ted  to  live  much  lunger  in  furincr 
ages  than  now  tlicy  do;  lu  of  one  Tttirvilc,  who  lived  one  hundred  ^nd  liglity  ycarx, 
ind  all  hist  lime  never  drank  beer  or  ale  :  hi^  sun  also  and  grand-children  li\cd  to  a  good 
old  age,  who  ?»cldom  or  never  drnnk  any  oihcr  thing  save  milk,  uatcr,  and  ihcir  coun* 
try-bland.  It  it  buid  ulio  that  this  Tuirvilc's  father  lived  longer  thuu  himself.  There 
tvusuUo  one  Laureniius,  in  the  parinh  of  Wues,  whose  hcir-oyes  do  yet  live  there,  who 
arrived  at  a  great  age,  wlium  Buchanan  meniioneih  that  he  lived  in  his  time,  marrying 
a  wife  after  ilic  hundredth  year  of  hit  age,  aiui  in  the  one  hundred  and  fortieth  went  a 
fishing  with  his  little  boat  when  the  sea  was  tempestuous.  Sulubritdtis  lirmiti'du  in  Lau- 
rentiu  (|U(xiam  nostra  aeiate  apparuit,  qui  post  centesimum  annum  uxuremduxii:  ctntesi- 
mum  q«iadragesiinum  annum  agens,  .ssevissimu  mure  in  su<i  navicuU  piiscatum  prodibat : 
ac  nuper  nulla  vigraviurismorbi  lubefactatus,  sed senio  solutus  dec(.ssif.  Forsurel),a3 
allskilful  physician!!  do  giani,  theic  is  nothing  more  conducive  to  the  luuintaining  of  u  sound 
and  healthful  constitution  than  n  sober  and  regular  diet ;  whereas  they  who  live  otly'rwise* 
to  speak  with  respect  to  second  causes,  do  impair  their  health,  and  cut  themselves  off* 
often  in  the  midst  of  their  days ;  especially  such  as  feed  high,  and  indulge  themselves  in 
drinking  strong  liquors,  which  tends  to  the  exhausting  of  that  natural  and  innate  heat,  the 
fountain  of  our  animal  life  ;  whereas  it  is  observed  of  all  these  who  arrived  at  such  a  great 
age,  that  they  seldom,  if  ever,  drank  any  strong  liquor. 

There  is  no  sickness  or  disease  this  country  is  more  subject  unto  than  the  scurvy,  as  i» 
Orkney  likewise,  which  is  occasioned  doubtless  by  their  salt-meats,  fiihes,  upon  which 
many  for  the  most  part  do  live,  sea-air,  b.c. :  and  sometimes  this  scurvy  degenerates  into 
a  kind  of  leprosy,  which  they  call  a  Bastard-scurvy,  and  is  discerned  by  hnirs  falling 
from  the  eye-brows,  the  nose  falling  in,  &c. ;  which  when  the  people  come  to  know,  they 
separate  and  set  them  apart,  for  fear  of  infection,  building  huts  or  little  houses  for  them 
in  the  field:  I  saw  the  ruins  of  one  o^  these  houses  about  half  a  mile  from  Lerwich, 
where  a  woman  was  for  some  years  kept  for  this  reason.  This  bastard-leprosy  they 
judge  is  caused  by  the  many  grey  fishes,  such  as  sillucks,  piltocks,  8cc.  which  they  eat  i 
for  bread  failing  many  of  the  people  in  the  summer-time,  that  often  for  four  or  five 
months  they  will  not  taste  thereof,  these  fishes  are  almost  their  only  meat,  and  especially 
the  livers  of  these  fishes,  which  are  thought  to  be  morv  unhealthful  than  the  fishes  them- 
selves,  and  they  much  incline  to  eat,  do  occasion  tHii  The  drinking  also  of  hot  bland 
(which  is  a  kind  of  a  serum  of  milk,  of  which  iwsie.  afterwards)  together  with  these 
fishes,  do  beget  such  corrupt  humours,  to  the  distempering  of  the  body.  These  scor- 
butic persons  arc  more  ordinarily  in  Dunrossness  and  Delion,  and  more  rare  in 
other  places,  and  that  because  they  have  more  grey  fishes  in  these  two  parbhes,  than  in 
others. 

And  it  hath  been  observed  ofien  by  the  inhabitants,  that  when  in  holy  providence  any 
sickness  cometh  upon,  or  breaketh  up  in,  the  country,  it  useth  to  go  through  them  like 
a  plague ;  so  that,  since  we  came  oiF,  the  smalKpox  hath  seized  upon  many,  both  old  and 
young,  and  was  so  iniiversal,  that  upon  one  Lord's  day  there  were  ninety  prayed  fur  in 
the  church  of  Lerwick,  all  sick  of  the  same  disease  ;  whereas,  when  we  were  there  a  few 
weeks  before,  there  was  not  one  that  we  knew  sick  thereof.  They  sa}  a  geritleman's 
son  in  the  country,  who  had  lately  gone  from  the  south,  and  was  undt  r  it  when  he  came 
home,  brought  it  with  him,  which  very  quickly  spread  among  the  people,  the  old  us  well 
as  the  young ;  and  so  sad  have  been  the  desolating  eflfects  thereof,  that  one  told  me, 
who  arrived  here  lately  from  the  place,  that  he  verily  judgeth  the  third  part  of  the  peo- 
ple in  many  of  the  isles  are  dead  thereof. 


2XTLAJI0,    riQIITLAKO'flRTH,    AND    CAITIINKII. 


709 


Although  many  orthe  inhuhitants  have  each  their  particubr  tradct  an  d  employments, 
wherein  more  eH|)cciully  they  lay  out  thcmtclvca,  utui  arc  tukcii  up  utjuut,  yet  arc  thcv 
•II  generally  lomc  way  acquainted  with  the  sea,  und  can  with  some  dr  xterity  nnd  itkill 
attamed  by  experience  manage  their  boats,  not  only  because  of  their  frequent  ivissin^ 
from  isle  to  isle,  and  K"inff  ^v^"'  <hc  voes  or  lochs,  which  lie  in  upon  and  cut  the  Maia< 
land,  but  by  reason  of  their  great  fishing,  not  only  for  their  own  um,  but  for  (he  uitc  of 
merchants  who  buy  their  fishes,  or  give  them  the  value  in  foreign  cummoditicM  :  hence 
most  of  the  inhabitanta  not  only  have  some  paaturage  for  tlieir  cattle,  and  3omc  corn  land 
about  their  houses  which  they  manure,  but  aiao  their  parts  of  boats,  for  the  end  afore* 
laid.     Yet  there  are  many  who  folbw  no  trade  but  tlieir  fishing. 

Beside  their  fijih  trade  with  foreign  merchanta,  they  do  likewise  drive  a  great  trade 
with  Orkney,  from  which  every  year  several  boats  do  paas  to  Zetland,  leaden  with  corns, 
meal,  malt,  Ecc.  U|xm  the  coming  whereof  they  often  wait  for  barley<aeed,  though  tlie 
laat  year  they  had  u  considerable  crop,  so  that  the  barley.seed  was  sown  before  the  boats 
came  over.  The  Orkney  men  also  bring  sometimes  stockings,  ale,  and  the  like,  which 
they  know  to  be  vendible  here  :  hence  every  year  considerable  aums  of  money  go  from 
Zetland  to  Orkney,  and  some  have  tokl  me  that  most  of  the  money  they  have  in  O  rkney 
ia  from  Zetland.  So  great  is  the  advantage  that  these  isles  do  reap  by  their  neighbouily 
commerce  with  one  another,  for  as  Zetland  could  not  well  live  without  Orkney's  corns, 
80  neither  could  Orkney  be  so  well  without  Zetland's  money. 

As  Orkney  have  much  of  their  money  from  Zetland,  so  Zetland  have  all  theirs  from 
foreign  nations  and  countries,  whose  merchants  traffic  with  them,  as  from  Holland, 
Hamburg,  Breme,  8cc.  The  Dutch  money  doth  ordinarily  pass  among  them,  as  sti* 
vera,  half-ativers,  and  aince  the  rates  of  the  money  were  raised  in  Scotland,  many  here 
have  been  considerable  gniners  by  the  ducket>douns,  which  is  the  species  of  money  that 
the  Hollanders  bring  mir"  .)rdinarily  with  them. 

The  king's  rents  are  but  the  third  part  of  what  they  arc  in  Orkney  ;  for  though  this 
country  be  by  far  greater  and  more  spacious  than  Orkney,  yet  it  is  not  so  well  inhabited, 
neither  b  the  i^ound  ao  good  :  these  rents  are  paid  to  the  taxmen  in  butter,  oil,  und 
money ;  the  oil  is  made  of  the  livers  of  fiithes,  and  is  sent  south  for  the  making  of  soap, 
or  b  otherwise  dbposed  of,  as  may  l)e  most  advantageous.  The  bishops  had^no  rents 
from  this  country ;  and  though  it,  belongs  to  the  diocese  of  Orkney,  and  is  a  consider* 
able  part  of  that  charge,  yet  we  did  not  hear  that  ever  any  of  these  soul  pastors  of  their 
dioceses,  as  some  are  pleased  to  call  them,  visited  these  bounds. 

There  being  so  little  corn-land  here  b  the  cause  why  none  of  the  revenues  of  the 
crown  are  paid  in  meal  or  corns,  whereas  in  Orkney  it  is  far  otherwise,  as  hath  been 
said ;  for  any  com*land  tliey  have  is  ordinarily  hut  a  few  ridges  nigh  to  the  coasts,  for 
at  any  distance  from  the  sea,  and  in  many  pbces  also  nigh  unto  it,  there  is  nothing  but 
a  mossy  and  mountainous  desert,  covered  with  hadder,  andonly  some  places  plenbhedwith 
a  few  kine,  sheep,  or  shelties,  though  in  other  places  you  will  go  some  miles  and  see  none 
'J'his  moss  and  moor,  which  so  much  aboundeth,  renders  travelling  very  dangerous,  even 
to  the  natives  themselves,  and  m  deep  is  it  in  many  places,  and  that  in  the  summer  and 
droughty  season,  that  hoises  cannot  pass  it,  and  men  on  foot  not  without  difficulty  and 
hazanl;  as  in  the  ble  of  Yell,  tlie  minister,  in  going  to  the  church  from  his  house,  is 
obligdl  to  go  on  foot  eig^ht  miles  almost  wadiiig  up  to  the  knees.  And  indeed  the  easiest 
and  »fest  way  of  travelling  b  by  sea  in  bo^^ts  about  the  skirts  of  the  isles,  which  also  is 
not  with./ut  danger. 

And  'hough  tne  greatest  part  of  thb  country  be  thus  mossy  and  moorish,  yet  there  are 
some  pleasant  spots  in  it,  well  fumbhed  with  graas  and  corn,  as  nigh  to  Scalloway, 

VOL.   III.  5   V 


h 


W' 


770 


brand's  description  of  orknev, 


i 


UstnesB,  &c.  in  the  Mainland,  some  places  in  the  parishes  of  Dunrossness  also  on  the 
main,  in  the  isle  of  Unst,  8cc.  Hence  some  years  they  will  have  twenty-fold  of  increase, 
but  this  is  more  rare,  for  at  other  times,  in  several  places,  thev  will  scarce  have  the 
double  of  their  seed.  They  make  much  use  of  barley-bread,  which  appears  to  be  fairer 
than  their  oat  bread,  for  their  barley  they  take  to  be  the  best  ^rain,  it  a^eeing  better  with 
the  ground  than  oats.  And  as  it  is  in  Orkney,  so  it  is  here,  if  any  white  corn  be  brought 
unto  the  country  for  seed,  it  will  soon  degenerate  and  become  like  their  own. 

I  think  the  kine  and  sheep  are  of  a  greater  size  than  they  are  in  Orkney,  though  their 
horses  be  of  a  less ;  as  for  tlie  sheep,  I  take  them  to  be  little  less  than  they  rre  in  many 
places  of  Scotland ;  they  lamb  not  so  soon  aa  with  us,  for  at  the  end  of  May  their  lambs 
are  not  come  in  season  ;  their  harvest  also  b  much  later,  for  they  judge  it  very  early  if 
they  get  their  corns  in  against  the  middle  of  October ;  they  observe  that  our  seasons 
will  be  two  months  before  theirs,  but  I  do  not  think  they  differ  so  much. 

If  thsir  sheep  were  well  kept,  it  would  be  very  pleasant  to  behold  them  in  flocks,  they 
being  of  divers  colours :  some  of  a  pied,  others  of  a  brown,  others  of  a  brown  and  white, 
others  of  a  black  colour,  some  also  nave  black  spraings  on  their  backs,  others  on  their 
foreheads ;  and  some  say  they  have  as  great  a  number  of  black  sheep  as  they  have  of 
white;  which  diversity  of  colours  would  render  them  very  beautiful,  if  they  were  taken 
due  care  of;  for  they  neither  '.vash  nor  clip  their  sheep,  nor  have  they  any  sheers  for 
that  end,  but  pull  the  wool  off  them  with  their  hands ;  which,  as  it  is  painful  to  the 
beasts,  so  it  makes  them  look  not  so  well  favoured,  but  like  these  with  us,  whose  wool 
is  scratched  with  briars  or  thorns. 

Their  ordinary  drink  is  milk  or  water,  or  milk  and  water  together,  or  u  drink  whiclt 
they  call  Bland,  most  common  in  the  country,  though  not  thought  to  be  very  whole- 
some ;  which  so  they  make  up,  having  taken  away  the  butter  from  their  churned  milk, 
as  likewise  the  thicker  parts  of  this  milk  which  remains  after  the  butter  is  taken  out, 
they  then  pour  in  some  hot  water  upon  the  serum,  whey,  or  the  thinner  part  of  the 
milk,  in  a  proportion  to  the  milk.  Which  being  done,  they  make  use  of  it  for  their 
drink,  kee;)ing  some  for  their  winter  provision :  and  this  drink  is  so  ordinary  with 
them,  that  i  here  are  many  people  in  the  country  who  never  saw  ale  or  beer  in  all  their 
lifetime ;  tht  ale  is  rare  among  them,  they  making  bread  of  much  of  their  barley-grain, 
but  the  Hamburgh  beer,  both  small  and  strong,  is  to  be  had  in  plenty,  though  at  a  good 
rate,  six  shillings  or  eight  shillings  our  pint ;  which  beer  and  other  liquors,  as  also  wheat- 
bread,  the  Hamburghers  bring  with  them  in  the  month  of  May  for  sale ;  hence  some- 
times liquors,  as  beer,  ale,  &c.  cannot  be  had  ior  money,  till  the  Hamburghers 
bring  it. 

The  great  confluence  of  strangers  makes  kine,  sheep,  hens,  and  almost  all  victuals,  to 
sell  at  a  greater  rate  than  in  Orkney,  for  often,  when  the  busses  are  here,  they  will  give 
double  or  triple  for  a  sheep,  or  a  hen,  than  it  is  to  be  bought  in  Orkney  for ;  for  the 
Hollanders  with  their  busses  being  numerous  on  these  coasts*  diey  send:  sometimes 
ashore  to  buy  fresh  meats,  which,  if  to  be  had,  they  will  not  want  for  the  price. 

They  have  fowls,  especially  sea  fowls,  in  great  plenty,  which  do  frequent  the  rocks^ 
holms,  &c.  which  they  take  as  they  do  in  Orkney,  and  are  vtiy  beneficial  to  the  pro- 
prietors.  There  are  also  many  eagles,  which  do  great  preji^'^ce  and'  hurt  to  the 
country  ;  for  the  lambs  they  will  lift  up  in  their  claws,  and  take  whole  to  their  nest^, 
and  falling  down  upon  the  sheep,  they  fix  one  foot  on  the  ground  and  the  oUier  en  the 
sheep's  back,  which  they  having  so  apprehended,  they  first  pick  out  their  eyes,  ant) 
then  use  the  carcBses  as  they  please.  All  sorts  of  duck  and  drake,  dunter>geese,  cleck- 
geese,  ember-geese,  &c.  they  have  as  in  Orkney. 


the 
(•ease, 
je  the 
Ifaircr 
with 
)ught 

their 
[many 


^'.ETLAND,    PICHILAND-PIRTII,   AND   CAITUSE^J. 


771 


They  have  many  crows,  but  neither  here  nor  in  Orkney  are  they  of  that  colour  which 
they  arc  of  with  us ;  for  their  heads,  wings,  and  tail,  only  arc  black,  but  their  back 
and  breast  from  tiie  neck  to  the  tail  are  of  a  grey  colour,  and  the  country  people  lock 
upon  it  as  a  bad  omen,  when  black  crows  come  to  these  isles,  they  portending  that  a 
famine  vill  shortly  ensue. 

Thcij  are  mauy  conies  in  some  places,  but  no  hares,  neither  are  there  any  moor- 
fowls,  which  are  numerous  in  Orkney  ;  some  say  that  a  few  fro.  ,\  Orkney  have  been 
brought  over  for  trial,  but  thc'y  could  not  live  here :  no  poddocks  or  frogs  arc  to  be 
seen,  though  many  in  Orkney.  Neither  are  there  any  rats  to  be  found,  except  in 
some  isles,  and  these  are  greater  than  ordinary,  and  thought  to  come  out  of  ships,  when 
riding  at  anchor  nigh  to  the  shore,  but  they  have  mice  in  abundance.  Neither  are 
there  any  venomous  creatures  in  these  isles.  They  have  many  otters,  one  of  which 
was  so  tamed,  that  it  frequently  used  to  bring  fishes  out  of  the  sea  to  ^  sntleman's  house 
in  Hdskashie,  as  one  told  me  who  ki.ew  the  truth  thereof. 

They  have  a  sort  of  little  horses  called  shelties,  than  which  no  other  are  to  be  had,  if 
not  brought  hither  from  other  places ;  they  are  of  a  less  size  than  the  Orkney  horses^ 
for  some  will:  be  but  nine,  others  ten  nives  or  hand-breadths  high,  and  they  will  be 
thought  big  horses  there  if  eleven ;  and  although  so  small,  yet  are  they  full  of  vigour  and 
life*  and  some  not  so  high  as  others  often  prove  to  be  the  strongest,  yea  there  are  some 
whom  an  able  man  can  lilt  up  in  his  arms,  yet  will  they  carry  him  ai  1  a  woman  behind 
him  eight  miles  forward,  and  as  many  back :  summer  or  winter  they  never  come  into 
a  house,  but  run  upon  the  mountains  in  some  places  in  flocks,  and  if  at  any  time  in 
winter  the  storm  be  so  great  that  they  are  straitened  for  food,  they  will  come  down  from 
the  hills,  when  tlie  ebb  is  in  the  sea,  and  eat  the  sea-ware,  (as  likewise  do  the  sheep ;)  which 
winter  storm  and  scarcity  of  fodder  puts  them  out  of  case,  and  bringeth  them  so  very 
low,  theit  they  recover  not  their  strength  till  about  St.  John's  mass  day,  the  24th  of 
June,  when  they  are  ac  their  best :  they  will  live  till  a  considerable  age;,  as  twenty-six, 
twenty-eight,  or  thirty  years,  and  they  will  be  good  riding  in  twenty-four,  especially  they 
will  be  the  more  vigorous  and  live  the  longer,  if  they  be  four  years  old  before  they  be 
put  to  work.    These  of  a  black  colour  are  judged  to  be  the  most  durable,  and  the  pied 
often  prove  not  so  good ;  they  have  been  more  numerous  than  now  they  are  ;  the  best 
of  them  are  to  be  had  in  Sanston  and  Eston,  also  they  are  good  in  Waes  and  Yell, 
tliese  of  the  least  size  are  in  the  northern  isles  of  Yell  and  Unst. 

The  coldness  of  the  air,  the  barrenness  of  the  mountains  on  which  they  feed,  and  their 
hard  usage,  may  occasion  them  to  keep  so  little,  for  if  bigger  horses  be  brought  into  the 
country,  their  kind  within  a  little  time  will  degenerate ;  and,  indeed,  in  the  present 
case  we  may  see  the  wisdom  of  Providence,  for  their  w^y  being  deep  and  mossy  in 
many  places,  these  lighter  horses  come  through,  when  the  greater  and  heavier  would 
sink  down :  and  they  leap  over  ditches  very  nimbler,  yea  up  and  down  rugged  mossy 
braes  or  hillocs,  with  heavy  riders  upon  them,  which  I  could  not  look  upon  but  with 
admiration,  yea  I  have  seen  them  climb  up  braes  upon  their  knees,  when  otherwise 
they  could  not  get  the  height  overcoi.ie,  so  that  our  horses  would  be  but  little,  if  at  all 
serviceable  there. 

The  great  filching  which  they  have  upon  the  coasts  makes  the  place  desirable  to  the 
natives,  iind  to  be  frequented  by  strangers,  it  excelling  any  other  place  of  the  king  of 
Britain's  dominions  for  herring,  white  and  grey  fishing ;  the  white  fishing  they  call  the 
killin  and  ling,  &c.  their  grey  the  silluks  and  scths ;  there  are  also  sometimes  very  strange 
fisties  here  to  be  fouttd.  as  about  twenty.four  years  ago  there  came  a  great  number  of 
small  thick  fishes  into  a  voe  on  the  south  side  of  Neston ;  they  ^vere  of  a  golden  colour, 

5f2 


1 
r 


772 


brand's    description    of    ORKNEY, 


very  pleasant  to  bcl'.old,  they  were  ubout  the  bigness  of  an  ordinary  trout,  and  all  of  an 
equal  size  ;  they  being  very  numerous,  the  country  inadc  much  use  of  them,  who  judged 
them  very  savoury,  tasting  like  a  turbot ;  and  never  before  or  since  that  time  were  these 
fishes  seen  in  these  seas,  as  my  informer,  an  old  gentleman,  could  remember.  Their  tusk 
is  a  rare  fish,  but  more  ordinary  with  them,  of  which  more  when  we  come  to  speak  of 
their  fishing.  Also  many  rare  shells  arc  to  be  found  on  the  coasts,  but  we  had  not  time 
(o  inquire  and  look  after  them. 

Through  the  isles,  for  fewel,  they  have  good  peats  in  abundance,  though  in  some 
places  they  are  ut  a  distance  from  them,  as  those  who  live  in  the  Skenies  are  obliged 
to  bring  them  from  other  isles,  as  from  VVhalsey,  and  the  passage  being  dangerous,  many- 
boats  are  cast  away  with  them ;  some  also  living  in  Dunrossness  are  at  a  loss  this  wa  y, 
they  not  having  the  moss  at  hand,  as  generally  they  ha*  e  in  other  places  on  the  Main. 
Much  broken  timber  also  is  driven  ashore  upon  these  isles,  so  that  the  inhabitants  of  the 
Skerries  trust  the  one  half  of  their  provision  to  this  driven  timber,  and  broken  ships  in 
great  quantity  often  cast  ashore,  partly  through  the  many  ships  that  split  on  these  isles, 
and  partly  as  the  wreck  of  ships  cast  away  ut  some  distance,  which  is  brought  here  by 
the  ebb  from  Norway,  or  other  places  lying  to  the  east  of  Zetland. 

There  are  no  trees  in  this  country  more  than  in  Orkney  ;  we  saw  some  old  white 
and  weather-beaten  stocks  standing  in  Scalloway  i  for  whatever  reasons  may  be  alledged 
for  trees  not  growing  in  Orkney,  far  more  do  I  judge  they  will  hold  in  Zetland,  both 
with  respect  to  the  air  and  to  the  soil  -,  *here  are  also  at  Scalloway  some  goose  and 
rizzcr-beri^  bushes,  which  use  every  yeario  be  laden  with  fruit,  which  are  a  great  rarity 
in  this  place  of  the  xvorld. 

Many  excellent  herbs  are  found  growing  here,  though  little  known  or  made  use  of: 
a  certain  English  physician  and  skilled  botanist,  who  was  at  Lerwick  some  years  ago, 
told  our  host  that  there  were  many  choice  and  rural  herbs  here,  not  to  be  found  'n  En- 
gland. They  have  much  scurvy-grass,  God  so  ordering  it  in  bis  wise  providence  thai 
juxta  venenum  nascitur  antidotum,  that  seeing  the  scurvy  is  the  common  disease  of  the 
country-,  they  should  have  the  remed\  at  hand. 

There  is  here  much  lime-stone,  (though  for  aught  I  heard  not  to  be  foui«vI  in  Orkney) 
which  in  some  places  they  h:>ve  but  lately  come  to  the  knowledge  of,  as  in  Unst  but 
about  four  years  since,  and  in  other  places  they  know  not  yet  how  to  use  it ;  the  parish 
oi  lingwal  (they  say)  consists  almost  of  lime- stone,  tliey  having  few  if  any  other  stones 
than  such. 

The  stones  wherewith  they  build  are  generally  broad,  and  like  flag- stones ;  by  reason 
of  which  Hgure  and  shape  the  stones  lying  the  more  easily,  the  builders  are  at  less  trouble 
m  fitting  them  for  the  wall  ;  and  I  have  observed  that  in  some  houses  there  is  little 
lime,  clay,  or  any  such  thing  for  cementing  of  the  building,  which  renders  their  dwell- 
ing so  much  the  colder,  the  piercing  air  passing  through  between  the  chinks  of  the 
stones,  V  '^ich  they  have  no  need  of  under  this  cold  and  airish  climate.  But  some  of 
these  houses  they  may  designedly  so  build,  that  the  wind  may  have  free  passage  through 
them  fur  di  ying  of  their  fishes,  which  houses  some  call  skeos. 

There  are  several  superstitious  customs  and  practices  which  the  more  ignorant  people 
follow,  some  of  which  we  will  have  occasion  to  note  in  the  sequel  of  this  discourse, 
but  not  so  many  did  we  hear  of,  as  there  in  Orkney.  But  I  hope  the  vigilance  and 
diligence  of  our  church  in  inspecting  these  isles,  and  putting  all  to  their  duty,  will  prove 
a  blessed  mean,  in  the  hand  of  God^  for  the  eradicating  and  utter  abolishing  of  tliese  re- 
licts of  paganism  and  idolatry. 


I\ 


ZETLAND,    PICHTLAND-FIRTH,    AND  CAITHNESS. 


77J 


Sailing  about  these  coasts  is  oilen  very  dangerous,  whence  the  waters  prove  graves 
to  many  of  the  inhabitants.  While  we  were  there,  iti  the  month  of  May,  a  boat  was 
cast  away  going  by  the  shore  to  Dunrossness,  and  a  man  and  his  sister  therein  perished, 
and  another  man  in  her  was  saved  by  getting  upon  the  keel  of  the  boat ;  and  some* 
times  boats  are  cast  away  when  not  one  saved.  About  the  isles  are  many  blind  rocks, 
which  the  natives  sometimes  unhappily  full  and  break  upon,  either  through  a  mistake, 
or  the  tide  and  wind  driving  them  upon  them  :  uc  other  times  the  wind  rising,  causeth 
the  sea  so  to  swell,  that  the  waves  breaking  upon  their  small  boats  are  ready  to  overset 
them,  and  sometimes  do :  also,  though  the  winds  be  not  so  strong,  there  will  come 
flans  and  blasts  off  the  land  as  to  their  swiftness  and  surprisal  something  like  to  hurri. 
canes,  which  beating  with  a  great  impetus  or  force  upon  their  sails,  overturns  the  boat, 
and  in  a  moment  hurries  them  into  eternity  :  by  such  a  Ban  the  laird  of  Munas,  a  gen- 
tleman of  this  country,  is  said  to  have  perished  the  former  year,  1699,  when  within  sight 
of  his  own  house,  and  all  that,were  in  the  boat  with  him,  said  to  be  nine  or  ten  persons, 
save  one  servant,  who  escaped  upon  the  keel.  I  remember  that  night  we  came  to  the 
land  of  Zetland  our  seamen  thought  fit  in  their  prudence  not  to  sail  too  nigh  the 
land,  for  fear  of  such  flans,  "  O  to  be  as  watchmen  on  our  towers,  looking  out  and 
waiting  for  the  Lord's  coming." 

For  this  cause  it  is,  that  during  the  winter  season  they  have  ordinarily  converse  or 
commerce  with  none,  except  that  ships  be  driven  in  by  stress  of  weather ;  for  the  open 
boats  dare  not  come,  and  the  close.decked  not  without  danger,  the  sea  commonly  at 
that  time  being  so  tempestuous,  the  tides  and  rousts  so  rapid,  that  they  threaten  all 
who  come  near  them  with  being  swallowed  up :  therefore  it  is,  as  they  tell  us,  that 
from  October  till  April  or  May  they  ordinarily  see  no  strangers,  nor  know  any  news, 
which  makes  the  winter  so  much  the  longer  and  wearisome  unto  them :  an  instance 
whereof  we  had,  that  the  late  Revolution,  when  his  highness  the  prince  of  Orange,  oui 
present  king,  was  pleased  to  come  over  to  assert  our  liberties,  and  deliver  us  from  our 
fears,  falling  out  in  the  winter,  it  was  May  thereafter  before  they  heard  any  thing  of  it ; 
and  that  first  they  say  from  a  fisherman,  whom  some  would  have  had  arraigned  before 
them,  and  impeached  of  high  treason  because  of  his  news,  as  some  did  inform  us. 

Their  country  lying  very  open,  and  in  many  places  but  thinly  inhabited,  exposeth  them 
to  the  hostile  incursions  of  pirates  in  a  time  of  war,  as  of  late  the  French  did  much  in- 
fest their  coasts ;  some  of  their  men  landing  did  by  shot  k.l?  their  kine  and  sheep,  and 
take  them  away  with  them ;  yea  sometimes  they  spared  not  the  churches,  but  sacrilegi- 
ously robbed  them,  pulling  down  the  timber  thereof,  as  seats,  &c.  and  taking  them  for 
burnwood ;  so  they  did  to  a  church  in  North  Mevan.  But  they  never  came  into  Brassa 
Sound,  lest  they  had  been  lucked  up  within  land,  winds  turning  contrary. 

In  the  month  of  June  they  have  a  clear  light  all  the  night  over,  for  at  the  darkest 
hour  thereof  you  will  see  clearly  to  read  a  letter  ;  the  sun  setteth  between  tea  and 
eleven  at  night,  and  riseth  between  one  and  two  in  the  morning,  but  for  this  they  have 
bo  much  the  shorter  day  and  longer  night  in  the  winter. 

Chap.  VII. A  particular  f^iew  is  given  oft/ie  several  Parishes,  and  most  con- 
siderable Isles,  in  Zetland, 

THUS  far  having  considered  thf  state  of  tlw  country  in  general,  we  come  next  lo  take 
some  particular  view  of  the  ibles,  which  that  I  may  the  better  and  more  methodically  do, 
Ibhall  lay  before  my  reader  the  several  parishes,  with  some  brief  description  of  the  prin. 
oipal  isles  tliereunto  belonging.    For,  as  to  the  number  of  the  isles,  I  never  lieard  an  ex- 


^1 

t 
ii 


774 


XRANO'S    DESCRIPTION    OF   ORKNEY, 


%■ 


act  account  given  thereof,  there  being  many  of  vliem  small,  wherein  is  only  a  family  or 
two,  and  so  but  little  noticed. 

The  first  in  the  parish  of  Dunrossness  on  the  Mainland  to  the  south,  and  is  the  parish 
which  lies  next  to  Orkney  and  Scotland,  wherein  are  thre?  churches,  in  which  their 
minister  performeth  divine  service,  Cross>Kirk,  Sanwich,  and  Fair  Isle  ;  in  this  p::;ish 
are  several  very  good  voes,  or  harbours,  commodious  for  ships  to  ride  in.  I  n  this  th  m  is 
also  much  corn  land,  there  ground  bearing  the  richest  f^in«  m  many  places  not  so  t  lossy 
and  covered  over  with  heath  as  other  panshes  are,  which  makes  them  to  have  less  fuel, 
though  more  corn.  Much  of  the  land  here  is  sanded,  and  the  sea  almost  yearly  guneth 
something  on  the  lower  parts  thereof;  the  land  lying  so  low  and  sandy  in  many  places, 
is  convenient  for  conies,  which  abound  here  about  the  ness  or  southernmost  point  of 
land.  In  thispariith  there  is  &  '^^f*t  fishing;  this  southernmost  point  hath  two  heads, 
Swinburgh  Head,  and  Fitwalls  J  v>vo  high  rocks  seen  by  manners  coming  from  the 
south  at  a  great  distance,  which,  Wi       iiscovered,  they  direct  their  course  towards  them. 

To  the  north-west  of  the  Ness  lies  St.  Ninian's  isle,  very  pleasant;  wherein  there  is  a 
chapel  and  an  altar  in  it,  whereon  some  superhtttious  people  do  bum  candles  to  this  day. 
Some  take  4'his  isle  rather  to  be  a  kind  of  peninsula,  joined  to  the  main  by  a  bank  of 
sand,  by  which  in  an  ebb  people  may  go  in  the  isle,  though  sometimes  not  without  dan« 
ger. 

The  Fair  Isle  betongeth  to  this  parish,  lying  eight  leagues,  or  twenty-four  miles  to  the 
south,  or  south  and  by  east,  of  Swinburgh  Head ;  by  Buchanan  it  is  called  insula  bella,  the 

{)k'asant  or  pretty  isle.  Thoug^  I  do  judge  fair  may  be  as  well  taken  properly,  as  appeU 
atively,  for  the  isle  Faira  or  Tara,  there  being  another  isle  lying  to  the  north  of  this 
which  they  call  North  Faira,  which  relates  to  another  Faira  by  south ;  now  there  is  no 
isle  lying  to  the  south  of  this  North  Faira,  which  hath  any  name  that  can  be  interpreted 
Faira,  but  this  Fair  Isle.  Moreover,  I  neither  did  see,  nor  was  I  informed  of  any  thing 
that  afford  us  any  reason  why  this  isle  should  be  so  appellatively  taken  jid  denomina- 
ted  bella  or  Fair*  This  Fair  isle  riseth  high  above  the  waters,  and  is  seen  by  mariners  at 
a  great  distance ;  it  is  about  a  mile  and  an  half  long  from  south  to  north,  and  nigh  to  a 
mile  in  breadth,  the  side  thereof  towards  the  west  is  a  continued  ragged  rock  from  one 
end  to  another,  always  beat  upon  by  the  impetuous  currents  of  a  swelling  sea ;  above  this 
west  side  is  the  craig,  which  they  call  the  Sheep  Craig,  whereon  there  are  no  houses  nor 
corn  land,  but  sheep  use  to  feed  :  the  side  lying  to  the  east  is  lower,  declining  towards 
the  sea;  there  are  m  it  two  harbours,  one  upon  the  northern  end,  looking  to  Zetland, 
and  another  towards  the  southern  point,  but  ships  or  boats  do  not  ordinarily  resort  there- 
unto, if  not  put  to  it,  and  better  cannot  do,  for  so  it  hath  been  a  safe  shelter  and  refuge  to 
many. 

1  here  use  to  be  about  ten  or  twelve  families  in  it,  but.  now  they  say  death  hath  almost 
depopulated  the  isle,  the  small  pox  having  lately  raged  there,  and  swept  away  two  thirds 
of  the  inhabitants,  so  that  there  is  not  a  sufficient  number  spared  to  manage  their  fishing, 
boats;  that  gentleman's  son,  above  mentioned,  having  touched  here  in  his  uay  to  Zet- 
land. They  have  good  pasturage  for  sheep  and  kine,  and  some  com  land,  and  are  very 
hospitable  and  kind.  Their  minister  useth  to  visit  them  once  in  the  year,  in  the  summer 
time,  and  staying  with  them  about  a  month,  preaching,  baptizing  their  children,  and 
doing  other  parts  of  his  pastoral  work ;  after  which,  he  returning  to  Zetland,  they  are 
without  public  ordinances  till  the  next  year's  revolution. 

The  hawks,  they  say,  which  are  to  be  had  in  the  Fi'ir  isle,  are  best  in  Britain,  which 
use  to  fly  to  Zetland  or  Orkneyfor  their  prey,  these  'jeing  the  nearest  lands,  and  some, 
times  they  will  find  moor  fowh  in  their  nests,  which  they  behoved  to  bring  from  Ork. 


,*r|- 


«S«iiS».iSS%JK~; 


r'-^f-  ^,  n.mW 


"''^'t^SfcWwir'^?-**^'"*^,; 


ZETLAND,    PICHTLAND-FIRTM,    AND    CAITHNESS. 


775 


.i 


:  parish 
h  their 
I  p::;ish 
th:reis 
I  i  lossy 
»s  fuel, 
gaineth 

places, 
point  of 

heads, 
rom  the 

them, 
lere  is  a 
his  day. 

bank  of 
3Ut  dan- 

:s  to  the 
)ella,  the 
as  appel- 
I  of  this 
:re  is  no 
terpreted 
iny  thing 
;nomina- 
iriners  at 
nigh  to  a 
from  one 
bove  this 
uses  nor 
:  towards 
Zetland, 
on  there- 
refuge  to 

th  almost 
wo  thirds 
r  Gshing- 
lytoZet- 
1  are  very 
r  summer 
dren,  and 
,  they  arc 

in«  which 
nd  some- 
rom  Ork. 


ney,  seeing  there  are  none  in  Zetland,  and  the  nearest  isle  they  could  have  them  in  was 
Stronza  or  Westra>  which  is  between  forty  and  fifty  miles  of  sea,  over  which  at  one 
flight  they  must  carry  tliese  fowls  to  their  nests. 

Many  ships  use  to  cruise  about  this  Fair  Isle  in  the  summer  time,  and  by  it  the  Hoi. 
land's  fleet  goin^,  to  or  coming  from  the  East-Indies  use  to  pass,  though  sometimes  as  in 
the  late  wars  they  sailed  by  the  north  of  Zetland,  that  they  might  be  more  free  of  danger. 
Ships  also  going  to  or  coming  from  Norway  or  the  east  sea  frequently  pass  this  way, 
when  wind  serveth  thfm  •«>  fo  do  :  nivd  this  Fair  Isle  being  seen  by  them  at  fourteen  or 
sixteen  leagues  distance,  in  a  clear  day,  it  is  as  a  myth  or  mark  for  directing  their  courses. 

The  second  is  the  parish  of  Tingwall,  lying  on  the  east  of  the  main  to  the  north  of 
Dunrossness,  wherein  are  four  churches,  Tingwall,  Whiteness,  Wisedale  and  Lerwick, 
but  the  minister  useth  not  to  preach  by  turns  at  Lerwick,  as  he  doth  at  his  other  three 
churches,  he  not  finding  himself  obliged  so  to  do,  it  being  but  built  lately,  at  the  ex. 
pence  of  the  inhabitants,  however  sometimes  he  hath  sermon  there,  and  baptizeth  their 
children.  Lerwick  in  this  parish  is  now  become  the  principal  town  in  the  country,  lying 
on  the  cast  of  the  main  at  Brassu  Sound,  over  against  the  isle  of  Brassa. 

Lerwick  is  more  than  half  a  mile  in  length,  lying  south  and  north  upon  the  side  of  the 
sound,  and  will  consist  of  between  two  and  three  hundred  families ;  it  is  but  within  these 
few  years,  that  it  hath  arrived  to  such  a  number  of  houses  and  inhabitants.  It  is  become 
so  considerable,  because  of  the  many  ships  which  do  yearly  frequent  the  Sound,  whereby 
merchants  and  tradesmen  are  encouraged  to  come  and  dwell  in  this  place,  and  not  for 
the  pleasanmess  oi'  its  situation,  or  the  fertility  of  the  country  about,  for  it  is  built  upon  a 
rocky  piece  of  ground,  wherein  they  can  have  no  street,  but  a  kind  of  a  narrow  passage 
before  their  doors,  betwixt  them  and  the  Sound,  which  in  some  places  will  not  admit  of 
two  mens'  going  in  a  breast,  and  at  the  back  of  the  town  there  is  a.  hill  of  black  moss, 
wherein  they  cast  their  pites,  which  in  some  places  comcth  to  their  very  doors,  and  no 
com  land  is  there  about  it,  save  a  little  u^thin  the  castle,  for  near  a  mile  of  way. 

Many  of  their  houses  are  very  commodious  to  dwell-in,. most  of  them  being  two  stories 
high,  and  well  furnished  within,  their  inhabitants  consist  of  merchants,  tradesmen,  and 
fishers,  who  keep  up  a  good  trade  with  foreigners,  from  whom  they  buy  much  of  their 
domestic  provision ;  some  of  them  are  persons  of  a  considerable  stock,  which  they  have 
many  ways  to  improve  for  their  advantage.  They  are  very  civil  and  kind,  of  an  oblig* 
ing  temper,  which  we  had  the  experience  of,  during  our  abode  among  them ;  there  are 
but  few  begging  poor  to  be  seen  here«  or  in  any  place  of  the  country,  where  we  had  oc- 
casion to  be ;  there  being  a  great  store  of  small  fishes,  Ibrthe  supply  of  their  necessity. 

They4iave  upon  their  own- charges  built  a< convenient  church,  at  the  back  of  the 
middle  of  the  town,  and  furnished  it  with  good  seats,  highand  low ;  they  are  at  present  it 
part  of  the  parish. of  Tingwall,  but  very  desirous  to  be  disjoined,  and  erected  into  a  parish 
by  themselvesf.that  so  they  majr,  enjoy  a  minister  of  their  own :  for  the  promotingof  whicli 
good  work,  diey  are  most  willmg  according  to  their  ability  to  contribute  for  the  settling 
of  a  fund  for  a^tipend  to  a  mini&ter,  but  not  being  in  a  capacity  to  give  alt,  they  resolved 
to  make  application  to  the  government,  for  to  have  some  allowance  out  of  the  revenues 
of  the  bishopric  of  Orkney,  or  otherwise,  as  the  wisdom  of  the  government  should  see 
meet,  so  that  there  may  be  a.  competency  made  up» 

Upon  their  application  to  us,.we  judging  it  most  convenient,  yea  necessary,  thatthis 
town,  with  some  of  the  adjacent  country,  should ibe  erected  into  a  parish,  cherished  this- 
their  pious  design;  telling  them,  that  we  intended  to  recommend  it  to  the  commission 
of  the  general  assembly :  that  they  may  interpose  with  the  lords  and  other  honourable^ 


^> 


:.'! 


I: 

k 


776 


buakd's  description  op  orknev, 


members  of  the  rcspeclivc  judicatories,  before  whom  this  affair  shall  come,  for  the  better 
effectuating  the  same.  For  the  town  itself  is  considerable,  and  the  principal  one  in  the 
country  much  frequented  by  the  gentry  ;  ai  also  by  strangers,  in  the  summer  time. 
And  their  minister  preaching  seldom  here,  they  are  ordinarily  destitute  of  gospel  ordi- 
nances;  the  people  scarce  Ixfing  able,  in  the  summer  season,  and  almost  impossible  for 
them  in  the  winter,  to  travel  to  the  next  church,  where  their  minister  preacheth  :  it 
being  about  four  miles  distance  from  them,  of  exceeding  bad  way,  as  we  knew  when 
we  did  perambulate  the  bounds.  Which  want  of  nrdinancen  maketh  their  case  very  sad 
and  deplorable  ;  it  nurseth  ignorance,  occasioneth  much  sin,  especially  horrid  profa- 
nation of  the  Lord's  Day  by  strangers,  as  well  as  by  inhabitants ;  and  doth  effectually 
obstruct  the  conversion  of  souls ;  preaching  of  the  word  being  a  special  means  of  con- 
vincing and  converting  sinners,  and  building  them  up  in  holiness  and  comfort  through 
faith  unto  salvation. 

At  the  north  end  of  the  town  is  tlie  castle  or  citadel  of  Lerwick,  begun  to  be  built  in 
the  time  of  the  Dutch  war,  anno  1665,  by  workmen  sent  by  authoriry  from  Scotland, 
for  that  end,  but  the  work  was  never  perfected,  the  workmen  returning  home  anno  1667. 
At  that  time  also  three  hundred  soldiers  were  sent  over,  for  the  defence  of  the  country- 
against  the  hostile  incursions  of  the  Hollanders,  and  were  quartered  in  places  near  to  the 
fort,  who  likewise  returned  home  about  the  same  time  with  the  workmen :  the  garri- 
son could  do  much  to  command  the  Sound  (for  then  there  was  no  town  here)  so  that 
none  durst  land  nigh  unto  them ;  the  walls  are  yet  in  a  good  condition,  high  in  some 
places  without,  but  filled  up  with  earth  within,  whereon  they  raised  their  cannon  ;  ii\ 
the  weakest  part  of  the  wall  towards  the  north,  there  hath  been  a  sally-port,  dangerous 
to  attack,  by  reason  of  a  deep  ditch  before  it,  fed  by  a  spring,  into  which  the  garrison 
by  cunning  artifices  might  endeavour  to  draw  the  enemy,  who,  by  the  stratagems  of  war 
thus  being  brought  on  and  ensnared,  did  incontinently  sink  down  into  the  Sound  below 
them,  at  the  foot  of  the  hill  whereupon  the  castle  is  situated :  within  the  walls  is  a  house 
of  guard,  which  hath  been  two  stories  high,  burnt  by  the  Dutch,  after  that  our  soldiers 
had  left  the  fort.  Upon  the  walls  towards  the  Sound  are  standing  three  iron  cannons, 
one  a  six,  another  a  seven,  and  a  third  a  ten-pounder,  not  left  by  these  who  kept  garri. 
son,  but  since  that  time,  within  these  ♦h'rty  years,  taken  out  of  the  sea  nigh  to  Whalsey, 
u  ship  of  force  there  being  cast  away  au  Mt  eighty  years  before,  which  guns  the  inhabi- 
tants of  Lerwick  lately  mounted  upon  the  walls  of  the  castle,  whereby  they  might  be  in 
a  capacity  to  defend  themselves  against  the  French  privateers,  who  at  any  time  should 
come  up  the  Sound  and  assault  ihem. 

Between  Lerwick  and  :he  isle  of  Brassa  on  the  east  lieth  a  pleasant  bay  or  sound,  com- 
monly called  Brassa  Sound,  famous  for  its  being  so  safe  u  road  for  ships  to  anchor  and 
ride  in,  and  that  in  the  greatest  storm,  being  inclosed  with  land  on  every  side,  except 
the  entry  thereunto  from  the  south,  which  is  half  a  mile  broad,  but  within  the  sound  as 
at  Lerwick  it  is  a  mile ;  it  hath  another  narrow  passage  at  the  north  end  of  it,  but  dan- 
gerous to  go  out  or  in  at,  because  of  some  bliod  rocks  therein.  This  sound  is  the  or. 
dinary  place  to  which  the  Holland  busses  do  resort  in  time  of  herring  fishing,  who,  be- 
fore they  put  out  their  nets,  (which  must  not  be,  according  to  a  law  they  have  among 
themselves,  before  the  24th  of  June,)  use  to  come  here,  and  put  themselves,  ships,  and 
nets,  in  order,  and  the  time  by  them  appointed  being  come,  they  all  go  to  sea  together, 
fishing  near  to  this  land :  sometimci  there  have  been  seen  in  the  Sound  two  thousand, 
or  two  thousand  two  hundred  sail  at  once,  and  every  year  some  hundreds,  as  five,  six,  or 
seven  hundred.    Yea  sometimes  so  thick  do  the  ships  tie  in  the  sound,  that  they  say  men 


•       » 


3! 


■i 

<  .  ^. 


T 


i 


yr. 


UO-l.i.'JJ-l-lt.. ■    ■    ■■!  ■ 


ZETLAND,    PIGintAI'.'O-FIRTKi    AND    CAllli  N  £!,;;. 


77V 


! 


might  (TO  from  one  «idc  of  the  sound  to  th'^  other,  Rtcppinpf  from  ship  to  ship  ;  and  du- 
ring their  fishing  they  will  come  in  to  the  sound  for  fresh  water,  or  other  nceessary 
provision,  and  return  to  sea  again. 

To  this  parish  of  Tingwall  also  belongeth  Scalloway,  lying  oi\  the  west  side  of  the 
Mainland  four  miles,  which  is  the  breadth  of  the  country  m  that  place  from  Lerwick. 
It  was  formerly  the  chief  town  in  the  country,  and  the  scat  of  the  presbytery,  enjoying  by 
far  a  pleasantc'r  situation  than  Lerwick,  about  which  is  good  grass,  and  corn,  and  some 
meadow,  betwixt  which  and  the  church  of  Tingwall  is  the  Strath  of  Tingwall,  two  miles 
of  hard,  even,  and  pleasant  way ;  they  say  about  Scalloway  is  as  pleasant  a  spot  as  is  in 
oil  this  country.  In  all  the  town  there  will  be  scarce  eighty  or  one  hundred  persons, 
there  not  being  such  encouragement  by  trade  to  live  here  as  at  Lerwick. 

At  the  cast  or  south-east  etid  of  the  town  stands  the  castle  of  Scalloway,  built  anno 
1600,  by  Patrick  carl  of  Orkney,  son  to  Robert  Stewart,  also  earl  of  Orkney,  who 
built  the  palace  of  Birsa  formerly  mentioned :  above  the  ^tcs,  as  we  enter  into  the 
house,  there  is  this  inscription,  Patricius  Orchadiae  &.  Zetlandia:  Comes,  and  below  the  in- 
acription  this  distich.  Cuius  fundamen  saxum  est  domus  ilia  manebit ;  Labilis  ^  contra,  si 
sit  arena  pent.  That  house  whose  foundation  is  on  a  rock  shall ;  but  if  the  sand  it 
shall  ffdl.     The  reason  of  the  inscription  is  reported  to  be  this :  the  earl  greatly  op. 

Cressed  both  Orkney  an  Zetland;  and  particularly  at  the. building  of  this  house,  his 
and  lay  very  heavy  on  the  poor  people,  by  causing  them  in  great  numbers  to  be  em- 
ployed about  the  building,  which  could  not  but  divert  them  from  their  ordinary  work,  as 
fishing,  &c  whereby  they  provided  sustenance  for  themselves  and  families.  After  this, 
one  Mr.  Pitcairn,  minister  of  North  Mevan,  said  to  be  a  godly  and  zealous  man,  coming 
to  pay  his  respects  to  the  earl,  the  earl  desired  him  to  compose  a.  verse,  which  he  might 
put  upon  the  frontispiece  of  his  house  ;  from  this  the  minister  took  occasion  to  lay  be. 
fore  the  earl  his  great  sin  of  oppression,  upon  which  the  earl's  anger  was  incensed,  and 
in  his  rage  he  threatened  him  with  imprisonment.  However  the  carl  afterwards  coming 
to  some  composure  of  spirit,  Mr.  Pitcairn  said  unto  him,  Well,  if  you  will  have  a  verse,  I 
shall  give  you  one  from  express  words  of  holy  scripture,  Luke  vi.  which  verse  the  earl 
being  pleased  with, caused  it  to  be  inscribed  on  the  lintel  above  the  gate,  with  Luke  vi.  add- 
ed to  the  verse,  the  minister  thereby  insinuating  that  this  house  could  not  stand  long,  hav- 
ing such  a  sandy  foundation  as  oppression.  As  indeed  neither  did  it,  for  shortly  after  the 
earl  being  beheaded,  the  house  was  not  taken  care  of,  and  is  now  become  ruinous. 

And  herein  the  wise  providence  of  God  may  be  observed,  that  as  the  inscription  on 
the  gate  of  the  palace  of  Birsa  in  Orkney  did  hold  forth  the  ambition  of  the  fa  lier,  so 
this  inscription  on  the  gate  of  the  castle  of  Scalloway  in  Zetland  did  shew  the  oppression 
of  the  son ;  and  though  it  may  be  many  years  since  the  death  of  them  both,  yet  the 
very  houses  built  by  them,  to  make  their  honour  and  grandeur  to  appear,  do  yet  stand, 
to  their  dishonour  and  infamy,  and  in  a  manner  do  bear  witness  against  them  :  so  truly 
verified  in  them,  is  that  scripture,  '*  That  though  the  inward  thoughts  of  great  men 
be  that  their  houses  shall  continue  for  ever,  and  their  dwelling  places  to  all  generations  ; 
nevertheless  they  being  in  honour  and  not  understanding,  are  like  the  beasts  that  perish. 
And  the  righteous  shall  be  in  everlasting  remembrance ;  but  the  name  of  the  wicked 
shall  rot." 

The  house  or  castle  is  three  stories  high  beside  kitchens  and  wardrobe,  and  hath  in  it 
many  excellent  chambers,  and  other  apartments,  with  their  several  conveniences ;  also  there 
hath  been  much  good  painting,  ome  of  which  is  yet  to  be  seen,  though  much  defaced ; 
the  chambers  are  high  between  Hoors,  but  especially  the  gallery  or  dining-room  :  in  the 
kitchen  there  is  a  well  in  the  side  of  a  wall,  the  water  whereof  is  very  good,  though 

VOL.  III.  5   G 


■  I 


1 1 


:« 


J'  ■'■ 


lit 

1/ 


t  n 


uuandS  OKhciiriiuN  or  oaKNxy. 


11  • 


little  used  ;  the  !tlatcs  have  for  the  most  part  tullcn  from  the  ruof,  and  are  daily  fallini; 
with  every  hturm,  ho  that  the  timber,  much  of  which  i»  yet  very  gootl  and  frcHh,  i»  be- 
giiiniiig  to  rot  and  consume,  by  the  ruin  fulling  through  the  house  from  floor  to  floor, 
i'hc  stune  ualli)  are  yet  in  a  srood  condition,  they  being  considerably  thick  ;  in  the  buiUU 
iiig  are  many  frec-atone»,  us  HntelH,  jams,  be.  which  they  say  were  brought  front  8cot> 
land.  I  give  a  more  p.irticular  uccuunt  of  thi;*  house,  because  b.iilt  in  thii  country,  and 
to  shew  how  transient,  passing,  and  [K-riithing,  the  glory  and  riches  of  the  world  are.  In 
tliis  castle  of  Scalloway  Home  English  soldiers  for  some  time  kept  garris4)n,  when  their 
army  was  in  Scotland. 

I'hc  church  of  VVisdnle,  which  belongeih  to  this  ^wrish,  is  much  frequentfd  by  the  su- 
perstitious country  people,  who  light  cutidles  thcreni,  drop  m')ney  in  and  about  it,  go 
on  their  bare  knees  round  it,  and  to  which  in  their  strait*,  and  sicknessthcy  have  their  re- 
course, yea  some  are  so  silly  as  to  think,  that  if  they  be  in  any  distress,  though  not  at  this 
church,  yet  if  they  turn  their  faces  to  it,  God  will  hear  them.  One  of  the  justices  told 
us,  that  though  they  have  laid  out  themselves  to  get  these  superstitious  conceits  eradicate 
cd,  yet  they  caiuiot  get  it  altogether  elfectuated,  but  still  they  continue  among  the  peo' 
pie.  A  minister  also  told  me,  that  it  was  much  fre<|uented  by  women,  who,  when  they 
desire  to  marry,  went  to  this  church,  making  tluir  vows  and  su\ing  their  pniyers  there, 
so  assuring  themselves  that  God  would  cause  men  come  in  suit  of  them  ;  but  this  is  not 
now  so  much  in  use  as  formerly. 

Before  Scalloway  lieih  a  little  isle  called  Troudra,  two  or  three  miles  long,  wherein  are 
a  few  families. 

The  third  parish  is  Neston,  to  the  east  of  the  Main,  to  which  belongs  four  churches, 
two  on  the  main,  and  other  two  in  isles ;  in  Neston  is  good  harbouring  and  many  grey 
fishei). 

To  the  north-east  lies  the  isle  of  Whal&ey,  wherein  is  a  church,  it  is  about  three  miles 
long,  and  as  many  broad.  Here  are  great  rats  and  very  numerous,  which  do  infest  the 
isle,  destroying  their  corns  and  other  goods. 

From  Whalsey  to  the  east  lies  the  Skerries,  several  broken  isles,  wherein  is  a 
church  ;  here  are  two  good  harbours,  but  dangerous  to  enter,  by  reason  of  rocks  that 
lie  bt'fore  them,  but,  when  in,  ships  will  ride  very  safely :  there  arc  no  pites  in  them, 
but  many  ships  being  cast  away  upon  them,  the  inhabitants  make  use  of  the  wreck  for 
burn-wood,  and  also  bring  some  pites  from  Whalsey.  Here  v/as  cast  away  that  great 
and  rich  hhip,  called  the  Carmtlan  of  Amsterdam,  aimo  1664,  when  the  w«ir  was  iKtwcen 
us  and  the  Hollanders,  computed  to  the  value  of  3,000,000  of  guilders,  wherein  were 
some  chests  of  coined  gold  (of  which  more  above  in  our  description  of  Orkney,)  and 
none  of  the  men,  as  they  report,  w  ere  saved  but  four,  who  were  on  the  top-mast,  dis- 
covering  the  land;  but  before  they  could  give  timely  advertisement  to  the  captain,  the 
ship  struck  on  a  rock,  and  the  mast  breaking  by  the  deck,  the  top  thereof  fell  on  one  of 
the  skerries,  and  so  these  four  men  perished  not  with  the  rest  of  their  company  ;  they 
say  for  twenty  days  after  the  inhabitants  of  the  Skerries  drank  liberally  of  the  strong 
liquors  driven  on  shore  in  casks.  It  is  said  this  ship  so  richly  laden  was  bound  for  the 
East- Indies. 

In  the  way  from  Brassa  Sound  to  Neston  lies  the  blind  rock  called  the  Unicorn,  the 
tup  whereof  is  seen  at  a  low  ebb,  upon  which  the  ship  called  the  Unicorn  was  cast  away, 
wherein  was  William  Kircaldy  of  Grange,  who,  pursuing  the  earl  of  Bothwell,  followed 
him  so  close,  that  they  were  within  gun  shot  of  one  another,  but  Bothwell  coming  first 
through  Brassa  Sound  got  in  a  pilot,  which  Grange  neglecting  to  do,  they  both  sailed 
rlirough  the  northern  passage  of  Brassa  Sound ;  and  BothwelPs  pilot  having  a  great  re- 


«.iM>*'*^   •* 


ZITLANU,    riOUTLANO'ilRTHi    AMD    CA  1  i  II  .n  t  „». 


•Vf> 


ward  promised  him,  if  they  khould  escape,  rnn  down  by  the  side  of  (hiii  rock,  iijion  which 
the  Unicurii  did  <«|itit,  and  su  Uuihwi.!!  got  fric  of  the  duDf^cr  he  was  in  by  thi^  hr>t 
pursuit.     It  is  moH(  dan^troiiH  suiling  uinoiig  these  isles  without  u  pilot. 

The  fourth  parish  in  Dcltoii  uiithe  Main,  wherein  arc  two  churches,  it  iieth  north-east 
and  southeast ;  here  are  many  fj;rey  fishes  taken,  whereas  in  the  northern  isles  of  Un-it 
and  Yell  they  lay  out  then)«elve»  nmre  for  i he  taking  of  white  fish,  a&  killing,  ling,  8c<;. 

On  the  east  lie*  Fisholm,  to  the  iiorth-cust  Little  Uue,  and  oa  the  west  Meikle  Rue, 
eight  inileH  long,  and  two  miles  brcud,  wherein  a  good  harbour.  All  the^u  i:jlcs  have 
their  (iwn  advantages. 

The  fifth  is  Sansting  and  Ksting,  lying  on  the  Main  Ixrtween  Dctton  and  VV.ici,  wherein 
are  two  ktrks,  one  in  Sunsiing,  and  another  in  Esting.  The  way  in  this  parish  h  very 
bud,  and  the  people  are  said  to  Ix;  among  the  poorest  and  naughtiest  in  all  the  country  ; 
here  is  good  pasture  for  sheep,  andtlie  best  wool ;  as  also  the  lx:st  shelties. 

Nigh  to  Sansting  and  Ksting  lie  several  small  pleasant  isles,  Vcmantric,  a  pleasant  isle, 
full  of  harbours,  O^nvy,  Papa  Link*,  Hiidesha,  8(C. 

The  sixth  is  \Vae:i,  on  the  nuiinto  the  west,  to  it  belongs  four  churches,  one  in  Waci, 
another  in  Sandness,  the  third  in  the  isle  of  Paoa-stuur,  and  the  fourth  in  the  isle  of 
Fowla.  To  the  south  of  Waes  lieth  the  isle  ol  Vaila,  wherein  a  cat  will  not  live,  of 
which  more  afterwards. 

The  iile  of  Papa-stour  is  said  to  he  the  plensantest  little  isle  in  all  this  country,  two 
miles  long,  and  well  furnisliid  uith  fuel,  grass,  corn,  rabbits,  &c.  In  it  are  four  good  har- 
bours, one  v>  the  souih,  two  to  the  north,  and  one  to  the  west ;  nigh  to  this  isle  lies  the 
Lyra  Skerries,  socalkd,  because  the  lyrca  (those  fat  fowls  spoken  of  in  our  description 
of  Orkney)  do  fre(|uent  tliis  Skerrte. 

Foula  lies  about  eighteen  miles  west  from  the  Main,  it  is  about  three  miles  long, 
wherein  a  high  rock  seen  at  a  gre  at  distance  ;  I  have  heard  say,  that  in  a  calm  and  clear 
da\ ,  they  will  see  it  from  Orkney  :  there  is  only  one  place  in  it  for  harljuurm^,  which 
if  \()u  do  not  hit,  you  will  be  driven  to  the  sea,  what  by  uiud  and  tide.  'I'luir  corn 
land  is  all  in  one  end  of  it ;  and  the  inhabitants  live  most  by  fowls  and  eggs,  which  are 
very  numerous,  and  iliey  are  the  best  climbers  of  rocks  in  ail  the  country. 

The  sevenih  is  North- Mevan  on  the  Main,  lying  to  the  north,  wherein  are  three  kirks, 
MiUwick,  OlolKrry  and  North- Rhae  ;  they  report  the  people  of  this  parish  to  be  dis- 
creet and  civilized,  beyond  their  neighbouring  parishes;  which,  under  God,  is  owing 
to  the  labours  of  Mr.  Flercules  Sinclair,  some  time  minister  there,  reputed  to  be  zealous 
and  faithful  :  he,  in  his  zeal  against  superstition,  razed  Cross- Kirk,  in  this  pari<.h  ;  be- 
cause the  people  superstitioiisly  fr(-(|uented  it  :  and  when  demolished,  behind  the  place 
where  the  altar  stood,  and  also  bene  ith  the  pulpit,  were  found  several  pieces  of  silver  in 
various  shapes,  brought  thither  as  oflferini^s  by  ufllicted  people,  some  being  in  the  form 
of  a  head,  others  of  an  arm,  otncrs  of  a  foot,  accordingly  as  the  oflferers  were  distressed 
in  these  parts  of  the  body  ;  as  a  friend  of  his,  a  present  minister  in  the  country,  did  in- 
form me.  O  that  the  pains  and  expence  these  superstitious  souls  have  been  at  might  ex- 
cite us  the  more  dutifully  to  serve  and  worship  our  Gi.d  in  spirit  and  in  truth  I  There 
are  also  many  more  people  in  this  parish,  who  can  write  and  read,  and  give  a  tolerable 
account  of  their  proficiency  in  the  knowledge  of  the  principles  of  religion,  than  there  are 
in  others. 

Before  it  lies  Lamma,  a  small  picascnt  isle  ;  as  also  another  to  the  west. north- west. 

The  eighth  is  Brassa,  an  isle  to  the  east  of  Tingwall  and  Lerwick,  to  which  three 
uhurches  do  belong,  two  in  Brassa,  but  only  in  one  of  them  they  use  to  attend  ordi- 
nances, the  other  being  built  nigh  to  the  mausc,  for  their  late  old  minister's  accommodu. 

5  c  2 


!| 


lir 
1/ 


m 


•  NANO'S   DI8CMIPTI0N    Of    OBXNtY* 


ti»n.  Brasia  \s  abuut  five  miles  long  and  t.vvo  bruad,  all  covered  with  heather,  except 
M}inc  corn  l.ind  l)y  the  coustsi.  Before  Bninsa  to  the  cant  lien  the  Nusts  of  Brassu,  a  imull 
uk,  wherein  is  one  fumily  ;  tt  hath  n  high  rock  lying  o(K*n  to  the  ca^i  tea,  and  teen  hy 
mariners  at  a  distance. 

The  nunintcr  of  Bratsa  aliio  hath  n  church  in  the  isle  of  Durrn,  which  he  gooth  to  every 
(iccoiid  Sabbath,  it  lying  nigh  to  the  Mainland,  weit-»outh  wchtiroin  iScullowuy,  so  that 
the  minister  is  obliged  to  travel  front  the  cuht  to  the  west  side  of  the  Mainland  when  he 
goeth  tothikhia  church.  The  isle  will  be  three  miles  long,  divided  in  the  middle  into 
two  small  isles  by  u  sea-brcuk.  The  church  is  very  targe,  and  haih  a  high  steeple  in  it. 
To  the  soDth.south-east  of  Burra  lies  Haveroy,  a  mile  and  a  half  long.  Both  m  Burra 
nnd  Haveroy  is  good  pasture,  and  about  them  good  fishing. 

The  ninth  is  Yell,  nn  isle  north-east  and  by  the  cast  from  the  Main,  sixteen  miles  long, 
and  as  to  breadth  it  is  much  like  the  Ggure  8,  because  of  the  many  creeks  and  voea 
which  divide  and  cut  the  land,  yet  in  some  places  it  is  six  or  eight  miles  brood  :  in  ik 
are  three  churches  and  iiiany  old  little  chapels;  it  is  more  mossy  than  some  other  isles, 
though  there  be  in  it  some  good  pasturage  and  corn  land.  To  the  cast  of  Yell  lies  Ilas- 
kashie,  two  miles  long ;  to  the  soiith-wcst  Sumphrey,  one  mile  long ;  to  the  west-south- 
wcHt  Biggui,  a  mile  and  a  half  long;  all  pleasant,  and  well  grassed,  having  much  fuel, 
and  especia'ly  excellent  for  fishing ;  for  if  the  wind  blow  from  the  west,  the  boats  can  lie 
on  the  east ;  if  from  the  east,  they  can  he  on  the  west  side  of  these  isles,  and  that  nigh 
to  the  shore. 

To  the  east-north-east  of  Yell  lies  Fetlor,  five  miles  long  and  four  broad  :  in  it  som 
chapels  and  Picts  houses,  as  there  arc  likewise  in  several  other  of  the  isles.  In  this  isle 
there  is  a  church,  wherein  the  miiiisterof  Yell  preacheih  £;vc.y  fourth  Sabbath;  it  used 
formerly  to  have  been  served  by  a  preaching  deacon,  but  the  vicar  l)y  his  diligence  hath 
got  the  minister  of  Yell  also  obliged  to  serve  in  Fetlor,  though  Yell  be  more  than  suffi- 
cient for  any  one  man  to  have  the  charge  of. 

The  tenth  parish  is  Unst,  eight  miles  long,  and  four  miles  broad  in  many  places  ;  in 
it  three  churches ;  it  is  said  tu  be  the  largest  pleasant  isle  in  all  this  country  :  in  it  also 
three  harbours,  Uzia  Sound,  Balta  Sound,  and  Burra  Firth  ;  here  some  good  corn  land 
and  pasturage  ;  also  several  old  chapels  (of  which  more  afterwards.)  A  little  isle  called 
Uzia  lieth  off  Unst,  a  mile  and  a  half  long,  as  likewise  several  pleasant  holms.  Unst  is 
the  most  northern  isle  in  the  King  of  Britain's  dominions,  under  the  sixty.first  degree  of 
latitude. 

Thus  I  have  given  some  account  of  the  several  parishes  within  the  bounds  of  the  isles 
and  country  of  Zetland,  and  hinted  at,  if  not  all,  yet  the  greatest  part  of  the  isles,  the  prin- 
cipal whereof  are  Unst,  Yell,  Fetlor,  Brossa,  and  Burra. 

Whence  we  see  there  is  no  minister  here,  but  hath  at  least  two  churches,  wherein  he 
dispenseth  gospel  ordinances,  and  some  of  them  hath  three,  and  others  four.  Some  of 
which  churches  are  at  great  distance  from  one  another,  to  travel  to  which  is  not  only 
toilsome  and  dangerous  to  the  respective  ministers,  they  abo  not  having  little  manses  or 
houses  for  their  accommodation  when  they  come  to  them  ;  though  often  when  storms 
do  arise  they  will  be  detained  in  the  isles  for  some  time  until  they  lessen  :  not  only  I 
say  is  this  troublesome  to  the  ministers,  but  highly  prejudicial  to  the  people,  among 
whom  the  work  of  the  gospel  is  greatly  retarded  (as  we  had  occasion  likewise  to  note 
concerning  Orkney)  few  of  the  people  using  to  repair  to  other  churches  when  there  is 
not  public  worship  at  their  own,  which  at  most  wilt  be  but  one  of  two  Sabbaths,  aiid  in 
many  places  but  one  in  three  or  four,  and  in  some  not  to  be  had  for  some  months, 
\vhlch  as  undoubtedly  occasioneth  gpreat  ignorance,  so  many  gross  scandals,  as  adulteries, 


'^ 


KKTLANO,    riOllTLAND'FlftTM,    AND    CAITHNIII. 


781 


rornicationn,  Sic.  the  faithful  preaching  of  the  gospel  duiiifr  much,  if  not  to  convince 
and  convert,  yet  to  inoraliu  n  |)eon|f,  aitd  put  a  restraint  to  tliCite  horrid  ciiormitiex. 

\nd  though  the  diiiiculty  would  itut  be  small,  if  at  all  it  could  be  got  done,  to  have 
Biiiiistcrs  constantly  to  preach  in  the  acveral  ctiurchcM,  even  in  the  moal  considerable 
i»)<iH,  yet  there  mit(ht  Ik;  some  niore  minittcr't  hen-  than  there  arc;  four  or  five  at  leuit, 
to  whom  the  tithes,  if  ri^'htly  employed,  could  aiford  u  HufEcicnt  maintenance  ;  as  one 
minster  more  in  the  pari<th  of  Dunroswicsion  Oiu  main,  and  nnotfier  in  the  isle  of  Yell, 
8tc.  which  charges  at  present  arc  \rry  great,  andcaiuiot  well  be  served  by  the  ministers 
they  have.  The  tithes  arc  farmed  to  vicars,  u  I:ind  of  inferior  taxmcn,  who  in  some 
piuie«d)  not  only  oppress  the  people,  but  arc  uneusy  to  the  ministers,  not  paying  them 
wh.it  they  are  obliged  to  pay  till  they  please,  which  often  they  will  not  do  fo^somc  years. 
Tlic  ministers,  sunering  by  this  piece  of  injustice,  laid  it  Ixforc  i\\c  commission,  as  one 
of  their  ^ricvancea,  which  they  craved  might  be  redressed,  and  for  that,  end  application 
might  bu  mode  to  the  government. 


■es, 


Ckap.  VIII. — An  Mevunt  qf  the  ancient  Monuments,  Curiosities,  strange  Providenc 

b/'c.  most  observable  in  the  Isles  of  Zetland. 

THE  works  of  crea.ion  and  providence  «re  all  very  wonderful,  sought  out  of  them 
who  have  pleasure  therein,  amonf;  .  which  some  more  ordinarily  occur  and  are  the  sub* 
jcct  of  our  meditation,  and  others  n-jf  so  commonly  presenting  themselves  are  the  more 
surprizing  and  amusing :  both  which  are  to  be  had  a  due  regard  unto,  they  being  either 
mediately  d*-  in  mediately,  by  or  without  second  causes,  the  work  of  the  Lord,  and  the 
operation  of  ht»  har.ds  ;  and  seeing  there  are  some  things  that  deserve  their  own  obser- 
vation,  >ffhtch  ei  her  I  had  occasion  to  see  or  to  hear  of  in  Zetland,  I  shall  give  a  brief 
rela':ion  thereof,  not  denying  but  that  there  may  be  other  things  no  less,  if  not  more, 
observable  there,  which  we  came  not  to  the  knowledge  of. 

The  Picts  houses,  vt'luch  arc  frequent  through  this  country,  the  inhabitants  take  much 
notice  of,  as  being  the  anctentcjt  monuments  tney  have,  some  of  which  are  more,  others 
less  ruinous ;  they  are  round,  in  the  form  of  some  dove*cotes,  or  something  like  unto 
an  egg,  bulging  out  in  the  middle,  but  narrower  at  the  bottom,  and  yet  more  narrower 
at  the  top  :  they  have  a  litde  door  for  an  entry,  at  which  a  man  of  an  ordinary  stature 
could  not  enter  without  bowing,  within  which  door  there  is  a  stair  going  up  between 
two  stone  walls,  leading  to  the  several  apartments  :  instead  of  windows  they  have  slits, 
or  long  narrow  holes  in  the  wall,  such  as  are  in  many  of  our  old  castles,  for  the  con> 
vcyance  of  light  unto  them  :  they  are  strongly  built,  but  the  conveniency  for  dwelling 
hath  been  but  litUe ;  for  their  diameter  is  but  about  ten  or  twelve  feet,  and  their  height 
scarce  tvivnty  or  twenty  four.  I  think  these  Pict^s  houses  are  much  like  Arthur's  oven 
upon  the  water  of  Carron,  in  Stirling-shire. 

Thef.e  have  been  the  domiciles  or  dwellings  of  the  Picts,  the  old  if  not  the  first  inha- 
bitants of  this  country,  who  were  very  numerous  in  the  north  of  Scotland ;  and  in 
Orkney  having  tiieir  own  kings,  as  hath  been  said  in  our  debcription  of  Orkney.  They 
are  conveniently  situated  through  the  isles,  each  one  beii^  within  the  sight  of  another ; 
hence  in  a  few  hours  advertisements  could  be  given  by  fire,  or  other  signs  they  might 
condescend  upon,  through  the  whole  country,  signifying  unto  them  any  danger,  that 
being  thereby  alarmed  they  might  meet  together,  or  be  upon  their  own  defence.  These 
houses  ^rc  also  called  burghs,  which  in  the  old  Teutonick  or  Saxon  language  signifieth 
a  town.>  having  a  wall  or  some  kind  uf  an  inclosure  about  it ;  as  also  a  castle,  for  as  one 
observeth  an  his  Dictionary,  cr  explanation  of  our  most  anoient  English  words ;  "  All 


1 


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I. 


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brand's   DSSCniPTION   OF    ORKN£V« 


ll 


places  that  in  old  Cimet  had  among  our  ancestors  the  name  of  borough,  bury,  or  burug, 
were  places  one  way  or  other  fenced  aiid  fortified.  Whence  it  appears  that  these  houses 
have  been  castles,  or  places  of  defence,  to  the  Picts,  seeing  it  is  generally  acknow- 
ledged that  both  the  Pict*}  and  the  Suxons  were  originally  descended  of  the  same  Ger> 
man  nation,  \nd  so  might  call  their  castles  by  the  same  name.  I  have  also  heard  it  ob- 
served, thai  III  Orkney  several  places,  wherein  of  old  they  used  to  bury  their  dead,  were 
called  burghs  ;  so  likewise  these  houses  in  Zetland  might  serve  for  the  same  purpose, 
rom  the  Saxon  word  byriiig,  or  buriging,  or  borogeing,  which  we  now  call  burying. 

I  enquired  if  there  was  any  place  or  hill  here  which  they  call  Thule  or  Ule,  if  so  be 
we  could  receive  any  information  or  light  from  them  concerning  the  Thule  of  the  an- 
cients; but  they  answered  they  knew  none  of  that  name,  only  there  was  da  i»Ic  wherein 
a  high  hill,  cp^'ed  /oula,  on  the  west  side  of  the  Mainland ;  bu<^  to  suppose  that  ever  the 
ancient  Roma iis  understood  Thule  thereby,  beside  other  things  that  might  be  alledged,  it 
would  be  a  manifest  strttching  of  and  an  offering  violence  to  the  word  :  buc  although 
what  this  place  is  hath  been  much  controverted  by  ancient  and  modem  authors,  attempt- 
ing the  discovery  ^nereof,  yet  it  is  generally  agreed  upon  that  it  is  towards  the  north, 
and  many  take  it  to  be  one  of  the  British  isles  ;  and  a  late  auihor,  in  an  Essay  concern* 
ing  the  Thule  of  the  Ancients,  eiideavoureth  to  prove  it  to  be  the  north-east  part  of 
Britain,  lying  over-against  the  isles  of  Orkney,  citing  some  authors  to  this  purpose,  as 
Conradus  Celtes  :  Orcadibus  qua  cincta  suis  Tyle  et  glacialis  insula  et  Claudian,  madue- 
runt sanguine fusoOrcadesincaluii  Pictorum  sanguine  Thule;  Scotorum  cumulosflevit gla- 
cialis lerne.  And  others,  who  call  Thule  Britap,.canim  i'lsularum  septentrionalissimam, 
the  most  northern  of  the  British  isle.  Iceland  also  lays  claim  to  it ;  and  'he  above 
cited  author  snppcseth  Iceland  to  be  the  Thule,  but  I  judge  without  any  shadow  of 
truth ;  for  beside  what  is  now  said,  I  greatly  doubt  if  ever  the  Romans  had  the  know- 
ledge of  Iceland,  their  eagles  never  hnving  come  and  been  displayed  to  the  north  of 
Scotland  or  Orkney  :  Imperii  fuerat  Romani  Scotia  limes,  saith  the  great  Sculiger. 
Ptolomy  will  have  it  to  be  among  the  isles  of  Zetland :  and  Boeth,  our  historian,  distin- 
guisheth  between  a  %st  and  a  second  Thule,  calling  Ila  th.^  first,  and  i^oui  >a  the  second, 
which  are  reckoned  among  the  isles  called  Hebrides.  So  saith  Boeth.  *' Ptolomaeus 
inter  Schethlandicas  insulasquae  ultra  Orchades  sunt,  aut  proxime  Norvegiam  sitam  vult, 
hand  qiiaquam  propter  immensam  interca|)edineminteUigi  po'est.  Nosautemllamprimam 
Leuisam  HebridumprsBstantissimam  secundam  Thulen  vocamus.  But  I  incline  to  think, 
that  although  some  might  design  a  particular  place  by  the  Thnle,  yet  geneally  by  a 
synecdoche,  usual  with  the  Roman  authors,  they  might  denote  all  these  places  remote 
from  them  to  the  north,  and  especially  Britain,  and  the  northern  parts  thereof,  whither 
their  arms  did  come. 

In  the  parish  of  North-Mevan  is  Mons  Ronaldi,  or  Rotis  Hill,  the  highest  in  all  this 
country,  from  which  some  do  say  they  will  see  the  body  of  the  sun  all  the  night  over  in 
the  month  of  June  ;  which  cannot  be,  for  the  reason  alledged  in  our  description  of  Ork- 
ney,  why  it  could  not  be  seen  from  the  top  of  the  hill  of  Hoy ;  though  reason  and  ex- 
perience shew  they  have  a  clearer  light  in  Zetland  in  the  night-time,  during  the  summer 
season,  than  they  can  hnve  in  Orkney,  Zetland  being  more  ahan  a  degree  to  the  north 
of  Orkney,  and  consequently  ay  f  ue  farther  north  the  shorter  night,  till  at  length  there 
be  no  night  at  all  ;  so  that  if  it  were  possible  to  sail  holding  a  northern  course  till  we 
were  under  the  poi>c,  having  it  for  our  zenith  or  vertical  point,  we  would  have  a  con- 
tinual day  without  any  night  for  several  months,  the  sun  all  that  time  describing  a  circle 
almost  parallel  to  our  horizon  ;  I  say  almost  parrallel,  because,  beside  the  diurnal,  there 
iii  also  the  annual  motion  of  the  sun  in  the  ecliptic.    O  how  exact  and  beautiful  an 


SETLAND,    PIGHTLAND-FIRTH,    and  CAlTHNKb-S. 


783 


order  and  symmetry  is  to  be  seen  in  the  works  of  God  ;  they  all  speaking  forth  the 
goodness,  wisdom,  and  power  of  their  Maker. 

What  a  wonderful  creature  is  the  sun,  "  coming  forth  as  a  bridegroom  out  of  his 
chambe«".  and  rejoicing  as  a  strong  man  to  run  his  race,"  absolving  every  day  his  cir- 
cuit  round  our  terrestaial  globe  from  east  to  west,  and  travelling  every  year  between 
his  tropics  (the  limits  and  boundaries  prescribed  him  of  God,  beyond  which  he  is  not 
to  pass)  from  south  to  north,  and  from  north  to  south,  giving  shorter  days  to  those  who 
inhabit  the  middle  of  the  earth  under  the  torrid  zone,  they  not  being  able  to  bear  his 
longer  continuance  above  their  horizon,  because  of  his  scorching  heat,  but  longer  to 
these  who  can  better  endure  it  under  the  temperate,  and  yet  longest  to  these  who  live 
nearest  to  the  frigid  zones,  or  to  the  poles,  whom  his  heat  cannot  prejudice,  as  it  doth 
these  who  live  under  or  near  to  the  line  or  middle  of  the  earth,  on  whom  he  darteth 
down  his  perpendicular  rays ;  wherefore  the  wisdom  of  his  Maker  will  have  him  stay  a 
shorter  time  above  their  horizon.  How  wonderful  then  in  counsel  and  excellent  in 
working  is  this  God,  whereupon  not  only  his  saints  do  bless  him  for  the  benefits  where- 
with they  are  loaden,  but  all  his  works  do  praise  him  after  their  manner ! 

There  are  several  caves  here,  or  hollow  places,  in  and  through  the  rocks ;  particularly 
there  is  one  in  the  isle  of  Unst,  entering  from  the  sea  at  one  side  of  the  isle  ;  and  opposite 
thereunto,  on  the  other  side,  there  is  another  going  in,  as  it  were  meeting  the  former, 
unto  the  end  of  any  of  which  none  will  undertake  to  go,  though  it  hath  been  attempted  ; 
the  race  of  the  sea  in  these  caverns  uf  the  earth,  the  failing  of  the  light  of  day,  and  the 
ragg'idness  of  the  rocks  by  which  they  must  pass,  making  it  terrible  unto  them,  as  also 
the  thickncHs  of  the  air  something  annoying  them ;  but  the  entries  thereunto  being 
opposite  c  ;e  to  another,  giveth  ground  to  judge  that  it  is  a  continued  cave  from  the 
one  side  of  he  isle  to  the  other,  though  four  miles  broad  ;  which  cannot  be  thought  to 
be  artificial,  but  natural,  washed  through  by  the  violence  of  the  waves ;  and  the  less 
wonder  it  is  for  it  so  to  be,  if  we  consider,  that  if  gutta  cavat  lapidem,  much  more  rapidi 
et  tumidi  flnctiis  cavalnint,  that  if  in  a  short  time  the  drop  will  wear  the  stone,  much 
more  in  the  tract  of  some  thousands  of  years,  the  raging  and  tempestuous  waves  daily 
breaking  on  the  rocks  will  produce  this  effect,  and  that  more  in  some  places  than  in 
others,  where  the  rock  will  be  more  friab!e  and  brittle,  and  the  ibrce  of  the  waves  less 
broken  by  the  bounding  and  swaddling  sand. 

There  is  something  like  unto  thii  yet  more  surprising  in  the  isle  of  Foula,  on  the  west 
side  of  the  Mainland,  if  it  be  true  what  is  storied  of  it.  In  this  isle,  on  the  top  of  a  hill, 
there  is  a  hole,  the  mouth  whereof  may  be  (and  some  say  now  is)  covered  with  a  slate, 
stone  going  downwards  to  the  bottom  of  the  rock,  which  is  said  to  be  of  a  great  depth  ; 
particularly  a  Dutch  ship-maste  -  is  reported  to  have  made  a  trial  thereof,  for  the  grati- 
fying his  curiosity,  by  taking  npa  barrel  of  lines  with  him,  which  he  let  all  down,  and 
yet  could  not  sound  the  bottom  :  some  say  he  let  down  two  barrels,  which  is  very  won< 
derful,  considering  a  barrel  of  lines  is  .reckoned  to  be  several,  some  say  nine,  mik:i  in 
length.  What  can  be  the  reason  of  such  a  conveyance  from  the  top  of  the  rock  to  the 
bottom  ?  and  further,  if  we  may  give  credit  to  what  is  said,  I  cannot  possibly  imagine  ; 
for  that  such  a  thing  should  be  done  by  art,  we  cannot  well  conceive  the  reason  why, 
nor  the  manner  how  it  could  be  done,  and  tliat  nature  should  have  such  an  operation 
will  be  as  difficult  to  unfol  d. 

That  this  country  is  generally  mossy,  soft,  and  spungy,  hath  been  formerly  told,  aa 
likewise  that  it  is  dangerous  for  people  to  travel  through  it,  of  which  many  instances 
may  be  given ;  I  shall  only  name  two,  which  I  had  from  the  ministers  of  the  respective 
bounds  :  one  travelling  in  the  isle  of  Yell  fell  into  such  a  mossy  and  loose  piece  of 


I 


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V34 


BltAND*S    DXSCRIPTIO«l    OF    03KN£Y, 


ground,  his  horse  beneath  him,  furniture  and  alt  sank  down,  and  was  no  more  seen^ 
and  he  himself  with  great  difficulty  struggled  out,  and  was  saved.  And  another  in  the 
pnrisli  of  Tingwall  on  tlie  main,  not  long  since,  walking  on  foot  not  far  from  his  own 
house,  fell  into  such  another  place,  wherein  there  did  not  appear  to  be  any  hazard,  and 
over  which  several  times  formerly  he  thought  he  had  passed  with  safety,  and  sank  down 
to  the  arm-pits,  but  he,  by  stretching  out  his  arms,  keeping  his  head  over  the  surface  of 
the  ground,  by  the  help  of  his  servant,  then  providentially  with  him,  and  a  staff 
fixed  in  the  ground,  got  wrestled  out ;  so  dangerous  is  it  travelling  here  even  to  the 
inhabitants. 

On  the  west  side  of  the  isle  of  Fetlor  there  is  a  place,  whereon  a  gentleman's  house 
called  Uasta,  into  which  place  or  house  if  a  mariner's  needle  and  compass  be  brought, 
the  needle  resteth  not  in  its  poles,  as  it  doth  in  other  places,  but  hath  a  tremulous  un- 
dulating motion*  and  sometimes  turneth  round,  as  some  say,  to  all  the  points  of  the 
horizon ;  and  a  gentleman,  who  was  inquisitive  to  Know  the  truth  of  this,  told  mc,  that 
upon  trial  he  found  it  to  be  so,  and  further  to  try  the  experiment,  he  took  the  compass 
to  the  top  of  the  house,  where  it  had  the  same  effect.  And  one  of  the  ministers  of  the 
northern  isles  informed  mc,  that  if  any  ship  or  boat  sailed  by,  or  came  nigh  unto  that 
place,  the  same  did  befall  their  compass.  Also  there  is  a  little  hill  nigh  to  the  sea  on  the 
west  side  of  the  isle  of  Whalsey,  to  which,  if  the  compass  be  brought,  the  flower  de  luce, 
or  that  point  which  is  ordinarily  obverted  to  the  north,  turneth  about  to  the  south, 
but  if  the  compass  be  removed  the  distance  of  two  or  three  feet  from  the  top  of  the 
hill,  there  is  no  such  effect  produced :  this  the  late  minister  of  the  place  assured  me  of, 
having  tried  the  experiment. 

The  many  wonderful  properties  and  effects  of  the  magnet  or  load-stone,  and  of  other 
things  endued  with,  or  which  do  partake  of  this  magnetic  virtue,  discovered  in  these 
latter  ages,  hath  deservedly  raised  the  admiration  of  philosophers,  and  awakened  them 
to  make  a  diligent  inquiry  and  search  into  the  reasons  of  these  strange  phenomena. 
That  the  magnet  hath  two  poles,  answering  to  the  poles  of  the  world,  to  which  it  turn- 
eth itself;  that  the  loadstone  draweth  iron  unto  it ;  that  iron  brought  unto  and  rubbed 
upon  the  loadstone  receiveth  from  it  that  attractive,  or,  as  some  will  have  it,  that  impulsive 
virtue  and  power,  and  other  qualities  inherent  in  it  (hence  the  invention  of  the  needle, 
so  useful  and  necessary  to  mariners  for  directing  of  their  courses)  that  if  there  be  two 
spherical  loadstones,  they  will  turn  to  one  another,  as  each  of  them  doth  to  the  poles  of 
the  earth,  and  if  they  bie  detained  in  a  contrary  position,  they  will  flee  from  one  an- 
other :  and  so  it  is  with  the  needle  in  the  compass,  when  a  loadstone  or  piece  of  iron  is 
brought  unto  it,  the  needle  either  cometh  to,  or  fleeth  from  it,  according  to  its  situ- 
ation ;  wherefore  mariners  are  careful  that  no  iron  be  in  nor  lying  near  unto  their  light- 
room  where  the  compass  standeth.  I'hat  though  you  shc„.J  take  the  needle  from  its 
beloved  pole,  yet,  when  let  alone  and  left  to  itself,  it  will  incontinently  move  and  take 
no  rest  until  it  return  thereunto ;  these  strange  and  uncouth  properties  hath  the  load- 
stone, as  likewise  many  otheirs  no  less  astonishing,  reckoned  up  by  its  admirers,  many 
of  which  are  known  to  the  rudest  and  most  illiterate  mariner ;  but  to  explain  the  nature 
of  the  loadstone,  and  to  resolve  and  answer  the  proposals  of  nature  upon  the  head,  by 
giving  the  reasons  of  these  admirable  effects,  hoc  opus,  hie  labor  est,  this  is  the  difficulty 
which  hath  vexed  many,  and  taken  up  the  studies  of  the  sagest  and  most  ingenious  mo- 
dern  philosophers. 

I  shall  not  pres'  me  to  give  the  reason  of  this  strange  phenomenon,  the  needle's  leav- 
ing its  rest  at  the  pole,  and  betaking  itself  to  such  a  r  motion,,  whether  tremulous  and 
undulating,  or  circular  round  the  points  of  the  compass,  or  the  flower  de  luce,  turning 


ZETLAND,    riCUTLANU'riR'i'tf,    AN1>    CAITJlNliU3. 


W 


to  the  south.  Only  I  would  suggest  two  things,  whicli  if  they  tend  not  to  clear  what  h 
proposed,  they  will  further  hold  out  how  wonderful  the  loadstone  and  hi  properties 
arc.  First,  upon  the  ordinary  supposition,  whereby  these  properties  are  cxplanied,  that 
die  earth  is  as  a  great  loadstone,  on  the  surface  and  exterior  parts  whereof  a  great  number 
of  volatile  screw-like  particles,  called  the  magnetic  matter,  do  incessantly  move,  travel, 
ling  from  pole  to  pole  alongst  the  surface  of  the  earth,  whereby  the  poles  of  the  load- 
stone, and  the  point  of  the  netdleaflictLd  with  its  virtue,  are  obvcrtcd  to  the  poles  of 
the  world  ;  which  supposition  beiog  made,  wc  would  know  that  this  magnetic  matter 
may  nut  alwuyi,  have  ihc  same  motion,  but  in  some  places  it  may  he  upward  and  pcr< 
pendicular  to  the  surface  of  the  eartli ;  so  that  in  these  places,  where  they  thus  move 
perpendicularly,  the  needle  will  not  be  determined  to  one  point  more  than  to  another 
of  the  horizon,  this  matter  alike  affecting  all  the  parts  of  the  needle  by  its  perpendicu< 
lar  motion;  which  the  ingenious  Rohault  alledgeth  as  the  reason  why  the  compass 
serveth  not  the  use  of  the  Hollanders,  when  they  have  sailed  far  to  the  north  in  order 
to  find  out  a  new  and  shorter  passage  to  the  East  Indies,  their  needle  then  not  turning 
to  the  poles  as  it  doth  in  other  places,  but  alike  to  all  the  points  of  the  horizon,  the 
motion  of  the  magnetic  matter  in  these  more  northern  places  being  in  lines  perpcndi. 
cular  to  the  surface  of  the  earth  :  and  so  likewise  it  may  fall  out  in  other  places,  where 
a  greater  quantity  of  this  magnetic  matter  riseth  from  the  earth. 

A  second  thing  that  I  would  take  notice  of  is,  that  this  magnetic  matter  in  its  passage 
from  pole  to  pole  meets  with  several  uon  mines,  into  which  it  goeth  aside,  so  diverting 
its  straight  course  between  the  poles,  because  it  finds  an  easier  passage  through  the  pores 
of  the  iron  than  by  passing  through  other  places ;  hence  the  variation  of  the  com- 
J  ass  is  judged  to  be,  so  much  talked  of  by  manners,  in  some  places  greater,  and  in  others 
less,  accordingly  as  the  magnetic  matter  is  more  or  less  determined  by  the  several  iron 
mines  into  which  it  turneth  aside ;  now  in  some  places  it  may  so  fall  out,  that  there 
may  be  a  greater  quantity  (  ron,  through  which  the  magnetic  matter  passing,  and 
from  which  it  arising,  may  cau  '  such  a  motion,  whereby  the  icedle  not  only  inclines 
not  to  one  point  more  than  to  another  in  the  horizon,  but  p  m,  by  the  magnetic  mat- 
ters ascending  from  and  returning  to  tlic  iron  mines,  it  may  produce  such  an  irregular 
motion  in  the  needle;  and  that  diere  is  a  great  quant,  ty  of  iron  in  Zetland  may  be 
known  by  the  remarkable  variation  of  the  compass  there,  for,  as  mariners  inform  us, 
when  they  sail  by  the  south  end  of  Zetland  they  find  the  variation  to  be  but  one  point, 
but  when  passing  the  north  end  they  find  it  varies  wo  points,  and  upon  this  variation 
in  directing  their  course  to  this  or  the  other  place  they  make  their  reckoning  :  which 
b  very  observable,  that  in  less  than  a  degree  of  latitude  (for  no  more  will  the  length  of 
the  isles  of  Zetland  be)  it  varies  a  point  of  the  compass,  which  must  be  according  to  the 
reason  commonly  assigned,  because  there  is  much  iron  '  iiese  isles,  and  more  especially 
on  the  west  side  of  the  isle  of  Fetlor ;  for  other  plac  of  the  same  isle  have  no  such 
influence  on  the  compass. 

That  yet  much  if  not  the  greatest  part  of  the  difficulty  remains  I  readily  grant,  and 
leaves  it  to  the  study  of  the  learns  J  and  curious,  and  indeed  in  many  things  to  acknow- 
ledge our  ignorance  hath  been  reputed  no  small  part  of  wisdom,  so  hard  it  is  to  solve 
and  unriddle  nature's  secrets,  wherein  the  greatest  lights  have  been  benighted,  the  fol- 
lowing  often  raising  the  foundations  of  the  doctrines  of  the  former :  how  wonderful 
are  the  works  of  God,  that  in  wisdom  he  hath  made  them  all ;  and  how  narrow  and 
shallow  are  our  capacities,  that  we  cannot  find  out  the  works  of  God,  even  the  most 
sensible  and  obvious ;  hpw  thankful  also  should  we  be  to  God,  vvho  has  vouchsitfed  to 

VOL.   III.  5  H 


786 


brand's    description   of   ORXNir, 


us  the  light  of  clearly  revealed  truths,  which  if  taken  heed  unto  shall  make  us  perfect, 
and  lead  unto  i^lory. 

There  are  in  tliese  isles  many  little  chapels,  now  generally  ruinous  :  as  in  the  isle  of 
Unst  there  arc  twenty  four  and  upwards;  in  the  ibie  of  Ytll  there  are  twenty-one,  and 
many  in  other  isles ;  I  saw  one  of  them  in  the  parish  of  Tingwall,  wherein  bIho  there  are 
several  more  ;  it  would  have  contained  scarce  ttiirty  people,  as  I  judge,  and  though  so 
little,  yet  very  great  btones  were  in  the  walls,  which  was  strange  to  me,  how  that  ta  this 
country,  where  their  beasts  are  weak,  and  they  have  not  the  help  of  machines,  th;y  got 
them  lifted  and  laid.  These  are  said  to  have  been  built  by  superstitious  zealots  m  the 
times  of  popery,  or,  as  ^ome  rather  think,  by  ship- wrecked  seamen,  who,  coming  safe  to 
shore,  have  built  them  according  to  their  vows  made  by  them  when  in  danger,  which 
they  dedicated  to  so  many  several  saints,  whom  they  looked  upon  as  the  patrons  of  their 
respective  chapels.  About  which  also  men  and  women  of  old  had  their  night  walkings, 
whirh  occasioned  much  uncleanness,  but  now  such  walkings  are  but  little  used. 

About  the  walls  of  these  old  chapels  are  found  snails  called  shell.snails,  which  they 
dry  and  pulverise,  mingling  the  dust  with  their  drink  for  the  jaundice,  by  which  means 
these  who  labour  under  this  sickness  in  three  and  four  diys*  time  will  recover  of  the 
same ;  but  if  they  let  this  dust  lie  for  a  year  without  making  use  of  it,  in  turneth  into 
small  living  creatures  or  vermine,  which  they  dry  and  bray  over  again,  ^f  they  make 
any  further  use  of  it. 

In  Uzia,  an  isle  lying  nigh  to  Dnst,  there  is  a  metal  gotten  having  the  colour  of  gold, 
which  several  of  the  Dutch  merchants  have  taken  with  them  to  Hamburgh,  and  tried  i 
there,  but  by  the  force  of  fire  it  did  not  become  liquid,  but  crumbled  into  small  pieces ; 
it  is  to  be  had  there  in  great  plenty.     This  sheweth  there  may  be  minerals  in  these  isles, 
though  not  known  nor  searched  for. 

In  the  church-yard  of  Papa-Stour,  in  the  parish  of  Waes,  lieth  a  stone  five  feet  long, 
at  the  one  end  two,  and  at  the  other  one  foot  broad,  concave  from  the  one  end  to  the 
other,  of  which  the  common  tradition  goes,  that  this  stone  came  ashore  on  that  isle 
vAth  a  dead  man  tied  to  it,  who  lies  buried  there  beside  it.  It  appears  to  have  been 
the  gravestone  of  some  person  of  note  in  the  country,  which  sheweth  they  have  also 
had  that  custom  of  laying  at  least  some  of  their  dead  in  such  large  stones  made  concave, 
and  cut  out  for  the  purpose,  which  hath  been  frequent  in  many  places  with  us  in 
Scotland. 

At  a  little  distance  from  Papa.Stour,  lies  a  rock  encompassed  with  the  sea,  called 
Frau-a-Stack,  which  is  a  Danish  word,  and  signifieth  our  Lady's  Rock,  upon  which  are 
to  be  seen  the  ruins  of  a  house,  wherein  they  say  a  gentleman  did  put  his  daughter,  that 
so  she  might  be  shut  up  and  secluded  from  the  company  of  men,  but  though  a  maiden 
when  put  ill,  yet  she  was  found  with  child  when  brought  out,  notwithstanding  of  her 
being  so  closely  kept,  but  whether  this  came  to  pass  by  a  golden  shower  (the  most 
powerful  courtship)  or  not,  the  country  hath  lost  the  tradition :  however  it  seemeth 
strange,  how  a  house  should  be  built  on  such  '.  bare  and  small  rock ,  when  so  many  large 
and  pleasant  isles  were  near  unto  it. 

The  three  iron  cannons  formerly  mentioned,  now  lying  in  the  citadel  of  Lerwick, 
\tcmg  rusted  by  the  sea,  wherein  they  had  lain  for  eighty  years,  the  inhabitants  of  Ler- 
wick, to  take  off  the  rust,  and  so  fit  them  for  their  use,  about  nine  years  ago  did  set  a 
heap  of  peats  about  them,  which  they  putting  fire  unto,  the  guns,  so  soon  as  they  were 
warmed  and  hot,  did  all  dischai^  themselves,  to  the  great  surprize  of  the  spectators, 
and  the  balls,  as  some  observed,  went  half  over  Brassa>sound.    Which  deserveth  some 


ZETLAND)    riCH1LANS*riIlTH|   AND   CAITHNESS. 


781 


remark,  that  the  powder  all  that  time  should  retain  its  elastic  force,  the  water,  if  at  all, 
yet  not  so  insinuating  itself  with  the  powder  as  to  wash  it  away,  or  much  diminish  its 
virtue.     These  who  were  eye-witnesses  gave  me  this  relation. 

It  is  observable  that  the  former  year,  1699,  the  fishes  had  little  or  no  liver,  but  some- 
thing black  in  lieu  thereof,  which  was  a  ^reat  loss  to  the  fishers,  they  making  their  oil  of 
those  livers ;  as  also  the  oxen,  sheep,  swine,  Sic.  had  little  or  no  fat  on  their  livers,  which 
useth  not  to  be,  there  being  a  kind  of  consumption  upon  the  livers  of  creatures,  both  by 
sea  and  land ;  which  mindeth  me  of  Rom.  viii.  22.  *'  Man's  sins  making  the  creation 
to  groan,  and  earnestly  long,  as  with  an  uplifted  head,  for  a  deliverance:*'  so  that  if 
the  creatures  could  speak  with  Baalam's  ass,  they  would  reprove  the  madness  and  sin 
of  man. 

There  is  a  little  island  on  the  west  side  of  VVaes,  called  Vaila«  wherein  there  is  no 
cat,  neither  will  any  stay  though  brought  in,  as  hath  been  done  for  trial,  but  will 
quickly  be  gone,  they  either  dying,  or  betaking  themselves  to  sea,  they  endeavour  to 
swim  to  the  next  isle :  yet  about  fifty  years  ago  there  n'as  one  seen  upon  this  isle,  about 
that  time  when  a  gentleman  the  proprief^"  thereof  was  tormented  and  put  to  death  by 
the  witches,  but  never  any  were  seen  since,  save  what  were  brought  in  for  trial,  as  now 
said.  The  reason  of  this  I  could  not  learn  from  the  ministers,  who  gave  the  informa- 
tion ;  it  is  like  because  of  the  air,  or  the  smell  of  something  upon  the  isle,  though  not 
perceivable  by  the  inhabitants,  which  agreetti  not  with  the  temper  and  co  istitution  of 
these  animals. 

About  a  mile  from  Tingwall,  to  the  north,  there  is  a  hill  called  the  Knop  of  Kebister, 
or  LuggieN  Know,  nigh  to  which  hill  there  is  a  house  called  Kebister,  where  a  varlet 
or  wizard  lived,  commonly  designed  Luggie,  concerning  whom  it  was  reported,  that 
when  the  sea  was  so  temix:stu(>us  that  the  boats  durst  not  go  off  to  the  fishing,  he  used 
to  go  to  that  hill  or  know,  where  in  a  hole  into  which  he  let  down  his  lines,  and  took 
up  any  fish  he  pleased,  as  a  cod  or  ling,  8cc.  which  no  other  could  do  but  himself:  also, 
when  fibbing  at  sea,  he  would  at  his  pleasure  take  up  any  roasted  fish  with  his  line,  with 
the  entrails  or  guts  out  of  it.  and  so  ready  for  his  use  :  this  was  certainly  done  by  the 
agency  of  evil  spirits,  with  whom  he  was  in  compact  and  covenant,  but  the  oeconomy  of 
the  kingdom  of  darkness  is  very  wonderful  and  little  known  to  us.  He  being  convicted 
of  witchcraft,  wab  burnt  nigh  to  Scalloway. 

As  for  witches,  I  did  hear  much  of  them,  as  if  they  abounded  more  in  this  than  other 
countries,  though  I  make  no  question,  but  that  there  arc  many  such  here  thus  deluded 
by  the  devil :  there  is  not  then  such  ground  for  what  is  so  commonly  talked  by  many 
with  us  anent  their  devilry,  which  might  have  affrighted  ub,  if  given  heed  unto,  as  if  it 
were  dangerous  going  or  living  there ;  though  it  is  said  here  there  are  many  of  this 
hellish  stamp  in  Island.  Laphund,  and  other  places  to  the  north  oi  Zetland,  which  may 
occasion  the  mistake. 

We  said  before  that  there  were  but  few  rats,  and  that  oniy  in  .  ome  of  the  isles,  and 
thouglU  to  come  out  of  ships,  but  that  they  hud  mice  in  abuiidance  ;  yet  in  the  isles  of 
Burra  and  Haskashy  no  mice  are  to  be  found ;  yea,  if  they  take  some  dust  or  earth  out 
of  these  isles  to  other  places  where  they  are,  tliey  will  forsake  such  ()Kt(;e:i  where  the  dust 
is  laid.     It  may  be  for  the  like  reason  why  no  cats  can  or  will  iivc  in  Vaiia. 

Sometimes,  when  the  ships  are  lying  nigh  land,  the  rats  will  come  ashore,  which  when 
any  of  the  Hollanders  or  others  see,  they  look  upon  it  as  fatal  to  the  ship  out  of  which  they 
come,  portending  that  her  end  some  way  or  other  will  shortly  appro  ich ,  and  likewise 
it  is  observed,  that  these  rats  will  not  live  above  thr*;e  or  four  years  in  that  laud  to  which 
they  come.    Some  of  our  seamen  tell  us  the  like  as  to  their  ships;  it  is  talked  also 

5h2 


If 


//' 


Wi 


788 


brand's  dbickiptiov  of  orkkey. 


that  these  creatures  will  leave  houses  before  any  dismal  accident  befall  them.    What 

round  there  is  either  for  the  one  or  the  other  I  know  not,  but,  if  true,  it  will  be  hard 
suppose  to  give  the  reason  thereof. 

Not  above  forty  or  fifty  yeas  ago  almost  eytry  family  had  a  Browny,  or  evil  spirit,  so 
called,  which  served  them,  to  whom  they  gave  a  sacrifice  for  his  service  i  at,  when  they 
churned  their  milk,  they  took  a  part  thereof  and  sprinkled  evr*y  comer  of  the  house 
with  it  for  Browny 's  use ;  likewise  when  the^  brewed,  they  had  a  stone  which  they 
called  Browny's  Stone,  wherein  there  was  a  little  hole,  into  which  they  poured  some 
wort  for  u  ?«tcri€ce  to  Browny.  My  informer,  a  minister  in  the  country,  told  me,  that  he 
had  conversed  with  an  old  man,  who,  when  voung,  used  to  brew,  and  sometimes  read 
upon  his  Bible,  to  whom  an  old  woman  in  the  h«)use  said,  that  Browny  was  displeased  with 
that  book  he  read  upon,  which  if  he  continued  to  do,  they  would  get  no  more  service 
of  Browny  ;  but  he  being  better  instructed  from  that  book,  which  was  Browny's  eye- 
sore and  the  object  of  his  wrath,  when  he  brewed  he  would  not  suffer  any  sacrifice  to  be 
given  to  Browny,  whereupon  the  first  and  second  brewings  were  spilt  and  for  no  use, 
though  the  wort  wrought  well,  yet  in  a  little  time  it  left  ofi"  working  and  grew  cold  {' 
but  of  the  third  browst  or  brewing  he  had  ale  very  good,  though  he  would  not  give 
any  sacrifice  to  Browny,  with  whom  afterwards  they  were  no  more  troubled.  I  had 
also  from  the  same  informer,  that  a  lady  in  Unst  now  deceased  told  him,  that  when  she 
first  took  up  house,  she  refused  to  give  a  sacrifice  to  Browny,  upon  which  the  first  and 
second  brewings  misg^^vc  likewise,  out  the  third  was  good ;  and  Browny,  not  being  re* 
garded  nor  rewarded  as  formerly  he  had  been,  abandoned  his  wonted  service.  Which 
cleareth  that  Scripture,  "  Resist  the  devil,  and  he  will  flee  from  you.**  They 
also  had  stacks  of  corn,  which  they  called  Browny's  Stacks ;  which,  though  they  were 
not  bound  with  straw  ropes,  or  any  way  fenced  as  other  stacks  used  to  be,  yet  the  great- 
est storm  of  ^^nd  was  not  able  to  blow  any  straw  off*  them. 

Now  I  do  not  hear  of  any  such  appearances  the  devil  makes  in  these  isle,  so  great 
and  so  many  are  the  blessings  which  attend  a  Gospel  dispensation :  the  Brownies,  fairies, 
and  other  evil  spirits,  that  haunted  and  were  familiar  in  our  houses,  were  dismissed,  and 
fled,  at  the  breaking  up  of  our  Reformation,  (if  we  may  except  but  a  few  places  not  yet 
well  reformed  from  popish  dregs,)  as  the  heathen  oracles  were  silenced  at  the  coming  of 
our  Lord,  and  the  going  forth  of  his  apostles ;  so  that  our  first  noble  reformers  might 
h.we  returned  and  said  to  their  Master,  as  the  seventy  unce  did ;  "  Lord,  even  the  de- 
viks  are  subject  to  us  through  thy  name."  And  though  this  restraint  put  upon  the 
dev:l  was  uir  later  in  these  northern  places  than  with  us,  to  whom  the  light  of  a 
preached  Gospel  did  more  early  shine,  yet  now  also  do  these  northern  isles  enjoy  the 
fruits  of  this  restraint. 

About  two  years  and  a  half  or  three  years  ago  there  was  a  boat  passing,  with  several 
gentlemen  of  the  country  in  it,  and  by  the  way  in  the  Voe  of  Quarf,  through  which 
they  wcint,  there  appeared  something  unto  them,  with  its  head  above  the  water,  which,  as 
they  could  discern,  had  the  face  of  an  old  man,  with  a  long  beard  han^ng  down ;  first  it 
appeared  at  some  distance  from  them,  and  then  coming  nearer  to  their  boat,  they  had 
a  clear  si^t  of  it;  the  sight  was  so  very  strange  and  affrighting,  that  all  in  the  boat 
were  very  desirous  to  be  on  land,  though  the  day  was  fair  and  the  sea  calm  t  a  gentle- 
man declaring,  (as  a  minister  in  company  with  them,  and  saw  this  sight,  informed  me,) 
diat  he  never  saw  the  like,  though  he  had  travelled  through  many  seas. 

I  heard  another  remarkable  story  like  unto  this,  that  about  five  years  since  a  boat  at 
the  fishmg  drew  her  lines,  and  one  of  them,  as  the  fishers  thought,  having  some  great 
i7sh  upon  it,  was  With  greater  difficulty  than  the  rbst  raised  from  the  ground,  but  whea 


.f 


ZETLAMB,   PICHtLANO*PiaTH  AKD  CAITHNESS. 


789 


raised,  it  came  more  easily  to  the  surface  of  the  water,  upon  which  a  creature  like  a 
woman  presented  itself  at  the  side  of  the  boat ;  it  had  the  face,  arms,  breasts,  shoulders, 
&c.  of  a  woman,  and  long  hair  hanging  down  the  back,  but  the  nether  part  from  below 
the  breasts  was  beneath  the  water,  so  that  they  could  not  understand  the  shape  thereof; 
the  two  fishers  who  were  in  the  Isoat  being  surprised  at  this  strange  sight,  one  of  thi-m 
unadvisedly  drew  a  knife,  and  thrust  it  into  her  breast,  whereupon  she  cried,  as  they 
judged,  **  Alas !"  and  the  hook  giving  way,  she  fell  backwards  and  was  no  more  seen  : 
the  hook  being  big  went  in  at  her  chin  and  out  at  the  upper  lip.  The  man  who  thrust 
the  knife  into  her  is  now  dead,  and,  as  was  observed,  never  prospered  after  this,  but 
was  still  haunted  by  an  evil  spirit,  in  the  appearance  of  an  old  man,  wh  -),  as  he  thought, 
used  to  say  unto  him,  "  Will  you  do  such  a  thing,  who  killed  the  woman?"  the  other 
man  then  in  the  boat  is  yet  alive  in  the  isle  of  Burra.  This  a  gentleman  and  his  lady 
told  me,  who  said  they  had  it  from  the  baillie  of  that  place  to  which  the  boat  did  be- 
long :  it  being  so  strange  I  enquir^^d  at  severals  thereanent,  which,  though  many  were 
ignorant  of,  yet  some  said  that  the*  had  heard  thereof,  and  judged  it  to  be  very  true. 

That  there  are  sea'Creatures  ha/ing  the  likeness  of  men  and  women  seems  to  be  ge* 
nv  ^ally  acknowledged  by  all  who  l\ave  inquired  thereunto,  they  having  found  it  con- 
firmed  by  the  testimony  of  many  in  I'wveral  countries,  as  their  histories  do  bear.  Hence 
are  accounts  given  of  these  sea<  monsters,  the  mermen  and  mermaids,  which  have  not 
only  been  seen,  but  apprehended  and  kept  for  some  time.  And  hence  probably  the 
fiction  01  the  poets  concerning  the  syrens  hath  had  its  rise  ;  these  enchanting  song- 
sters, translated  mermaids  by  our  lexicographers,  whose  snare  Ulysses  so  happily  escaped. 

Tliey  tell  us  that  several  such  creatures  do  appear  to  fishers  at  sea,  particularly  such 
as  they  call  sea*trowes,  great  rolling  creatures,  tumbling  in  the  waters,  which,  if  they 
come  among  their  nets,  they  break  them,  and  sometimes  take  them  away  with  them ; 
if  the  fishers  see  them  before  thty  come  near,  they  endeavour  to  keep  them  off  with 
their  oars  or  kxig  staves,  and  if  ti^ey  can  get  them  beaten  therewith,  they  will  endea- 
vour to  do  it :  the  fishers  both  in  Orkney  and  Zetland  are  afraid  when  they  see  them, 
which  panic  fear  of  theirs  makes  theiin  think,  and  sometimes  say,  that  it  is  the  devil  in  the 
shape  of  such  creatures  ;  whether  lit  be  so  or  not  as  they  apprehend,  I  cannot  deter- 
mine. However,  it  seems  to  be  more  than  probable  that  evil  spirits  frequent  both  sea 
and  land. 

A  gentleman  in  the  parish  of  Dunrossness  told  one  of  the  ministers  in  this  country,  that 
about  five  years  since  a  plough  in  this  parish  did  cast  up  fresh  cockles,  though  the  place 
where  the  plough  was  going  was  three  quarters  of  a  mile  from  the  sea ;  which  cockles  the 
gentleman  saw  made  ready  and  eaten.  How  these  shell  fishes  came  there,  and  should 
be  fed  at  such  a  distance  from  their  ordinary  clement,  I  cannot  know,  if  they  have  not 
been  cast  upon  land  by  a  violent  storm,  much  of  the  ground  of  this  parish,  especially 
what  they  labour,  lying  very  low,  and  the  sea  hath  been  observed  in  such  storms  bothtj 
cast  out  stones  and  finhes ;  or  if  these  coc:kles  have  been  found  in  some  deep  furrow, 
from  which  to  the  sea  there  hath  been  a  conveyance  by  some  small  stream,  upon  whicb 
the  sea  hath  flowed  in  stream  tides,  especially  when  there  is  also  some  storm  blowing. 
If  only  shells  were  found,  such  as  of  oysters  aiid  the  like»  the  marvel  would  not  be  great, 
seeing  such  are  found  upon  the  tops  of  high  mountains,  at  a  greater  distance  from  the 
sea/  which  in  all  probability  have  been  tlKre  since  the  universal  deluge  ;  but  that  any 
shell-fish  should  be  found  at  some  distance  from  the  sea,  and  fit  foe  use,,  is  somewhat 
wonderful  and  astonishing. 

Though  no  tortoises  use  to  be  found  in  all  these  northern  seas,  yet  in  Urie  firth,  in 
the  parish  of  Northmevan^  there  was  one  found  alive  upon  the  sand  in  an  ebb,  the  shell: 


ip 


790 


BRANDS    DESCRIPTION    OF    ORKNEY* 


of  it  was  given  me  as  a  present  by  a  gentleman  of  the  country,  it  is  atx)ut  a  foot  in  length, 
and  a  large  half  foot  in  breadth.  The  inhabitants  thought  it  so  strange,  never  any  such 
thing  having  been  found  in  these  scus  formerly,  which  ever  they  came  to  the  knowledge 
of,  that  they  could  not  imu|a;ine  what  to  make  of  it,  some  saying  that  it  hath  fallen  out 
of  some  East  India  ship  saihng  along  by  the  coasts,  which  looks  not  so  probable. 

There  is  a  place  in  this  country  called  the  Neip,  in  the  pariiih  of  Neston,  looking  to 
the  east  sea,  where  the  parson  of  Orphir  in  Orkney  was  killed ;  the  story  is  this  :  Pa- 
trick  Stewart,  earl  of  Orkney,  as  hath  been  said,  was  a  great  oppressor,  enacting  several 
severe  and  cruel  acts,  whereof  complaint  was  made  to  King  James  VI.  And  as  is  re- 
ported some  Zctlanders  went  to  the  king  with  their  skin-coats,  laying  the  oppressed  con* 
dition  of  their  country  before  him,  wherewith  the  king  was  moved ;  yet  although  not 
only  the  earl's  honour  and  reputation  withal  was  much  stained  and  under  a  cloud,  by 
reason  of  his  cruel  and  oppressive  ways,  but  his  person  was  hated  and  abhorred  by  the 
people  whose  superior  he  was ;  the  parson  of  Orphir  did  zealously  stand  in  the  earl's 
defence,  notwithstanding  whereof  the  indignation  and  kindled  wrath  of  the  exasperated 
people  against  the  earl  increasing,  the  par&on  was  forced  to  flee  to  Zetland  for  his  safety, 
upon  which  the  people  of  Orkney  not  quieted,  some  of  them  pursued  him  thither ; 
they  say  the  pursuers  were  four  brethren  of  the  name  of  Sinclar,  who  coming  to  the 
Ncip  where  the  parson  had  his  ordinary  residence,  they  apprehended  and  dewitted  him, 
one  of  the  brethren  taking  a  sop  of  his  heart's  blood.  As  for  the  earl,  being  first  im- 
prisoned at  Dumbarton,  he  was  thence  brought  to  Edinburgh,  where  he  was  beheaded, 
anno  1614,  for  treason  and  oppression. 

There  are  also  in  this  country,  as  well  as  in  Orkney,  many  eagles^  which  destroy 
their  lambs,  fowls,  &c.  for  the  preventing  of  wliich,  some,  when  they  see  the  eagles 
catching  or  fleeing  away  with  their  prey,  use  a  charm,  by  taking  a  string,  whereon  they 
cast  some  knots,  and  repeat  a  form  of  words,  which  being  done,  the  eagle  lets  her  prey 
fall,  though  at  a  great  distance  from  the  churmer ;  an  instance  of  which  I  hud  from  a 
minister,  who  told  me,  that  about  a  mohth  before  we  came  to  Zetland,  there  was  an 
eagle  that  flew  up  with  a  cock  at  Scalloway,  whic.h  one  of  these  charmers  seeing,  pre- 
sently took  a  string,  (his  garter  as  was  supposed,)  and  casting  some  knots  thereupon, 
with  using  the  ordinary  words,  the  eagle  did  let  the  cock  full  into  the  sea,  which  was 
recovered  by  a  boat  tliat  went  out  for  that  end. 

They  tell  a  pleasant  story  of  an  eagle  and  a.turbot :  about  six  years  since  an  eagle  fell 
down  on  a  turbot,  sleeping  on  the  surface  of  the  water,  on  the  east  side  of  Brassa ;  and  • 
having  fastened  his  claws  in  her,  he  attempted  to  fly  up.  but  the  turbot  awakening,  and 
being  too  heavy  for  him  to  fly  up  with,  endeavoured  to  draw  him  down  beneath  the 
water  ;  thus  they  struggled  for  some  time,  the  eagle  labouring  to  go  up,  and  the  turbot 
to  go  down,  till  a  boat  that  was  near  to  them,  aiid  beheld  the  sport,  took  them  both, 
sellmg  the  eagle  to  the  Hollanders  then  in  the  country.  For  they  say,  when  the  eagle 
hath  fastened  his  claws  in  any  creature,  he  cannot  loose  them  at  his  pleasure,  but 
useth  to  eat  them  out,  so  that  the  prey  sometimes  cometh  to  be  a  snare  to  this  ra- 
pacious  fowl. 

On  the  west  side  of  the  Mainland  there  is  a  holm,  belonging  to  a  gentleman  in  the 
parish  of  Northmevan,  so  much  frequented  by  fowl,  that  when  sometimes  they  go  hto 
It  in  the  summer  season,  fowls  of  several  kinds  will  fly  so  thick  above  their  heads,  that 
they  will  cloud  the  very  air,  yet  therein  there  are  few  or  none  during  the  winter,  but 
in  February  they  use  to  begin  to  come  by  pairs,  and  for  two  or  three  days  after  they  first 
come  they  will  sit  so  close,  that  almost  they  may  be  taken  hold  of,  which  is  imputed  to 
their  being  wearied  after  a  long  flight  from  some  far  country  :    the  proprietor  of  this 


ZSTLAHD,    PIGUTLAKO-riRTH,    AND  CAIT.<NBS«. 


"91 


holm  may  almost  every  day  in  summer  take  a  basket  ritlt  of  eggs  ou'.  of  it,  and  they 
scarcely  be  mihsed,  for  it  is  so  well  furnished,  that  none  almost  can  set  down  a  foot  for 
young  fowls  or  eggs,  which  are  very  berviccable  to  this  gentleman's  house,  and  the 
country  about. 

To  the  eaat  of  Brnssa  is  an  isle  called  the  Noss  of  Drassa,  wherein  a  ra^d  rock  look- 
ing to  the  soutli-east,  the  highest  in  all  this  country,  serviceable  to  manners  for  direct- 
ing their  course  when  sailing  to  the  west  from  eastern  countries  ;  some  gentlemen  told  us 
that  thev  verily  think  from  the  surface  of  the  water  to  the  top  of  rock  it  will  be  three 
himdrea  fathoms,  upon  which  a  great  many  fowls  have  their  nests,  whose  eggs  they 
take  in  the  summer  time,  as  also  some  of  the  fowls,  by  letting  a  man  down  from  the 
top  of  the  rock  by  a  rope  tied  about  his  middle  :  bcf(jrc  this  isle  lieth  a  rock,  ragged  on 
all  sides,  about  one  hundred  fathoms  high  from  the  surface  of  the  water,  but  by  reason 
of  its  raggedncss  and  declivity,  and  its  being  siirroimded  with  sea  on  all  hands,  it  is 
scarce  possible  to  climb  it.  Yet  the  owners  of  the  isle,  being  desirous  to  be  at  the  fowls 
and  eggs  numerous  upon  it,  about  one  hundred  years  since  tliere  was  a  man  for  the  hire 
of  a  cow  undertook  to  climb  the  lesser  rock,  and  to  fasten  two  poles  or  stakes  thereupon, 
which  he  accordingly  did,  but  in  the  coming  down,  he  fell  into  the  sea,  and  perished. 

The  way  how  they  get  into  this  lesser  rock  is  observable,  which  is  thus  ;  oppoiiite  to 
the  two  stakes  on  the  lesser,  there  arc  also  stakes  fastened  on  the  higher  rock,  it  being 
but  sixteen  fathoms  over  between  the  rocks  ;  to  which  stakes  ropes  are  fastened,  reach- 
ing from  rock  to  rock  ;  the  ropes  they  put  through  the  holes  of  an  engine  called  a  era- 
die;  all  which  being  so  prepared,  a  man  getteth  into  the  cradle,  and  warpeih  himself 
over  from  the  Noss,  or  the  greater  rock,  to  the  lesser,  and  so  having  made  a  good  pur- 
chase  of  eggs  and  fowls,  bought  at  the  expencc  of  the  danger  of  his  life,  he  returns  the 
same  way  he  went ;  these  ropes  hang  not  on  all  winter,  but  in  the  summer  time  ;  in  the 
month  of  June  ordinarily,  when  the  day  is  calm,  they  cast  the  ropes  from  the  greater  to 
the  lesser  rock  ;  which  so  they  do,  they  have  first  some  small  rone  or  cordage,  to  which 
there  is  a  stone  fastened,  and  they  keeping  both  the  ends  of  this  small  rope  in  their 
hands,  an  able  man  throweth  the  stone  into  the  lesser  rock,  and  when  cast  over  the  stakes, 
they  heave  or  lift  up  this  small  rope  with  a  long  pole,  that  so  the  bought  of  the  rope  may 
be  gotten  about  the  stakes ;  which  being  done,  they  draw  to  them  the  small  rope  till  a 
greater  tied  to  it  be  brought  about  also,  and  so  both  ends  of  the  greater  rope  they  secure 
by  the  stakes  on  the  top  of  the  Noss,  on  which  strong  and  greater  rope  the  cradle  being 
put,  it  runneth  from  rock  to  rock :  easily  a  man  in  the  cradle  goeth  from  the  Noss  to 
the  holm  or  rock,  by  reason  of  its  descent,  but  with  greater  dimculty  do  they  return ; 
therefore  there  is  n  small  rope  tied  to  the  cradle,  whereby  men  on  the  Noss  help  to 
draw  them  back.  I  do  not  hear  that  any  where  such  another  cradle  is  to  be  found  ; 
how  many  are  the  inventions  which  man  hath  found  out ! 

This  holm  is  much  frequented  by  fowls,  more  than  any  other  place  on  the  east  side  of 
Zetland,  as  the  other  holm  of  Northmevan  is  on  the  west  side;  the  fowls  have  their 
nests  on  the  holms  in  a  very  beautiful  order,  all  set  in  rows,  in  the  form  of  a  dove  cote, 
and  each  kind  or  sort  do  nesde  by  themselves  ;  as  the  scarfs  by  themselves,  so  the  kitti. 
wakes,  tominories,  mawes,  &c.  There  is  a  fowl  there  called  the  scutiallan,  of  a  black 
colour,  and  as  big  as  a  wild  duck*  which  doth  live  upon  the  vomit  and  excrements  of 
other  fowls,  whom  they  pursue,  and  having  apprehended  them,  they  c.iuse  them  vomit 
up  what  meat  they  have  lately  taken,  not  yet  digested.  The  Lord's  works  both  of  na. 
ture  and  of  grace  are  wonderful,  all  speaking  forth  his  glorious  goodness,  wisdom  and 

power.  ...  if- 

Remarkable  are  the  dangers,  which  many  in  these  isles  undergo  in  climbing  the  rocks 
for  fowls  and  eggs,  especially  in  Foula,  where  the  inhabitants  in  the  aumiuer  time  do  most 


/T 


>l3 


792 


oiiANO  a  uiicnirTiOAT  op  ohxitby, 


live  by  this  kind  of  provision,  and  ure  judged  to  l)e  the  best  climberg  of  rocks  in  all  this 
country,  for  some  of  them  uill  fuitciia  stake  or  knife,  an  some  suy,  in  the  ground,  on 
the  top  of  the  rock,  to  which  thcv  tic  a  smull  ro()c  or  cord,  and  so  they  will  come  down 
the  face  of  therouk,  with  this  in  tneir  hand,  sixty,  seventy,  or  eighty  luthoms,  and  do  re* 
turn,  bringing  up  eggs  and  fowls  with  them  ;  but  indeed  very  many  of  tiiem  lose  their 
lives  this  way  ;  yea,  it  is  observed  that  few  old  men  arc  to  be  seen  there,  they  being  so 
cut  off  before  they  arrive  at  old  age ;  many  of  them  arc  weary  of  the  dunffcrs  and  ha* 
zards  they  daily  incur,  yet  neither  will  they  leave  the  place,  nor  give  over  these  perilous 
attempts,  all  the  sud  instances  of  their  friends  and  neighbours  perishing,  and  death,  can. 
not  have  this  influence  to  deter  and  affright  them  from  undergoing  the  like  hueards :  at 
BO  small  a  rate  do  they  value  their  lives,  that  for  a  few  fowls  and  (ggs  they  will  endanger 
them,  whereas  they  might  have  as  good  and  a  much  safer  living  eUcwIiere  :  as  this  sliew. 
eth  both  their  folly  and  their  sin,  so  what  fatigue  and  danger  men  will  expose  Uiemselves 
to,  for  the  avoiding  poverty  and  straits,  for  tne  upholding  this  clayey  tabernacle,  which 
ere  long  will  moulder  into  the  dust,  and  often  not  so  much  for  the  satisfying  the  necessa- 
ry cravings  of  nature,  as  the  superfluous  and  insatiable  desires  of  our  lusts.  Sometimes 
one  man  will  stand  on  the  top  of  the  rock,  holding  the  end  of  the  roiie  in  his  hand,  and 
another  will  go  down,  which  neither  is  without  danger,  as  they  tell  us  of  one  who  thus 
holding  his  neighbour  did  let  the  rope  slip,  and  down  fell  the  cliniber  into  the  sea,  but 
providentially  there  being  a  boat  near  by,  they  got  hold  of  him,  and  took  hin  in,  and  so 
came  home  before  his  neighbour,  who  judged  him  to  have  perished :  the  a  .'r  ntan  at 
length  came  home,  with  great  sorrow  and  grief  regretting  the  death  of  his  neighbour,  but 
he  hearing  that  he  was  already  come  home,  was  not  a  little  confounded  and  astonished  at 
the  report,  until  that  at  meeting  the  man  in  danger  narrated  the  manner  of  his  deliverance, 
tvhich  afiorded  unto  them  both  great  matter  of  refreshment  and  ioy. 

In  all  this  country  there  are  only  three  towered  churches,  (i.  e.)  churches  ivith  toweri 
on  them,Uo  wit.  '1  ingwall,  on  the  Mainland,  the  church  of  Burra,  on  the  isle  of  Burra, 
and  the  church  of  Ireland,  a  promontory  belonging  to  the  main,  from  the  top  of  one  of 
Avhich  towers  you  can  see  another,  built  they  say  by  three  sisters,  who  from  their  seve- 
ral towers  could  give  advertisement  to  one  another. 

The  church  of  Tingwall  standeth  in  a  valley  between  two  hills  lying  east  and  west, 
and  is  about  the  middle  of  the  Mainland.  It  was  in  this  parish,  in  a  small  holm,  within 
a  lake  nigh  to  this  church,  where  the  principal  feud  or  judge  of  the  country  used  to 
sit  and  gtve  judgment ;  hence  the  holm  to  this  day  is  called  the  Law-Ting  (from  which 
probably  the  parish  of  Tingwall  had  its  name  :)  we  go  into  this  holm  by  stepping  stones, 
where  three  or  four  great  stones  are  to  be  seen,  upon  which  the  judge,  clerk  and  other 
officers  of  the  court  did  sit.  All  the  country  concerned  to  be  there  stood  at  some  dis- 
tance from  the  holm  onlhe  side  of  the  loch,  and  when  any  of  their  causes  was  to  be  judged 
or  determined,  or  the  judge  found  it  necessary  that  any  person  should  compear  before 
him,  he  was  called  upon  by  the  officer,  and  went  in  by  these  stepping  stones,  who,  when 
heard,  returned  the  same  way  he  came :  and  though  now  this  place  be  not  the  seat  of 
judgment,  there  is  yet  something  among  them  to  this  day,  which  keepeth  up  the  me- 
mory of  their  old  practice,  for  at  every  end  of  the  loch  there  is  a  house,  upon  whose  grass 
the  country  men  coming  to  the  court  did  leave  their  horses,  and  by  reason  the  mastrrs 
of  these  houses  did  suffer  a  loss  this  way,  they  were  declared  to  be  scot-free  ;  hence,  at 
this  present  time,  two  places  in  the  parish  of  Sansting  do  pay  scot  for  the  one,  and  Con- 
ningsburg  in  Dunrossness  for  the  other  ;  scot  b  a  kind  of  rent  or  due,  which  is  yearly 
paid  to  the  King  or  his  taxmen,  by  the  gentlemen  and  several  others  in  the  country. 
This  Courtis  thought  to  have  been  kept  by  the  Danes,  when  they  were  in  possession  of 


f 


ZElLAfrO,    l'Ir;|(rLAKU*riIlTU,    ANU    CAiTilNlIkS* 


79. 


the  country.  They  nI»o  report,  that  when  any  person  received  sentence  ol  Ucaih  npon 
the  hulm,  if  aHerwurds  he  mouM  make  h'lH  escape  through  the  crowd  of  people  standinf>; 
on  the  side  of  the  loch,  without  Ix'ing  apprehended,  and  touch  the  htceple  of  the  church 
ofTingivali,  the  sentence  of  death  was  reprieved,  and  the  condemned  obtained  an  indcm> 
nity  :  tor  this  steeple  in  these  days  was  held  as  an  asylum  for  malefactors,  debtors  charged 
b;  their  creditors,  8ic.  to  flee  into. 

In  the  way  between  Tingwall  and  Scalloway,  there  is  an  high  stone  standing  in  form 
of  an  obelisk,  us  some  ancient  monument,  concrrning  which  the  people  have  various  tra- 
ditions, some  saying  that  in  the  Strath  of  Tingwall,  where  this  stone  is  erected,  there 
wos  a  bloody  fight  l)etween  the  Danes  and  the  old  inhabitants  ornativcs  of  this  country, 
and  that  the  Norwegian  or  Danish  general  was  killed  in  this  place,  where  the  stone  is 
set  up.  Others  report  that  one  of  the  earls  of  Orkney  had  a  profligate  and  prodigal 
son,  who,  for  this  cause  being  animadverted  upon  by  his  father,  fled  to  Zetland,  and  then 
built  a  castle  or  a  strong  house  for  himself  within  a  loch  at  Stroma,  within  two  miles  ol 
Tingwall  to  the  west,  the  ruins  whereof  are  yet  to  be  seen  :  his  father  not  being  satisfied 
with  his  escape,  and  the  way  he  took  for  his  defence,  sent  from  Orkney  four  or  five  men 
to  pursue  him,  to  whom  he  gave  orders  that  they  should  bring  his  son  to  him  either  dead 
or  alive  :  the  son  thereupon,  not  finding  himself  safe  enough  in  his  castle,  made  his  escape 
from  the  castle,  where  the  pursuers  lay  in  ambush,  but  was  overtaken  by  them  in  the 
Strath  of  Tingwall,  and  killed  there,  whereupon  this  monument  was  erected.  The  pur. 
suers  took  off  his  head,  and  carried  it  with  them  to  his  father,  but  in  so  doing  they  were  so 
far  from  gratifying  of  him,  that  he  caused  them  all  to  be  put  to  death,  notwithstanding  of 
the  orders  given  by  him. 

There  is  in  the  parish  of  Tingwall,  a  little  off  the  way  as  we  go  from  Lerwick  to  Scal- 
loway, a  fountain  or  spring  of  very  pure  and  pleasant  water,  which  runneth  through  a  great 
stone  in  the  rock  by  the  passage  of  a  round  hole,  which  if  you  stop,  the  water  furccth  its 
^vav  through  the  pores  or  the  stone  in  other  places,  the  stone,  it  seems,  being  very  porous 
and  spung}'. 

One  of  the  ministers  told  us  of  a  monster  bom  the  last  year  in  the  parish  of  Neston, 
about  nine  or  ten  miles  from  Lerwick ;  that  one  day,  when  he  was  coming  to  the  presby- 
tery, and  standing  at  the  ferry-side  over  which  he  was  to  pass,  two  women  came  to  him, 
acquainting  him,  with  fear  and  grief,  that  their  neighbour  near  by  had  been  travailing  in 
child-birth  under  hard  labour  for  three  days  past,  and  had  brought  forth  a  monster, 
which  had  upon  its  forehead  like  a  perriwig  of  flesh  and  hair,  raised  and  towered  up, 
and  by  the  sides  of  the  head  there  were  like  wires  of  flesh  coming  down  :  moreover,  it 
had  two  rows  of  teeth,  with  a  mouth  like  a  rabbit,  destitute  of  arms  and  legs ;  after 
the  birth  there  wa^  some  life  in  it,  and  it  moved  a  little,  but  lived  not  long  ;  the 
women  assisting  at  the  birth  for  a  time  were  afraid  to  touch  it,  it  being  such  a  strange  and 
ibrmidable  sight.  This  minister  desired  to  see  it,  but  it  was  buried  before  he  came. 
The  same  woman  also  formerly  had  brought  forth  two  monsters,  the  first  whereof 
was  a  confused  and  undigested  lump  of  flesh ;  and  the  second  had  a  mouth  in  its 
breast. 

We  inquired  concerning  the  woman,  and  they  told  us  that  they  knew  nothing  of  scandal 
they  could  lay  to  her  charge,  but  that  she  had  lived  soberly  all  her  life  ;  only  one  of  the  mi- 
nisters informed  us,  that  after  she  had  brought  forth  the  first  monster,  he  heard  that  for  a 
year's  time  thereafter  she  used  to  go  bare- footed  to  the  church  of  Wisdale  every  Lord's 
Day,  and  pray  there,  according  to  the  vow  she  had  made  after  the  birth,  thinking  thereby, 
that  this  might  atone  for  what  was  past,  and  prevent  the  like  for  the  future.     If  this  be 


VOL.    III. 


5  I 


Id 


1 


794 


IRANU*8    DtSCnil'TION    Of    OiKKCY, 


true,  God  huth  judicially  punished  her,  by  conceivinfi^  and  bringing  forth  the  two  fol- 
lowing monsters,  ench  more  wonderful  and  preternatural  than  the  other. 

Several  adulteries  came  txrforc  the  commission,  attended  with  heinous  and  aggravating 
circumstances.  One  instance  we  had  very  remarkable  of  one  James  Mowari  in  the  parish 
of  Northmevan,  who  had  been  lying  in  adultery  with  one  Clara  Tulloch,  his  wife  being 
(lead  not  many  years  since.  Between  which  Mowal  and  Tulloch  there  had  several  children 
been  procreated,  who  were  all  idiots  and  fools,  so  that  they  could  not  keep  thcmselvcn 
either  from  fire  or  water,  or  put  their  meat  in  their  mouths,  though  there  be  one  of  them 
of  twenty  years,  and  others  of  them,  though  younger,  yet  come  to  some  considerable  age  ; 
which  sheweth  the  manifest  judgment  of  Gf)d  against  adulterers,  he  often  ordering  his 
provide  aial  dispensations  so  towards  them,  that  they  may  read  their  sin  in  their  punish- 
ment,  as  this  wretched  man  was  forced  by  the  power  of  his  so  far  convinced  conscience  to 
confess  before  the  presbytery,  that  he  was  sensible  the  judgments  of  God  were  pursuing 
him,  whereof  he  gave  the  said  sad  instance,  as  yet  to  be  seen  from  the  presbytery's  records. 
Another  adulterer  also  did  compear  before  us,  who  did  continue  in  the  commission  of 
this  his  sin  for  many  years,  and  doth  bear  in  his  face  the  shameful  reproof  thereof,  and 
the  just  marks  of  the  l^ord's  indignation  against  him  for  the  same.  It  is  a  very  sad  thing 
for  any  to  be  pining  awny  both  in  judf^ments  and  sins. 

A  minister  here  told  me  a  passage,  not  to  be  passed  witlraut  a  remark  of  God's  righte- 
ous judgment  and  holiness ;  a  certain  woman  in  his  parish  about  ten  years  since  fell  in. 
to  adultery  with  an  old  married  man  ;  he,  to  cover  his  villainy,  advised  her  to  give  way  to 
another  young  man's  sinning  with  her,  who  then  was  in  suit  of  her  and  frequented  her 
company,  that  so  if  there  were  a  child,  she  might  father  it  upon  this  young  and  unmar. 
ried  man  ;  accordingly,  as  was  advised,  it  fell  out,  the  young  man  sinned  with  her,  and 
she  being  found  witli  child,  is  summoned  to  compear  before  the  session,  who  having  in- 
terrogated  her  concerning  her  uncleanncss,  and  who  was  the  father  of  the  child,  she  an- 
swered that  she  never  knew  or  had  carnal  dealing  with  anv,  save  such  a  young  man ; 
but  this  covering  could  not  serve  the  turn  in  palliating  their  filthiness,  God  in  his  wise 
providence  so  ordering  it,  that  though  there  was  the  interval  of  five  months  between  the 
old  and  the  young  man's  sinning  with  her,  yet  when  the  time  of  her  delivery  came,  she 
first  brought  forth  a  perfect  child  of  nine  months,  and  the  day  after  another  imperfect  of 
four  months,  according  to  the  several  times  of  the  old  man,  and  the  young  man's  sin- 
ning with  her.  She  being  convinced  that  this  was  of  the  Lord,  and  that  she  could  not 
hide  her  sins  from  God,  though  she  sought  to  do  it  from  men,  she  in^nuously  acknow- 
ledged her  guilt  with  both,  and  for  the  scandal  is  now  giving  satisfaction  in  the  parish  of 
Unst. 

We  had  also  the  lamv*ntable  account  of  the  tragical  end  of  one  Mr.  Gilbert  Hendry, 
adulterer,  in  repute  for  i;is  ocuteness  of  wit,  and  the  many  excellent  poems  he  com- 
posed :  he  being  a  married  man  had  carnal  converse  with  another  woman,  at  which  his 
friends  and  welKwishers  being  greatly  concerned,  one  of  them  laid  hold  of  an  opportu- 
nity to  accost  and  set  upon  him,  earnestly  intreating  he  might  break  off  his  unclean  and 
debauched  converse  with  that  woman,  holding  out  unto  him  his  sin  and  misery,  and 
using  what  arguments  he  thought  might  prevail  for  that  end,  but  he  gave  a  deaf  ear  un- 
to all  that  was  said,  and  by  no  means  would  be  dissuaded  from  haunting  her  company, 
yea,  in  contempt  of  the  admonition  and  reproof,  made  as  if  he  were  going  to  that  wo* 
man's  house  the  same  night,  and  so  parting  from  his  friend,  went  in  the  evening  to  a 
water  or  loch  side,  where  he  walked  for  some  time  alone,  and  then  appeared  a  man  in 
company  with  him  all  in  black,  and  thus  they  continued  walking  together  till  night,  a« 


l^iu^ 


--ii..-:  v..*.*^ 


ZETLAND,    PlCilTLANUI'IRTH,    ANC    CAilHNE;)i|. 


79' 


and 


the  ncopic  observing  did  judtfo,  und  the  next  morning  thin  miicrablc  wrt  tch  v.i\^  loiuul 
dcud,  with  hi:$  Lvuiiih  dashed  out,  (tlioitgh  there  were  no  stuiics  near  to  the  pl.icc  uhcrr 
he  lu}],  on  a  hill  aide  at  n  httlc  diMtiiiicc  i'runi  the  wntii,  hiii  head  und  shuuUUis  lying 
downward  to  tiic  descent  ofihc  i>ill,  his  brains  were  Jtcattired,  and  the  ground  about  hiin 
was  nil  uotldcr,  m  if  there  had  l)ccn  (saiih  n>y  inrorinci),  twenty  men  and  hor*.e5  lor 
tweatyJbur  hours  upon  the  pot.  It  i<i  not  uuny  years  since  thislell  out.  So  budu  re. 
cotr.peicc  doth  the  dcv  il  givi:  iiis  va^saU  and  hhnes  lor  their  service,  for  whon  mongers 
and  aduUerers  God  will  judge,  which  judgments  often  he  bei^inncth  to  inHict  in  thiilire, 
lor  the  punishment  of  the  guilty,  and  the  terror  olall,  und  to  shew  that  he  is  ol  purer 
eyes  <han  that  he  can  behold  such  horrid  inir|uity  ;  though  the  pouring  out  of  the  full 
viuls  of  his  wrath  he  rescrveth  for  the  future,  wlicrc  ihetr  worm  shall  not  die,  nor  the 
lire  :or  ever  be  quenched. 

The  signal  defeat  and  overthrow  of  the  Spanish  Armada,  that  supposed  and  commonly 
(though  arrogandy)  called  Invincible  Navy,  anno  1588,  is  famous  in  history,  which  was 
especially  caused  by  stormy  winds  and  tempests,  some  thereby  sinking  at  sea,  others  split- 
ting  uDon  the  coasts  both  of  Llngland  and  Krance,  and  especially  upon  the  north  of  Scot, 
land,  Orkney  and  Zetland ;  and  the  Fair  Isle  had  the  honour  of  the  duke  of  Medina's 
being  driven  on  shore  upon  it,  under  whose  conduct  this  navy  was  :  who  after  his  ship, 
wreck  come  over  to  Dunrossness  in  Zetland,  as  an  old  gentlewoman  informed  me  ;  ot 
whom  she  heard  the  country  people,  who  saw  him,  frequentlv  speak,  when  she  was  a 
child :  so  the  Lord  dispersed  and  broke  this  huge  and  formidable  navy,  that  of  n  hun- 
dred and  thirty  ships  which  set  out  from  Spain  with  provision,  ammunition,  and  other 
furniture,  exceeding  great,  scarce  thirty  returned  ;  the  Grxl  of  land  and  sea  heard  and  an- 
swered the  prayers  ot  his  people  in  Britain,  the  curse  of  God  pursuing  that  hellish  enter* 
|.rise,  notwithstanding  uf  the  infallible  Popish  benediction  on  that  invincible  armada ; 
for  as  our  historian  Calderwood  observeth,  *•  The  rumour  of  the  great  Spanish  armada 
beuig  blazed  abroad,  fervent  were  the  prayers  of  the  godly  in  Scotland,  powerful 
and  piercing  were  the  sermons  of  preachers,  especially  in  the  time  of  fast,  whereupon 
the  Lord  uttered  his  voice  against  his  and  his  church's  enemies,  by  terrible  things  in 
righteousness;  our  coasts,  upon  which  many  of  that  fleet  were  cast  away,  and  some  oi 
the  people  in  it  begging  from  door  to  door,  proclaiming  aloud  the  glory  of  his  justice 
and  power." 

Theic  are  no  weasels  in  all  the  northern  iblcs  of  Zedand,  as  I  am  informed,  though 
numerous  in  the  Mainland,  which  they  report  thus  came  to  pass  :  the  falconer  hav'ng  u 
power  given  him,  to  get  a  hen  out  of  every  house  once  in  the  year ;  but  one  year  they 
refusingi  or  not  being  so  willing  to  give,  the  falconer,  out  of  revenge,  brought  the  next 
year  two  weasels  with  him,  which  did  generate  and  spread,  so  that  now  they  arc  become 
v:r/  destructive  to  several  goods  of  the  inhabitants,  whereof  a  gentleman,  our  informer, 
told  us  he  had  killed  several  half  an  ell  long. 


*       ',     Chap.  IX. — The  Fish-Trade  is  most  considerable  In  Zetlamh 

OF  alt  the  diings  remarkable  in  Zedand,  their  iish-trade  is  the  most  considerable, 
wherefore  I  have  chosen  to  speak  of  it  by  itself.  Which  I  shall  labour  to  do,  by  shew- 
ing what  fishing  they  have  in  these  seas,  and  what  fishes  they  do  most  abound  in,  and 
have  plenty  of;  and  then  hold  out  who  are  these  who  trade,  and  what  advantages  do 
accrue  thereby  unto  the  inhabitants,  with  some  reflections  upon  the  whole. 

The  fishing  here  is  much  decayed  by  what  it  was,  for  now  neither  is  there  such  a  great 
numl)cr  of  fishes  taken,  nor  so  easily  can  they  be  had,  as  formerly  ;  for  not  above  forty 

5  I  2 


Mi 


79'6 


brand's    oesckiption  of  orknsv, 


or  fifty  years  since,  the  fishers  would  have  taken  the  great  fishes,  such  as  killen,ling,  8c(. 
in  the  voes  of  lochs,  and  thiU  in  great  numbers,  and  so  were  not  necessitated  to  undergo 
such  danger  und  toil  in  going  out  to  the  sea,  but  could  have  lien  before  their  own  doors 
and  drawn  (he  fishes,  which  certainly  was  mors  safe,  easy,  and  convenient  to  them,  in 
many  respects ;  whereas  now  they  are  obliged  to  put  out  some  leagues  unto  the  sea, 
and  so  far  often  that  they  almost  sink  the  land,  else  they  cannot  have  any  fishing  worth 
their  expence  and  pains«  which  cannot  but  be  very  toilsome  and  dangerous,  in  case  a 
storm  should  arise  and  blow  off  the  land,  and  so  put  them  to  sea  with  their  little  boats 
or  yawls,  not  able  to  keep  long  out  against  the  violent  and  swelling  waves ;  and  so  it 
hath  fallen  out  to  some,  who  being  tossed  to  and  fro,  whither  tide  and  wind  did  drive 
them,  have  never  seen  land  any  more :  and  as  it  is  dangerous,  so  it  is  toilsome,  and  costs 
them  much  labour,  seeing  often  they  lie  some  nights  and  days  at  sea,  and  not  come 
ashore. 

The  fishing  formerly  being  greater  dian  what  now  it  is,  occasioned,  they  say,  some 
hundreds  of  more  ships  to  resort  yearly  unto  this  country  than  what  now  use  to  do, 
when  fishes  cannot  be  had  to  serve  them ;  and  indeed  neither  now  are  the  fishes  so 
sought  after  as  some  time  they  have  been,  when  they  could  easily  be  had,  many  being 
willing  rather  to  stay  at  home  and  catch  what  they  can  about  the  coasts,  which  ordi- 
narily are  but  the  smaller  fishes,  than  to  undergo  such  hazards  and  toil  in  following  the 
greater,  which  an  Hamburgh  merchant  waiting  for  a  lading  complained  to  me  oi^ 

Although  when  we  institute  the  comparison  between  the  former  and  the  latter  times, 
their  prcbent  fishing  will  appear  to  be  but  small ;  yet  if  we  take  it  under  view  as  it  is  in 
itself,  without  such  a  respect,  we  will  find  it  to  be  very  considerable ;  for  though  \n  some 
years  it  be  greater  than  in  others,  yet  every  year  many  trading  ships  are  thereby  laded, 
and  this  same  year  1700  the  fishing  is  thought  to  be  very  good;  an  instance  whereof  a 
merchant  gave  us,  that  in  one  week  in  the  month  of  June  there  were  taken  by  some 
boats  belonging  to  one  place,  of  Northmevan,  four  thousand  ling,  all  which  were  brought 
in  for  the  loading  of  that  ship  wherein  he  was  concerned :  and  another  gentleman 
added,  that  some  other  boats,  at  a  little  distance  from  these,  drew  about  seven  hundred 
more ;  but  this  vas  something  extraordinary,  and  useth  not  often  to  fall  out  that  in  one 
week  they  take  such  a  number. 

The  fishes  tliat  do  most  abound  here  are  killen,  ling,  &c.  which  being  salted  and 
dried,  foreigners  export  them  to  other  countries ;  of  these,  as  hath  been  said,  there  is 
great  plenty,  but  aie  not  ordinarily  taken  near  the  land :  as  for  haddocks,  whitings,  and 
such  lesser  white  fishes,  they  care  not  so  much  for  the  seeking  after,  except  what  is  for 
their  own  use,  for  strangers  use  but  seldom  to  buy  them :  and  these  greater  fishes  they 
get  a  greater  quantity  of  in  some  places  than  in  others ;  as  off  Dunrossness,  Northmevan, 
Unst,  Yell,  &c. 

Great  shoals  of  herring  do  swim  also  in  these  seas,  which  are  taken  in  the  summer 
season,  especially  in  the  month  of  July  and  the  beginning  of  August,  for  sometimes  then 
they  will  come  within  a  penn^.stone  cast  of  the  shore,  and  be  swimming  so  thick,  and 
taken  so  fast,  that  one  boat  will  call  upon  another  to  come  and  help  them,  and  take  a 
part  of  their  fishes.  These  herrings  taken  here  are  reckoned  to  be  very  good,  if  not 
among  the  best,  that  are  taken  upon  the  isles  betonging  to  the  king  of  Britain's  domi- 
nions ;  and  as  now  said  of  the  white  fish,  so  it  is  of  the  herrings,  they  frequent  some 
places  more  than  others ;  as  off  Brassa  to  the  east,  and  between  Brassa  and  Whalsey, 
or  the  Skerries,  where  the  busses  do  commonly  lie,  within  sight  of  the  land  of  Zetland. 
And  whatever  may  be  said  of  Grotius  his  mare  commune  or  liberum,  yet  it  holds  here,  for 
•any  have  or  take  liberty  to  come  and  fish  in  these  seas,  wittlout  any  way  acknowledging 
tlTat  sovereignty  whereunto  these  isles  do  belong; 


■.  .^-.-*«j«.  •    ,  ,i-,  .-^t*^' 


ZEVLANO,    riCHTLAND-riRTH,    AND    CAITHNEs: 


797 


There  are  Itlcewi  e  here  a  great  many  grey  fishes  taken,  which  they  call  sillucks  and 
seths*  which  are  judged  to  be  the  same  kind  of  fish,  c.  ly  the  seths  are  a  greater  and  older 
silluks,  a  thick  and  fat  fish  ;  for  out  of  one  liver  of  some  seths  they  will  get  a  pint  of 
our  measure  of  oil,  with  which  oil  the  inhabitants  pay  part  of  their  rents,  and  sell  the 
rest  unto  merchants.  The  oil  they  get  after  this  manner  :  they  put  the  liver  into  a  pot 
or  pan  hulf  full  of  water,  which  when  seething,  the  oil  by  the  force  of  the  fire  or  boiling 
water  is  drawn  from  the  liver,  which  so  being  separated,  and  swimming  above,  they  take 
or  scum  it  off,  and  put  in  vessels  for  their  use.  These  seths  are  to  be  had  about  all  the 
coasts,  but  more  especially  about  Dunrossness,  Delton,  and  some  other  places.  The 
silluks,  as  hath  been  observed,  are  very  numerous  in  Orkney,  but  more  rarely  are  the 
seths  to  be  had  there,  though  the  same  kind  of  fish ;  but  in  Zetland  there  is  no  scarcity 
of  both. 

Among  the  many  other  excellent  fishes  which  are  here  for  to  be  had,  there  are  the 
tusk,  a  rare,  wholesome,  and  delicious  fish,  no  less  pleasant  to  tlie  taste  than  they  are  to 
the  eye ;  some  of  them  are  as  big  as  ling,  of  a  brown  and  yellow  colour,  with  a  broad 
tail ;  when  making  ready  for  use  they  swell  in  the  pan  more  than  any  other  fish ;  when 
made  ready,  their  fiesh  is  very  white  and  clear ;  when  new  haled,  they  are  much  more 
pleasant  to  eat  than  when  salted  and  dried,  for  then  I  think  they  lose  much  more  of 
their  savour  and  relish.  They  begin  to  fish  for  them  about  the  end  of  May  or  beginning 
of  June,  and  are  taken  to  the  east  of  the  isle  of  Brassa,  or  between  Brassa  and  Whalsey, 
opening  to  the  coasts  of  Norway,  and  here  only  are  they  to  be  found,  and  more  rardy 
in  other  places,  except  off  Dunrossness,  where  also  sometimes  they  are  got.  The  fishers 
often  go  out  about  the  beginning  of  the  week,  and  not  return  home  till  the  end  of  it, 
and  the  further  they  go  off  to  the  sea,  they  will  get  them  the  bigger,  and  in  greater  num- 
bers. They  use  to  sell  them  to  the  Hamburghers  for  eight  or  ten  pounds  Scots  tlie 
hundred  or  six  score ;  and  some  of  them  also  are  taken  to  other  places,  where  they  are 
much  desired  by  such  as  know  them. 

Those  who  commonly  frequent  thb  country  and  trade  with  the  inhabitants  are  Ham- 
burghers, and  sometimes  Bremers  and  others,  who  come  here  ordinarily  in  the  month 
of  May,  or  about  the  beginning  of  June,  and  in  several  places  set  up  booths  or  shops, 
where  they  sell  liquors,  as  beer,  brandy,  S(C.  and  wheaten  bread,  as  that  which  they  call 
cringel'bread,  and  the  like ;  they  also  sell  several  sorts  of  creme-ware,  as  linen,  muslin, 
&c.  And  these  merchants  seek  nothing  better  in  exchange  for  their  commodities,  than 
to  truck  with  the  country  for  their  fishes,  which,  when  the  fishers  engage  to,  the  mer- 
chants will  give  them  either  money  or  ware,  which  they  please ;  and  so  the  fishers  going 
to  sea,  what  they  take  they  bring  once  in  the  week,  or  oftener,  as  they  have  occasion,  and 
lay  tliem  down  at  their  booth  door,  or  in  any  other  place  where  the  merchant  appoints 
them  to  be  laid,  and  they  being  there  numbered,  the  merchants  account  for  them  ac- 
cordingly :  these  fishes,  which  are  ordinarily  great  white  fishes,  as  killen,  ling,  and  the 
like,  the  merchants  or  their  servants  having  dried,  they  take  them  aboard  of  their  ships. 
Several  such  Dutch  booths  are  to  be  seen  tlurough  the  isles,  as  six  ordinarily  in  the  isle  of 
Unst,  two  in  Yell,  &c. 

The  Hollanders  also  repair  to  these  isles  in  June,  as  hath  been  said,  for  their  herring 
fishing ;  but  they  cannot  be  said  so  properly  to  trade  with  the  country,  as  to  fish  upon 
their  coasts,  and  they  use  to  bring  all  sorts  of  provisions  necessary  with  them,  save  some 
firesh  victuals,  as  sheep,  lambs,  hens,  &c.  which  they  buy  on  shore.  Stocking  also 
are  brought  by  the  country  people  from  all  quarters  to  Lerwick,  and  sold  to  these  fishers  ; 
for  sometimes  many  thousands  of  them  will  be  aslusre  at  one  time,  and  ordinary  it  is  with 
tbcm  to  buy  stockings  to  themselves,  and  some  likewise  do  to  their  wives  and  children, 


i     I 

5 


(98 


BKANU'S    DESCltll'TION    OF    OKKN£Y« 


Avhlch  is  very  bcncHciul  to  the  inhabitants ;  for  so  money  is  brought  into  the  country, 
there  is  a  vent  for  the  wool,  and  the  poor  are  employed.  Stockings  also  are  brought 
from  Orkney  and  sold  there,  whereby  some  gain  accrues  to  the  retailers,  who  wait  the 
coming  of  the  Dutch  fleet  for  a  market. 

But  especially  much  advantage  doth  redound  to  them  from  thf  ir  trade  with  the  Ham- 
burghers  ;  for  besides  that  they  are  furnished  by  them  with  provisions,  what  necessary, 
what  convenient,  these  merchants  bring  a  considerable  sum  of  money  with  them,  so  that, 
us  one  of  their  ministers  told  me,  seven  ships  are  ordinarily  reckoned  to  have  three  thou- 
sand six  hundred  dollars  aboard,  which  they  leave  behind  them,  not  only  for  fishes,  but 
also  for  several  other  things  which  are  the  product  of  the  country,  as  butter,  oil,  &,c. 
and  if  any  please  not  to  take  their  commodities,  they  presently  ^ve  them  money  upon 
receipt  of  tneir  goods.  The  proprit  ^ors  also,  or  masters  of  the  ground  upon  which 
these  booths  arc  built,  reap  a  considerable  gain ;  for  some  of  them  will  get  twenty  dollars 
per  annum  for  the  use  of  a  house  in  the  summer  season  to  be  a  booth  ;  and  I  think  twice 
or  thrice  the  sum  will  build  them. 

Upon  the  whole  of  this  chapter  we  may  entertain  these  following  reflections :  first, 
hence  we  may  observe  the  power,  wisdom,  and  goodness  of  God ;  his  power,  in  that 
his  hands  have  made  this  great  and  wide  sea,  wherein  are  thines  creeping  innumerable  ; 
how  many  millions  of  great  and  small  fishes  are  every  year  taken,  yet  the  next  we  ex- 
pect to  be  served  with  as  great  a  number ;  God  giving  these  creatures  the  sea  for  their 
proper  habitation,  and  providing  suitable  provision  for  them  in  that  element,  where 
neither  seed-time  nor  harvest,  yet  all  these  wait  upon  him,  and  he  giveth  their  meat  in 
due  season.  His  wisdom,  in  that  wise  and  beautiful  order  to  be  observed  among  these 
brutal  creatures,  the  several  kinds  knowing  their  coming  and  their  going  time,  and  their 
loving  to  frequent  one  place  of  the  water  more  than  another,  though  both  under  the 
same  climate  :  their  going  forth  all  of  them  by  bands,  though  they  have  no  king,  over- 
seer, or  ruler,  these  squammosae  cohortes,  though  not  governed  by  principles  of  reason, 
\'et  by  their  natural  instinct  being  reasonably  acted,  each  to  their  proper  ends,  for  the 
muintcnance  and  preservation  of  their  several  kinds,  give  occosion  to  reasonable  man  to 
acknowledge,  admire,  and  adore  the  infinite  wisdom  of  his  and  their  maker.  Here  also 
the  goodness  of  God  is  to  be  observed  in  this,  that  all  these  are  given  for  the  service  of 
man,  that  not  only  our  tables  should  be  furnished  with  the  creatures  that  breathe  in  the 
same  element  with  us,  but  also  with  these  that  live  in  another ;  and  seeing  all  these  are, 
us  it  were,  sacrificed  for  our  use,  should  ^ve  not  "  present  ourselves,  souls  and  bodies, 
living  sacrifices,  holy  and  acceptable  unto  God,  which  is  our  reasonable  service."  Seeing 
tliat  God  hath  made  rnan  to  have  dominion  over  the  beasts  of  the  field,  the  fowls  of  the 
air,  and  the  fishes  of  the  sea,  should  ive  not  gratefully  shew  forth  his  praise,  and  say,  with 
all  the  wise  observers  of  Providence,  «♦  O  Lord  our  God,  how  excellent  is  thy  name  in 
all  the  earth?" 

2.  It  is  the  fishing  only  which  makes  this  country  any  way  desirable,  else  it  would  be 
very  unpleasant  living  there,  as  Boethius  of  old  did  observe  :  Quorum  opes  universse  in 
piscibus  sole  arefactis,  quas  quotannis  ad  eos  accedentes  Holiandi,  Zelandi  ac  Germani  ali- 
arumque  rerum  vulgarium  permutatione  mercantur.  Yea,  if  we  abstract  from  their  fish- 
ing-trade, in  many  places  there  could  not  be  any  living  at  all,  they  not  having  fields  either 
ibr'corn  land  or  grazing ;  but  they  trading  in  fishes  with  foreign  merchants,  who  import 
many  goods  for  the  more  comfortable  living  of  the  country,  their  coming  in  the  summer 
is  very  refreshful  to  all  the  inhabitants,  the  dioughts  and  expectation  of  which  in  the 
winter  doth  not  a  little  revive  them,  when  they  shall  enjoy  some  better  fare  than  what 
their  country  doth  aflbrd,  when  Hamburgh  liquors  and  commodities  shall  be  brouglu 


s'TO^«w,.,j«ijt,y,iji;„,,,i,,;.,^j^,.;.5rn.av-^p^?55f?^^^^ 


ZETLAND,    riCHTLAKD-FIRTH,    AND    CAITHNESS. 


799 


to  their  doors,  which  bcinfj  expected  and  desired,  may  occasion  sometimes  their  taking 
of  a  larger  cup,  thty  knowing  that  the  booths  will  not  ahvays  stand  oi)en. 

3.  It  is  to  be  observed,  that  still  the  further  north  wc  go  the  fishes  are  to  be  had  in 
preater  abundance  ;  in  Zetland  more  than  in  Orkney  ;  and  in  Iceland,  to  the  north  of 
Zetland,  more  than  in  cither,  the  inhabitants  there  mostly  living  upon  fishes  :  and  again 
we  may  notice,  as  there  is  not  such  a  plenty  of  fishes  in  Orkney  as  in  Zetland,  yet  there 
is  a  greater  of  corn  ;  and  so  in  ZethMid  there  is  more  corn  than  in  Iceland,  for  in  Iceland 
they  have  little,  if  any,  corn  as  th"  ,)roduct  of  their  country,  as  sorre  in  Zetland  did  in- 
form me,  who  have  conversed  with  these  who  have  been  there  ;  therefore  the  common- 
alty generally  make  use  of  dried  fish'.^s  beaten  small  instead  of  bread,  as  Boethius  hinteth 
ut :  Ultra  Schctlandicas  uliae  quaedam  insula,  quoe  pisces  arefactos  acsolc  induratospistillo 
contundunt,moxadmistaaqiiiinpastilloscomponunt,alqueadfocumtorrent,  qui  illis  panis 
est :  which  shevveth  us  the  great  wisdom  of  God  in  his  great  works  of  providence,  who 
bestoweth  not  all  blessings  upon  every  nation  ;  but  when  he  denieth  or  giveth  less  of 
one  blessing  to  one  nation  or  country,  he  alloweth  them  more  of  another ;  which  is  also 
often  observed  with  respect  to  particular  persons.  This  variety  likewise  shevveth  the 
necessity  und  advantage  of  one  nation  or  kingdom's  trading  with  another. 

4.  The  fishing  trade  is  very  lucrative  and  enriching  to  those  who  closely  follow  it ; 
it  is  commonly  said  that  it  is  the  fishing  which  first  raised  the  Netherlands  to  that  pitch 
of  grandeur  anu  wealth  which  now  they  have  arrived  at :  hence  some  historians  call  the 
fishery  the  Gold-mine  of  Holland,  and  that  by  their  fishing  especially  in  the  British  seas ; 
and  if  it  were  not  so  very  gainful,  what  would  make  them  every  year  equip  such  a  nu- 
merous fleet  of  several  hundreds  of  busses,  under  the  guard  and  protection  of  their  con- 
voys, but  that  they  know  the  Zetland  seas  make  their  mills  to  go,  therefore  they  do  so 
warmly  pursue  this  trade,  and  encourage  the  undertakers  thereof :  and  so  it  is  with  the 
Hamburghers  and  other  merchants,  especially  in  the  Hans  Towns,  who  trading  here 
during  the  summer  season,  return  home  in  August  or  September,  they  not  only  with 
fishes  serving  their  respective  cities,  but  by  sending  them  also  up  the  country,  do  make 
a  good  market,  which  engageth  and  encourageth  them  to  return  every  year  and  follow 
the  same  trade. 

5.  The  consideration  of  this  great  gain  that  doth  redound  to  the  trading  merchants, 
hath  of  late  animated  some  gentlemen  and  others  in  Zetland  to  enter  into  a  society  or 
company  for  trading  in  fishes ;  that  whereas  strangers  make  such  a  good  hand  with  their 
fishes,  they  may  as  vveil  consult  their  own  profit  and  gain,  by  promoting  of  that  trade, 
which  tendeth  so  much  to  the  enriching  of  others,  especially  seeing  they  can  do  it  with 
far  less  trouble  and  expence  when  here  at  home,  where  the  fishes  are  to  be  had,  which 
when  taken  and  prepared  may  be  sent  abroad  for  sale  to  foreign  markets ;  whereas  the 
Hamburghers  and  others  which  come  here  are  obliged  to  tarry  from  home  through  the 
summer,  waiting  for  their  lading. 

6.  It  hath  been  thought  very  strange  by  many  that  our  own  fishing,  for  which  wc 
have  so  great  and  so  inviting  advantages  beyond  others,  should  yet  be  so  much  nglec  ted 
by  ourselves,  and  left  to  the  improvement  of  strangers,  who  reap  vast  gain  from  it. 
And  as  this  deserves  the  consideration  of  the  government,  so  it  might  be  expected  that 
the  late  disappointment,  in  the  holy  and  wise  providence,  of  this  nation's  noble  and  ge- 
nerous attempt  to  have  settled  a  foreign  plantation,  for  raising  us  from  the  dunghill  of 
contempt  and  poverty,  and  advancing  our  wealth  and  trade,  will  excite  both  these  worthy 
undertakers  and  others  to  employ  their  stocks  and  endeavours  in  searching  after  and 
digging  these  mines  of  the  ocean  nearer  home,  and  profiting  by  these  blessings  which 
Providence  has  brought  to  our  very  doors,  especially  since  thereby  not  only  would  a 


'i 


\i 


800 


brand's   description    of    ORKNEY, 


number  of  able  seamen  be  yearly  trained  for  the  use  and  service  of  the  nation,  and  the 
nation  (hereby  put  in  a  better  capacity  for  undertaking  and  supporting  greater  projects 
of  trade  ir  the  more  remote  parts  of  the  world,  but  likewise  many  poor  peop'e  would 
be  employed,  who  arc  ready  to  starve.  And  it  is  more  reasonable  we  should  fish  in  our 
own  seas,  than  for  strangers  so  to  do ;  and  1  do  greatly  question  if  the  Hollanders, 
Hamburghers  or  others,  would  so  permit  us  to  fish  in  any  seas  so  nigh  to  their  land,  de- 
pending  on  their  sovereignty,  as  we  do  them. 

And  for  this  end  shipping  would  be  encouraged  by  the  government,  and  trading  mer. 
chants,  as  the  Hollanders  do.,  an  instance  whereof  we  had  when  in  Zetland :  a  Holland 
ship  came  into  Brassa  Sound  from  cruizing  about  the  Fair  Isle,  waiting  for  the  East  India 
fleet,  having  in  her  wine,  brandy,  victuals,  &c.  for  their  use,  that  tliey  might  be  re- 
freshed  before  they  arrived  at  their  port,  and  this  the  trading  company  neglect  not  ordi- 
narily  to  do,  which  sheweth  they  are  great  encouragers  of  trade ;  and  for  the  encou* 
raging  of  trade,  taxations  imposed  upon  shipping  should  be  easy,  especially  now  when 
the  trade  is  so  low,  that  many  merchants  and  ship  masters,  after  they  have  hazarded 
their  lives  and  their  all,  do  return  losers  home ;  for  if  othenvise,  no  wonder  that  all  con- 
cerned in  trade  be  dispirited  and  discouraged  in  attempting  any  thing  that  is  noble,  which 
might  tend  to  the  nation's  public  good. 

Chap.  X. — Concerning  Pightland- Firth,  the  several  Tides  which  meet  there,  the 

Danger  of  Passage,  ^c. 

THF.  noise  that  Pightland -Firth  makes  among  many  who  only  have  heard  thereof,  as 
being  noted  and  famous  for  its  danger  to  passengers,  and  the  causes  which  concur  to 
render  it  so,  awakened  us  more  particularly  to  enquire  concerning  it,  which  we  had 
opportunity  to  do  in  our  return  from  Zetland  by  Orkney  to  Caithness :  and  therefore 
seeing  we  passed  it  in  our  voyage,  I  shall  not  altc^ther  pass  it  in  this  narrative,  but  commu- 
nicate to  the  inquisitive  what  I  know  either  from  my  own  or  others'  observations  anent  it. 

This  firth  is  commonly  called  Pictland,  Pightland,  or  Penthland -Firth,  doubtless  from 
the  Picts,  whose  kingdom  of  old  Orkney  was,  divided  by  this  firth  from  the  continent 
of  Scotland.  Blaw,  in  his  Atlas  or  Geography,  tells  us  of  a  certain  tradition,  shewing 
how  it  came  first  to  be  so  denominated ;  that  the  Picts  on  a  time  being  defeated  by  the 
Scots,  who  pursued  the  victory  unto  Caithness  and  Dungisby-head,  where  the  vanquished 
remnant,  so  hotly  pursued,  not  judging  themselves  safe,  were  forced  to  take  boats  and 
go  over  the  firth'  to  Orkney  ;  but  the  Orkney -men  convening  upon  the  alarm  of  their 
Ending,  did  so  warmly  receive  them  with  a  sharp  conflict,  that  the  Picts  were  obliged 
to  retire  and  take  themselves  to  their  boats  again,  with  which  they  going  off,  and  not 
acquainted  with  the  running  of  the  tides,  they  all  perished ;  upon  whicn  sad  catastrophe, 
so  fatal  to  the  Pictish  nation,  this  firth  ever  smce  was  called  Pictland  or  Pightland-Firth. 
Buchanan  calls  it  Penthland-Firth,  as  it  is  commonly  pronounced,  from  one  Penthus ; 
but  who  this  Penthus  was,  our  historian  hath  not  been  pleased  to  impart  unto  us  :  Nam 
Penthlandici  montcs  et  fretum  Penthlandicum  a  Pentho  non  a  Picto  composita  videri  pos- 
sunt.  Some  historians  relate  that  the  Picts  coming  first  out  of  Germany  into  Orkney, 
which  they  inhabited  for  a  season,  thence  they  passed  over  to  Caithness  and  other  parts 
of  the  norUi  of  Scotland ;  so  that  hence  this  firth  is  called  Pictland-Firth. 

The  firth  is  said  to  be  twelve  miles  broad,  and  I  think  they  are  but  short ;  but  this 
may  be  abundantly  compensed  by  the  danger  of  the  passage  :  it  is  bounded  on  the  north 
by  the  isles  of  Orkney,  and  on  the  south  by  Dungisby-head  in  Caithness  ;  to  the  west 
is  the  Deuculedonian  Ocean,  whence  the  flood  comes ;  and  to  the  east  is  the  German 


.;.-«-nr!fr<'V^?tUW*.*r.«t«i«>a«i»*;rW»ir-ift«ti3f'rjf 


ZETLAND,    PICHTLANO-FIRTH,    AND    CAITHNESS. 


801 


Ocean,  whence  the  ebb  runneth.  The  landing-places  arc  Bur  wick,  the  souilicrnmost 
point  of  South  Ronaldsha  in  Orkney,  and  Ouagisby>head,  the  northernmost  in  Caith- 
ness, c-Ued  also  John  Grott's  House,  the  northernmo<>t  house  in  Scotland ;  the  man  who 
now  liveth  in  it  and  keepeth  an  inn  there  is  called  John  Grot,  who  saith  this  home  hath 
been  in  the  possession  of  his  predecessors  of  that  name  for  some  hundreds  of  years ;  which 
name  of  Grot  is  frequent  in  Caithness.  Upon  the  sand  by  John  Grot's  ho'ise  are  found 
many  small  pleasant  buckies  and  shells,  beautified  with  divers  colours,  which  some  use 
to  put  upon  a  string  as  beads,  and  account  much  of  for  their  rarity.  It  is  also  observed 
of  these  shells,  that  not  one  can  be  found  altogether  like  another  ;  and  upon  the  review 
of  the  parcel  I  had,  I  discerned  some  difference  among  them,  which  variety  renders 
them  the  more  beautiful. 

In  the  firth  are  the  isles  of  Swinna,  Stroma,  and  Pightland.Skerries.  From  Burwick 
to  the  west-north-west  lies  Swinna,  one  of  the  isles  of  Orkney ;  a  little  isle,  wherein  are 
some  inhabitants,  who  have  a  good  fishing  about  the  isle,  but  often  with  great  danger, 
not  only  because  it  is  in  Pightland'firth,  where  many  tides  do  go,  but  because  of  some 
dangerous  well  s  or  whirlpools  which  are  nigh  unto  it.  From  Burwick  about  five  or 
six  miles  to  the  south-east  lies  Pightland-Skerries,  dangerous  to  seamen  ;  these  Skerries 
being  in  the  mouth  of  the  firth  to  the  east,  upon  which  both  in  ebb  and  flood  there 
goes  a  great  sea ;  therein  is  some  good  pasture,  but  not  inhabited,  save  sometimes  in  the 
summer  season.  In  the  firth  also  is  the  isle  of  Stroma,  a  little  pleasant  isle,  abounding 
with  corns,  about  a  mile  and  an  half  long,  and  half  a  mile  broad,  and  though  it  be  in 
the  firth,  yet  it  is  not  reckoned  as  one. of  the  isles  of  Orkney,  because  of  its  vicinity  to 
Caithness,  from  wliich  it  is  but  about  two  miles  distant,  and  this  is  the  only  isle  which 
belongs  unto  Caithness,  and  is  still  under  the  jurisdiction  of  the  lords  of  that  country. 

Besides  the  isles  there  are  some  skerries,  as  before  Burwick ;  not  half  a  mile  from 
land,  there  is  one  seen  at  an  ebb«  upon  which  three  years  ago  was  cast  away  a  ship  be- 
longing to  Aberdeen,  and  all  the  men  in  her,  as  they  say,  were  lost. 

Although  the  sea  in  this  firth  floweth  and  ebbeth  twice  in  the  twenty-four  hours,  ns 
it  doth  in  other  places,  yet  there  is  a  meeting  of  many  tides  here,  which,  running  co. 
trary  one  to  another,  cause  that  great  rage,  and  as  it  were  a  conflict  of  waters,  which  is 
terrible  to  behold,  and  dangerous  to  engage  with  :  what  is  the  number  of  these  tides 
cannot  well  be  condescended  upon,  some  say  thirteeh,  others  eighteen,  and  others 
twenty-four.  Blaw,  in  his  Geography,  hinteth  at  this,  and  the  reason  thereof,  shewing 
that  the  sea  running  among  the  Orkney  Isles  is  thereby  restrained,  and  made  to  go 
through  the  isles  as  so  many  water-spouts,  which  meeting  in  this  firth  render  it  so  formi- 
dable and  dangerous.  But  because  of  the  pertinency  and  ele^ncy  of  the  historian 
upon  this  head,  I  shall  give  his  own  words  :  Fretum  hoc  navigantibus  formidabile,  iieque 
nisi  statb  temporibus,  quanquam  positisventis,trajectui  opportunum.  Causaestcum  sestus 
maris  quotidieaseptentrionibusinciteturinhislocisOrchadascircumfususiisqueinterfusus, 
hicprimumobjectuterrarum  coercetur,  undevbillaimmensa  aquarum  multiscanaUbus  in- 
sulasillaspermeans,deinreliquomariinhoc  freto  effusa,  luctantibusetiam  maris  Vergivii  et 
Orieritalis  undes  formidabilesaquarum  vorticescumsummonaviumpericulocreat.  Andin- 
deed  wh^n  we  see  the  many  impetuous  tides  coming  out  into  this  firth,  from  an^ong  the 
isles  of  Orkney,  each  bearing  that  course  to  which  they  are  determined  by  the  land  and 
isles  they  w^sh  and  beat  upon,  we  will  not  judge  it  strange,  that  there  should  be  such  a 
meeting  of  tides  in  this  firth ;  for,  as  some  express  it,  *'  Every  craig-lug  makes  a  new 
tide  :"  and  many  craigs  and  lugs  are  there  here. 

Hence  it  is  clear  that  the  tide  will  run  with  a  greater  rapidity  and  force  in  sonte 
places  than  in  othe  rs ;  as  when  we  pass  tl^t  part  of  the  firth,  where  we  inee;t  with  the 

VOL.  m.  5  k 


/' 


80^ 


brand's   description    of    ORKNEY, 


tick  ill  ihc  ebb  running  oflf  the  sides  of  Pightland  Skerries  from  south-east^  down  into  the 
Swclchic  of  Stroma,  then  the  men  must  ply  their  oars  and  work  hard,  lest  they  be  borne 
down  into  the  Swclchie,  »  dangerous  place.  When  also  we  are  three  or  four  miles 
from  Caithness,  there  is  another  such  rapid  current  coming  from  the  south  of  Dungi.s- 
by- head  out  of  Murray-iirth,  running  upon  Stroma,  both  into  the  Swelchie  on  the 
north,  and  into  the  Merry-men  of  May,  on  the  south  end  of  the  isle.  In  our  passage 
through  this  current,  for  half  an  hour,  we  made  not,  as  we  could  observe,  one  foot  of 
way,  though  there  were  four  men  tugging  at  the  oars,  and  no  wind  blowing ;  and  in 
all  probability  we  had  been  carried  down  upon  Stroma,  if  an  able  man,  a  passenger,  had 
not  taken  an  oar,  so  that  then  there  were  three  oars  upon  our  starboard  side.  Hence 
in  some  places  there  is  a  swift,  and  in  others  a  soft  running  tide,  which  the  boatmen 
being  well  acquainted  with,  they  will  sometimes  rest  from  their  hard  labour,  and  refresh 
themselves  a  little. 

In  our  passage  we  sec  the  currents  before  we  engage  with  them,  running  like  the 
torrents  of  some  great  rivers,  and  in  some  places  we  wilt  see  the  waters  smooth,  and 
rough  round  about ;  the  reason  wherefore  of  I  know  not,  if  it  be  not  because  of  some 
tides  meeting  there,  and,  as  it  were,  for  some  time  quiescent  in  their  centre,  something 
like  unto  which  I  have  observed  in  the  meeting  of  several  rivers  in  one  place. 

In  the  firth  are  several  places  remarkable  for  their  danger,  as  the  wells  of  Swinna, 
whereof  some  are  on  the  east  side  and  others  on  the  west  side  of  the  isle,  they  arc  like 
unto  whirlpools,  turning  about  with  such  violence,  that  if  any  boat  come  nigh  unto 
them,  they  will  suck  or  draw  it  in,  and  then  turnethit  about  until  it  be  swallowed  up  : 
but  these  wells  are  only  dangerous  in  a  calm,  and  seamen  or  fishers,  to  prevent  their 
danger  thereby,  use,  when  they  come  near  them,  to  cast  in  an  oar,  barrel,  oi:  such  like 
thing,  on  which  the  wells  closing,  they  safely  pass  over.  The  miniitter  of  the  place  told 
me,  that  about  twenty  years  ago  there  were  two  fisher-boats  there,  who  coming  nigh 
the  wells,  the  men  in  the  one  boat  seeing  their  danger,  one  of  these  men  thus  afraid 
took  hold  of  the  other  boat  by  them,  and  both  boats  were  swallowed  up.  One  of  the 
ministers  of  Zetland  told  me  there  were  three  of  these  boats,  it  so  falhng  out,  that  he 
passed  the  firth  the  very  day  after  they  perished :  yet  notwithstanding  of  these  dangers 
the  fishers  will  not  desist  from  fishing  about  these  wells ;  for  they  observe,  the  nearer 
they  come  to  them,  they  have  the  fishes  both  greater,  better,  and  more  numerous,  so 
the  fishes  draw  the  men,  and  the  wells  draw  both. 

Near  to  these  Skerries  before  Bur  wick,  formerly  mentioned,  are  also  two  or  three 
wells,  called  the  Wells  of  Tiftala,  only  dangerous  in  a  flood,  as  the  wells  of  Swinna 
are  in  an  ebb ;  these  wells,  as  some  do  judge,  are  caused  by  an  hiatus  or  gap  in  the  earth 
below :  further  I  would  offer  this  consideration,  that  whereas  all  these  wells  are  nigh 
unto  ragged  rocks,  constantly  beat  upon  by  the  tides,  there  may  be  some  secret  con> 
veyances  of  the  water  into  caverns  at  the  bottom  of  the  rock,  from  which  they  may 
pass  into  some  other  places,  where  they  rise  again,  and  that  even  in  the  same  firth, 
though  such  places  be  unknown,  as  it  is  storied  of  many  rivers,  which  fall  into  and  run 
many  miles  below  the  earth,  and  come  out  again  in  other  places.  But  that  which  I 
judge  to  be  more  simple  is,  that  several  tides  running  upon  the  rocks,  and  thence  re- 
turning and  meeting  with  other  tides,  cause  such  a  whirl  as  we  see  behind  mill-wheels, 
some  of  the  water  coming  from,  and  another  part  as  it  were  appearing  to  return  upon 
the  wheel,  which  cause  such  a  whirl,  and  no  more  doth  the  whirls  in  the  firth  require  a 
hiatus  in  the  earth,  or  a  subterraneous  passage,  than  the  whirls  in  the  milPs  water- 
courses :  as  for  their  swallowing  up  of  boats,  wnich  are  no  more  seen,  this  doth  not  prove 
it  i  for  these  boats  may  be  broken  beneath  the  water  upon  rocks  or  the  like,  and  the 


"  i-T-i  '^'*  "9Bii»,>«jw .-  ■ 


UTLANO,    PIOHTtANU-riRTH,    AND    CAITHNKSS. 


80J 


broken  timber  go  to  tlie  sea,  of  which  there  is  enough  found  cast  ashore  upon  these  isles. 
But  many  things  of  this  nature  are  hidden  to  us,  and  wc  can  only  give  our  conjectures 
anent  them. 

There  is  also  in  this  firth  the  Swelchie  of  Stroma,  a  very  dangerous  place  at  the 
north  end  of  the  isle  of  Stroma,  <vhcre  there  is  a  meeting  of  several  tides,  which  cnuseth 
the  water  to  rage  and  make  a  dreadful  noise,  heard  at  some  distance  ;  as  likewise  the 
sea-billows  are  raised  high,  and  appear  white  and  frothy,  very  terrible  to  behold,  especi< 
ally  if  any  storm  be  lying  on,  falling  unto  which  all  passengers  carefully  labour  to  avoid ; 
as  a  gentleman  related  to  me,  that  once  he  was  in  great  danger,  the  seamen  giving 
themselves  over  for  lost,  though  three  miles  from  the  Swelchie,  and  that  in  a  dead  calm, 
when  within  two  or  three  pair  of  butts  to  Stroma,  and  thoueh  so  near  land,  they  had 
been  carried  down  into,  and  perished  by  this  Swelchie,  as  they  all  laid  their  account, 
if  the  Lord  had  not  s^ieedily  caused  a  northern  wind  to  blow,  whereby  they  got  hold  of 
Stroma. 

There  is  another  dangerous  place  at  the  south  end  of  this  isle  of  Stroma,  where  is 
also  a  great  conBict of  water^called  the  Merry-men  of  Ma^,  so  called  from  the  house  of 
Mey,  a  gentleman's  dwelling  in  Caithness,  opposite  to  this  isle,  and  called  Merry-men, 
because  of  the  leaping  and  dancing,  as  it  were,  of  the  waters  there,  though  mirth  and 
dancing  be  far  from  the  minds  of  the  seamen  and  passengers,  who  shall  be  so  unhappy 
Ski  to  fall  in  among  them,  especially  when  any  sea  is  going. 

Seeing  from  what  hath  been  said  this  firth  is  so  very  dangerous  to  pass,  no  wonder 
that  the  mariners  and  others  be  very  careful  to  lay  hold  on  the  fittest  occasion  for  a  safe 
passage,  which  they  find  to  be  a  little  before  the  turning  of  the  tide,  when  it  is  beginning 
to  ebb  on  the  shore,  but  the  flood  is  yet  running  in  the  sea,  then  they  use  to  go  oft, 
that  so,  when  they  are  in,  or  nigh  unto,  the  middle  of  the  firth,  the  tide  may  be  upon  the 
turn,  v.'hich  causcth  for  some  time  a  still  and  quiet  sea  (as  to  the  running  of  the  tides) 
and  the  seamen  are  not  so  put  to  it,  in  wrestling  either  against  flood  or  ebb.  Buchanan, 
hpeaking  of  these  seas  and  the  rapid  tides,  elegantly  expresses  himself:  Duae  sunt  tempes- 
tatesquibus hie an^  stiaf>suntsuperabile8,  autcumoestuum  relapsu  cessante  undarum con- 
(lictu,  man^  tranquiltatur,  aut  ubi  pleno  alveo  aequor  ad  summum  incrementi  pervcnit,  Ian- 
guescente  utrinque  vi  ilia,  <^k  undas  concitabat,  veluti  receptui,  canente  oceano  procellis 
ct  vorticesis  pelagi  commoti  molibus  se  velut  in  sua  castra  recipientibus. 

Any  wind,  they  observe,  will  take  them  over  from  Burwick  to  Caithness,  if  tided 
right,  and  the  wind  not  in  south-west,  or  nigh  to  that  point,  and  so  from  Caithness  to 
Burwick,  if  not  in  the  north-east,  or  nigh  to  it.  But  the  north-west  wind  they  call  Uie 
king  of  the  firth,  not  only,  I  judge,  because  it  will  both  take  them  from  Caithness  to 
Orkney,  and  from  Orkney  to  Caithness,  but  also  because,  if  it  blow  any  thing,  it  keep, 
eth  them  up  in  an  ebb  from  falling  into  the  wells  of  Swinna,  the  Swelchie  of  Stro- 
ma, and  the  Merry-men  of  May.  By  tiding  right  also  they  can  come  over  by  the 
.  help  of  oars,  though  there  be  no  wind :  and  at  any  time,  though  they  observe  not  the 
tide,  they  can  pass  from  Orkney  to  Caithness,  if  it  blow  a  good  gale  from  north-east,  and 
so  from  Caithness  to  Orkney,,  if  the  like  blow  from  south-west.  The  boatmen,  who  use 
to  pass  the  firth,  from  their  experience  know  it  best,  and  can  avoid  the  swell  of  a  sea, 
when  persons  of  greater  skill  cannot  do  it. 

At  no  time  is  there  any  anchoring  in  this  firth  for  if  any  through  ignorance  or 
otherwise  attempt  it,  within  a  little  time  they  must  either  cut  their  cables,  as  some  have 
clone,  and  begone ;  or  else,  if  their  anchors  or  cables  break  not,  they  will  be  ridden 
under :  the  experience  whereof  one  of  our  ships  lately  had,  who  casting  anchor  even  in 

5  :?  2 


804 


MKANU'S    USSCRIl'TION    OF    OKKNCY, 


I 

i 

'1' 

I 


the  mouth  oi'  the  firth,  where  the  tides  are  not  so  strong,  their  anchor  within  a  Utile  tinf\c 
Ijfoke,  and  they  Ixhoved  to  f^o  to  sea. 

In  a  storm,  cspccitilly  if  it  blow  from  south-east  (which,  they  say,  in  the  firh  causcth 
the  greatest  sea)  and  the  tide  be  runnine  in  the  wind's  eye,  the  roaring  and  swelling 
waves  are  very  terrible,  and  mount  so  high,  that  they  could  wash,  not  only  the  deck, 
but  the  sails  and  topmasts  of  the  biggest  sliips. 

The  house  of  Mcy,  formerly  mentioned,  is  a  myth,  sign,  or  mark,  much  observed  by 
sailors  in  their  passing  through  this  firth  between  Caithness  and  Stroma ;  for  they  care- 
fully fix  their  eyes  upon  the  lums,  or  chimney<heads,  of  this  houfe,  which  if  they  lose 
sight  of,  then  they  are  too  near  Caithness,  and  so  ready  to  run  upon  sand-backs,  but  if 
they  get  also  sight  of  the  house,  then  they  are  too  near  Stroma,  and  so  may  split  upon 
the  rocks  which  lie  off  the  south  end  of  Stroma. 

Hence  we  see,  "  They  who  go  down  to  the  sea  in  ships,  and  do  business  in  the  great 
waters,  these  see  the  works  of  the  Lord,  and  his  wonders  in  the  depths ;  that  he  ia  a  God 
glorious  in  holiness,  fearful  in  praises,  doing  wonders ;  he  causeth  the  wind  to  blow,  and 
the  sea  to  flow,  at  his  pleasure ;  bounding  the  impetuous  tides  with  the  rocks  and  sand, 
saying.  Hitherto  shall  ye  come,  and  no  further,  and  here  shall  your  proud  waves  be 
stayed ;  which,  though  they  roar,  yet  shall  they  not  prevail."  His  goodness  and  power 
puttin|f  a  restraint  upon  them ;  his  wisdom  and  counsel  directing  their  turning  and 
returning,  for  his  own  glorious  ends.    Glory  to  his  name ! 

Chap.  XI.  ^ — Concerning  Caithness,  and  what  we  found  to  be  most  remarkable  there. 

MY  discourse  upon  Orkney  and  Zetland  being  extended  beyond  what  either  was 
intended  or  expected,  I  shall  therefore  study  to  be  the  briefer  upon  Caithness,  as  like« 
wise  seeing  it  is  supposable  that  it  may  be  better  known  than  any  of  the  former,  it  being 
upon  the  same  continent  with  us.  What  then  is  to  be  said  thereupon,  I  shall  dispatch 
and  sum  up  in  this  one  chapter. 

Caithness  is  the  northernmost  province  or  shire  in  Scotland,  having  Pightland>firth 
whereby  it  is  divided  from  Orkney  on  the  north,  the  entrance  to  Murray-firth  on  the 
east,  Sutherland  and  Strahnaver  on  the  south,  and  the  Deucaledonian  Ocean  on  the 
west.  It  is  from  that  high  hill  called  the  Ord  of  Caithness,  toward  the  south,  whereby 
it  is  divided  from  Sutherland,  to  Dungisby-head,  tibout  thirty  miles  long,  and  from 
Thurso  on  the  west  side,  to  Wick  on  the  east  side  of  the  country,  twelve  miles  broad. 

As  we  were  much  in  the  dark  about  the  etymology  of  Orkney  and  Zetland,  so  no 
less  are  we  here  in  that  of  Caithness ;  upon  which  Blaw,  in  his  Geography,  giveth  us 
this  notandum :  *'  That  many  names  of  places  are  something  strange,  whose  original 
seem  to  be  neither  Scottish,  Irish,  Danish,  or  Norwegian,  but  unknown,  uncertain,  and 
most  ancient:  such  as  Orbister,  Loyibster,  Robaster,  Trumbuster,  and  innumerable 
others,  Caeterum  not  multa  locorum  nomina  peregrinum  quid  sapere,  quorum  origo  neque 
Scoticum,  Hibemicum,  Danicum,  aut  Norvegicum  quid  referant,  sed  ignotse,  incertae,  et 
vetu^simaeoriginisvidentur,  qualiasunt  Orbister,  Loyibster,  Robaster,  Trumbuster,  et  in- 
numera  dia."  And  seeing  such  examples  of  names  which  are  of  an  unknown  original,  as 
are  given  by  the  historian,  do  all  end  in  ster,  I  would  add,  that  mosl  of  the  namesof  places 
in  this  country  do  end  in  ster  or  star,  and  go ;  as  between  twenty  and  thirty  in  ster  or  star, 
and  about  twenty  in  go,  as  my  informer,  who  had  been  for  some  time  in  the  country,  did 
reckon  them.  Of  old,  Sutherland,  saith  the  same  geographer,  was  called  Caltey,  and  its 
inhabitants  Catteigh,  and  so  likewise  was  Cdthness  and  Strathnaver ;  and  in  the  Irisjiji 


MiiSriTih  iiWiinTw  'i.ih«a:iVii  jw»r;  "i|iTiY""i'i'  'n  i"''iii" 


ZITLANO,    PmHTI.ANl)*riUTU,    AND    CAIXHNCSI. 


8U5 


imc 


kcth 
|ling 
:ck, 

by 

larc- 

lose 

fit  if 

ppon 

:at 

rod 

md 
and, 


was 


Sutherland,  to  this  day  is  called  Cntey,  aiul  its  inhabituntn  Cutif|;h  ;  an  that  Cutteyncss  ih 
no  other  than  the  promontory  or  cape  ofthr  CuttCH,  or  Sutherland,  which  proinoiitnry  is 
stretched  out  from  the  eustt  (or  rather  the  north)  :iide,  saiih  the  goop^rapher  of  the 
mouiitujn  of  the  Ord,  Adco  ut  Cuttey.ness  nihil  aliud  Hit  quam  promontorium  Cat((c  tcu 
Sutherlundis,  quod  promontorium  a  latere  Orientali  monti!>  ordi  proetenditur.  These  Cat- 
tici  arc  thought  to  be  u  people  who  arrived  thither  from  Germany.  Who  would  have 
more  of  this  may  consult  the  above-mentioned  author.  Buchanan  will  have  it  to  be  called 
Caithness,  l)ecause  of  it  being  mountainous,  but  I  know  nut  if  this  reason  will  hold,  for 
the  countries  adjacent  to  Sutherland  and  Stranaver  are  more  mountainous,  and  there 
are  few  high  hills  or  mountains  in  it,  except  at  the  south  end  thereof,  where  it  borders 
with  Sutherland  ;  but  if  it  should  be  so  called,  because  it  is  the  ness  or  promontory  of 
the  mountains,  the  land  by  north  these  mountains  falling  lower  and  running  out  in  a 
promontory  into  the  sea,  I  judge  it  would  hold  better,  and  be  said  with  greater  reason. 
Boethius  also  saith  that  this  country  of  old  was  called  Cornana,  but  the  reason  thereof  he 
giveth  not. 

The  £arls  of  Caithness  were  among  the  ancientest  in  Scotland,  and  in  former  times 
have  been  very  potent  in  this  corner,  as  appears  by  the  several  old  castles  and  places  of 
strength,  which  then  they  were  in  possession  of,  but  now  their  memory  is  almost  extinct. 
The  late  earl  George  dying  without  issue,  the  Laird  of  Glenorchy,  now  earl  of  Bread- 
albane,  married  the  dowager,  who  having  purchased  the  earl's  estate,  the  apparent  heir 
judging  himself  thereby  injured*  did  gather  together  some  of  the  country  people  to  re- 
cover his  right,  but  was  defeated  by  Glenorchy  ;  from  the  field  they  went  to  the  bar, 
and  debated  the  matter  there,  whereupon  the  Lords  gave  forth  this  sentence,  that  Glen- 
orchy should  enjoy  the  estate,  but  the  heir  should  have  the  honours,  and  ai^  aliment  aU 
lowed  him  by  Glenorchy  during  his  life.  The  heir  having  died  about  a  year  ago,  the 
heiress  his  sister  succeeds  to  the  honours,  and  is  in  a  very  mean  condition ;  living  in  a 
place  wliere  the  former  earls  used  to  keep  their  hawks.  So  to  this  ancient  and  ho- 
nourable  family  of  the  earls  of  Caithness  there  is  almost  put  in  holy  providence  a  period 
and  close  :  they  who  had  four  great  houses  in  this  country  like  palaces  for  pleasure  and 
convenience,  and  castles  for  strength,  now  in  their  heirs  enjoy  none  of  them,  three  are 
ruinous,  and  one  is  possessed  by  a  stranger :  as  likewise  there  are  several  other  ruinous 
houses  to  be  seen  here,  who  have  spued  out  their  possessors,  so  confirming  that  com- 
mon observation,  **  That  sin,  committed  by  the  inhabitants,  is  as  gun  powder  laid  to  the 
foundations  of  their  houses,  which  quickly  overtumeth  them,  when  it  pleaseth  a  righte- 
ous God  to  fire  the  train." 

The  late  earls  of  Caithness  were  of  the  name  of  Sinclair,  of  which  name  also  are 
many  gentlemen  of  the  country,  who  have  bought  considerable  parts  of  the  earl's  estate 
from  the  earl  of  Breadalbane  :  before  the  Sinclairs,  the  earls  were  of  the  name  of  Shine, 
and  before  them  were  the  Haralds,  and  before  the  Haralds  were  the  Olas,  as  the  tradition 
goeth  ;  concerning  which,  and  the  manner  of  their  succession,  and  the  interruption 
made  therein,  the  country  talk  several  things  which  I  shall  not  trouble  my  reader  with  : 
only  I  shall  observe  what  is  related  by  Camden,  a  judicious  antiquary,  '*  That  of  old 
the  earls  of  Caithness  were  the  same  with  the  earls  of  Orkney,  but  at  length  were  divid- 
ed, the  eldest  daughter  of  one  Mulastus  being  given  in  marriage  to  William  de  S.  Claro, 
vulgo  Sinclair,  the  King's  pantler,  his  posterity  had  this  honour  conferred  on  them,  of  be. 
ing  earls  of  Caithness." 

The  country  is  pleasant  and  very  fertile,  abounding  with  grass  and  corn,  hence  yearly 
there  is  a  great  quantity  of  victual  exported,  as,  anno  1695,  there  were  16,000  bolls  em- 
barked and  taken  out,  for  which  end  it  is  much  frequented  by  barks  from  the   firth, 


800 


IUAN0*8    DlSCniPTXON    OF    OHKNEY, 


Clyde,  and  other  places  ;  for  ordinarily,  when  there  is  no  scarcity  or  dearth,  the  mcnl  Itt 
sold  here  ut  three  or  iuur  ur  at  most  five  mcrks  per  boll.  The  cattle  and  fibh  also  arc  to 
be  hud  very  cheap,  us  good  kinc  often  in  the  shambles,  such  as  the  country  doth  afford, 
for  th{-ec  or  four  shillings  sterling,  and  sometimes  they  suy  for  two ;  so  that  as  I  hnvc 
heard  some  of  the  more  intelligent  inhabitants  observe,  thnt  here  is  the  cheapest  market 
in  the  world  :  ntid  the  gentlemen  can  live  better  upon  1000  mcrks,  thun  they  can  do  in 
the  south  upon  4000  per  annum,  who  may  improve  their  stocks  to  as  great  if  not  a  greater 
advantage  than  in  any  other  plucc  in  Scotland,  for  they  may  save  their  rents,  raving 
within  themselves  whut  provi:>ion  is  necessary  for  their  table,  and  may  sell  out  much 
store  every  year,  whut  to  the  inhabitants  in  the  country  for  their  own  use,  or  for  salting 
and  sending  abroad,  and  whut  to  drovers  who  take  them  south :  and  it  is  observable,  that 
if  any  buy  a  piece  of  land,  only  what  is  arable  is  accounted  for,  as  for  what  serveth  for 
pasture,  they  use  not  to  take  notice  of,  though  upon  that  consideration  they  may  value 
their  acres  at  a  greater  rate.  In  the  way  between  Thurso  and  Dunnot,  we  saw  much 
low  ground  over!>lown  with  sand,  for  two  miles  back  from  the  sea,  which  formerly  not 
many  years  siiice  was  a  pleasant  meadow. 

1  here  are  ten  parishes  in  this  country,  five  of  which  can  be  served  with  ministers  not 
having  the  Irish  languugc,  few  of  the  people  there  speakinpr '  but  the  other  five  cannot 
be  supplied  otherwise  thun  by  ministers  understanding  Irisii,  n  some  of  these  parishes 
there  being  very  few  who  have  any  knowledge  of  our  language,  and  some  of  the  mini- 
sters arc  obliged  to  preach  both  in  English  and  Irish  for  tne  edification  of  all :  some  of 
the  parishes  are  very  wide  and  populous,  which  tends  to  the  increase  of  ignorance  among 
many,  the  ministers  not  being  able  to  overtake  their  work ;  some  churches  also  are  ruin, 
ous,  for  when  heritors  are  not  friends  to  the  work  of  God,  or  cannot  ag^ree  among  them- 
selves, as  to  the  concerting  of  suitable  measures,  for  putting  or  keepmg  things  which 
concern  the  parish  in  order,  it  useth  to  go  ill  with  ministers  as  to  their  external  accom- 
modation, and  with  churches  as  to  their  repair. 

The  two  principal  towns  in  the  country  are  Wick  and  Thurso.  Wick  is  a  royal  burgh, 
on  the  east  side  of  the  country,  washed  by  the  German  Ocean  at  the  mouth  of  Murray 
Firth,  by  the  side  of  which  runneth  a  small  river ;  at  the  mouth  of  the  river  there  is  a 
harbour  for  boats  or  barks  to  lie  in,  which  they  come  into  at  full  sea,  but  this  harbour 
is  not  so  much  frequented  as  another  about  a  mile  to  the  north-east  of  Wick,  where 
they  judge  the  boats  do  lie  safer.  Opposite  to  Wick  lies  Thurso,  at  twelve  miles  dis- 
tance, on  the  west  side  of  the  country,  which  though  it  enjoy  not  the  privilege  of  a 
royal  burgh,  vet  it  is  more  populous  than  Wick,  and  hath  better  buildings  in  it ;  by  the 
east  side  of  the  town  runneth  a  small  river  called  the  Water  of  Thurso :  they  have  the 
best  church  in  the  country,  well  furnished,  and  kept  in  good  order. 

In  the  water  of  Thurso  there  is  good  salmon  fishing,  which  they  take  two  ways,  one 
is  by  crues  or  creels  with  crossed  or  barred  doors  going  from  the  one  side  of  the  water 
to  the  other,  so  framed  that  they  sufier  the  fishes  to  go  in«  but  not  to  go  out,  out  of 
which  sometimes  they  will  take  several  horses  burdens  offish.  The  other  way  they  take 
them  is  by  a  net,  wherewith  they  fish  a  pool,  which  lieth  a  little  below  the  crues,  and  is 
about  a  pair  of  butts  in  length :  they  having  spread  the  n=t  upon  the  bank,  which  is 
long  enough  to  reach  the  breadth  of  thfc  water,  they  go  in  with  it,  and  one  man  on  each 
side  drawing  it  down  the  pool,  it  is  followed  with  eighteen  or  twenty  men,  going  in  a 
.  breast  behind  it,  with  long  sieves  or  poles  in  their  hands,  wherewith  they  keep  the  net 
to  the  ground,  and  loose  it  when  any  way  entangled ;  the  pool  in  some  places  will  rise  to 
the  height  of  the  breast  of  the  waders,  but  there  is  no  danger.  So  they  bring  down  the 
net  softly  and  warily  to  the  mouth  of  an  enclosure,  which  they  call  a  Stem,  into  which 


'I7uB»>,'^«A<,-,it»--"  ;,/!««••- 


/iTtANO,    PICHTLANO-riUTil   A  N  U  C  A  U  li  Nh,^«. 


807 


the  fishes  arc  driven,  where  the  fishcri  stnndiiig  with  lUh  larger  net,  others  take  a  lesser 
net,  ii.d  !;oing  therewith  into  the  Stem,  culch  the  fiiihe!)  so  euclused,  tliut  Hcurec  one  can 
escupc,  tur  up  the  water  they  cannot  run,  bccaii»e  ul'  the  larger  net,  and  neither  down  can 
they  go,  because  of  the  S(em,  or  tttoncs  laid  together  in  lorni  of  n  wall.  We  &iiw  as  we 
could  conjecture  at  one  draught  upwards  of  three  hundred  good  <»alinons  tMken,  and  these 
who  Imvc  this  fiitiiiDg  told  ui,  that  three  years  ago  they  took  live  hundred  ut  u  draught, 
and  going  through  the  pool  ut  the  same  time  with  the  net  again,  they  caught  other  two 
huitdit  d,  wliicli  salmon  for  the  most  part  they  salt  in  barrels  and  send  abroad.  It  is  also 
to  be  observed  that  the  salmon  keep  this  water  of  Thurso  all  the  year  over,  and  in  the 
winter  season  in  frost  and  snow,  if  you  break  the  ice,  they  are  to  be  had.  The  pool 
is  but  about  half  u  mile  up  the  water  from  Thurso. 

There  are  several  waters  or  rivers  in  the  country,  as  Thurso,  Wick,  Dumbeth,  Rice, 
Force,  and  Beradcl,  but  they  arc  all  small,  and  indeed  there  is  no  great  river  all  the  way 
from  Caithness,  till  we  come  to  Ness,  running  by  Inverness  in  Murray,  over  which  is  a 
strong  bridge  lately  built  consisting  of  seven  arches ;  which  river  is  remarkable  for  this, 
that  it  never  freezeth,  though  the  l.-ostbe  most  vehement,  yea,  if  then  you  bring  a  horse 
unto  the  river,  the  icicles  will  melt  at  his  feet  in  the  space  of  time  that  he  is  drinking : 
the  river  comcth  from  a  loch  called  Lochncss,  which  also  hath  the  same  property,  four 
or  five  miles  to  the  west  of  Inverness.  Thiii  river  I  make  mention  of  though  not  in  Caith< 
ness,  it  being  the  first  considerable  one,  having  any  thing  of  a  strong  and  regular  bridge, 
which  we  passed  in  our  return. 

There  are  some  trees  here,  but  they  are  not  so  big  as  these  which  are  further  souti), 
even  in  Sutherland,  particularly  upon  the  water  of  Beradel  there  is  a  pleasant  straiUi 
full  of  small  wood.  And  there  is  a  garden  three  or  four  miles  to  the  south<west  of 
Thurso,  very  pleasant  and  well  furnished  with  fruit  trees,  much  commended  by  the  in- 
habitants. 

The  rocks  by  the  coasts  are  much  frequented  by  fowls  of  various  kinds,  as  eagles, 
hawks,  8cc.  such  as  in  Orkney  and  Zetland,  of  which  rocks  there  are  long  tracts  ;  for 
whereas  in  Sutherland,  Ross,  and  Murray,  the  sea  for  the  most  part  is  bounJed  with  the 
sand,  here  it  is  bounded  with  the  rocks,  which  it  washeth  and  beateth  on,  and  that  al- 
most round  Caithness  from  the  Ord  to  Dungisby-head  on  the  east,  and  so  by  Dunnot 
Head,  and  Hoburn  Head,  to  Stranaver  on  the  west,  except  a  few  creeks  or  bays,  several 
of  which  are  very  convenient  for  anchoring  ;  especially  in  Scribister  Bay,  a  little  to  the 
north* west  of  Thurso,  there  is  good  anchoring  ground,  where  ship«  may  safely  ride 
without  the  fear  of  hazard  by  wind  or  tide,  the  capes  of  land  there  makinc>:  a  still  sea> 
and  defending  the  ships,  which,  as  it  were,  flee  into  their  arms  from  raging  and  angry 
Pightland  Firth  :  there  are  here  also  some  rocks  lying  a  little  oiT  the  land,  from  which 
they  are  broken  and  disjoined,  which  they  call  Clets,  the  same  with  the  holms  in  Orkney 
and  Zedand ;  these  clets  are  almost  covered  with  sea-fowls.  Ojie  way  they  take  these 
fowls  is  pleasant,  though  with  great  danger ;  they  take  a  line,  upon  the  end  of  which  they 
fasten  some  fish-hooks,  above  the  hooks  there  is  also  a  pock  fastened,  and  so  from  the  top 
of  the  rock  they  let  down  the  line,  thus  furnished  with  pock  and  hooks,  striking  the  heads 
oi  the  young  fowls  in  their  nests  with  the  pock,  upon  which  the  fowls  do  al!  gape  and 
cry ;  as  if  it  were  their  dame  coming  with  meat  to  them,  and  so  lifting  the  line  they  let 
the  hooks  fall  into  their  mouths,  which  taking  hold  of  the  fowls,  they  become  their 
prey. 

There  are  likewise  several  caves  going  from  the  sea  wii.iin  the  rocks,  in  which  the 
waves  make  a  dreadful  noise,  such  caves  we  had  occasion  to  take  notice  of  in  our  dis> 
course  upon  Orkney  and  Zetland. 


aoi 


■  aAND's    DI8CRIPTI0N    OP    OftlCNXr, 


Opeciutty  there  is  »  kind  of  fowU  called  Snowflccti,  which  re«ort  to  this  country  in 
great  numbcrii  in  Fcbruury  ;  they  arc  tibout  the  l>ignc»H  of  a  sparrow,  but  cxciiuing 
tut  and  ddiciou»  i  they  fly  in  flockti,  thouMUKlst  of  them  together,  many  of  which  the  in> 
hiibitunts  do  kill  and  mukc  Ubc  of.  They  uhc  to  go  away  in  April,  and  are  thought  to 
cotnc  from  the  Wcttt  Highluiids.  They  have  al-to  a  great  plenty  of  muorfowli,  plovers, 
us  much  if  not  more  than  in  uny  pluce  of  Scotland. 

The  industry  of  the  gentlemen  here  is  to  be  much  commended,  for  although  from 
Wick  to  Dumbeth,  which  is  twelve  miles  long,  there  be  no  harbour  or  bay,  but  a  con- 
tinued tract  of  rugged,  hurd  uml  irun-likc  rockb,  wa^thed  by  the  sea,  yet  there  are  several 
liarbour's  forced  there  by  art,  though  denied  by  nature,  and  passages  in  many  places  like 
stc|)»  of  staim  mude  from  the  top  of  tlic  rock  to  the  bottom,  where  their  fish-bosts  do  lie, 
and  by  passages  do  bring  their  fisihes  up  to  the  top  of  the  rocks,  where  they  salt  and  dry 
ihtm  in  houses  made  for  the  purpose,  whereby  great  gain  doth  redound  to  the  owners, 
some  making  an  much  by  their  Bblies,  as  they  do  by  their  land-rent. 

An  in  Orkney  and  Zcihind  there  were  several  old  chapels,  which  superstitious  zealots 
did  frequent,  mj  it  is  likcwiiicin  Caithness  ;  the  ministers  told  me  there  is  one  in  Dunnot 
parish,  beside  which  there  arc  about  sixty  heaps  of  stones,  which  the  people  coming  to, 
take  with  them  u  stone  and  throw  it  into  the  heap,  bowing  themselves  also  thereunto. 
Nigh  to  it  likewise  there  is  a  loch  called  St.  John's  Loch,  concerning  which  there  goes  a 
fabulous  tradition,  that  on  St.  Stephen's  Day  there  was  a  pleasant  meadow  in  that  place, 
where  now  the  loch  is,  and  on  St.  John's  Day  thereafter  it  was  turned  into  this  loch. 
There  is  also  unother  in  the  parish  of  Rhae,  to  which  some  take  their  children  if  they  be 
in  distress,  and  muke  two  ^aves  at  tlie  side  of  one  another,  laying  the  child  be* 
tween  them,  and  so  they  try  if  the  child  will  recover;  but  the  way  how  they  know,  I 
forbear  to  mention.  But  they  say  there  is  a  chapel  in  the  parish  of  Konnesbie,  the  north- 
ernmost parish  of  all  this  country,  opposite  to  Orkney,  which  is  yet  more  frequented 
than  any  of  the  former,  which  some  wildly  superstitious  frequent  on  some  day  about 
Cundleniass,  going  about  it  on  their  bare  knees,  and  thence  going  to  a  water,  they  cast 
some  of  it  in  handfuls  over  their  heods,  and  from  the  water  to  an  alehouse,  where  they 
use  to  fill  themselves  drunk  ;  and  when  going  to  these,  or  at  them,  they  can  scnrce,even 
though  threatened,  be  prevailed  with  to  speak.  To  which  hellish  rites  some  are  so  ad- 
dicted, that  the  ministers  judge  it  next  to  impossible  to  get  them  weaned  and  brought 
therefrom  :  but  the  vigilancy  and  pains  of  ministers,  especially  of  late,  hath  through  the 
blessing  of  God  not  been  altogether  without  success.  Which  old  chapels,  both  here  and 
in  Orkney  and  Zetland.  I  think  the  government  should  cause  to  be  raised,  which  might 
prove  as  the  taking  away  of  tlie  neitegg. 

The  eurls  of  Caithness,  as  hinted  at  before,  had  several  strong  and  convenient  dwell- 
ings. One  about  a  short  half  mile  from  Thurso,  called  Thurso  by  East,  now  ruinous ; 
it  hath  been  built  in  the  form  of  a  court,  and  the  gates  have  been  decorated  with  cut 
stone  work,  and  the  gardens,  avenues,  and  ofBce  houses  have  been  conform  to  the  splen. 
dour  of  the' house.  An  honest  countryman,  observing  the  many  great  sins  that  had  been 
committed  about  that  house,  is  said  to  have  predicted  to  one  of  the  late  earls  its  ruin 
and  desolation,  saying,  "  That  the  cup  of  sb  was  filling,  and  this  house  would  shortly 
become  a  den  of  dragons,  (using  the  scripture  phrase)  and  seeing  there  are  no  such  crea- 
ture among  us,  it  shall  be  of  foxes;"  and  accordingly  it  was  observed  that  a  fox  haunt. 
ed  it  when  ruinous  a  few  years  after,  which  stayed  there  till  about  nine  or  ten  years  ago, 
when  a  part  of  the  house  was  repaired.  This  I  had  from  one  of  the  ministers  of  the 
country,  and  another  minister  told  me,  that  before  he  bore  this  character  he  frequently 
shot  rabbits  there  within  the  walls  of  the  house.    ...  r-  >      ^     *.  '• 


i<.    .    ■.!!   I'    ■■     1 


»wr;'- -^*'    ;«  I  _  <.i,   .,  m ■■vjw- ■  .1, , 


ZITLAMD,  PI01tTLAND*rillTV,  AND  C4trHKBIt. 


809 


^  There  are  also  otiier  four  castles  upoti  one  buy,  on  the  cast  Aide  of  the  country  nigli 
to  Wick,  which  belonged  to  these  curls.  I'he  bay  is  called  RiccBa^r,  and  is  two  or 
three  miles  broad,  the  entry  whereof  i'.  to  the  cast,  but  dangerous  for  ships  to  come  into, 
because  of  the  many  blind  rocks  that  lie  therein :  upon  the  south  side  of  the  bay  next  to 
Wick  have  been  two  strong  castles,  joined  to  one  another  by  a  draw.brid^e,  called 
Castle  Sinclair  and  Girncgo,  the  former  huth  been  the  strongest  house,  but  the  latter 
they  ordinaril^v  iiud  their  dwelling  in ;  their  situation  is  upon  a  rock  disjoined  from  the 
land,  environed  for  the  most  port  with  the  sea,  to  which  ca<(tles  from  the  land  they  passed 
also  by  a  bridge  which  was  drawn  up  every  nighty  whence  there  was  no  access  to  them. 
I  found  the  year  of  God  upon  the  hntle  of  a  window  in  CiMle  Sinclair  to  he  1607 ; 
which  hath  been  the  year  wherein  this  castle  was  built,  or  at  least  repaired.  Sumc  ac- 
count these  two  castles  to  be  but  one,  because  of  their  vicinity.  Thev  buy,  there  was 
much  sin  committed  here,  as  drunkenness,  uncleanness,  &c.  For  which  a  righteous 
Gixl  hath  turned  them  into  a  ruinous  heap.  (Jppositc  to  Castle  Sinclair,  and  Gimej^o, 
on  the  other  side  of  the  bay  is  Kice  another  cantle,  but  alsu  rninou».  On  the  wcht  side 
of  the  bay  is  the  castle  of  Hakergil,  a  strong  house^  at  present  possessed  by  a  gentleman, 
who  hath  a  great  interest  in  the  country,  but  is  itotldescended  of  the  family  of  Caithness. 
There  are  dso  the  ruins  of  the  old  castle  of  BcfMlSl  to  be  seen,  situated  on  a  rock  near 
to  the  sea,  at  the  mouth  of  a  river  of  that  name,  to  which  also  they  have  passed  from  the 
land  by  a  draw-bridge :  such  naturally  strong  situations  for  their  houses  they  sought  oui 
of  old,  that  they  might  be  tlie  more  secure,  and  safe  from  all  violence,  nature  us  ^^  ell  ab 
art  contributing  to  their  fortification. 

About  a  short  half  mile  to  the  west  of  Thurso  arc  the  ruins  oFun  old  castle,  where  tin 
bishop  in  the  first  times  of  Popery  is  said  to  have  had  his  residence,  particularly  there  was 
one  Adam  said  to  be  last  bishop  who  lived  in  that  house,  who  having  greatly  oppressed 
the  people  by  his  rigourous  exacting  of  the  tithes  ;  the  people  con:j)luined  thereol  to  the 
earl,  who  is  said  in  passion  tn  hnvc  answered  dKm,  *'Go  and  seethe  him,  and  sup  him 
too  if  you  pleaM.,"  whereupon  they  went  to  the  bishop's  lodging  und  apprehended  luni, 
and  setting  hb  house  on  fire,  they  actually  boiled  him  und  supped  off  the  broth :  which 
being  known,  enquiry  WiS  made  for  the  barbarous  actors  of  this  tragedy  ;  and  being 
apprehended  were  put  to  death,  so  suiTering  condign  punishment  for  this  horrid  villainy. 
And  this  earl  is  not  the  only  the  great  person  who  hath  given  forth  an  inconsiderate 
sentence,  upon  which  barbarous  and  inhuman  actions  have  ensued.  Buchunun  writeth 
this  to  have  been  about  the  year  1222  in  the  days  of  Alexander  II.  king  of  Scots  ;  und 
saith  only,  "That  they  having  killed  the  monk  who  attendw-d  him  and  nis  servant,  ijiey 
wounded  himself,  and  drawing  him  to  the  kitchep,  they  set  the  house  on  fire  nboiit 
him."  A  little  to  the  west  of  this,  is  the  house  of  Screbister  the  residence  of  the  late 
bishops,  where  I  think  their  lordships  had  but  a  mean  accommodation ;  the  revenues  of 
the  bishoprick  here  are  among  the  smallest  in  Scotland,  which  Ihey  report  thus  came  io 
pass,  one  of  the  bishops  at  the  reformation  sold  the  church's  revenues  far  below  th'-ir 
value  [some  say  at  thirteen  shilling  Scots  per  boll,]  to  the  earl,  knowing  that  but  fur  u 
short  time  he  could  enjoy  the  same. 

There  is  a  hill  in  thu  parish  of  Wic^  called  Stony  Hill,  the  reason  of  whic^  denomi- 
nation is  said  to  be  this  ;  in  the  days  of  William  king  of  Scots  1 199,  as  Bucluinan  hatli  it, 
there  was  one  Harald  earl  of  Orkney  and  Caithness,  who  being  offended  at  the  bishop, 
sa  having  insinuated  something  to  the  king  against  him,  apprehended  he  bishop,  cut- 
ting out  his  todgue  and  putting  out  his  eyes,  which  being  represented  to  the  king,  he 
sent  his  forces  into  Caithness,  and  having  defeated  the  earl  in  several  engagcineni  the 
earl  flying  was  pursued;  and  being  apprehended,  his  eyes  were  llrst  put  out,  und  then  lir 

VOL.  III.  5   X, 


810 


brand's    description   of  ORKNEY,  &a 


I'  ' 


^/?A 


was  hanged,  and  all  his  male  children  were  emasculated  upon  this  hill,  wliiuh  ever]since 
hath  been  called  Stony -hill. 

They  told  us,  there  arc  several  high  great  stones  set  up  through  the  country  and  that 
ordinarily  on  hills,  about  which  are  the  rubbish  of  other  stones,  which  have  served  for 
some  end  there,  and  probably  have  been  places  of  Pagan  worship,  as  we  observed  upon 
Orkney  in  the  parish  of  Bower,  as  we  passed,  we  saw  an  artificial  mount  ditched  about 
of  a  small  circumference,  it  is  like  for  the  same  purpose.  They  have  likewise  the  tradi* 
tion  of  some  Picts  houses,  which  have  been  here  of  old,  the  rubbish  whereof  is  yet  to  be 
seen  in  the  parish  of  Latheran,  as  a  gentleman  well  acquainted  with  the  country  did  in- 
form me. 

In  the  parish  of  Latheran  we  saw  the  foundation  of  a  house  said  to  be  laid  by  a  bastard 
son  of  the  earl  of  Caithness,  but  never  perfected :  it  is  founded  upon  a  rising  ground 
nigh  to  the  sea,  where  there  is  a  fair  prospect  of  Murray,  where  it  is  reported  the  ^ntle- 
man  had  his  mistress,  who  intended  to  build  it  there,  that  so  she  might  have  a  view  of 
the  house  from  Murray,  and  he  at  the  house  might  see  Murray. 

Dunnot  Head  stretching  out  into  Pightland-Firth,  is  about  a  mile  in  breadth,  and 
beven  miles  in  circumference,  in  it  are  several  lochs,  and  some  good  pasture  for  cattle, 
but  no  inhabitants ;  in  it  are  to  be  had  good  mill-stones,  and  it  is  thought  there  is  a  lead- 
rnine  there.  In  several  places  in  the  parbh  of  Dunnot  there  will  no  rats  live,  and  if 
earth  be  brought  out  thence  to  other  places  molested  by  them,  they  will  be  quickly  gone. 

The  Ord  which  divideth  Caithness  from  Sutherland,  is  a  high  mountain,  as  the  name 
Ord,  which  iji  Irish  signifieth  an  h'>ight,  doth  imply  ;  down  which  our  way  from  Caith- 
ness  to  Sutherland  doth  lie,  the  road  is  but  narrow,  and  the  descent  steep,  and  if  any 
stumble  thereupon,  they  are  in  hazard  of  falling  down  a  precipice  into  the  sea  at  the  bot- 
torn  of  the  rock,  which  is.  very  terrible  to  behold,  but  who  pass  it,  for  the  more  security 
iise  to  lead  their  horses  to  the  foot  of  the  hill,  which  b  about  a  short  mile  in  length  ; 
and  no  other  way  there  is  from  Sutherland  to  Caithness,  or  from  Caithness  to  Sutherland 
but  this,  except  we  go  twelve  miles  about,  but  it  might  be  made  broader  and  safer  with 
small  ex  pence. 

It  is  observed  in  Caithness  as  an  infallible  sign  almost  when  they  se^  a  mist  or  cloud 
lying  down  upon  the  foot  of  the  hi!ls,  that  then  a  drought  will  follow ;  but  if  such  a  mist 
or  cloud  be  on  top  thereof,  "Iv^y  thetux  certainly  conclude  there  will  be  rain  that  day. 

In  the  parish  of  Halkirk  thctK  is  a  loch  [as  there  are  several  lochs  in  the  country], 
within  which  loch  are  the  ruins  of  an  old  house  built,  they  say,  by  robbers,  that  they 
might  be  the  more  safe  and  secure  from  the  fears  of  being  apprehended.  That  which  is 
most  obiiervuble  concerning  this  house,  is,  that  there  b  not  one  foot  of  more  ground, 
than  what  is  within  the  circumference  of  the  foundation,  and  upon  which  it  standeth, 
hence  either  the  water  of  the  loch  hath  washed  away  the  prominent  rock,  if  there  hath 
been  any  through  wasting  time-  or,  if  there  was  no  part  of  the  rock  without  the  circum- 
ference of  the  foundation,  it  is  wonderful  to  consider,  how  so  nigh  to  the  water  the 
foundation  hath  been  got  laid,  the  water  about  the  house  being  of  a  considerate  depth, 
and  the  extreme  parts  of  the  rock  upon  which  the  foundation  standeth,  not  to  g^ve  way 
and  fail  under  the  weight  of  the  building,  which  those  who  have  seen  this  house,  are  sur. 
prized  at.  Upon  the  loch  they  have  boats  which  come  close  to  the  walls  of  the  houae, 
for  the  taking  of  fowls  of  divers  kinds,  as  inaws»J]£Ci>0s,  Q(c*  several  thousands  of  which 
do  frequent  it,  having  their  nests  in  the;;«fig|i^DlEiBlii^>^ 


1         AUG  18185^ 


'7  7/ 


}r. 


't^S^.'J--^-'""' 


•■-^1  iriiiiwwii 


1J.U  -J.    JIH» 


* 


*^^ 


